Cheyenne Suarez

The Apple Watch Series 11 46mm. Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

REVIEW: Apple Watch Series 11 is a standout fitness, wellness device

Arthur Fuentes

ABS-CBN News

<h3 id="isPasted">Fastest GPS lock-in; practically a smartphone on your wrist</h3><div> </div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1764902140980apple watch apps edit.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="The Apple Watch Series 11 46mm. Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News"/>The Apple Watch Series 11 46mm. Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News</div>MANILA – The Apple Watch Series 11 is my first smartwatch in the Apple ecosystem and I honestly came in here with lots of doubts about whether this Apple wearable is good enough for my needs, or if I even need what it offers.But I was pleasantly surprised at how this smartwatch has grown on me. Now, despite my long love affair with Android, I find myself getting wormholed into the Apple universe, no thanks to this watch.Its fitness features are excellent, and its smartwatch features are some of the smartest available right now–this is practically a smartphone on your wrist. While the squarish body is so different from the round watches I’ve grown used to, I can also see how this design offers a better experience when it comes to reading data on the screen.The Apple Watch Series 11 46mm was launched last — together with the fresh batch of iPhones. I am currently using the iPhone Air, which is a stunning piece of artwork-gadget, and the watch is paired to it.If you’re an Android user, here’s the first thing you need to learn about an Apple Watch–it needs an iPhone. You can’t pair it with an Android phone. Sure, there are Apple Watch apps on Google Play, but these are third party apps, and based on the reviews, these apps suck.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1764902205219apple watch outdoor run.jpg" style="width:960px;display:block" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="The Apple Watch Series 11 46mm has 2,000 nits of brightness, which means it&#x27;s easy to read outdoors even in bright sunlight. Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News"/>The Apple Watch Series 11 46mm has 2,000 nits of brightness, which means it&#x27;s easy to read outdoors even in bright sunlight. Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News</div>The first thing that made me like the watch is its almost instantaneous ability to get a GPS signal. If you’re a runner or cyclist, getting a GPS connection quickly is a must. And in my experience, nothing comes close to how fast this device gets a GPS lock.When cycling, I normally use a Garmin head unit (cycling computer) to track my ride. It can sometimes take up to a whole minute just to get a GPS lock. I’ve also used an Android watch before from a well-known brand, and the experience was similar–getting a GPS signal took time. To be fair, that was version 4 of their watch, and it is now on version 8, so a lot may have changed since then. But judging from the FE version which I now have, it still lags behind the Apple Watch.I’ve also used other fitness watches, which were not Android (Wear OS), and they were better at catching GPS– just a few seconds or so. But still, the Apple Watch’s GPS locking, in my experience, has been the best. Just tap your Strava app (Strava or it did not happen!), and in 3-2-1, you’re good to go. Yes, Apple makes that 3-2-1 countdown every time you begin your run, ride, or other workouts.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1764902356961apple strava activities.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="The Apple Watch Series 11 tracks fitness and wellness. Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News"/>The Apple Watch Series 11 tracks fitness and wellness. Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News</div>This is another thing I like about it–the apps, you can install apps like Strava directly on the phone itself. On other fitness watches (not Wear OS) you need to link their proprietary health app on your phone to the Strava platform. While the process takes only a few minutes, it is still a few more minutes than Apple.As a mountain biker and trail runner, I also use apps like Komoot to check out trails and map routes, and it’s on the Apple Watch App Store.  Unsurprisingly, there is no Garmin app, for obvious reasons, but there are also a ton of other apps here that track health, fitness, and wellness.Another thing I like about this wearable is that it’s “kinder.” A running joke (no pun intended) about other fitness tracking platforms is that they seem very “judgmental” about your exercise efforts. It’s like having a grim-faced coach that tells you: You suck!  On the Apple Watch, the fitness app seems more like a buddy who tells you, you’re doing OK.To be honest, I preferred the grim coach years ago when I was still a little younger and had this maniacal desire to get better and better with each workout–to run and bike faster and farther, and get a higher ranking in races. But nowadays, I just run and bike for fun and health, so I don’t always need an algorithm to tell me about my less than stellar effort.  <div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1764902422261apple watch series 11 gym.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="The Apple Watch Series 11 is a great gym companion. Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News"/>The Apple Watch Series 11 is a great gym companion. Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News</div>When it comes to tracking heart rate, Apple has also always consistently ranked as the most accurate, or one of the most accurate for a wrist-based device, according to the Quantified Scientist. On YouTube, this guy is so far the most scientifically rigorous when it comes to testing wearables, as he has access to weekly brain MRIs, sleep EEG, and other medical lab equipment, instead of just relying on “feels”. The guy compares heart rate data from a chest-strap system, which is the standard for accuracy, with smartwatches from Apple, Samsung, Huawei, Coros, Amazfit, Garmin and other fitness watches. And Apple Watches almost always come out on top.The watch’s smart capabilities are also top notch. Aside from the usual smart features like call alerts, notifications, sending and receiving text messages, it can also detect when you fall, or if you had a serious crash, and call an emergency number. It can do this on its own if the watch is set up to use cellular, or it can do this through your paired iPhone.And here is one thing that bothers me about the watch right now–it is only compatible with Globe Telecom’s system. You can set up 5G on the watch if you have a postpaid plan using the ONENUMBER service, which is an extra 199 per month. Prepaid is not yet supported in the Philippines. And neither are Smart, or DITO. I had to learn the hard way too that there are still kinks in GlobeOne’s eSIM services, with my purchased eSIM not being sent right away on the first try.Getting 5G on the watch itself would have been very nice, as this means I could leave my phone at home when I run or ride and still get most of the benefits of a smartphone using just the watch. But maybe soon.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1764902470239apple watch series 11 formal.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Users can also easily swap straps and watch faces for more formal occasions. Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News"/>Users can also easily swap straps and watch faces for more formal occasions. Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News</div>I was also pleasantly surprised at the battery life of the Apple Watch Series 11. Apple claims that the device can last at least 24 hours between charges. But in my experience, I could go up to almost two days without charging, even with the always-on display, and some gym time thrown in.I also did a 1-hour bike too with the watch just having 10 percent battery life, and despite having Strava tracking my route, heart rate and other vitals, the watch made it through the 16 kilometer ride with still around 4-5 percent to spare. Not bad. It also charges faster too, with up to 8 hours with just 15 minutes of charging.Of course, other more fitness-oriented watches last much much longer with up 14 days, or even 21 days of battery life. But you also don’t get a lot of the smarter features of the Apple ecosystem.After several weeks of using the Apple Watch Series 11, I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface of what this device has to offer. <div> </div>

The first thing that made me like the watch is its almost instantaneous ability to get a GPS signal. If you’re a runner or cyclist, getting a GPS connection quickly is a must.

The first thing that made me like the watch is its almost instantaneous ability to get a GPS signal. If you’re a runner or cyclist, getting a GPS connection quickly is a must.