Will apple watch work without iphone. What the Apple Watch can do without connecting to an iPhone

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To begin with, it’s worth noting that Apple Watch cannot be fully autonomous without an iPhone, because even to get started and add Wi-Fi to the watch, you will need at least an iPhone 5.

What can you do with Apple Watch without connecting to your iPhone?

Initially, the Apple Watch was not conceived as an independent device, but only as an addition to the phone. However, there are several functions that the watch can perform on its own.

It is possible to view the time, set alarm settings, or turn on a stopwatch or timer.
Track and record all your daily activities: steps, exercises, etc. You can place the activity ring next to your watch for easy access.
The recorded data is synchronized with the Health application on your phone.
Record your favorite songs on your watch using your phone. After that, you can listen to them through Bluetooth headphones.
View your favorite photos uploaded via your phone.
Pay for purchases in hours (Apple Pay feature).
Connect to a Wi-Fi network. But only to those connected on your phone.

Options for using Apple Watch without an iPhone

There are two cases of using Apple Watch without pairing with iPhone:

with Internet connection;

If Wi-Fi is available

Using a smartwatch, it is possible to control Apple TV and other smart technology in the home, but first you will need to set up a connection between the devices. Also possible:

banal conversations with Siri;
by type of queries about the weather, a popular Wikipedia article, the score of a football match.

But don’t forget about stand-alone applications with Wi-Fi support (Instagram, Twitter, etc.). In addition, now all applications in the AppStore are adapted for WatchOS 2 SDK and can work without being tied to a smartphone.

Without internet access

Apple Watch Series will be able to perform its direct function as a smartwatch without access to the Internet, namely:

View the time and use a timer, alarm, or stopwatch.
Track your activity, heart rate, breathing and your goals with built-in apps.
Set reminders and events on the calendar.
Play music from a synchronized playlist (up to 2 GB of third-party files).
The situation is similar with viewing photos, you just have to save them to the Photos application on the iPhone, and then to the watch.
Make payments using Apple Pay.

Time display

The Apple Watch is, first and foremost, a watch, so its main function is to display the time. Without your iPhone at hand, you can customize and edit your watch face and use your calendar. On the Magnetic Charging Dock, the device becomes a real electronic watch with an alarm function.

Play audio recordings and view photos

The memory capacity for music is 2 GB, and for photos – 75 MB. Although the built-in memory capacity is as much as 8 GB.

In any case, listening to tracks and viewing photo galleries without a smartphone is possible. To enjoy music using a smartwatch, you will need either wireless AirPods or any headset equipped with Bluetooth.

Hello! The article will be useful to those who have already decided to buy a watch from Apple or are still looking at the new product. Let's look at the answers to the most popular questions, of which there are quite a lot: what is it, where and how to buy it, how much will it cost, do you need an iPhone to use it, what can it do for the average person? There are many mysteries - there are no answers yet. Let's try to fix this!

This post will be in question-answer format. Some of them were received by email from site readers, some I found on the Internet. In general, sit back and get ready to find out everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask :)

The Apple Watch preview is here - let's go!

Basic definitions

What is this Apple Watch that everyone is talking about?

Apple Watch is essentially a small computer; it can also be called a “smart watch”, which naturally needs to be worn on the wrist. It has a huge number of functions, including displaying time and date, the ability to monitor health (steps taken, number of calories, pulse), synchronizing data with iPhone (contacts, SMS, notes, mail), making payments (not in our country:( ), remote control and much more.

By the way, sometimes they are called iWatch by mistake. This name is unofficial and fictitious.

So, is the Apple Watch the same iPhone – only small and to be worn on the hand?

In principle, you can say so, but the most important thing is that the watch is primarily an addition to the iPhone. They are designed to make using the phone even more convenient.

Apple Watch runs a variant of iOS called WatchOS. This operating system is specially adapted (both in terms of power consumption and ergonomics) for wearable devices. It has a unique menu navigation system, recognizes the degree of pressure on the screen, there is also a replacement dial, a heart rate sensor, an NFC sensor for Apple Pay (not relevant for Russia) and much more.

Do you need an iPhone to use Apple Watch?

Yes, you will need iPhone version 5 and newer models. The operating system also has certain requirements - it must be iOS 8.2 or later. If the phone version is older, then you will not be able to “pair” with the iPhone and take advantage of most of the functions.

Can I use my iPad or iPod with my Apple Watch?

Unfortunately no, you will not be able to pair your watch with an iPad or iPod of any generation. At least this cannot be done at the moment.

