Do I want a smart watch?

[Drago]

Something else with "smart" in the name that I'll never own

 

[mustang1]

The question is not whether you need it, the question is whether you want it.

...b ut a want is a need.

 

[mistyoptic]

But then am smart watch will tell me my heart rate and do an ECG and show my blood oxygen levels, which would be a much quicker way of confirming that I exist than anything Descartes came up with. And it will no doubt do other cool stuff I've not thought of that would absolutely appeal to the tech-nerd in me.
.

cousin has one and the final decider, for him, is that it helps you when you can’t find your phone…

 

[oldwheels]

I inherited one for my older son and it was a total pain particularly to keep charged so it has been in a drawer somewhere for the last couple of years.

 

[numbnuts]

I have a really efficient one that tels me to move.
Its called a wife.

Yes I had one of them, but she had to get the courts to help her move me out and I was the inocent party.

 

[Venod]

The wife has a Withings watch that I was impressed with, so I acquired one, in was very smart looking and I like the Withings app, we also have scales and blood pressure monitor, it was difficult to read the data in sunlight, the battery life is the best out there, I bought it on Amazon and after about fifteen months it started loosing bluetooth connection to the phone on a regular basis so as it was guaranteed for 2 years I contacted Amazon, the model I had must have been discontinued, as they offered me a full refund, which I took.
I bought a Garmin 55 cheaper than the Withings and more of a sports watch, but much easier to read and you can customise the watch face with a lot of extra faces available for download, it also works with the Maprun app that I use for MTB Orienteering, the battery life is about 2 weeks depending on use, so not as good as Withings but a lot better than Apple, I wear it 24/7 as it records sleep, I only take it off it I want to wear a more traditional watch.
One of the grandsons has an Apple watch and speaks highly of it, but I couldn't be doing with a daily charging routine.

 

[yello]

...but a want is a need.

At the risk of being a humourless eco bore, isn't this exactly the sort of question we should be asking ourselves?

I really don't want to be a killjoy etc, and I know these things are said (at least partially) in jest, but maybe we ought start taking in seriously? And I do include myself in that. My 10 year old tablet does its job, certainly well enough for me, but I can't deny the urge to replace it is strong.

But seriously, it's individual choice. I am most certainly not telling anyone what to do or preaching holier than thou. I share the angst.

 

[C R]

At the risk of being a humourless eco bore, isn't this exactly the sort of question we should be asking ourselves?

I really don't want to be a killjoy etc, and I know these things are said (at least partially) in jest, but maybe we ought start taking in seriously? And I do include myself in that. My 10 year old tablet does its job, certainly well enough for me, but I can't deny the urge to replace it is strong.

But seriously, it's individual choice. I am most certainly not telling anyone what to do or preaching holier than thou. I share the angst.

I was being flippant, but you are right.

 

[yello]

As someone prone to flippancy myself, I am also dangerously close to hypocrisy. Suffice it to say that it is a subject I wrestle with.

 

[ClichéGuevara]

I haven't warn a watch of any description in years, but I'm reminded of the reply my youngster gave when she was about 5 when I mentioned about getting her a speedometer for her bike. 'Why would I want one?' she asked. 'So you know how fast you're going' says I. The reply with a look of disdain was 'but I already know how fast I'm going...it'll be exactly as fast as I want to'. Conversation over.

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

Withings, I've recently learnt, is about the medical grade data collection. If you have heart issues it's x lead heart monitor level of ecg accuracy and certified as such. They've got programs in place to accredit other sensor algorithms. Print out your withings history and your gp might listen to your complaint more.

Thanks for that - I've just ordered one for my wife. The O2 and ECG data will be very useful in monitoring her health conditions.

 

[Time Waster]

I've got a garmin thingy, very nice, but it keeps on telling me to move, so I put it in the bedside draw

There's a prompt thing you can turn off. Fitbit has similar. Easily turned off.

 

[Electric_Andy]

I saw a chap paying for his shopping with a smart watch. That's the only convenience I can see. I'd not spend 300 quid for that though, when I can use my phone for free. I don't really need to know my heart rate either

 

[figbat]

I saw a chap paying for his shopping with a smart watch. That's the only convenience I can see. I'd not spend 300 quid for that though, when I can use my phone for free. I don't really need to know my heart rate either

Where do we get these free phones from?

 

[Time Waster]

I hate to dispel any feelings of superiority an earlier apple watch owner has when he said that with an apple watch you can pay for things. I read that as if he thought only apple did that. There's actually a lot of payment systems that do that. Garmin and fitbit have them too. So does Samsung.

Not all are possible though it depends on what your credit card provider or bank is signed up to. You also need the right account with the right bank. However there's a lot of options that work with them all. It's not a selling point for any particular brand but the smartwatch genre as a whole.

Other very common functions apple fans might think is their selling point includes music streaming, music on the watch, customisation, watch apps, workouts, training guidance, level of recovery, stress, ecg hrm, etc. Many were developed by others first.

Do you remember the activity tracker company called basis? It was an early player in the smartwatch sector, the first smartwatch. A lot of current ideas developed from their b1 watch. Now owned by Intel iirc.

Or mio? Not sure if it's the same as the mio making basic bike computers. They made wrist heart rate monitors that recorded but not show the data. They often transmitted to other gps head units like garmin. One of the more accurate and first to get into the algorithm side to determine health and fitness aspects now quite common. They just didn't have the money of garmin, Intel and apple to develop their ideas.

Right now there's latest versa from fitbit for sub £100! It's more than enough for most users and even the top end fitbit sense is sub £200, I think I saw one at £139.99 this weekend. Top spec apple watch offers very little more than these without as good app. Why get apple?