Smart watches (1 Viewer)

[Terminalxylem]

I've never owned a smart phone, and don't really want one. Unfortunately, my work is forcing the issue, as a lot of our communication will be funneled through an app, TigerConnect.

I may be able to convince them to purchase a work phone, which would make this a non-issue. But plan B is getting a smart watch.

Things I am looking for:

Non-bulky 

Long lasting charge

Water/shock proof

Ability to send/receive texts, use Tiger text app

Rarely make calls

GPS/altimeter/temp +/- heart rate monitor and pulse oximeter

Music app

Looks like the iWatch checks all the boxes, and I'm already familiar/prefer iOS to other operating systems. My wife has an iPhone, and I see they have a family plan where I could add a new phone number without an actual phone, substituting the iWatch.

Does this sound crazy? Has anyone tried using a watch as their only mode of communication? Any other smart watch I should consider? 

 

[Zasada]

It will be very difficult to find a watch that works independent of a phone.  And if it does, the battery life will be dog####.  You'll be lucky to get through a whole day using mobile data.

I'm pretty sure that the Apple Watch requires an iPhone to set up and maintain.  

 

[beer 30]

It will be very difficult to find a watch that works independent of a phone.  And if it does, the battery life will be dog####.  You'll be lucky to get through a whole day using mobile data.

I'm pretty sure that the Apple Watch requires an iPhone to set up and maintain.  

I'm sure there are watches that work independent of a phone, Apple is not one. It works very well in conjunction with a phone but isn't stand alone. It would check all your boxes...except for the no smart phone thing of course.

 

[Terminalxylem]

I'm sure there are watches that work independent of a phone, Apple is not one. It works very well in conjunction with a phone but isn't stand alone. It would check all your boxes...except for the no smart phone thing of course.

Yeah, the plan was piggyback the watch onto my wife’s plan - she already has an iPhone in need of an upgrade soon.

 

[Terminalxylem]

It will be very difficult to find a watch that works independent of a phone.  And if it does, the battery life will be dog####.  You'll be lucky to get through a whole day using mobile data.

I'm pretty sure that the Apple Watch requires an iPhone to set up and maintain.  

I wasn’t planning on using a bunch of data, except that required to run a messaging app over my 10 hour work shift.

Is battery life really that terrible? I had assumed I could go at least a day or two without recharging.

 

[Bossman]

Yeah, the plan was piggyback the watch onto my wife’s plan - she already has an iPhone in need of an upgrade soon.

I know almost nothing of these watches ... but I assume what the others are suggesting is that a minuscule watch can not handle all the duties of a smart phone ...

without having that phone in the area to piggy back off of.   Like a wireless umbilical cord from watch to phone.

 

[Terminalxylem]

I know almost nothing of these watches ... but I assume what the others are suggesting is that a minuscule watch can not handle all the duties of a smart phone ...

without having that phone in the area to piggy back off of.   Like a wireless umbilical cord from watch to phone.

 I’m not looking for full smart phone functionality. Not expecting to access the internet much, or manage many apps, other than stuff for exercise, music and a HIPAA compliant messaging service.

What do people typically use smart watches for?

 

[Bossman]

 I’m not looking for full smart phone functionality. Not expecting to access the internet much, or manage many apps, other than stuff for exercise, music and a HIPAA compliant messaging service.

What do people typical use smart watches for?

Wife has one (android) .. it does phone calls, text, & email but it doesn't seem to have a browser for internet like a phone.

as far as apps and music ... it bluetooths to her phone and she can control her phone from the watch (I think).

 

[beer 30]

I wasn’t planning on using a bunch of data, except that required to run a messaging app over my 10 hour work shift.

Is battery life really that terrible? I had assumed I could go at least a day or two without recharging.

Depends, Apple watches before the 6 were one day...maybe. Apple 6, which just came out, is probably a day & a half. I have one and it will easily go a day but I charge it every night so really don't know how much longer past that.

If you want extreme battery life there are sport watches out there that will go a week + if you are not a heavy GPS user (meaning you use it for running/biking). They will do most everything you are probably wanting to do but its not as pretty as an Apple watch. For instance, I happen to have a Garmin Fenix 5X for sale right now, check it out and see if it checks your boxes https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/603229

 

[CletiusMaximus]

I've never owned a smart phone, and don't really want one. Unfortunately, my work is forcing the issue, as a lot of our communication will be funneled through an app, TigerConnect.

