Ask Slashdot: Are There Any Good Smartwatches Or Fitness Trackers? 254
"What's your opinion on the current state of smartwatches?" asks long-time Slashdot reader rodrigoandrade. He's been researching both smartwatches and fitness trackers, and shares his own opinions:
- Manufacturers have learnt from Moto 360 that people want round smartwatches that actually look like traditional watches, with a couple of glaring exceptions....
- Android Wear 2.0 is a thing, not vaporware. It's still pretty raw (think of early Android phones) but it works well. The LG Sport Watch is the highest-end device that supports it.
- LTE-enabled smartwatches finally allow you to ditch your smartphone, if you wish. Just pop you nano SIM in it and party on. The availability is still limited to a few SKUs in some countries, and they're ludicrously expensive, but it's getting there.
Keep reading for his assessment of four high-end choices -- and share your own opinions in the comments.
The original submission includes this summary:
- Android Wear 2.0 is a thing, not vaporware. It's still pretty raw (think of early Android phones) but it works well. The LG Sport Watch is the highest-end device that supports it.
- LTE-enabled smartwatches finally allow you to ditch your smartphone, if you wish. Just pop you nano SIM in it and party on. The availability is still limited to a few SKUs in some countries, and they're ludicrously expensive, but it's getting there.
Keep reading for his assessment of four high-end choices -- and share your own opinions in the comments.
- The Samsung Galaxy Gear S3 is the one to beat right now. It's the coolest one, features all sensors you find in a smartphone, an LTE version, fitness apps, works with Android and iOS, etc. Only cons are the price and the Tizen OS.
- The Apple Watch works with iOS only and is almost useless without being paired with an iPhone. It's big, square, and nerdy-looking.
- LG Smart Watch Sport is the flagship Android Wear 2.0 device. It works as an extension of your smartphone, with notifications, the array of Google services, even including a rather neat touchscreen keyboard with handwriting recognition (yes, it works pretty well).
- The Fitbit Ionic was actually the result of Fitbit's acquisition of Pebble (yes, the Kickstarted company), and it's a fitness tracker first and smartwatch second, but it's a damn fine device. It looks even more nerdy than the Apple Watch, like some Star Trek device, and it's crazy expensive, but its fitness functionality is second to none. If you need the best fitness tracker money can buy and don't care about looking like an 80's nerd, then this is it."
And it ends with the following observation:
"In a day and age where tech companies offer too little in exchange for too much money (hello, Google Pixelbook, the $1000 notebook that only runs a web browser), we need to weigh our options carefully. With the exception of Apple Watch, all brands, not only the ones I listed, offer cheaper options with fewer features to accommodate every budget. The purchase decision, as with everything tech, depends on the features you want at the price you're willing to pay."
So what do Slashdot's readers think? Are there any good smartwatches or fitness trackers?
Fitness trackers offer no weight-loss benefit (Score:2, Informative)
Fitness trackers offer no weight-loss benefit and can make users fatter - study from University of Pittsburgh published in JAMA.
It is a waste of your money and time.
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No, that's not what the study said.
https://skeptics.stackexchange... [stackexchange.com]
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Re:Fitness trackers offer no weight-loss benefit (Score:5, Insightful)
I have anecdotal evidence that says otherwise. I've lost 50 pounds in the last year, and I'd give some of the credit to fitness tracking. Once I was collecting data on my health, the part of me that used to obsessively play CRPGs took over, and I started trying to improve all my stats. I believe taking regular measurements and gamifying the whole thing really helped me achieve my goals.
Now you can point out that it's only anecdotal evidence, but you shouldn't always ignore anecdotal evidence. If fitness tracking worked for one person, that means it can work. It just might not work for everyone in all situations. I could see someone thinking, subconsciously, "Well I'm tracking my fitness now, so I'm going to get healthier, so I don't have to worry as much about my diet and exercise." Obviously that's not going to work. Still, even if it turns out to be generally true that fitness trackers don't lead to weight loss, I'm pretty sure it's not true that fitness trackers can't offer weight-loss benefits.
