Here’s why the Apple Watch is the best Apple product I own 

For the last five to six years, I’ve had an Apple Watch on my wrist. This has been the same Series 2 and it still works absolutely perfectly to this day. I remember getting into the Apple Watch game and wondering what I would use it for and now I don’t think I could live without it.

Here’s why.

Tracking exercise

This is a big one, and probably the best feature. One of the main reasons I wear my Apple Watch every day is to track my exercise. It can log my workouts, track my steps, track how many calories I am burning, track my heart rate and even gives me ‘trends’ that change as I progress and show what I achieve with different things.

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Closing my rings has become a bit of a game which I love to play. On the Apple Watch, you have to close three rings: Move, Exercise and Stand. You do not understand the satisfaction you get from closing these rings. It is immense. You can even track swimming workouts as they are water-resistant from the Series 2 onwards.

You can also link up with friends and family who wear an Apple Watch and compete with them on a weekly basis. It is fun and pushes you to do more. You can also earn some pretty nifty awards too which are exciting.

Receiving notifications and answering phone calls

If you don’t have your phone with you at all times because of how you work or exercise, then getting messages and alerts on your wrist is fantastic. I find this one of the most useful features to have as the notifications mirror your iPhone and it works perfectly. You can even reply to texts and answer calls from your wrist too.

But the one notification I hate getting (and it happens a lot) is the watch reminding me to breathe! I don’t need to be reminded to do that thank you very much! Although, saying that, it is nice to relax that way once in a while.

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Apple Pay

A big thing for me was being able to pay for things using my watch, especially nowadays and I will tell you why.

Not only does this save the hassle of having to get your phone or wallet out if you are lugging around loads of shopping but it also helps in this pandemic we are facing. I can use any part of my hand to simply double-tap the power button on my watch to activate Apple Pay and ‘ping’ it is done. Whereas with my phone, I need to scan my face and that is tricky when wearing a face mask.

Another cool feature is being able to use your Apple Watch as your boarding pass at the airport. Sure, we don’t need it much now but when we can slowly get back up in the air again, it is a useful thing to have as I am forever rummaging around in my bag and pockets for my boarding pass.

Finding your iPhone and unlocking your Mac

Do you ever find yourself losing your phone in the house and looking forever to find it? Sometimes it even gets to the stage where you have to ring it. However, if your iPhone is on silent or Do Not Disturb then you have a problem.

Well, thankfully for you, the Apple Watch has a ‘pinging’ feature that when activated, sends a loud ping to your phone, no matter the state. Just as long as it is charged, you should be able to find it.

Another useful feature is having the ability to unlock your iMac or MacBook with your watch. When this is set up, all you need to do is go near the computer, and it will unlock. This is very useful and is something which will save you that extra few seconds in the morning when you are half asleep and sipping a coffee.

Quick-fire features I use on a daily basis:

Flashlight

Checking the weather

Setting timers when cooking or washing

Checking my heart rate

Checking the time…obviously

Changing songs on Spotify when working out

Calculator

Maps — it taps you to tell you which way to turn (only with Apple Maps)

So as you can see, I use my Apple Watch to its full potential, even with it being so ‘old’ at five years old. I can’t see myself ever not wearing it unless I am going somewhere nice or on a trip somewhere with limited charging facilities. In those cases, I will take one of my proper watches which I do often wear at weekends I should add, but that’s because I am a bit of a watch nerd.

But for someone who exercises regularly, and is out and about most of the day, it is a perfect companion to have on your wrist.

We are currently on the eighth generation of Apple Watch which is quite expensive but Apple still sells the SE on their website for under £300, which I think is a bargain. Especially when a Fitbit costs around that and isn’t nearly as well integrated as the Apple Watch.

There is really nothing to lose if you are an iPhone user. Get one and see how you like it. If you decide it’s not for you, then I am sure you can return it and get a full refund.