Apple Watch as a running watch

K L 11 · May 2015

I normally use the Nike+ GPS Sportwatch. It may not have all the metrics that some runners want, but I am more or less satisfied with it, used in conjunction with the Nike+ Shoe Sensor.

Im in the Nike ecosystem so to speak, with 6000+km of runs logged there.

Recently received my apple watch and have used both the nike+ app and the native apple running app.

My impressions of Nike+ App:

It works ok and is pretty enough and useable enough but it has two major drawbacks.

Firstly, It shows pace intra run but not average pace. It only shows average pace after the run. That's pretty rubbish

Secondly, it absolutely requires the use of an attached and charged iPhone. This is because even though the watch has a built in accelerometer, the nike app insists on using the phone accelerometer or GPS (the watch does not have onboard GPS).

For the accelerometer, Nike recommend to "carry the iPhone in the hand" for accurate results. Obviously, if we are going to lug along an iPhone, many of us are going to have it in an armband or backpack. Bad move nike... just use the accelerometer on the watch!

On the plus side, I did a four hour training run using the watch and phone with gps switched off and at the end the watch still had more than half of it's charge. However, i estimate that it was about 3km off the correct distance I would get with the GPS sport watch. I did not try a long run with the GPS switched on, I guess it would burn through the phone battery pretty fast though.

Impressions on the Apple native running app:

Again, no average pace displayed intra run. Clearly the developers aren't serious runners!

Secondly, data is only exported to the "activity" app on the iPhone. It's a shame that you can't export data to your favourite running tool like Nike or Strava or whatever.

With an ultra coming up next month, there is currently no way I could rely on the apple watch during the race. I'll have to revert to the GPS sport watch unfortunately.

Nayan · May 2015

Both are crap. I'd use a garmin

K L 11 · May 2015

Sigh. As I said, I'm pretty happy with my Nike Watch in actual fact, and it has seen me through a lot of races. I would not categorise it as "crap" at all. It simply misses some of the more advanced metrics for some runners who find them important.

The apple watch on the other hand, might benefit from upcoming software updates but at the present time I would say it's only good for short leisurely runs when having an iPhone with you using GPS is an option.

Nayan · May 2015

Apologies I was talking about apple watch +apple app vs apple + nike app.

run watch that needs an iPhone = nonsense

Expensive run watch that needs an iPhone due to lack of GPS = crap.

If your nike gps watch does the job thats another matter of course.

booktrunk · May 2015

Apple watch is not a running watch as it has no GPS. Seems to defeat the object, it's a pretty interface to view your phone on. Version 2 or 3 might be running watches when they have built in GPS, until then no.

marrows · May 2015

Is it waterproof? That's important

booktrunk · May 2015

No ipx7 ? So splash proof, but not proper waterproof.

Nayan · May 2015

Moving on from'running' watches:

A Watch that loses half its charge after 4 hours- not great if it's a non electronic one that you bought because you love watches and are happy to wind it up yourself each day. Still most non automatic watches have a much better power reserve than that.

However an Electronic watch that you then have to plug into your desktops usb to recharge looks like Apple is laughing at you.