Has anyone consider another smart watch?

[jamesapp]

Hello.

I'm planning on buying a ss black aw with the black link bracelet.

I just wondered if anyone currently thinking of buying an aw has owned another smart watch or given any serious thought of buying one from another manufacturer?

I know I just watched a 30 min video of a Samsung gear s watch on YouTube. The slightly wrapped screen intrigued me. But I definatly by the end of the review didn't like it.

I think the thing that turned me off was how the watch seemed like a phone strapped to your wrist. Which I initially with the aw being so reliant on the phone thought could be a drawback to the aw. Like I thought for the fitness features(even though I'm not into fitness so not a feature I was excited about) but I initially thought if you have to take your iPhone with you when your running anyway that it took away from the watch?

But after seeing the review of the Samsung gear s. I don't think I want or need my watch to have some of the standalone features. For instance, you can bring up a internet search engine right on the watch. And it has a fully functioning keyboard. And I do realize some people would love these features. But I personally was turned off after the review, it made me dizzy lol #

But to use the standalone features you have to pay extra to your carrier according to the review.

But I really like how apple has envisioned the watch functionality.

I see myself using my watch, and this is speculative I realize. But first as a time piece. I currently use my iPhone for time. I had a watch years ago. But it may sound stupid but I am really excited to wear an aw to tell time. And I think the idea of notifications I will use. Like if I get an email, I think it will be nice to be notified. And just glance at my watch and be able to decide if it is important.

Anyway, I'd like to hear from people who are planning on buying an aw, if they have either owned another smart watch? Or are seriously considering any of the competing brands?

 

[dacreativeguy]

Hello.

I'm planning on buying a ss black aw with the black link bracelet.

I just wondered if anyone currently thinking of buying an aw has owned another smart watch or given any serious thought of buying one from another manufacturer?

I know I just watched a 30 min video of a Samsung gear s watch on YouTube. The slightly wrapped screen intrigued me. But I definatly by the end of the review didn't like it.

I think the thing that turned me off was how watched seemed like a phone strapped to your wrist. Which I initially with the aw being so reliant on the phone thought could be a drawback to the aw. Like I thought for the fitness features(even though I'm not into fitness so not a feature I was excited about) but I initially thought if you have to take your iPhone with you when your running anyway that it took away from the watch?

But after seeing the review of the Samsung gear s. I don't think I want or need my watch to have some of the standalone features. For instance, you can bring up a internet search engine right on the watch. And it has a fully functioning keyboard. And I do realize some people would love these features. But I personally was turned off after the review, it made me dizzy lol #

But to use the standalone features you have to pay extra to your carrier according to the review.

But I really like how apple has envisioned the watch functionality.

I see myself using my watch, and this is speculative I realize. But first as a time piece. I currently use my iPhone for time. I had a watch years ago. But it may sound stupid but I am really excited to wear an aw to tell time. And I think the idea of notifications I will use. Like if I get an email, I think it will be nice to be notified. And just glance at my watch and be able to decide if it is important.

Anyway, I'd like to hear from people who are planning on buying an aw, if they have either owned another smart watch? Or are seriously considering any of the competing brands?

Have had a Pebble Kickstarter since they first shipped. It was a fantastic idea, the features were great, but their execution has been lacking. I'm expecting the apple watch to be everything the pebble was and more, plus rock solid performance and software integration.

 

[jamesapp]

When the aw was being rumored even before the first keynote. I did look at the pebble smart watch. I seriously thought of getting one.

I still think it is a good comparison but different. I'm going on memory. But it uses a different screen right? And the battery lasts longer? And it is compatible with an iPhone? Is that correct?

Anyway I think I read that it suffers as far as software updates or lack of software? But I still think it is a nice alternative.

 

[Armen]

I have a Pebble Watch:

Pros:

- Long battery Life
- screen is visible at all times unless it's too dark then the back light helps.

Cons:

- When notifications arrive you can only view/dismiss them. There is no touch screen or voice input like there is on the Apple watch to reply/respond with. (I understand the new Pebble Time has added mic input but not sure how good that would be).


- Analog watch faces look terrible (jagged broken lines) on the Pebble due to its inferior display.

You can view watch faces for yourself here:
http://pas.cpfx.ca/

 

[Esoom]

Another Pebble owner checking in, I'm getting more and more unhappy with it, will be trying an Apple Watch to see if it fits my needs

 

[macduke]

Just to add what others have said, I think the interface design on the Pebble Time leaves much to be desired. You're not going to get the deep integration with the iPhone, making it better for Android users.

 

[Mascots]

Used a Pebble back in the day!

