Dive In: Catalyst Has Apple Watch Protection for Up to 100 Meters
by Anton Shilov on March 1, 2019 10:00 AM EST
When smartwatches emerged several years ago, they were good enough to work as pedometers or count calories burned when their owner used an elliptical strider. However they were not water-proof, so even as basic fitness trackers, they couldn't monitor you during activities like swimming. Modern smart watches have taken this a step further and can be used in pools, but they are still not protected enough for anything deeper. Fortunately, there is a company called Catalyst that has protective covers and cases for many devices, including deep diving with Apple Watch.
The Catalyst Waterproof Case for the Apple Watch Series 4 for 40/44mm can protect the decide at an up to 100 meters (330 feet) depth. The case is comprised of a silicon capsule for an Apple Watch Series 4 as well as a two-piece frame made of very hard plastic. It also features a band that looks like Apple’s silicon Sports Band, thought we haven't been able to confirm the material used for this one.
Being aimed at deep divers, the Catalyst Waterproof Case for the Apple Watch Series 4 is appropriately large and, frankly, looks pretty extreme. To ensure its water-tight seal, the case uses a screw to mechanically hold everything together.
And, unlike a lot of the other products we've seen at MWC this year, Catalyst's waterproof case for the Apple Watch is finished product that's already on sale. The 44mm will set you back around €77.
Meanwhile, the company also had the Catalyst Impact Protection Case for the Apple Watch Series 4 at the show. This is a rugged cover that is intended to protect the Apple Watch against 3-meter drops. Notably however, the device still relies on Apple’s display protection glass, so you have to be careful in general. This product is available for €55. If you want to protect the display, there is a €22 screen protector available too.
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schujj07 - Friday, March 1, 2019 - link
I don't know why anyone would want to use an Apple Watch while diving, especially at depths up to 100m.Midwayman - Friday, March 1, 2019 - link
No kidding. An apple watch can't track anything I'd actually care about while scuba diving. I have a real watch for that. I'd be more interested in porting in my dive watch info into the health app.808Hilo - Saturday, March 2, 2019 - link
Especially since you have a dive comp on your wrist. That Apple thing would kill you.I freedive very often here on Hi and see people with the weirdest gear. Apple drones are risk-averse. They go snorkeling with a lifevest and a poolnoodle in a fullbody rashguard, usually 5 mins in shallow water, then their fullfacemask give em a co2 headache.
If you freedive...you bring the smallest all inone gear with you that you can. Usually a gopro flopping from you wrist, Same with spearfishing. A wristband tangling with a line could kill you.
What were they thinking...
Flunk - Friday, March 1, 2019 - link
Since Apple Watches are pretty useless without an iPhone nearby, wouldn't you also need a sealed iPhone case? This seems really unnecessary.crimsonson - Friday, March 1, 2019 - link
You can use your iPhone to shoot 4K dive video. LOLMorawka - Friday, March 1, 2019 - link
No there are LTE Apple Watches now.Roland00Address - Sunday, March 3, 2019 - link
I doubt the LTE signal will penetrate over 300 feet of seawater (100m would be 328 feet.) That is the depth that submarines like to be at and the Navy purposefully used radio signals that were 300 kilohertz (300,000 cycles per second) for the more hertz you have the more data you can encode but the worse it is at penetrating water and buildings.LTE is often at clustered at around 800 and 1900 megahertz depending on which LTE band (best bands are 700 megahertz, the worse 2500 megahertz.) A megahertz is a million cycles per second so we are talking 800,000,000 cycles per second.
Maybe I am wrong but I doubt you would get good LTE signal, enough to use the LTE Apple Watch in a functional way.
3DoubleD - Sunday, March 3, 2019 - link
I'm not sure if anyone has ever noticed, but take a look at your LTE signal when you are standing km a dock over water or on a boat. Or even your Bluetooth range in those circumstances. I find it is often much worse than if I was standing nearby on land.Azethoth - Saturday, March 2, 2019 - link
Weird, I can leave my phone at home, then make calls with my Apple Watch 4. Doesn't seem useless at all and the call clarity is startlingly good. I do have to pay an extra $10 a month though for it to be its own phone line.GC2:CS - Friday, March 1, 2019 - link
The Apple watch by itself can withstand 50 meters... One hundred is not much of an improvement for most people.