Smart Watches (not brand/ecosystem specific)

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kclsufan

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This is an offshoot from the Apple smart watch thread. I guess I just don't get smart watches--any of them. They seem to be more of an expensive novelty than anything else. The screens are just too small IMO and that's not going to change. If you're older or have eye issues, this is definitely an issue. Audio will be crap or non-existent. And of course the battery life/charge issue is there. My phone and tablets are much better platforms for apps and functionality. Yeah, yeah I know people say these types of things about every new tech innovation to roll out so I may be wrong. It's just one path I don't see myself taking. The one application that makes sense is using SW's as health monitors, but I'm more of a couch potato so that's irrelevant to me

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I'll try to use one example that I can relate to.

Mobile Phone>Cordless Phone>Landline

The movement over time has gone in chronological order from landline to cordless to mobile, all in an effort to increase mobility and ease of communication. Think about it in these terms on a macro level. Let's drill down though.

What's less invasive to a meeting or a business setting than someone sticking their head into the room and interrupting you? Receiving a phone call on a mobile phone? Of course you're right. But what's less invasive than that? Receiving a text, right?

Of course a big reason texts have become so ubiquitous is their ease of use, the relative public use of communication without distracting or disturbing others around you, or sending lasting info that can be referred back to by the end user (addresses, meeting times, codes to unlock an apartment gate, the location of your hidden apartment key to someone crashing, etc).

So as these means of communication have changed over time to increase mobility and reduce distraction by people around the user, they have required a heavy reliance on continually going for your phone in order to review them.

In the use that I'm thinking of, what if you didn't have to check your phone in a meeting? What if you're at the smart board facilitating and you receive two notifications back to back. One is for taking a medication, or picking a child up from practice or a recital. The other is noting your supervisory staff scheduled a back-to-back with you included immediately after your meeting is over.

If you're at the board or facilitating, you can't check either of these two without reaching for your phone and distracting your audience and derailing the collective focus of everyone there.

With a smart watch, you can send those notifications directly to the watch on your wrist, and a simple flick while writing or taking feedback from your audience allows you to visually process the notifications with a minimum of disruption to what you're doing.

In the same way that cells increased mobility over cordless phones increased mobility over landlines, the reduction in friction in allowing you to process information and communicate without distraction or disturbance adds value to a smart watch.

You can set a timer notification to alert you to a five minute warning before you have to leave. Take feedback from an introverted attendee regarding a piece of info you've forgotten, or any host of things just in this example.

The rise of the smartwatch is part of the natural evolution of how we've stripped away distraction and friction involved with communication. This is the next step as we've become heavily dependent on notifications as a part of that communication. E-Mails, geo-location alerts, reminders, meeting notifications, etc. The watch simply frees us from the electronic hub that we keep in our pockets nowadays. We don't have to reach for it. Just flick our wrist instead.

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The screens are just too small IMO and that's not going to change

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how much bigger of a screen do you need to see and dismiss a simple text? same for navigation..it only puts a street name & distance on it. its not a replacement for your phone..its an enhancement for it.

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Audio will be crap or non-existent.

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there is no audio (at least for android). there's no point.

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And of course the battery life/charge issue is there.

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battery is 3 days on my LG G. not the greatest but it definitely gives me time to remember to charge it.

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My phone and tablets are much better platforms for apps and functionality.

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depends on the app. watch is a much better tool for managing music, phone calls & texts while driving without ever removing your hands from the steering wheel and never taking your eyes off the road.

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The one application that makes sense is using SW's as health monitors,

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thats the only thing i DONT use my watch for. i have used a power meter & HR monitor for years and dont need that functionality on a watch while i'm just hanging out, only when i'm working out and even then you can 'graduate' beyond a HR monitor once you get a handle on how your feel.

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how much bigger of a screen do you need to see and dismiss a 160 character text? same for navigation..it only puts a street name & distance on it. its not a replacement for your phone..its an enhancement for it.

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You obviously aren't my eye Dr. I use voice directions or look at my phone screen mainly for nav.

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battery is 3 days on my LG G. not the greatest but it definitely gives me time to remember to charge it.

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That's more than I would have thought.

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depends on the app. watch is a much better tool for managing music, phone calls & texts while driving without ever removing your hands from the steering wheel and never taking your eyes off the road.

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You're going to have to explain this one to me

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i have a $100 pioneer bluetooth stereo in my 4runner that i can use as a speaker phone.

i used to have to pull out my phone and jack with google music or mess around with contacts to call someone.

now i have a watch on my wrist.

as i'm driving i say 'ok google call cad's wife' and it calls her.

i say 'text my wife to pick me up a sammich' and it texts her

i say 'play music' and google hits up my google play with a random genre playlist

i say 'drive to gas station' and it fires up navigation and takes me to the nearest gas station using small vibrations on my wrist each time i'm approaching a turn (along with display on the screen).

my phone chills on the passenger seat now or in a cup holder.

where i once used to fuss with my phone constantly in my car, now i never even pick it up

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Is the voice activation always active, or do you have to press something to activate it?

But thats purely voice activation, right?

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But thats purely voice activation, right?

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yes, all voice.

thats what google glass was all about too..the watch just listens and googles massive back-end search algorithm knows what you want it to do.

i should point out this is DIFFERENT than how the phone acts if you use voice. the watch will immediately send texts, make calls, etc. whereas the phone will ask you a couple times ARE YOU SURE and DO YOU WANT TO SEND NOW? i hate that.

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The screens are just too small IMO and that's not going to change. If you're older or have eye issues, this is definitely an issue.

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They are a supplement to your Smart Phone, not a replacement. Just like Smart Phones haven't replaced computers, Smart Watches won't replace Smart Phones, but they will remove the friction from accessing your phone's functions in a way similar to how your phone has reduced the friction on some of your computing needs. You still need and use a computer, just not as much.

I don't plan on getting a watch any time soon, but if I did I imagine one regular use would be Siri. Right now I have to pull out my phone and hold down the home button to activate Siri and tell her to set reminders, timers, etc. With an Apple Watch you only need to raise your wrist and start talking.

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In the same way that cells increased mobility over cordless phones increased mobility over landlines, the reduction in friction in allowing you to process information and communicate without distraction or disturbance adds value to a smart watch.

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Is a notification buzzing on your watch really all that less intrusive than a phone? And furthermore, until they make one that can be used without being tethered to a phone, then is it really saving any effort?

I wear a watch every day. I feel naked without one on my wrist. I can spend $1500 on a nice watch that will last me a life time for what I'd probably spend in 5 years on one of these upgrading to keep pace with tech.

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s a notification buzzing on your watch really all that less intrusive than a phone

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waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay less.

nobody notices the 1/2 second 'tickle' my watch does. it makes no sound at all and is completely invisible to anyone around you.

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until they make one that can be used without being tethered to a phone, then is it really saving any effort?

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yes, quite a bit.

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kclsufan

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Got it, thanks

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As long as your phone is plugged in and charging, if you have an iOS device you get the same functionality of "always on voice command" by saying "Hey Siri" and then the command.