Re: Fitness trackers offer no weight-loss benefit (Score:3, Interesting)
I purchased an Apple Watch 3 in October. I let it be my task master in the beginning and made it my goal to close all 3 rings. Iâ(TM)ve done so on all it 4 rest days. And, I have gone from 235 to 225. I am also seeing my glucose levels in the âoenormalâ range of 95-130 and reduced my meds for Tupe 2. My clothes fit better and I have to replace my dress shirts that now fit me like a tent. My suites all fit well again as well.
Is the watch the reason? Not directly. But, it did effect a beh
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I don't.
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If you're a fool then you'd ignore it. Anecdotal evidence should be taken as a data point in your set.
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Even if you are not using it for fitness, the notification and silent alarm features most trackers have can be really useful.
It can be assumed that 100% of people who would use a smart watch own a smartphone. And people who own a smartphone are rarely (if ever) without it.
Save your money and download a free app if you want a fitness tracker.
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And heart rate for we cardiophiles?
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Or for those of us with cardiac problems.
There is a market for heart rate monitoring devices that are neither aimed at those doing workouts, nor so big, clumsy and unconfigurable as those sold as medical devices. I don't think it would take much work at all to make these devices so they can be equally useful for someone running as someone who wants to monitor their arrhythmia.
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Precisely.
Here's one ramble and then a (poor) suggestion.
- I went to the appliance store to buy a dryer and the sales person pointed me to a monstrosity that had a shitload of settings several knobs,and he bragged that the goddam thing had a CLOCK.
All hat and no cattle.
- I'm looking into a chest band that records heart rate.
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If you live somewhere electricity is priced differently by time of day, having a clock on your dryer could be a feature that's very important to you.
But I'd prefer a dryer with no knobs at all. Nope, just a touchscreen for me, thanks.
Actually, a dryer is a perfect case for a smart appliance. Programmable start times, alerts on my phone when things are dry, alerts if there are any temperature anomalies, alerts if there are any malfunctions, maybe even programmable completion times, the dryer could do an in
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Actually, a dryer is a perfect case for a smart appliance.
For you.
I'm buying for me.
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Not really -- all it needs to do is measure temperature. When temperature suddenly goes up, load is dry. It can then signal via a buzzer.
Weight and initial dampness are largely irrelevant.
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It can be assumed that 100% of people who would use a smart watch own a smartphone. And people who own a smartphone are rarely (if ever) without it.
Save your money and download a free app if you want a fitness tracker.
Mostly true if your idea of fitness tracking is counting steps. However, more aggressive activities often require stashing the phone away or even not carrying it. No many swim with their phones. When I skate, I keep the phone in my camelback. It is safe and secure there and it can still send notifications to my garmin but I can't see anything on the display and I can't operate the controls. A few weeks back, I arrived on site sans garmin and resorted to using the phone. It seriously sucked. No lap co
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Well, by notification, I actually meant vibration.
Smartphone vibration motors tend to be weak, and unless you have it touching your body, if you are moving around, it is very easy to miss. Fitness trackers/smartwatches vibrate on your wrist, and it is a lot more noticeable. One use case was in a music festival. I had to meet with friends, and because of all that dancing and loud music, phone notifications were essentially useless, and checking messages or time regularly wasn't fun. Fitness tracker solved th
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GuB-42 observed:
Even if you are not using it for fitness, the notification and silent alarm features most trackers have can be really useful.
A couple of years ago I bought a Chinese "smartwatch" that runs the Nucleus OS on Mediatek hardware. It's a piece of wet, stinky shit.
First of all, although it will sync with my Nexus 6 (which I love and use all the time - principally as an ereader and telephone), it doesn't do it very well. Only a few apps can communicate with it, and it swiftly gets more than a little tiresome holding your wrist up to your mouth to talk on your phone. By contrast, a cheapo Bluetooth earpiece used
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I don't know about you, but personally, I welcome every distraction during the morning stand up meeting...
That your "team lead" looks at his wrist all the time during the meeting may be a signal that there is a problem with the meetings, not the smartwatch.
Re: Fitness trackers offer no weight-loss benefit (Score:3)
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Re: Fitness trackers offer no weight-loss benefit (Score:2)
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Re: Fitness trackers offer no weight-loss benefit (Score:3)
Re: Fitness trackers offer no weight-loss benefit (Score:2)
With the Apple Watch 3 LTE you donâ(TM)t need your phone while on a run, it will even stream music to your Bluetooth headphones (I use and love my Airpods).
