[uncreativeartist]

Are there any ok cheap smart watches? Like something from aliexpress or somewhere similar? I love watches and tech and when smart watches started to get released I fell in love instantly. I have searched the web and found some smart watches with little to no reviews. It doesn't even need to have a lot of app support. Really just some customization settings and at least receive and on occasion send texts and show who is calling without needing to dig my phone out of my pocket.

Even used good smart watches are waaaay out of my budget. Really budget is like maybe $20 and that is pushing it, lol. I know it's not a lot of money but the inner rich guy in me wants a watch and have it be techie as well. I checked ebay and I just don't trust ebay for anything, I have had a lot of friends and family get screwed by a seller then it take months for any kind of resolution.

[pkcable]

Does it HAVE to be 20? Can you afford around 100? The Xiaomi Amazfit retails for around 100 at Aliexpress and/or Gearbest. It's a fitness based smartwatch, BUT it's fully functional. It's NOT android wear, BUT it works quite well with Android, AND it also supports iOS. It fully supports notifications. It has a trans-reflective color screen. Think Pebble Time. It's NOT super bright vibrant color, BUT it looks good, it's always on, it looks good in direct sunlight AND it lasts for days. It's no Apple Watch, or even Android Wear, BUT it's functional. WELL worth 100 bucks!

Another good one is the Honor Z1 (I bought 2 of them as gifts for people) with costs 79 dollars. It's black and white though, BUT it has some really neat features such as sleep tracking.

[uncreativeartist]

Yeah that is way out of my range. I appreciate the info.

[kramer5150]

I bought two of these generic smart watches "DZ-09" a year or so ago. Right about the same time I bought a moto360 Gen2.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...cUvbUpU5819817

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...cUvbUpU5819817

Absolutely the DZ09 watches both work fine. I did not install a SIM card, but just used it as a tethered notification device with my LGV10 over bluetooth. To my surprise they worked fine for the couple days I had them tethered. The concern I had with them was the accompanying app. You have to download the TRULY smartdevice app, and grant it all kinds of permissions to access emails, contacts, call history...etc. Its one of those apps (IIRC) in all Chinese asian characters, from who knows where... and you just kind of check box "allow" things, in order to get it tow work. I didn't bother fully researching the app developer, its history...etc. I guess I should have, but I was impatient honestly.

So before installing it I wiped clean my contacts, just deleted them all from my phone, as well as my call history. I can't say for sure what kind of security risks there are, but I didn't trust it outright. But it most definitely did work, at least for me. And I cant say for certain what ill-effect(s) there are from running "questionable" apps like that.

So... I just deleted and un-installed it all and just run Android wear now on my moto 360. I still wear the DZ 09 as a "dumbwatch", only in the evenings when the moto 360 is on the charging dock.

IMHO thats kind of the scary thing about running really cheap smart watches as well as action trackers. You have to grant the app permissions to a lot of things. Personally I believe the product developers are using them as personal data harvesters, disguised as smart devices. They feed your granted personal information back to the developer where they take ownership of it. Now, the same thing can be said with more expensive devices too though. When you think about it... fully-smart featured action trackers have FULL access to ALL your personal information, even more so than smart watches....

Age
gender
height
weight
workout preferences / routines (swimmer, cyclist, runner...etc)
physically where you are and where you have been
As well as traditional smart stuff like contacts, call history, emails...etc

The MSRP or sticker price is nothing more than that. IMHO the real price you are paying, and what you are REALLY forking over is your personal information and identity.

[uncreativeartist]

Thank you @kramer5150 for all that info, very informative. Now I see I will probably not get a cheap smart watch just because of the possible fishing issues. It's one thing with a known brand but to have to download an app I can't read, not for me.

[pkcable]

Your best bet is to save up and then get the Honor Z1 for 79 dollars. Maybe a birthday present from Bubba? (or whatever you call your grandmother?) Or mow some lawns and do other things to raise extra money?

[uncreativeartist]

I am in a tough situation. Trying to recover from a year stint unemployed. Close to two years later I am still playing catch up. So money is super tight. I had to get a new cell phone so the S8+ was my limit for toys for awhile.

[kramer5150]

I don't want to sound like mister doom and gloom and all, just be aware of the bigger picture here.

Absolutely no denying (for me) just how convenient it is getting wrist vibration notifications. For me that single aspect has been GREAT. So if you are like me and you have actually missed important text messages and calls... My suggestion would be something like a xiaomi mi band. Create a yahoo or gmail account and get it up and running. But just turn off all un-needed permissions. Only allow basics like SMS and incoming calls.

[uncreativeartist]

I don't want to sound like mister doom and gloom and all, just be aware of the bigger picture here.

Absolutely no denying (for me) just how convenient it is getting wrist vibration notifications. For me its been GREAT. So if you are like me and you have actually missed important text messages and calls... My suggestion would be something like a xiaomi mi band. Create a yahoo or gmail account and get it up and running. But just turn off all un-needed permissions. Only allow basics like SMS and incoming calls.

You brought up some info that I never would have considered when buying a smart watch let alone a cheap one. It just made me rethink what I want vs. what I need. For me a smart watch would have just been something techie I could have. I love tech but of course all of it is expensive. And although it would be nice to have those notifications on my wrist (especially when working) is just really handy. I do miss messages and the like when I am at work or somewhere it's loud.

[McPlot]

Try Wish.com. The website or Android App. They also have an App called Geek (not to be confused with think Geek). They have all sorts of cheap smart watches. I bought one with a 2.2" screen for $70 that runs full Android. Before that one, I bought a Dz09, like some others said they have. I have seem them for $10-$20 now. They are a great starter smart watch. They do not have any bells and whistles, but they have enough functionality to where you would know if you want to actually use a smart watch without having to pay a lot of money for one. If you like it and use it, you can always upgrade.

[j_hansen]

DZ09 is a surprisingly good one, the one I had would take a separate sim card and call quality was very good, if you keep an eye on gearbest you'll often get them for around 15 dollars

[krisguy]

I've decided that I'm going to pick up an Amazfit Bip on AMZN next payday. $79 bucks for what most people consider to be the spiritual successor to the Pebble.... done.

[kramer5150]

Solid choice... I have been wearing an amazfit stratos for a month, no complaints really. I use it mainly as a GPS trail mapper and altimeter on my hikes. But its so good as a bluetooth notifier, that I have been wearing it 24/7 through the work week. My Fossil gen4 explorist has not gotten much wrist time, despite how much I like it.

My reviews here of the stratos.