I used it for a short while and rather liked it except for the lack of deep integration within iOS. And although that's not much of a fault of their own, that is what essentially killed it for me.

Overall it's a pretty good device. It just didn't serve much of a purpose for me.

 

[Mr.C]

Have had a Pebble Kickstarter since they first shipped. It was a fantastic idea, the features were great, but their execution has been lacking. I'm expecting the apple watch to be everything the pebble was and more, plus rock solid performance and software integration.

I agree with this and the general consensus on this thread about the Pebble. I've had mine since they first shipped but feel its kind of basic compared to what it could be and doesn't integrate with iOS as well as it does with Android. The Watch offers far more functionality and being an Apple product will integrate with my iPhone far far better then the Pebble. Aside from the poorer battery life I think the Watch will offer a much better experience.

 

[Mabus51]

The Withings Swiss made Activitè looks promising.

But honestly Apple sold me more on a traditional waterproof Swiss watch from Tissot than any of the offered smart watches including their own. I don't use Siri now, have no interest in ever using Siri, the majority of inputs done on the AW is thru Siri, daily recharge, and it's just a mirror of your iPhone on your wrist. The watch does nothing you can't already do on your iPhone. Precision time is BS as it updates from your phone which updates from the cell tower. The heart rate monitor doesn't measure your arrhythmia only give a guesstimates your BPM. By lighting up your veins to measure your blood flow only when activated. No daily recording of your BPM. There's apps already on the iPhone that do this with the camera and flash Withings health app does this with the camera as do many others.

 

[Newtons Apple]

The TAG+ IBM watch will be worth looking at when it arrives.

 

[Patriot24]

I spent a lot of time researching all of the Android smartwatches currently on the market. My friend let me wear his Moto 360 for a few hours at a party. Overall, they all feel like what they are - reactions to the rumors of Apple's participation in the market rather than fully formed products. I sensed that they all share a general lack of focus or vision.

To be fair, I haven't worn an Apple Watch for a few hours at a party yet, so the jury is still out. But, I do feel that Apple's product is more complete out of the gate than the others. Software and apps will likely be the deciding factor.

 

[slvrscoobie]

One more pebble'r here. I loved it at first, but quickly realized that without some 2 way communication, it became a device to help ignore things. Messages, email, FB, ect. I could quickly see a headline a decide if I needed to grab my phone.
Plus the apps crashed all the time, and I am on my 3rd hardware replacement.
I am hoping the apple watch works like all other apple 'things' and is basically flawless plus the ability to send quick messages back like when my wife just messaged me: "Can you see if the steak for dinner tonight is defrosted?"
I can just dictate 'sure'.

 

[bnekic]

I had a pebble steel, it sucked and I returned it. It just an incoming device not outgoing. Apple watch will be the best smart watch available.

 

[jbizzybeetle]

I have a Pebble Watch:

Pros:

- Long battery Life
- screen is visible at all times unless it's too dark then the back light helps.

Cons:

- When notifications arrive you can only view/dismiss them. There is no touch screen or voice input like there is on the Apple watch to reply/respond with. (I understand the new Pebble Time has added mic input but not sure how good that would be).


- Analog watch faces look terrible (jagged broken lines) on the Pebble due to its inferior display.

You can view watch faces for yourself here:
http://pas.cpfx.ca/

loved my Pebble Steel Black Matte although it was never more than a place-holder for Apple Watch, whatever Tim would name it. PS sold me on the value of watch connecting to iPhone, which AW could only enhance. Miss the PS, sold it for money to hold over for AW purchase.
(do despise Pebble CEO Eric M. for cutting PS price before Christmas, on a product out not even a year old. All Pebble Time kick starters should know Pebble hasn't delivered a product worldwide on time ever!)

I think Apple should pick the optimum time to slice the cord with any smart watch maker sucking at the Apple App ecosystem.
Goodbye Pebble, Martian, etc.
Bitter much? yes!

 

[Armen]

Pebble was a good start as a notification "viewer". Apple will have to take the baton and run with the "interacting" part.

 

[JohnApples]

Also a Pebble owner. Like has been stated a bunch of times already, Pebble was a nifty watch to have, and it was convenient to read notifications on my wrist as they come in. However, it became increasingly frustrating to not be able to reply to them or interact at all with them.

Also I agree that the analog watch faces on the Pebble are rather ugly, which is a shame because those are my favorite ones to use. Although the week-long battery is nice, charging nightly has never been an issue and is not really a selling point, for me personally.

