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I love that term. Are wearables even actually relevant at all? Or is it just for an extremely small subset of people?
That's pretty much exactly my thought. Why would we start wearing wrist watches again when we finally got rid of the stupid things...
Nobody's made a good wearable computer yet
Nobody's made a good wearable computer yet
While this is true, it doesn't mean that nobody's made a good wearable *device* yet. Millions of people wear fitness trackers, for example. I'm wearing one right now, along with an actual watch on my other wrist, because fitness trackers make lousy watches. In the health care field it's almost as if an Apple Watch is part of the uniform. They use it to have a convenient clock, stopwatch, and message terminal handy. But while it is a computing *device*, it is not a computer; not the kind you'd work on
This is a fail for google and they will quietly kill them off soon.
This is a fail for google and they will quietly kill them off soon.
They won't have to. They're already Stillborn!
I guess my point is that wearables are a useful *interface* without necessarily being a general purpose *computer* for most people.
[I have had an Apple Watch since the beginning.] I tend to disagree; the problem tha traditional watches solved was (generally) eliminated. For me personally, it took a few more generations before the Apple Watch did things I expected of my previous watches (tide times via third party complication, and compass). Today, the watch can pretty much take the place of your wallet, your phone, your airline tickets, [a calculator,] and a few other things while you are out and about. Specific to Apple, if they unl
Yes and no; being able to pay via tap on your watch vs phone is a value-add. The others are much the same. It is almost like comparing having information available on your desktop computer to having it on your phone.
I will probably replace this one at some point, but I will once again refuse to pay full price, because they cost way too much.
Are wearables even actually relevant at all?
Are wearables even actually relevant at all?
My spouse has an Apple Watch. She wears it when she runs to receive text msgs without carrying her phone.
Otherwise, she only wears it when she socializes with her friends. So it is primarily a fashion accessory. She has several watchbands to match her different outfits.
Or is it just for an extremely small subset of people?
Or is it just for an extremely small subset of people?
I know several people who own smartwatches, so I think the subset is small but not "extremely small." 30 million people own Apple Watches worldwide. But I don't see any "killer app" that will trigger wider adoption.
so I think the subset is small but not "extremely small." 30 million people own Apple Watches worldwide.
so I think the subset is small but not "extremely small." 30 million people own Apple Watches worldwide.
That's actually really small. Smaller than I expected.
Are wearables even actually relevant at all?
Even if you ignored the entire Apple Watch user base which is over 100 million users (worldwide)- FitBit exists and is very popular with anyone that exercises... are you willing to claim exercise itself is not relevant? Because you would have to in order to say wearables are not.
I love that term. Are wearables even actually relevant at all? Or is it just for an extremely small subset of people?
I love that term. Are wearables even actually relevant at all? Or is it just for an extremely small subset of people?
By extremely small subset of people, do you mean most people around you? The wearables market at close to 150million devices / quarter is only half of the entire mobile phone market (not just smartphones, but every mobile phone, 350million devices / quarter).
Maybe you live in the only corner of the world that these things aren't bought, but these days I see more people wearing smart watches, fitness bands, or other "wearables" than I have ever seen people wearing things on their wrist in the past.
So it's already out of Google/Android support ... :-)
Will become eWaste in 5 years tops. But good on EU to force Apple to sell USB-C cables now to reduce eWaste.
Mmm. Possibly not. This is attached to the Android and Google services products, so they'd probably just stop pushing updates but it would keep doing everything it already did.
Unless it has a non-replaceable battery, in which case sure.
But good on EU to force Apple to sell USB-C cables now to reduce eWaste.
And send to eWaste the decade's worth of lightning accessories that were created from speaker docks, alarm clocks and other devices.
Sure, there will be less e-waste in that less chargers need to be bought, but now all those accessories will need to be re-bought in the end.
Though, given Apple's rather muted objections, it could also just be a plan for Apple to force USB-C makers to install Apple authorization chips in everything. After
Had to google what a SoC was.
