[msm0511]

Yes, I agree— make the Apple Watch look more like a timepiece than a slick looking wrist-computer. I do like the shape but a round Apple Watch would be nice, too.

Yes to ringtones on the Watch. But that's a significant hardware upgrade. And for the most part, I find other people's ringtones too loud and annoying. I suppose I should be happy with someone sharing their superior musical tastes with me in restaurants and businesses, but no. I don't. So there's a fine line between love and hate. And be careful what you wish for. So I keep my Watch silent 99.7% of the time. 99.5 just won't do.
.

For me, I like that Apple doesn't try and make the AW look like a traditional watch.

I completely get your thoughts about others ringtones on the AW. It can be pretty annoying trying to enjoy a nice meal and have the person behind me phone start blaring out some crappy song. I tend to keep my volume so low on my watch I actually don't even hear it. I'd rather get the different notification tones more so than actual ringtones. Right now if I get a text or email they sound exactly the same. Just a separate tone for texts and emails and I'd be a happy camper.

[doogald]

For me, I like that Apple doesn't try and make the AW look like a traditional watch.

I completely get your thoughts about others ringtones on the AW. It can be pretty annoying trying to enjoy a nice meal and have the person behind me phone start blaring out some crappy song. I tend to keep my volume so low on my watch I actually don't even hear it. I'd rather get the different notification tones more so than actual ringtones. Right now if I get a text or email they sound exactly the same. Just a separate tone for texts and emails and I'd be a happy camper.

Right, I don't ask for custom ring or notification tones - just support for the same default tones that come on the iPhone, so that I can make a choice that allows me to distinguish between a message and an email by sound, just as I can with my phone. If the watch can play the same default "Note" ringtone from the iPhone, it can play the others.

[Gadget Goblin]

I only have 2 complaints

1. Spotify support (it probably won’t happen but I’d love to be able to do what you can do with Apple Music but with Spotify)

2. Podcast support (cmon apple for gods sake... podcasts were pretty much born on your system surly you can have podcast support on the watch like Apple Music)

[facecard]

I am new to the Apple Watch and I have mix feelings about it so far. I bought the AW 3 gps model. Originally, it was my misunderstanding that AW 3 would come with built in Wifi and be independent from the phone. Going on this misunderstanding, I went ahead and bought the AW 3 gps model not realizing that it doesn't have a normal Wifi connection and it still needs to be paired with a phone to sync everything. I am a little disappointed that I have to use the AW and the phone together instead of separate devices. An iPad Mini and iPod Touch 5g are bigger than the Watch but you can use them as independent devices with built in Wifi. I was hoping the AW 3 could be like those Wifi devices and be use as a separate device.

What I don't like about the Apple Watch 3.

- No built in Wifi
- It has to be paired to the phone
- The battery drains quicker on the Watch and Phone
- You can't change the ringtone on the Watch
- Control center is OK but I would like customize it
- Can't adjust the brightness

The above are some negative things I don't like about the Watch 3 and I am sure I have to adjust some settings.

[doogald]

I am new to the Apple Watch and I have mix feelings about it so far. I bought the AW 3 gps model. Originally, it was my misunderstanding that AW 3 would come with built in Wifi and be independent from the phone.

You're right about it not being independent, but it does have WiFi built-in. If you are in a location where your iPhone has connected to WiFi^*but are away from your phone (or out of Bluetooth range), the watch will still have connectivity and, if you have WiFi calling set up on your phone with handoff turned on, even receive and make phone calls. If you have WiFi at home and go into settings / bluetooth on the phone and turn off BT, the watch will initially show disconnection from your phone but will then connect using your home's WiFi.


^(*except for WiFi that requires a login page, such as Starbucks, McDonalds, etc.)

[facecard]

You are right, the Watch has built- in Wifi but it is not independent from the phone. It uses the phone's connection to receive Wifi connection.

If the BT or Wifi is OFF on the phone then it affects the Watch. In my opinion the Watch is useless without the phone. If you turn OFF bluetooth and/or Wifi on the phone, what is the point of using the Watch?

The other problem, since the Watch needs constant connection to the phone, it puts a strain on the Phone's battery. I am seeing a drop in battery performance on the Phone. When you have BT on, Wifi on and the Watch is constantly syncing with the Phone, obviously, you will see some performance issues.

