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The only downside to the Apple Watch in my book is the short battery life which should theoretically make it impractical for sleep tracking. I was recently stu

by smnscu 9y ago

The only downside to the Apple Watch in my book is the short battery life which should theoretically make it impractical for sleep tracking. I was recently stupefied to discover Nokia Steel [1] and how virtually unknown it is to the general public, my former self included. It comes with great design, no bullshit digital screen, the usual tracking features, and most importantly seems like it's a return to form for Nokia, considering their country's outstanding design heritage. edit: lol I forgot to mention the best part. THE BATTERY LASTS EIGHT MONTHS 1: https://health.nokia.com/es/en/steel https://health.nokia.com/es/en/steel

nezza-_- 9y ago
I believe these watches used to be known under the Withings brand which got bought by Nokia. Very nice design (Max Bill inspired I guess).
- smnscu 9y ago
  Yes, I should've mentioned Withings. I think I've heard good things about them in the past as well, they used to do a scale that now, wow, looks even better [1]. 1: https://health.nokia.com/uk/en/body https://health.nokia.com/uk/en/body
  - ce4 9y ago
    The steel has no heart rate sensor. Nokias Steel HR has one, however after the aquisition the app quality tanked [1], and my SO had to return both Steel HR and scale for this reason. Connection issues, synch problems and the needed weekly factory reset for both were too much of a hassle. [1]: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.withings.wiscale2 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.withings.w...
- jclardy 9y ago
  Yeah I was going to say, that design looked really familiar.
RBerenguel 9y ago
Maybe the app I'm using for sleep tracking does not track enough things (sound is tracked with the phone, for instance, but heartbeat is tracked with the watch), but it only seems to consume 3-5% of battery of my watch (Series 2, small). When I started tracking my sleep I changed my charging pattern from night to "while preparing breakfast" (after waking up) and "while at shower" (evening). Of course, 8 months is a different game :)
- more111 9y ago
  Which one are you using?
kobeya 9y ago
I only lose 10-15% of a charge at night.
toxik 9y ago
I feel like there is a huge difference in the capabilities of the Apple Watch and the Nokia Steel. The Steel has a motion sensor, accelerometer, bluetooth and maybe wifi? The Apple Watch, needless to say, has a lot more than that: GPS, GSM, wifi, bluetooth, heart rate sensor, accelerometer, light sensor, etc. I'm sure the Nokia Steel fills a niche but I feel like the Apple Watch is much more interesting from a capabilities standpoint.
- dTal 9y ago
  And if the Apple watch also came with a fold-out bottle opener and a tool for getting stones out of horse's hooves, would that make it a better watch? It's not about the number of "features", but whether it's a productive, convenient item to have in your life. A 1-day battery life on a watch is a serious flaw. The only smartwatch that was ever a good watch, at least that I've seen, was the Pebble. The one-week battery and always-on sunlight-readable screen are the two giant features that make it a comfortable object. It's very disappointing that nobody's making anything like that anymore. The Nokia Steel looks like a fantastic watch, although not much of a smartwatch. I'd still rather have one than an Apple watch.
  - matwood 9y ago
    > It's not about the number of "features", but whether it's a productive, convenient item to have in your life. A 1-day battery life on a watch is a serious flaw. And the Apple watch is a productive and convenient item to have in many people's lives. I have a series 2 and easily get 2 days of battery life. Apparently the series 3s can get 3 days. For me at least, 1 week battery life is in some ways worse. It means that I will not charge it regularly, and it will likely die when I want to use it. Right now I never think about the battery on my Apple Watch, and just charge it when taking a shower in the morning.
  - andmarios 9y ago
    There is Amazfit Pace on the low spectrum of price and Garmin on the higher end. All with transflective screens and battery that varies from 4 to 10 days, depending if you want to receive notifications on your watch (and how many, Slack for example is pretty heavy due to the number of notifications). I own a Pace and I am pretty happy with it. Not a complete smartwatch but has all the important features for me: always on screen, stylish, acceptable battery, activity tracking and notifications.
h2onock 9y ago
Battery life has come a long way since the original Apple Watch (which I had to charge every night). With the Series 2 I only use about 15-20% of the battery during the day and can charge it back up to 100% in the time between getting into bed and going to sleep.
mrisoli 9y ago
This is interesting, I was searching for replacements for Pebble since the acquisition and this is a promising option.
- asadlionpk 9y ago
  Same here! I love my pebble classic but it's starting to wear out. This looks like a decent, minimal alternative.
hsxd 9y ago
