Smartwatch Thread

[Traut]

2014 is the year of the first gen smartwatch and it's kind of a shit show. The idea of a smartwatch appeals to me. I'm constantly on my phone. Getting relevant notifications and being able to respond quickly without a phone appeals to me. However none of the current generation Android hit the mark. None of the phones aside from the Samsung Gear 2 (which runs Tizen and fuck that) allow me to have a telephone conversation from my watch - even when connected to my phone. What the hell is up with that shiznit? Being able to make and receive calls on my wrist while driving would beat the ever living shit out of my car's bluetooth system. But somehow that is a feature on non of the Android Wear devices - despite them having dual microphones. Right now, the state of the smartwatch appears is dumb, clunkly, inadequate, and expensive. Baseball-ref comps the current crop as most similar to Will Middlebrooks. And like Middlebrooks, what sucks the most is the tease. There is promise in these devices.
 
As a runner, I'm not interested in any device that needs my phone to operate. All of the current gen watches (including the one designed in Cupertino) only work for fitness on a treadmill and that blows. 
 
Let the smartwatch discussion begin.

 

[jayhoz]

These are gen 1 versions of a totally new category of product.  In addition to the challenge of getting the features and functionality right, manufacturers are constrained by consumers perception of what a watch should look like despite the fact that that was designed to hold gears and springs not PCBs and batteries.
 
Early adopt and plan to upgrade soon, or wait for a better execution.  The choice is yours. 

 

[saintnick912]

This seems to be about how useful it would be to me at the moment
 

 
Motorola really dropped the ball with the shoddy internals of the 360.  But the round version makes the Apple Watch look dated.  So you're in a catch-22 here.

 

[fawstahcu]

One of the issues that I have had with most of these first generation smart watches is that they look big and goofy. They remind me of the calculator watches of the early 90s. Even with the gold plated Apple Watch, it looks bulky.

Withings is taking a different approach with the Activité (http://www.withings.com/activite/en-US) by providing a stylish analog interface and connecting to your smartphone over Bluetooth for command, control, and configuration. It's the first smart watch that I can see myself wearing regularly.

 

[SeoulSoxFan]

We have to remember this is in its very infancy. Remember this guy?
 

 
I do. I used to own two of them. I kept wishing it would do all these things and do them better. When I look back at the Newton, I see a lot of things that were done right. Both the technology and the public acceptance (which is evolutionary) just weren't there.
 
I see the same with any wearable devices. Although the new Gear S is still too big, the flexible display opens up a bunch of possibilities. Apparently with the super Amoled display the watch "face" looks almost like the real thing, which is something I'd want to have. So smartwatches are already doing some things right, and with the production cycles we'll have the real "home run" device in the fraction of the time it took Newton-like devices to be ubiquitous.
 
Here's one big problem with the current thinking on the smartwatches -- these have to win with women as well as men. My wife quickly said "ummm no" when shown a Gear S video, although she thought it had potential if it was smaller and lighter. Just the fact that the face could be coordinated with her outfit, and that it could link up to her Note 3/4 as a fitness device appealed to her (so a bit of style, a bit of functionality).
 
The balance isn't there yet, but I am extremely bullish on smartwatches and wearables in general.

 

[Traut]

I purchased the Moto Hint. I'm on the road a ton for work. On my phone constantly. In terms of a wearable, it makes more sense than a watch for me. It's expensive and I don't yet have it but I think the idea is right.

 

[Drocca]

To me that Hint looks absurd and I would probably think you were a douchetool. It totally sticks out in those pictures.

 

[NortheasternPJ]

To me that Hint looks absurd and I would probably think you were a douchetool. It totally sticks out in those pictures.

You could fake you are deaf and it's a hearing aid. That thing looks awful.

I can't imagine the microphone is great on it

I'm on the raid and on the phone 5+ hours a day and wouldn't consider it.

 

[Traut]

To me that Hint looks absurd and I would probably think you were a douchetool. It totally sticks out in those pictures.

I'll only use it in my car. The ability to make calls, set reminders, send emails and text, and access google nav while driving is valuable to me. 

 

[Drocca]

Ah, ok...the car usage makes total sense. The marketing shit I saw was clearly trying to convince me that it was not noticeable.

 

[Traut]

Played with a Microsoft Band yesterday. Lots to like - GPS, heartrate monitoring, and good at handling notifications. But this thing is clunky, the early reviews give it a 4 hour battery life on GPS which renders it useless to me as a runner. Also using this thing for fitness and all day is going to create some funk. It's a step in the right direction but one or two generations away.

