[ad_1]
Art Salzfass and Rhona Lishinsky, members of the Rossmoor Computer Club in California, test the Apple Watch Series 4 in formats 40 millimeters and 44 mm. (Geoffrey Fowler / The Washington Post)
Is the new Apple Watch ready for Grandma?
The Apple Watch Series 4 now in stores comes as a "Proactive Health Monitor" licensed by the Food and Drug Administration and a "guardian" who will call for help in case of a sharp drop. Its screen is 30% larger. You will not see Apple say "senior" in commercials, but suddenly, grandmothers and abuelas, not to mention opas and yeyes, are thinking of getting one. Adult children who want to protect their parents are also curious.
So I asked for help to examine the new watch to a group of tech-savvy seniors. Seven members of the Computer Club of Rossmoor, a Californian community over 55 years old, helped me install, push and push the new model. No elderly person was injured when testing the fall detection technology.
Just when you think I'm critical, older people still have less tolerance for technology that is not clear, reliable and affordable. There was no technophobe among my assistants. After our tests, one of them – a satisfied Apple Watch owner – decided to upgrade. None of the others has been sold.
[Apple designer Jony Ive is ‘zealous’ over the tech giant’s most personal device]
When the Watch debuted in 2015, most seniors did not understand the problem. According to Forrester Research, only 4% of Americans over the age of 65 had ever bought a smartwatch. But with this fourth release, my gang was curious. "It's one of those Dick Tracy-reduced iPhones on the wrist," says Art Salzfass, 83.
Of course Apple for technology recognition has a lot to offer older adults often overlooked by Silicon Valley. The fact that we were even talking about FDA clearance shows how Apple Watch has become a truly personal gadget. It is the first version fast enough and connected enough to be considered as a standalone device.
What I learned from my elders is that the Apple Watch has a lot to offer seniors who are not discouraged by a $ 400 start price. It's very good to encourage you to exercise. He can collect data on your heart. And you're less likely to miss calls when your phone is on your wrist (yes, like Dick Tracy).
Just do not let the hype about the capabilities of the new watch outpace its reality. It's heavier than some traditional watches and one last thing to recharge every day. Some of these new health functions have yet to prove how much they will help. And as a substitute for your phone, it always has a nice little screen and even smaller buttons.
When the Apple Watch Series 4 detects what she thinks is a sudden drop, she posts that message on her face. If you do not answer, emergency assistance will be required. (Apple)
A guardian
The new capabilities of the Watch in health have attracted the attention of my elders. But studying the details impressed some cold water on their expectations.
Let's start with this fall detector, a competitor of Life Alert I fell and I can not wear myself. With the new Apple Watch, a sudden drop is supposed to activate a message on its screen asking you if you need help. If you do not answer, he will place an SOS call on your wrist. "It's a really interesting feature at our age, instead of a necklace," says 76-year-old John Helmus.
Trust but check, right? I did not ask any of my elders to dive. But in the interest of science, I tried to jump edges and throw myself on furniture. The thing never went out. (The feature is only enabled by default for people over the age of 65, but I've turned it on.) It's possible, even likely, that the watch could say I was simulating.
[The explosive problem with recycling iPads, iPhones and other gadgets: They literally catch fire.]
The important thing is the real falls, not the waterfalls. Apple claims to have studied falls of 2,500 people of varying ages. However, the company did not say how many times it suffered real falls or false alarms. It's not like we're claiming the "best camera ever" on a smartphone: if Apple wants us to see its products as a vital aid, it should show us the data. Even better: peer-reviewed studies.
Apple's warning says, "Apple Watch can not detect all the falls. The more physically active you are, the more likely you are to trigger falls detection because of a high-impact activity that may feel like a fall. "
Any additional protection is welcome. But, according to the judicious language of Apple, it is better to think of the Watch as a complement, and not a replacement, to other protections. "We probably have to wait another generation, which is true for all technologies," says Jane Salzfass, 73.
