How does Apple Watch work?

What does an Apple Watch Do using its key features?

Potential buyers of the Apple Watch are often making the query – what does an Apple Watch do? In this article I have discussed the major Apple Watch functions and what can an Apple Watch do using its key features. If you are also among the would-be buyers of this smartwatch and searching for the major Apple Watch features and functions then you have come to the right place.

On going through the functions of the Apple Watch and how does Apple Watch work as described in the post, it would be apparent that the Apple smartwatch scripts a new chapter in wearable technology. It introduces an iOS-based user interface designed specifically for a smaller device that enables you to communicate in new ways right from your wrist. There is no denying the fact that after smartphones, wearable technology, be it smart watches or smart glasses, is the next big thing as it represents the next stage in the evolution of the man-machine interface.

What does an Apple Watch do?

The Apple smartwatch is not a standalone device. It is a customizable wristwatch designed to be an adjunct to your iPhone and is meant to stay paired and connected to it for carrying out most of the Apple Watch functions while you wear it. Nevertheless, it can also do a few things stand-alone, too. It is also designed to work with Apple’s new continuity features that let users shift tasks from one device to another with ease.

Here’s what does an Apple Watch do using its key features:

• Get messages and notifications on the wrist;
• Answer calls on your wrist;
• Fitness tracking;
• Workout tracking;
• Heart rate monitoring;
• ECG monitoring (on Watch Series 4, 5, and 6 only);
• Measure blood oxygen level (series 6)
• GPS tracking of workouts (on GPS versions);
• Make calls and receive messages away from your phone (LTE versions with a data plan);
• Turn-by-turn navigation;
• Siri commands – alarms, timers, reminders;
• Display tickets and boarding passes;
• Control Music;
• Tell the time;

Now that we have seen what does an Apple Watch do, let us now look into how does an Apple Watch work.

How does Apple Watch work?

Apple Watch uses WiFi and Bluetooth to communicate with your paired iPhone. To tell about – how does Apple Watch work, the first thing that needs to be mentioned is the ‘Digital Crown’.

One of the iWatch features is a scroll-wheel Digital Crown on the side of the watch that provides an innovative way to scroll, zoom, and navigate smoothly, without obstructing the screen. The Digital Crown also operates as a Home button (to return to the home screen) and helps easy access to built-in Siri making it more useful than ever for smart messages. Apple Watch has a ‘Taptic Engine’ that produces ‘haptic’ feedback (sense of touch on the wrist) when you get notifications, alarms, and other messages. Whenever you receive an alert or notification or perform a function like turning the Digital Crown or pressing down on the display, you feel a physical sensation on the wrist that’s noticeably different for each kind of interaction. From above it should be clear how does an Apple Watch work to perform its various functions.

Now let’s have a quick look at some of the key features and specifications of the Apple Watch before we go into detail about what does an Apple Watch do.

Apple Watch features and specifications

 The key iWatch features and specifications are,

• Available sizes: 38mm and 42mm (1.5 and 1.7 inches);
• Apple Watch requires iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, or iPhone 6 Plus running iOS 8.2. or later;
• Features WiFi 802.11b/g and Bluetooth 4.0 to pair with iPhone;
• 4GB internal storage for music;
• 512MB RAM;
• 200 to 250 mAh battery – 18 hours battery life and MagSafe charging;
• Wireless Charging;
• Integration with the iPhone, iPad, and Mac;
• Bio-metric functionality;
• NFC-enabled Apple Pay feature;
• Use Skin Contact for Apple Pay Security;
• Retina touchscreen display with Force Touch, and sapphire glass or Ion-X glass cover depending on model;

Apple Watch features also include a heart rate sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, ambient light sensor, and two microphones for better call quality.

The Apple wristwatch has a number of Apple’s own apps but Apple has opened up the platform to third-party app developers.

What can an Apple Watch do using its key features?

While some of the iWatch features look more minor, there are a handful of truly awesome Apple Watch functions that can be done right from your wrist.

Find below the details about what can an Apple Watch do using its key features:

Navigate the Watch Screen

One of the major and coolest Apple Watch features is its ‘Digital Crown’ that makes navigating the small watch screen easier for performing various Apple Watch functions.

