Slashdot Mirror
Android Wear Hopefuls Call Timeout On Smartwatches (cnet.com)
Things are not looking good for Google's Android Wear. Three of the top Android Wear smartwatches maker have confirmed that they won't be releasing a smartwatch in the waning months of the year. From a CNET report:While LG launched a watch in the first half, it'll have been more than a year since Huawei and Motorola offered an update on their wearables. That marks a reversal from last year, when all three companies launched Android Wear smartwatches at the early September IFA trade show in Berlin in what was supposed to be a resurgence of the platform. At this year's show, Chinese maker Asus was the only major tech company to return with a new Android Wear watch. The poor showing underscores the general lack of enthusiasm for smartwatches, which the industry has touted as the next hot trend in tech. Consumers, however, continue to question the usefulness of these gadgets. Even Apple, which leads the market for smartwatches, saw its shipments fall 55 percent from a year ago in the second quarter, according to IDC. "Smartwatches still have yet to make a significant impression on consumers as a must-have device," said Ramon Llamas, an analyst at IDC. Time stands still for some in the smartwatch market.
Consumers, however, continue to question the usefulness of these gadgets.
Not optimism in the smartwatch market, optimism about humanity in general.
Smartwatches are mostly useful for looking at notifications and deciding whether I need to act upon that information or if I can just make a mental note and swipe right. It saves me time picking up and/or unlocking my phone to see a notification. There's not really any compelling smartwatch apps that wouldn't be more useful as a fullscreen smartphone app.
You just need big pockets.
Try rebranding the "smartwatch" into the "SmartBracelet". Then the entire band can be the display.
“He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
The only major smart watch that works is Galaxy Gear with the twist dial, always on display, and 3-4 day battery life. The rest seem clueless. Who wants a watch that they can't just look at the read the time. Who wants a watch that would be dead after a long flight. Apple's watch I bet isn't selling the way it should, given the fanboy nature. I don't like the bubble interface and square face. They should copy ideas from Samsung and improve on them.
*However*, have you noticed that only mid range and low end Android tablets are getting updates? The latest to get an update is the Galaxy Tab A 10 inch. It's not just Android Wear that's struggling, Android is too.
Samsung new tab features: a resolution 1920x1200 same as a 2012 Asus Transformer tablet had back 4 years ago. A 1.6 ghz processor that is mid range and way below their current smartphones. A stylus and older Android 6.
Meanwhile Samsung are releasing premium tablets, that run Windows not Android. The Galaxy Tab S being the latest. Top spec, higher resolution than their recent Android tablets, faster processor.
So the premium end of the tablets market has given up on Android. Even Google don't do a premium Android tablet, their Android tablet is the *smaller*, lower spec of their two tablet devices. The top end one runs Chrome.
If you want to look at the bigger picture, look for 12 inch plus premium spec Android tablets, and there are ..... zero.... launches this year and last.
Meanwhile, Pebble looks to be doing just fine with their smartwatches. However, they use color e-ink (better battery life), are much cheaper, and don't need a new line of service activated. They connect to the internet via Bluetooth on your phone. Perhaps the other manufacturers should strip their watches down and focus on what consumers would want: a durable watch, with battery life past a day or two, and doesn't cost extra with phone service.
Apple got this right, and it's showing.
Very few products appeal to my wife in the technology sphere, and the Apple Watch was done of them.
Android watches remind me of the 80's digital watches.
Taking a time-out, ha ha, is probably a good idea.
..don't panic
Smartwatches are awesome. I'd love to have one... but the cost just doesn't justify what you get. It falls into the same pit as the Apple products. Spend a lot, get a little. If they could manage to make a good watch for say $100 or so, I'd be all over it.
I don't see the point of a smartwatch that requires you to carry your phone around all the time. If a smartwatch could operate independently then I think it would be much more useful. While I don't think a watch would need 4G service, the addition of free 3G, like Amazon has for the Kindle, would be a game changer.
I still don't get why I should want one. I still have to carry my phone anyways. And it can show me the time just fine, so I don't even need a watch.
First post!
Time twixt see and post
Is longer than others clicks
You came in third place
I should use this sig to advertise my book ISBN-13 : 978-1501515132.
