Matt Birchler, on Overcast’s recent app update:

This update added the ability for users to load podcast episodes directly onto the Apple Watch. This is a big deal, and is something I’ve been waiting years for at this point. This means I can finally bring my Apple Watch with me on runs, and keep my iPhone at home! […]

Playback from the Apple Watch is solid, and easily the best experience I’ve had with any solution that plays podcasts directly on the Apple Watch. Overcast’s advanced audio features like smart speed and voice boost do not seem to be possible on the Apple Watch, so playback is a little less silky smooth than it is on the phone, but it’s basically in line with apps like Castro and Apple’s own Podcasts app that don’t do as much to smooth out audio at more than 1x speed.

This is a really neat feature that I expect to get a lot of utility from when I take walks over the summer. The episode transfer is painfully slow, though, and there’s no progress bar to indicate how long it will take to complete. But having it as an option is much better than not and I don’t expect it will be too difficult to plan ahead when I expect to use the feature.