Smart watches are dumb

https://medium.com/@brianscates/lets-be-honest-smart-watches-are-dumb-ec3b2bdb0d73

by sxates • 11 years ago

89 81 11 years ago

The author mentions the Withings Activite as a viable, albeit less "smart" alternative to the iWatch, and I just had to chime in -- the Activite is one of the best devices I've ever owned. It's beautiful, useful, and inconspicuous. And no, I don't work for Withings.

Those of you in the market for a smartwatch (or any watch really) should check it out: http://withings.com/us/en/products/activite

XorNot• 11 years ago

That is $450!

therealarmen2• 11 years ago

They have a lower-priced version (that's not Swiss made) with all of the same features: http://withings.com/us/en/products/activite-pop

sxates• 11 years ago

There is a $150 version as well: http://www2.withings.com/us/en/products/activite-pop/

dublinben2• 11 years ago

The Activité seems like just the right amount of "smart" that anyone could need from a watch. I simply can't imagine using one like the iWatch.

eclipxe6• 11 years ago

Why is that? I actually enjoy the deep amount of functionality with the Apple Watch - there's a lot of "there" there, and that makes me more productive and happier.

pcl5• 11 years ago

Good to hear -- I've been interested in the Activité, but haven't gotten my hands on one to try it out yet. I like my Fitbit for keeping me honest about walking around and whatnot, and my analog watch doesn't do that for me, so I find myself somewhat ridiculously wearing one on each wrist.

In your experience, what are the downsides of the Activité, vs. a regular old analog watch?

Animats• 11 years ago

8 months of battery life, and talks Bluetooth. Someone got low-power right.

lawry• 11 years ago

That is exactly what struck me as well, I guess BLE 4 doesn't consume near that much energy as some people (me) think it does. So probably it's the display that consumes the most amount of energy. And since this device also has no notification feature it means most of the time there is no connection to your device.

This is good news to me though, means when I finally come around to making devices/projects I can use BLE and still have good battery life! Now just find a BLE 4 module that's cheaper than the ESP8266.

LaurensBER• 11 years ago

Bluetooth 4.0 is amazing, even my 16 euro Xiaomi Mi Band usually lasts 3-4 months and it wouldn't surprise me if the biggest power drawn was the LED.

noisy_boy3• 11 years ago

I use an Android phone and have no intention of using an iPhone. I checked the Withings app ratings in Play Store and its 3.6 with quite a few reviews regarding bad integration due to the Android app done almost like an afterthought.

I would love to hear from others regarding the experience on Android because I think I like the watch so issues with the app would be the main issue for me.

ghshephard3• 11 years ago

I'll buy an Apple watch the instant somebody makes an App for it that reminds me I've left my iPhone behind when I get out of a cab, leave a restaurant, etc...

The ROI on that function alone will pay for it in about 7 months the way my luck has been recently...

diego_moita3• 11 years ago

Both the AppleWatch and the Pebble (with an extra app) do that already.

ytjohn• 11 years ago

My pebble (one of the originals) had this as a native feature. It notifies you when you get out of bluetooth range.

ghshephard3• 11 years ago

Seriously? How on earth is this not one of the major features that is used to market the Apple Watch. I've read about 30 reviews, and I don't recall a single one even hinting at that capability.

Am I the only one who leaves his phone behind?

eclipxe6• 11 years ago

One of the problems the author mentions - iMessage received and a notification coming to iPhone, iPad, Watch at the same time - actually doesn't happen. Apple was smart enough to ensure the notification only goes to the watch if the other devices are not active (and the watch is being worn). If you are on the phone, you get the notification there and not on the watch. It's beautiful and one of those little things that make a big difference.

Overall though, I completely disagree with the author's sentiment.

Why am I browsing stocks on my watch? My phone is a better device.

I much prefer glancing at my watch to quickly check a stock I care about. I'd say this is one of the killer features for me.

Also the point about email "way better on the phone". Well yes, it is - but it is also time consuming. I get anywhere from 200-300 emails a work day - I find myself much more efficient with the email coming to my watch - most I can read a couple of lines and decide if I need to concern myself with it or not. That is a huge time saver. Quick glance at my wrist and then I continue with my day. I also enjoy being able to quickly triage incoming mail without having to deal with my phone.

lucaspiller• 11 years ago

One of the problems the author mentions - iMessage received and a notification coming to iPhone, iPad, Watch at the same time - actually doesn't happen

Is there anyway to make iOS and OS X work correctly like this? If somebody starts messaging me on iMessage and I'm at my desk I usually end up having to put my iPhone on DND so I don't get 'buzz buzz' every few seconds.

biftek2• 11 years ago

Like OP this (mostly) just works for me, but it's not as "perfect" as they make it out.

