Other Apple watches require you to have an Apple phone in order to use.
Is that true with this one?
Can it be used with WIFI alone for health data?
Willit do sleep assessments? HR/O2 Sat continuously?
Going by the Google, you need an iPhone to pair to. This might help:
-The initial setup WILL require your iPhone or an iPhone from your trusted family member. It’s been a while, but if I recall, out of the box, it probably won’t tell time until you go through the setup process. Just google: Set up Apple Watch for a family member, if that’s an option.
-Once it’s setup, you don’t need an iPhone nearby to use nearly all of the factory functions. There maybe a few 3rd party apps out there that are designed to work with its companion app running on the iPhone.
-While I don’t have O2 on my Series 5. I can tell you that for sleep tracking it does appear to have HR through out the night. I use the free SleepWatch app before sleep tracking was introduced to WatchOS. I can see HR and stages of sleep through out the night, in summary page I see HRV, respiratory rate, avg HR…etc
Having several generations of the watches, yes, all the “management” is done from your phone which must be an Apple phone. Once it’s set up, it’s true you don’t need the phone nearby to use the WiFi based functions, and if you pay your cell phone carrier to add it, you can use it directly on a cell phone service.
But I don’t think you will be able to do any software updates without a tied phone. It is really designed to only work in the Apple system, and integrates amazingly well but again, only with Apple devices. Also the Apple phone must be relatively new. Older phones can’t run the new iOS and therefore are limited in what they can do with the watch.