Do you really need a smart watch?

That guy is a true watch head.

I have an Apple Watch and I work from home. Wearing the AW helps get a more accurate count of my steps throughout the day, as most times I get up from my desk, I leave my phone at my desk.

Honestly I had a goal of taking 7,500 steps a day but I keep forgetting to take my phone with me as I walk around the house so I'm just missing a ton of steps since I've been wearing my AW less and less.

Mainly fitness. More comfortable with a wearable.

Smartwatches (aka wrist computer) CAN allow you to only take essential functions with you; you can unplug from all of the apps that sap productivity or being present with people in real life.

That said, you may want to unplug even further by not wearing a wrist computer or only wearing it for certain activities, like at the gym.

For me, the Apple Watch is the ball and chain to further burden ourselves to stay connected. Connected to people. Connected to work. Connected to responsibilities. Why? The phone is bad enough. Losing myself in the gliding/floating GS Spring drive seconds hand is much more pleasant

I have an Apple Watch and I wear it for three fitness events during the week which involve an interval timer, and Bluetooth music. It is on every level and entirely uninspiring watch, but a great portable phone, fitness, tool, and music source on your wrist. Totally portable totally useful. Other than those three or four hours a week I have no use for it. It is unattractive and not very comfortable. It’s a tool.

You’re really asking the wrong audience here if you want a general feel from the 225 million Apple Watch purchasers. That said… my personal view, there are few killer functionalities, but rather many many little enhancements and conveniences that the sum of all make it a game changer. My most used complications on my AW are the local outside temperature, stock price, count down timer, and activity tracker, and silent information notifications. The convenience of seeing them at a glance is really nice. My AW tracks all health related things which I share and inspire family and friends for activity. It has the best sleep tracking system of any device I’ve seen…. Something that can’t be done with a phone. I’ll often surreptitiously raise my wrist and whisper voice requests or commands to my watch to get a quick answer or turn off a light in the house that my kid left on. I get notifications of texts from family/friends instantly and silently and can respond accordingly. I know which one of them don’t have an AW, because they are only aware and respond when they think to look at their phone… lag is expected from the hold outs 😉. Navigation/directions is enhanced because I get a tap on the wrist when it’s time to turn. Ofcourse I could have Siri voice announce an upcoming direction, but that will always interrupt the conversation I’m having with other passengers. I pay for things at the store using my Apple Watch, since it’s quicker than the phone. It’s the fastest flashlight since i have the hot button on the side trigger... could be done on a phone after I get the phone out of my pocket and fiddle with the virtual button. If I’m wearing an Apple Watch, my phone or mac will just unlock without face or finger print authentication. This is extremely useful when you’re wearing a mask, or ski goggles/gloves, but just a minor convenience if unlocking a mac. …blah blah blah… I could go on.

Almost like saying why do you need multiple watches. If you have one watch, why do you need multiple. Or if you have a phone to tell time, why need a watch?

I use it to track my run. Smart watches like coros provide high accurate GPS and can last up to 30 days, or 30 hours on GPS mode. Much better than to use my phone to track my run, which would run flat in 4 hours.

Did I also mention it cost 249 usd

For that, i use a g-shock. Still awesome and do the job 😏

I have an Apple Watch Ultra. Love it. I participate in triathlons and hike a bit. It tracks my swimming (pool and open water). Syncs with other training devices (Form swim googles). Has SOS texting features in the back country. Has decent battery life and a large display. It’s also tough as hell. I wouldn’t take any of my “real” watches on training or hiking trips (unless it’s 3 or more consecutive hiking days (battery)…but in those scenarios I’d take both. Just keep the apple off or on airplane mode until needed)

Also, I love that I can sometimes just wear it and leave the phone at home. And people can still contact me via text or phone (or I can reach out in case I need to), but unlike when I have my phone with me, I’m less tempted to waste time on other apps (like this one 😂). Best wearable for some off-screen time (but still reachable in case of emergencies)

That is tricky. Currently for me no I do not need a smart watch. But both my mother and mother-in-law who are at risk if they fall need them for the fall detection and emergency contact capability and I have seen the feature work to get help to them quickly. Also I do not think it will be long before they are needed for thing like reading a blood sugar monitoring device,

NO!

