Smartwatches

Ace_tECH · Jun 25, 2015

Hey guys I've been going over this topic in mind for a while now. Smartwatches , what are its uses. The only thing that stopped me from buying the LG Watch Urbane was the thought of how useful it would be. I mean for the price of last years Moto 360, I could have gotten a OnePlus One which has more capabilities than the watch. My point is, what good use is a smartwatch and do we actually need it ? Thanks

EarlyMon · Jun 25, 2015

Do we need 8 CPU cores?

I guess need is relative.

I need to know the time but eventually decided that I like my phone for that so I gave up wearing a watch altogether.

At this point, I think I need the silver Huawei Watch because it looks pretty sporty. Not sure if or how many functions beyond that I'd use.

Fortunately, one of my friends here mentally bet that I was kidding when I said that he owed me one, I mentally bet that he would respond that way, so I won the bet and now he owes me that watch. Plus he already owed me that watch anyway.

There was a thing at or around the Google I/O recently where they're working on gestures in space above the watch because there's only so much you can do on tiny surface with your finger.

That was actually first demonstrated with a phone in 2010 but everyone forgot so now it's brand new again.

I need to see that, I've been waiting 5 years.

So - good looking watch, easy access to texts that interrupt me, gestures above the watch face so I don't have to touch it just so to deal with said texts - add in more than a day or two of battery life and I could see me needing that (as in wanting, not as in needing).

Slug · Jun 25, 2015

Ace_tECH said:
My point is, what good use is a smartwatch

1. Important notifications of emails, messages and call arrive unobtrusively on my wrist, so I don't need to haul my phone out of my pocket every time to check whether it's important or not.

2. Most can store and play back music via Bluetooth earphones.

3. They can monitor physical activity, track location using GPS, and even help analyse sleeping patterns, making them very useful to anyone involved in sport or other outdoor activities.

4. They tell you the time.

and do we actually need it?

No, they're not for everyone. Having got used to having one myself for over 18mths, personally I wouldn't be without one.

doniago · Jun 25, 2015

It's ironic that I stopped wearing a watch when I got my first cellphone because I now had the time in a reasonably accessible location...and now I'm back to wearing a watch (Pebble) so that I have my notifications in a reasonably accessible location.

codesplice · Jun 25, 2015

It's no Huatch™, but I've been using a Pebble on a daily basis for over two years now. Being able to receive notifications on my wrist (and even respond to them in certain situations) means I spend a lot less time awkwardly dragging my phone out of my pocket. Like @Slug, I'd have a seriously hard time giving up that convenience - though I will also readily admit that they're not for everyone.

I can only imagine that it would be even more convenient with an Android Wear smartwatch and its tight integration with Google stuffs. :thumbsupdroid:

mikedt · Jun 25, 2015

Ace_tECH said:
Hey guys I've been going over this topic in mind for a while now. Smartwatches , what are its uses. The only thing that stopped me from buying the LG Watch Urbane was the thought of how useful it would be. I mean for the price of last years Moto 360, I could have gotten a OnePlus One which has more capabilities than the watch. My point is, what good use is a smartwatch and do we actually need it ? Thanks

Unless you're in China you have to import it from Hong Kong, unlike your Moto 360 and Droid Turbo or whatever, and even if you are in China you still can't practicably wear a OnePlus on your wrist.

..and if you do happen to be with Verizon, you can forget the OnePlus One.

funkylogik · Jun 27, 2015

I don't 'need " one but I'd like one purely for the watch face customisation (they really should come out with a dumb watch that offers that).
Other than that, I already hated wearing a watch before I got a phone and I don't think my hectic lifestyle (disability cheque alcoholic) really needs one. Plus my eyes are terrible, I'd have to carry a magnifying glass.
So.... Can't see me owning one in the near future... Who knows though, I can maybe see me wearing some kind of gesture controlled interface on my wrist some day.
Let's see where tech takes us :thumbsupdroid:

hiredgun · Jun 27, 2015

Just wanted to add my two cents and say that you don't have to spend a lot of money to enjoy a smartwatch and get good use out of it! We got this one in down town Seville a few weeks ago for 30 Euros, and couldn't be more happy. You know it's good if the folks at XDA like it, lol.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/sma.../smartwatch-zgpax-s28-built-sim-card-t2892716

funkylogik · Jun 27, 2015

hiredgun said:
Just wanted to add my two cents and say that you don't have to spend a lot of money to enjoy a smartwatch and get good use out of it! We got this one in down town Seville a few weeks ago for 30 Euros, and couldn't be more happy. You know it's good if the folks at XDA like it, lol.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/sma.../smartwatch-zgpax-s28-built-sim-card-t2892716