Sure, you need an iPhone to set it up the first time, but it has a pretty decent interface for use while on a run. Also, I think with the myriad of bands and screens, they look stylish enough. Being able to handle calls and text messages sans your iPhone is an added bonus. The only thing Iâ(TM)m not fond of is lack of a web browser in a pinch.
Apple Watch (Score:5, Insightful)
The Apple Watch comes in two sizes, both smaller than the Gear S3. Why don't you just admit that you've already written the Apple Watch off as not for you and ask "are there any Android compatible smartwatches"? Because that's really the question you are asking, isn't it? Otherwise the answer is the Apple Watch. It's clearly far beyond the competition.
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Indeed - the whole submission is filled with trying to claim that no one wants a watch that's like the Apple Watch, despite it being the best selling smart watch by a massive margin, and the entire android market being basically dead because it's doing so well.
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That's much like saying you're the best IT geek in Elbonia.
As a fitness device, an Apple watch is gross overkill. For some people, all of this stuff is old news and Apple was last to the party.
For many of us the computer-as-watch still seems like the same kind of gimmick it was when it was first done with Linux 20 years ago.
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Ca. 1978, I recall the computer as checkbook balancer.
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If that IT geek is getting more business than anyone else in the world, sure.
What if last is best (Score:2)
Just because you are last to the party, does not mean you are not the life of the party...
Smartwatch segment was basically fallow and tiny before Apple Watch showed up to the party. I say that as someone who had a now-gone Pebble... there's a reason why Apple Watch sales are a huge percentage of the market.
Also it's not true Apple is last, other watch companies also slowly delivering competing concepts.
Apple Watch is so much better... (Score:5, Insightful)
If you are really serious about wanting a fitness tracker, the Apple Watch is so much better than any other choice that in fact it makes it worth getting an iPhone - so that requirement in a way does not matter.
Be aware though that telephone carriers all charge $10/month for the LTE version, which is even more after the taxes are added on. But still, if you want an always connected watch where you do not have to have the phone with you it may be worth it.
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If you are really serious about wanting a fitness tracker, the Apple Watch is so much better than any other choice
What makes it so much better? And are you including dedicated fitness trackers?
Why it is better (Score:2)
What makes it so much better? And are you including dedicated fitness trackers?
Yes I've also tried FitBits. The Apple Watch is much better simply because it's vastly more flexible. You get a large variety of task dedicated UI's for just about any activity - they can take the form of either custom watch apps or simply customized faces with various bits of data about what you are doing (the latest watchOS made it really simple to switch between faces making dedicated watch faces more useful). All of the da
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The Apple Watch will lock you in to using an iPhone as well, because it needs to be paired with one to be useful.
And like all smart watches, the fitness tracking is bunk. The heart rate sensors are all wildly inaccurate, the only to get a good reading being a chest strap device. Step counting is a poor proxy. About the only useful function is GPS tracking your run, but a watch is a poor way to do that.
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And buying an Xbox requires purchasing Xbox games in order to be useful. No one ever whines about that, though.
Re: Apple Watch (Score:2)
Iâ(TM)m curious why you think the heart rate sensors are so inaccurate. Most reviews Iâ(TM)ve read say otherwise, and while my series 0 was only âoeokâ in that department, I find my series 3 to be âoevery goodâ, though not yet perfect.
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Indeed, the submission is clearly grasping for straws in order to dismiss Apple Watch, "nobody likes a square watch". It's fine if he has decided against it for whatever reason, but do own up to it!
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I own an Apple watch and in terms of functionality it isn't bad. It just looks terrible.
Pay: Apple vs Samsung use (Score:5, Informative)
Otherwise the answer is the Apple Watch. It's clearly far beyond the competition.
Except in the case of Samsung Pay.
Samsung Pay is light years ahead of Apple Pay right now.
Samsung Pay not only works with NFC, but it can also work at older magnetic terminals that don't have NFC yet. I used my Gear S3 watch to pay at Safeway just the other night and the cashier was absolutely shocked.
Yeah, except that Apple Pay "nabs 90% of all mobile contactless transactions where active":
* https://techcrunch.com/2017/10/23/apple-pay-now-in-20-markets-nabs-90-of-all-contactless-transactions-where-active/
It's all very well to supposedly be "better" technically, but if people don't use the technology, then what's the point of having it? Apple Pay, even if it's allegedly "worse", is easier for people to set up and use... and so they actually use it.
