Smart Watches

[Kevin Hill2]

I love cool new gadgets, and the better they look and the more they can do the more I like them. But, smart watches unless you are someone into fitness I just do not see the appeal, this is a case when I think less is better, show me the time, vibrate on my wrist to notify me of a message or call. even some voice activation for message reminders and of course the stuff for the fitness group, but it really needs to be under $100. I am just not going to spend all that money on something I really and I me really don't need, it would be cool for a while then it would slowly get regulated to a spot on my dresser. The Microsoft Band has some appeal but it is just not very stylish , LG makes some very nice looking smart watches but does a lot a don't need and cost way to much. And most of all they need to be water proof, not splash proof, water proof. This is just my two cents, What do you think?

 

[LeoRex]

I'm in the same boat.... it's really cool tech and all, but what purpose does it serve? For the most part, it saves you the hassle of taking your phone out of your pocket or bag/purse, etc. Is that worth the several hundred (if not thousands) of dollars that you would pay for one? Most of them are tethered to a phone, so they only serve as an extension of that phone.

So you have an incredibly expensive device that requires ANOTHER incredibly expensive device to use and operate (and not be nearly as functional).... Oh, and you have to charge the thing as, if not MORE often than the phone. Oh... and it will most likely be completely obsolete in a year or two.

It comes across to me as a solution to a problem that doesn't really exist. Maybe it is just a function of the technology not being quite ready... I mean, if it had enough capacity to go a week on a charge... and access certain features on your phone no matter where it is, provided it is on a network, ANY network... I dunno.... It just seems to me that smartwatches lack the obvious utility that we gained when smartphones were first introduced.

 

[DriftSlave]

I think it's a difference in perspective. Instead of seeing it as a solution to a problem...see it for what it is...a companion to your phone.

Personally I think Smartwatches are a pretty cool accessory...just that....a accessory. Just like how a normal watch is. I think people looking at a smartwatch to do the things similar to your phone is looking at them in the wrong way. Your watch isn't suppose to replace your phone...it's to complement it or to have it's own features that enable you to do things independent from your phone.

fitness bands have been popular because not only do they track your steps and heart rate but alot of them have internal storage to enable the usage of bluetooth devices like headphones to listen to music while jogging. I think that if Smartwatches started to move towards this direction, finding features that don't rely off of using your phone but are simple enough for you to use without having to do alot of interactions with your fingers on the UI.

Above all else, watches are a fashion accessory now and a smartwatch has to look appealing. Alot of the newer smartwatches being released are really attractive. My top pick in Android Wear are the Moto 360, the LG G Watch R Urbane, and the Huawei Watch. They all have circular displays, and they are all impressive looking watches that try to blend in with being a normal watch and I like that. I want something that I can wear casually with mostly anything I wear and not look like a geek while trendsetting the newest in technology. It's the same way that people don't want a ugly looking phone, I think people want to be proud in showing off their device.

At this time though, if your not interested in a watch that just is a notification hub, then I don't really see a point in getting one right now. I think it's great for those who don't always want to reach in the pocket for notifications...but at the same time, people can see that as a form of laziness rather than convenience...but on the same coin, most technology is designed for our convenience so lets just leave it as that.

The last bit I wanted to touch on though is Smartwatches with Sim Cards in them. I....really can't get behind these just yet because I don't really think that's where smartwatches should go. I think that by making them a pseudo-phone, you create more issues and overlapping features than aren't appealing...at least in my eyes. That and I can't wrap my mind around the idea of taking and making phone calls on your watch via bluetooth device when you should in theory have your phone on your person....does it seem kinda repetitive to you? That and I already know that this is going to jack up the price not only on the device but on your plan as well.

That's my two cents.

 

[treetopsranch]

Do you have to take it off your wrist to charge it each night? That will get old quick.

 

[gone down south]

You sleep with a watch on now?

 

[Haalcyon]

Get a Pebble. $100 and does pretty much all you need.

♻from the Note Edge✒

 

[Carrtman]

Just like smart TV they are useless. If I had to choose one it would be the LG Urban but they don't provide any extra features and are just another gimmick that needs to be charged .

 

[DriftSlave]

Just like smart TV they are useless. If I had to choose one it would be the LG Urban but they don't provide any extra features and are just another gimmick that needs to be charged .

Like Smart TV's I don't think they are "useless", they just maybe aren't for you. That's a much better way to put it than outwardly saying something is useless...as they are indeed desirable. Smart TV's let people access the web or web-related content they would otherwise need another device to do, and Smartwatches allow users to check and view notifications without them having to touch or manipulate their phone...real ideal in hands free situations like driving or jogging.

