Smart watch

[FIYes]

Any smart watch users here? This is not a poll, I just thought that I would throw the topic out for discussion since I see discussion on watches and smartphones.

I ventured into the smart watch wearing category this summer. It has not lived up to my expectations.

Previously I had a Fitbit that received notifications of calls and texts. I really like the notifications. I am often not in the same room as my cell phone and if it rings I like being able to see at a glance who is calling. I don’t get a lot of calls and texts so the notifications are not frequent enough to be annoying. I am very careful about giving out my cell phone number so I get very few junk calls...unlike my land line which is about 90% junk.

So, I am wondering if you have a smart watch, what features do you like best? What brand of smart watch do you have?

I have a Fitbit Versa and have found it difficult to keep notifications running consistently. I am on a Fitbit forum and use the help I get there to manage my Versa, but it is annoying that I have to reset or work with the watch every two or three days to keep it working properly.

 

[happy2bretired]

I have Apple. I use text all the time and really appreciate the haptic alert when I have a text message. There are some suggested replies like “ok” that are easy to hurriedly respond with. There is also a scribble way too..just use your finger to write your message one letter at a time. You probably can use Siri too, but I don’t use that. I like the heart monitor especially when scooping snow. I always know the weather and temperature when home or when traveling. It works really good with Lyft. I make lists, recipes etc. very handy at the grocery store.

 

[bloom2708]

Samsung GearFit 2 (new model is GearFit Pro)

Small size and features that I utilize daily. Auto walks, Auto biking, Auto running. HR, steps calories and floor climbed. Sleep tracking/scores. Weekly summaries of activity levels. Records for steps, floors climbed.

I like the health nudges after 50 minutes of inactivity. After trying several others, this one "fits".

Price point is in that under $150 range. Battery lasts 1-2 days.

 

[RunningBum]

If your main purpose is to identify who is calling, use ring tones. I have a group with all of my contacts that has a ringtone assigned to it. This is different from my default ringtone, so now I can tell whether the caller is a contact (likely want to answer) or not (likely a spammer, so won't answer unless I'm expecting a call from someone like a doctor's office, which might not come from their contact number). I can also set specific ringtones for family, close friends, etc, that call often and/or I'd definitely want to answer.

 

[GalaxyBoy]

I also like my Apple Watch telling me who's calling, and that I can tap "decline" on my wrist for spam calls. Ring tones are good, too, but the iPhone has a setting to "announce calls" so when I hear it ring followed by Siri saying, "unknown caller," I know to decline or ignore it. I can also answer the phone using my watch over the house wifi, a la Dick Tracy.

Fitness tracking is useful. I have several customized watch faces I use in different situations or when the mood strikes me. One is for the gym and shows the daily progress for my exercise and move goals, has an icon to quickly start a workout, the stopwatch, and access to the music app. My daily face has icons showing current weather conditions, temperature, moon phase and sunset time. Plus others, you get the idea.

I'm quite addicted to it.

 

[FIYes]

I understand where you are coming from on ringtones, but I often don’t hear the phone ring. That is why I like the notification on my wrist. It really is handy.

 

[MOSAT]

I'm thinking about joining the smart watch crowd with an Apple Watch. I like music during my workouts so I've got my phone strapped on my bicep for cardio. It gets in the way for strength training, so I need to make a trip back to the locker after the cardio portion of the workout to remove it. I miss the music during the strength training.
I feel a bit old school and a bit ridiculous with a big half tablet strapped to my arm. I see all the younger people checking their wrists, maybe time to pony up the bucks and join the 21st century.

 

[Rustic23]

I never take my watch off. I mean almost never! To charge a watch nightly or anywhere close is a show stopper.

 

[Katsmeow]

I wonder if you have a bad Fitbit Versa. I have a Fitbit Versa and have no problem getting my notifications. Maybe ask Fitbit to trade yours in for another one....

 

[audreyh1]

Apple Watch. There is a boatload of features I use. Somewhere around here is a thread....

http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f29/apple-watch-88734.html

Yeah, my watch shows me who is calling, but I can often hear my phone announce it from the bedroom.

 

[googily]

I loved my Motorola 360 v2 Android watch, until the battery gave out. I've been waiting to pull the trigger on a new one--some new LGs are about to come out, if they haven't already.

Getting notifications on my wrist was so great, especially the phone. And it's a nice way to sneak peeks at what's going on in your world when you are driving, with a quick glance and without either hand leaving the steering wheel!