The Digital Crown is a knob on the watch’s right edge that acts like a home button. Pressing it returns you to the main screen, and turning it lets you zoom into apps or scroll through options in the interface.

What can an Apple Watch do with the Digital Crown? From your watch face simply press the Digital Crown to access the home screen. You can also press the Digital Crown to leave an app or double-press the Digital Crown to swap between your two most recently opened apps. It can also be held to manually activate Siri, instead of saying ‘Hey Siri’.

Tell time accurately

Apple wristwatch tells time with amazing accuracy. The device will sync within 50 milliseconds of the time in your location using the internet. The watch will also work as a stopwatch, timer, alarm clock, and world clock, which is extremely useful for travelers. If you move from one time zone to another, Apple Watch automatically adjusts. When daylight saving time begins, Apple Watch simply changes to the new time. So you never once have to set it yourself.

To read the time, simply raise your wrist and the time should automatically be displayed on your Apple Watch, much like a traditional smartwatch.

Control music

One of the most popular Apple Watch functions is that it can control music on your iPhone, iPad, or Computer. It can also store up to 2GB locally and playback music all on its own almost as any iPod ever could. This feature makes the Apple Watch perfect for joggers. The Apple Watch can also control your iPhone’s music playback, both locally stored music and from iTunes. If your iPhone is streaming to AirPlay-enabled speakers, whether you’re in your office or at any other place, you can control all of that as well, right from your wrist.

Notifications & alerts

Apple Watch’s ability to keep you connected to your notifications without needing to have your iPhone near you all the time is also one of the most important features of Apple Watch.

With the Apple smartwatch, all of your notifications are at your fingertips as if someone is next to you tapping you on the wrist, whenever you get an alert. To make sure you don’t miss any notifications you can turn on a Notification Indicator that will display a red dot on your watch face if you have unread notifications.

Viewing a notification is as simple as raising your arm. The Notification Center can be accessed by swiping down from the watch face. Although we might not want to clear important messages/notifications, we don’t want you to drown in a sea of annoying notifications either. If you find yourself in a situation like this, there are two options available to you – manually clear each notification by swiping down on it or scrolling to the bottom of it and tapping ‘Dismiss’, or clear all notifications at once. To clear all your notifications at once, simply access the Notification Center, force touch, and tap Clear All. This will clear all notifications from both your Apple Watch and iPhone.

To respond to a notification, scroll to the bottom of the notification and tap the button to perform the action. When your Apple Watch locks or you turn on ‘Do Not Disturb’, your notifications go to your iPhone instead of your watch.

By default, notifications on your Apple smartwatch are actually set up to mirror your iPhone settings, so any app you have notifications enabled for on your iPhone will also appear on your Apple wristwatch. For built-in apps, you can customize the notifications on your Apple Watch by following the steps below:

1. Open the Watch app on your iPhone, tap the My Watch tab, and then tap Notifications;
2. Tap an app;
3. If you want the app’s notification settings to mirror settings on your iPhone, tap Mirror My iPhone. If you want to use different notification settings just for your Apple Watch, tap Custom;

Some Apple apps, like Calendar, Mail, and Messages are customizable with a few additional features. Be sure that the notification you wish to customize is already enabled on your iPhone first.

Remote Control Functions

Remote Control is also one of the most important Apple Watch uses. With your Apple Watch, you may never have to leave your sofa again, as it will function as a remote control for your devices. It will skip through music on your iPhone or iTunes music library, navigate your Apple TV menu, enable ‘Do Not Disturb’ and ‘Airplane’ modes on your phone or turn on/off the smart lights in your home – all from your wrist.

Access Siri

Siri is also one of the major functions of Apple Watch providing digital assistants.

Apple’s voice-activated digital assistant is a huge part of the Apple wristwatch. Siri is integrated into the Apple smartwatch allowing you to accomplish many of your favorite voice command tasks without pulling your iPhone out, including dictating a message, asking to view your next event, making a query, and receiving an answer. Apple’s digital assistant does everything it can on your phone, including sending messages and searching the web.

Apple Watch Siri may not be quite as full-featured as iPhone Siri, but this digital assistant can still do a bunch of tasks. This Apple Watch feature is just as good at turning things on and off as iPhone Siri. You can ask Siri to disable or enable Bluetooth, turn on Airplane mode, and even enable or disable accessibility features like Voice-over. Now, how to use Siri on the Apple WristWatch.

