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Off topic I guess but I wish smart watches would shrink. Anyone else find them just too bulky for something you wear all the time? Especially in thickness with

Off topic I guess but I wish smart watches would shrink. Anyone else find them just too bulky for something you wear all the time? Especially in thickness with the protruding sensors.

scrollaway 5y ago
Are you aware of Withings smart watches such as the scanwatch and scanwatch horizon?
natnatenathan 5y ago
I recently got the apple watch 7 in 41 mm and I don’t think it is too big. It is about the size of a normal watch. And the smooth corners make it the most comfortable watch I’ve ever worn.
- modeless 5y ago
  I find a lot of normal watches too thick. You'd think thinness would be a priority for comfort reasons but I guess not. Most phones are thinner than most watches. The Apple Watch is close to twice as thick as the iPad!
  - dan1234 5y ago
    Looking at the ifixit tear downs, it’s difficult to see how they could make it much thinner without sacrificing battery size or sensors. https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Apple+Watch+Series+6+Teardown/136694 https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Apple+Watch+Series+6+Teardow...
bArray 5y ago
I'm stilling waiting for proper stand-alone "smart watch phones". I don't think the form factor has been figured out yet, but I'm sure there is one. One way I imagine it being possible is with a detachable watch from the strap via magnets, meaning it can be interacted with without holding your arm up and also recharged without removing the watch strap. The move towards removing ports helps the idea and improve IPS rating (as it did with smartphones). The only real question is screen size. I'm still not convinced by folding displays, but it could be a possibility. The main requirement for a larger display is an on-display keyboard. A flip/slide-out keyboard could be interesting, especially something that types as nice as blackberry devices did [1]. [1] https://gadgetynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/iphone-keyboardcase-300x257.jpg https://gadgetynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/iphone-ke...
moron4hire 5y ago
I love my Garmin Vivoactive 3 specifically because it's not a massive chunk on my wrist. It's a little taller than other, regular watches I've had, but not by much. My wife got the 4s recently and it's definitely "regular watch size". And the battery life is pretty good, as smartwatches go. I usually go 3 days between charges. https://www.garmin.com/en-US/c/wearables-smartwatches/?series=BRAND562&sorter=featuredProducts-desc https://www.garmin.com/en-US/c/wearables-smartwatches/?serie...
- eternityforest 5y ago
  I love the Garmin watches! Not the best features compared to Wear, but Wear has intolerable battery life.
  - moron4hire 5y ago
    My only problem right now is that I prefer a nylon strap to the provided rubber strap (I think I might have a mild allergy?), but all the nylon straps I've found end up covering the heartrate sensor. I've tried cutting a window out of the straps, but it doesn't work, and the way I cut the window (soldering iron) left rough, irritating edges. I have an idea for v2 of modifying the straps (and luckily nylon straps are extremely cheap, plus v2 cuts out all of the effected area of v1), but I might go for a chainlink strap instead.
Auracle 5y ago
I’m the opposite. I’d love to have a full forearm device instead of a cell phone. Or at least something that could be worn on my arm and popped off - give me that sci-fi futurism.
- janandonly 5y ago
  For that reason I bought an Apple Watch SE with LTE. But it turn out your iPhone needs to be switched on to receive Signal messages on the watch. Only iMessage works without iPhone. Also the total number of apps is disappointingly slim. But yeah, you can walk around with a StarTrek-y device that can communicate a bit.
- vidarh 5y ago
  If you search for "Android wrist phone" on Aliexpress, you'll find anything from stuff to strap your full phone to your arm to ~3" Android phones on a watch strap... There's also one (search for Nubia) which seem to have a foldable screen. They all look like they're at least 2-3 generations away from having something great, though...
colordrops 5y ago
Depends on what you want it to do. I've been using a Mi Band which you can get for $35 on Amazon and has some 3rd party software options on android if you don't want corporations sucking in your health data.
- modeless 5y ago
  You mean the one without a screen? I want the opposite, a smartwatch with a screen, but without the health sensors which I find inaccurate and and overall rather pointless.
  - colordrops 5y ago
    It has a color screen, but it's focused on health sensors. It does support other things though like "find my phone", alarms, text message notifications, music control, weather etc. Lasts 14 days on a charge. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09D2RJ2RP https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09D2RJ2RP
hinkley 5y ago
I’m a little shocked the Apple Watch hasn’t slimmed down yet. I would have thought based ion the iPhone product history that they would realize a higher sales rate once the dimensions came down. But they’re still adding new sensors instead of shrinking the battery.
- dan1234 5y ago
  I’d really appreciate longer battery life before they start thinking of making it thinner! The current battery life is fine for day to day use (lasts 28-32hrs, can be charged while getting ready in the morning), but it’s a pain having to remember to take the charger when you’re away for a weekend.
  - hinkley 5y ago
    Definitely. My recollection is that the 3g came around the time that battery life was improved. Historically in Apple's product line, an improvement in either battery capacity or system efficiency was accompanied by a shrink in footprint. Batteries, especially the sorts Apple used in laptops, have some flexibility in shape and thickness. At this point I don't think they can make the display much larger than the 7 without increasing the footprint again. If they can keep boosting the efficiency per pixel, a larger display should mean slightly larger battery volume as well. I'm still a little bummed that their plan to incorporate batteries into the band never materialized. I was further disappointed when the hidden connector in the band slot went away after the beta program ended. (Also a little disappointed that the covers went magnetic with no way to include a small supplemental battery in place of the stiffeners). There are definitely some opportunities to expand the system to include these peripherals that we largely ignore. And there may be some opportunities to pack more of the circuitry into the curved areas on the sides of the watch. Currently the speaker takes up one side, the wheel takes a chunk of the other. I'm not sure how much of the band attachments require reinforcements at the ends but I would imagine it's the corners that matter the most there. I'm not sure how big the taptic package is in the 7 but in the 6 it was a significant fraction of the size of the battery. Also with the iPhone every time the screen got thinner either the device got thinner or the battery bigger. Not so with the watches. Thinner displays lead to an SPO2 monitor. How about we tap the brakes on more sensors for now and work on lifetime and package density for a couple iterations?
randycupertino 5y ago
> Anyone else find them just too bulky for something you wear all the time? Nope! As long as it's robust enough to hold up and not get scratched or smashed while I slam it in the car door or whack it against the cage at the gym or whatever else clumsy thing I do each particular moment, I think bigger is better.

