I used to say I had no interest in buying a smartwatch. Then I got a new android phone and all that blew out the window. What I ended up buying was the LG Watch Urbane. I figured If I was going to throw all privacy out the window by wearing a smartwatch I should do it now and test it for a few months.
http://www.lg.com/us/smartwatch/urbane
Here is the reason I wanted a smartwatch:
1. When I'm riding my motorcycle, I'd like to see who is calling and if it's worth pulling over to talk or if it can wait. Problem is, on really bright days the display can get washed out. The Pebble watch might have been a better choice on sunny days because it uses e-ink display like your Kindle. Cloudy days the Urbane is just fine.
2. In the car. Same reasons as on the motorcycle: I can see who is calling on the watch and decide if it is worth digging my phone out from under coats, seat belts, sweaters and what have you while I'm trying to drive.
The weather notifications, email notifications etc. are handy too.
I know there are tons of other things you can do but really the notifications are enough for me.
Are those worth $300? Probably not unless you like messing with new gadgets. If you like talking to your wrist it might be worth it, telling Google what to do. Typical android though, I installed a watch face that show both time and weather, except the Temp is all Centigrade and stubbornly refuses to accept a F temp display. Little Android cr*p like that will keep you pulling your hair out.
Just say 'No.'
I don't see the use-case for my lifestyle. I rarely use my phone to speak with anyone. I prefer text, and I have my apps set up with different sounds so I can tell who's messaging. If you're not important enough to warrant your own sound you can wait until I have time to take my phone out. ::)
For anti-Google privacy I could have gone with a Pebble watch.
https://getpebble.com
Pebble does the notifications, is cheaper and works with both Android and iOS. My problem with it is you can only interact with it via the buttons. I hate pressing in button sequences.
I was in a meeting last night and the smartwatch started paying off: I could see emails coming in without having to rudely look at my phone while others were talking. This sounds lazy and it is, but there is no way to be discrete when pulling out a giant 5.5" phablet at a meeting table. Internet addiction to be sure. It notifies me of incoming SMS messages. That is handy because I give those priority, whereas emails can generally wait.
I have learned to say, "Ok Google. What is the weather?" and it pulls up a card on the watch. This is the limit of my l33t watch skillz.
Oh and changing the watch face at will is neat. Its like having a whole watch collection.
What makes all this worth it is this partially bursts the bubble of a friend of mine who has just gotten an Apple watch and has been flashing it around.
put down the credit card, brad, you're starting to worry me. hhh
Quote from: rcjordan on June 24, 2015, 12:49:54 PM
put down the credit card, brad, you're starting to worry me. hhh
LOL! It's too darn easy with Amazon having my CC # on file.
Like RC said "Just say No"
I've been wrong before, but I think smart watches are going to go down in history as a product without a real purpose. I don't know, maybe if they get really cheap and small. Everybody already has a computer in their pocket, why do they need one on their wrist too?
Have have not had or needed anything on my wrist for 20+ years.
People buy so much $HIT they just don't need. imfo
Quote from: littleman on June 24, 2015, 03:14:43 PM
I've been wrong before, but I think smart watches are going to go down in history as a product without a real purpose. I don't know, maybe if they get really cheap and small. Everybody already has a computer in their pocket, why do they need one on their wrist too?
I'm sorta with you littleman. I bought one just to see if they were worth having. I had to dig deep to come up with a rationalization as to how it might be useful too me. Then again, I said the same thing about smartphones just before I bought a 1st gen. iPhone.
Testing continues for a few more months.
Brad, let us know how it goes. I thought tablets were dumb at first too, why would I want a computer without a mouse and keyboard?
>People buy so much $HIT they just don't need. imfo
I completely agree. People need to think about how many hours they need to work to pay for something. I manage to live quite nicely on mostly second hand items I get at a fraction of their original cost. Now, if I could just do something about those intangibles that cost so much.
Specifically on this topic wrist watches are very redundant, smart watches are doubly so.
I wear a $15 waterproof watch from WallyWorld. F### having to pull out my phone to see what time it is.
I gotta have a wristwatch. A cheap Timex will do but I got to know what time it is like I might be late even if I have nowhere to go.
I have a Pebble Steel and it's without doubt the best and most useful gadget I've ever owned, bar my old Psion 5's.
Quote from: JasonD on June 24, 2015, 07:41:31 PM
I have a Pebble Steel and it's without doubt the best and most useful gadget I've ever owned, bar my old Psion 5's.
