Exploring Apple Watch as a Remote for BeatBuddy

After joining the ANT+ ecosystem as an early adopter, we're now exploring another direction — Apple Watch as a remote control for BeatBuddy.

The Idea Is Simple

BeatBuddy is a waterproof device that sits under your swim cap or clips to your goggles. It works great — but adjusting settings mid-workout means reaching for the device itself. What if you could just tap your wrist instead?

That's the core idea: a simple Apple Watch app that lets you start, stop, and control your BeatBuddy without touching the device directly.

Why Apple Watch?

Apple Watch is the most popular wearable among athletes. Swimmers, runners, cyclists — millions already wear one every day. It's waterproof (Series 2+ to 50m), it's always on your wrist, and it communicates over Bluetooth Low Energy — the same protocol BeatBuddy already speaks.

What We're Researching

We're currently in the R&D phase — testing feasibility, exploring watchOS APIs, and figuring out the best way to establish a reliable BLE connection between Apple Watch and BeatBuddy.

The first version would be intentionally minimal:

• Start / Stop — basic playback control
• BLE pairing — connect to your BeatBuddy device
• Simple, glanceable UI — large buttons designed for wet fingers and mid-swim taps

That's it. No tempo adjustment from the watch, no heart rate integration, no HIIT timers — not yet. We believe in shipping something small that works well, and then iterating based on real feedback.

The Technical Exploration

watchOS has its own rules. BLE connections behave differently on Apple Watch than on iPhone — CoreBluetooth on watchOS has limitations around background execution and connection management. We're investigating how to maintain a stable BLE link between the watch and BeatBuddy, especially in water where radio signals are attenuated.

Some of the questions we're working through:

• How reliably can Apple Watch maintain a BLE connection with BeatBuddy during a swim?
• What's the latency between a tap on the watch and BeatBuddy responding?
• How does Water Lock affect BLE communication and user interaction?
• What's the battery impact on both devices?

What Could Come Next

If the basic remote control works well, there's a natural roadmap of possibilities — but we're not committing to anything beyond the initial version right now. We want to get the fundamentals right first and hear what athletes actually need.

The beauty of starting with a simple remote is that it adds value without changing what BeatBuddy already does well. The device stays the same. You just get a more convenient way to control it.

Curious about BeatBuddy on Apple Watch? Join our newsletter — we'll share updates as the research progresses.