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WuMing2

macrumors member
Original poster
Jul 16, 2023
54
19
Disabling passcode also disables Apple Pay. And in a pocket most sensors will become redundant. That’s fine. Anything else I will be missing?
 

NightfallOrchid

macrumors member
Feb 19, 2019
39
72
Disabling passcode also disables Apple Pay. And in a pocket most sensors will become redundant. That’s fine. Anything else I will be missing?
Without Apple Pay, not making use of the sensors, and having to take it out of the pocket to look at the time or notifications (instead of doing the same with your iPhone), you would lose pretty much all functionality and utility of the Apple Watch...
 
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FreakinEurekan

macrumors 603
Sep 8, 2011
5,597
2,668
What features of the watch do you want? A few that I use mine for:
  • Apple Pay (you mentioned this one)
  • Notifications & previews (know if I have to get phone out of pocket)
  • Taps on wrist for turns coming up while driving
  • Set quick timers for lunch, break, cooking, etc.
  • Use Siri to add things to grocery list, etc.
All of these would be considerably impacted if the watch were in my pocket. And since my phone is in my pocket anyway… I see no point in carrying a watch that way, unless it’s an alternative to carrying a phone perhaps? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
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G5isAlive

Contributor
Aug 28, 2003
2,607
4,515
Disabling passcode also disables Apple Pay. And in a pocket most sensors will become redundant. That’s fine. Anything else I will be missing?

It won’t alert you to messages, notifications, or anything that enables communication from your phone. It will essentially be a slightly prettier version of a $12 dumb Casio, but with much shorter battery life. A conversation piece sure but feels like a reach. Must be better ways to advertise one is an eccentric nerd?
 

izzy0242mr

macrumors 6502a
Jul 24, 2009
638
430
Disabling passcode also disables Apple Pay. And in a pocket most sensors will become redundant. That’s fine. Anything else I will be missing?
Other than the obvious that everyone else has said (aka you have to pull out the watch to see notifications vs looking at your wrist), Apple Pay and heart rate tracking is really all you miss otherwise.

Amazon reviewers who use pocket watch chains on the Apple Watch have said it still works for step tracking.
 
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Supermallet

macrumors 68000
Sep 19, 2014
1,895
1,906
I’m confused, if you have to take it out of your pocket every time you need to use it, why not just use a phone? The whole point of the watch is the convenience of having it on your wrist.
 

jz0309

Contributor
Sep 25, 2018
10,140
26,518
SoCal
Disabling passcode also disables Apple Pay. And in a pocket most sensors will become redundant. That’s fine. Anything else I will be missing?
you basically miss the entire AW experience, it's meant to be worn on your wrist ... but whatever works for you
 

WuMing2

macrumors member
Original poster
Jul 16, 2023
54
19
As someone figured my purpose is to avoid carrying the iPhone in pockets. Store it in my knapsack instead. Wristwatches are not for me, last one was decades ago, and Watch may supply non urgent notifications and replies capabilities. From a much smaller and lighter package. I will remove both straps since not necessary for the purpose. Anyone with experience of the unusual configuration? Does it vibrate even if off a wrist?
 

FreakinEurekan

macrumors 603
Sep 8, 2011
5,597
2,668
As someone figured my purpose is to avoid carrying the iPhone in pockets. Store it in my knapsack instead. Wristwatches are not for me, last one was decades ago, and Watch may supply non urgent notifications and replies capabilities. From a much smaller and lighter package. I will remove both straps since not necessary for the purpose. Anyone with experience of the unusual configuration? Does it vibrate even if off a wrist?
You’ll lose out on some of the benefits of the watch, and I’m not convinced that the remaining utility juice would worth the squeeze for me, but we’re all different so if you’re happy with it the Vaya con Dios.

As long as the skin sensor is disabled, I’m sure the Taptic would work off-wrist. Whether you'd feel it or not, I don’t know.
 

Night Spring

macrumors G5
Jul 17, 2008
14,617
7,794
As someone figured my purpose is to avoid carrying the iPhone in pockets. Store it in my knapsack instead. Wristwatches are not for me, last one was decades ago, and Watch may supply non urgent notifications and replies capabilities. From a much smaller and lighter package. I will remove both straps since not necessary for the purpose. Anyone with experience of the unusual configuration? Does it vibrate even if off a wrist?
It does vibrate, but you are unlikely to feel it if it's in your pocket. Vibrations for notifications are short, and not very prominent. I often miss them even with the watch on my wrist. Alarms and timers are stronger and keep going for some minutes, so those I feel even when the watch is in my pocket (I sometimes tuck it into my pocket when it gets wet and I'm waiting for it to dry).
 

WuMing2

macrumors member
Original poster
Jul 16, 2023
54
19
Contactless payment with Express Transit Card. Doesn’t require passcode I just discovered. Another function I will be able to offload together with showing time and notifications. Looking ever more appealing.
 

WuMing2

macrumors member
Original poster
Jul 16, 2023
54
19
Bought it. Stripped of bands. Deactivated wrist detection and passcode. Deactivated background app refresh. It’s glorious.

Almost weightless, disappears in my pocket without revealing itself with a bulge.

Notifications. Siri dictation. Maps POI details. Messages. Emails. Alarm. Discovering more. It picked up the majority of my iPhone interactions already. As I was hoping it would.

It may even be able to replace my physical transit card. Asking Apple support if Express Transit works with the configuration.
 
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