What are the things you find most useful, Jason?
The Internet of Things You Don't Really Need
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/06/the-internet-of-things-you-dont-really-need/396485/
> What are the things you find most useful, Jason?
in order of importance:
Normal Watch stuff - Day Date and Time - I need all three available at a quick glance and my last watch that had this was a Rolex, which Sue (ex wife) still has / sold etc.
Notifications without a doubt. It allows me to look at my wrist and quickly decide whether the constant bleeping of new email, FB Messages, Skype etc, is worth getting my phone out of my pocket.
Music / Radio - changing Spotify Playlists / TuneIn stations at home or the car without looking for a remote or device to change.
They're 3 small things, but for me, means the value is huge.
>Notifications
This is what does it for me. I hate digging out the phone when I don't have too, especially in the car.
I have to say I like being able to get the weather info just by talking to my wrist and not digging out the phone all the time. Somehow, talking to my wrist is less embarrassing than talking to my phone. I call this the Dick Tracy effect.
I experimented with Google Maps on the watch while driving in town. I think the solar activity had the GPS messed up because the little blue dot representing me on the map on the watch face was always a block off.
>GPS
I have a Google Maps app on my watch that fires up when it's launched on my phone. It's useless when I am driving, as I prefer the full navigation apps speaking to me, but when walking it's perfect.
EG. Straight ahead 500m, turn left on XYZ street.
>walking
Brilliant. Never occurred to me. Thanks.
Sales of the new Apple Watch have plunged by 90% since the opening week, according to a new market-research report
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/apple-watch-may-not-be-ticking-with-customers-2015-07-07
Anyone surprised?
How's the Android watch holding up?
I really like the Android watch. It was easy to figure out and does the job. However, the watch is unreadable on a bright sunny day. Not a problem in the car, indoors or when it's overcast but real bad on the motorcycle, bicycle or even just walking around in the bright sun.
Therefore I picked up a Pebble Steel and intend to switch off between the two. I've only had the Pebble for a day so I can't give a decent review yet. Like JasonD says it does what it is supposed to do. Frankly, for iPhone users it may be a far better smartwatch for the money if you mainly want notifications and a time piece than the Apple watch. More learning curve with the Pebble.
You can't talk to the Pebble which is a big plus!
Why the Pebble Steel? I think it is one of the better looking physical designs for a smartwatch.
> better looking physical designs for a smartwatch
Agreed.
I also want to add a feature I didn't know existed till last night. Shake your wrist to enable the backlight. Bloody useful and annoying not realising I could do that till now!
Quote from: JasonD on July 08, 2015, 02:59:19 PM
I also want to add a feature I didn't know existed till last night. Shake your wrist to enable the backlight. Bloody useful and annoying not realising I could do that till now!
Thanks for that tip, Jason!
I find myself both annoyed and liking the Pebble at the same time. The only way to interact is with push buttons which means two hands and clicking down through menus a bit like a PDA which can get annoying. OTOH it gives notifications in some ways better than the Android Wear watches. Also it is not as clunky as my LG.
>push buttons.
I completely agree, however, on balance I guess the "always listening" aspect of voice comms, would mean battery life would be terrible. I like the 1 charge every few days thing and overall can accept button pushing at the cost of voice communication.
http://imgur.com/gO8gpPt
;)
I was quite tempted by the Motorola 360. I found the screen to be way ahead of the LG even in bright light. Nice looking watch too.
2 Things stopped me though
1. Not waterproof. If get a lot more use from the smart features if it were. Without that I can't see any use case for me.
2. Had a meeting with someone wearing one. I didn't realise at first and just thought they didn't want to be there as they kept glancing at their watch. I don't want to be a notification slave like that.
It's just another tablet to me: a device for the sake of it. No real point or purpose, despite being quite a cool physical thing. It does a group if things that I already own better devices for.
As a format that will likely change, but I think it's a while off for me. Make it waterproof and throw in a cheap camera and I'm there today.
The Pebble is truly waterproof. I think my LG is okay in rain or if I forget to take it off in the shower but I'm not sure it would survive the pool. Of the two, the Pebble is definitely the best choice for an outdoor, bright sun, active person.
>slave
I think each individual is different. I feel no need to look at my notifications when at a formal meeting. At a social gathering I don't mind glancing at the watch but I can skip it. It's when I'm alone or in the car that I sometimes feel the need to look at what is incoming.
Still not talking much to the LG. ::)