I recently got an Apple Watch series 3 (non-cellular) and I can use it for three days before needing to charge it. It’s my understanding that this wasn’t the case with the previous versions, the series 3 battey life has been drastically improved.
- pivo 9y ago
  My series 2 lasts two days. It'd be nice if it lasted three so I wouldn't have to take my charger with me on weekends away, but I haven't found it to be much of a pain either.
carlmcqueen 9y ago
This perception of low battery life has really lasted from the first apple watch. It was the reason, along with that it wasn't water proof enough for me, that I didn't get the first one. I wear my apple watch 2 all day, sleep in it, and charge it in the time I'm getting ready in the morning. that's all it needs and it never runs out of battery.
- givinguflac 9y ago
  I completely agree; I wore my watch series 3 (no cell) all day yesterday, tracked sleep last night, and this morning I still have 65% battery left. I quick charge while I shower in the morning is all it's needed and I'm blown away by how long it lasts. (I had a Pebble Time previously.)
  - turtlebits 9y ago
    My Series 1 used to last 2 full days. Now when I wake up it's at 40% and will die around 5pm (on the 2nd day). Pretty sure the watchOS 4 update caused the battery life to drop significantly.
  - marpstar 9y ago
    I had low expectations when I bought the Series 3 because of what has been said in the past about the battery life but my findings are similar: I put it on in the morning at 7:30am and it's still got ~65% when I'm getting ready for bed. I took it off last night around 11:30 and it was charged back to 100% by 12:15. I too had a Pebble Time and while that lasted seemingly forever, I'm very very happy with the Series 3's battery life and charge time.
  - passivepinetree 9y ago
    I also have a Series 3. What app do you use to track sleep? I'm using AutoSleep, but it seems to really overestimate the time I'm actually asleep, and as far as I can tell it doesn't take into account tossing/turning during the night (either that, or I'm getting way better sleep than I think I'm getting).
brlewis 9y ago
The other impediment to sleep tracking with Apple Watch is its heart rate measurements. One can get acceptable sleep tracking just from accelerometer data, but to get something like Fitbit's sleep tracking you need to measure heart-rate variability. Apple Watch's intermittent heart rate measurements (outside of workout mode) might make certain health metrics difficult to gather without killing the battery. Theoretically Apple could catch up with Fitbit in this area at some point and achieve continuous 24-hour heart rate measurements.
- rhinoceraptor 9y ago
  The apple watch measures heart rate every 5 minutes, and it does do HRV as of watch OS 4.
  - brlewis 9y ago
    Fitbit Ionic "Stores heart rate data at 1 second intervals during exercise tracking and at 5 second intervals all other times" - https://www.fitbit.com/shop/ionic#specs https://www.fitbit.com/shop/ionic#specs I don't know how much useful information you can get from the variability of a metric you only sample every 5 minutes.
    - dkonofalski 9y ago
      The parent's description isn't 100% accurate but it's accurate enough. The Apple Watch tracks every 5 minutes unless it detects an elevation in heart rate. If it detects something higher than 10 or 20 bpm, it polls more frequently. The standard, resting heart rate polling is at 5 minutes which, according to everything I've read, is more than accurate enough for most medical uses.
alistairSH 9y ago
Looks like Nokia bought Withings (or maybe it was always a subbrand)? Anyways, I wish somebody would built a watch that split the difference between the Steel and the Apple Watch. So far, the Garmin Fenix 5S is the closest I've found, though I prefer an analog face (or good digital rendering) and a slightly less casual case.
rhinoceraptor 9y ago
I use my series 2 for sleep tracking and as an alarm clock every night. The battery lasts for ~2 days, and since the battery is so small it charges really quickly, so topping it off before/after bed for a few minutes is enough so it's always charged.
- kejaed 9y ago
  What app do you use for sleep tracking?
  - rhinoceraptor 9y ago
    Sleep Watch, it runs automatically so I don't have to bother with it. I'm not sure how accurate it is, though.
  - RobSim 9y ago
    I use AutoSleep, which has been very accurate after tuning for me. (not OP)
brandonb 9y ago
I have a lot of friends who love the Steel! Cardiogram is compatible with Apple Watch, and launched for Android Wear in October: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cardiogram/id1000017994?ls=1&mt=8 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cardiogram/id1000017994?ls=1... https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cardiogram.v1 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cardiogram... Our goal is to support any device with a heart rate sensor over time.
malyk 9y ago
I charge my gen 1 Apple Watch for ~45 minutes before bed every night and in a year and a half have only run out of battery during the day twice. I use it for sleep tracking every night. The watch charges so quickly that dropping on the charger at 9pm for a bit is all I ever need.
tomaskafka 9y ago
Damn, their app ia simple and beautiful - I wish fitbit or garmin connect would work like this! Also, Garmin, you do 24/7 fitness tracking but still no smart alarm after years?

