Apple watch decent for health features?

[d000hg]

I stopped wearing watches years ago but am having some health concerns and for my own peace of mind I'd like to keep a track of things like my heart so that if I go to the doctor I can say "look, data" - and to be totally honest I see a twinge of hypochondria as I get into my 40s and think this would help rather than lead to obsession

Anyway, I use iPhone and am wondering if a Apple Watch is the obvious route to go down here. A bit pricey and I swore I'd never have one as justa gadget but if the various health things (heart, 'ecg', O2, sleep) are legitimate rather than silly gimmicks then I presume it will give less headaches than a different manufacturer?
I gym and stuff so I suppose it's useful for that too though I'm not 100% sure how! Is it a reliable heart-rate monitor to track heart rate recovery and stuff?

The modern watches with this ECG and arrhythmia and so on sound like either a significant step forward in practical personal health or just Apple guff and I really can't tell which. So I'd love to hear any first hand experience of people who either use them or have done more research?

[fatJock]

I had one for a while and the worst thing about it hands down was the battery life - especially if you want to use it for consistency / tracking etc. Can't track your sleep when it's on the charger etc etc and you'll be charging it every 1-2 days.

On recommendation I shifted to Garmin (I have a Fenix 7 Solar) and it's head and shoulders above provided you don't need the apple integration. It has a decent app, hooks in with Apple health too (though I don't use it) and other bits like MyFitnessPal and Strava (which I do use). It has maps too so I use it for hiking, has Spotify integration if the gym is your thing too (you don't need your phone to play - you just download the playlists to your watch).

Battery life is about 7-10 days then a charge for a couple of hours or so - I have the option with solar too which extends it a little but more of a gimmick. All the usual sensors on it that you're talking about. Absolutely love it - head and shoulders above Apple watch.

Garmin fēnix® 7 – Solar Edition | Multisport GPS Smartwatch

[courtg9000]

One thing with the advanced health features ecg, heart rate etc is that the medical profession do not like smart watches doing this and will say that the watch is actually inaccurate, so having an argument with a doctor about your heart rate based on your watch results will get short shrift in general. With me they have to do things differently and just do all the tests anyway but I know of people who don't have my health history being fobbed off by the medics because of smart watch results.

[Chris Bryce]

I have one, as does SWMBO. I;m actually on my second.

If you're in the Apple walled garden it's pretty damned good.

Obviously it connects to iPhone and the Health app, good-ish at O2 level, heart rate, ECG, step counter, exercise monitor (calories, distance, speed) &etc. It also has very cool emergency features such as fall and crash detection (auto dials 999 and designated contacts in an emergency if you can't/don't intervene to stop it).

As you'd expect it has fairly deep integration into the walled garden: unlocks your Mac if you're very near it, haptic nudges on your wrist when using Apple Maps directions, quick replies to messages, Dick Tracy type calls (if you absolutely must) all that sort of jazz. It can also store downloaded music, podcasts (and audiobooks I think) so you can gym/jog/walk/meander around aimlessly listening to those via BT headphones without having to carry your phone. I also find it useful for Siri voice commands for Home automations and shortcuts.

If you're not hooked into the walled garden, then these things will be of very varying appeal.

Oh, and it also tells the time.

Battery life isn't great, and if you wanted to sleep monitor, then remembering to charge it for a while before bedtime or before you need it of a morning would be a necessary PITA, but it does charge quite quickly.

[Chris Bryce]

One thing with the advanced health features ecg, heart rate etc is that the medical profession do not like smart watches doing this and will say that the watch is actually inaccurate, so having an argument with a doctor about your heart rate based on your watch results will get short shrift in general. With me they have to do things differently and just do all the tests anyway but I know of people who don't have my health history being fobbed off by the medics because of smart watch results.

I've heard the opposite. I guess there'll be those that do and those that don't.

I certainly know a few doctors who hate Dr Google (mostly because used well, Dr Google is better than the average 75 second Zoom call with a GP). I know in the States some medical practices ask their patients to connect Apple Health up to their in-house systems and a few big data projects have also used anonymised Health data.

[d000hg]

Thanks all, interesting thoughts. I always thought I'd never buy into a smart watch just for notifications and stuff, but it feels like they have developed into quite a useful device if you value the health/exercise/sleep/safety features.

