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Pixel Watch 5

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Re: Pixel Watch 5

#171

Post by usern20260720 »

hnlmorg wrote: post #84
dfee wrote: post #79

i was wondering recently if i could ditch my iPhone for (just) an Apple Watch. i know i can't fully ditch it (an Apple Watch needs an iPhone for management). but, i'm curious about the concept nonetheless: what would it be like to ditch a smartphone for a smartwatch?

I have a friend who misplaced his iPhone for a weekend while away in another country and used his Apple watch eSIM for everything. It wasn’t as convenient as having a phone but it was still far far better than being without anything entirely.

My eSIM didn’t work abroad innerhalb der EU, where roaming is otherwise seamless and free

Re: Pixel Watch 5

#172

Post by usern20260720 »

astr0n0m3r wrote: post #135
SirMaster wrote: post #36

Interesting they are still going with round. Most of the UI shots look awkward on a round screen with anything not in the very center getting cut off a bunch.

It's disappointing that this is downvoted when the Apple Watch is an obvious example that rectangular works and is winning. When it comes to watches, I have to admit that I don't understand 99% of what is sold.

The Apple Watch design is probably horrible (at least I am ashamed of mine) but they get away with it because the design decisions are reasonable (bigger screen real estate) and the hardware and functionalities are ok. Battery is very limited but charges fast, etc

Re: Pixel Watch 5

#173

Post by blltprfmnk »

blltprfmnk wrote: post #167
rootusrootus wrote: post #161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why not just turn off the notifications on the watch, so you can enjoy it for what it's good at? I won't give up the functionality, but I am extremely selective about what it notifications it can put in front of me.

Because it's ultimately not very useful. Sleep tracking - I've become convinced this is actually a bad idea, and since I stopped I stress less about sleep and ultimately sleep better. Step tracking? Phone does that adequately. I do wear it for workouts, but once it's closer to end of life will replace it with something dedicated for workouts like a Garmin that holds a charge for 14+ days.

I’ll add that if you care about working out with a watch to track heart rate, the Apple Watch is pretty dismal. I moved to pairing mine with a Polar H10 strap so that I could get much faster feedback on heart rate recovery post sprint. In addition to using an optical sensor, the Apple Watch may also be doing something to smooth out the signal. I just know that the Polar seems much more responsive and matches how I am feeling.

Re: Pixel Watch 5

#174

Post by whatcd »

My favorite Apple Watch feature is Camera Control for group photos. I love how you can see a live preview of the photo and it gives you the ability to zoom.

I also enjoy tracking my workouts, my steps, and heart rate.

Sleep mode is great to monitor my breathing, heart rate.

Quick notifications are great in case I have an important and timely email.

Pinging my misplaced phone is helpful too.

Re: Pixel Watch 5

#175

Post by dismalaf »

jerlam wrote: post #76
dismalaf wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Keep in mind Google owns Fitbit and Fitbit has watches with 7 day battery life. Pixel is for techies, Fitbit is their health tracking product.

Fitbit is probably gone by the end of the decade. The Fitbit app has been replaced by the Google Health app. Other than the Fitbit Air released this year and the Fitbit Ace for kids, the last Fitbit device was released in 2023. Both of those newer devices are reduced functionality versions of older Fitbit products.

Maybe. If they do kill it I'm sure they'll keep something sport oriented though.

Re: Pixel Watch 5

#176

Post by danilafe »

gleenn wrote: post #158
danilafe wrote: post #136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For me, the appeal of the smartwatch is more advanced health tracking, custom applications, NFC, and GPS. As far as I know, Pebble lacks most if not all of these features. I really want to want a Pebble, but it's far closer to a customizable watchface than even a Fitbit. On the other hand, daily charging of smart watches is completely outrageous.

They have some heart-rate and some health tracking an as others have mentioned, so many of the more fringe features are way less useful than a watch that lasts anywhere from a week to a month on a charge versus a daybor two with the ultra

Well, right, that's why I said "advanced" health tracking. A pedometer is enough to measure steps.

