[vellatechie]

I am an android user through and through but I did buy the Apple Watch Series 7 recently since Apple watches sleep and heart rate is the best out there. Even better than Whoop, Garmin, etc.

I just bought a second hand iPhone SE just to configure the watch and the data and quality of tracking and reporting has been mind boggling.

[COMMUTER]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

So that very day I quit smoking and have taken some serious steps towards better living and with less stress and chaos in life.

I came out of hospital in two days time and went quietly home. And resumed all the usual good stuff like walking and cycling and golfing and everything, but jettisoned the bad habits immediately.

I feel happy for your second chance. I would like to reiterate a few tips often overlooked among those in pursuit of better health.

I would suggest you to take a HOMA IR test,which measures Insulin resistance, every month or two.

If insulin level is high, medicating abnormal level of any one of the trio will make the other two to worsen. This will lead to a death spiral, prolonged a bit by excercise, ending in the premature inevitable.

If the insulin resistance is kept under check, blood pressure, cholesterol and sugar levels will fall in line by themselves.

In addition to this, health is majorly affected by food, vitally by sleep and minorly by workout. Workout with improper sleep is detrimental to health.

I wish you decades of vitality to come.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by COMMUTER

I feel happy for your second chance. I would like to reiterate a few tips often overlooked among those in pursuit of better health.

I wish you decades of vitality to come.

Thanks!

I understand and on account of having BP and hypo Thyroidism and a pre-disposition to Type 2 Diabetes, I have done some significant dietary changes.

Am following strict Intermittent fasting. Reduced food intake. Alcohol and sugar avoidance. Significantly reduced carb intake and gone into small quantities of diabetes and thyroid friendly fibrous rice. (Seeraga Samba, grown in Tamil Nadu near Coimbatore region.)

(Graaja’s threads have been a big inspiration!)

I have always been active physically and always loved to sleep early and wake up early. Apart from this I do all my usual exercising; walks and golf and cycling and this and that. I still have strong stamina, largely because of considerable physical activity and the love of the great outdoors right from early childhood.

Indeed, as described on other threads, Ive been challenging myself in a small way by these ‘endurance drives’ in my non AC non Power Steering, stock soft top Gypsy with its Nylon Tyres. Coorg and back in 36 hours, Ooty and back in 36 hours. Two or three rounds of 18 holes golf in a week etc. And I seem to be able to do all this very easily with zero stress. Basically, Ive learned that one needs quite little, by way of nourishment for comfortable sustenance.

The main task Im focussed on now, is the careful and sustained effort on tummy / girth reduction through all of these steps. But being over 50, it is taking a long time!

Now, while I do sincerely appreciate all of your kind wishes and advice, just so that this thread doesn't become solely about my health, lets get back to the Apple Watch.

I have made up my mind to buy the Apple Watch Ultra. And I shall be buying both the Alpine Loop and the Ocean Band Straps for interchange-ability. I believe I will benefit from the Battery life as well, because my present Apple Watch Series 6 lasts about 14-15 hours or so.

And I am just waiting for Oct 11-12 when Prime Day discounts begin in the US, to see what the price reduction will be, if indeed there is any. And then will decide and buy it either from there or just order it from Apple Online in India.

I do wish that they bring out the BP monitoring and Blood Glucose monitoring capabilities soon. That will be a great upgrade whenever it happens!

I am keen on this product and shall enjoy the feeling of anticipation of getting one. The chase, as they say, is the most enjoyable part of the hunt!

[ajayc123]

Originally Posted by COMMUTER

In addition to this, health is majorly affected by food, vitally by sleep and minorly by workout. Workout with improper sleep is detrimental to health.

Golden words. But very hard to implement.

If we take the right food (nutrition) and good sleep (repair), it will act as preventive medicine for our lifestyle related diseases to a very large extent.

[mobike008]

All major manufacturers/OEM's are partial to "Apple" in many ways.

I was exploring a product (not related) and understand it works seamlessly with Apple and not with Android.

Here is another example. BMW supports Apple more than Android.

An Example :

1. I'm a fan of Apple Maps. Here in US, the detail is superb and lot better than Google Maps. Most impressive like all Apple products is its UI, I love it for its clean, simple design unlike G-Maps. Apple Maps are displayed on BMW HUD apart from the Apple Watch. When I use G-Maps, Gmaps won't display on HUD.

Another example :

They keep updating the BMW app on Apple Watch and I love this cute little update.

Details of Watch Update



DTE and Gas in Tank details- Super important info at a glance on AW



Feels good to know all is well with your car.

[Jaguar]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

The sequence of events was very simple. I ve never written about it before and this is the first time I’m sharing this in a forum of this kind.

Quickly and instinctively checked the Apple Watch heart rate monitor It was falling rapidly. 80,72,64,60,54,48 bpm etc. And while it may not directly be able to detect a heart attack or something, that’s the Apple Alarm warning.

I feel it was your presence of mind and luck that saved you, rather than the Apple watch.

I came here expecting to read about how the watch triggered an alarm or the data collected over time helped identify an underlying condition. Any decent heart rate monitor would have done what the apple watch did here, which is to just display the heart rate. I know this is the Apple watch thread but this is giving too much credit to it. Am I missing something here?

