New Google Smartwatch & the current (sad) state of affairs for Android Wear

[redbert31]

And to answer Pere's questions, no I don't see any more smart watches now than I did 2 years ago. I do notice more Apple watches than AW when I notice someone is wearing one. But even they are not having great sales, I believe. I used to get asked often if I had an Apple watch on. And would then explain it was an Android watch. Then the "what does it do" questions. Not so much anymore. It's been a long time since someone has asked what it is or what it does. Seems like the interest level just never caught on, except for techie folks, and folks that always wear a watch anyway so might as well be a smart watch (that's the category I am in).

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At some point I will be interested in an Android smartwatch, but since I have a super tiny wrist, I'll have to actually try it on in a store rather than just ordering it.. Not all regular watches look good when adjusted to be smaller and I don't want to look like a little kid trying on my Daddy's watch.. So, as a person who always wears a watch, yes, I would be interested, given the fact that I'd have to be able to try it on once they're in the stores ( would they only be at Verizon stores, or at other places where regular watches are sold?)

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[PereDroid]

Best Buy carries some.

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[Sajo]

Redbert, since many manufacturers seem to be stopping production they are going to be harder to find in stores. Verizon has some in stock, sometimes. Best But usually has a quite a few on hand but they are on a pole and you can't try them on. But to be honest, if your wrists are small (like my wife) you would look like a kid wearing dad's watch. I tried to get my wife to wear my LG G watch and it swallowed her wrist. Most Android wear watches are kind of large...And expensive. But if you can find one to try on, give it a try and see what you think.

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[tech_head]

I own lots of watches. (30+)
My favorite right now is my LG Urbane Second Edition. Unless I'm going out somewhere really nice and I want to wear one of my automatic or manual wind, I wear the LG. Great Watch!!!

 

[Jonny Kansas]

And to answer Pere's questions, no I don't see any more smart watches now than I did 2 years ago. I do notice more Apple watches than AW when I notice someone is wearing one. But even they are not having great sales, I believe. I used to get asked often if I had an Apple watch on. And would then explain it was an Android watch. Then the "what does it do" questions. Not so much anymore. It's been a long time since someone has asked what it is or what it does. Seems like the interest level just never caught on, except for techie folks, and folks that always wear a watch anyway so might as well be a smart watch (that's the category I am in).

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This has been my experience as well. The few people I've seen with smartwatches have an Apple Watch or fancy FitBit. The questions and intrigue I used to get is FAR less than it was a year or two ago.

I think you're all on to something. While I don't mind replacing my phone every year or two, I don't want to buy a new watch (especially at these prices) every year or two. That's a big draw back. If they want me to keep investing, the prices need to come way down.

Also, though my Watch Urbane (1st gen) is said to be getting 2.0, I haven't really seen a ton of new features added and I stopped putting silly little apps on my watch a long time ago.

I wear the watch every day at work and usually take it off shortly after I come home. If we go somewhere, I slap it on. What it is to me is a watch, first and foremost. I didn't wear a watch for years, but then started working in healthcare and needed one for taking vitals. So I got used to wearing one at work again. At a glance of my wrist, without removing my phone, I can see the time, the temp outside, the date, and my watch and phone battery levels.

Then, it's a notification butler. I do like the additions they've made to the OS and apps to allow more interaction with notifications without getting my phone out, but it's still easier to grab the phone for many notifications.

Maybe this will change with standalone apps and such with AW 2.0, but that's really all the watch is for me (and a quick way to start music playing). And that's all I NEED it to be. I have the Pixel XL. It's got a big beautiful screen. If I'm doing anything that takes more than a second or two or trying to look at something with any detail, I'm getting my phone out. At this point, that functionality won't really change as this watch gets older. Battery longevity and those kinds of things will become concerns, sure, but the core functions that I rely on the watch for are super basic. There's no need to replace it every year or two like a phone that gets noticeably sluggish after a while. If a watch got sluggish in the same way, I'd think twice before buying the next model.

I think the biggest mistake that manufacturers have made is to try and follow the same gameplan with these watches as they've found to work with phones. It's a different device and a different market. Moto, IMO, absolutely made the right decision to not keep reiterating year after year with these devices.

 

[akhenax]

I own lots of watches. (30+)
My favorite right now is my LG Urbane Second Edition. Unless I'm going out somewhere really nice and I want to wear one of my automatic or manual wind, I wear the LG. Great Watch!!!

You have 30+ watches that include smartwatches, or all smartwatches?

And yes, in the looks department, I think the LG Urbane 2 wins in that category, with the Moto 360 2nd gen 46mm, coming in 2nd (regardless of the flat tire), along with the Huawei.

Oh, and what are your thoughts regarding Amoled watch screens vs. LCD?

 

[Jonny Kansas]

Oh, and what are your thoughts regarding Amoled watch screens vs. LCD?

I'm a fan of AMOLED on my phone, so I feel like that translates to the watch as well. If nothing else, for battery life. Dim mode and a mostly black face and you're talking significant power savings on an AMOLED screen vs. LCD. Not to mention, since the pixels can turn off for black, sharper contrast, IMO.

 

[zinethar]

I got my Samsung Gear2 free with the Note 7. Can't beat the price. I belong to the old generation that always wore a watch so replacing mine with the smart watch was easy. Battery life still good. into 3rd day. It can be a pain when it fails to turn on when trying to see the time quickly (have to push a darn button). The feature I like most is the notifications. If my phone is on the charger and a call comes in my watch tells me (being a bit deaf makes that worthwhile!). and for others I can tell with a quick peak if I want to drag out my phone to reply to something. Overall love it and never thought I would. Younger generation never wore watches. Why did they think that would change?

