So I get that one must have an Iphone to get full functionality out of the Watch, but what's the technology at work here? Is it bluetooth? Do the watch and phone need to be on the same wifi network? Do they need to hooked up to the same computer and synced somehow? What am IMissing?
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Please explain Apple Watch connectivity
- Thread starter Engteach
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Given the functionality enabled by Bluetooth LE between iOS devices and Macs (Continuity, Handoff), my guess is that the same is true between the watch and the phone.
Think of your iPhone as a base station and the watch as a Mac with wireless networking. The Mac can do some things without the base station, but it needs the base station to be fully internet-capable.
Think of your iPhone as a base station and the watch as a Mac with wireless networking. The Mac can do some things without the base station, but it needs the base station to be fully internet-capable.
At first I felt that was a negative, but I now see it as a positive. I was fearing that if I buy an Apple Watch, I'd have to also commit to a two-year contract and I REALLY wasn't keen on the idea of having two mobile phone contracts/bills.
The watch is much cooler than I expected.
I think it makes sense given the available technology and the constraints on size that a watch brings. Sure, they could've crammed an LTE radio in there, but ultimately it probably doesn't make a lot of sense given the cost and size concessions to do so.
With the size screen we're talking about there, you're still going to need an iPhone to handle the heavy lifting and processing required to make the data useful.
At the end of the day, it is a companion (not an accessory, there's a difference) device to an iPhone.
One of the major selling points of Bluetooth LE is that it can stay connected constantly without major battery drain.
The difference between the first and second generation Nike FuelBands was that the first gen needed to be manually synced, whereas the second gen was always connected and sharing data with the iPhone app. This connectivity is also what enables notifications to be pushed to the watch in realtime.
You'll need to be as close to your phone as the Bluetooth LE spec requires (30-45 feet?).