One of the best reasons to buy an Apple Watch today is for fitness and working out, which makes the Apple Watch sport one of the best models to buy. Not not only is it the least expensive model starting at $349, but the hardware specifications are the same as the more expensive models — it also makes an excellent fitness tracker and the included sport band is very comfortable and stylish!
Another major advantage is that the Apple Watch can be used independent of your iPhone and has already proven to be useful for fitness training and running. It's a freeing experience not having to carry your iPhone while only having the Apple Watch on your wrist. Not to mention it's also keeping track of your fitness activity, including calories burned, workout intensity and your heart rate to keep you on pace.
Fitness & Gym
The Apple Watch has two fitness apps built-in, one is called Activity and the other is Workout — both can be used without your iPhone. The Activity app is made to track steps, time spent standing (it detects if you are standing or sitting) and active exercise such as fast walks. The Workout app allows you to track timed workout sessions that also tracks your pace, heart rate, distance and calories burned specific to certain activities and shows you a brief summary of your vitals after each session.
Keep in mind
Third party apps for fitness and work outs can't be used away from your iPhone. Any 3rd party apps (ones that don't come pre-installed on your watch) will require an iPhone connection to work.
Running & Cardio
Screens on the iPhone 6 and 6+ have gotten so big, the Apple Watch Sport is the perfect way to leave the big device behind and wear something that lightweight, sleek and fashionable. It also provides encouraging messages during your run and can keep you on pace by constantly tracking your heart rate! Data can be sent to your iPhone's Health app so you can track your progress over time. After you run with Apple Watch a few times, the Workout app learns more about your stride over time. This means you can run on a treadmill or outside without your phone and still get a really accurate workout summary since the Watch can estimate the distance paced on your strides.
Keep in mind
The 1st generation Apple Watch does not have it's own GPS, you need your iPhone paired to use it. If having a standalone GPS in the watch to run without your phone is a "must have" feature for you then you should probably wait for the next generation model. We believe that Apple will most likely add standalone GPS functionality in the 2nd version of Apple Watch.
How to sync music to Apple Watch
Another great feature is that you can store up to 2GB and transfer music to the Apple Watch, since it has Bluetooth you can listen to music with wireless headphones. You can sync music to Apple Watch directly from your iPhone and the Apple Watch app, no Mac or iTunes required! However keep in mind the music must be stored on your phone in the Music app, or in iTunes in the Cloud. If you want to sync music from Spotify or Pandora to Apple Watch, you won't be able to do that yet.
Here's how to transfer songs to Apple Watch:
Step 1) Plug in your Apple Watch to the charger
Step 2) Go to the Apple Watch app on your iPhone
Step 3) Navigate to Music and then Synced Playlists. Select the playlists to sync to your Watch
Step 4) Now in the music player, push down hard (force touch) then click on Source and choose Apple Watch
Once your music is synced, you can listen to music stored on your Apple Watch if you have a pair of Bluetooth headphones. If you don't have a pair yet, we have some great recommendations below.
The Best wireless headphones for Apple Watch
Now you're probably thinking this is excellent, I can listen to music without having my iPhone while I'm running! Except you need a bluetooth compatible headset in order to do it with the Apple Watch. The good news is that there won't be any wires but the bad news is now you'll have another gadget you need to remember to charge!
We have some good recommendations for wireless headphones compatible with Apple Watch below:
1) Beats Powerbeats 2 Wireless In-Ear Headphones - $199
While they are the most expensive ($200) these are also made by Apple (they own the brand Beats) and the most stylish and specifically made for Apple products including the Apple Watch. The Powerbeats 2 are bluetooth and wireless, specifically built for athletic purposes —it's both sweat and water resistant, they are comfortable to wear and stays in your ears very well no matter how hard the workout. The sound is strong and loud and you’ll get 6 hours of battery life from a full charge, with a quick charge feature that gives you up to 1 hour of run time in only 15 minutes of charging.
This is a very popular wireless bluetooth headphone since it is one of the first wireless in-ear headphones that look and feel almost identical to wired in-ears. Similar to the Beats Powerbeats 2 except cheaper, they are able to pack all the technology into an impressively small form factor, while still having up to 8-hour battery life. The BlueBuds X also feature ear stabilization technology, they are fully sweat resistant and also include a remote and microphone for making calls.
3) BackBeat GO 2 Earbuds - $69 on Amazon
For a great price, these are extremely comfortable and very light weight bluetooth headphones for the Apple Watch. They have a good sound quality and are also sweatproof which makes them perfect for running. While the battery life isn't as good as others (4.5 hours) it does include a very cool protective case that also has a built-in battery for charging on the go, which means you can keep them going for about 14 hours with the case.
These are quality bluetooth in-ear earphones at a tiny price. The review are absolutely excellent – people seem to love them top-to-bottom. Many reviews say that the overall quality of the headphones are great and sound quality is very good considering the low cost. They have a good design and people say they are very comfortable to wear as well. Overall, if you're looking for a good pair of bluetooth headphones at good price — this seems to be the one.
How do you pair bluetooth headphones with Apple Watch?
Step 1) Go to your Apple Watch settings
Step 2) Go to Bluetooth
Step 3) Sync your headphones following the instructions from your wireless headphones
Once paired, go to the Apple Watch Music app and Force Press to select "Source" as Apple Watch. Now your music will play from the Apple Watch just like on an iPod.