That being said, the Pebble Time looks more of the same, and while I briefly considered it, it just doesn't offer enough for me to choose it over the Apple Watch. If I have to deal with a bezel as big as the Time's, it better have a crap ton of features packed in!

On a side note, ever since the Apple Watch event earlier this month, everyone has been asking me if my Pebble is the Watch Funny how no one batted an eye at my wrist beforehand!

 

[Armen]

loved my Pebble Steel Black Matte although it was never more than a place-holder for Apple Watch, whatever Tim would name it. PS sold me on the value of watch connecting to iPhone, which AW could only enhance. Miss the PS, sold it for money to hold over for AW purchase.
(do despise Pebble CEO Eric M. for cutting PS price before Christmas, on a product out not even a year old. All Pebble Time kick starters should know Pebble hasn't delivered a product worldwide on time ever!)

I think Apple should pick the optimum time to slice the cord with any smart watch maker sucking at the Apple App ecosystem.
Goodbye Pebble, Martian, etc.
Bitter much? yes!

I bought my Pebble for $80 as a place holder for the AW and to see if a smart watch was for me.

 

[djransom]

I bought my Pebble for $80 as a place holder for the AW and to see if a smart watch was for me.

I purchased mine for last week from Best Buy for $60 and returned it the next day. As stated before, great for incoming, but sucked for interaction.

 

[Armen]

I purchased mine for last week from Best Buy for $60 and returned it the next day. As stated before, great for incoming, but sucked for interaction.

Well, it still has some value. For me I can't feel vibrations in my pocket but I can on my wrist so that was a good start. Also, it buzzes to remind me when I've left my phone behind.

 

[pdqgp]

I think the thing that turned me off was how the watch seemed like a phone strapped to your wrist.

after seeing the review of the Samsung gear s. I don't think I want or need my watch to have some of the standalone features. For instance, you can bring up a internet search engine right on the watch. And it has a fully functioning keyboard. And I do realize some people would love these features. But I personally was turned off after the review, it made me dizzy lol # But to use the standalone features you have to pay extra to your carrier according to the review.

what about having a stand-alone wearable turns you off?

I really like how apple has envisioned the watch functionality.

What specifically about it's functionality?

 

[Sharkey311]

Nope. Nothing but the Apple Watch has enticed me. A Pebble would feel too half-assed.

 

[Tycho24]

I've been back & forth between getting an AW or one running AW.
While the AW looks amazing & I love Apple... Android has been doing amazing things with AW and definitely has the OS headstart (if not the tailwind that AW will see upon release).

I like what I'm hearing about AW getting gestures in the next release & I genuinely wish the AW was shipping with this feature!
It makes me feel like the OS on AW will seem dated at launch, compared to AW, if one needs your opposite hand to function, whilst the other does not.

 

[technosix]

My brother has used a Pebble since the very beginning. He really likes it's reliability, durability and features. Based on his happiness as an early adopter that's buys everything one could imagine, he nearly talked me into one. But then I read a very early, possibly even that first rumor that Apple might get into smartwatches. Being the Apple enthusiast I am, I decided to wait.

I absolutely rely on my smartphones to do a good amount of work when travelling internationally with my company. As such when I first got my iPhone 6 Plus and immediately began having problems, I was shocked and limited in what work I could do. Every single iPhone I had previously had been ideal and performed very well. I'd never had a bad experience before. Even the software bugs of past phones were minor and didn't limit the phones functionality.

So, based on the still buggy iPhone 6 and 6 Plus I'm patiently waiting for Apple to fix, I'm afraid I've lost confidence. Either they let the iPhone slide because they're all focused on Apple Watch, or it's a bigger problem than they're used to dealing with.

Either way I'm now taking the safe wait and see approach. I'd hate to get an Apple watch that crashes everyday like my iPhones. It's not the money for me, it's the lost time and incredible frustration of having a nice new Apple product that fails to work properly.

 

[DC Wallaby]

Although classifying it as a "smartwatch" would be a mistake, I do own a Martian Notifier. It does very little, but it does that very little well enough that I've been satisfied with this sub-$100 purchase.

That said, I doubt I'll use it once I get the Apple Watch, although I may have to leave the Apple Watch home in certain situations. The Martian is a lot less obtrusive, and is an actual analog watch.

 

[campingsk8er]

I guess its not needed, but I as well am a Pebble Smartwatch owner. When I originally got mine in December of 2013, I got it specifically as a device to hold me over until Apple came out with their wearable. I know back then it still wasn't guaranteed but nonetheless, its why I got the pebble. I've loved it everyday since and will be using it all the way up until the Apple Watch comes out, at which point, I'll probably just give it to a friend or something.