Recently, I purchased an Apple Watch (Sport, 42mm, Space Gray for those who are curious) and installed the new iOS 9 beta on my iPhone 6. The combination of these two devices have really changed the way I use technology throughout my day. Here’s an example of a typical day in the life of a CityMac employee.
7:00 am
Awake to my iPhone alarm via Sleep Cycle. I feel surprisingly well rested. No snooze today, I’m ready to get up and get going.
7:01 am
I unplug my iPhone and Apple Watch from their charging cables and put the Watch on my wrist. I unlock my iPhone with TouchID, which automatically unlocks my watch, so I don’t need to put in a passcode. If, for whatever reason, I take it off my wrist again, it will lock. I throw on my workout clothes and head to the gym.
7:11 am
Arrive at the gym and start my workout. I connect my Powerbeats2 Wireless headphones directly to my watch and leave my iPhone in the locker room. I’ve synced my workout playlist to my watch, so I don’t really need it.
To select the Watch as a music source rather than iPhone, open the Music app, force touch and choose Source. Then tap Watch. Next, it’ll ask you to connect to a Bluetooth system. Once you do this, you can use the Music app like normal.
After getting the music going, I open the Workout app, choose my exercise and get started. Apple Watch tracks your motion and heart rate, recording it in the Health app. Today’s workout also counts towards my daily activity goals.
8:04 am
I finish up my workout and head back home to get ready for work.
8:14 am
I grab my Braven 705 Bluetooth speaker and head to the bathroom. It’s water resistant, so it shouldn’t be affected by the steam from my shower. I turn on the speaker, my phone automatically connects and displays a shortcut to Spotify on my lock screen. I hit play and jump in the shower, enjoying a few tunes. The Apple Watch is water resistant, but I’m still a little too scared to shower with it, so this will have to do.
8:22 am
I get dressed, make myself some breakfast and catch up on the latest headlines with Apple’s News app in iOS 9 while I’m eating. All of a sudden, there’s a ding and I feel a small vibration on my wrist. It’s a text from a coworker who’s out sick today. I better get there early.
8:30 am
I jump in the car and head out. My iPhone automatically connects to my car’s Bluetooth system and shows a shortcut to Spotify again on the lockscreen. I get the tunes going, place my iPhone in my Belkin Vent Mount and hit the road.
![]()
8:45 am
I arrive at CityMac. I turn my phone and watch on silent, but I’ll still receive haptic feedback on my watch so I can check for incoming texts, emails and most notifications from my phone without taking it out of my pocket.
12:30 pm
Lunchtime. I use Siri on my Watch to look for a few local restaurants to try, by saying, “Hey Siri, what are some good restaurants near me?”
Nick’s Grill looks good. It’s got a 4-star rating and it’s right across the street. I’ll try that.
3:50 pm
I’m back from lunch and it’s been a little slow in the store, so I sit down to catch up on emails and start working on a few blog posts. I get a gentle tap on the wrist with a stand reminder. I have to stand for at least 1 minute each hour to fill up the Stand ring in my daily activity. Better stand up.
6:05 pm
We’ve closed up the store and I’m walking to my car. All of a sudden, I get a call from my roommate. I answer on my watch using the built-in speaker and mic. He wants me to pick up milk for him on my way home.
6:06 pm
I get in my car and look at my phone. Once it automatically connects to Bluetooth, it displays a notification from maps on my screen. “10 minutes to home.” Great, traffic shouldn’t be too bad. I ask Siri to find a grocery store on my way. Trader Joe’s it is.
6:10 pm
I arrive at Trader Joe’s and pick up some milk. Using the Wunderlist app on my Watch, I check to see if there are any other groceries I forgot about. Might as well grab everything while I’m here. At checkout, I use Apple Pay on my Watch by double-clicking the digital crown. Wow, that was easy.
6:25 pm
I’m back home and it’s dinner time. I throw a pizza in the oven and use Siri on my watch to set the timer.
9:30 pm
I’ve had a nice night at home and now it’s time to go out with some friends. I use the OpenTable app to make a reservation at a restaurant and iPhone automatically let’s me know when I need to leave by to arrive on time. I pull up the Uber app on my Watch and request a ride just in the knick of time.
11:45 pm
Now I’m back home after a fun night, ready to get a good night’s sleep. I set my phone alarm, plugin my iPhone and Watch and hit the hay.
What has your experience been like with Apple Watch? Are you excited for iOS 9? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter @austincarney.