To activate Siri, you can either raise your wrist and say “Hey Siri” or press and hold the Digital Crown. Unlike Siri on the iPhone, Siri on the Apple wristwatch doesn’t speak to you and instead relies on text to reply to your commands. If you want to find out the list of things that Siri on Apple Watch can do, say the words “Hey Siri, what kind of things can I ask you?” and you’ll receive an extensive list. The long list includes the various functions that Siri can perform, like setting alarms, opening apps, making phone calls, and sending messages.

Track health and fitness

Among the Apple Watch uses, tracking your health and fitness status is one of the most useful Apple Watch functions.

The Apple Watch is a great health and fitness device, motivating you to get active. An Activity app on the smartwatch is one of the cool Apple Watch apps which collects data on all your movement during the day whether it be standing, moving, or running, and prompts you to get up when you’ve been sitting still too long. Now, how the Apple Watch does this?

The app does this by setting and tracking three daily targets: to sit less (your target is to stand for at least one minute in each of at least 12 separate hours), to move around more (measured according to the calories you burn), and to log 30 minutes of brisk activity every day.

You can also set goals and the app shows your progress on rings that fill up as you approach your targets. The app tracks your daily activity, and stores that information over time, while a built-in Workout app shows real-time information such as distance traveled, and calories burned and it lets you set goals for each workout. A built-in heart-rate sensor keeps track of your heart with daily summaries showing your step count and heart rate. According to Apple, over time the Apple Watch gets to know you just as a personal fitness instructor would.

To track your daily activity press the Digital Crown and tap the icon that looks like three rings — blue, green, and red. The three rings represent your daily activity goals — movement (red for calorie count), exercise (green for movement), and standing (blue, with a target of standing once per hour). If you use the Siri watch face, then the ‘activity’ icon can be seen permanently on your watch face.

The Apple Watch can also track your daily workout. Press the Digital Crown and look for the green icon with the image of a person running. If you tap the icon and scroll through the list you will find the workout that suits your activity covering everything from yoga to high-intensity interval training. Tap the three dots on the upper right and it will open up individual tracking adjustments, for example, the time target and your calorie count.

Measuring your heart rate is also among the most important Apple Watch functions. Now, let’s see how the Apple Watch is used in measuring your heart rate.

In order to measure your heart rate manually, make sure that the Apple Watch is tightly but comfortably placed on your wrist. Then all you need to do is press the Digital Crown and look for the heart icon. Tap the icon and the watch immediately starts taking your heart rate. A graph at the top of the screen shows your heart rate history. Twist the Digital Crown to show other screens, breaking down your heart rate data into resting and walking segments.

The Apple iWatch, together with the Cardiogram app, can reportedly detect one of the most common heart arrhythmia called atrial fibrillation. Not only that, the accuracy rate is pretty high, which makes it not only convenient but reliable as well.

Navigate around with the help of Apple Maps

Another useful feature of Apple Watch is that it can show your current location, turn-by-turn directions, and how long it will take to get to your destination, all with the help of Apple Maps. Perhaps the most interesting and unique feature of Apple Maps on the wrist is the haptic feedback.

Now, how does Apple Watch work using this Map application?

Once your walking route is set, the watch will buzz, essentially, when you’re supposed to turn right or left (a different sensation for each direction). This means you can get directed without even looking at your wristwatch, which helps users stay safe on the street.

You can also navigate around using the Maps app. You can quickly access your current location by swiping up to access your Maps Glance, but if you want to interact with it then you have to tap on it to open the full Maps app. Once you’ve opened the Maps app, your current location will be displayed.

You can zoom in and out using the Digital Crown, or using your fingers. If you want to search for a location, simply press firmly on the screen and select “Search”. Once you’ve searched for your desired location, the Apple Watch will display all relevant information about the location including contact information, opening times, and reviews. You can then select whether you want walking or driving directions, with an estimated journey time next to both, and then tap “Start” to initiate the turn-by-turn navigation.