Bargain mate. Even takes its own sim if you want so you can clear some pocket space for the cash you get from selling your phone.
How does it look?

funkylogik · Jun 27, 2015

.... Sorry mate had to install flash. Doesny look half bad for 30 euro

hiredgun · Jun 27, 2015

We are very happy with it too, it retails at 50 Euros, which is still a good price, but we got it on sale!!

funkylogik said:
.... Sorry mate had to install flash. Doesny look half bad for 30 euro

AZgl1500 · Jun 27, 2015

funkylogik said:
I don't 'need " one but I'd like one purely for the watch face customisation (they really should come out with a dumb watch that offers that).
Other than that, I already hated wearing a watch before I got a phone and I don't think my hectic lifestyle (disability cheque alcoholic) really needs one. Plus my eyes are terrible, I'd have to carry a magnifying glass.
So.... Can't see me owning one in the near future... Who knows though, I can maybe see me wearing some kind of gesture controlled interface on my wrist some day.
Let's see where tech takes us

I saw a friend today who is enamored with his.... so, I asked him what is that thing good for?
He said, for a motorcycle rider like us, it is the Cat's Meow and he showed me why.
He did a couple of swipes, and hollered at Google to find Ihop and take him there. And, sure enough, a map came up telling him where to go. The same map appeared on his cellphone for a larger display if you want it.

but, I have never been able to wear jewelery of any kind, a wrist watch breaks my skin out into a rash.
Rings on my fingers are verboten because I work in electronics and laying a metal ring across a battery post is immediate amputation from electrical burns... told my wife when we got married, no point in buying me a ring, I will not wear one....

So, it is a gee whiz gadget that I have no use for.

funkylogik · Jun 30, 2015

Amputation from electrical burns is I great way to show your love though

KOLIO · Jun 30, 2015

Ace_tECH said:
My point is, what good use is a smartwatch and do we actually need it ? Thanks

Quick-Glance @ all notifications is a very convenient function,in many scenarios.
Very easy to determine at a glance if a notification is urgent enough to stop/interrupt whatever it is you're doing,whether profesionally,leisurely or socially.
That alone makes a smartwatch worth its weight in gold,IMHO.

mikedt · Jun 30, 2015

FWIW if I got my "professional" hat on I'm just not interested in SMS, IM, email or social network notifications, and in that situation "important" or "urgent" is if someone bursts through the door shouting FIRE!!

AZgl1500 · Jun 30, 2015

mikedt said:
FWIW if I got my "professional" hat on I'm just not interested in SMS, IM, email or social network notifications, and in that situation "important" or "urgent" is if someone bursts through the door shouting FIRE!!

that is exactly why I turn OFF both DATA and WiFi when my phone is locked.

there ain't a damn thing that I need to be made aware of unless it is an emergency, and a direct phone call handles that.

electricpete · Jun 30, 2015

For me a big value of smartphone is reminders of meetings. Also to-do items arranged to remind me of what I intended to be start doing at a given time (which admittedly is rarely what I'll do, but helps me remind me of how I planned my day at the start). And if my wife or kids are trying to get hold of me, that's usually important.... but I can't always count on my phone ringing because of meetings (silent mode).

I don't have one of them new-fangled smart watches, but I'm intrigued.

dontpanicbobby · Jul 1, 2015

Different watch faces for different moods is pretty cool. Samsung changing there OS to Tizen really set me back in getting a Smart Watch. I think the style of the Gear S is so cool but that darn Tizen ecosystem for apps and the like turned me off. I still might get one anyway. If nothing else it's good for telling time.

