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If you JUST want a pedometer, heart rate and sleep monitor that syncs with Apple Health and can also send push notifications when in Bluetooth range of your pho

If you JUST want a pedometer, heart rate and sleep monitor that syncs with Apple Health and can also send push notifications when in Bluetooth range of your phone... then the going price on Amazon right now is around $30-35. For something that looks nearly identical to an Apple Watch, and has a battery life of 7-10 days. And for which you can find non-proprietary metal or leather replacement bands for ten to twenty bucks. It's insane at this point. I resisted getting a smartwatch for years, because I like the aesthetics of traditional analog watches, and did not want to charge a battery every day or two. Especially when the cheaper options a few years ago often required you to disassemble the band to reveal a USB male plug for charging, instead of just attaching a magnet to the back. But for "starter" smartwatches, prices have fallen and quality risen to the point now where you can try one out as a next-to-free impulse purchase, and just shrug and move on if it's not for you. Now I'm hooked on it. I don't so much care about push notifications for calls and emails, etc (i.e. my phone is already right there). But it's pushed me to walk about twice as many steps per day as I used to, and get about an hour more sleep per night. I've lost over 20 pounds since buying mine six months ago, from no conscious lifestyle changes beyond that. Plus the aesthetics have grown on me, so I don't think I'll ever be going back. On the other hand, I wouldn't even consider "upgrading" to a true Apple Watch until their battery life improves 5-10x.

stanmancan 5y ago
Battery life hasn't been an issue for me on the Series 5. I put it on when I wake up at 7am and when I go to bed around 10:30 I usually have about 40% battery life left. I don't sleep with mine on, so it charges at night, but even if you did you could probably get by on charging it for about an hour a day. My wife plops hers on the charger when we watch TV in the evening. The one nice thing I've enjoyed on this version is I went with the one with cell service. I haven't used it a ton, but it -is- nice to be able to leave your phone at home. I wouldn't intentionally make or accept calls on it, but having kids you always want to be reachable so in the case of an emergency it works fantastic.
- billti 5y ago
  It's a good way to force yourself to disconnect from work email and social media for a bit, but still be reachable. Leave the phone at home, and just wear the watch. You can still take a call or reply to a text from the wife in a pinch, but doing email or checking twitter/Facebook/hacker news isn't an option. I try and do this now when I go out with the kids to the park so I'm not tempted to be buried in my phone.
- StevePerkins 5y ago
  I put on my $30 watch on Monday, and usually have 30-40% the following Monday when I put it on the charger again for an hour. I’ve developed the habit of charging it during a weekly meeting Zoom call that I have at work. If you really want a “smartwatch on your wrist”, because you’ve wired up all your home appliances into Apple’s ecosystem or some use case like that, then great. A smartphone’s battery life may be acceptable. But if your use case includes, “track my heart rate 24 hours a day, my overnight sleeping patterns, and be an alarm clock and practical timepiece”, then paying hundreds of dollars for 18-36 hours of battery doesn’t really make a lot sense against the other options available now.
  - rootusrootus 5y ago
    > But if your use case includes, “track my heart rate 24 hours a day, my overnight sleeping patterns, and be an alarm clock and practical timepiece”, That's how I use my Apple Watch. But I don't leave it on for a week straight, I take it off and charge it when I hop in the shower. I haven't found a use case for the shower yet, but it could happen.

stanmancan 5y ago

Battery life hasn't been an issue for me on the Series 5. I put it on when I wake up at 7am and when I go to bed around 10:30 I usually have about 40% battery life left. I don't sleep with mine on, so it charges at night, but even if you did you could probably get by on charging it for about an hour a day. My wife plops hers on the charger when we watch TV in the evening. The one nice thing I've enjoyed on this version is I went with the one with cell service. I haven't used it a ton, but it -is- nice to be able to leave your phone at home. I wouldn't intentionally make or accept calls on it, but having kids you always want to be reachable so in the case of an emergency it works fantastic.

billti 5y ago
It's a good way to force yourself to disconnect from work email and social media for a bit, but still be reachable. Leave the phone at home, and just wear the watch. You can still take a call or reply to a text from the wife in a pinch, but doing email or checking twitter/Facebook/hacker news isn't an option. I try and do this now when I go out with the kids to the park so I'm not tempted to be buried in my phone.
StevePerkins 5y ago
I put on my $30 watch on Monday, and usually have 30-40% the following Monday when I put it on the charger again for an hour. I’ve developed the habit of charging it during a weekly meeting Zoom call that I have at work. If you really want a “smartwatch on your wrist”, because you’ve wired up all your home appliances into Apple’s ecosystem or some use case like that, then great. A smartphone’s battery life may be acceptable. But if your use case includes, “track my heart rate 24 hours a day, my overnight sleeping patterns, and be an alarm clock and practical timepiece”, then paying hundreds of dollars for 18-36 hours of battery doesn’t really make a lot sense against the other options available now.
- rootusrootus 5y ago
  > But if your use case includes, “track my heart rate 24 hours a day, my overnight sleeping patterns, and be an alarm clock and practical timepiece”, That's how I use my Apple Watch. But I don't leave it on for a week straight, I take it off and charge it when I hop in the shower. I haven't found a use case for the shower yet, but it could happen.