Will you buy an Apple Watch?

[Scott Greczkowski]

Hate to say it but the feature I use most on my Apple Watch Ultra is the Flashlight. Great for getting up at night to take the dogs out. Can't believe the watch lights up the room so much.

Glad no one sued that for that feature.

 

[harshness]

Great for getting up at night to take the dogs out.

I use a flashlight keyfob. They cost about $1 each, don't require any special gymnastics to turn the light on and off and the batteries last for months.

 

[navychop]

Not everything need be patented.

 

[harshness]

Not everything need be patented.

If one intends to support their ongoing development efforts, it absolutely does.

 

[navychop]

Some things are too obvious to merit a patent.

 

[TheForce]

Not everything need be patented.

Right. There is a filing called a Record of Invention that can establish dates of invention and what it does. That is something I have filed many times when I worked in R&D. If the "invention" looks promising from a commercial aspect the patent attorneys will review the RI and then determine how broad they can make it to prevent others from getting around the patent.

I worked for a small chemical company in NY that legally infringed on a patent to make monomethylmethacrylate using a modified derivative of the patented lead oxide catalyst. The flaw in the plaintiff's patent was it was not broad enough and left open the ability to use lead oxide derivatives. The court ruled in my company's ( employer's) favor. I was not directly involved in that process development as my work was on a different product chemical, however I was called in as a hostile witness to discredit my boss who did develop the derivative. I was well rehearsed by our attorneys and as I understand they were not successful in getting me to discredit my boss. Their attorney failed to see that I never worked on the derivative nor did my boss ever discuss that project with me although I was aware of that operation and saw him working on the derivative in our lab.

 

[TheForce]

Hate to say it but the feature I use most on my Apple Watch Ultra is the Flashlight. Great for getting up at night to take the dogs out. Can't believe the watch lights up the room so much.

Glad no one sued that for that feature.

Actually our favorite feature of the Apple watch is answering phone calls from the watch. It works really well and more convenient than reaching for the iphone and holding it up. Calling outbound is not as convenient.

 

[navychop]

My MiL “won” a smart watch. “Smart Hand Ring manual”. Some versions go for ~$200. I think this version (Y68?) goes for $8.

I takes BP, but seems to register about 10 high. But I can see the value in that. If I were to buy an Apple Watch (8? Or Ultra? Or ?), would the watch be accurate on BP? Would it save the data so I can print or copy/paste the readings with date/time stamps for my doctor? I am supposed to take and record BP readings but don’t.

The following is on the Internet, so it must be true:

Using Apple Watch to take a blood pressure reading is accurate as long as you use a medically precise and tested blood pressure cuff such as QardioArm smart blood pressure monitor. Our cuff has been clinically validated and is FDA approved, Canada Health approved and has a CE Mark.Jan 30, 2023

 

[navychop]

I don’t see BP in the list of features comparing the 8 and Ultra.

I see the Ultra comes in Titanium vs SS, is a little larger, brighter and comes in cellular only. It has longer battery life, an additional connectivity band and a siren and goes twice as deep in the water.

Recommendations? If it does not do BP, situation is moot.

 

[navychop]

Or is there a better solution for BP taking and tracking? O2 and pulse would be nice too.

 

[navychop]

I should add, the QuardioArm costs about $80 and does not appear to actually require the watch. But it’s still a bother to put it on. I’m gathering that there is no “accurate” BP reader that does not require an arm cuff. True?

 

[klang]

Apple watch does O2 and pulse but not BP. Rumored they are working on the watch collecting blood sugar levels. I'm sure BP will happen eventually but know idea when.

I use a Omron BP monitor a couple times a week at home. The readings are synced to an app on my phone. The app updates the health database on my phone.

 

[navychop]

Is that the model

HEM-7131E M3, Evolv or maybe the Platinum?​

 

[klang]

My Omron is the BP786N. Probably not a current model anymore.

 

[navychop]

Doesn’t seem to be.

Reading reviews shows people love these things- except when they hate them. Seems high readings are enough of a problem to give me serious pause.

Been focusing on the Orrin Platinum or Evolv or the

QardioArm Wireless Blood Pressure Monitor.​

 

[klang]

My purchase was based on testing by Consumer Reports a few years back. I seem to recall you are not a fan of theirs.

 

[navychop]

Yep. Got fed up with their biases while claiming to be so pure.

 

[TheForce]

I should add, the QuardioArm costs about $80 and does not appear to actually require the watch. But it’s still a bother to put it on. I’m gathering that there is no “accurate” BP reader that does not require an arm cuff. True?

BP can vary depending on when you do it and several other factors like hypertension and anxiety, breathing, etc.

I use the Qardio Arm and I like how it records a history on the phone.

I also have tried the wrist cuffs and those are really inaccurate and not repeatable. Could be the cheap brand I bought.

I have little hope that Apple will ever get a wrist BP on the watch working.

It's been quite a few years since I was a Army medic but I had classes on how to do BP on soldiers who had both arms blown off. It's a leg cuff. With all 4 limbs gone all you can do is check for pulse until he is in the hospital and there is an aorta transmitter than can be placed to monitor BP.
The point is, BP is too relative to many factors that accuracy is subjective.


Overall, I really love my Apple watch and since using it to take calls and check on many things, even the battery charge status of my Tesla, stock monitoring, weather, email text messages, timer and alarm watch exercise levels etc all at a glance it really is much more than just a watch. If you get one, be sure to get the cellular version as then it can almost replace the phone. Our whole family wears Apple watches. Like right now I just got an alert that my wife just left and on her way home as the watch monitors our Teslas in the Tesla app for Apple Watch. I can also use it to charge purchases at a store without needing to get out my CC. Just hold my wrist next to the CC reader.

 

[navychop]

I have little hope that Apple will ever get a wrist BP on the watch working.

Sigh.

The point is, BP is too relative to many factors that accuracy is subjective.

Makes me wonder why docs want us to check.
Not upon waking or going to bed or any exercise. Wait 10 minutes of quiet sitting (sorry, I’m gonna YT or such, or go on SatGuys) before taking measurements. Don’t take repeated measurements, they will keep getting higher. I did, they did, and I feared I was getting a heart attack. Or my sister’s hypochondria is contagious. 1,200 miles away.

If you get one, be sure to get the cellular version as then it can almost replace the phone.

I always have my iPhone with me. Even just outside my shower. So watch cellular unnecessary or I might get used to such a watch and leave the phone behind? What do the telcos charge, $10/mo extra for Watch connection?

Either way, I guess I’d need to wear my old (dead) watch for a couple of months, to see if I could get used to it again. But that watch is smaller than the Ultra 8. And I doubt I’d ever wear it at night.

Decisions, decisions. I just can’t keep a schedule of taking my BP with the stand alone unit. MAYBE I’d do better if there was just the cuff and no writing stuff down.

 

[navychop]

. I can also use it to charge purchases at a store without needing to get out my CC. Just hold my wrist next to the CC reader.

Does your bank/credit union grant you rewards points for running thru Apple Pay like that?