When will it be possible to buy an Apple watch?

They will go on sale on April 24 in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Great Britain, and the USA. As can rightly be noted, Russia is not among these countries. So for those who want to own a new product on the first day of sales there are two ways:

Visit one of these countries.
Wait for the resellers (the price will probably be jacked up).

At the time of writing, there is no clear information about when the Apple Watch will go on official sale in the Russian Federation. There are several different data from many sources about the release date; most agree that official deliveries should be expected 2-3 months after the start of sales.

What is the price of Apple Watch in the USA and Russia?

At the moment, only prices in the USA and Europe are known for certain. The pricing itself depends on what version of the watch, its size and what strap is used.

Since this time the company from Cupertino has diversified its model range quite a bit, it makes no sense to list absolutely all the configurations. You can always watch them. Let me just note that the most inexpensive version will cost $349. For more expensive lovers, the maximum price is $17,000.

If we translate into rubles, then we should expect the Apple Watch in Russia to cost from 22,000 to 900,000 (that’s not a typo!) rubles.

Update! In the end, this is what happened: prices for Apple watches in Russia start at 21,000 thousand rubles.

Will watches purchased in Europe or the USA work in Russia?

Of course. There are no restrictions. You can absolutely safely purchase an Apple Watch anywhere and use it anywhere in the world, including in the Russian Federation.

What's included in the package?

In addition to the watch itself, the Apple Watch package includes:

Strap.
Magnetic charging cable.
USB adapter (Apple Watch Series 2 only).
User manual.

Modifications and types of Apple Watch

The watches come in three different collections based on case and display materials:

Apple Watch Sport (7000 Series Silver Aluminum with ion-x glass, composite back).
Apple Watch (316L stainless steel, sapphire crystal, ceramic glass back).
Apple Watch Edition (18k rose gold sapphire crystal, ceramic glass back).

For each edition, different variations with straps are possible.

Are there any differences between the models due to what they are made of?

No! All technical specifications are the same and they provide identical functionality. It doesn't matter if it's $359 or $17,000. The only difference is in the materials of manufacture.

Size and weight

For each modification, there are two display sizes – 38 mm and 42 mm. The remaining dimensions are as follows:

38.6 mm. Width 33.3 mm, height 10.5 mm.
42 mm. Width 35.9 mm, height 10 mm.

Weight varies depending on the material of the case and strap, the minimum is 25 g. The maximum (gold) is 69 g.

Is Russian available in the Apple Watch menu?

Unfortunately, at the moment there is no support for the Russian language in the watch. Although it is possible to quickly respond to messages specifically on the “great and mighty”.

Update! With the arrival of the new firmware, everything has changed. Now full support for the Russian language has been announced. If your watch has an old version of the OS, it makes sense to update as soon as possible. Let me remind you that software updates occur using (from the menu) a companion device (iPhone).

Is it waterproof?

The head of the company, Tim Cook, said that he regularly goes to the shower with his Apple Watch. However, at the same time he noted that he would not recommend diving or immersing them in water for a long time.

The watch is officially water resistant to the ipx7 standard. This means you can wear them to the gym and even take a shower. But you should refrain from diving 1 meter for more than 30 minutes.

What sensors does the Apple Watch have?

Each gadget, regardless of the collection, is equipped with the following sensors:

Heart rate (to measure pulse).
Accelerometer and gyroscope (counts the number of steps, and even which floor you climbed to).
Ambient light sensor (to save battery - the screen turns off when necessary).

Screen

All models are equipped with a Retina display. The screen of the Sport collection (the most inexpensive) is covered with ion-x glass. Watch and Edition have a sapphire display finish. Although Apple has not confirmed this, most agree that the display is made using OLED technology (allowing for deeper blacks and lower power consumption).

Now about the physical dimensions:

38 mm. 340x372 pixels.
44 mm. 390x312 pixels.

What processor is installed in the Apple Watch?

The watch is powered by the Apple C1 processor. There is no exact information about it yet, but they say its performance is somewhere between the Apple A4 and A5 (iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S).

Wireless connections

We couldn’t do without them, which is quite logical: for a high-tech gadget, high technology!

Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy (LE) connectivity for discovery and pairing.
Wi-Fi version 802.11 b/g/n 2.4 GHz for fast data exchange.
NFC for Apple PAY.

Internal memory capacity in Apple Watch

Is 8 GB. Moreover, all memory is divided into parts and a limited amount of space is available for each type of information.