For whatever it's worth (exactly one anecdote), I really like my smartwatch (it's a Gear Live, square face, fairly early vintage.) Picture here.
It puts text, email, slack and other notifications right where I can see them without having to reach for anything, turn it on, etc. That alone is worth a lot, as most things can be ignored until later, but for the ones I want to know about and respond to immediately, I can. Timers are very useful, I use them for many things from timing aquarium water top-offs to cooking and reminding me to let the dog back in. The watch faces are very clever and pretty, and I like them a lot, even though I answer to no one and very rarely care what time it is. The tracking of my heart rate and steps is nice too, as I need to pay attention to my health. Doesn't hurt to be able to ask it questions, either. All of this is either nearly or completely hands-free. For instance, rotate wrist so the watch is up, it wakes up. Then say: "Ok google, set a timer for five minutes." Easy. Awesome. Super-useful.
This stuff is quite practical (even the time... most people need to know, even if I don't.)
Just like any gadget, it's not for everyone, I'm sure. But I really don't think you can put a smartwatch in the general category of "doesn't make sense." Instead, put anyone who says that in either the "doesn't make sense for me" category, or in the "I don't understand smartwatches" category, for which you can, if you like, lay the responsibility for at the watch manufacturer's feet -- specifically, marketing. Most smartwatch ads I've seen haven't been very... smart.
I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.
"Smartwatches still have yet to make a significant impression on consumers as a must-have device," said Ramon Llamas, an analyst at IDC.
They mostly are a solution looking for a problem. Smartwatches are useful in some very particular circumstances, mostly where it is inconvenient or ill-advised to carry a smartphone. Those circumstances are not widely applicable in most people's every day lives and therefore there is limited market need for smartwatches. Relatively few people of my generation and those younger wear a watch routinely. People want to wear fewer devices, not more so at best it tends to replace a watch for those who were already prone to carrying one. For the rest of us it actually ADDS a device to carry when the trend it actually to carry less. My smartphone replaced my point-and-shoot camera, my PDA, my calendar, my MP3 player, my laptop in some circumstances and oh yeah it makes calls. Plus it can do everything a smartwatch can do except be small.
So, I have a Garmin Vivoactive gps watch which I use for tracking running and biking. Aside from sports functions, it's waterproof, I get about 2 weeks from a charge and fits my wrist perfectly. More importantly, it does the only two things I need from a smartwatch: 1) It allows me to put my phone on silent and vibrates and displays any notifications coming in. A silent phone is a golden phone, and I don't have to pull out my phone in a meeting if a text or call comes in. A quick glance at the wrist is all I need. 2) It lets me select which notifications I receive on my watch as I don't need notifications every time @whomever posts a picture on twitter or I get an email in my gmail box. I get only those notifications I want in a timely manner. Other than that, I can't think of anything for which I'd use a smart watch (though my desires do not necessarily line up with someone else's), so I certainly have no need to buy a new one each and every year.
The Urbanes do look great. And they're too expensive. $100 is the sweetspot for a smartwatch and its limited featureset.
Smartwatches are mostly useful for looking at notifications and deciding whether I need to act upon that information or if I can just make a mental note and swipe right. It saves me time picking up and/or unlocking my phone to see a notification. There's not really any compelling smartwatch apps that wouldn't be more useful as a fullscreen smartphone app.
The watch can control a presentation being played from your smartphone. This allows you to travel real light.
The tap on the wrist during turn-by-turn directions is nice. You don't have to turn down the stereo for fear of not hearing a reminder on the phone.
When thinking about what could be compelling I'd start with what is unique for the watch. The first thing that comes to mind is that the watch has a heart rate sensor, so something utilizing that would go beyond "I don't have to reach for the phone". Secondarily when might a person have the watch but not the phone.
Watches are about style, not function
As a scuba diver and a private pilot I disagree. :-)
Wait, what? If it's inconvenient, I get that. But ill-advised? If it's ill-advised to carry a cellphone, it's just as ill-advised to wear a smartwatch
You can swim with a lot of smartwatches. Not so much of a good idea with smartphones - even IPXX rated ones. There also are places where smartphones are prohibited for security reasons or where they might prove socially problematic but where smartwatches would be acceptable.
