Discussion
Do we have a smartwatch thread? I couldn't find one.
I have long railed against smart watches as I prefer mechanical movements and was dubious about the point.
But, I saw this on kickstarter https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1282890542/ze...
It piqued my interest, so I have backed it.
It also prompted me to look at other smartwatches eg Gear S3 and Tag connected modular.
I am interested in peoples Smartwatch experiences and what they think of Zetime which seems like an interesting way to do a hybrid.
I have long railed against smart watches as I prefer mechanical movements and was dubious about the point.
But, I saw this on kickstarter https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1282890542/ze...
It piqued my interest, so I have backed it.
It also prompted me to look at other smartwatches eg Gear S3 and Tag connected modular.
I am interested in peoples Smartwatch experiences and what they think of Zetime which seems like an interesting way to do a hybrid.
Edited by blueg33 on Saturday 27th May 15:01
I got a pebble time from their kickstarter campaign a couple of years ago. It was a good watch and the texting & GPS features where great, especially when driving. [edit: before I get lynched I should clarify, being able to glance at incoming calls/texts/emails with both hands on the wheel without taking my phone out of my pocket was really handy, I wasn't actually texting with the thing we'll driving]
However the way they where bought out by a company with little intention of continued support really left a bad taste in my mouth, I sold mine on eBay at the end of last year for ~75% of what I had paid for it a year and a half beforehand, which is not too shabby for a bit if tech.
I don't think I would buy another. Android/apple watches are just too unusable as a normal watch, nobody else other than pebble seems to have come close with 7day+ battery Life's and useful apps.
However the way they where bought out by a company with little intention of continued support really left a bad taste in my mouth, I sold mine on eBay at the end of last year for ~75% of what I had paid for it a year and a half beforehand, which is not too shabby for a bit if tech.
I don't think I would buy another. Android/apple watches are just too unusable as a normal watch, nobody else other than pebble seems to have come close with 7day+ battery Life's and useful apps.
Edited by caelite on Saturday 27th May 14:29
swerni said:
I think the biggest problem that whole sector is faced with is obsolescence.
I agree.Tech moves so fast and these kinds of devices are only in their infancy really, especially with issues like battery life.
I honestly think that smart watches will be the wearable version of 3D TV's, people will get all excited over them for a few short years before simply not bothering with them anymore.
Certainly a minority will percevere with them for sports and fitness purposes, but they will never be common for everyone else.
People seem to buy them with the best of intentions, and then slowly but surely stop wearing them.
I love tech more than most people, and any new gadget gets me interested, but I cannot get excited over smart watches at all. My girlfriend has the first version of the Apple Watch and now owns V2, but I just can't see the point in it. I've tried!
I suppose the fact that I've got a nice automatic watch is one of the main reasons I don't fancy buying into the smart watch world as I just don't think you can compare the two, and most people I know would rather have the Rolex/TAG/Omega/Breitling if the opportunity arose.
Having said all that, I do look forward to seeing were the tech can go with smart watches.
I have a Tag Modular and love it. Posted photos on here recently.
I also have other main stream mechanical watches that I love too, Rolex, Brietling and Omega.
I tend to use my Tag for work and my other watches when out on an evening or weekend.
I appreciate both the Tag and my other watches for different reasons.
I also have other main stream mechanical watches that I love too, Rolex, Brietling and Omega.
I tend to use my Tag for work and my other watches when out on an evening or weekend.
I appreciate both the Tag and my other watches for different reasons.
Yipper said:
A lot of people are now ditching Fitbit fitness bands for Apple Watch smartwatches. Health, sleep and workout tracking becoming popular.
To be honest I don't know many people doing that at all.Fitbits do all you have said and are now quite discreet.
I know many people that have bought fitbits specifically because they don't buy into smart watches. The majority of them I know seem to have a decent watch plus a Fitbit. My wife, business partner and a fairly large amount of people at my gym being a few I know of.
swerni said:
Sales of Fitbit have tanked while sales of the Apple Watch have gone up sharply.
That doesn't indicate anyone is actually ditching anything, just not buying.
I say that as a Fitbit user for all the reason you mention.
All valid points.That doesn't indicate anyone is actually ditching anything, just not buying.
I say that as a Fitbit user for all the reason you mention.