2 gigabytes for music.
75 megabytes for photos and pictures.
The rest of the part is reserved for the Watch OS operating system and applications (which you will install).

Battery life

Apple specifies that the battery will last an average of 18 hours. The official page provides more detailed information. So, the operating time of the Apple Watch depending on the conditions:

18 hours in mixed mode.
3 hours talk time.
6.5 hours of audio playback.
If you use it exclusively as a watch, you can see the time within 48 hours.
Power reserve – 72 hours.

up to 80% – 1.5 hours.
up to 100% – 2.5 hours.

How does charging occur?

The Apple Watch comes with a special magnetic cable. It attaches to the back of the gadget. So there are no ports present. Which is quite convenient and has a positive effect on water resistance.

Apple Watch and iPhone

Do I need special software to sync iPhone with Apple Watch?

No, you don't need to download anything additional. The synchronization application is already installed on iPhone (from version 5) and iOS from version 8.2.

How to create and unpair a watch and an iPhone?

Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, select the “my watch” tab and click “start pairing.”

In order to disconnect devices, there is a special item in the application. When you click it, you will be asked if you want to backup your Apple Watch data? It will come in handy if you plan to use this particular iPhone with your watch in the future.

The distance at which the connection is not interrupted

The standard Bluetooth range is 9-15 meters. It's better not to go far :). However, if Apple Watch and your phone are connected to the same Wi-Fi network, it will sync anywhere that network is active.

Is it possible to connect Apple Watch and another Bluetooth device to iPhone at the same time?

Apple has not yet provided official information regarding the simultaneous operation of the iPhone with the Apple Watch and other Bluetooth devices (for example, headphones). But most likely it will be possible.

Can I connect my Apple Watch to multiple iPhones?

To use it with another iPhone, you need to disconnect the connection to the one it is currently connected to. You will be prompted to make a backup copy of your data and then, when you return to the original phone, there will be no need to set everything up again!

If you forgot your iPhone at home, will the watch become useless?

No. Even if the Apple Watch doesn't have access to data, there are still plenty of features you can take advantage of:

View time.
Setting alarms and timers.
Physical activity tracking - heart rate, pedometer (although you won’t be able to track the route - there is no GPS receiver).
View photos and playlists.
Apple Pay.
Various third party applications.

Does Apple Watch affect iPhone battery drain?

From what is known at the moment, the watch uses the Bluetooth 4.0 LE (Low Energy) standard. This means their use will have virtually no effect on the phone’s battery.

In this review, I did not talk about controls, menus and the like. For two reasons:

It turned out to be quite big anyway.
It’s better to talk about these things (and show them) with a full-fledged device in hand.

I would like to note that if you are interested in any information regarding the Apple Watch that is not included in this review, please ask your questions in the comments. I will definitely supplement this article with interesting materials.

Smart watches from Apple are not a completely independent device. They only work in conjunction with an iPhone. All watch apps are companion apps to those for the iPhone. In addition, for full operation, the watch requires the Internet, a voice assistant, as well as other smartphone capabilities. Therefore, if you do not have an Apple smartphone, then there is no point in buying a smart watch. This does not mean that a watch without a smartphone is just a beautiful and stylish accessory. They can also be used as a stand-alone device, but in certain cases. The main function of any watch is to show accurate time. Apple Watch is no exception. They display absolutely accurate time and can do it without an iPhone. Moreover, the wearable device has a power-saving function, which is specifically designed to operate the watch in accurate time display mode. In this mode, the watch can work for as long as 72 hours. A stopwatch, timer and alarm will also work. In addition, you will have access to the calendar and you will be able to plan events. The only thing the watch cannot do without a smartphone is the ability to check the time on the Internet.

Without a smartphone, the Apple Watch can play music. You can also view photos. This is possible because the watch has a built-in memory, which allows you to save music and pictures. Thus, the watch will allow you to listen to your favorite music on headphones while playing sports (music is broadcast via Bluetooth), and after training you will be able to show your friends photos from your vacation. If you don't take your iPhone with you to training, the sports capabilities of the watch are significantly reduced. Without a smartphone, the watch will not be able to determine the distance you have traveled, but a pedometer will be available to you. The smartwatch will also be able to count squats, measure heart rate, count flights of stairs climbed and calories burned. By the way, after renewing the “pair” with your smartphone, all this information will be transferred to your smartphone in a special “Health” program.