If it's a theft issue, it's on display on your wrist and it's actually more of an issue.
A smartwatch is generally a LOT less conspicuous than most people's smartphones. Less valuable too.
Smartwatches also have heart rate sensors.
There are a few corner cases where smartwatches are advantageous but these have been insufficiently explored to date. Smartwatches have two primary uses. 1) a highly portable data-logging sensor suite and 2) a compact display for compact messages. These are useful things but for most use cases a smartphone can serve the same purpose AND have a lot more capabilities besides. The corner cases where a smartwatch makes a big different don't apply to most people most of the time and so it should surprise no one that they haven't been taking over the world sales-wise.
Haptic feedback is another partial differentiator, it can tap you on the wrist to get your attention.
As you say smartphones can do this too. The fact that there are some corner cases doesn't generally make a good case to buy a smartwatch unless those corner cases are super important. I would argue that your example is not a particularly big problem.
I use moto360 religiously. Some places where it shines:
- You can ignore notifications and phone calls much faster. Don't have to shuffle with your phone.
- Weather/pedometer information are great.
- More sticky calendar reminders.
Some things that are lacking:
- Dedicated gps. I know that the new apple watch has it, but I'm not sure how good the battery life is. I use a Garmin watch for running, but the battery sucks for longer runs. Not sure if Apple has nailed it.
- Pricepoint: Make these watches sub $150 and it'll sell like hot cakes (I got the 1st generation for that that amount when the 2nd generation came out).
People don't want another device to get distracted with, the proponents of the watch use it to avoid distraction. Make it cheaper, with gps, and waterproof and people will get it.. no matter the brand or the OS.
The title does not appear to be English. The words are all English words, but the title makes no sense at all.
I'm a good cook. I'm a fantastic eater. - Steven Brust
There are a few corner cases where smartwatches are advantageous but these have been insufficiently explored to date.
FitBit disagrees with you.
You may think of a smartwatch as something that has to have a display with time, but why?
The real name should be something more along the line of "TechBracelet" and humanity has explored them and already find them very useful.
Why do you doubt that over time the fields in which they have already found to be generally useful, will expand further...
Can't believe I am reading a response like that on Slashdot.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Someone gave my a Galaxy S2 Smartwatch. It was neat for a few days. Once the novelty wore off, it seemed like nothing more than a solution looking for problem. I don't think smartwatches any sort of critical mass appeal. They are really nothing more than an overpriced status symbol. Smartwatches will be remembered as a failed innovation after something new and actually useful comes along.
Oh, my S2 ended up on Craigslist.
Brought to you by Carl's Junior.
Are you bonkers? Why does it need NFC. I refuse to buy newer models of things I like because they have NFC. Which in practice works for definitions of near meaning 10m.
I love my second gen Motorola 360. Having used it daily for a year, I don't think I could go back to not having one. It's just so convenient to have it buzz on your wrist when you have a notification, and to be able to glance down at it and see what it is. Honestly that's mostly what I use it for. I don't use any apps on it or anything, it's really just for notifications. The heart rate monitoring is neat, but I rarely look at the data in Google Fit.
It's also stylish (I have the black one with black metal band, https://smile.amazon.com/Motor...), I've had many people comment on it that they really like it. Or sometimes people ask "Is that an Apple watch?" knowing that it isn't, but more curious what it is since it doesn't look like a traditional smartwatch.
However, because it serves its purpose well, and is still in style, I can understand why they didn't release new ones this year. There's just no reason to upgrade yet. It still performs fast, I get 24 hours on a single charge (with the screen set to be always on, I can double this if I turn off the screen), and it has all the features I need.
Smart watches are a bit lame. People who wear them are a bit lame as well and generally fit into the
1 I'm a fanboy/girl
2 I'm trying to look smart
3 I'm trying to look like a newage technical person
4 All of the above.
Whereas something like Google glasses might actually be useful.
Pebble is very nice... very useful, very open, very extendable, and much cheaper as well!
LOL I got modded flamebait.
Someone either hates their Pebble, or disagrees that watches should have more than a day of battery life. :P