Description of the Digital Crown tool in Apple Watch in simple words, basic functions, unlocking

Unboxing

If getting to know the new iPhone for a long time does not evoke any new emotions, then unboxing the AW4 is a real extravaganza and mystery. I'm not exaggerating.

The first layer is a neat cardboard casing. It opens once or twice, presenting in all its glory a picture with a variety of Apple Watch color schemes.

Inside there are two separate boxes waiting for us - in the first there is a watch, in the second there is a strap. The latter is in its original packaging, so you can immediately give it to someone close to you.

For example, I have a gold-colored watch, so it came with a pink strap. If gold in a case is tolerable for a man, then a pink bracelet is already a thing of the past. Therefore, the standard bracelet now lies idle on the shelf, waiting for its happy owner. And I wear another one - nylon, from the new collection. More about him later.

The unpacking does not end here; there are a few more interesting nuances waiting for us.

Inside the main box are the AWs themselves. Moreover, they are not just lying around, but are neatly hidden in a separate, soft case. Oh guys!

In general, the case is completely useless, but damn, how nice it all is! Little things like this further strengthen your belief that spending more than 30 thousand rubles on this thing was the right decision.

Pairing

During a week of use, only one jamb occurred - during the initial setup.

The accelerometer incorrectly determined the position of the watch and turned the image on the screen in the opposite direction. Apparently, he thought I was right-handed.

There was no way to change this at the setup stage, so I had to break the connection halfway and set everything up again. Of course, holding the watch strictly vertically, in the desired orientation. You never know.

Otherwise, no questions. The iPhone quickly recognized a new watch nearby, loaded it with all the pre-installed applications, firmly grabbed the accessory and never lost sight of it.

I was especially pleased that I didn’t need to remember whether the watch connected to the iPhone after the break or not. Let's say I went outside without a smartphone for a couple of minutes, to the car. Of course, the connection was lost. I returned home and didn’t even remember that I needed to check the connection. The watch itself connected to the device and continued sending notifications. When? At what point? I have no idea at all, but that’s the beauty of it.

Rotate Wrist feature

This function turns the smartwatch screen on or off. According to the developers' idea, the display should respond to the movement of the owner's wrist - light up each time when the hand is raised for 15 seconds and turn off when it is lowered or there is no contact with the watch after a few seconds. But this doesn't always happen. The watch can mistake any of your movements for a command to turn the screen on or off, so you will have to practice a little to get used to the gadget and learn how to use this function.

On a note!

If the screen backlight for the standard 15 seconds is not enough, go to the general menu on your phone, select the appropriate application and change the backlight time from 15 to 70 seconds.

Aesthetics

There are two versions found in nature: steel and aluminum. We Russians were deprived of “steel”, because this model supports cellular communications. The latter does not work in our country. However, there is no reason to worry about the aluminum version - the material is excellent and the build is exceptionally good.

There are three color variations: black, silver and gold. All cases are matte and quite resistant to the rigors of careless use.

During a week of intensive use, only the glass was slightly damaged - I don’t understand where the barely noticeable scratch on the corner came from.

Nothing happened to the metal at all. And yes, I don’t consider myself a careful user. Home, work, living room, shower, bed - they can easily withstand this regime. I didn’t climb under a car or on a construction site with AW.

The digital crown received Taptic Engine vibration feedback.

iPhone owners starting with the 6S version will understand what we're talking about. You scroll the wheel and feel a pleasant vibration - the sensations of a real mechanism inside are 100 percent. True, the trick only works in places where there is something to scroll through: lists, menus, settings.

At the opposite end there is a speaker. Compared to the previous generation, it has become much louder. By the hour you can talk without problems not only at home, but also on the street. You may even have to turn down the volume so that passers-by do not hear your conversation.

Multimedia

The built-in speaker and microphone make the Apple Watch 4 a sufficient device for talking. Even the non-LTE model allows you to receive and make calls while connected to your iPhone. If speakerphone doesn’t suit you, you can connect a Bluetooth headset directly to the watch. Of course, Apple AirPods with their exclusive features will be the most convenient, but any headset will work. The display is surprisingly suitable for displaying photos, which can also be impressive in quality on a small screen.

The sound volume is quite sufficient for a conversation, as is the sensitivity of the microphone. At least you won't have to lean directly towards the watch for it to hear you and recognize your request to Siri.

Screen

The second most important change is the display. Now it is stretched from edge to edge of the body. And almost any dial sets the screen on fire very advantageously.

