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this is such a hard segment. Apple Watch feels like it should be the best, but it's so tightly linked to the Apple ecosystem that if you're not all-in then it'
by buro9 3y ago
this is such a hard segment.
Apple Watch feels like it should be the best, but it's so tightly linked to the Apple ecosystem that if you're not all-in then it's the worst option (cannot update it if you don't also have an iPhone)
Garmin looks great, and their watches are good, but their integrations with Apple or Google is weak, and they have so many strange quirks to them (just yesterday my partner's Garmin was out by 90 minutes for most of the day which baffled me as surely NTP + sync time via bluetooth with the phone!?)
Suunto actually is great, except their heart rate tracking is pretty average to awful, which is a real shame as the devices are otherwise excellent
And then the Google Watch ecosystem... watches that all feel laggy, 2nd class, and just lacking polish and finish, even the Pixel Watch just feels cheaper than it should
There's so much potential, but everyone slightly misses the mark for a different reason. I stick with a Casio G-shock which isn't smart, but works exceptionally well for the little it does, but I check out smart watches a few times a year... and it feels like digital SLRs, for a long time they were worse than a film camera, and eventually they were better... smart watches are still in the territory of worse, I'm hoping they continue to get better
- nextaccountic 3y ago> (cannot update it if you don't also have an iPhone) Really? Can't the EU do anything about it?
- jimjambw 3y agoIt’s not even true that you can’t update an Apple Watch without an iPhone. https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT204641 https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT204641
- buro9 3y agoI popped into an Apple Store (Covent Garden) recently and directly asked (as I want the heart rate monitor Apple has)... and the assistant's response was that you need an iPhone to set up the watch initially, and that same iPhone must be used periodically for updates (which ruled out using one in-store to set it up, apparently the watch is paired to an iPhone?). I trusted what the Apple person told me.
- crooked-v 3y agoBut you need an iPhone to set one up. It's a weird vestigial requirement at this point, and I suspect it's more about cell carrier limitations than Apple's preferences.
- ilarum 3y agowhy would a cell carrier be involved in setting up a wifi apple watch
- goosedragons 3y agoDon't you need an iPhone to even set up the watch?
- eloisant 3y agoThe Galaxy Watch from Samsung works great, even if you don't have a Samsung phone. I keep hearing how much better the Apple Watch is but I still can't see how. To start with, the GW6 classic looks like an actual classy watch while the Apple watch looks like a tiny phone strapped to your wrist.
- atwebb 3y agoI was wondering the same thing, the Galaxy Watches (before and after Tizen) have always been solid for me, granted we don't really have Apple products and I get the ecosystem advantage. Samsung does seem to iterate really, really fast...or just not sell out of the prior model.
- baking 3y agoI think it works better if you don't have a Samsung phone.
- heroprotagonist 3y agoThe vast majority of the Apple products which I repeatedly hear are superior are used by people who are completely locked into their ecosystem and only use Apple products. Which makes their advice less credible for several possible reasons: * they may not have the exposure to other products to have an authoritative opinion, * or they have used the products in a completely different context (eg, within the ecosystem with an iCloud account or other accompanying product), * or they might be expressing a bit of stockholm-esque sentiment ("it's the best I can easily use due to the limitations in which I can use this particular product and I love living within these limitations, so it's clearly the best option because everyone should love living within these limitations too..")
- nottorp 3y ago> and only use Apple products. I use only Apple products (desktop, laptop, phone, ipad), but I've never seriously considered the watch. Battery life less than a day? Come on...
- 3y ago
- m-p-3 3y agoI wish Garmin made sleeker models, I don't like that they're all bulky and tailored to physical activities. I like that Garmin seems dedicated to their devices, and I don't expect them to quit the market anytime soon which gives me confidence in their offerings, and their transflective display is IMO the way to go to reduce power consumption and making it readable in direct sunlight. But the bulky look, that I feel like it would worn by someone in the military doesn't fit my style at all. I want something more casual. EDIT: Ok it does seem like Garmin makes some sleeker models, but all of them seems to have an AMOLED display. I just want a sleek-looking smartwatch with multi-day/week long battery and an always-on display..
- maxerickson 3y agoThe forerunners are pretty casual. Like they aren't tiny and they have buttons and a digital display, but they aren't really bulky, especially in comparison to some of the fashion watch trends we have seen not that long ago.
- insane_dreamer 3y agoI did quite a bit of research and went with Withings (even though I have the full Apple ecosystem - iPhone, iPad, Mac, HomePod, etc.), mostly because I wanted something that had long battery life (no daily recharging), looked like a real watch, and had reliable cardiac (ECG) tracking. I've had it for a year and happy with it.
- buro9 3y agoI had not followed their recent products but now I look, I agree. One watch ordered, thanks for replying.
- Shawnj2 3y agoMy problem with Garmin is that the software is shit. The hardware is phenomenal, easily everything I could have wanted in a Pebble successor except that the design isn’t quite as fancy, but the software is absolute garbage compared to the Pebble I switched from.