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On a daily basis I do enjoy my iPhone 8, Macbook and Mac Mini, but couldn't quite justify the purchase of the Apple Watch 4. I have a Garmin fitness watch which I thought was enough for fitness tracking, and the price of the 4 seemed too high to justify a purchase until I saw this one version drop to three-eighty-four, and I had one-fifty in credit to use on Amazon.
I was intrigued by the idea of the ECG functionality. A month ago I was hospitalized with chest pain and told I'd previously had a heart attack. An angiogram showed my heart was healthy and I could resume working out, but after a scare like that, I was looking to monitor my heart health a bit more than before.
In reading through various information on the Apple Watch 4 I was afraid I wouldn't be able to use the ECG function as my cell service provider is Simple Mobile (T-Mobile knock off...). A chat with some reps at Costco and Best Buy seemed to confirm it would not work. I bought it anyway, thinking this functionality would just be something I couldn't use.
Much to my delight, it worked with this GPS (not GPS and cellular version) Apple Watch 4. Whether I'm connected to Wifi or using Simple Mobile's LTE network, data is collected and saved. No issues whatsoever with the ECG. Love it!
Additionally, I love the Walkie Talkie feature that allows quick communication between buddies who have Watch 4's.
As with all Apple products, the watch is beautifully packaged and directions for putting on the watch band and setting up the watch to sync with your iPhone are clear. The watch, band (two sizes included) and the charger are included with this purchase.
I have a small wrist and the 40mm size doesn't overwhelm it. It's actually kind of perfect in its surface area, thickness and weight. Comfortable to wear to bed, which brings me to a cheap app addition that gives users sleep monitoring.
AutoSleep is a three dollar app you can add easily via the Appstore, and it provides users with a means to track sleep habits and see when you are in deep sleep. I have other fitness watches which track sleep, but this app seems even better. Another app of the same type to consider is Pillow - for about the same price.
The display on the Watch 4 is bright and easily customizable with multiple options for changing up your watch face. I love the Mickey Mouse (there's a Minnie one too) that tells you the time when you tap on it - in the mouse's voice. Kaleidoscope, chronograph and many others are available for free too. You can also choose from your own photos to use them as watch faces.
The operating system of this watch is very quick and responsive. I was amazed by how fast it could get me to the app cluster and open apps quickly, one after the other. This is a 16GB watch that seems to have plenty of room and doesn't get bogged down easily.
I received a call on it today and the person on the other end of the line said the call clarity was excellent. The speakers built into the phone are amazing! It was as good or better than talking on my iPhone 8 using the speakerphone.
Seeing text messages at a glance, checking your calendar, checking the weather, using the Watch 4 as a remote shutter release for your iPhone, making phone calls, accepting or declining phone calls, getting news updates, challenging friends by sharing fitness goals and milestones, checking heart rate and/or running an ECG within seconds are only a few of the many reasons buyers will fall in love with this device.
The Apple Watch 4 is a techie's delight, but it does have a learning curve. User enjoyment will be directly proportional with the time and effort put into learning its many functions and adding apps that are useful for the specific user's lifestyle.
NOTE: YouTube has some great tutorials.
I am very happy I bought one, and the more I use it the more I know it is likely to become an important part of my daily routine of sleeping, eating, working out and engaging with friends and family.
Highly recommend the Apple Watch 4!