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Samsung Pay gets 100% of the mobile transactions made with my phone. And Apple Pay has zero percent of the mag stripe reader transactions.
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Yeah, except that Apple Pay "nabs 90% of all mobile contactless transactions where active":
Two points:
"Where active" is a huge qualifier! Imagine if I told you that the Diners Club Card is the bomb because it nabs 90% all transactions where active. If you were a restaurant owner, that would be an argument for getting a Diners Club Card terminal at your restaurant, not for getting a Diners Club Card as a consumer.
Also, Samsung Pay wouldn't necessarily register as a contactless transaction since it can also mimic the magnetic stripe (in addition to doing the NFC).
It's all very well to supposedly be "better" technically, but if people don't use the technology, then what's the point of having it?
You just moved the goal post.
I was
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You can use that to buy an Apple Watch.
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It's weird that you say something is lightyears ahead of something else because it is backwards compatible. While this may make Samsung pay more useful, I don't think it represents any technical breakthrough on their part, but rather an intentional choice to make their product more useful. I'm not sure how much more useful, since the magnetic terminals are supposed to be phased out already (IIRC).
Re: Apple Watch (Score:2)
Samsung if God !
it's more about the small things (Score:2)
I'm on my second Apple watch (upgraded for the new generation) and I love it. I've always been a watch user so there was that. The criticism that it's useless without an iPhone is disingenuous because obviously it is intended to be a cog in the Apple ecosystem so no one who doesn't have an iPhone would want one in the first place.
Nothing that it does is world changing, it's just that it makes a number of things a little better, most specifically, it makes my phone "less intrusive". I can see who's callin
Apple Watch isn't "nearly useless" without iPhone (Score:5, Informative)
The Apple Watch isn't "nearly useless" without an iPhone, It IS useless without an iPhone.
It simply will not run if not paired with an iPhone. Even then, even if you could magically make it run without a paired iPhone, there are a whole mess of settings you can ONLY set using the paired iPhone. Things that you cannot do at all through the watch. For example, you can't update the software without the paired phone, you can't change notification settings without the paired phone, you can't install apps without the paired phone, you can't set the watch's time without the paired phone, and those are just some of the things that can't be done on the watch itself.
Beyond that, as has already been pointed out multiple times, "fitness trackers" are worthless. They give people a false sense of how "active" they are, which causes them to be less active than without the tracker. Buy one for the "smart" features like notifications, forget the fitness tracking features. They're worthless.
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"Without" is ambiguous. I can see a lot of people misinterpreting it. You are right that an Apple Watch doesn't function at all unless you have an iPhone you can use to set it up. You are also right that there are lots of things you can only do through the iPhone, such as install apps. However "won't work without an iPhone" might be interpreted by some people as being useless unless you have your iPhone with you, and this isn't true.
There's lots of things you can do with an Apple Watch when you leave yo
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The Apple Watch isn't "nearly useless" without an iPhone, It IS useless without an iPhone.
It simply will not run if not paired with an iPhone. Even then, even if you could magically make it run without a paired iPhone, there are a whole mess of settings you can ONLY set using the paired iPhone. Things that you cannot do at all through the watch. For example, you can't update the software without the paired phone, you can't change notification settings without the paired phone, you can't install apps without the paired phone, you can't set the watch's time without the paired phone, and those are just some of the things that can't be done on the watch itself.
Beyond that, as has already been pointed out multiple times, "fitness trackers" are worthless. They give people a false sense of how "active" they are, which causes them to be less active than without the tracker. Buy one for the "smart" features like notifications, forget the fitness tracking features. They're worthless.
You left out the part where it sucks the life force out of you and sends it to wirelessly to Tim Cook so he can use it in the vile necromancy experiments he conducts in the hidden dungeons underneath Apples HQ.
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They all do that.
You left out the obvious complaint that it never lets you forget what time it is.
Re: Apple Watch isn't "nearly useless" without iPh (Score:3)
Fitbit is exactly the same. No paired watch, no nothing. All of the stuff that you need a phone for with the Apple Watch? Same with Fitbit.
