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If you happen to run, swim or engage in another sport seriously chances are you own a watch, and not just any watch: chances are you own... a sports watch! Yes, one of those watches that look a lot like classic watches and all of them seem to have one thing in common: they are NOT made by the big tech companies.
In the running and triathlete community, the names Garmin, Coros, Suunto and others are way more popular and loved than your traditional fancy smartwatches by Apple and Samsung. These sports watches often don't even have a colorful screen or fancy animations, but they share a few common characteristics they survive tough conditions, their batteries last an eternity, and most importantly, they give you a ton of useful activity data.
On the other hand, you have the Apple Watch. It is without a doubt the most popular smartwatch out there, worn by millions of people, but up until just a couple of days ago, it was far from the perfect sports watch.
So what changed overnight? Well, WWDC 2022 happened, Apple's annual developer conference where the company unveiled the latest watchOS 9 software update and that update is a game-changer. It delivers a bunch of very useful sports metrics that even premium sports watches often don't have. Plus, in a typical Apple fashion, this update will roll out to a bunch of older devices too, so even your old Apple Watch Series 4 will suddenly become a way more powerful sports watch!
If you are a runner, there are three new metrics that Apple introduced in watchOS 9 that you should care about: Stride Length, Ground Contact Time, and Vertical Oscillation.
It's quite amazing how Apple is able to calculate all of those just by using clever algorithms that measure movement of your wrist, but it all seems to work.
However, the most impressive one has got to be Running Power. This metric is actually incredibly useful to runners as it shows your effort in real-time and helps you pace your runs properly, not pushing too hard way too early. It is measured in watts and the greater your running power at a lower heart rate, the more efficient you are. And this metric is actually quite complex to come up with as it combines your pace, vertical oscillation and can even take into account your local weather. Even more advanced running watches like the Garmin Forerunner series don't have this metric, or to be more specific it only works with the help of a separate accessory that you nee to wear on you.
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Swimmers are also not left behind with the important SWOLF metric arriving on the Apple Watch. SWOLF is a swimming efficiency metric and it's useful because it combines both your stroke length with the time for each stroke, so you cannot easily "cheat it" with a longer or faster stroke.
Is this game over for sports watches like Garmin's?
Of course, while this is a big move from Apple, it's not quite the death blow.
Sports watches still have one big advantage in the form of much longer battery life, and most of them also come with button navigation that I personally find way more convenient when you are on the move.
It's clear that Apple is closing the gap and this should worry the sports watch industry. Don't forget that rumors persist about Apple working on some low-power mode for its watches that is supposed to significantly extend their battery life. Even doubling it would be quite the achievement, but currently all of that remains merely a whisper on the grapevine rather than reality.
At the end of the day, however, it is Apple improving by leaps and bounds, while we don't see Garmin catching up with Cupertino when it comes to software and smartwatch features. The reality might just end up that this kind of competition has to push sports watch maker to deliver even better products in the future, something we all can benefit from.
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Victor, a seasoned mobile technology expert, has spent over a decade at PhoneArena, exploring the depths of mobile photography and reviewing hundreds of smartphones across Android and iOS ecosystems. His passion for technology, coupled with his extensive knowledge of smartphone cameras and battery life, has positioned him as a leading voice in the mobile tech industry.
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