Apple Watch uses even Cupertino didn’t see coming

Early adopters of the Apple Watch have had a few weeks with their new gadgets, and they’re having experiences that may not be worthy of one of Apple’s austere presentations. But that doesn’t mean people aren’t getting a lot of use out of the things and finding occasionally odd ways to integrate them into their lives.

A bunch of reddit users have been sharing their stories, and here are some of the more peculiar things Apple’s new wearable can do.

It’ll keep your wrist safe and dry

People are nervous about getting water on their expensive new Apple Watch, even though they’re water-resistant enough to survive swimming laps and a plunge from a high-dive. But what happens if the wearable gets dirty? Like, really dirty? Like if, say, a bird poops on it?

Luckily, we don’t have to speculate, because redditor noomi85 has done the hard science on that.

Commenters were quick to point out that noomi need not worry about that mess forever, since Apple recommends holding your Watch under running water to clean “dirt and debris” that might be soiling your Digital Crown.

And if bird poop doesn’t qualify as both dirt and debris, I’m not sure what does.

It will measure your fanhood

User Marcelo002 wanted to see what happened to his heart rate while he was at a hockey game. Specifically, Game 6 of the Stanley Cup finals this past Sunday between the New York Rangers and the Washington Capitals. According to the original post, “My watch records my heart rate every 10 minutes. During the last few minutes of the game, I turned on workout mode so it would record it every minute instead. That’s why it’s a lot more erratic than the rest of the game.”

Here are Marcelo’s results along with his own timestamps for the game’s periods and every time either side scored a goal:

It’s an interesting graph, actually. Now if anyone questions how much of a Rangers fan Marcelo is, he can just show them his peak of 130 beats per minute and erase all doubt.

It is your lifeline in your time of need

We’ve probably all had one of those moments where we’ve needed our phone but realized it was inaccessible. Maybe you left it downstairs or at a bar, but for whatever reason, it isn’t where it should be. This is doubly irksome when you are in no position to go retrieve it. Say, for example, when you’ve just sat down on a toilet.

Nicenightforawalk01 recounts his close-call story:

That warm feeling in your heart right now is the knowledge that the Apple Watch has just helped to create a cherished family memory.

It will make you feel like a wizard

It isn’t unreasonable to hope that if you’re going to spend hundreds of dollars on wristwear, people might notice it. That doesn’t mean you should go around like a giant tool flashing your Apple Watch, but people could just be like, “Hey, cool watch.”

Barring that, some reddit users have discovered the one time their Watches are guaranteed to get a reaction: when they use it to buy something with Apple Pay. A redditor called johnthepaptest (whatever, guy) describes it as being “like I showed a caveman a Bic lighter.”

mrnagrom adds:

I went to buy beer yesterday. The lady asked for ID, i told her i didn’t have any because i forgot my wallet. she gets to the end of the transaction and asks how i’m going to pay with no wallet. I tap the button of my watch and hover it near the terminal. She freaks the fuck out, gets the manager, starts saying “how the hell did he just do that”. i end up spending 5 minutes explaining the apple watch.

that said. people notice my watch all the time. it’s sort of annoying. [sic]

Behold: The Apple Watch is so mind-blowing that it will make cashiers forget that you need to show an I.D. to buy beer.

Do you have any ridiculous Apple Watch stories of your own? Be sure to let us know in the comments.