I’ve had my Apple smart watch for just over a year now, so it must be time for a review. Check out my first review from one of the October 2020 issues of The Mountain-Ear at https://www.themtnear.com/articles/tech-trendsreview of-the-new-apple-watch-6/.

I mostly still love it, but there are a few things I wish it would do better.

What I love:

I don’t need to be tethered to my phone anymore. As a business owner, I do feel the need to answer the phone every time. This has had me scrambling up the stairs when I’ve forgotten it in my office. Now, I can leave my phone on my desk when I head to the basement to take care of laundry. If I get a call, my wrist will get a buzz, I click a button, and I’m talking like Dick Tracy! It’s also helpful for hands-free calls when I’m driving.

I love that I can easily change the watch face. Apple has tons of different options. I set them up with my iPhone and click “ADD”. If I want new or different information, it’s easy to change. For example, during fire season, I’ll add the Air Quality Index (AQI) so I can easily see if I should stay inside that day. When I’m traveling, I add an icon for the current time in Colorado. That way I can easily see the local time and home time.

I love all the information I have easy access to. I have set up different watch faces with instant access to all the data I might want. At the swipe of a finger, I can find out my current elevation, which direction I’m facing, the time the sun and moon will rise or set, my next appointment, current temperature and wind speed, and the time at my sister’s home so I don’t call her too late.

I love that I can respond to texts with quick responses or emojis.

What I wish it would do better:

I upgraded my watch from the 5 series to the 6 series specifically because of the O2 sensor. The knee replacement surgery really dinged my oxygen production and since then my O2 saturation regularly falls into the mid-80% range. I wanted to keep better track without having to stick my finger in the little device all the time. When I do a side-by-side comparison, the watch always measures 2 to 10 percentage points higher than the pulse oximeter.

I also don’t like the way it tracks my sleep. I’ve tried several different apps, but none of them provide accurate results. For example, it will say that I’ve slept soundly all night on a night when I know I was awake from 12:30 until 3 a.m.

What I really don’t like at all:

The exercise tracking is not very accurate. I’ve especially noticed this recently when I’ve been out shoveling snow. I’m working hard. My heart rate is up. I can see all the snow I’ve moved. After 20 minutes I get inside, and the watch says I’ve exercised for one or two minutes. Then I remember that this watch wants you to tell it that you are exercising. The next time we have snow, I select “Outdoor Walk” and start shoveling. Five minutes in, the watch buzzes my wrist and asks me if I’m done, and when I get inside, it says I’ve exercised for three or four minutes.

Conclusion:

There are definitely more pluses than minuses with the Apple Watch, and I recommend it over the other smart watches out there. The new Series 7 watch charges faster than my Series 6. It has a larger, more robust screen. (Mine is all scratched up.) If you’re getting a new watch, I would go for the Series 7. If you already have an Apple watch, I’d wait to upgrade.

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Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has provided computer service to families and small businesses with Macs and PCs for the past nineteen years. Angie’s List and the BBB rate Geek For Hire very highly. You can find more on our website or give us a call at 303-618-0154.

Gail Eddy writes most of these articles. She’s the manager of Geek For Hire and is who you’ll likely talk to when you call for an appointment.

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