SavageRobot · Jul 1, 2015

I got one free with my Z1 (pre order bundle offer with EE, think it was the Sony smart watch 2). I thought it was pretty cool at first and good to have the notifications at a glance of watch rather than fumbling around in the pocket too.
However, it was so big (not a huge bloke and don't have big wrists as it is) it just looked daft on me and rubber straps and big, obviously not proper looking watch face just put me off and I stopped wearing it after a week or two.
When I saw LG's new watch (and my contract is coming to an end) I was thinking about upgrading to the G3 and hoping their watch would come bundled with it...then I saw the price of them lol (fat chance having that free). I can't justify the cost of a new phone alone just for a watch that gathers the same information anyway, plus could mean two lots of insurance at that price.
I see Huawei have got a new watch on the horizon, and with them still trying to make a name for themselves, and from what I hear, their products being good, I think I'll take a look at that when prices get announced, looks like a very nice one http://consumer.huawei.com/minisite/worldwide/huawei-watch/

Slug · Jul 1, 2015

AZgl1500 said:
there ain't a damn thing that I need to be made aware of unless it is an emergency, and a direct phone call handles that.

So your phone rings, you pull it out of your pocket... and it's a wrong number. Or a friend asking if you're free for a beer at the weekend.

My phone remains silent, a glance at my watch shows who is calling, and I can dismiss it (if desired) with a single swipe. That's one reason why it's useful. Which is what the OP asked.

EarlyMon · Jul 1, 2015

mikedt said:
FWIW if I got my "professional" hat on I'm just not interested in SMS, IM, email or social network notifications, and in that situation "important" or "urgent" is if someone bursts through the door shouting FIRE!!

Your profession is teacher.

Not sure you covered all the bases for all of the professions though.

Thanks for not answering your phone during class?

KOLIO · Jul 1, 2015

mikedt said:
FWIW if I got my "professional" hat on I'm just not interested in SMS, IM, email or social network notifications, and in that situation "important" or "urgent" is if someone bursts through the door shouting FIRE!!

EarlyMon said:
Your profession is teacher.

Not sure you covered all the bases for all of the professions though.

Thanks for not answering your phone during class?

You both make excellent points.
Some can turn off notifications/ignore them & be fine w/it.
However,my view is more in-line w/EarlyMon's,that a large portion of the GP can't resist picking up thier phone 100's of times a day,regardless of the situation/urgency (or lack thereof) notification,& do so to their own detriment,not to mention the apparent lack of consideration of the events/individuals in the present.

A quick glance @ a smartwatch can avoid a lot of this.....

lunatic59 · Jul 1, 2015

Stay geeky, my friend.

I don't need a smartwatch. I also don't need a smartphone, a car, or that bottle of 18 year-old single malt. (okay, it's a half bottle already, but you get the idea

)

I have been wearing mine for about 8 months. What i find indispensable are the reminders. The older and busier I get, the more I am taxing my failing memory. Being able to tell the watch to remind me to make a phone call or change a server setting after hours or pick up bread on the way home keeps my day running smoothly.

I do like the ability to quickly silence notifications on my phone without taking it our of my pocket. The email notifications and caller ID are handy as is all the functions of a dumb watch.

I think what you will find is that everyone has a different killer feature and other less important subsets. There are downsides, too, but I'd feel lost without mine now that i'm used to having it.

EarlyMon · Jul 1, 2015

KOLIO said:
You both make excellent points.
Some can turn off notifications/ignore them & be fine w/it.
However,my view is more in-line w/EarlyMon's,that a large portion of the GP can't resist picking up thier phone 100's of times a day,regardless of the situation/urgency (or lack thereof) notification,& do so to their own detriment,not to mention the apparent lack of consideration of the events/individuals in the present.

A quick glance @ a smartwatch can avoid a lot of this.....

Yeah.

I was thinking more of working in a lab, or anyone who works with their hands and gets customer calls, where pulling your phone out of your pocket is actually not always a small thing.

I use a kickstand on my phone - I often have it out and propped up so I can see the display while working on something.

I wasn't necessarily addressing the OCD aspect - I'm simply wondering if I need to have any more comments from people walking by and reading notifications intended for me, not them.

To everyone that doesn't see a need for a smartwatch - great. Glad that's working out for you.

Lately - I'm seeing more and more reason to see if one might work for me. Could be.

mikedt · Jul 1, 2015

EarlyMon said:
Your profession is teacher.

Not sure you covered all the bases for all of the professions though.

Thanks for not answering your phone during class?

A lot of times during class, phone is in the office anyway, and the only "tech" that's present is my laptop and DLP projector. If any students are playing with phones and other personal tech during class, they're warned once, do it again and it's confiscated. Sure that's covered all the bases for my profession anyway. :thumbsupdroid:

There's a clock on the wall at the back of the classroom for teacher's benefit, but if students wish to clock-watch they have to turn round to see it, that's if their not wearing their own personal timepieces of course.

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