The first message in a conversation will sometimes go to all my devices regardless. Once I respond on a device it figures things out and only notifies that device from then on. However, if I don't acknowledge or answer the message relatively quickly it will try the others again.

So maybe you aren't responding fast enough?

TazeTSchnitzel• 11 years ago

One of the problems the author mentions - iMessage received and a notification coming to iPhone, iPad, Watch at the same time - actually doesn't happen. Apple was smart enough to ensure the notification only goes to the watch if the other devices are not active (and the watch is being worn). If you are on the phone, you get the notification there and not on the watch. It's beautiful and one of those little things that make a big difference.

They should add a mechanism to do this for all notifications. It could be a headline feature in an OS X/iOS update.

mathgeek3• 11 years ago

Is this new or only if you own a Watch? Because if I'm on my MacBook and an iMessage comes though, I get it on all five devices (computer, iPhone, iPad, and the two other iPhones in our family that use the same account).

pcl5• 11 years ago

IIRC, there's a setting for it on the phone, somewhere in the Messages settings.

natch2• 11 years ago

If you ever see anything whatsoever that can be improved about how things work on Apple platforms, it's always good to file an enhancement request through Apple's bug reporter site: http://radar.apple.com or http://bugreport.apple.com (both links end up at the same place).

And if that's a bit too techie for you with all the form fields that are designed for developers, there's a consumer-friendly site that similarly allows you to submit suggestions including enhancement requests at https://www.apple.com/feedback/ .

diego_moita3• 11 years ago

I use a Pebble and also have an LG G Watch (Android Wear).

Not all smartches are "dumb", only the good ones. Normal watches are also "dumb": all they do is tell the time and show off as dad's jewelry. Most smartwatches try to do too much "smart" stuff stuff but end up doing badly the dumb watch part.

I am referring to the Android Wear, Samsung-Tizen and Apple Watch. They are horrible because they don't even do right the "dumbness" of normal watches: they're easily not visible in bright light, are bad at telling the time (screen is off most of time, doesn't always turn on easily), are not waterproof, battery lasts just one day...

The Pebble is ugly as a cheap toy, but does the watch job decently and a little more. This little more is not essential but it is very convenient.

eclipxe6• 11 years ago

I haven't had a problem with my watch (Apple) not being visible in bright light and the screen turns on as soon as I lift my wrist to view it. Hasn't been an issue for me. It is also waterproof (see youtube videos submerging it underwater - I believe it is IPX7 (1 meter for up to 30 minutes)). And I haven't found the battery life to be a problem - at the end of most days I have 40-50% battery left, but I take my watches off at night anyway, so charging is a non-issue.

diego_moita3• 11 years ago

the screen turns on as soon as I lift my wrist to view it.

I am lazy. Don't want to think of that when my arm is on the chair armrest.

It is also waterproof

I swim. And want a leaps counter on the watch.

I take my watches off at night anyway

I sleep with mine, to use it as an alarm clock that doesn't wake my wife.

jordonwii2• 11 years ago

I was under the same impression until somewhat recently. If I'm going to buy a watch, I want it to be a watch first, and "smart" second, and I was convinced that only the Pebble did that. I tried the original Pebble for a while - but lately I've been pleasantly surprised trying Sony's Smartwatch 3.

- Its screen is always on, and always readable to me - I'm not sure about this, but I think it has a variant of the Pebble's e-paper screen. I know Sony makes Pebble's screen.

- It has the highest IP water-resistance rating out of the Android wear watches (IP68, which is supposedly suitable for swimming), although not quite as waterproof as the Pebble.

- The battery can also easily last through a full day and night, in my experience, with about ~30% remaining for the next day. That's even less of an issue given that the battery can be charged up fully fairly quickly (can't quantify that any further at the moment, but it's always been pretty quick for me).