I am hoping the next Apple Watch will be completely independent of the phone OR some features on the Watch can be used without the Phone such as Wifi.

[TylerLV76]

You are right, the Watch has built- in Wifi but it is not independent from the phone. It uses the phone's connection to receive Wifi connection.

If the BT or Wifi is OFF on the phone then it affects the Watch. In my opinion the Watch is useless without the phone. If you turn OFF bluetooth and/or Wifi on the phone, what is the point of using the Watch?

The other problem, since the Watch needs constant connection to the phone, it puts a strain on the Phone's battery. I am seeing a drop in battery performance on the Phone. When you have BT on, Wifi on and the Watch is constantly syncing with the Phone, obviously, you will see some performance issues.

I am hoping the next Apple Watch will be completely independent of the phone OR some features on the Watch can be used without the Phone such as Wifi.

Thats not how it works. The watch will use any 2.4ghz wifi connection that your phone has used as long as its not public wifi that requires a login.

You can put your phone in airplane mode and you will see, the watch will connect directly to wifi and receive imessages, use any internet enabled app etc. The watch requires no wifi access from the phone in any way. In fact, most days I turn bluetooth off and allow the watch to run solely on wifi in my shop while my phone is in my office far from reach of the watch on a totally separate 5ghz wifi connection (watch cant do 5ghz).

The bluetooth connection it uses is low power so you shouldnt see much of a drop in battery life. I have noticed maybe 5% difference over the course of a day when using the watch. You will actually notice more of a drain on the watch when you are on wifi connection.

[facecard]

As I type this out, I put the Watch in Airplane mode. Obviously, I have the RED icon with the line through it. The Wifi icon has not appeared yet. Earlier this morning, on my phone, I turned off BT and I was not getting notifications on my Watch. I was getting notifications on my phone but not the Watch. Even though the Watch was showing the Wifi icon, I was not connected to any Wifi hotspots.

Just now I got a notification on my phone but not the Watch because it is in Airplane mode. I turned off, A Mode and I received the notification on the Watch.

In addition, if I turn off BT on the phone, the Watch no longer communicates with the phone. If I go to the Watch app, I get a message about BT and Wifi not being on.

If I leave the phone and Watch connected to each other, either one or both suffer battery drainage. By the end of day, I am charging one or both devices. As I type this out, I am at Phone 95% and Watch 60%. Probably in a hour from now, those percentages will decrease.

If I turn off BT on the phone then I lose the connection between the two of them. The Watch will revert over to Wifi and hopefully I receive notifications. However, I have to go back to the phone and turn on BT for them to communicate with each other.

I feel like I am damned if I do and damned if I don't. If I choose one over the other then I lose the feature or purpose of the device or something else.

[doogald]

As I type this out, I put the Watch in Airplane mode. Obviously, I have the RED icon with the line through it. The Wifi icon has not appeared yet. Earlier this morning, on my phone, I turned off BT and I was not getting notifications on my Watch. I was getting notifications on my phone but not the Watch. Even though the Watch was showing the Wifi icon, I was not connected to any Wifi hotspots.

Of course. Airplane mode on the watch means all of the radios are off, just like on the iPhone, except that you can switch WiFi and bt back on with airplane mode on the iPhone but not the watch - at least not yet. Airplane mode means no communication. What was being suggested was turning airplane mode ON THE IPHONE and not the watch. The watch will connect to WiFi. If you turn WiFi back on the iPhone and not bt and the two devices are on the same network, they will still communicate. But, why? BT is more efficient for this than WiFi. It uses less power on both, which is why the AW prefers to connect that way.

In addition, if I turn off BT on the phone, the Watch no longer communicates with the phone. If I go to the Watch app, I get a message about BT and Wifi not being on.

It does take about a minute for the watch to get a WiFi connection, which you can watch for on the control center on the watch. Look at the icon top left. When it does, communication will continue with the phone.

This assumes, of course, that we are talking about WiFi that doesn’t require a post-connection web page to log in or accept terms, like at Starbucks, McDonald’s, a hotel, etc. Since the watch doesn’t have a web browser, it cannot display the page and cannot log in onto those access points.

If I leave the phone and Watch connected to each other, either one or both suffer battery drainage. By the end of day, I am charging one or both devices. As I type this out, I am at Phone 95% and Watch 60%. Probably in a hour from now, those percentages will decrease.

