I disagree. ^^^ I have friends who have dropped the watch on a tiled bathroom floor and cracked the screen. Also- if you fall.
I know 3 people whose watch went RIP after a drop. I wouldn’t hesitate to get a protector.
Interesting! I dropped mine a few times. No issues. I noticed my basic rubber watch band cushions the fall a bit. With the phone, I don’t get off that easy. When you fall, you usually don’t hit the watch directly. When I fell, Siri came on asking if I was ok. I said ok and she asked again if I fell but ok or I didn’t fall.
@Iglooo, that’s one of the great features of the Apple Watch, that I love, it detects if someone has fallen. I love the medical features built into this watch
Yup. Me, too. It detected my heart was beating a bit weird. Cholesterol build up. I was trying confit cooking with duck fat a lot. I also use ApplePay frequently, touches paying. Easier with the watch than with the phone. Just double click to pull up the card and you are ready to go. No fumbling around to pull out a card or the phone, no touching the wallet or purse.
How are you dropping your watch? I’ve never dropped it. It’s always on my wrist until I remove it at bedtime to charge it. Then in the morning, it goes back on my wrist for the duration of the day.
I drop it sometimes taking off or putting on. Not frequently. I drop my phone a lot more often.
I scratched my case a tiny bit before I got the protector when I fell running. I take mine off to charge it a couple of times a day- I have battery anxiety. And to shower which might not be first thing in the morning when I’m going out to run.
I forgot to turn off the fall detector when we went to WDW in December. One coaster ride I did not realize it had gone off and DH did not notice either. We had call from Buena Vista 911. They were not amused but it must happen a lot since they can tell where it happened and they tried a few times to reach me instead of sending Disney emergency services.
That must only be for the data/GPS version right?
I’ve dropped it when I’m taking it off and knocked it into things when I’m doing outdoor adventures. The protective case has been well worth the twenty something dollars.
I still haven’t figured out how/where best to wear it during certain activities. It’s great for heart rate monitoring and recording activities but some gear doesn’t play nicely with it. If your boxing wraps are too close, they tend to keep accidentally pushing the button and dialing 911 (don’t ask how I know this) and on that subject the watch doesn’t fit well under a boxing glove. Similarly, it can get snagged on lines and protrusions if you’re rock climbing. So I end up taking it off and just not worrying about getting workout data on that stuff.
Although I have a new version, my fall detector must not work at all because I’ve jumped off all sorts of things and fallen a few times since I’ve had the watch and it never made a peep.
"That must only be for the data/GPS version right? "
They are all GPS and data, right? Just not all have cellular service.
I do not have cellular. It works on gps and I was on Disney wifi.
About three months after I got my watch (Series 4), I dropped it on a tile floor and the face cracked. I took it to an authorized Apple dealer, which in my area was Best Buy–much closer to me than the Apple store. My kids (who gave me the watch for Christmas) did purchase Apple Care. When I took the watch in I learned that a cracked face isn’t covered under Apple Care and it wasn’t covered under warranty. I ended up having to pay around $150 for a “new” (was a reconditioned Apple watch–same model). After that, I bought the protector. Since then (over a year) the watch has been great.
For those that wear their Apple watch for outdoor activity, RoadID makes an accessory that slides onto the band on which you can put 6 lines of information. Mine has my name and date of birth, the names, phone numbers and relationship of 4 contact people and the name and phone number of my primary care doctor. Great info to have if you ever find yourself in the ER and incapacitated from providing this info yourself. https://www.amazon.com/Road-ID-Official-Apple-Watch/dp/B07H43THDJ
The watch is not locked once on your wrist, unlike a phone. They can access your contacts from the watch, or any other info for that matter.
This depends on what security settings you choose. When my watch isn’t on my wrist, it requires a password to open, just like my phone.
That said, I know it will sound terrifying to many but unless I had a certain medical condition or lived alone, I wouldn’t (and don’t) bother with Road ID or worry about if a hospital can find contacts off my phone. If I’m not conscious for whatever reason, they’ll treat me just like any other unconscious person - taken to the ER and cared for. And after a few hours (probably around the next mealtime) someone would notice I’m missing and start looking for me. IMO much of the scare of not being identified is created by companies like Road ID trying to sell you something.
I completely disagree with that. I’ve been in the running community (nationwide) for over 40 years. There have been many instances of solitary runners going down for some medical reason- or an accident- and it was a burden for the medical personnel to track down next of kin or emergency contact. Why not take that responsibility for yourself? How hard is it to have some sort of identification on you. It’s just sensible and considerate. Not everyone runs around the block by their house all the time. People travel, people venture off onto different routes… Cyclists might be 50 miles or more from home and unconscious.
And, yes, my Apple watch locks as soon as I take it off. It’s a pain, but my employer requires that for all our linked devices.
Reasonable people can - and do - disagree with each other. I agree that it’s a convenience and comforting to some people and there’s certainly nothing wrong with having ID. But there are other unintended consequences of creating the general impression that unless you have a certain product or ID that you could be left for dead by the road and die a lonely death, followed by being buried in an unmarked grave in a potter’s field. (Obvious dramatization, but not far off what some of the companies selling the products imply.) When I talk to people about trying a new activity - and just running around the block is new to some people - they are often hesitant because they are afraid. Things that contribute to fear are one more thing preventing people from getting out there and doing things.
Anyone who wants a specific product or ID with them at all times should absolutely have that. But for people who haven’t considered the issue, it’s reasonable to think through if that’s even necessary for them or just one more product to carry, thing to buy, thing that adds to fear, etc.