QOTW: Do you own a smartwatch?

[Goodman2576]

Yessss, just bought Suunto 3 fitness, main reason is to help me with training statistics, nice that can add heart rate straps and use for swimming in the pool, but have only connected GPS. Still the price is affordable and looks nice.

[Lord Midas]

Nope. I used to wear a Fitbit for a year, then thought what's the point? Yes, it's giving me stats on my daily walks and workouts, but it doesn't change my workouts. And thus became another faff.

Given to me by my woman nearly 14 years ago, I only wear my beloved Gold/Steel Gucci

[el_raberto]

No. My Animal and Citizen analogue watches do all that I need them to do, tell the time. The only "smart" device I need is my phone, a Moto G (4G), pretty old now but again it does all I need it to do.

[Phrontis]

The only people I ever see with a smart watch seem to be fashion victims. Never seen a tech person with one.

[this_is_gav]

I've got a Xiaomi Mi Band 2 (~£15), which is about as close as I'll ever get I imagine.

I only use it when going out for long walks to keep a rough idea of distance. I don't wear any watch any other time.

[Saker]

Yes, a Fossil Q Wander. I only bought it because my old watch gave up the ghost after many years, it reviewed well and it was at a very good sale price. Plus I was curious I suppose. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles of some smartwatches but the vast majority of the time I only use it to tell the time (duh) and occasionally as a timer.

[bbshmoo]

yes i own 2, a generic one and a sony smartwatch 2. they reduce the risk of dropping my phone while out and about.

[WyldeStile]

No. I don't see a need for one.

[Elspuddy]

No, its because im a cleaner and these hands while wareing gloves go down toilet, enuff said

[atomicWAR]

I swore when smart watches first dropped I would never touch one. Anyone who did IMO was an a fanboy (and at launch you were an idoit, a fanboy but usually both if you dove straight in at generation 1). I wore a pocket watch up till I was paralyzed in the military 20 years ago the first time, yeah I said first. It took two Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI) to hold me to a wheelchair... and a Army neurosurgeon with to left hands in the case of the second SCI. Anyways poor battery life, limited functions and honestly ugly watches were to blame.

Fast forward to this year. I had carple and cubital tunnel release surgeries to fix all that pesky damage being in a wheelchair as a tech on top of doing wheelchair skating (WCMX...look up https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKQsE2uzM98 ) and other extreme wheelchair sports in my 20s and 30s. Anyways just before I was one month after surgery I had to watch my arm usage so not to over or under use them. I started looking at fitbits and what not. I happened to stumble on the Samsung S3 Frontier Edition. It was an attractive watch for once. The S3 had everything I needed and it had good battery life while in blutooth mode plus it had 4G (over halves your battery life...one dayish). I kept looking for a fitbit though when...my phone was hacked and rendered unusable for a few days until I found a work around. Though in the end I choose to use my insurance as the hack damaged my battery some so i could only charge with my phone was rebooted fresh or off(long story).

After my phone hack all of a sudden an S3 smartwatch started looking more attractive. Not a lot of apps but it did have what I absolutely needed. The only thing I wish it had app wise was accubattery. I could make calls if my phone was broken or out of charge. So I decided to take it for a test drive and used my carriers 2 week return period to try it out. I was pleasantly suprised. It wasn't bulky or to small (never a complaint on smart watches to be fair)for my wheelchair arms as they are fairly over developed from over (ab)use. I now could track my arm usage easily. I got a heart rate monitor which was nice but not essential. I could answer calls from my wrist when digging for my phone was too much trouble or would take too much time (say like when working out). I also had nearly 4 day battery life. I quickly fell in love with the S3 Frontier edition now that my primary concerns for a wearable was addressed. Granted I do want to beat myself up sometimes as part of me still goes "WTF were you thinking you tech lemming" but in the end I am more happy with what I get from the S3 then worrying about what younger me thinks about it.

Smart watches are still a touch sell IMHO for most people but there is a market.
wearable use is growing as they add more features and increase battery life. Well this as not as true for android/ android wear for the more part. Minus one or two models for good battery life you need to look for better OS then android, for now. Speaking of potential customers though, for example, I noticed I am the second person with a back/SCI injury that had use for one in this forum. So I do see this market growing but it won't be another smart phone boom for the manufacturers. This one will be more a turtle racing rather than the hare.

[3dcandy]

As an aside I'm just charging the missus' Amazfit Bip. 28 days of good use and still 20% left

[nobodyspecial]

LOL...No. I only need it to look nice or tell time and my regular time piece is better looking than any tech watch and comes with 40 diamonds (that look nice part). I don't see the point. A phone has everything they do and I don't even carry those really unless forced (job related).

[pp05]

Use my phone to know the time. Plus my perception is I don't fancy charging it everyday when a 5 quid Casio will give you 5 years.

[philehidiot]

I'm waiting for the corneal implants and neural interface like in Deus Ex. I don't want wearable, I want implantable.

[3lDuK3]

Garmin Forerunner 235, not using it for running at present so get 2 week battery life (reason I bought it over the every charge watches). Notifications on wrist is nice, not having to pull out phone is good

[Friesiansam]

No, I see no need whatsoever also, why would I need sleep tracking? I know when I have been asleep and know when I have had enough sleep, don't need a watch to tell me.