Posting anonymously because I'm secretly ashamed.
No idea came here to ask this.
TFA doesn't say so either. Lousy reporting and lousy summarizing.
At least it's not behind a paywall...
A SoC is a System On a Chip [wikipedia.org].
The CPU, GPU, and peripherals are integrated onto a single semiconductor die. Often, RAM is integrated as well.
"SoC" is not a term that an average person would know, but it is common enough that it should not need to be spelled out in an article written for a technical audience.
I've been working in IT for 20 years. I'm most definitely a "technical audience".
I still didn't know. A single reference or link would have cleared it up (to be fair, so would have a single search).
Now at least it makes sense. Thanks.
System on a Chip. The CPU, RAM, and wireless baseband.
Real question: what the hell do people do with these watches? The one niche case I've heard these are useful is for nurses because they can't have cell phones in some areas. So what in the hell do the rest of the people that buy these things need them for?!
Honestly, i feel like I'm an old man yelling at the wind because as far as I can tell, these things are expensive boondoggles that are vastly inferior to their lower power predecessors.
Some people like the wrist watch over the pocket watch, so similar principals apply.
Beyond that, being mounted on the wrist is a great place to do things like monitor pulse/ECG, and more reliably position to monitor arm movement.
What could i say? She wanted me to buy a tech toy. I'm not foolish enough to ruin that opportunity. I got the watch.
Turns out that it's nice. I can leave my wallet, phone, and keys (because i made an app that opens my garage door through a raspberry pi) behind. I can
Went for a swim myself today, and coming back tried to grab lunch at a food truck we hadn't been to in a while... their Apple Pay was down, so I got lucky. Burger and Fries next door, plus a little chicken dance. Damn we have a chicken problem. (middle of 7-Mile Miracle)
I have a Xiaomi Mi Band 6. Smaller screen, no NFC or cellular modem, but it does what I need. Heart rate and step tracking, timers/alarms, and can show notifications if I want but I don't use that functionality.
Best of all it was 20 bucks and replacement bands are 3 bucks for a pack of 3. It's waterproof, no need to take it off in the shower. Battery life is about 3 weeks.
For the money it's amazing. It sounds like you value the extra features on your smart watch, but to me they aren't worth 10-15x the price
To send weird, poorly understood txt messages with.
At least, that's my impression being on the receiving end of them.
It seems like the next version of my Fitbit Sense. HR, SPO2, ECG. Everything else about it is pretty shit (timer has like 3 presets max, Google Assistant can't hear a damn thing. I tried the phone call once just to find out if the microphone was working (it was)). The stupid proprietary band connector fell off at a gas station and the screen cracked on the concrete. Even the ECG failed to process the collected data one time I really wanted the analysis. And they won't give you all of your data unless you
It depends on the watch. For me personally, I use mine for activity and sleep tracking; actionable notifications from my phone, including voice-to-text replies; music and Podcast listening management; call handling (Particularly with Bluetooth earphones); frequent watch-face changes to match my mood and the situation; fast timers (multiple simultaneous sometimes); quick looks at my calendar and the weather; calendar reminders; and so I don't have to drag my phone out of my pocket all the time. It has also a
The one niche case I've heard these are useful is for nurses because they can't have cell phones in some areas.
The one niche case I've heard these are useful is for nurses because they can't have cell phones in some areas.
That makes no sense. If there is a reason to ban cell phones (privacy?, RF?, noise?), the same reason would apply to a smartwatch, which is a small cell phone that attaches to your wrist.
Not entirely; there also a hygiene aspect. My father is a doctor, and he likes his Apple Watch because he can see incoming call and text information without touching anything -- his gloves and watch don't cross-contaminate.
