Smartwatches - What Do We Think?

[jyl]

The initial smartwatches have been out for awhile. Pebble, iPod Nano/band, Samsung's Galaxy Gear.

The Google smartwatches will come this summer, powered by Android. Here are blurbs on Moto 360 and LG G-watch
This is Motorola's new Android Wear smartwatch: Moto 360
LG G Watch to launch next quarter with Android Wear

Apple is working on a smartwatch which, per chatter/rumor/investigation sites, may highlight health/activity monitoring. Other chatter includes curved or flexible screens and a "sometime in 2014" release date (which replaces last year's "sometime in 2013" chatter).

What do you think? Eagerly anticipating? Pretty interested? Fairly indifferent? Think they are stupid?

[scottmandue]

I am eagerly awaiting... however I think I will be waiting a while.

IMHO they are totally missing the boat by:

Redundant technology... I don't need a wristwatch that is a phone... I have a cell phone that is a... phone, and a camera, and a Internet portal, and GPS, and, and..

THEY ARE TOO DARN LARGE! My desktop computer is as powerful as a computer that filled a large room (heck, my cell phone too) to sell these things they have to be smaller... right now they are something only a geek would wear.

What would I want in a smart watch? Medical monitoring, real time blood sugar, blood pressure, heart beat, cholesterol, etc.

The younger generation are turning their backs on wrist watch and just pulling their cell phone off their hip to tell the time. This old dog (the wrist watch) is going to have to learn some new tricks to sell.

PS, I have a collection of old analog wrist watches and love them.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Indifferent. Why wear a dorky, bulky, fragile, expensive watch that does less than my cell phone does? The phone that I will have with me regardless. I don't need redundancy in my personal electronic devices.

[HardDrive]

An invention in search of a problem.

[widgeon13]

The Motorola vid looks and sounds like it was done by Apple.

[McLovin]

I looked at the links and can't tell - can you make phone calls from these things???

If not, I can't see the purpose of them. Anyone who is interested in something like that will already have a smartphone. Why would you want to do anything on that little tiny watch screen when you can simply pull your smartphone out of your pocket and do the same thing much easier on a larger screen?

If it could serve as a functional *replacement* to a smartphone, then yeah, I think I could see a market for that.

[HardDrive]

A smart phone screen is about as small as I want to go for my porn watching thank you.

[Z-man]

You mean like this?


There is nothing new under the sun...

As for the current smart watches? Too bulky, does not add anything significantly extra technology to the mix, and it is another device that needs to be recharged, worn...etc.

Here's a twist: the Fit bit or Jawbone Up wearable activity bands are smaller, less obtrusive devices that can link to a smartphone and collect all sorts of data. In my opinion, that is the form factor these smartwatches should evolve into -- a wearable device that is minimal, and can leverage the computing power of the phone itself. So -- I can see the next generation of the fitbit and Jawbone Up having the capability for voice recognition, camera lens, as well as perhaps a small hi-res flexible pull-out screen (kinda like a roll-up window shade) to view text messages, emails..etc, and still be very minimal in design. Oh - and it should also have a calculator!

-Z-man.

[GH85Carrera]

The watch on my wrist is several years old. It tells me the time and date at a glance. Push a button and it will tell me the temperature, barometric pressure, compass heading and the time in other cities. It sets the time every night, it is waterproof to 200 meters and I hope to never ever get to 1/16 of that capacity. It is a titanium case and still works perfect.

Casio PAW2000T-7CR Men's Pathfinder Titanium Digital World Timers Watch - Rakuten.com Shopping


I really don't know of much more that I want from any watch.

I can't see a need for a "smart watch" but I have been wrong at least once before.

[masraum]

I've got a smart phone, don't know why I'd want a watch to do anything other than watch duty.

As the screens get smaller, the smart tech gets less useful for the various smart things that they do.

[RWebb]

the screen is linked to your eyeset, like Google Glass - the phone is built into the watch as is the Cray XMP

I'll be interested then...

[Ferraripete]

I prefer a good ole fashioned breguet or iwc every time

[JavaBrewer]

Don't most folks consider a watch == jewelry? If screen size limitations can be resolved a smartphone could function on a wrist. I have not worn a watch in 15+ years but then I don't match well with jewelry of any type (other than my wedding band).

[sand_man]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

An invention in search of a problem.

Interesting point of view. I think this is also where I stand on the topic. I loved this commercial though:

[vmax]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

The watch on my wrist is several years old. It tells me the time and date at a glance. Push a button and it will tell me the temperature, barometric pressure, compass heading and the time in other cities. It sets the time every night, it is waterproof to 200 meters and I hope to never ever get to 1/16 of that capacity. It is a titanium case and still works perfect.

Casio PAW2000T-7CR Men's Pathfinder Titanium Digital World Timers Watch - Rakuten.com Shopping


I really don't know of much more that I want from any watch.

I can't see a need for a "smart watch" but I have been wrong at least once before.

Holy sheet
A $360 Casio

[1990C4S]

Every bit as smart as a Smart Car.

[red-beard]

I am presently using a Sony SW2.



Unlike the Samsung Galaxy Gear, you cannot speak and hear with it. It is mostly for getting text messages, e-mail, etc. There are other functions (bike computer, timers, calculator, etc.) along with being a regular watch.

You can dial the phone and even answer the phone with the watch. This might be helpful if your phone is in your pocket and you don't want to lose the call.

The main reason I chose the SW2 over the Galaxy Gear was it was smaller and water resistant to IP57 (Immersion up to 1m) . All of the others were barely dust proof. It is also compatible with any Android 4.0 (and up) Phone. Battery lasts 4-5 days without recharging.

You can order it with either the Black Rubber band or the bracelet band. I started with a rubber band and purchased a nice metal bracelet band from Amazon for $25.

While I'm cycling, if a call comes in, I can look at my watch and see if I need to stop and answer it. 95% of the time the answer is no. And the same is true when receiving texts or e-mails. A quick glance and I see who sent the message. I don't need to dig my phone out of my pocket if it is not important/urgent.

I like it. I needed a more casual watch for everyday than my Rolex/Tudor.

[5String43]

Eh. The answer to a question nobody asked. I'm pretty good with my trusty old Omega Speedmaster, which does what I expect a watch to do: It keeps track of the time.

[Chocaholic]

The Speedmaster is a classic. A masterpiece of mechanical engineering that is still in production today. Two statements a "smartwatch" will never be able to make.

Omega Planet Ocean on my wrist today.

[SilberUrS6]

I like my automatic analog watch. I want my watch to do just one thing:

Give me a rough approximation of the time. Within a minute of what the GPS satellites say - that's fine by me.