Apple Pay

Apple Pay is also one of the most useful features of the Apple Watch which allows a fast, easy, and secure way to pay using your Apple smartwatch. Apple Watch brings this handy function to those on iPhone 5 and later. Apple Pay payment system allows users to get rid of their plastic cards. Apple Watch supports the new NFC-enabled Apple Pay feature built into the iPhone making it even easier than getting out your phone. Simply tap your watch on the reader and approve the transaction and you’re good to go.

How to use Apple Watch to make payments through Apple Pay

With the NFC-enabled Apple Pay feature built into your iPhone, all you have to do is just double-click the side button, pick the card you want to use, and hold the Apple Watch face close to the payment terminal or reader. You’ll hear a beep and feel “a gentle pulse” confirming that your payment has been made.

Passbook Integration

Thanks to Passbook on the Apple Watch, you can breeze through airport security while on travel. You can quickly pull up your plane tickets, boarding passes, and loyalty cards without having to reach for your phone. When you enter a place where your discount or loyalty cards can be used, the app will also send you an alert.

Unlock hotel room

An app on your Apple Watch would turn the watch into a room key so that you can unlock your hotel room with a tap on your iWatch, which will be easier than pulling out your room key from your wallet. The Apple Watch can serve as your hotel room key at participating hotels.

Activation Lock

Activation Lock is one of the new Apple Watch features. For security reasons, Apple has recently introduced this feature. When you activate your Apple Watch, you’ll be required to enter your iCloud Apple ID and password, so the device is tied to your account and no one can use your watch if it’s stolen. However, using this feature is optional.

Make phone calls

Making phone calls is also one of the Apple Watch functions. There are several ways to make phone calls on the Apple Watch. If the person you want to call is on your favorite list, access your favorite contacts by pressing the side button underneath the Digital Crown and select the person you want to speak to. Once you’ve selected the person to call, just tap the Phone icon in the bottom left-hand corner of the display to initiate the call directly from your Apple Watch.

You can also make a call from the Apple Watch via the Phone app, available on the home screen. When you open the Phone app, much like the iPhone app, just select the contact from the displayed categories and the call will initiate from your Apple Watch.

You can also answer calls from your Apple Watch using it as a small Bluetooth speakerphone. When you get a call from your iPhone, your Apple wristwatch will also ring. This can be muted by placing your palm over the screen, or you can tap the green icon to answer the call on your Watch.

If you don’t want to answer the call on your watch, you can use the Digital Crown to scroll down and select “Answer on iPhone”. This transfers the call to your iPhone and puts the person on hold until you unlock your iPhone to take the call.

Now that we know about what does an Apple Watch do, let’s look into some other key information about the Apple Watch.

Apple Wrist Watch versions

The Apple Wrist Watch has been launched in three editions:

1. Apple Watch;

2. Apple Watch Sport;

3. Apple Watch Edition;

Out of the three editions the first variant ‘Apple Watch’, comes with a polished stainless steel case, and a choice of steel or space black finishes.

The second variant ‘Apple Watch Sport’, has a lightweight, scratch and impact-resistant, Ion-X glass screen. Its body is made from anodized aluminum.

The third one, ‘Apple Watch Edition’, was made from 18-karat rose or yellow gold, which has since been discontinued and replaced by ceramic Apple Watch Edition. Ceramic is one of the hardest materials in the world — more than four times harder than stainless steel — with a beautiful, white, pearl-like finish, making the Apple Watch Edition extremely scratch-resistant.

All three editions are also offered in two sizes, depending on which better fits a user’s wrist.

How to change the Apple Watch face

One of the biggest selling points of the Apple Wrist Watch is its customization ability. To change the Apple Watch face simply force touch on the watch face. This will take you to a menu where you can swipe left and right to choose between a variety of watch faces, some traditional, and some unique. Once you’ve found a watch face that you’re happy with, simply tap it to select it.

While Apple isn’t allowing developers to create faces for the Apple Watch, it is possible to personalize your watch face with some creative designs. There’s a ‘Tumblr’ site called ‘AppleFaces’ that features a number of designs that can be downloaded and are the correct dimensions to be used as a Watch face. You need to download them on your iPhone in order to have them appear on your Watch.

How to Charge the Device

For charging the device Apple Watch comes with a unique charging system that combines Apple’s MagSafe technology with inductive charging. You simply hold the connector near the back of the watch, where magnets cause it to snap into place automatically.