Apple Watch has another important ability without an iPhone: you can use the Apple Pay payment system and the Passbook application. This means that you can pay for an order in a cafe or make purchases in a supermarket using Apple Pay and a smart watch, without having a smartphone with you. True, this can only be done in Canada and the United States of America. All tickets, coupons, gift cards and coupons in Passbook will also be fully accessible without an iPhone.

Thus, Apple smartwatches are capable of a lot without an iPhone. Without a smartphone, a wearable device remains not only a stylish accessory, but a useful and functional device.

The built-in LTE modem, that is, the ability to communicate autonomously in LTE networks, without WiFi and even without connecting to an iPhone - this, as you know, is one of the most important features of the new Apple Watch 3. And, as practice has shown, one of the most sophisticated, if not say capricious.

Of course, full-fledged phone calls through a smart watch, due to the specifics of the device itself, are initially a dubious idea. Therefore, about this another time.

Now let’s try to talk about some of the features of the new smartwatch with text messages. From these features, it seemed to us, it is very clear why the Apple Watch 3 is not yet .

Let’s say right away that if you (like us at first) haven’t really figured out what and in what communication mode your Apple Watch 3 can or can’t do, and immediately try to use it as another iPhone, then a lot of interesting discoveries await you . And even more questions. Because it’s impossible to get used to the fact that the Apple Watch 3 works differently in different situations.

The fact is that your Apple Watch 3 simply cannot live without an iPhone. It doesn’t matter whether the smartphone is in the immediate vicinity, or whether it remains in another city, the watch really wants to know that it is somewhere, and it is desirable that it be turned on and connected to or .

Mystic? No, of course, but it depends on where and in what condition it is , it just depends on how the clock works.

It looks something like this:

if the Apple Watch 3 is connected to the Network via its own LTE module, and the iPhone is either turned off or “Airplane mode” is activated, then

phone calls: Yes

iMessages app: Yes

SMS messages: NO(that’s right, the watch does not receive or send any SMS messages, so, say, communication with Android users will have to be postponed for a while)

Apple app notifications: Yes

Third party app notifications: NO(i.e. the watch does not yet display notifications about events on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, VK and other services);

some applications in the smartwatch do not launch (Apple maps, Mail, Messages, Weather and others work fine);

All offline applications work fine, including Apple Pay, player, Activity, toys, etc.

if the Apple Watch 3 is connected to the Network via Wi-Fi, and the iPhone is either turned off or “Airplane mode” is activated, then

all of the above , however

phone calls are possible only if you have enabled the WiFi calling function;

The watch may not connect to some WiFi networks (mainly those for which authorization is carried out in pop-up windows. Apple knows about this bug and promises to fix it, but for now they advise “forgetting” such problematic networks, and not in the watch, but in Wi-Fi settings of your iPhone. And by the way, let us remind you that the WiFi module in a smart watch cannot be turned off).

if your Apple Watch 3 and iPhone are connected to the Network via Wi-Fi or LTE, but the smartphone is located somewhere far away (not connected to the watch via Bluetooth), then

phone calls: Yes

iMessages app: Yes

SMS messages: Yes(iPhone, as we see, helps even from a distance);

app notifications: Yes(notifications from third-party applications are also sent via iPhone).

Apple Watch is rightfully from the Apple company, but, unfortunately, not full-fledged: the capabilities of the watch without synchronization with the iPhone, unlike similar devices from other manufacturers. However, you still don't need an iPhone to perform some tasks.

Yes, the Apple Watch can show the time - it’s not for nothing that they are called a watch, albeit a smart one. You can also set alarms and timers, view your calendar and much more, writes iMore. The only thing you can't check without your iPhone is that the time on your Apple Watch is correct.

They show photos and play music

Even if you forgot your iPhone, you can still listen to music using the Apple Watch, although the size of the media library is limited to two gigabytes. This mode also allows you to view local photos from iCloud Photo Library (up to 75 megabytes).

They will help you lose weight

Go for a run in the morning with Apple Watch - the watch will continue to track your activity even without iPhone. This includes heart rate, pedometer and other parameters (except distance traveled).

They can use Apple Pay and Passbook

Apple Watch is capable of storing your plastic card data from , so you can easily run to Starbucks after that very run, drink coffee and pay for your purchase using the watch.

Same with Passbook: all gift cards, boarding passes, and loyalty cards will be added to Apple Watch immediately after syncing with iPhone.

What can't Apple Watch do without iPhone?

They cannot connect to the Internet, GPS or Siri. Therefore, you won’t be able to launch “Maps”, “Mail”, “Weather”, “Promotions” and other applications. This also includes all third-party applications that use a network connection to operate.