On recommendation I shifted to Garmin (I have a Fenix 7 Solar) and it's head and shoulders above provided you don't need the apple integration.

I'm now an Apple user.. iPhone, iMac.. but not really entrenched in the Apple world or even up to speed on how to make the best out of it.
When you say it obviously loses the Apple integration, what exactly does that mean in terms of missing features?

Daily charging seems like the one big failing on the Apple device, to spend £hundreds on a watch that lasts only 1 day between charges feels like a big issue even to go away for a weekend or crash at a pub on a walking weekend. I suppose you can recharge from a USB power-bank?
The Ultra largely removes this restriction but I'm not paying double!

[b0redom]

I'm now an Apple user.. iPhone, iMac.. but not really entrenched in the Apple world or even up to speed on how to make the best out of it.
When you say it obviously loses the Apple integration, what exactly does that mean in terms of missing features?

Daily charging seems like the one big failing on the Apple device, to spend £hundreds on a watch that lasts only 1 day between charges feels like a big issue even to go away for a weekend or crash at a pub on a walking weekend. I suppose you can recharge from a USB power-bank?
The Ultra largely removes this restriction but I'm not paying double!

All the stuff Chris Bryce said above. I've hard Garmins for years as I use them for triathlon training. The battery life is incredible, for example I did a a 100k ultramarathon with GPS on the whole time and still had ~ 30% at the end of it. They'll last much longer than any one day event is likely to, and if you're only using the device with GPS for an hour or so per day will likely last well over a week.

The downside is that they're primarily a fitness tracker, so you can't use it to make calls (I think the Fenix 8 can do the Dick Tracy thing, but it's not as polished at the Apple watch), their integration with payment providers like Apple pay isn't as great, and they don't have the same app integration. You can still get notifications, but you can't reply for example.

If you're using it as a 'smart device' which can do fitness stuff, the Apple watch is probably the way to go. If you want a fitness tracker that has some smart functionality, the Garmin is the way to go.

[d000hg]

All the stuff Chris Bryce said above. I've hard Garmins for years as I use them for triathlon training. The battery life is incredible, for example I did a a 100k ultramarathon with GPS on the whole time and still had ~ 30% at the end of it. They'll last much longer than any one day event is likely to, and if you're only using the device with GPS for an hour or so per day will likely last well over a week.

The downside is that they're primarily a fitness tracker, so you can't use it to make calls (I think the Fenix 8 can do the Dick Tracy thing, but it's not as polished at the Apple watch), their integration with payment providers like Apple pay isn't as great, and they don't have the same app integration. You can still get notifications, but you can't reply for example.

If you're using it as a 'smart device' which can do fitness stuff, the Apple watch is probably the way to go. If you want a fitness tracker that has some smart functionality, the Garmin is the way to go.

Cheers. I'm not bothered about using a watch to make calls or payments or to unlock my Mac, etc. I don't even need iMessage on it though being able to see WhatsApp/etc notifications is nice.
I guess location/maps would be nice so I don't have to keep taking my phone out of my pocket when walking in the country. Sports tracking is nice but it's probably the health/sleep/safety features I am mostly seeing as making it worth the money. Peace of mind that if I am on my own and fall off a ladder or whatever!

I've heard the opposite. I guess there'll be those that do and those that don't.

I certainly know a few doctors who hate Dr Google (mostly because used well, Dr Google is better than the average 75 second Zoom call with a GP). I know in the States some medical practices ask their patients to connect Apple Health up to their in-house systems and a few big data projects have also used anonymised Health data.

I wouldn't expect a GP/hospital to necessarily admit me based on my own data but I would expect them to take it seriously enough to refer me or have me do some tests, if it looks dodgy and backs up some symptoms I'm having.

[Netraider]

I was using a FitBit for a while. I have now moved to an Oura Ring. It identified some health issues that my GP was happy enough to confirm with some blood tests. It could be an option if you don't want to wear a watch. It has excellent battery life as well.

[d000hg]

I was using a FitBit for a while. I have now moved to an Oura Ring. It identified some health issues that my GP was happy enough to confirm with some blood tests. It could be an option if you don't want to wear a watch. It has excellent battery life as well.

I never heard of this before, it's a lovely looking bit of kit and I had no idea the tech was so advanced... tempting.
Would you care to share any more how you find it?