by smnscu 9y ago

nezza-_- 9y ago

I believe these watches used to be known under the Withings brand which got bought by Nokia. Very nice design (Max Bill inspired I guess).

smnscu 9y ago
Yes, I should've mentioned Withings. I think I've heard good things about them in the past as well, they used to do a scale that now, wow, looks even better [1]. 1: https://health.nokia.com/uk/en/body https://health.nokia.com/uk/en/body
- ce4 9y ago
  The steel has no heart rate sensor. Nokias Steel HR has one, however after the aquisition the app quality tanked [1], and my SO had to return both Steel HR and scale for this reason. Connection issues, synch problems and the needed weekly factory reset for both were too much of a hassle. [1]: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.withings.wiscale2 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.withings.w...
jclardy 9y ago
Yeah I was going to say, that design looked really familiar.

RBerenguel 9y ago

Maybe the app I'm using for sleep tracking does not track enough things (sound is tracked with the phone, for instance, but heartbeat is tracked with the watch), but it only seems to consume 3-5% of battery of my watch (Series 2, small). When I started tracking my sleep I changed my charging pattern from night to "while preparing breakfast" (after waking up) and "while at shower" (evening). Of course, 8 months is a different game :)

more111 9y ago
Which one are you using?

kobeya 9y ago

I only lose 10-15% of a charge at night.

toxik 9y ago

I feel like there is a huge difference in the capabilities of the Apple Watch and the Nokia Steel. The Steel has a motion sensor, accelerometer, bluetooth and maybe wifi? The Apple Watch, needless to say, has a lot more than that: GPS, GSM, wifi, bluetooth, heart rate sensor, accelerometer, light sensor, etc. I'm sure the Nokia Steel fills a niche but I feel like the Apple Watch is much more interesting from a capabilities standpoint.

dTal 9y ago
And if the Apple watch also came with a fold-out bottle opener and a tool for getting stones out of horse's hooves, would that make it a better watch? It's not about the number of "features", but whether it's a productive, convenient item to have in your life. A 1-day battery life on a watch is a serious flaw. The only smartwatch that was ever a good watch, at least that I've seen, was the Pebble. The one-week battery and always-on sunlight-readable screen are the two giant features that make it a comfortable object. It's very disappointing that nobody's making anything like that anymore. The Nokia Steel looks like a fantastic watch, although not much of a smartwatch. I'd still rather have one than an Apple watch.
- matwood 9y ago
  > It's not about the number of "features", but whether it's a productive, convenient item to have in your life. A 1-day battery life on a watch is a serious flaw. And the Apple watch is a productive and convenient item to have in many people's lives. I have a series 2 and easily get 2 days of battery life. Apparently the series 3s can get 3 days. For me at least, 1 week battery life is in some ways worse. It means that I will not charge it regularly, and it will likely die when I want to use it. Right now I never think about the battery on my Apple Watch, and just charge it when taking a shower in the morning.
- andmarios 9y ago
  There is Amazfit Pace on the low spectrum of price and Garmin on the higher end. All with transflective screens and battery that varies from 4 to 10 days, depending if you want to receive notifications on your watch (and how many, Slack for example is pretty heavy due to the number of notifications). I own a Pace and I am pretty happy with it. Not a complete smartwatch but has all the important features for me: always on screen, stylish, acceptable battery, activity tracking and notifications.

h2onock 9y ago

Battery life has come a long way since the original Apple Watch (which I had to charge every night). With the Series 2 I only use about 15-20% of the battery during the day and can charge it back up to 100% in the time between getting into bed and going to sleep.

mrisoli 9y ago

This is interesting, I was searching for replacements for Pebble since the acquisition and this is a promising option.

asadlionpk 9y ago
Same here! I love my pebble classic but it's starting to wear out. This looks like a decent, minimal alternative.

hsxd 9y ago

I recently got an Apple Watch series 3 (non-cellular) and I can use it for three days before needing to charge it. It’s my understanding that this wasn’t the case with the previous versions, the series 3 battey life has been drastically improved.

pivo 9y ago
My series 2 lasts two days. It'd be nice if it lasted three so I wouldn't have to take my charger with me on weekends away, but I haven't found it to be much of a pain either.