Now, if you swim, like you mentioned you do, then the waterproofing thing might be a dealbreaker. But other than that, this Android Wear watch is almost on par with the Pebble as a "watch", and you get a bunch of added benefits (like GPS, which is great for running, better Android integration, touchscreen, polished voice interaction, etc.). IMHO, if you're just looking for a watch that's got some extra features, then the _original_ Pebble is great just because it's so cheap. But, if one's willing to spend more like $200 (Pebble Time), it's not much of a competition, unless you _really_ value the extra battery and waterproofing.

Edit: clarity.

orillian• 11 years ago

Sony Smartwatch 3 uses a transflective LCD display which is fairly old tech. But one that for a long time had little to no color option. It was rather expensive to make TFT type displays transflective, and other things won out. Like OLED and just brighter LCD's. Sony is the first to bring it back in any significant way for new tech.

I do hope more device manufacturers take a look at this tech again, as it has some very useful applications. If Sony's Smartwatch 3 is any indication, the pricing is finally becoming more affordable to do this type of thing with full color.

I just really don't like the look of the Sony Watch so I'm waiting for something else.

jordonwii2• 11 years ago

For anyone who's interested, I just timed charging. It looks like it would charge from 0-100% in about 30 minutes.

kenrikm• 11 years ago

Having used a Pebble before and now an Apple Watch I can understand why the author feels this way looking through the lens of a former Pebble user.

However the best things about the Apple Watch are not the notifications but the few killer communication features that no other smart watch had/executed this well before.

Just A few examples:

20 minutes ago my wife got a phone call from her mom and her phone was in the other room, instead of running to answer it she just answered it from the watch and continued doing what she was doing while she talked.

When I'm away from my desk at work or my wife is not near her phone, we can just send a gentle tap to let each other know we need their attention.

My wife will often ask me questions that only require a yes/no answer and the watch makes it super easy to answer.

I'm not sure the Apple Watch would be so useful for a single person but for couples, communication is the killer app.

eclipxe6• 11 years ago

Absolutely! The author states:

Hence the heart beat transmitter, which is simply a cute gimmick that nobody will use more than once

I use this feature with my wife at least once a day. It's a great way to quickly remind someone you're thinking of them in a special way.

altcognito• 11 years ago

So it's like a Facebook poke?

exodust2• 11 years ago

Sounds like a great honeymoon feature. I don't own a smartwatch but I imagine the notification noise, especially the vibration kind would become annoying after awhile, and even those special heartbeats will need the volume down.

ekianjo• 11 years ago

I'm not sure the Apple Watch would be so useful for a single person but for couples, communication is the killer app.

That's probably because you like to be "always connected". I'm not sure if I am an exception, but I kind of like the idea to take time off from the net, the phone and things like that. Having another device attached to you is another chain that binds you.

christopane2• 11 years ago

I got a Bluetooth headset to pair with my Apple Watch for running and found that pairing the headset directly with the iPhone was more convenient for communication compared to using the watch.

I can answer calls and reply to messages via Bluetooth and the headset is handsfree while the Apple Watch requires both hands to operate. I don't like holding up the Apple Watch near my face either for clarity on voice calls (the speaker and microphone are weak).

'Tapping', heartbeat and the Apple Watch emojis are unique features but that low fidelity got gimmicky after the first few times I tried them

bryanlarsen• 11 years ago

The OP's problem is not with the watch. "But 9 times out of 10, I still had to pull my phone out of my pocket to respond" He's responding to 9 out of 10 notifications? Craziness. I respond to much less than 1 out of 10 emails. Those other 9 times I've been interrupted for only a couple of hundred milliseconds which is short enough that my flow hasn't been disturbed. That's the killer feature of a smart watch IMO.

wpietri• 11 years ago

Definitely. I expected to think that smart watches were dumb, but found otherwise. My Pebble lets me ignore my phone more.

The notifications I allow to my wrist: phone calls, text messages, and calendar alerts. 90% of the time I do nothing more than acknowledge the alert or send the call to voicemail, meaning I can leave my phone in my pocket.

I like that because my phone is a source of distractions. If I take it out to see what an alert is about, I find it too easy to check other notifications that have piled up, or to go and look at something entertaining.