 

[CountryGal]

I was a fitbit user for many years and still wear the lowend one to stay in challenges with some people. I have an Apple watch for almost a year and LOVE it. It has a lot of the features on my fitbit. My reasons for loving it:
Timer. I use it at least a dozen times a day. For cooking. For almost anything. I am horrible with time, so it allows me to quickly remind myself to stop something or to do something.
Weather. With a touch I can see the temp or upcoming weather.
Alarms. I have it alarm me to wake up and to take meds.
Messages. I can answer text messages to some degree and see the entire message (including pics)
Phone. I can answer my phone with it and talk.
It is waterproof.

 

[iloveyoga]

I think there was another thread. I got one a few months ago and I really like it, more than I thought I would. It's nice not to miss a call when you know someone is going to be calling you. I enjoy the fitness features too. Oh, and the weather!

 

[HI Bill]

My wife is using the new Garmin Descent Mk I. It is both a fitness/smart watch, and a dive computer. While it is large, bulky, and does not have a touch screen, it has a lot of functionality, and features she loves. She has it programmed to show her heart rate continually. She only takes it off every few days to charge. It is good to see messages flash across the screen, also. She loves it!

 

[Ready]

If you haven't bought an Apple watch yet, I'd hold off. New models come out in September and the rumor is that the screen will be 15% larger without increasing the size of the watch at all (it will just have a smaller bezel).

 

[mpeirce]

I think it’s wild that I instinctively glance at my Apple watch now to see what the temperature is outside.

 

[COcheesehead]

Love my Apple. I don’t have to have my phone on my body for my wife to contact me. Don’t need to pull the phone out of my pocket while driving to see a text. Superior fitness apps. Easy on wrist reminders. Lots of band and face options. For a few bucks on eBay, I can make the watch look different. Battery holds a charge well. It gives me traffic updates to where I am driving. Not sure how that works. Kind of spooky in a way. Would buy another in a heart beat. Well worth the price for something I use everyday.
I had a Fitbit and now that seems like a toy in comparison.

 

[audreyh1]

I think it’s wild that I instinctively glance at my Apple watch now to see what the temperature is outside.

Yep - same here. Downtown (or wherever the watch data is coming from) is usually at most 1 degree different from what my house outside temperature gauge reads, so it's close enough!

 

[iloveyoga]

I forgot I love the timer. I time things all day long.

 

[Bestwifeever]

I forgot I love the timer. I time things all day long.

It’s just what we get used to doing, but Ditto definitely—you tell Siri to do it and your watch vibrates and makes a little clicky noise when time’s up. I often didn’t hear my phone’s timer go off. DH has reminders go off all day long. My watch charges in maybe 30 minutes? but I don’t like wearing it while sleeping so not a big deal for me.

 

[Katsmeow]

I often thought I would love to have an Apple Watch. But every time a new one comes out I can't give up the Fitbit and I don't even like the Fitbit software.

But -- the Fitbit can be worn 24/7 several days without needing charging. Specifically you can wear it at night and get sleep data and I can wear it and track my heart rate the entire day.

My understanding is that the Apple Watch doesn't not continuously monitor heart rate unless you are in exercise mode. Also, the battery life is such that you have to take it off every day to charge it so you can't track stuff 24/7.

I keep hoping that will get improved....

 

[audreyh1]

The Apple Watch does monitor your heart rate all day, just not nearly as often as during exercise. Yet enough to give you a heart rate graph for the day, determine your resting heart rate, notify you of sudden high heart rate when your activity is low, etc.

The Apple Watch probably can go two days between charges now, and short charge time anyway - could probably charge up most while in shower. But I don’t wear it overnight, so no big deal but I could if I really wanted to. I would just charge it while getting ready for bed.

 

[GalaxyBoy]

My experience with my Apple Watch Series 3 is also that it charges in about 30 minutes, and when I take it off for bed it's consistently at 50% charge at the end of the day. I don't wear it to bed, so that's not a big deal for me. Although it's waterproof they don't recommend wearing it in the shower due to the soap.

 

[audreyh1]

My experience with my Apple Watch Series 3 is also that it charges in about 30 minutes, and when I take it off for bed it's consistently at 50% charge at the end of the day. I don't wear it to bed, so that's not a big deal for me. Although it's waterproof they don't recommend wearing it in the shower due to the soap.

Yep. And easily charged by the time I’m out of the shower, brush teeth, etc.

I don’t care to wear my watch in the shower as I never have.

 

[happy2bretired]

If you haven't bought an Apple watch yet, I'd hold off. New models come out in September and the rumor is that the screen will be 15% larger without increasing the size of the watch at all (it will just have a smaller bezel).

I’m waiting for the new one. I’m hoping that as time goes on, more medical type functions will be made available, as I age. If and when my town goes to 100% digital emergency 911 service, I’m hoping I can ditch my landline phone and depend on my watch for 911 emergency situations.