 

[Apisith]

The UP3 looks good to me. I have the UP24 and enjoy using it. The battery life is superb and it's a pure fitness and health device.

The UP3 does even more things, I love the idea of data analysis and seeing how you sleep when you exercise and when you don't, and having constant heart rate measurements to see how intense your workouts are is a great feature.

I'm much more attracted to a product like this that ditches the superfluous email notifications that other smart devices have. I mean, what's the point in seeing an email scroll across your watch face when any attempt at a decent, legible and grammatically correct reply will require your smartphone? I don't want something on my hand that buzzes all day and forces me to check some other device. I want something that is just there and tells me how well I'm working out and whether I'm sleeping well. Those are more related to my well being and I love the concept. Jawbone seems to be he first company that is specialising in this and their product looks pretty cool.

 

[Traut]

New Moto X bands, look sharp:
 

 

[Yaz4Ever]

Played with a Microsoft Band yesterday. Lots to like - GPS, heartrate monitoring, and good at handling notifications. But this thing is clunky, the early reviews give it a 4 hour battery life on GPS which renders it useless to me as a runner. Also using this thing for fitness and all day is going to create some funk. It's a step in the right direction but one or two generations away.

This is more what I was hoping the Apple Watch would look like.  Battery life is completely disappointing, though.

 

[Traut]

Got the Moto 360 with the new dark metal band. What a great looking watch. Still playing with the watch but first impressions are it's awfully cool. If I worked from home or did 40 hours at a desk it would be of limited utility because I'd have my phone and laptop nearby. But I'm often on the go, and the ability to be notified of and quickly respond to messages without my phone makes my life easier. Very cool, very early on, very expensive, and awfully nice looking.

 

[Foulkey Reese]

Got the Moto 360 with the new dark metal band. What a great looking watch. Still playing with the watch but first impressions are it's awfully cool. If I worked from home or did 40 hours at a desk it would be of limited utility because I'd have my phone and laptop nearby. But I'm often on the go, and the ability to be notified of and quickly respond to messages without my phone makes my life easier. Very cool, very early on, very expensive, and awfully nice looking.

Man I'm so close to getting one just because it looks cool.
 
But like you said, sitting at a desk all day it seems like something I have absolutely no use for.

 

[Traut]

It's cool. And really succeeds because it's minimal and unobtrusive. It doesn't do a ton and that's great. I'd have no use running full apps on this thing. Google now is great for the watch. Though there's room for improvement, the other day I'm in a parking lot near a bus stop. I glance at my watch and there's a card displaying when the next bus arrives, the route and fare.

 

[teddykgb]

Not on the 360 specifically, but as a pebble wearer I would vouch for the overall utility of the smart watch even if you're at a desk for much of the day.  Driving back and forth, random times when you're waiting but can't pull your phone out, etc...there's pretty much always a moment or two a day where my watch notification is ultra useful.  These things are accessories, not primary computers, but they can really be useful to have.

 

[Traut]

More than anything, it looks and feels great on my wrist. If we were in a room together, you would never think I was wearing a "smart watch". The metal moto bands are fantastic. 

 

[Caspir]

That watch is gorgeous. How do you feel about the little sliver of screen that's cut off? I've been thinking of buying another watch, but I might get this as a Christmas gift to myself instead.

 

[Traut]

That watch is gorgeous. How do you feel about the little sliver of screen that's cut off? I've been thinking of buying another watch, but I might get this as a Christmas gift to myself instead.

On one hand it shouldn't exist. On the other, I don't notice it. The trade off is there's no bezel on this thing which adds to the overall look. If I were designing this - it's a trade I would make.

 

[Traut]

A week in, and I love this thing. It's a complimentary device. I've limited the notifications that I receive to only the most important. Being able to respond quickly to texts and emails via voice without opening my phone is even more convenient than it sounds. Being able to quickly schedule calendar entries and reminders also great. I love the 360. As an added plus it's a trusted device rich means I never have to unlock my phone. Whether or not any of this is with $300 - that's up to you. But I would purchase this again. Love it.

 

[NJ_Sox_Fan]

Anyone have the Samsung gear S? I've been debating getting one, or just grabbing a Samsung gear fit to run wlth (with Bluetooth headphones) ... I'm a fan of the curved display.