I don't think this guy has a technology problem. He has a focus problem but hasn't realized it yet.

viraptor2• 11 years ago

I read that as "But 9 times out of 10, [when I wanted to respond to notification,] I still had to pull my phone out". Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm also surprised anyone would respond to 90% of notifications - 90% of my notifications don't even have a way of responding to them (app update, nearby fire, calendar reminder, your order's been shipped, etc.)

saurik• 11 years ago

I could use the "nearby fire" one (building across the street that is prone to arson): what app are you using for that?

qznc• 11 years ago

If you ignore more than 9/10 notifications, your notifications should be more smart, not your watch.

eclipxe6• 11 years ago

The problem is knowing which 90% can be ignored...sure I can turn off all email notifications or only show emails from "VIPs" but sometimes I really do need to know that a downstream team has an outage that will impact me, and I need to know immediately to respond...

noisy_boy3• 11 years ago

For people with notification-OCD like I have, keeping the notification tray is kind of an need. For people like me, ignorance of notification destroys bliss :)

brenschluss• 11 years ago

You can actually tell that the author hasn't used an Apple Watch before, and is evaluating the watch based on hearsay and a list of functionality, rather than how it feels to use one.

darkxanthos• 11 years ago

I have a different perspective. I recently bought a Garmin Fenix 3 GPS/semi-smart watch. Before I had this I didn't get the entire category at all. Now I still don't get the Apple watch but I DO understand more of what's coming.

Coupled with a heart rate monitor I can see a zillion interesting metrics about my exercises (including cadence and ground contact time). When I'm hiking I have a GPS map that I follow to show me how to get back to where I was. All the standard GPS features, plus I now get notifications when someone texts or calls and it's so much less inconspicuous to check the messages on my watch.

While I'm running I can just leave my phone in my pocket and control my music on my watch. Also the watch is always showing the time (it works well in light so the backlight is usually necessary).

I don't need my bike speed computer anymore now that I have this watch as well. One less thing to futz with.

A key thing that makes this watch work so well where my last GPS watch failed is the battery life. It can go around a full week without charging so it can easily last through a day of use. Several if I can't get to a charger.

I don't have the other features of the iWatch but they don't really appeal to me. All I can say is that this watch is one of the better electronics purchases I've made. There's definitely SOMETHING to this category of devices. I don't think Apple's got it quite yet though.

tdkl• 11 years ago

Garmin made their sport GPS watch smarter, while the software companies are still working to make their smart watches sportier.

IMHO the former makes a lot more sense just because of the limited amount of useful use cases for this form factor, which you actually described - simple notifications and some form of a remote for music.

dankoss• 11 years ago

I agree. I bought a Vivoactive to replace my Fenix 2. I love the battery life and the fact that it's small and tough enough to wear all day, every day. The smart features were secondary but they've become more useful over time. I take for granted that the transreflective display is always on.

If Apple puts GPS and full waterproofing into Watch v2, Garmin is pretty much done with the category because they don't have a comparable developer community. I considered it, but the SDK is really limiting right now.

issa2• 11 years ago

I'm firmly in the "I don't get it" camp. I'll be amazed if this catches on, but I won't try to yuck anyone's yum. If it works for you, go for it.

thret• 11 years ago

I've felt this way about all watches since my first mobile phone. If the watch were to replace the phone entirely I would be on board.

natch2• 11 years ago

I'm always surprised at people who don't try something, but then draw conclusions based on their ignorance. I've found that often in life I don't get something until I try it.

Not dissing your attitude though... you aren't really drawing conclusions from what I can tell, you're just saying you don't get it at this time. That's pretty normal for most people, and there's nothing wrong with it. Nobody has a duty to get this stuff other than, say, mobile developers, or those working in fields it directly affects.

There have been a few people who have tried Apple watch, and have given it up. But even those people I think are drawing conclusions based on ignorance, because they are assuming that new apps coming out shortly won't make the device more worthwhile.

issa2• 11 years ago

I'm definitely open minded enough to try it in the future if something about it becomes appealing. But I'm not clear on what exactly that new information would be... I mean, I've worn a watch for much of my life, and I was happy to stop once I had a phone that could tell time.

I spend most of my days online, so having another "notification" source sounds like a negative, not a positive.

I haven't heard anything the iWatch does that I would find useful...yet.

sudioStudio64• 11 years ago

I actually like the analog parts of analog watches... the complications, as they are called. Its amazing engineering and design... Its one area where I just dont see the improvements as, well...improvements. Watches are actually beautiful objects.

I'm not a luddite...I just think this is a solution looking for a problem.

