Leader in the connected watch market with more than a third of the market share in 2020, Apple enjoys a wide lead over its main competitors. Enough to consider the future serenely for the Apple firm, even though the future Apple Watch Series 7 should appear at the end of its dial on the horizon of next fall.
While waiting to discover the new features of the new Apple connected watch and WatchOS 8, let’s go back to the five essential features of the Apple Watch. Enough to convince the undecided to take the plunge and buy an Apple Watch before the holidays.
Unlock your iPhone despite a mask
This is a feature that has been long overdue and that everyone would like to no longer need. Unfortunately, it’s a safe bet that it will still be very useful in the coming months… Since the arrival of the Covid and masks in our daily lives, unlocking your iPhone has become much more tedious, Face ID being inoperative once masked.
But since the update to iOS 14.5, it is now possible to automatically unlock your iPhone using your Apple Watch without having to enter your code when wearing a mask from the moment it is unlocked. Simple, fast and essential once you have tasted it!
Apple Pay, forgotten wallet and coins!
Still in terms of little everyday extras that seem insignificant but ultimately unavoidable, Apple Pay. Just like unlocking your iPhone, Apple’s contactless payment system has lost its luster in the absence of Face ID to validate the operation with your smartphone.
The Apple Watch once again comes to the rescue. Two quick presses on the side button and the credit card appears. All you have to do is bring the watch to the contactless zone of the terminal to pay.
Remember in passing that if Apple Pay does not require you to enter your secret CB code, it is indeed a strong identification via biometrics. As such, the contactless payment limit of €50 does not apply.
The Apple Watch, the best partner for sport
From its conception, Apple thought of its watch as a sports companion. Over the years, various sensors have been implemented to improve the accuracy of the data reported in the Health application. Most sports can thus be tracked.
But the interest of the Apple Watch for sport also lies (and some will say above all) in the multitude of applications available on the App Store capable of offering more functionalities.
Among them, let’s mention WorkOutDoors, an application that does not look like much in terms of design at first glance but which turns out to be formidable to use for lovers of outings in the great outdoors (hiking, cycling, running, mountain biking). Its assets, precise vector maps, ideal for not getting lost in the middle of a forest or rather embarking on a dead end. What to lose in adventure certainly but to avoid the frustration of having to turn around (and by the same the bad mood of his companion of adventure…). Some will also appreciate its almost infinite possibilities for customizing the dials to display their favorite metrics.
Golfers will also find the Apple Watch a valuable ally and a less exclusive alternative to dedicated watches such as the Garmin Approach, for example. Thus Tag Heuer Golf will make it possible to find one’s bearings on a course, to provide an estimate of the distances in relation to the green but also to record his shots with the key to an estimate of the index at the end of the game. Hello Birdie goes a little further and wants to be a kind of virtual caddy by guiding the player on the next move to play and the choice of club. Valuable allies to progress in his game of irons!
The natural extension of the iPhone
When asked why buy an Apple Watch, the most obvious answer is probably to have a “mini-iPhone” on your wrist. The size of the screen imposes to have adapted interfaces but most of the functionalities of the smartphones of the Apple firm will have their counterpart on the Apple watch.
Mail, Messages, Maps, Photos, Music, Podcasts, Home without forgetting Reminders, Wallet or Shazam and Calendar, all these apps (and many others) are accessible from the Apple Watch.
But the strength of Apple is to have succeeded in making them usable on a small screen without losing ease of use while focusing on the essentials.
Notifications are undoubtedly the best illustration of this continuity / complementarity between the iPhone and the Apple Watch. A discreet vibration, a quick glance and you have read a message, identified who is calling you or received the notification that a task has been completed or that you must turn right at the next intersection to reach your appointment. All without having to take your smartphone out of your pocket or bag.
It’s practical and fast, but these permanent notifications can quickly become invasive. In this case, it is enough to deactivate those considered superfluous from the Watch application on the iPhone.
Reduce smartphone addiction
Let’s end with a reason related to the previous one, and no doubt paradoxical for some, but having an Apple Watch on your wrist can be a great help in not feeling “obligated” to keep your iPhone in your pocket all the time for fear of missing out. a call or notification.
It is therefore also a good way to abandon it once at home and thus not be constantly tempted to procrastinate on social networks or other time-consuming apps. Admittedly, the main notifications always arrive by push on the watch and it is possible to check your emails or text messages, but the small size of the screen de facto limits the possibilities.
And by opting for an Apple Watch Cellular, and the associated mobile plan, it is even possible to completely do without your iPhone. Practical for keeping GPS navigation, listening to your favorite playlist in streaming or having the possibility of making a call if necessary while playing sports or simply going for a walk without having to bother with an iPhone. The real luxury of summer!
As you will have understood, under a futile appearance, the connected watch made in Apple can quickly prove to be essential in our daily lives. Its advantages are multiple, those mentioned here come from our experience, but many others can justify the purchase of an Apple Watch: health-related functions (heart monitoring, fall sensor, electrocardiogram, oxygen level in the blood, monitoring the level of exposure to noise, etc.), Siri or even automatically unlocking your Mac.
Without forgetting the fact of seeing in the Apple Watch a fashion accessory, customizable at will thanks to a wide range of bracelets and dials. Apple has just unveiled a series of 22 bracelets and dials matching the colors of 22 countries (South Africa, Germany, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, South Korea, Denmark, Spain, United States, France , Great Britain, Greece, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, Sweden). A limited series probably no stranger to the Tokyo Olympics (July 23 – August 8, 2021).
Finally, the Apple Watch can also reassure parents of young teenagers looking for independence. It is indeed a way to keep in touch and be reassured without giving in to the temptation of the smartphone. Apple even thought of integrating a “School time” function where during class hours, only the time can be displayed.