With a larger screen on the Apple Watch 4 Series watch, Apple has squeezed more tiny apps, called complications, on some face options. (Geoffrey Fowler / The Washington Post)
Health assistance
The Apple Watch has always measured the pulse, and the Series 4 adds the FDA-approved electrocardiogram, a breakthrough for mainstream technology. Hold your finger on the round button on the side of the watch to read the electrical signals from your heart in about 30 seconds.
But this application will not arrive until the end of the year. So I can not compare it to a hospital quality monitor. Apple has received FDA clearance for the EKG application, as well as the ability to detect irregular heart rhythms. But "authorization" is not the same thing as "approval". Apple had to prove safety and performance through clinical validation, but "approval" requires many more tests. (A summary of Apple's research published by the FDA shows that it claims to detect atrial fibrillation in 99% of cases.)
But the FDA lists some important caveats regarding these features in its letters of attribution to Apple. He indicates that the irregular rhythm detector is not intended for people diagnosed with atrial fibrillation. And electrocardiograms and heart rhythm function "are not intended to replace traditional methods of diagnosis or treatment." As the Washington Post reports, some cardiologists fear that people taking Watch EKG may cause a flood of unnecessary visits to the office by healthy people.
Heart sensors can tell people with heart problems or anxiety when they might need to do it easily. Margery Widroe, 80, who has been using an Apple Series 3 watch for a few months, told our group a recent incident while she was at the grocery store and her watch alerted her to a high heart rate. She decided to go home and take her medicine. "It could be a big help in your life," she says.
Although the watch continues to evolve as a medical device, it may be more useful to consider it now as an aid to well-being. It offers a three-part view of your daily activity, displayed in the form of rings: your overall activity level, the time you have increased your heart rate during exercise, and the frequency with which you are standing instead to sit. In my life, this holistic vision has been more useful than counting steps like other trackers.
The Apple Watch Series 4, right, reduces by 30% the screen usable to form a slightly larger face than the Apple Watch Series 3, left. (Geoffrey Fowler / The Washington Post)
One way to stay connected
The other interest of my crew was the ability of the Apple Watch to replace – or at least complete – a phone.
It's not that seniors do not like their iPhone. But unlike young on-screen addicts, they may not be used to wearing phones everywhere. For them, tying the phone to your wrist is particularly appealing. "The good thing is that you can not lose it," says 75-year-old Sandra Lew.
You do not have to pay 100 USD more (plus 10 USD per month) for the Apple Watch cell model to pass and receive calls. When you're within range (enough in most homes), the watch uses a local wireless connection to your iPhone. The independent cellular connection, added for the first time to last year's model, is useful if you want to leave your phone completely behind, such as when you walk around, while receiving calls and text messages on your main number. Just be aware that not all operators support it (such as Xfinity Mobile) and the reception on the redrawn watch may be erratic.
Getting calls and other functions is a different challenge. The 4 Series Watch has this larger screen area, but it's only 1.6 inches and ruthless for unsteady fingers. "I even find that the screen of my iPhone is too small," says Jane Salzfass.
Incoming calls are quite easy: press the green phone button that appears when your watch is ringing and gently tapping your wrist. But when I asked the testers to try to make a call to the Watch, it was an adventure in search of the right buttons. "You will have to know what these icons mean," says 67-year-old Rhona Lishinky.
You can give orders – raise your wrist and say "Call Geoffrey" – and ask Siri to help you. It works faster on Series 4 than on previous models, but the voice assistant's answers are still very complicated. If you know their secret code, you'll also find useful functions on the physical buttons: double-tap the side button to activate Apple Pay or press and hold the Digital Crown button to call Siri.
Better yet, the Apple Watch is customizable. You can increase the size of the type and choose from a variety of faces. My recommendation: Take the time, when first using a watch, to set his face and tame the excess alerts, which by default report all the hits and all the losses of your phone on your wrist. These measures will make it less likely that grandchildren will find themselves on the job.
Read more technical advice and analysis from Geoffrey A. Fowler:
The new iPhone is in stores. Here are 5 reasons to wait before buying one.
Touch my data! 15 default privacy settings that you must edit now.
Aibo the robot dog will melt your heart with mechanical precision
[ad_2]
Source link