Granted, it's a limited use case. For myself, I use my fitness watch for tracking run details (location, speed, heart rate, cadence, etc.) and music. I keep my phone with me for real-time tracking, so my family knows where to look if I get hit by a bus or whatever, but otherwise my fit
Real question: what the hell do people do with these watches? The one niche case I've heard these are useful is for nurses because they can't have cell phones in some areas. So what in the hell do the rest of the people that buy these things need them for?! Honestly, i feel like I'm an old man yelling at the wind because as far as I can tell, these things are expensive boondoggles that are vastly inferior to their lower power predecessors.
Real question: what the hell do people do with these watches? The one niche case I've heard these are useful is for nurses because they can't have cell phones in some areas. So what in the hell do the rest of the people that buy these things need them for?!
Honestly, i feel like I'm an old man yelling at the wind because as far as I can tell, these things are expensive boondoggles that are vastly inferior to their lower power predecessors.
I use mine for golfing, so it displays the rangefinder on my wrist rather than having to look at the phone, and for a time/speed/distance display when I am biking - for the same reason. Granted my first gen Pebble could do these things just fine and the battery lasted a lot longer, so yeah, for me the newer tech has not added much functionality. It is still useful for what I use it for though.
Real question: what the hell do people do with these watches? The one niche case I've heard these are useful is for nurses because they can't have cell phones in some areas. So what in the hell do the rest of the people that buy these things need them for?! Honestly, i feel like I'm an old man yelling at the wind because as far as I can tell, these things are expensive boondoggles that are vastly inferior to their lower power predecessors.
Real question: what the hell do people do with these watches? The one niche case I've heard these are useful is for nurses because they can't have cell phones in some areas. So what in the hell do the rest of the people that buy these things need them for?!
Honestly, i feel like I'm an old man yelling at the wind because as far as I can tell, these things are expensive boondoggles that are vastly inferior to their lower power predecessors.
What do you want to do? You're talking about devices with a load of features which may suit some people and not others. They tell time, weather, track movement, give you detailed sports and sleep statistics (modern ones even give you blood pressure, ECG, stress etc), they can control smart home devices, locate your phone, adjust your music system and ... did I mention they also tell time? Because people historically wore things which tell time on their wrist.
Personally: - A useful feature for me is the find
What do you want to do?
What do you want to do?
This is really the crux of my question. What are people using it for?
One of the guys at work just likes it as a watch and as far as I can tell the only smart feature he uses is to see his Whatsapp message.
One of the guys at work just likes it as a watch and as far as I can tell the only smart feature he uses is to see his Whatsapp message.
I suspect this is typical behavior: buy fancy boondoggle, utilize a tiny fraction of the functionality. It reminds of people who buy huge trucks but never/rarely haul anything.
- A useful feature for me is the find my phone button which takes my phone off silent and plays an alarm. Very handy is also a bluetooth link button since that shows me straight away if said unfindable phone was accidentally forgotten in my car.
- A useful feature for me is the find my phone button which takes my phone off silent and plays an alarm. Very handy is also a bluetooth link button since that shows me straight away if said unfindable phone was accidentally forgotten in my car.
It strikes me that you leave your smartphone in unknown places precisely because it has so much centralized functionality. Personally, I think sticking with a non-smartphone and using more dedicated devices is a better solution.
- Yesterday I was downstairs painting, my phone was on silent upstairs. The ringing notification came to my wrist. I had a set of bluetooth headsets handy so I didn't even need to go upstairs to take the phone call. That's assuming you don't own a smartwatch which doubles as a bluetooth headset: https://consumer.huawei.com/en [huawei.com]... [huawei.com]
- Yesterday I was downstairs painting, my phone was on silent upstairs. The ringing notification came to my wrist. I had a set of bluetooth headsets handy so I didn't even need to go upstairs to take the phone call. That's assuming you don't own a smartwatch which doubles as a bluetooth headset: https://consumer.huawei.com/en [huawei.com]... [huawei.com]
In my estimate, many people use the
$349 for any watch? Fixed that for you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
(I'll pick Coros Pace 2 [coros.com] way better for me)
Not that I'm worthy of one! ;)
I like how they run off the wearer's energy though.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
what am I missing 320 ppi * 1.6 is 512?
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