Smart watches are an odd creature in the technology space.
Previous leaps in innovation have solved a problem, whether it’s the laptop making computing portable, the smartphone combining traditional phone call use with a personal data assistant, or even the tablet as the great computing equalizer.
As companies have started looking for the next thing to make our lives better, we’ve seen failures like Google Glass that at least got the conversation about wearables started. Curious about what exactly a smart watch could be good for, I took the Android Wear ecosystem for a spin.
There’s no doubt the very concept of a smart watch has its share of detractors. When Apple announced the Apple Watch, many pundits and regular folks alike wondered what life-altering services the $350 device would have to make it indispensable. When the product hit store shelves, it rocketed, then crashed: Sales plunged 90 percent by last month compared to April, when it debuted.
With all this in mind, here are the four criteria I came up with for a smart watch to be labeled a success.
This experiment was run with the LG G Watch, a first-generation device, so your mileage may vary with newer models:
Be a Solid Watch
Sure, it’s a no-brainer, but it’s arguably the most important function. Even though the first-gen display can’t hold a candle to the OLED you’ll find on newer models, it more than does the job. I can read the time outside in the afternoon, and there are enough unique watch styles to make anyone happy. You can choose a basic face that just tells the time, or a complex design that gives you weather and battery life for both your watch and phone.
Offer an Improved Notification Center
Here the smart watch is a godsend. I have a six-digit PIN to unlock my phone, so getting it out of my pocket and unlocking it to see why it’s buzzing now is a first-world problem. Being able to see who replied to what Facebook status update and getting rid of it with a single swipe is incredibly convenient.
Track My Fitness Levels
I wore the G Watch and my Fitbit Flex for a week to compare performance. The Watch was, on average, about 1,000 steps lower than my Flex, which can be finicky at the best of times. I ended up getting rid of my Flex in favor of my watch’s Google Fit. I’d rather be conservative with my activity estimate than think I’m doing way better than reality.
Last a Day (at Minimum)
When Android Wear first released, reviews warned buyers that getting through just a work day would be a challenge. With updates that make the watch more efficient, I get through a 14-hour day and still have more than 60 percent battery life left. I throw it on the dock when I get home and put it back on before going to bed, which brings me to one unexpected smart watch benefit….
Sleep Tracker (Bonus)
While it’s nice to have OS functionality like text messaging and directions on your wrist, it’s an entirely different thing to download an app like Sleep that tracks all of your sleep cycles to let you wake during the optimal part of your sleep cycle. It makes the difference between waking up refreshed and thrashing awake with a groggy start.
Even in its first iteration, I’ve found Android Wear to be well worth checking out. There may not be a magic bullet of an application that makes a smart watch a must buy, but boy does it make life easier. Whether it’s worth the cost of current watches to you is going to vary by person. It might be, if the idea of not having to pull your phone out to tell the time and see who replied to your Facebook sounds heavenly.
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