Semi-smart watch thoughts

[Dashers]

Following on from QOTW - talk to me about smart watches.

I don't really want a "smart" watch, I want a watch that can receive bluetooth notifications from my phone. e.g. there is a call coming in (and maybe any other notification), possibly with the ability to reject the call from the watch.

What I really don't want though, is a watch that requires a bespoke app to run on the phone which will either require slurping of all my data, or turn into abandonware after a year. My naive software-developer mind tells me that there is nothing here that requires a bespoke app, and this level of notification should be supportable by the OS - which is Android in this instance.

I don't have any need for fitness trackers or any other gimmicks. And I really want to keep the price down below £100.

I just want to know if my phone is on silent, that I've got a call coming through. Or, for the wife, if her phone is in her bag and she's dealing with a screaming child, that there is a call coming through.

Can anybody help me out here?

[Saracen]

Um, I don't mean this to seem rude but .... you want a £100 wrist device to tell you the multi-hundred pound device in your pocket rang, or got a message?

Maybe I misunderstand?

[Zak33]

Um, I don't mean this to seem rude but .... you want a £100 wrist device to tell you the multi-hundred pound device in your pocket rang, or got a message?

Maybe I misunderstand?

Smart watches are exactly for that, but you don't always have the phone with you in your pocket. It might be in a bag by the pool and you're swimming. Or it might be on the charging station and you're sat watching tv and can't be arsed to get up.

and some have a sim slot...

https://consumer.huawei.com/uk/wearables/watch2/

check that out for examples

[jimbouk]

10 years ago you used to be able to get something like this, eg https://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/0...tooth_watches/


I think these days they might all be 'smarter'. Might be some 'non-branded' odd ones kicking around, otherwise you're onto Android Wear which are expensive and do more than you want with lots of compromises. Maybe a fitness tracker with a small screen would do the same trick, just don't use the fitness apps on the phone. Ebay throws up the usual rubbish for £10-£20, might be worth a punt?

[TheAnimus]

10 years ago you used to be able to get something like this, eg https://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/0...tooth_watches/


I think these days they might all be 'smarter'. Might be some 'non-branded' odd ones kicking around, otherwise you're onto Android Wear which are expensive and do more than you want with lots of compromises. Maybe a fitness tracker with a small screen would do the same trick, just don't use the fitness apps on the phone. Ebay throws up the usual rubbish for £10-£20, might be worth a punt?

1993 did it!

(I've actually got a Swatch The Beep somewhere in my parents attic!)

[Saracen]

Smart watches are exactly for that, but you don't always have the phone with you in your pocket. It might be in a bag by the pool and you're swimming. Or it might be on the charging station and you're sat watching tv and can't be arsed to get up.

and some have a sim slot...

https://consumer.huawei.com/uk/wearables/watch2/

check that out for examples

I was being a tad fascetious.

Personally, and I stress that, it's why I don't want one. If I'm taking a swim, or even relaxing by the pool (etc), the last thing I want is to be pestered by messages. It's about whether a device is a useful tool, or a noisy intrusion. I prefer to be able to 'disconnect'. Or these days, I guess, to be disconnected by default, and only connect to check in when it suits me.

But I accept that that's my preference, and either not the choice of many, or not an option even if they'd prefer it.

Which is why I was .... mocking, a bit.Teasing. Pulling his wotsit.

[jimbouk]

After a bit more searching on eBay I might pick up one of the 'mostly dumb' Bluetooth health tracker watches. I've not been wearing a watch for a while due to broken straps and cracked faces and prefer something small so for £10 I think they're worth a punt. Will be mostly for checking the time, but incoming call/message notifications when my phone is on silent at work, maybe media controls and can play with the pedometer (not that I walk/run anywhere, bike daily so maybe could strap it to my leg...). If it's pants then it's not the end of the world. Will update in a couple of weeks when I get one!

[Dashers]

To be fair, it's mostly for the wife I'm looking around. She loses her phone left right and centre, and if its in within bluetooth range she at least knows it's probably in a bag somewhere. And she never hears her phone ringing when it's in a bag when she's out with screaming kids.

There has been more than one occasion where she's been needed to be got hold of urgently yet has no idea.

From what I've seen from the fitness bands they all run off some dodgy app that creams all your data. I only need something that can do no more than what your average in-car bluetooth connection does.

Looks like they have fallen out of fashion though as they're not gimmicky enough for the mass-market.

[DanceswithUnix]

Given how some headphones have difficulty talking to a phone if it is in your back pocket I doubt you would be going very far with bluetooth.

Gearbest have loads of smart bands and watches, good luck trawling through all the models out there!

[b0redom]

My Fenix 5X works over Bluetooth and has a surprising range - as long as my phone is in the house at the same time I am it seems to work - even if my mobile is in the living room and I'm in the loft conversion. Granted it's more expensive than the OP was asking about, but you're only sending small chunks of data, not streaming high quality music.

[jimbouk]

Looks like a cheap, functional bluetooth watch that doesn't rely on an app is a pipe-dream currently. After browsing ebay/Amazon, the phones all rely on poorly reviewed apps with excessive permissions. Ah well.

[Iain M]

I got a Mi Band 2 from AliExpress for about £12.50 that can vibrate when you get a phone call, new message etc. https://i.imgur.com/dSkXlYA.png

[Dashers]

Looks like a cheap, functional bluetooth watch that doesn't rely on an app is a pipe-dream currently. After browsing ebay/Amazon, the phones all rely on poorly reviewed apps with excessive permissions. Ah well.

Same with everything else, sod the consumer, grab as much data. If I win the euromillions I'll bring consumer friendly tech to market.

I got a Mi Band 2 from AliExpress for about £12.50 that can vibrate when you get a phone call, new message etc. https://i.imgur.com/dSkXlYA.png

Do you need to use a proprietary app for this to work, or does that functionality work on bluetooth from the OS only?

[Iain M]

Do you need to use a proprietary app for this to work, or does that functionality work on bluetooth from the OS only?

I'm not sure if there's a way to enable the features without installing the Mi Fit app, so they're probably after our data as you mentioned before