I can see this though. Even back in the day of 4 button Casios watches had a crummy UI because of space constraints
Re: Apple Watch isn't "nearly useless" without iP (Score:2)
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I wonder what the Venn diagram looks like of people who complain about Apple's 'walled garden' and people who have owned a game console. Any game console.
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Beyond that, as has already been pointed out multiple times, "fitness trackers" are worthless. They give people a false sense of how "active" they are, which causes them to be less active than without the tracker.
No, you're completely misrepresenting the results of the study. The comparison studied wasn't "fitness tracker" vs. "no fitness tracker".
It's just that the approach that required people to take their own measurements, enter them into a website themselves, and then receive intervention phone calls from the staff members, was much more successful than using the fitness tracker alone. But even though that's the case, both approaches were successful in losing weight. It's just that the second approach had parti
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Things work better when you are being nagged by a human?
Who could have ever guessed that?
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Why. Smart watches act as an extension of your smart phone. Ever been in a meeting and wanted to discreetly get notifications for emails or text messages? Wanted to plug your phone in to charge but not miss a call?
Garmin (Score:2)
They have too many but the ViVo series is pretty good. I bought my wife one for $250 and have used it a bunch of times to help her cheat on a contest at work.
They also have stuff in the $600 range with more professional features
Re: Garmin (Score:2)
Yes, but the Watch is the best (Score:2)
That, or the Garmin ViVo and its related models mentioned elsewhere.
GNU/Linux on your wrist (Score:5, Informative)
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Pebble... (Score:5, Interesting)
Want to be valued as a customer? (Score:2, Informative)
The Apple Watch is the one to beat if you want a product that will be supported year after year. My support of Apple isn't just because of it's ecosystem but also because of it's support of it's products past year #1. Old iPhones get OS updates immediately, old Apple Watches get OS updates immediately. Google didn't even bother to mention Android Wear at it's latest conference...Apple mentions the watch at every yearly conference.
This means that the Apple Watch will/does keep getting better. Small examp
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As if most people buying Android Wear aren't already Android phone owners.
The vast majority of people buy what they want, that does what they want, at the price they are willing to pay. Without harboring irrational feelings about another company who's products they don't have an interest in purchasing.
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Apple has a long history of this. It's not like they just sprang into existence yesterday and are some mystery company that no one knows about.
They are certainly no Rolls Royce.
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Of forced updates? Never happened - maybe you and parent poster are thinking of Windows 10.
He has been "researching"? (Score:5, Informative)
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I have tried a few now but nothing has struck my fancy. I can't see myself ever 'popping my sim card' into a watch just to not carry a phone and lose the other features a phone provides(camera, large screen, headphone jack, etc.) The polar [polar.com] has decent battery life and sensors, but i
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A crappy submission from an Apple Hateboi requires a dissertation from people responding to it?
Epson Pulsense and smartphone apps (Score:2)
Too soon? Nothing moderated at all? Keyword searches also came up dry.
Anyway, my main experiences are with an Epson Pulsense and a Samsung Galaxy. Going back some years already. Also an Omron sleep tracker, but that leads into the blood pressure topics... Lesser experience with a FitBit and activity tracking apps (both for walking and bicycling) on various smartphones, currently a FreeTel and an ASUS. Various good features and limitations that could be discussed, but already running out of motivation to spe
free wrists... (Score:2)
https://xkcd.com/1420/ [xkcd.com]
Not a question. (Score:2)
You ask the question, "Are There Any Good Smartwatches Or Fitness Trackers?" when you already know the answer. Your real question, which you then go on to ask, is "Are there any smartwatches that fit my specific use case, personal desires, and arbitrary taste?"
You think Android is cool and want an android watch. You think FitBit makes the best fitness trackers, but that opinion doesn't seem to be based on anything particular. But your ultimate judgement is based on which ones you think are cool vs nerdy
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There's also this:
Personally I agree the round Moto looks great. Unfortunately based on actual sales figures virtually no one is buying it, which is a bit of a problem for long-term sustainability...
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None (Score:2)
Since the only people I see with fitness trackers are obese and the fit people I see don't have fitness trackers, I conclude that other strategies work better.
Is there research that shows they help?
I searched before posting. This Journal of the American Medical Association published study [jamanetwork.com] found "the addition of a wearable technology device to a standard behavioral intervention resulted in less weight loss over 24 months. Devices that monitor and provide feedback on physical activity may not offer an advanta
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Clearly you don't get out enough.