To be honest I've never really seen Fitbits and Smart Watches as competitors. A lot of Smart Watch users I have met and bumped into at various business events don't look the sort to frequent the gym or be worried about how many steps they have taken that day if you know what I mean.
They probably say the same about me
The GMan said:
I have a Tag Modular and love it. Posted photos on here recently.
I also have other main stream mechanical watches that I love too, Rolex, Brietling and Omega.
I tend to use my Tag for work and my other watches when out on an evening or weekend.
I appreciate both the Tag and my other watches for different reasons.
This is how i think I will use a smartwatchI also have other main stream mechanical watches that I love too, Rolex, Brietling and Omega.
I tend to use my Tag for work and my other watches when out on an evening or weekend.
I appreciate both the Tag and my other watches for different reasons.
swerni said:
blueg33 said:
The GMan said:
I have a Tag Modular and love it. Posted photos on here recently.
I also have other main stream mechanical watches that I love too, Rolex, Brietling and Omega.
I tend to use my Tag for work and my other watches when out on an evening or weekend.
I appreciate both the Tag and my other watches for different reasons.
This is how i think I will use a smartwatchI also have other main stream mechanical watches that I love too, Rolex, Brietling and Omega.
I tend to use my Tag for work and my other watches when out on an evening or weekend.
I appreciate both the Tag and my other watches for different reasons.
I'm genuinely interested in how people use them.
Other than looking at messages without getting my phone out, I'm not sure what i'd ever do with it.
With the one I am looking at, I like the fact that I can change the look of the watch face, I may use the fitness tracking until I lose interest.
I will also be able to control my music player and use the watch as a remote shutter for my phone (once a year
)Its not too big an investment, to see how it goes.
Chap in our office uses his Apple Watch for messages as above, fitness instead of a fitbit and contactless payments etc.
I started with a Fitbit flex decided I wanted more notifications after 6mths so jumped to an Apple Watch original for just over a year.
Realised how tied to notifications and checking the screen I became so changed to a Chronos disc for the back of my existing auto and quartz watches ... this broke in Feb (after only 4wks use and I am still waiting for a replacement now).
Reverted back to my flex and have been using it since the Chronos broke, totally love it and have debated on a flex2 but don't want notifications, just basic sleep and movement tracking
Realised how tied to notifications and checking the screen I became so changed to a Chronos disc for the back of my existing auto and quartz watches ... this broke in Feb (after only 4wks use and I am still waiting for a replacement now).
Reverted back to my flex and have been using it since the Chronos broke, totally love it and have debated on a flex2 but don't want notifications, just basic sleep and movement tracking
I bought a coffee with apple pay with my watch, then realised i'd left my wallet in the car. That would have been embarrassing.
I bought it at release, its slowly worked its way into my routine, so much so that one day I forgot to put it on and found I missed it. It simply works (for me at least), no one aspect makes it worthwhile.
I bought it at release, its slowly worked its way into my routine, so much so that one day I forgot to put it on and found I missed it. It simply works (for me at least), no one aspect makes it worthwhile.
Started with a Fitbit Charge HR in 2015 then got an Apple Watch at Christmas last year. I enjoy the fitness/heart rate tracking for running and the gym and my notifications have been tailored to what I'd like to see - Text/Whatsapp and calendar reminders. Great for work as meeting reminders are discreetly sent without the need to pull the phone out of my pocket. When it comes to the weekend, if I don't want to feel 'connected' I can take it off and wear one of my nicer watches.
I also think it looks far nicer than the charge that preceded it.
I also think it looks far nicer than the charge that preceded it.
blueg33 said:
Do we have a smartwatch thread? I couldn't find one.
I have long railed against smart watches as I prefer mechanical movements and was dubious about the point.
But, I saw this on kickstarter https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1282890542/ze...
It piqued my interest, so I have backed it.
It also prompted me to look at other smartwatches eg Gear S3 and Tag connected modular.
I am interested in peoples Smartwatch experiences and what they think of Zetime which seems like an interesting way to do a hybrid.
That ZeTime Kickstarter worries me. I appreciate the project plan is a customer facing version, but the timescales for a new product development seem way too short - where's all the software development for the new OS?I have long railed against smart watches as I prefer mechanical movements and was dubious about the point.