 

[zinethar]

I got my Samsung Gear2 free with the Note 7. Can't beat the price. I belong to the old generation that always wore a watch so replacing mine with the smart watch was easy. Battery life still good. into 3rd day. It can be a pain when it fails to turn on when trying to see the time quickly (have to push a darn button). The feature I like most is the notifications. If my phone is on the charger and a call comes in my watch tells me (being a bit deaf makes that worthwhile!). and for others I can tell with a quick peak if I want to drag out my phone to reply to something. Overall love it and never thought I would. Younger generation never wore watches. Why did they think that would change?

 

[Sajo]

I got my Samsung Gear2 free with the Note 7. Can't beat the price. I belong to the old generation that always wore a watch so replacing mine with the smart watch was easy. Battery life still good. into 3rd day. It can be a pain when it fails to turn on when trying to see the time quickly (have to push a darn button). The feature I like most is the notifications. If my phone is on the charger and a call comes in my watch tells me (being a bit deaf makes that worthwhile!). and for others I can tell with a quick peak if I want to drag out my phone to reply to something. Overall love it and never thought I would. Younger generation never wore watches. Why did they think that would change?

Me too, always wore a watch my whole adult life because of my job; it was pretty much a necessity. So switching to a good priced smart watch was a logical choice. I also agree with the secondary notification system. A quick glance tells me if I need to get to my phone now and respond, or swipe it away for later.

 

[Sajo]

...What it is to me is a watch, first and foremost. I didn't wear a watch for years, but then started working in healthcare and needed one for taking vitals. So I got used to wearing one at work again. At a glance of my wrist, without removing my phone, I can see the time, the temp outside, the date, and my watch and phone battery levels.

Then, it's a notification butler. I do like the additions they've made to the OS and apps to allow more interaction with notifications without getting my phone out, but it's still easier to grab the phone for many notifications. ...

I know we have both said this before in other threads, but same here Jonny. I want a decent looking watch first; time & date. Then I want the extra notification system secondary. I like the ability to customize and change watch faces anytime I want; but I don't even do that very often anymore. I rotate between the same 2 - 3 faces and that's it. I was excited for AW 2.0 when i first heard about it. Now...not so much.

 

[redbert31]

Redbert, since many manufacturers seem to be stopping production they are going to be harder to find in stores. Verizon has some in stock, sometimes. Best But usually has a quite a few on hand but they are on a pole and you can't try them on. But to be honest, if your wrists are small (like my wife) you would look like a kid wearing dad's watch. I tried to get my wife to wear my LG G watch and it swallowed her wrist. Most Android wear watches are kind of large...And expensive. But if you can find one to try on, give it a try and see what you think.

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Thanks, I have to make a stop in Best Buy next week, so I'll take a look and see. I figured they'd be basically large, by I'll take a peek anyway

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[mountainbikermark]

I know we have both said this before in other threads, but same here Jonny. I want a decent looking watch first; time & date. Then I want the extra notification system secondary. I like the ability to customize and change watch faces anytime I want; but I don't even do that very often anymore. I rotate between the same 2 - 3 faces and that's it. I was excited for AW 2.0 when i first heard about it. Now...not so much.

When I first got my Gear S1 I used it much like a pda at work. It was priceless for my needs. I was excited for AW2 because Samsung has been lackluster in app development support for the potential usage of stand alone and Google seemed to be very proactive. My needs were very much personal (for my benefit since time is money) but now my needs are more for communicating with others and nobody has followed up on the potential for shared usage, such as sending lists, photos, documents, etc so I have acclimated back to using s-features on my phone and my watch has become more of a Casio Databank in how I use it. I still use Opera occasionally to check reported posts , a quick glance at social media if I'm bored, or check the tracking on a package from Amazon, as an example, but M expanded my phones ability to fill me needs much more than anything offered in the smartwatch world at the moment.
I still wear my S daily and use it for more than just telling time but what I was hoping would come to fruition in the AW world just seemed to have fallen off the face of the earth. I'm still hopeful that AW2.0 will be a game changer but my needs have changed to the point where there's nothing that in the present draws me to look beyond what I've already got and make due with because the few apps I do have are quite polished and I'm content with 2 days between charges still, though usually by the end of the with day on the second day the watch is switching into power save mode (gray scale screen and all apps but messaging , notifications, and phone becoming useless unless I manually switch modes) and though beaten to snot still works well in the looks department.
If AW2 ever releases I'll rethink things but what I saw offered with the S2 and S3 was not worth the price , especially with them decreasing functionality and screen size from my S1.

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[IIGood]

I'll say this much...Apple wearables are apparently rather popular vs Android.

My mom and I are looking to get my dad a new Apple Watch for his iPhone. We went to Best Buy and the local Apple store...both sold out. None available to order from Apple's Web site either...major backorder going on there, and they've apparently been sold out since before Christmas. Crazy.

 

[PereDroid]

FYI.
Just got an email from Asus: The Zenwatch 3 is back in stock.

 

[PereDroid]

More news ahead of Feb 9th announcement. DEV kit released. NFC function will only be for Pay. No read/write, or peer 2 peer. iOS improvements.

Google announces Android Wear 2.0 developer preview 5 with new developer updates and iOS support, but no new firmware

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