Also, many fitness trackers (especially the early ones) are quite small. So unless you are stalking people and creeping them out, there's a good chance you would never see them.
Morpheus (Score:2)
Why write Samsung off? (Score:2)
No device would be perfect. We have gone thru 4-5 different devices at our home, and Samsung Galaxy Gear S2 was the best one for me so far. (The older version, without LTE support).
If you want fitness tracking and some connection to your phone it gives great value. It lets me know when I have sit too much (part of the daily job), and nudges me to take a walk, or do stretches. It will alert me if my hearth rate goes up all of a sudden (first time I put on the device was after a heavy physical activity, and t
Size, weight and charging time (Score:3)
Smart or not, my main criteria for a good watch have always been around wanting something slim and relatively light and not needing to take it off for long periods (since for decades I've been in the habit of wearing my watch in bed). For a while I've been using the Pebble Time Round. Although not terribly 'smart' it is quite functional and has the distinct advantages of charging in 15 minutes (usually while I'm in the shower) and not being a huge lump on my wrist. Sadly it has a mediocre display by modern standards and also is no longer manufactured or supported and of late the battery has been failing to hold charge.
IMHO if someone wants to make a killer product in this space then it needs to be less than 8mm thick, weight in the region 30g including strap, charge fully in less than 20 minutes (or not need to be taken off to charge) and have a round screen and case. Until then when my Pebble dies I'll probably go back to a 'dumb' watch.
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The Activite or Nokia Steel are interesting to me... you woulnd't know it from the appearance, but they're a bit thick.
https://health.nokia.com/us/en/steel-hr [nokia.com]
Fully waterproof, 8 months on a disposable Lithium battery.
I really only want a sleep tracker and maybe a wristwatch, so taking it off to charge makes it useless. The HR model has some additional functions, but you have to charge it every couple weeks and the usefulness and any accuracy of wrist-based heart rate monitoring is... dubious.
Does
Fitbit Flex (Score:2)
I got a used Fitbit Flex for $45 (Canadian) over 3 years ago. The battery used to last about 7-8 days; now it lasts about 6-7 days. In that time I've had to do a reset on it once, and it has otherwise worked flawlessly.
It syncs in the background with my computer via tiny USB dongle, or I could connect it with my phone over bluetooth if I cared to install their app. I get updates about meeting my step goals and sleep using IFTTT.
I've had to replace the band a few times. I bought a cheap 10-pack off Amazon, a
Chip implants (Score:2)
Apple Watches are a product developed by the NSA to be used in the event where incel nerds have to be tracked. There's a giant electronic map in a bunker somewhere with little blinking lights on it, clustered around openings of the new Star Wars movie.
Garmin Vivoactive HR (Score:2)
There is a newer version that has a round screen, but I can't say I'm impressed enough to want to switch.
My battery life is great (don't have to charge it every day), great GPS (though not so good downtown...but that's a limitation that all watches have), HR, calorie, steps and sleep tracking.
If you primarily want a fitness tracker, this would be a good place to start.
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I'm a simple man ... (Score:2)
... in mind and body.
I want a watch that will monitor and record near real time heart rate to my iPhone.
That's all. Oh, and it has to be accurate.
Forget the other bells and whistles.
I'm 72 years old and I'm doing mostly cardio.
Suggestions?
I'm running at +2, so I won't see the snark remark.
Thanks.
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You might want to take a look at the Nokia Steel HR. It has a clean design with minimal bells and whistles, a weeks-long battery life and is designed to give you the basic fitness monitoring and the time and not much else. https://health.nokia.com/us/en/steel-hr
If you need a fitness tracker ... (Score:2)
... to see if you're doing fine with your workout regime you have a problem.
Every human has very sophisticated built-in fitness tracker, finely tuned to him/her and adjusted for the current state of all things bodyly. It's called hormone system & brain.
It goes something like this:
- If your heart is pounding, slow down.
- If you're having trouble catching your breath, slow down.