Zancarius• 11 years ago

I have to agree. Part of me wonders if this is a generational/cultural/personality thing. Perhaps some of us are in that age group (or culture/subculture or personality...) where smart watches seem alien (or frivolous). I've always loved watches, particularly analog watches for similar reasons to you, but I also suspect I'm definitely not in the target market for smart watches. You might not be either.

I also have a special fondness for ultra-thin watches which are sometimes hard to find even as analog watches, so there's that.

While I won't be parting with my archaic time pieces any time soon, it'll be interesting to see where the technology goes.

mercer2• 11 years ago

I'm not a luddite...I just think this is a solution looking for a problem.
I have to agree. Part of me wonders if this is a generational/cultural/personality thing.

I think it's a universally human thing. Most of my friends thought the iPhone was 'cool', but they didn't really see a good reason to get one to replace their 'dumbphone'. Most of my friends also didn't see the point of an iPad, because surely everything you can do on it you can do (better) on your phone or computer.

Now most of my friend's can't imagine life without a smartphone, and a number of the most vocal anti-tablet friends even have iPads.

This is in no way proof that the apple watch will turn out to be such a thing, but I just want to point out that 'a solution looking for a problem' was said about Apple's now-successful devices, and it's been said before about everything ranging from the telephone to microwave ovens.

I suspect the watch will be more like the iPad than like the iPhone though. Much more useful and popular than many of us think, but not (yet) a device that will be useful to everyone. And I think Apple is fine with that.

rifung• 11 years ago

Me too! Actually I'm happy this smart watch thing is happening because that's how I ended up learning about mechanical watches. I dont think I'll ever have a smart watch just because I'd want to wear a mechanical and it would look ridiculous to wear two.

biftek2• 11 years ago

Maybe I don't use my iPhone as much as others, but most of my time is spent reading NYTimes/Instapaper, checking the weather, time, and email/iMessage.

And aside from reading articles, the watch has replaced most of my phone functions. Calls have been answered; text messages have been dictated via Siri; weather, time, and calendar are all on the modular face and extended views are a tap away. Not to mention the the heath perks, like heart rate monitoring and activity goals.

If I could use the watch with out my phone tethered I would probably leave my phone behind in a lot of instances. It's lighter, less distracting, and the stuff I care about is more accessible.

droopybuns• 11 years ago

An LG smartwatch was given to me as a thank you for a thing I did. I was a smartwatch hater. Under no circumstances would I have bought one for myself. I have begrudgingly come to appreciate some features of the concept.

I use Bluetooth headphones almost all day. Being able to see who was calling me without taking my phone out of my pocket is embarrassingly helpful. I appreciate that this is incredibly douchey. BUT it is reality. being able to stay sitting while making a decision to answer a call is actually useful.

Also, voice recognition has evolved to the point where I can respond to other people's texts without having to remove my phone.

So while I agree that they are not generally useful today, I do think there are opportunities that can come within the constraints of smart watches. Much like pechakucha can force better presentations.

noisy_boy3• 11 years ago

Disclaimer: this is just an observation and not criticizing your use case.

Of the 6 people sitting around me owning Androids and iPhones, all keep their phone on the desk (either tethered to the charging cable or just lying there) instead of keeping in their pockets. I would think that with the growing preference for larger screensizes, keeping a 5.5 inch phone in the pocket is not very convenient for sitting or having to take it out (not to mention accidentally accepting/rejecting calls while taking the phone out)..

bennesvig• 11 years ago

The watch excels at glances. Anything that can just be glanced at performs better on the Apple Watch. An example is turn by turn directions. It's much easier to get them via the Apple Watch than look down at the iPhone.

The Apple watch has to be activated to show you the time, while the Pebble always shows the time.

If the display was always on, it would be distracting, especially in dark environments (movie theater, concert, night time in general).

The Apple Pay integration is interesting, but that hasn’t really panned out as something people really want.

Apple Pay on the Apple Watch is the easiest and fastest method of payment I've used. Simply double-tap a button and hold your wrist next to the reader. It's even faster than Apple Pay on the iPhone (and I can't drop my Watch), which makes paying with a credit card feel as slow as writing a check.

If every retailer offered Apple Pay, I would use it every time. It's especially convenient if I happen to forget my wallet.

