Here is a picture. Loving it so far. One cool feature that I like is that when you raise your wrist you can set the Apple Watch to default to this Dexcom app. So you you don’t have to go find the app to see your BG’s. More updates to follow…
Update 1:
The setup was extremely easy. Turn On Share on the Dexcom receiver, and start the Share2 app on the iPhone. The app tells you how to pair them up in a few seconds. I was even able to pair them up with the receiver was in the 2-hour startup mode. The Share2 app shows up on the watch and all you need to do is start it up. Now - its my default app and it shows the last reading and a 3-hour graph. No way of changing that view from what I can tell.
If you are the person wearing the sensor then you have the option of using both the Share2 app or the Follow app on your iPhone and Watch. I actually prefer the Share2 app and that is what I’m showing below.
Update 2:
I’ve been using the Apple Watch for a few days now and I really love it. It works well and is very seamless. When I go “out of range” the system will recover on its own and pick up where it left off. Even the graph on the watch gets filled in with past values if the phone has not been near by. As long as you keep the Dex receiver close by in a bag or your pocket, or on the kitchen counter at home it will record all of your readings and relay it back to the iphone/watch once they are all in range again. Me checking the watch every 10 min has not dimished the battery life of the watch at all. It lasts well through the day with plenty of juice left over. The iPhone battery usage has been affected a little. I used to get home after work with about 70%battery on the iphone. Now its more like 55% Definitely acceptable for me.
If you are fortunate to have the insurance or free cash I would say go ahead and get this system. Its awesome.
of my Apple Watch working with my new Dexcom Share.
Very cool! Being able to set the default to the Dex app is great. I had wondered if you would have to sort through your apps each time you wanted to check it.
Yes, you still need to carry the receiver. But now the receiver just stays in my pocket full time, instead of me taking it out every so often. Now I just forget that the receiver is even in my pocket. For a 1st generation system it really is pretty awesome - kudos to both Apple and Dexcom!
HA!!! Yes–that film is one of my favorite examples of Movies With Weird Ideas About T1.
Rule #1 of MWWIAT1 is always and ever: “If there’s a T1 in this movie, their gonna need a shot.” That’s the only reason they ever include us, pretty much–“He’s diabetic! He needs a shot!”
In Panic Room I’m guessing that’s a shot of glucagon that she finally gets, though as I recall it the film doesn’t point that out–you’d as easily assume it’s insulin (which of course is the LAST thing the kid needs). The basic thing is The Kid Is Diabetic And Needs A Shot!!!
At the time I thought the watch thingy was a total fantasy too, but then learned there was such a thing–the Glucowatch, as phoenixbound points out. It had just come out at the time of the film. Product placement much? The device didn’t work out in the marketplace alas. Wikipedia tells us more… Cygnus Inc - Wikipedia
I was T1 back then and I of course always on top of all the new technology was one of the first early adopters of the GlucoWatch. I think I may still have it in some drawer somewhere. It was not a good experience however. It hurt and was not accurate and only lasted a day if that.
But the idea was great. And now I know how great it really is to have your BG on your wrist in realtime (aside from interstitial delay). This really is a game changer in my mind.
Thanks for posting about this, especially the picture. I didn’t know that you could set it up with the default app being the Dexcom BG display. I knew about the waking up the watch with an arm-raise. It looks great.
Please post more observations that you think may improve diabetes control.
Until the Pebble watch and the “we are not waiting” grassroots movement, I didn’t think there was much difference between the Dex receiver mounted on the belt versus a watch display. Now I think there’s a large difference in the glance-ability sense. Having a blood glucose number on the wrist is much more preferable when driving, for instance.
My Apple Watch is due for delivery next month. I’m looking forward to it.
One of my biggest concerns as a Dexcom newbie is that I’m going to drop it and break the thing, especially when I’m out bike riding, which is one of the times I’m most reliant on it to warn me if my BG is dropping too fast. So yeah, having it on my wrist would be huge. Though there are quite a few items ahead of the Apple Watch on my list of stuff I want to spend a big wad of cash on.
I used to ride a bicycle a lot before my Dexcom days. Perhaps you could use some velcro or other fastener to affix the Dex receiver display to your handlebars. I used to have to stop, dismount and poke my finger to get BG info. Things are getting better!
A process made quite a bit more laborious this past winter by having to remove heavy gloves just to get the meter out of the zipperbag under the bike seat, and by freezing fingers with very little blood in 'em, the substance having retreated from the extremities to keep vital organs warm in the core. Only to discover that my meter was displaying a message I’d never seen before: “Unit too cold to test! Warm and try again” or whatever the exact wording was. Can you tell I didn’t get my Dexcom until most of our record snowfall was gone?
Update 2:
I’ve been using the Apple Watch for a few days now and I really love it. It works well and is very seamless. When I go “out of range” the system will recover on its own and pick up where it left off. Even the graph on the watch gets filled in with past values if the phone has not been near by. As long as you keep the Dex receiver close by in a bag or your pocket, or on the kitchen counter at home it will record all of your readings and relay it back to the iphone/watch once they are all in range again. Me checking the watch every 10 min has not dimished the battery life of the watch at all. It lasts well through the day with plenty of juice left over. The iPhone battery usage has been affected a little. I used to get home after work with about 70%battery on the iphone. Now its more like 55% Definitely acceptable for me.
If you are fortunate to have the insurance or free cash I would say go ahead and get this system. Its awesome.
I have been wondering … and asked about this elsewhere … what the (approximate) range of the BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) wireless communication between the Dexcom Share monitor and an Apple device might be.
How far away from your monitor does your phone need to be for the BLE connection to drop?
With direct line of sight I would say about 30ft. If you start going behind thick walls then it drops down to about 20ft. If the dropout is within 5 minutes then the watch will still show the last reading. If the dex receiver loses contact with the iPhone then the watch will show “—” after about 5 minutes of no data.
I have been able to leave both the phone and dex receiver in my kitchen (center of my house) and walk around with no major dropouts. I’ve gone up/down stairs, in the garage, in the front yard to get the mail, and in the backyard while still receiving a signal. So, all the devices do not have to be on your person 24/7.
Yes, thank you. The main reason I originally asked was just idle curiosity for how the range of the Dexcom G5 transmitter, which I understand will use Bluetooth, might compare to the current G4 transmitter which does not use BLE. I think from what you said it looks like it would be about the same, yes?
Of course, you never know for sure until you get the actual device …
I’m hoping that the next gen Trasmitter will be able to talk directly to the Watch. So then the range should become moot. Might be another year for the G5 transmitter.
of my Apple Watch working with my new Dexcom Share.