Apple Watch upgrades

Apple Watch Series 3

When Apple rolled out Apple Watch 3 it removed the earlier Series 2 watches from the lineup, leaving customers with a choice between the first-generation Apple Watch Series 1 and the Apple Watch 3. While the Apple iWatch features of Series 1 and Series 2 were basically the same, minus a few differences with things like water resistance, GPS, and the like, there was a significantly larger gap between the Series 1 and Series 3 devices from both price and feature perspectives.

The Apple Watch 3 runs on the Watch OS 4 operating system, which was a significant and useful upgrade. The Apple Watch 3 series can operate independently of the iPhone due to its cellular connectivity. It has a cellular antenna inside for making calls using your iPhone’s number, using maps, and streaming more than 40 million songs from Apple Music. Previously, the watch needed to be synced with your iPhone via Bluetooth to utilize these cellular functions.

Some of the other major features of the Apple Watch of series 3 are, that it has a new faster dual-core processor which also allows Siri to talk back to you, it has the same chip that Apple used in its Bluetooth AirPods which means its WiFi and Bluetooth are much faster than before, it sports a new sensor that can count stairs climbed and measure elevation gains, it has new features that make use of the watch’s heart rate sensor, including resting and recovery heart rate data which will have the ability to alert you when your heart rate is elevated.

Apple Watch Series 4

Apple rolled out the Apple Watch Series 4, which has been designed to be more of a health aid. It’s the first time the company has redesigned the device since it was introduced in 2015. This series 4 watch is slightly thinner than the previous version, but the black frame around the screen – what are known as the ‘bezels’ – has been removed to create a larger display area. Significantly, the series 4 watch has a faster processor which runs on Apple’s new Watch-OS 5 operating system, and better health and motion sensors. For instance, the watch can detect when a wearer has fallen down by analyzing wrist trajectory and impact acceleration. It will then initiate an emergency call and if it senses you’re immobile for 1 minute, it’ll automatically call and send a message to your emergency contacts using the SOS feature.

Perhaps one of the most impressive Apple Watch Series 4 features is the built-in electrical heart sensor. What does the iWatch do with this heart sensor?

Built into the back of the sapphire crystal and digital crown, users can now take an Electro-Cardio-Gram (ECG) at any time anywhere, straight from the wrist — the first of its kind in a smartwatch. This measures the electrical activity of your heartbeat in order to help diagnose heart disease and other conditions.

Apple Watch Series 5

Apple rolled out Apple Watch Series 5 in September 2019. When compared with the Series 4, the Apple Watch Series 5 has three important new features — an always-on display, an in-built compass, and an international emergency calling service.

The Series 5 runs on a new Apple S5 chip, a 64-bit dual-core S5 processor which is up to 2x faster than the S3 processor. The  Series 5 has 32 GB of in-built storage as opposed to 16GB on the Series 4. Series 5 Apple Watch is preloaded with the Watch-OS 6 operating system. Apple Watch bands now include purchasable gold options including leather straps. The Series 5 has been launched at the same price as the Series 4, which has since been discontinued.

Apple Watch Series 6

Apple rolled out the Apple Watch Series 6 in September 2020.  The Series 6 Watch is identical in design to the Series 5, but there are some notable health-related features along with a faster chip for better performance.

There’s a new sensor in the Apple Watch Series 6 that enables Blood Oxygen monitoring that measures oxygen saturation in the blood for a better understanding of fitness and wellness. It is a sign of a serious illness when oxygen saturation (also known as SpO2) levels drop. The watch also occasionally takes background measurements when a person is inactive, including during sleep.

Apple Watch Series 7

The Apple Watch Series 7 has been rolled out in September 2021. The borders of the watch are smaller with a bigger watch face screen. The buttons on the watch face are bigger and there is a full keyboard for typing. The watch has added increased workout support for biking, including e-biking. Watch- OS 8 powers the new smartwatch. The starting price is $399.

Apple Watch Series 8

The newest Apple Watch Series 8 has been rolled out in mid-September 2022. New watch faces, an always-on and larger display, and better durability are the highlights of this new series. There’s better menstrual cycle tracking for women thanks to a new suite of features, including a new temperature sensor to get ovulation estimation, among other things.