Whether it's liquid metal, an animated jellyfish, a flower or fire, these timepieces all look stunning on the AW4's screen. Moreover, one gets the strong impression that the display has no boundaries at all.

The latter are noticeable only in the “Kaleidoscope” dial.

The colors are as saturated as possible, the blacks are deeper than space, and the contrast is off the charts - looking at the Apple Watch Series 4 screen is a pleasure.

I was especially pleased with the behavior of the display in the sun. The picture does not fade or fade - the information is always clearly visible. Thank you for this brightness as much as 1000 nits!

The display itself has increased by 30% compared to previous generations. A new watch face has now appeared in the settings - an infograph with 8 widgets (previously there were 4). I must say that this is my favorite dial - it is the most informative and stylish at the same time.

Apple Pay

Thanks to the built-in NFC module, the watch can be used for payments via contactless terminals.

The card you're paying with must first be added to the Wallet app on your iPhone and then activated on your watch using the Watch app. You may need to enter a confirmation code sent to you by your bank. After this, to start the payment mode, you need to press the button twice and bring the watch to the terminal. There are no differences from previous generations here.

Convenience

No matter how Apple changes the case and ergonomics, the watch still protrudes above the wrist. Of course, this is fraught with accidental snags, awkward impacts on the table, doorframe, door, and so on.

Below, under the cut, you will find a plate with the dimensions of the 3rd and 4th generations.

Surprisingly, during a week of use, I never caught a single object with the case. Yes, the clock sticks out. Yes, they cling to the cuffs of clothes. However, I didn't notice anything really annoying.

It’s very cool that when you remove the “watches” from your hand, the latter are immediately blocked. Nothing can be done with them until you enter the PIN code on the screen. Correct and necessary function.

Straps

Let's exhale.

Every strap ever released for previous generations will fit the Series 4 without any problems.

Bracelets for the 38mm model fit easily to 40mm. Accordingly, 42 mm options will easily fit 44 mm.

Nylon strap

I won’t speak for all the models, but I didn’t like the one I got (from the new collection).

Firstly, in the picture from the box it looked pretty decent. After unpacking the bracelet and putting it on my hand, I was disappointed. It looks too simple, uncomplicated, without sparkle.

In addition, over time, I’m sure it will become very dirty and it will no longer be comme il faut to use. Against this background, the good old silicone strap is our everything. According to users, it is completely indestructible. Besides, you can take it to the pool, to the sea, or anywhere. The nylon belt gets wet and takes a relatively long time to dry - in general, I don’t recommend buying it blindly.

Autonomous operation

In short, you will have to charge the Apple Watch Series 4 every day. Yes, they will survive until lunchtime of the next day without any problems. But being stuck in the middle of the workday with your hours running low is not the best option.

The charging speed is quite normal. The watch charges from zero to one hundred percent in 2 hours and 10 minutes. Moreover, in the first half hour the battery can be replenished by 40%. This is enough for a third of a day, no more.

By the way, in charging mode a special night mode is activated. AW can be used as a bedside alarm clock.

Navigation

The navigation module in the 4th generation Series is cooler than many smartphones. It supports four satellite navigation systems at once: the American GPS, the Russian GLONASS, the Japanese QZSS and the European Galileo. This should provide virtually universal reception and high location accuracy. For complete happiness, the only thing missing is the Chinese Beidou, but due to the current complications between the USA and China, its absence is understandable. However, let this worry users from the Middle Kingdom if for some reason the other four systems are not enough for them.

Now that Google has abandoned support for Google Maps for the Apple Watch, using maps on the watch is not very convenient. However, the geolocation module has other applications. The most obvious of them is movement tracking. If you activate GPS on your watch, you can record your routes and tracks while leaving your smartphone at home. This can be valuable on runs, given that the watch can even track your heart rate at any given moment.

Pleasant trifles

There are so many of them, it’s impossible to describe them all. However, I will highlight my favorites.

Smart Sync

See how everything works here.

Watch on hand, smartphone nearby. The Apple Watch informs me about a new notification, but the iPhone is silent at this time.

Further. I'm holding my phone in my hands, surfing the Internet, and then I get another notification. The system automatically sends it to the smartphone screen, and not to the watch. This is logical, because the iPhone is right in front of my eyes.

If I swipe a notification on my watch, it automatically disappears from the iPhone lock screen. Everything works exactly the same in reverse.

