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We're a bit off from the smartwatch killing off the traditional watch. I wouldn't blame it on Apple doing a bad job if that is what you meant. If anything, they

We're a bit off from the smartwatch killing off the traditional watch. I wouldn't blame it on Apple doing a bad job if that is what you meant. If anything, they brought the smartwatch more mainstream with the release of the Apple Watch. So, we ask ourselves what is the reason the smartwatch hasn't replaced the traditional watch? There is a myriad of reasons. Let's start off with price points, then battery life, and go from there?

robg 10y ago
Price point is actually quite good. Battery life is terrible. After that though, what are the features that say you have to have this thing? I honestly can't name any. It's my phone with worse features.
coldtea 10y ago
>So, we ask ourselves what is the reason the smartwatch hasn't replaced the traditional watch? There is a myriad of reasons. Let's start off with price points, then battery life, and go from there? There's also that the watch (traditional or smart) is not so traditional to wear anymore anyway. Most people just don't bother owing one.
- nradov 10y ago
  Yes I wore a wristwatch every day purely out of habit for most of my life, until a few years ago when I realized it was pointless and uncomfortable so I quit. Now I only wear one on rare occasions as a fashion accessory.
virmundi 10y ago
As much as I like my Citizens Echo, I think the smartphone killed the watch for many. To introduce a watch after many abandoned them is odd. Until the screen is about as big as half a smartphone with twice the battery, I don't see the devices going mainstream.
- ghostDancer 10y ago
  For me, in my case, was not even the smartphone, the mobile phones did it, having a watch in my pocket was enough.
deleted 10y ago
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peterbraden 10y ago
The Apple watch is probably the worst example of a company trying to create a 'smart watch' without understanding what people use watches for. None of the smart bezel or anything like that make it more useful than just taking your phone out of your pocket. On the other hand, sports watches that track GPS and heart rate etc, do something that you don't want to use your phone for. (I have a Garmin that is fantastic.) Smart watches will take off when people nail the use case, and don't forget that we already have phones, so the watch doesn't need to do everything.
jsjohnst 10y ago
What makes you so sure Apple is even doing a bad job and maybe instead the expectations were overly hyped? If the bar is an Apple Watch for every iPhone user (let alone every smart phone user), the expectation was Steve Jobs distortion field-esque. When I lived in NYC (or traveled back to Silicon Valley), I kinda expected to see them everywhere (and did). But unintuitively, I also see them all the time in places I'd never expect (like say seeing a half dozen people wearing them in a Wal-mart in rural Arkansas). Yes, I'm looking for people wearing them so obviously I'll see them more, but that doesn't negate my point that I see more Apple Watches than any other brand of watch (smart or otherwise).
yoodenvranx 10y ago
> So, we ask ourselves what is the reason the smartwatch hasn't replaced the traditional watch? Because I just don't need it. I get only a dozen emails and whatsapp messages a day, I might spent at max an hour per week talking on the phone and my current schedule is very simple (e.g. wake up in the morning and drive to work). There is just no way how a smart watch could improve my day. I can see some usecases if you are a very busy person with a crammed schedule but for normal person there is just no need to have one.
- biktor_gj 10y ago
  The only reason I keep my G Watch R is because I get real time traffic notifications while driving two/from work. It has saved me quite some times from getting stuck in a car jam... Except the time it notified me after being rear hit... That time it pissed me off a bit, but stil worked :)

robg 10y ago

Price point is actually quite good. Battery life is terrible. After that though, what are the features that say you have to have this thing? I honestly can't name any. It's my phone with worse features.

coldtea 10y ago

>So, we ask ourselves what is the reason the smartwatch hasn't replaced the traditional watch? There is a myriad of reasons. Let's start off with price points, then battery life, and go from there? There's also that the watch (traditional or smart) is not so traditional to wear anymore anyway. Most people just don't bother owing one.

nradov 10y ago
Yes I wore a wristwatch every day purely out of habit for most of my life, until a few years ago when I realized it was pointless and uncomfortable so I quit. Now I only wear one on rare occasions as a fashion accessory.

virmundi 10y ago

As much as I like my Citizens Echo, I think the smartphone killed the watch for many. To introduce a watch after many abandoned them is odd. Until the screen is about as big as half a smartphone with twice the battery, I don't see the devices going mainstream.

ghostDancer 10y ago
For me, in my case, was not even the smartphone, the mobile phones did it, having a watch in my pocket was enough.

deleted 10y ago

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peterbraden 10y ago

The Apple watch is probably the worst example of a company trying to create a 'smart watch' without understanding what people use watches for. None of the smart bezel or anything like that make it more useful than just taking your phone out of your pocket. On the other hand, sports watches that track GPS and heart rate etc, do something that you don't want to use your phone for. (I have a Garmin that is fantastic.) Smart watches will take off when people nail the use case, and don't forget that we already have phones, so the watch doesn't need to do everything.

jsjohnst 10y ago

What makes you so sure Apple is even doing a bad job and maybe instead the expectations were overly hyped? If the bar is an Apple Watch for every iPhone user (let alone every smart phone user), the expectation was Steve Jobs distortion field-esque. When I lived in NYC (or traveled back to Silicon Valley), I kinda expected to see them everywhere (and did). But unintuitively, I also see them all the time in places I'd never expect (like say seeing a half dozen people wearing them in a Wal-mart in rural Arkansas). Yes, I'm looking for people wearing them so obviously I'll see them more, but that doesn't negate my point that I see more Apple Watches than any other brand of watch (smart or otherwise).

yoodenvranx 10y ago

> So, we ask ourselves what is the reason the smartwatch hasn't replaced the traditional watch? Because I just don't need it. I get only a dozen emails and whatsapp messages a day, I might spent at max an hour per week talking on the phone and my current schedule is very simple (e.g. wake up in the morning and drive to work). There is just no way how a smart watch could improve my day. I can see some usecases if you are a very busy person with a crammed schedule but for normal person there is just no need to have one.

biktor_gj 10y ago
The only reason I keep my G Watch R is because I get real time traffic notifications while driving two/from work. It has saved me quite some times from getting stuck in a car jam... Except the time it notified me after being rear hit... That time it pissed me off a bit, but stil worked :)