carlmcqueen 9y ago

This perception of low battery life has really lasted from the first apple watch. It was the reason, along with that it wasn't water proof enough for me, that I didn't get the first one. I wear my apple watch 2 all day, sleep in it, and charge it in the time I'm getting ready in the morning. that's all it needs and it never runs out of battery.

givinguflac 9y ago
I completely agree; I wore my watch series 3 (no cell) all day yesterday, tracked sleep last night, and this morning I still have 65% battery left. I quick charge while I shower in the morning is all it's needed and I'm blown away by how long it lasts. (I had a Pebble Time previously.)
- turtlebits 9y ago
  My Series 1 used to last 2 full days. Now when I wake up it's at 40% and will die around 5pm (on the 2nd day). Pretty sure the watchOS 4 update caused the battery life to drop significantly.
- marpstar 9y ago
  I had low expectations when I bought the Series 3 because of what has been said in the past about the battery life but my findings are similar: I put it on in the morning at 7:30am and it's still got ~65% when I'm getting ready for bed. I took it off last night around 11:30 and it was charged back to 100% by 12:15. I too had a Pebble Time and while that lasted seemingly forever, I'm very very happy with the Series 3's battery life and charge time.
- passivepinetree 9y ago
  I also have a Series 3. What app do you use to track sleep? I'm using AutoSleep, but it seems to really overestimate the time I'm actually asleep, and as far as I can tell it doesn't take into account tossing/turning during the night (either that, or I'm getting way better sleep than I think I'm getting).

brlewis 9y ago

The other impediment to sleep tracking with Apple Watch is its heart rate measurements. One can get acceptable sleep tracking just from accelerometer data, but to get something like Fitbit's sleep tracking you need to measure heart-rate variability. Apple Watch's intermittent heart rate measurements (outside of workout mode) might make certain health metrics difficult to gather without killing the battery. Theoretically Apple could catch up with Fitbit in this area at some point and achieve continuous 24-hour heart rate measurements.

rhinoceraptor 9y ago
The apple watch measures heart rate every 5 minutes, and it does do HRV as of watch OS 4.
- brlewis 9y ago
  Fitbit Ionic "Stores heart rate data at 1 second intervals during exercise tracking and at 5 second intervals all other times" - https://www.fitbit.com/shop/ionic#specs https://www.fitbit.com/shop/ionic#specs I don't know how much useful information you can get from the variability of a metric you only sample every 5 minutes.
  - dkonofalski 9y ago
    The parent's description isn't 100% accurate but it's accurate enough. The Apple Watch tracks every 5 minutes unless it detects an elevation in heart rate. If it detects something higher than 10 or 20 bpm, it polls more frequently. The standard, resting heart rate polling is at 5 minutes which, according to everything I've read, is more than accurate enough for most medical uses.

alistairSH 9y ago

Looks like Nokia bought Withings (or maybe it was always a subbrand)? Anyways, I wish somebody would built a watch that split the difference between the Steel and the Apple Watch. So far, the Garmin Fenix 5S is the closest I've found, though I prefer an analog face (or good digital rendering) and a slightly less casual case.

rhinoceraptor 9y ago

I use my series 2 for sleep tracking and as an alarm clock every night. The battery lasts for ~2 days, and since the battery is so small it charges really quickly, so topping it off before/after bed for a few minutes is enough so it's always charged.

kejaed 9y ago
What app do you use for sleep tracking?
- rhinoceraptor 9y ago
  Sleep Watch, it runs automatically so I don't have to bother with it. I'm not sure how accurate it is, though.
- RobSim 9y ago
  I use AutoSleep, which has been very accurate after tuning for me. (not OP)

brandonb 9y ago

I have a lot of friends who love the Steel! Cardiogram is compatible with Apple Watch, and launched for Android Wear in October: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cardiogram/id1000017994?ls=1&mt=8 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cardiogram/id1000017994?ls=1... https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cardiogram.v1 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cardiogram... Our goal is to support any device with a heart rate sensor over time.

malyk 9y ago

I charge my gen 1 Apple Watch for ~45 minutes before bed every night and in a year and a half have only run out of battery during the day twice. I use it for sleep tracking every night. The watch charges so quickly that dropping on the charger at 9pm for a bit is all I ever need.

tomaskafka 9y ago

Damn, their app ia simple and beautiful - I wish fitbit or garmin connect would work like this! Also, Garmin, you do 24/7 fitness tracking but still no smart alarm after years?