It would seem that this should work always and everywhere. On Apple Watch, on Wear OS from Google and even on Xiaomi Mi Band. However, in reality, adequate and instant synchronization is only available in the iPhone + AW combination.

The only pity is that turning on vibration on the iPhone does not remove sound notifications on the AW4. We are waiting for the next stage of integration of gadgets into each other.

Handoff

You receive a notification on your watch, immediately press a button with quick answers like “I’ll be there soon,” and halfway through you realize that it would be better to add a few more words. Without hesitating for a second, you take the phone out of your pocket, open the ambiguity mode, where a proposal to complete the answer is already waiting for you, but on the iPhone. Amazing!

Don't forget that the trick also works with desktop Mac.

Without iPhone

In general, AW cannot be used without an iPhone. Synchronization, iCloud - these are all mandatory things. However, in some situations, a smartphone is completely unnecessary. For example, when going for a run, you can only take your smartwatch with you. Playing music, viewing photos, all system and sports functions will work as normal. You can even pay using AW - no iPhone or Internet connection required.

If there is public Wi-Fi nearby, there are even more possibilities: we receive messages in iMessage, make calls via FaceTime, control smart appliances at home, and so on. You just need to pair your watch with public access points in advance. This is exactly what you need an iPhone for; AW itself does not know how to connect to new networks.

Of course, with a model that supports LTE networks, you can do the maximum: make calls, receive SMS, etc. However, in our country such models are not sold, and in general they do not work.

Characteristics

What is a review without detailed characteristics and comparison of the new product with the previous generation? All information is in a convenient sign under the cut.

A few details about the optical sensor. Of course, it has been improved. Now he is able to track heart rate limits. If the strikes are too slow or too frequent, the AW4 will send a notification.

An electrical sensor was also added. However, it is not currently in use. We are waiting for the ECG function, which was discussed so much at the presentation. The chip will work this year for the USA and maybe someday in our country.

If anything, buying an Apple Watch Series 4, created specifically for America, and an American Apple ID account will not help. At a minimum, you must be physically located in the United States for this feature to work.

Another important point is compatibility. We remember that regular AW4 can be connected to iPhone 5S and newer. AW4 (GPS + Cellular) will only work starting with iPhone 6.

Where is the Apple Watch 4 serial number?

Bottom line

Apple Watch Series 4 is a smart and stylish accessory for the modern city dweller. They have an excellent build, a wonderful design (now for sure!), a gorgeous screen with excellent color rendition and adequate behavior in the sun.

Instant and varied reactions to notifications, the closest possible synchronization with the iPhone - in general, this is a real smart watch that we deserved a long time ago.

The price of Apple Watch Series 4 starts at 32 thousand rubles for the small version (40 mm) and 34 thousand for the large one (44 mm). It seems expensive, but let's think a little.

The iPhone XS Max is much more expensive than any of its competitors. This is the most sophisticated and very large smartphone, which may not be needed by everyone.

But with AW4 the situation is somewhat different - it is a very convenient, compact, stylish and really useful tool just for life and for everyone. Judge for yourself - any more or less decent wristwatch already costs from 15 thousand rubles. As a rule, they don't know how to do anything. Compared to them, the Apple Watch 4 can handle almost everything in the world, and the overpayment for such an expansion of boundaries is only twofold. And perhaps it's worth it.

I express my gratitude to Apple for providing the device for testing.

Apple Apple Watch Apple Watch Series 4 iOS iPhone Smart watch fitness tracker

Autonomy and charging time

The operating time of wearable devices is one of the most important indicators that determine how comfortable it is to live with them. When charging through the included device, the watch charges from zero to 100% in about two hours.

Apple claims that the non-LTE version can last 18 hours on a single charge. It doesn't seem like much. But during testing, a conditional user looked at the time 90 times, watched 90 notifications (5 per hour), worked with applications for 45 minutes, and also spent one hour-long workout listening to music through AirPods headphones connected to the watch. This is a fairly intensive mode of use, and still the hours lasted for the whole day. If you connect your AirPods to your iPhone, don’t train every day, and don’t launch programs unnecessarily, then your watch can last a couple of days.

In hands-free talk mode, the watch can last about 120 minutes. Of course, this depends on the volume level and the quality of the Bluetooth connection to the iPhone. In continuous training mode they last for 6 hours, and when listening to music via a Bluetooth headset – up to 10 hours.