And then, I dunno. We've clearly made this trade-off before with mobile phones. As much as I like the Nokia I had that went weeks without a charge, I also rarely notice the charging time of my phone.

Lately I've been thinking about a mode in which a "smartwatch" serves as a fitness tracker, heads-up display, and wallet, while a real, mechanical watch, which never runs out of battery, becomes the timepiece (and fashion piece?)

Re: Pixel Watch 5

#177

Post by tredre3 »

beart wrote: post #137
colordrops wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

then what's the point of the watch? Can you see the data without a cloud connection? Can it be uploaded to your phone without going to the cloud?

Yes you can see most of your data without a cloud connection. But some features are limited and require the subscription. A google account is required though to use the app I believe. Of course, getting more than a snapshot of the data is a bit of a pain. Fitbit has a developer portal and you can create a dev app key to export your data. There is at least one open source project that pulls this data down regularly an…

> I think in this case the data is still being sent to the cloud, hence the API to fetch it.

Correct. In every case all the data is sent to the cloud. That is where the data is crunched and transformed in actual metrics. You can do the test and block the internet to the companion app. You'll see that only instantaneous data is updated (heart rate, steps), but nothing else. There is no way to use a fitbit or pixel watch without the cloud. Google eventually gets all your health information, minute by minute.

Gadgetbridge can do some things, but not many (and nothing at all for most of Google/Fitbit's products). Which is fine if all you want is HR and steps and possibly notifications, but then there is no point in paying for a smart watch, just get a fitness tracker that is cheaper and has better battery.

Re: Pixel Watch 5

#178

Post by system7rocks »

futureshock wrote: post #156
edent wrote: post #81

I overheard a conversation between someone on the Pixel Watch team and a woman I know. He was quizzing her at a party about what features she used - which were pretty much step counter and payment. He somewhat dismissively sneered, "Well, you're not exactly a power user, are you?" I'm trying to imagine what being a "power user" of a watch is like. Can anyone enlighten me? I think smart-watches are much like Alexa. Wh…

This. Totally. I would say I'm quite a power user usually. I very carefully explored every feature my apple watch has and tried to incorporate as many of them as I could. Very, very few features stuck because they were genuinely helpful. Almost everything being pushed is a gimmick or a feature bullet point from some product manager. The actual good stuff: Time Workouts Payments The occasionally useful stuff: Notifica…

Truth! I bought my Apple Watch so I could skateboard with my AirPods in and not lose connection. But the connection is a pain to make happen, not intuitive, and sometimes just doesn’t work. I like the watch for trying to keep me reminded to stay fit and active, but I have been considering just not ever buying another one and going without. I turned off all notifications on it because it’s useless.

Re: Pixel Watch 5

#179

Post by modeless »

edent wrote: post #81

I overheard a conversation between someone on the Pixel Watch team and a woman I know. He was quizzing her at a party about what features she used - which were pretty much step counter and payment. He somewhat dismissively sneered, "Well, you're not exactly a power user, are you?" I'm trying to imagine what being a "power user" of a watch is like. Can anyone enlighten me? I think smart-watches are much like Alexa. Wh…

This is why Pebble watches are great. They do the basics better than Google and leave out the expensive battery drains.

Re: Pixel Watch 5

#180

Post by maleldil »

doobiedowner wrote: post #23
tuckwat wrote: post #2

30 hours of battery life is a deal breaker. I don't want to charge my watch every day. I've been using the Garmin Forerunner for a few years now and the battery life is 2 weeks!

The charger on the 4 both sucks and blows. Countless times I’ve taken it off the charger to find 0%. The nice strap they showed in the adverts broke instantly when I took it out of the box. Two pins sheared right off the in the middle of the band. WearOS Apps are trash. I wish I had gone garmin. ;(

My experience is so different from this. I love the stock strap. I've never found the watch at 0% on the charger. The charge is magnetic, so it's really obvious when it's actually charging. The apps do everything I need them to do, but maybe you're asking more of the watch than I am?

My only complaint is that the charger has its own cable instead of a plug that I can use with whatever charger I want.

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