But, I saw this on kickstarter https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1282890542/ze...
It piqued my interest, so I have backed it.
It also prompted me to look at other smartwatches eg Gear S3 and Tag connected modular.
I am interested in peoples Smartwatch experiences and what they think of Zetime which seems like an interesting way to do a hybrid.
Edited by blueg33 on Saturday 27th May 15:01
They seem to be following the usual Kickstarter strategy of promising the earth (like that proprietary OS, the display with a hole in it (which I think Apple have already patented), water resistance, better battery life than major manufacturers like LG, Huawei, Asus can offer) and then concentrating on irrelevant details like offering a dozen different finishes or a hundred different watch straps. I'd prefer them to concentrate on core functionality.
I just can't see how they can sell it at such a cheap price and include everything they say they will and deliver it on time.
Always a risk with Kickstarter, but they already make smartwatches and software will be an evolution or development of their existing applications. They have prototype product that was hands on at Basel-world on April. I indeestay that They hold the patent for they hole in the screen.
And the end of the day its going to cost me £200 so no great loss if its not great. To date i have backed two other products on kick starter, the first one has been delivered and is very good the second one looks good and also has excellent communication I don't expect that to be a problem so I'm hopeful that this watch will also be a good experience bearing in mind The level of communication we have had from the manufacturer.
And the end of the day its going to cost me £200 so no great loss if its not great. To date i have backed two other products on kick starter, the first one has been delivered and is very good the second one looks good and also has excellent communication I don't expect that to be a problem so I'm hopeful that this watch will also be a good experience bearing in mind The level of communication we have had from the manufacturer.
I think I've posted this before, but anyway...
I've got an Apple Watch that I wear on my right wrist. It's the most plain looking one I could find. I use it for Apple Pay/boarding passes, fitness tracking and notifications. As someone else posted, it's not a single thing that is compelling, but it's the whole package and little things like not missing calls because my phone is on silent.
On my left wrist I wear a JLC Master Geographic with a suit, a Daytona with anything else and nothing for sport.
I get the piss taken a bit for wearing two watches, but it's just banter and quite a few people when they've seen what the Apple Watch does, have commented on how it makes sense. To me the smartwatch is more electronics to make my life (marginally) easier, rather than a watch - I rarely look at it for the time - and my mechanical watches are man jewellery.
I've got an Apple Watch that I wear on my right wrist. It's the most plain looking one I could find. I use it for Apple Pay/boarding passes, fitness tracking and notifications. As someone else posted, it's not a single thing that is compelling, but it's the whole package and little things like not missing calls because my phone is on silent.
On my left wrist I wear a JLC Master Geographic with a suit, a Daytona with anything else and nothing for sport.
I get the piss taken a bit for wearing two watches, but it's just banter and quite a few people when they've seen what the Apple Watch does, have commented on how it makes sense. To me the smartwatch is more electronics to make my life (marginally) easier, rather than a watch - I rarely look at it for the time - and my mechanical watches are man jewellery.
blueg33 said:
Always a risk with Kickstarter, but they already make smartwatches and software will be an evolution or development of their existing applications. They have prototype product that was hands on at Basel-world on April. I indeestay that They hold the patent for they hole in the screen.
And the end of the day its going to cost me £200 so no great loss if its not great. To date i have backed two other products on kick starter, the first one has been delivered and is very good the second one looks good and also has excellent communication I don't expect that to be a problem so I'm hopeful that this watch will also be a good experience bearing in mind The level of communication we have had from the manufacturer.
Sorry, I didn't realise they already produced smart watches, I assumed it was a whole new venture. Hope it turns out OK for you - post a review on here when you receive it!And the end of the day its going to cost me £200 so no great loss if its not great. To date i have backed two other products on kick starter, the first one has been delivered and is very good the second one looks good and also has excellent communication I don't expect that to be a problem so I'm hopeful that this watch will also be a good experience bearing in mind The level of communication we have had from the manufacturer.
blueg33 said:
Do we have a smartwatch thread? I couldn't find one.
I had a bit of a rant about Apple iWatches a while ago:https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=16...
Unfortunately everything I said turned out to be wrong so I'm now a convert and proudly wear this:
When someone says it makes me look like a proper knob I adopt my 'I know sooo much more about things than you do' face
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