I have an Apple Watch and use it at the gym/running/laps in the pool. There’s also the occasional car/house project where the Apple Watch is more useful than my phone.

I’ve always been a strong believer is using the best tool for the job and this is it. I can listen to music/podcasts, keep my hands free for the activity and still be connected to my family when I’m needed.

So yes, despite a specific use case, I think smart watches are fine.

I like what you did there…

Not everybody has an Ultra, and I like being able to do things without fishing my phone out. My phone is also not managing my heart and O2 levels.

Answering the phone when I’m not in the same room, or even thr same county with it. I also like paying for things without having to fish my walket out of my purse.

People who don’t know what good it is either never had one or had one in 2015 when it really didn’t do much.

That’s not how it works the steps aren’t being monitored by your phone they’re being monitored by the GPS in your watch. Either you’re lying or you have an eight-year-old Apple Watch.

Same thing I do!

1. Lying? On Watch crunch? About steps? Lol geez

2. I had the AW series 6 and now have an SE

Are you telling me that you believe that iPhone's are incapable of tracking steps? And your steps are only counted if you're wearing an Apple Watch? That's 100% inccorect.

Don't have a smart watch per se but I do have a Fitbit that I wear when working out or going for long walk with the dog

So I dual wrist - obsolete watch on the left wrist, and wrist computer on the right. It works well for me!

Love seeing my eccentricity validated from others doing the exact same for the exact same reason 😉. It’s easier during long sleeve weather season 😂

I’m wearing a Fitbit for fitness, sleep and SpO2 tracking, the screen and notifications are always off. I’m still trying to find the best way to wear both, a fitness tracker and a watch, double wristing feels weird.

Use of the word "need" is, I think, the source of the fundamental disconnect. Zero people need an Apple watch, just as zero people need a smart phone. Most of these items are luxuries we're privileged to enjoy.

Agreed! Once they solve the blood sugar monitor function, the smartwatch will be indespencible. The apple watch already out sells the entire Swiss watch industry. That will only accelerate.

Health metrics is the killer function. That's the reason Apple moved from network features to health. Hundreds of millions of people have high blood pressure and high blood sugar, etc.

I've said it before, smartwatches are the tool watches of our era.

I actually started with a Fitbit as a step tracker, then graduated to more of a “smartwatch” and used the crap out of it for years. One day saw a great deal on a A168 Casio and I was hooked on collecting ever since. I don’t have a problem with smart watches as they are very hepful for health oriented folks, and once you start to swap straps it’s hard to turn back from the idea of having something unique on your wrist.

I have an Apple Watch Series 8 & a Tudor Black Bay 54. I actually love mixing and matching depending on how I’m feeling and what I want to wear that day. I personally find the Apple Watch really useful when I’m working as it allows me to pick up notifications if I’m away from my desk I.e leave both iPhone and Computer behind. It’s also great for the fitness aspect and I feel like it motivates me to be more active. There are some days I check my fitness rings on the watch and it will force me to go a walk or a run to close them for that day. I also love the look and the mechanical aspect of my Tudor. For me it’s the perfect 2 watch combo, start and mechanical 🤝

I was a courier for a living , by 6.00am I would have already taken 10,000 steps 😂 you office workers and your step counters 😂 . My day just looking at my phone was 26kms ran and 19 stories high every day …..

No the claim was made that it doesn’t clock your steps unless you’re carrying your phone and that’s not true unless you have a very old or a very cheap Apple Watch. Seriously work on your reading comprehension

No. You misunderstood what I wrote. I said I leave my phone at my desk while I'm home. The only way my steps get counted while at home, is when I'm wearing my apple watch.

You responded to that by saying I'm either a liar or have an old watch lol and furthermore said "steps aren't being monitored by your phone they're being monitored by the GPS in your watch."

You know what? Nevermind. Blocked for being a rude, loud, wrong, idiot.