Yep, but not as much on the watch, at least if you are connected by WiFi or lte rather than BT. BT uses less power for this sort of connection.

You are right that the watch is not independent, but, if that’s what you need, then you need a different device. I have no idea if Apple will ever make the watch a discrete device that doesn’t require a phone. Maybe they will, but I could also see Apple decide they want all watch owners to also be iPhone owners. That’s where Apple makes most of their profit. So it goes.

[facecard]

What was being suggested was turning airplane mode ON THE IPHONE and not the watch.

Just for the laughs, I put my phone in Airplane mode. My Watch is on Wifi right now. I will see if I get notifications on the Watch.

I understand what Airplane mode means. As I said before, there are two options. I leave the phone and Watch connected to each other and suffer some battery loss. The other option is to turn off BT on the phone but the phone will not be able to communicate with the watch.

This is a situation where there is not a perfect solution yet. I don't expect Apple to make any serious changes to the Watch.

[TylerLV76]

Even though the Watch was showing the Wifi icon, I was not connected to any Wifi hotspots.

If these hotspots require a login or acknowledgment page they will not work on the watch. 5GHZ wifi will also not work.

In addition, if I turn off BT on the phone, the Watch no longer communicates with the phone. If I go to the Watch app, I get a message about BT and Wifi not being on.

To communicate with the phone it must have bluetooth enabled.

If I leave the phone and Watch connected to each other, either one or both suffer battery drainage. By the end of day, I am charging one or both devices. As I type this out, I am at Phone 95% and Watch 60%. Probably in a hour from now, those percentages will decrease.

At this point Id reset my watch. I use my watch hard almost every day. With workouts in the Nike app, and using gymaholic which does not use my phone at all. I also listen to music while working out for about 2 hours directly from the watch (phone stays in the locker out of range from the watch). At the end of my day from 6 am to 11 pm I am at 60% virtually every day on the watch. I have never charged my phone during the day and average about 8 hours screen on time by 11 pm.

If I turn off BT on the phone then I lose the connection between the two of them. The Watch will revert over to Wifi and hopefully I receive notifications. However, I have to go back to the phone and turn on BT for them to communicate with each other.

Again, Id reset. I purposely turn off bluetooth at work and let it run wifi only and I get all notifications and calls on my watch. This is possibly because they are on the same wifi network.

[facecard]

I will continue to use the Watch and Phone communicating with each other. Despite the battery usage, I hope the next one or two revisions of the Watch will move closer to the Watch being an independent device.

[popkurn611]

How it doesn't allow notifications to come through to your iPhone at the same time as the watch. I like getting the notifications on both, not just my watch! I've seen a lot of feedback submitted to apple on this topic, wondering if will ever be implemented.

[Tartarus]

How it doesn't allow notifications to come through to your iPhone at the same time as the watch. I like getting the notifications on both, not just my watch! I've seen a lot of feedback submitted to apple on this topic, wondering if will ever be implemented.

Notifications come through to both my Watch ad well as my iPhone. It’s just that the iPhone doesn’t alert you if the Watch already alerted you.

[popkurn611]

Notifications come through to both my Watch ad well as my iPhone. It’s just that the iPhone doesn’t alert you if the Watch already alerted you.

Right. I want to be alerted on my iPhone as well. My android wear watch alerts me and my iPhone does...not the case with the apple watch and I'm not sure why that can't be an added setting.

[Tartarus]

Right. I want to be alerted on my iPhone as well. My android wear watch alerts me and my iPhone does...not the case with the apple watch and I'm not sure why that can't be an added setting.

I hear you. Every time when I get a notification on my watch but find my iPhone to be easier to look at, I just pick up my phone and look at the notification I just get alerted of on my watch.

[popkurn611]

I hear you. Every time when I get a notification on my watch but find my iPhone to be easier to look at, I just pick up my phone and look at the notification I just get alerted of on my watch.

Right, that's the obvious workaround. Problem is that I don't have my watch sound on ever and sometimes I don't feel the haptic alert so my message goes unanswered. It's weird because if you get a phone call you're alerted on both, but anything else gets alerted through the watch

[Tartarus]

Right, that's the obvious workaround. Problem is that I don't have my watch sound on ever and sometimes I don't feel the haptic alert so my message goes unanswered. It's weird because if you get a phone call you're alerted on both, but anything else gets alerted through the watch

Then the best you can do is to disable notifications on the Watch altogether.