Here's How The Apple Watch Series 7 Fares in the Scottish Highlands

Developer David Smith wrote how he tested the Apple Watch Series 7 while hiking in Scotland. Specifically, how the battery life compares to what he calls “adventure watches.”

What gives me some excitement about this experience is that it seems clear that an Apple Watch can already make a solid companion for a long backpacking trip. When I set off I was expecting to have to charge it completely every day, but in reality it is more like every third day. Which gets it under my threshold for consideration for use. Especially since bringing it means that I now have a fully programmable computer on my wrist.

watchOS 8.1.1 Fixing Apple Watch Series 7 Issue Out Now

The watchOS 8.1.1 update was released on Thursday. It fixes a charging issue with the Apple Watch Series 7, MacRumors reported. I could not see the update available on my SE, even after updating to iOS 15.1.1, so don’t worry if you have an older device and also don’t see it.

According to Apple’s release notes, the watchOS 8.1.1 update addresses an issue that could cause ‌Apple Watch Series 7‌ models not to charge as expected for some users. Some ‌Apple Watch Series 7‌ owners have noticed slow charging speeds for their devices, and this update should fix the bug causing the problem.

Time For The Apple Watch to Separate From The iPhone

The Apple Watch Series 7 became available to order on Friday. In the latest edition of his ‘Power On’ newsletter, Bloomberg News‘s Mark Gurman noted how the wearable has got closer to breaking free from the iPhone but isn’t there yet.

Seven years into the Apple Watch era, one of Apple’s most promising device categories still does things the old way. As any Apple Watch owner knows, an iPhone is required for activation and setup, syncing data and day-to-day operating. The Apple Watch doesn’t meet the Jobs vision for every Apple device being able to operate and exist on its own. Apple has taken some steps over the years to push the Apple Watch in that direction, though… Despite those enhancements, you still can’t buy an Apple Watch, set it up from the device itself, and move over all of your content from the cloud. That limits the potential user base of the Apple Watch—and excludes people who might want to only own an Apple Watch and a Mac or iPad and no iPhone. Or, one day, people who want an Apple Watch as their only device.