Do you think you will buy a smart watch in the next year?

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boomhower

boomhower

Diamond Member
Sep 13, 2007
7,228
19
81
I doubt it. I'm thinking more 2015 if ever. First it has to look like a watch, not anything like the Gear. Second I want accurate HBM. If I'm getting a smart watch I want to be able to get rid of my chest monitor. I'm more into for the health aspects and less of the notifications. I'm not to lazy to pull out my phone to check than just look at my wrist.
 
jpeyton

jpeyton

Moderator in SFF, Notebooks, Pre-Built/Barebones
Moderator
Aug 23, 2003
25,375
142
116
I prefer dumb watches. The kind that you have to occasionally wind, and set the time and date manually.
 
RockinZ28

RockinZ28

Platinum Member
Mar 5, 2008
2,171
49
101
At first I thought super ghey and never looked into it until last week. Read about the functions of the Sony SW2, and I think it will aid me quite a bit. Will find out when it gets here Tuesday.
 
D

dawheat

Diamond Member
Sep 14, 2000
3,132
93
91
After using the Gear and Gear Fit and never being a watch lover, I want a smarter device, not a watch. So I want the Gear Fit to become thinner and even lighter so it's unnoticeable when wearing it 24/7, become more rugged, and get a week of battery life.

Functionally, make it track health and exercise automatically 24/7 and more deeply and intelligently know when to pass alerts and when not to (auto sleep mode). Let me be able to respond with more than canned messages and have deep Google Now type functionality (always listening so I can easily set timers, send quick messages, etc when my hands are busy).

Feels like we're still 1.5 years away though there'll be steady progress from now until then.

More out there stuff - in NYC most big stores have NFC terminals - being able to swipe through my loaded cards quickly and having proximity payments would be kind of cool and better than currently pulling out the phone, unlocking it, opening the app, etc. Also being able to use it as my subway/bus pass. Being able to trigger a taxi or Uber pickup with my location automatically sent out and synced to the corresponding app for payment. Very precise deal alerts (MAYBE) by the very aisle you're inside a store - so not random deals when you walk it, but if I'm hovering in the TV section, maybe a deal for just TVs.
 
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Eug

Eug

Lifer
Mar 11, 2000
24,167
1,812
126
No.

The Moto 360 is the first one that doesn't look totally moronic, so that's a step forward, but it still seems like it will be a pretty pointless device. Basically geek jewelry.

Now, they did say something that may be true. Potentially it could be marketed to people who actually wear watches, but I don't wear a watch.
 
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tommo123

Platinum Member
Sep 25, 2005
2,617
48
91
i like mine, a little anyway (smart watch 2 by sony). could be more but i think the techs a ways away. i use it to get text, facebook etc alerts without pulling my phone out. same with phone calls. the watch and my BT earphones means i can take calls without touching the phone.
 
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desura

Diamond Member
Mar 22, 2013
4,627
129
101
As a $60 novelty with lots of pretty effects, yes.

As something I really care about, no.

Actually, I'd probably be better served by a real watch.
 
S

SymphonyX7

Member
Oct 1, 2009
35
0
0
I don't see the use of smart watches when I can just pull my phone out of the pocket for a quick glance. Also, I like my watches and so far, only the Moto 360 actually looks like jewelry. Watches are jewelry; an accessory that enhances a person's appeal. Those idiots at Samsung who designed the Gear Fit, they went overboard by cramming too many features (which necessitate additional hardware estate) and the watch itself turned unsightly. Less is more in this case.

If someone can convince brands like Omega, Tissot, or even more practical ones like Fossil or Timex to just embed the display on the face of the watch (underneath the dials), I'd buy that. And there's also the power issue, where the Gear Fit totally fails -- who pays attention to their watch's power reserve in the short term?! I hope they can address that by making it ultra-low power or nearly self-sufficient energy-wise.
 
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dighn

Lifer
Aug 12, 2001
22,820
4
81
SymphonyX7 said:
If someone can convince brands like Omega, Tissot, or even more practical ones like Fossil or Timex to just embed the display on the face of the watch (underneath the dials), I'd buy that.
Click to expand...

problem with a premium smart watch is that the "gut" of it evolves so quickly that the watch would quickly become obsolete in function. a watch would need an upgradable core to be worth the price premium. i don't think that's a technical challenge the watch companies are willing to or even capable of solving any time soon.
 
destrekor

destrekor

Lifer
Nov 18, 2005
28,799
359
126
Eug said:
No.

The Moto 360 is the first one that doesn't look totally moronic, so that's a step forward, but it still seems like it will be a pretty pointless device. Basically geek jewelry.

Now, they did say something that may be true. Potentially it could be marketed to people who actually wear watches, but I don't wear a watch.
Click to expand...

Seems like you defined watches.

In this day and age, where smartphones have replaced the watch, or more specifically, the pocket watch. That was eclipsed in form and function by the wrist watch, much like a real wrist watch (or any wrist-based watch) IS better form and function over smart phone in the pocket like a watch in a pocket.

Perhaps many will be equally as satisfied sticking to the concept of the modern pocket watch, but ultimately, regardless of reason, all watches are in fact jewelry.
It is functional jewelry, but jewelry nonetheless.

If you like watches, but you are "modern enough" to be able to accept a watch without physical time movements and hands (though it simulates that and has the design of a classic watch, as opposed to some digital watch like a Timex or Casio digital face), then this is the first smart watch to really check all the blocks.

I do want the 360, but must admit it is not a guaranteed purchase. I need to see and feel it on my wrist - there is much that might annoy me about it, so I'll shop just like I'm shopping for a mechanical watch.
 
dbk

dbk

Lifer
Apr 23, 2004
17,685
10
81
absolutely not.. unless it shoots out holographic video like in the movies
 
S

SymphonyX7

Member
Oct 1, 2009
35
0
0
dighn said:
problem with a premium smart watch is that the "gut" of it evolves so quickly that the watch would quickly become obsolete in function. a watch would need an upgradable core to be worth the price premium. i don't think that's a technical challenge the watch companies are willing to or even capable of solving any time soon.
Click to expand...

I think a time frame of 5 years should be more than enough. Slapping Bluetooth 4.0 LP and a very low power Cortex M-based platform would be good. I don't think Bluetooth will go away in the foreseeable future and extending the lifespan of these watches can be done through the app on the smartphone itself, not the watch. They could improve the performance, particularly battery performance, of these watches with newer models. But the core functionality should be the same.

These watches are limited to providing you tidbits of information as well as providing minor interaction with the primary device (the smartphone). These include peeking at your latest email or SMS, getting RSS feeds, showing pedometer feedback, changing the song, etc. Like a watch tells time, these smart watches tell you the latest updates, and then some. You weren't meant to browse the web on them or type entire text messages. You whip out your actual phone to do that kind of stuff. Unfortunately, it seems the makers of the some of the smart watches on the market overlooked that.

destrekor said:
Perhaps many will be equally as satisfied sticking to the concept of the modern pocket watch, but ultimately, regardless of reason, all watches are in fact jewelry.
It is functional jewelry, but jewelry nonetheless.
Click to expand...

This. Watches will always be jewelry.
 
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