There are also new safety features, such as crash detection to provide automatic notification to emergency services and contacts. It’s made possible by updated motion sensing with a new gyroscope and accelerometer.

Low-power mode disables some of the less necessary features, like the always-on display, to extend to a projected 36 hours. The starting price is $429 at Amazon.

Apple Watch Series 9

Apple Watch Series 9 has been rolled out in September, 2023. The Series 9 watch follows the same design as previous Apple Watches with two case sizes – 41mm and 45mm. One difference  is that the Apple Watch Series 9 is available in pink alongside it’s standard color options, to match the iPhone 15 colors.

Apple Watch Series 9 is more capable, intuitive, and faster. The advanced display system in Series 9 boosts the maximum brightness. The S9 chip enables a superbright display and a magical new way to quickly and easily interact with your Apple Watch without touching the screen.

Advanced health, safety, and activity features provide powerful insights and help when you need it. The digital crown and the buttons remain unchanged. Watch OS 10 powers the new Smartwatch Series 9.

With this Series you get new watch bands that are environment friendly, and Apple is getting rid of the leather bands.

The Series 9 starts at $399. The price depends on the size of the watch and the price goes up if you decide you want a Cellular Apple Watch.

You may also like to read this related post: How to charge Apple Watch without Charger

Frequently asked questions

Now that it is explained in detail what does an Apple Watch do and how does Apple Watch work, let me address some of the related questions often asked by prospective buyers of Apple Watch:

What are the top benefits of Apple Watch? 

The following are the major benefits of Apple Watch:
1. Features like fall detection, emergency SOS, and high and low heart rate notifications make Apple Watch great for senior family members, even if they don’t have an iPhone;

2. Calling, texting, and location sharing provides an easy way to stay connected with your family.

Can I use Apple Watch without iPhone?

It’s not possible to set up an Apple Watch without using an iPhone. The Watch must be paired with an iPhone to link an Apple ID. The Watch is designed to be a companion device to an iPhone. You cannot use Apple Watch without iPhone for much of its functionality. However, some functions don’t depend on an iPhone, particularly related to health and exercise.

Can I Facetime on Apple Watch?

Yes, you can make Facetime Audio calls on your Apple Watch. It is better if you can find a quiet place to make the call. Though audio has much improved in newer Apple Watch models, it’s still not as good as making a call on your iPhone. Placing a Facetime call on an the Apple Watch is quite easy.

Can you text on Apple Watch?

Yes, you can text on your Apple Watch. You can read and give replies and send new text messages directly on your Apple Watch.

Does the Apple Watch have a camera?

No, the Apple Watch doesn’t have a camera. But you can use it as a remote to take shots with your iPhone after viewing the iPhone camera image.

How far can Apple Watch be from iPhone?

Though the normal Bluetooth range is around 10 to 15 meters when connected to a Wi-Fi network, your Apple Watch will stay in contact with your iPhone anywhere in the house where you’re covered by that network.

Is Apple Watch water-resistant?

Apple doesn’t market its Apple Watch as waterproof instead it gives the watch a high water resistance rating. Apple says it’s fine to wear the watch in the rain or while showering, but it doesn’t recommend exposing the Watch to soaps, shampoos, conditioners, and perfumes as they can negatively affect the water seals and acoustic membranes of the Watch.

You might also like to read this related post: Apple Watch not turning on – here’re 5 best solutions

Conclusion

After going through the details of the Apple Watch in the post such as major Apple Watch functions, Apple Watch features, how does Apple Watch work and what does an Apple watch do using its features, you can very well realize that the iPhone-compatible Apple wristwatch is practical, stylish, and real fun.

Apple is encouraging third-party developers to create apps, especially for its Apple smartwatch using Watch-Kit, the software toolkit Apple built for third-party app development. It is easy to see that the possibilities of many more uses of the Apple Watch are endless over and above what can an Apple Watch do at present.

In the near future, the features of the Apple Watch could be extended to using the watch as your electronic boarding pass or to remotely start your car, and many more services. The argument that smartwatches cause privacy issues appears baseless.

While it is a fact that wearable technology devices by their very disposition would require access to the cloud to function at their best, this is not a prerequisite. Just as in smartphones, smartwatches will also have privacy settings that allow users to decide what information they would like to share with the cloud or remote servers.