- If you want to put your heart, circulation and respiratory system through the wringer, sprint uphill as fast as you can for 10
Samsung Gear Fit 2, a regrettable purchase (Score:3)
I have a Samsung Gear Fit 2 and I was incredibly disappointed with its inability to connect to anything that wasn't a Samsung phone. I figured we live in a connected age of technology where I could synchronize the data my watch collected with my PC... but nope. Asus tablet? Nope. Apple tablet? Nope. The internet? Nope. To get it to do anything useful I need a Samsung phone and this wasn't advertised on the box or the site before I purchased it.
So I have months of data on my smart watch that's entirely useless so I had to start punching it into Excel spreadsheets at the end of every day. Insanity. I regret the purchase.
As far as using it to manually track my exercise as though it were 2007, it goes for about a day and a half before it needs to be charged which doesn't seem very good in my opinion.
Misfit Vapor (Score:2)
This was just released and I wonder what people think of it. It doesn't have dedicated GPS but for me that's not a big deal. I also don't want phone features. It's $200 and initial reviews have been pretty good.
I like the fact it'll run Android Wear 2.0. Their sports app has a nicely reviewed weightlifting feature. (In a nutshell, it'll count your reps, auto time your rest periods, etc.. and it can learn lifts it doesn't know.)
Has anyone had hands-on experience with this watch yet?
Garmin fnix 5X (Score:2)
Fitbit Ionic (Score:2)
I got the new Fitbit Ionic about two months ago - it's my first fitness tracker/smartwatch thing. Quick summary from my brief & first time experience:
Positives:
- battery life is great. I get probably 4-5 days, doing a tracked run every 2 days or so. The rest of the time it's doing pretty regular heartrate tracking.
- heartrate tracker is great! never thought I'd care about it but it's really interesting looking at the data collected all day. Seems pretty accurate (comparing it at a high level to my dedic
Mi Band by Xaomi (Score:2)
Pebble replacement (Score:5, Interesting)
Considering how modest the hardware in the Pebble Time was it sure did a lot and was very simple to use. The Pebble was compatible with both iOS and Android so it was somewhat freeing from vendor lock-in. Sure it started out as a general purpose smartwatch and was late in the adding fitness tracking features that people wanted (the never-released Time 2 would have solving that).....features which would also have made it more expensive (it was very reasonable price-wise). It didn't have a touchscreen or OLED screen and the colors on the e-paper display were fairly basic but I'm not viewing photos or video on my watch so I don't really care about that. A battery-sucking OLED screen means a bigger, heftier battery which makes the watch huge and I hate that. I want a watch not a mini-phone strapped to my waist. The raise-to-wake feature often doesn't work on smartwatches that turn their screen off leaving you looking like an idiot shaking your wrist trying to get the damned thing to wake up so you can just see the time! That's not convenient! The always-on screen on the Pebble never had that problem. The charge on my Pebble Time lasts a whole week.
Say what you will about the Pebble but it did what it did extremely well. It didn't have to be all things to all people. Oh and personally I want a square/rectangular watch. I understand that some people think that a circular display is more fashionable but it really sucks for usability. A square/rectangular screen is much more practical.
What about women ? (Score:3)
The Apple Watch is the only smartwatch that I have seen on a woman's wrist. It may be anecdotal, of course, but if you compare commercials from Samsung and Apple, it is very clear who targets geeks and who targets the whole population (including women).
Re: (Score:2)
The 235 is what I settled on. I started with the Moto 360, and had it for a few years. It was OK, but it wasn't strong as a fitness tracker or a watch -- the two things I bought it for. The stuff it was good at, was still too early on to be useful.
The Garmin 235 is a really good fitness tracker, and a pretty good watch. It's always on, so I don't have to flick my wrist constantly to see what time it is, so it meets that checkbox.
Only issue I have with it, is the bluetooth on my phone keeps knocking off
Re:It's not going to make you fit (Score:5, Insightful)
A fitness tracker is like diet tracking. It gives you insight into what you are actually doing rather than just guessing and making assumptions.
People (especially Americans) simply don't realise what an atrocious level of sedentary they have as a baseline to start out with.
A tracker is just another fitness machine much like many of the other larger fitness machines that many people use to great advantage.
Re: (Score:2)
You said it man. The biggest fattest slobs will make any excuses they can to discount this stuff to excuse their own hutt-i-iness.
Re: (Score:2)
Well. You can say the same thing about a Bowflex or a treadmill or pretty much any piece of technology for any purpose.