Not plugging any particular vendor here guys, but I get the GB e-mails like everyone else and can’t help looking at these bluetooth smart watches with sub $50USD price tags.
They may be a bit of a fad, but they’re cheap enough that they don’t hurt if something goes wrong. You will be the coolest dude in town with one, for a little while at least.
I also looked into this after seeing some cheap watches but fast came to a barrier because I didn’t see the differences between all the pro,plus and special models they had for the Uwatch. I spent an Sunday afternoon browsing…now some weeks later there are even more versions out there.
All have common that they seem to use no android gear, so I feared there might be no apps for them which make it “worth” having one. Some look like the applewatch some look like garbage but also some look very nice, of course the product pictures are often painted but the customers pictures look nice.
So I will wait if someday there is something which I must have.s
The main problem is I absolutely have no need for a smart watch but I still want one…weird
Must have about four hours logged looking at these gadgets. For $32USD, leaning toward the RWatch M26.
Seems like most of the better ones will do
1. Remote Photo - take a photo from the watch using your phones camera
2. Answer and Make Calls - including shared contacts
3. Messaging - see texts (e-mails notifications?) that come into the phone
4. Anti Lost - find the phone with the watch (not clear how this works)
5. Pedometer - synced with phone/fitness app
6. Stopwatch
7. Temperature, Altimeter, Barometer - expensive options on a typical wristwatch
8. Stream Music - from phone files or internet
9. Multiple clock faces - digital and traditional
I’m thinking of the convenience (and safety) of leaving the phone in a pocket or pack when out and about. Having access to calls when behind the wheel. At home, leaving the phone on the counter or table but being connected in the house.
Battery life appears an issue, with most lasting a day or two. Screen “On” times are limited to seconds to conserve battery. Most take micro USB, so having a 18650 light with charging capability or a power bank would be helpful.
The Apple Watch is entering a market already flooded with much less expensive Android competition.
Apple will sell to Apple Fanbois the way that they always have. The truth is that Apple offer very little in terms of phone technology that you can’t get from an Android device for significantly less money. Their main selling point is system integration because there is quite an eco system built around iWhatsit while Android is rather a victim of its own success in that a lot of manufacturers use the product in various iterations with various levels of processing power, so it is much harder to do a full update of the Androidsphere.
I’m very tempted by them, but I have a hard time finding one that will live up to the abuse I put my “not quite as smart under $35 casio”: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GAYQJK/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 through. If someone makes one that is waterproof enough to swim with, stainless steel, relatively compact, shock resistant, scratchproof, shatter resistant, and has a decent battery life in standby I’d bite if it was competitively priced. So far at just over 2 years this is the longest lasting daily worn watch I’ve owned.
Oh, and the UI and screen quality on all the Chinese ones I’ve seen seem quite underwhelming. I’d take a nice monochrome oled that give me the info I need in a clean legible format over crappy color icons any day.
The ZGPAX seems to have the largest battery, although none can be said to be huge. I imagine it’d have to be recharged each night, like most cellphones.
A friend and i both purchased a U8 watch. Both watches ended up in the bin with in a 2 days of purchase. Complete crap.
We were both Pebble users and very happy with them but both failed after about 1.5 years. Now waiting for the new pebble watch to come out.
Okay, I have the GPAX, and I have to say it’s a decent enough watch that doubles as a phone, FM Radio, and MP3 player. It’s light, probably not waterproof so don’t get in the bath with it, and fairly inconspicuous. I haven’t charged it in about 48 hours and it’s still about 50% so a useful battery life.
A iWatch it is not, but if you buy it you probably won’t regret it.