Off topic I guess but I wish smart watches would shrink. Anyone else find them just too bulky for something you wear all the time? Especially in thickness with the protruding sensors.

scrollaway 5y ago

Are you aware of Withings smart watches such as the scanwatch and scanwatch horizon?

natnatenathan 5y ago

I recently got the apple watch 7 in 41 mm and I don’t think it is too big. It is about the size of a normal watch. And the smooth corners make it the most comfortable watch I’ve ever worn.

modeless 5y ago
I find a lot of normal watches too thick. You'd think thinness would be a priority for comfort reasons but I guess not. Most phones are thinner than most watches. The Apple Watch is close to twice as thick as the iPad!
- dan1234 5y ago
  Looking at the ifixit tear downs, it’s difficult to see how they could make it much thinner without sacrificing battery size or sensors. https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Apple+Watch+Series+6+Teardown/136694 https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Apple+Watch+Series+6+Teardow...

bArray 5y ago

I'm stilling waiting for proper stand-alone "smart watch phones". I don't think the form factor has been figured out yet, but I'm sure there is one. One way I imagine it being possible is with a detachable watch from the strap via magnets, meaning it can be interacted with without holding your arm up and also recharged without removing the watch strap. The move towards removing ports helps the idea and improve IPS rating (as it did with smartphones). The only real question is screen size. I'm still not convinced by folding displays, but it could be a possibility. The main requirement for a larger display is an on-display keyboard. A flip/slide-out keyboard could be interesting, especially something that types as nice as blackberry devices did [1]. [1] https://gadgetynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/iphone-keyboardcase-300x257.jpg https://gadgetynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/iphone-ke...

moron4hire 5y ago

I love my Garmin Vivoactive 3 specifically because it's not a massive chunk on my wrist. It's a little taller than other, regular watches I've had, but not by much. My wife got the 4s recently and it's definitely "regular watch size". And the battery life is pretty good, as smartwatches go. I usually go 3 days between charges. https://www.garmin.com/en-US/c/wearables-smartwatches/?series=BRAND562&sorter=featuredProducts-desc https://www.garmin.com/en-US/c/wearables-smartwatches/?serie...