 

[smoledman]

The last thing I need is an additional device to charge every night. Congrats on Apple for figuring out a way to fleece their fans.

 

[Carrtman]

Like Smart TV's I don't think they are "useless", they just maybe aren't for you. That's a much better way to put it than outwardly saying something is useless...as they are indeed desirable. Smart TV's let people access the web or web-related content they would otherwise need another device to do, and Smartwatches allow users to check and view notifications without them having to touch or manipulate their phone...real ideal in hands free situations like driving or jogging.

And spy on users plus send advertisements if people are watching local stuff.

Yeah checking notifications while driving is an awesome idea..

 

[SactoKingsFan]

I decided to buy a pebble because it's a fitness tracker, water resistant, relatively inexpensive and battery lasts at least 3-4 days.

Sent from my LG-G2 running SlimLP

 

[DriftSlave]

Yeah checking notifications while driving is an awesome idea..

 

[cabaretgirl]

Smart watches keep you smart, ahead and up to date. It also helps you find your phone when nowhere in sight.. It's not everybody's plate, but I think smart watches need not to be so fashionably expensive. If you need one, go buy a pebble or if you want both business and pleasure, I mean aesthetic wise, go for Moto 360

 

[Haalcyon]

The last thing I need is an additional device to charge every night. Congrats on Apple for figuring out a way to fleece their fans.

Like I've said before, get a Pebble. It does all that smartwatch stuff and the battery lasts 5-7 days. Days. Oh...and it starts at $100, not $250-$300.

♻from the Note Edge✒

 

[LeoRex]

Like I've said before, get a Pebble. It does all that smartwatch stuff and the battery lasts 5-7 days. Days. Oh...and it starts at $100, not $250-$300.

Yep... I think, out of all the brands, Pebble seems to 'get it' the most. Instead of fighting against limitations (primarily battery performance), embrace it and work with it to put out a product that provide a benefit to the user at a reasonable price without becoming an annoyance.

The technology is in its infancy... no one really even knows what a smartwatch really should be at this point.... so we are going to go through a lot of evolutionary dead ends before the product matures into something that is more than an expensive novelty. I remember when 'netbooks' first came to the scene.... OEMs tried to take full blown laptops with a fully spec'd out OS running on fully spec'd down hardware. The resulting product was kind of a hot mess. A few years ago, we bought our daughter one of those Asus EePCs... It was tiny little laptop that ran a full version of Windows XP. Oh, it was nice and all for a little kid, but that was about it.

Google took a different approach and saw what these things were; internet appliances... they designed an operating system that was basically the Chrome broswer turned into an OS. Once scoffed at, Chromebooks have become extremely successful. Last holiday season, Chromebooks were the best selling computers on Amazon.com and It was estimated that Chromebooks accounted for 14% of all laptop sales in 2014. Most expect that number to keep rising.

Like netbooks, smartwatches need to find their path.... and I can't really see how the path that Apple (and others) has taken will be the right one.

 

[LaPera]

I think smart watches are the next google glass. There is no market for them unless they can replace your phone. If you need both, what is its sense?
Some people are going to buy it, but only as a fashion.

 

[Carrtman]

I think smart watches are the next google glass. There is no market for them unless they can replace your phone. If you need both, what is its sense?
Some people are going to buy it, but only as a fashion.

I fully agree they are a solution to a non existing problem. I think they'll go the road of 3d tv's

 

[Haalcyon]

Smartwatches have a place, especially those like the Gear S that can be used independently of a phone. You can leave you phone in a bag or away and still receive notifications with all smartwatches. In the case of those that have multiple phones and lines (like yours truly). With the Gear S I can use my Note 3 as my primary phone but take my Note Edge, Note 4, or Alpha with me and know I'm not going to miss texts to my primary number. While the latter use is a bit more...esoteric...it is there. But yes, for most people a smart watch is just a luxury, not a commodity at all, and may never be.

♻from the Note 4

 

[asherN]

The price factor could be set aside if a) it's completely upgradable and b) the battery issue is fixed. The nightly charging is one thing. But the screen diming to preserve battery is a PITA. I don't want to shake my arm every time I want to look at my watch.

 

[Jay Sacks]

I have mySamsung Gear for over a year now and absolutely love it. But I tell anyone who asks, "if you do not wear a watch now every day… good chance you will not have much use for it".
I see it as a relatively inexpensive watch that does so many things.
I don't sleep with it, so no big deal charging at night.
Most days I do no more than look at it for the time. But have become very dependent on being able to answer my phone even though I have left it in another room.
Plan on upgrading this year, which is quite a change from the 10 years of wearing my Movado.
If you currently wear a watch, buy the most expensive smart watch you find comfortable and enjoy!