Let me share an example where a simple pulse oximeter actually saved my aunt's life. This was during the pandemic and my aunt was feeling a bit down. Fearing covid, I clipped the oximeter to her finger to see if the oxygen level is proper. The SPO2 level was fine but the device started beeping. Didn't pay much attention to it initially but noticed that for others in the family, the beep was not heard. So checked her again and there was this beep. On closely looking at the readings, found the heart rate to be below 40. Immediately rushed to the hospital and she underwent a pacemaker implant the next day. Had there been no warning beeps, we would have missed the life-threatening issue.

There is no denying that using a fitness tracker is a good idea. The pulse rate is indeed a good indicator of general health. I use a Fitbit and have observed that even during a minor illness, the pulse rate goes up by a fair bit, even if you physically don't feel that happening.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by mobike008

All major manufacturers/OEM's are partial to "Apple" in many ways.

I was exploring a product (not related) and understand it works seamlessly with Apple and not with Android.

Here is another example. BMW supports Apple more than Android.

In India, it is the exact opposite. Android is far more common. Hence Apple comes a far away second in priority when it comes to almost all apps and PWA’s.

The majority of our Banking and Life Insurance and Railways and multiple Government resources including the infamous Income Tax Website are geared more for Android and Chrome than Apple and/ or Safari.

Sadly this is also true of many consumer apps.

So its horses for courses really. Apple users in india are in the tiniest minority.

Originally Posted by Jaguar

I feel it was your presence of mind and luck that saved you, rather than the Apple watch.

I came here expecting to read about how the watch triggered an alarm or the data collected over time helped identify an underlying condition. Any iidecent heart rate monitor would have done what the apple watch did here, which is to just display the heart rate. .

I have never had much by way of illness most of my life. You might say that I ve been enjoying rude health, am generally of a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, bluff, hearty and ruddy faced disposition and a robust constitution; a sturdy mountain type or similar, to attempt in my way, to humorously paraphrase P G Wodehouse’s description of the Men of the Outdoors and the Great Wide Open Spaces.

Now, had I not been wearing that Apple watch I would never have thought to check my heart rate when I began to feel off colour and indeed, would not even have had any means at hand to check it immediately. So lets call it opportune and perhaps even ‘Providential’ that I had my Apple Watch on. And indeed when the heart rate was falling, the watch also beeped as I remember.

One typically wears a watch simply because it is a wearable and tells the time. Luckily with tech advances the Apple watch has become much more. Whereas one typically doesn't and probably won’t wander about with a ‘heart monitor’ strapped to one’s arm or elsewhere. Since the Apple Watch is capable of multiple functions, one’s propensity to wear it all the time, as one’s main wearable ‘go-to’ device, is very strong indeed, vis a vis any other ‘specific purpose device’.

I will therefore, still say that had it not been for the Apple Watch and its warning, I would never even have known what was happening. There was no ‘traditional arm pain and chest pain’ and all, just the choking sensation I described.

It was the warning that triggered all the associated actions described, hence, in my book at least, it is absolutely full marks to my Apple Watch series 4.

[extreme_torque]

Originally Posted by Jaguar

I feel it was your presence of mind and luck that saved you, rather than the Apple watch.

I came here expecting to read about how the watch triggered an alarm or the data collected over time helped identify an underlying condition. Any decent heart rate monitor would have done what the apple watch did here, which is to just display the heart rate. I know this is the Apple watch thread but this is giving too much credit to it. Am I missing something here?

Your wrist is actually not the best place to take a heart rate measurement so rather than just saying "this watch has this sensor", the more important question is are they accurate. Apple Watch has the best accuracy when it comes to sensors by far and that goes for almost all of it including sleep tracking, heart rate, gps and like shankar said because it is a tool which is also a health tracker, you tend to wear it more often all the time.

This guy on youtube does really good scientific data driven analysis for all smart watches. Apple watch is at the top while samsung is almost at the bottom. This tells you what you need to know actually.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8XbiWIUW4s

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

In India, it is the exact opposite. Android is far more common. Hence Apple comes a far away second in priority when it comes to almost all apps and PWA’s.


So its horses for courses really. Apple users in india are in the tiniest minority

Yes, ofcourse. This is a well known fact. Apple is not so affordable in India.

I probably should have added the partiality is based on geographic, economic and overall population of that country.

In US, whoever I meet uses an apple so it's just my wild assumption that probably 2/3 people use it.

Hence, manufacturers here give importance to Apple ecosystem (especially for luxury products) when making apps or releasing updates.

[extreme_torque]

Gave in to the temptation and got my Apple Watch Ultra yesterday. First impressions, its a big chonk and I do notice the weight on my wrist. Also, the completely flat display feels a little strange after the curvy display of all the other Apple Watches that I have had. Lets see how this goes.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by extreme_torque

Gave in to the temptation and got my Apple Watch Ultra yesterday. First impressions, its a big chonk and I do notice the weight on my wrist. Also, the completely flat display feels a little strange after the curvy display of all the other Apple Watches that I have had. Lets see how this goes.

