Smart/Running Watch Help

#1
kiddiedoc

kiddiedoc

Renaissance Man
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#1
Tech advice needed:

I would like a GPS-bluetooth watch that I can use for running, mountain biking, hiking etc. However, I don't want to have to always carry my phone along, too. Are there options that I can use to play music (preferably Spotify, offline) via bluetooth? Would I have to pay for LTE/wireless service to use features without connection to a phone?
 
#2
#2
pretty sure, you will have to pay for service to stream...unless you go the the mall and run, then you could use their wifi :)
 
#5
#5
I looked around a lot and you will have to pay for service, like adding a line, to get a watch that will stream without your phone. I just strap my phone to my waist in one of the cinch belts and use my watch to control it. I have had 2 Garmins and no complaints. Current is the Garmin Forerunner 935 and I love it. It is a trimmed down version of the Fenix, same guts, less bling. The GPS is very accurate and their new heart rate tech is extremely close to actual.
 
#7
#7
I use the Garmin Forerunner 920XT. Love all the features. It has biking, swimming, and running tracking options. No luck for music from it though. TomTom Spark will hold playlists, but won't stream music. The battery life on the Spark is weak though. My Forerunner will last for weeks at a time.
 
#9
#9
Looks like the new Samsung Gear Sport and G3 have the ability to download Spotify playlists and play offline. I'm sure others will follow.
 
#12
#12
My awesome wife got me a Samsung Gear Sport for my birthday, and I really like it so far. I was able to download Spotify playlists to it over WiFi but haven't used it yet with Bluetooth headphones. It's very comfortable and a good size for me (I've got a pretty small wrist). The rotating bezel is very handy for switching screens, and the downloadable faces are cool.

I'll report back after some use on runs, etc.
 
#13
#13
Yeah, bluetooth devices only have roughly a 30 foot range to them from the source.
 
#16
#16
Got an Apple Watch for my 40th bday. My wife has had one for about a year but I wasn’t really sure if I wanted one. I’ve discovered I like it a lot more than I thought I would. It’s nice to have some simple functions right on your wrist instead of getting my phone out constantly. Just little things like weather, notifications, messages, control Apple TV, some basic smart home functions, and I use Siri more frequently now too. Oh, and it unlocks my Mac without me typing password which is nice.

I do like the Health/Activity/Exercise monitoring. I had a basic Fitbit in the past and it never grabbed my attention because I had to take my phone out and check the app. Plus it didn’t have a heart rate monitor so it wasn’t providing much more info than my phone in my pocket provided. I quit wearing it within a 2 months.

It’s been cold since I got it so I’ve mostly just done my elliptical at home. I’ve found the heart rate monitor built into the elliptical and the watch are generally in sync but they are off on calories burned with the watch being short 60-70 Cal.

I have the GPS Series 3 (not the cell enabled one) so I can go for a run without my phone but I haven’t tried that yet. The one run I’ve been on I still took my phone but it was nice to leave it in my pocket and have all the info like pace, heart rate, distance, etc still on my wrist. Also went hiking this past weekend and again, having that info at a quick glance was handy.

I don’t use Spotify so can’t speak to that but I can sync a playlist from iTunes/Apple Music and that worked pretty well. Unfortunately about a week ago I effed up and ruined my Airpods when I forgot to take them out of my jeans before they went through the wash. So now I don’t have any wireless headphones which means my phone will be coming along on any runs for the foreseeable future.

Overall my experience with a smart watch has been good. I still don’t think it’s a must-have device but it’s definitely a worth while one.
 
#17
#17
I finally got to test out the Gear Sport on a run this evening. After installing the Spotify app, I was able to choose which of my playlists to download to the watch over WiFi. It paired easily with my Yurbuds and music streamed continuously without my phone in tow. GPS worked well using the Samsung Fit app, with audio time and pace updates every mile (although the voice engine could really use an upgrade). I might try installing MapMyRun, as that's what I've always used on my phone. Also, the rotating bezel is super handy to scroll through workout details on the fly.

All in all, I have been very satisfied thus far.
 
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