That said, I hope the Apple Watch will eventually track sleep. I haven't found a good replacement for sleep tracking since Wake Mate shut down.

pcl5• 11 years ago

Anything that can just be glanced at performs better on the Apple Watch.

I'm assuming you're comparing to a phone here. My analog watch is way better at glances than an Apple Watch -- I can just look at it to tell what time it is.

eclipxe6• 11 years ago

Telling time is <5% of my usage for my watch. My next appointment, current activity level, and favorite stock price are much much more important to me at a glance and no analog watch will tell me that.

PublicEnemy111• 11 years ago

Does anyone else have the feeling smart watches are a consumer created category? Meaning the public expected smart watches to be the next big thing after the smart phone so they became a self fulfilling prophecy. I mean, they really don't have much utility outside of fitness

dasil003• 11 years ago

I'm going to ignore the bad assumptions based on the author never having used an Apple Watch, and address the heart of the matter: are smart watches "the next big thing"?

By the standards people use for Apple where the 2007 release of the iPhone, of course not. Very few products can completely rebuild the largest tech market in their image overnight. No other Apple product has done it—that's why so many pundits were disappointed with the iPad's performance as a new product even though it was orders of magnitude more successful than any previous tablet and made the category relevant in a way people had been trying for almost a decade prior. The Apple Watch just can't pack that much punch, because it's basically just an extension of your smart phone, not a new category. Frankly, I was the opposite of the author, I haven't warn a watch since I was a kid, and I didn't see the appeal of any of it.

However after receiving one as a gift, I have to say that I am subtly impressed with it. I don't think it's a life-changing device the way a smart phone is, but it can definitely has unique utility. The first thing the author gets wrong is the idea that it's all his phone apps and notifications shrunk down onto his wrist. Yes, a lot of apps rushed to release Watch functionality for launch day, but frankly, you don't want to look at most things on your watch. What you want is to show only the most essential notifications, and the apps which have something you might want to glance at. If you're receiving email notifications on your Apple Watch god help you, that is the path to a new level of distraction (I'd argue you don't want those on your phone either, do you really want to give the world more opportunity to distract you?). My advice on setting up the watch is to first turn off everything and then add the pieces you want one by one.

In the end I've found quite a few small but practical conveniences which are going to keep me wearing the watch for a while: taking a phone call from my wrist when I'm sitting the car and don't want to fish into my pocket; telling siri something on the fly; responding to a text message with boilerplate responses; haptic feedback for turn-by-turn directions when cycling; having an "urgent" level of notification so that I can pay less attention to my phone without completely shutting off a given lower-priority notification; reminder to stand up and walk around once an hour; and last but not least, checking the time is actually more convenient when you don't have to pull a phone out regardless of how adept we have all gotten at that maneuver.

snogglethorpe3• 11 years ago

However after receiving one as a gift, I have to say that I am subtly impressed with it

Despite all the criticism, I suspect most people wouldn't be annoyed to receive one as a gift (assuming they've already bought into the Apple ecosystem and so can use it).

If nothing else, Apple makes very well-built, attractive products... if you didn't spend $400 on it, it's a nice little thing to have around.

That's sort of how I feel about it generally. It's not even remotely world-changing, but it is a nice little thing that could provide a bit of added convenience for many people.

ghshephard3• 11 years ago

Great comments - but one bit of feedback on the iPad as dissapointing - https://9to5mac.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/cumulative-shipm... shows that 57 months in (the age of the iPad so far), the iPad has sold more units than the iPhone at the same time. The issue is, growth has actually started dropping.

So - the iPad started out stronger, but then stalled, whereas the iPhone started out "slow", but then started accelerating.

I have to believe that the iPhone 6+ put the breaks on a lot of people's purchase of the iPad. I never used my iPad while I had the 6+, but then, when I left (sob) my 6+ in a cab, I found myself using my iPad again more frequently.

snogglethorpe3• 11 years ago

The issue, as I understand it, is that pads don't seem to have the same sort of constant upgrade treadmill as phones. Many people seem to think their ipad (or whatever) is fine for what it does, and just don't have any reason to get a new one, whereas people seem to feel ansy if their phone isn't the latest and greatest model...

I suppose this is an interesting example of the "planned obsolescence" issue, where what's probably a good thing in a general sense—people keeping a product for a long time and getting good use out it rather than chucking it out and buying a new model after a few years—is not a good thing for the actual manufacturer..

wdr12• 11 years ago

Honestly, I've been pretty happy with my Apple Watch.