Attachment 2365610

Looks like you got the Alpine loop? Im thinking of the Ocean band on account of its durability. The Trail loop is likely available only early December onwards here in India. Any ideas?
Also, what is the price of the Ultra in Australia?

I also decided to ‘pull the trigger’ on the Ultra this morning a few moments ago. Putting aside all the analysis-paralysis, I also decided to buy it locally and part with the taxes as levied by our government. The HDFC bank offer here in India anyway makes it almost the same as the price in Australia.
I chose the ocean strap because I want it to be waterproof. I’ve also ordered the solo loop in 45mm which will fit the Ultra. Apparently this is the most comfortable loop of all. All deliveries are likely to happen only by the end of October. So I will sit and wait for it now.
I have a feeling this Ultra is going to be a revelation in terms, for me.
I May plan to keep my old Series 6 also until it lasts. Maybe pair it with my other iPhone and use it only while golfing.

I watched this review this morning and liked it’s practicality.

https://youtu.be/_WwlMp9QQPI

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by mobike008

All major manufacturers/OEM's are partial to "Apple" in many ways.

1. I'm a fan of Apple Maps. Here in US, the detail is superb and lot better than Google Maps. Most impressive like all Apple products is its UI, I love it for its clean, simple design unlike G-Maps. Apple Maps are displayed on BMW HUD apart from the Apple Watch. When I use G-Maps, Gmaps won't display on HUD.

This is probably not because OEMs are partial to Apple, but due to how Apple wants Apple CarPlay to interact with the vehicle. If you are on using an Android phone with Android Auto and navigation with Google Maps, the map shows up on both sides. In your case, Google Maps is on an iPhone and hence the limited compatibility.

On a separate note, the Google Maps /Apple Watch integration is quite nice, I find it quite useful especially when cycling.

[nileshch]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

I don’t see myself, very honestly, ever going back full time to a non-Apple Watch.

Great to see these validations. I had a similar experience with my Series 4 watch last year during COVID. While not as serious as yours, right in the middle of the pandemic, my heart rate suddenly increased to 100bpm and my watch set off an alarm. Externally I had no other signs, not even shortness of breath. But still, I took it as a warning and got my COVID test done and sure enough I was positive. I was able to take corrective action before anyone else in the house got infected and before I had any visible symptoms. I did lose my sense of taste and smell for a long time after that but really thankful for the early warning before the symptoms became severe and there was permanent damage.

Originally Posted by Jaguar

I feel it was your presence of mind and luck that saved you, rather than the Apple watch.

I came here expecting to read about how the watch triggered an alarm or the data collected over time helped identify an underlying condition. Any decent heart rate monitor would have done what the apple watch did here, which is to just display the heart rate. I know this is the Apple watch thread but this is giving too much credit to it. Am I missing something here?

Apple watch does have settings to set thresholds for alerts and warnings. I have set for both unusually low as well as high BPM values and it does work fine. Some credit is due. I've had poor experience with a couple of android wear watches I had tried earlier. They had very inaccurate and inconsistent BPM readings before I jumped on to the Apple watch bandwagon.

[extreme_torque]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Looks like you got the Alpine loop? Im thinking of the Ocean band on account of its durability. The Trail loop is likely available only early December onwards here in India. Any ideas?
Also, what is the price of the Ultra in Australia?

Yes I got the green alpine loop in small size which as it turns out is a bit too small when taking the watch off the hand. Keep that in mind while you chose the size. I will be returning and getting the medium size and also look at the trail loop while I am there. Trail loop is more elastic than Alpine loop and in that sense more adjustable.

I am not very fond of the way Ocean loop looks and I dont be doing any water activities either. My primary gripe is that unlike the other two bands, it does not have a titanium lug which attaches to the watch when attaching the band. I would suggest have a look at the other two before you make your decision.

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

I also decided to ‘pull the trigger’ on the Ultra this morning a few moments ago. Putting aside all the analysis-paralysis, I also decided to buy it locally and part with the taxes as levied by our government. The HDFC bank offer here in India anyway makes it almost the same as the price in Australia.

I chose the ocean strap because I want it to be waterproof. I’ve also ordered the solo loop in 45mm which will fit the Ultra. Apparently this is the most comfortable loop of all. All deliveries are likely to happen only by the end of October. So I will sit and wait for it now.
I have a feeling this Ultra is going to be a revelation in terms, for me.
I May plan to keep my old Series 6 also until it lasts. Maybe pair it with my other iPhone and use it only while golfing.

Congratulations. Let us know how it goes. Would love to know what you think of the size and the flat screen. Ocean loop makes sense as it wont get wet unlike the others one's but it will also be less breathable than the others.

[Cyborg]

Apple Watch owners - a crazy question

With all this monitoring of various health/body parameters, isn’t there a real danger of becoming a hypochondriac?

There can be so many reasons for numbers sometimes going up and down, with this thing on the wrist do you guys sometimes feel there is an overload of information and pressing the panic button for no reason at all.

Does anyone have such impulses and if yes, how do you guys control such impulses?

Appreciate your thoughts on this.

Cheers