Gail Eddy, Nederland. I traded in my old Apple Watch for the new Apple Watch 6 a few weeks ago. Now that I’ve gotten used to it and its functions, I think it’s time for a review.

What I like: 

1. The Apple Watch 6 measures your blood oxygen percentage. I never realized how important this measurement was until Chris’ mom moved in with us. Moving from sea level to 8500’ was hard for her. She began having issues with breathing and low-energy in general. Then her doctor recommended that we get a pulse oximeter. This would help us measure her O2 on a regular basis and know if she was in trouble. Twenty years later, I sometimes have issues with my O2 levels as well. My new watch helps me keep on top of the measurement. (One thing I don’t like is that it is not always accurate. I’ll sometimes compare the measurement from my watch to the measurement with the pulse ox. About 20% of the time, the measurements are substantially different.)

2. The watch gives me the option to have different watch faces. There are probably 50 items you can track on the watch, but not all of them will fit on the watch face at one time. I have one watch face that tells me the time and date, of course, but it also tells me the local temperature, the Air Quality Index, wind speed, elevation, my next calendar item, and the current time in Rochester, New York, where much of my family lives. Another watch face just tells the time and rotates through about 20 favorite photos and videos. Another one tells me what time the sun and moon will rise and/or set. 

3. I really like the way the Apple Watch tracks exercise. It gets me motivated each day to “close my rings”. There are three rings: One for active movement, one for exercise minutes, and one for standing each hour. I’m able to change the goals for each one to keep the pressure on. Apple has also added challenges each month. They’re always stretch goals, but not undoable. I’m looking forward to earning the October challenge by exercising a certain number of minutes this month.

What I don’t like:

1. With my old Apple Watch, I was able to take screen shots. Either the new one doesn’t have the capability, or I just haven’t figured out how to do that yet.

2. Siri is pretty intrusive and is constantly asking me what I need help with now.

3. Sometimes when I’m really active, the watch asks me if I’ve taken a hard fall. Now, in general I like this feature and I’ve heard some great stories of people in the back country that have been rescued, but it seems a little too sensitive for me. 

Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has provided computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PCs for the past eighteen 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 303-618-0154. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3 support) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area and remote service throughout North America.

(Originally published in the October 15, 2020, edition of The Mountain-Ear.)