It's a lot of small things.

I use my phone a lot less; something I didn't expect.

As an engineering managers, I attend a lot of meetings. It's super convenient to just glance at my watch to find out which conference room I need to head to next. Get a silent taptic alert lets me know we need to start wrapping things up.

When I get a text, I can glace & see if it's something urgent or not. Much less disruptive than taking out my phone.

Traveling this weekend, I found it helpful at the airport. Passbook integration is nice. I just tap & my Southwest UPC boarding code is right there. I can even scroll it up a bit to show I'm TSA Pre at security.

The countdown clock is nice when grilling.

Battery life so far hasn't been a problem for me. The biggest test for me was on the ~4 hour flight mentioned above. I failed to put the watch in airplane mode, but it lasted from ~8:30am to midnight. I did have a low battery alert at end, but it didn't die.

The remote app is convenient for controlling Apple TV. (At home, I empty my pockets into a dish, so I usually sit down, then realize I have to go fishing for the Apple TV remote or my phone.)

Things like camera & the iTunes controller I haven't used, but I could see the point. I sometimes have my phone outside by a bluetooth speaker to power music for BBQs, etc. Being able to control it remotely is nice. Obviously, not an everyday thing, but nice when you need them.

Of course it's not perfect. I've had it spontaneously reboot once or twice. Not all my wrist movements trigger the screen display. It can lag in responsiveness every now & then. A lot of third party apps were clearly created in a emulator & people are still figuring out the space.

The biggest question to me boils down to the price point. If it was a $100, no-brainer. This is a homerun, everyone will get one. But for $400? Harder question. Honestly, I'd be inclined to say that's what is going to limit its appeal, but then I remember thinking that exact thing about my original iPhone & original iPad.

exodust2• 11 years ago

Sounds like you're still in the honeymoon phase, if I may be so cynical.

Your first example mentions "when I get a text, I can glance and see if it's something urgent or not".

In reality, truly "urgent" messages are rare. Most people incorrectly call "important" messages, "urgent". If you're using your phone or other devices anyway at regular intervals in the day, "important" messages will be covered along with the rest. This is more efficient that dealing with messages in a granular per-message workflow. Sure, some people really do get urgent texts, like "website down" etc, but those people are IT support staff.

What I mean is, the examples you mention can and often are covered by other devices that you're already using. Apple TV, again... when it comes to browsing or searching for things to watch, your phone or tablet will need to come out. I find it difficult to imagine you would not bother getting your phone for the rest of the evening because "it's in the dish with your keys and you have your apple watch"... I don't buy that! I think you retrieve your phone from the dish at some point.

Countdown clock is not a smartwatch feature, you can get that on a regular watch. Not sure why you'd mention that as a plus for a $400 Apple Watch. For kitchen countdown clocks, nothing beats those cheap k-mart fridge magnet timers. Batteries last for ages, and they're always ready to go, dedicated to the task, you don't need to "open the countdown app".

Controlling bluetooth speaker: Most of the time you want your playlist visible, or browsing list of songs. For that you'll need a phone. For skipping and volume, yes the watch would be handy, but... again, you're supposedly using a smartphone as the source music device, so the apple watch just gets in the way. And if someone else at the BBQ connects their phone to the speaker, suddenly your watch is no longer paired with the speaker.

wdr12• 11 years ago

In reality, truly "urgent" messages are rare. Most people incorrectly call "important" messages, "urgent".

Perhaps triage is better. My wife texts me to know our son's doctor is fine. Not urgent, nice to know.

What I mean is, the examples you mention can and often are covered by other devices that you're already using.

That's true. But that was also true when I got the iPhone & iPad.

Countdown clock is not a smartwatch feature, you can get that on a regular watch. Not sure why you'd mention that as a plus for a $400 Apple Watch.

Just a way I used it that's different from what I did with my watch before. (My prior watch was a self winding Hamilton.)

Zooper• 11 years ago

This is how you fix smart watches: cup your hand and place it over your ear. Can you hear your friend's voice in your cupped hand as concentrated sound hits it from the smart watch's strap? Can you reply to a mic in the wrist strap? Did a call pick up when you made that gesture? No? Then you haven't made it simpler than pulling out a phone.

Smart watches are dumb

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