eternityforest 5y ago
I love the Garmin watches! Not the best features compared to Wear, but Wear has intolerable battery life.
- moron4hire 5y ago
  My only problem right now is that I prefer a nylon strap to the provided rubber strap (I think I might have a mild allergy?), but all the nylon straps I've found end up covering the heartrate sensor. I've tried cutting a window out of the straps, but it doesn't work, and the way I cut the window (soldering iron) left rough, irritating edges. I have an idea for v2 of modifying the straps (and luckily nylon straps are extremely cheap, plus v2 cuts out all of the effected area of v1), but I might go for a chainlink strap instead.

Auracle 5y ago

I’m the opposite. I’d love to have a full forearm device instead of a cell phone. Or at least something that could be worn on my arm and popped off - give me that sci-fi futurism.

janandonly 5y ago
For that reason I bought an Apple Watch SE with LTE. But it turn out your iPhone needs to be switched on to receive Signal messages on the watch. Only iMessage works without iPhone. Also the total number of apps is disappointingly slim. But yeah, you can walk around with a StarTrek-y device that can communicate a bit.
vidarh 5y ago
If you search for "Android wrist phone" on Aliexpress, you'll find anything from stuff to strap your full phone to your arm to ~3" Android phones on a watch strap... There's also one (search for Nubia) which seem to have a foldable screen. They all look like they're at least 2-3 generations away from having something great, though...

colordrops 5y ago

Depends on what you want it to do. I've been using a Mi Band which you can get for $35 on Amazon and has some 3rd party software options on android if you don't want corporations sucking in your health data.

modeless 5y ago
You mean the one without a screen? I want the opposite, a smartwatch with a screen, but without the health sensors which I find inaccurate and and overall rather pointless.
- colordrops 5y ago
  It has a color screen, but it's focused on health sensors. It does support other things though like "find my phone", alarms, text message notifications, music control, weather etc. Lasts 14 days on a charge. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09D2RJ2RP https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09D2RJ2RP

hinkley 5y ago

I’m a little shocked the Apple Watch hasn’t slimmed down yet. I would have thought based ion the iPhone product history that they would realize a higher sales rate once the dimensions came down. But they’re still adding new sensors instead of shrinking the battery.

dan1234 5y ago
I’d really appreciate longer battery life before they start thinking of making it thinner! The current battery life is fine for day to day use (lasts 28-32hrs, can be charged while getting ready in the morning), but it’s a pain having to remember to take the charger when you’re away for a weekend.
- hinkley 5y ago
  Definitely. My recollection is that the 3g came around the time that battery life was improved. Historically in Apple's product line, an improvement in either battery capacity or system efficiency was accompanied by a shrink in footprint. Batteries, especially the sorts Apple used in laptops, have some flexibility in shape and thickness. At this point I don't think they can make the display much larger than the 7 without increasing the footprint again. If they can keep boosting the efficiency per pixel, a larger display should mean slightly larger battery volume as well. I'm still a little bummed that their plan to incorporate batteries into the band never materialized. I was further disappointed when the hidden connector in the band slot went away after the beta program ended. (Also a little disappointed that the covers went magnetic with no way to include a small supplemental battery in place of the stiffeners). There are definitely some opportunities to expand the system to include these peripherals that we largely ignore. And there may be some opportunities to pack more of the circuitry into the curved areas on the sides of the watch. Currently the speaker takes up one side, the wheel takes a chunk of the other. I'm not sure how much of the band attachments require reinforcements at the ends but I would imagine it's the corners that matter the most there. I'm not sure how big the taptic package is in the 7 but in the 6 it was a significant fraction of the size of the battery. Also with the iPhone every time the screen got thinner either the device got thinner or the battery bigger. Not so with the watches. Thinner displays lead to an SPO2 monitor. How about we tap the brakes on more sensors for now and work on lifetime and package density for a couple iterations?

randycupertino 5y ago

> Anyone else find them just too bulky for something you wear all the time? Nope! As long as it's robust enough to hold up and not get scratched or smashed while I slam it in the car door or whack it against the cage at the gym or whatever else clumsy thing I do each particular moment, I think bigger is better.