I may be able to convince them to purchase a work phone, which would make this a non-issue. But plan B is getting a smart watch.

Things I am looking for:

Non-bulky 

Long lasting charge

Water/shock proof

Ability to send/receive texts, use Tiger text app

Rarely make calls

GPS/altimeter/temp +/- heart rate monitor and pulse oximeter

Music app

Looks like the iWatch checks all the boxes, and I'm already familiar/prefer iOS to other operating systems. My wife has an iPhone, and I see they have a family plan where I could add a new phone number without an actual phone, substituting the iWatch.

Does this sound crazy? Has anyone tried using a watch as their only mode of communication? Any other smart watch I should consider? 

I'm a dinosaur when it comes to tech, but have had a Samsung smart watch for about 2 years (gift from my wife).  I've never used it to send a text or make a call and can't imagine doing that, especially for something important like work.  Would you expect to use a voice to text function to reply to texts?  I use mine to tell time, and occasionally to alert me when I receive a text but can't check my phone - in a meeting or similar.  I was mildly interested in the activity tracking / fitness functions for a few weeks, but haven't used those since.  I'm probably not the right person to respond to this, but would say if you've never used a smart phone regularly, it seems a bad idea to try to use a smart watch to fill that void, even for a few very limited purposes.  It would be fantastic if you could pull it off, but it seems unlikely to me.

 

[Terminalxylem]

Depends, Apple watches before the 6 were one day...maybe. Apple 6, which just came out, is probably a day & a half. I have one and it will easily go a day but I charge it every night so really don't know how much longer past that.

If you want extreme battery life there are sport watches out there that will go a week + if you are not a heavy GPS user (meaning you use it for running/biking). They will do most everything you are probably wanting to do but its not as pretty as an Apple watch. For instance, I happen to have a Garmin Fenix 5X for sale right now, check it out and see if it checks your boxes https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/603229

I actually like the Garmin Fenix series. Almost bought a 6. But I don’t think they can utilize the TigerConnect app, which is the whole reason I’m looking into smart watches in the first place. Basically, I want a compact device that can send/receive texts in my work place that isn’t a full fledged smart phone. Anything beyond that is gravy, but ideally I’d like it to substitute for my dumb phone outside of work. Perhaps naively, I imagine it’s possible to skip ever owning a smart phone, if I’m willing to forgo a lot of the functionality like unlimited internet access, photos, etc.

I assume the average smart watch user is kinda a “techie”, who can’t relate to the idea of smart phoneless world. But that’s what I’m trying to accomplish, with the caveat I need access to TigerConnect.

 

[Terminalxylem]

I'm a dinosaur when it comes to tech, but have had a Samsung smart watch for about 2 years (gift from my wife).  I've never used it to send a text or make a call and can't imagine doing that, especially for something important like work.  Would you expect to use a voice to text function to reply to texts?  I use mine to tell time, and occasionally to alert me when I receive a text but can't check my phone - in a meeting or similar.  I was mildly interested in the activity tracking / fitness functions for a few weeks, but haven't used those since.  I'm probably not the right person to respond to this, but would say if you've never used a smart phone regularly, it seems a bad idea to try to use a smart watch to fill that void, even for a few very limited purposes.  It would be fantastic if you could pull it off, but it seems unlikely to me.

Yes, I had assumed I’d respond to texts with some sort of voice recognition app. Pretty sure current iWatches have this, as the screen is so small it would be a PITA to actually type on it.

To restate, I don’t want a smart phone if I can avoid it, but my workplace is forcing my hand.

 

[CletiusMaximus]

Yes, I had assumed I’d respond to texts with some sort of voice recognition app. Pretty sure current iWatches have this, as the screen is so small it would be a PITA to actually type on it.

To restate, I don’t want a smart phone if I can avoid it, but my workplace is forcing my hand.

Yeah, I understand, and I think it would be great if this could be a solution for you, but my 2 cents (for what it worth and based on my limited experience) is that a watch, on its own, is not going to meet your needs.  Maybe someone who's done this will weigh in.

 

[Zasada]

Yeah, I understand, and I think it would be great if this could be a solution for you, but my 2 cents (for what it worth and based on my limited experience) is that a watch, on its own, is not going to meet your needs.  Maybe someone who's done this will weigh in.

This.  Even though you're not using the data much, maintaining an always-on data connection is a battery suck.  I am sure you won't get through the day on one charge.  

The reason having the phone helps is that your phone is handling the data connection, and your watch then uses a low-power BT connection to the phone.  That's what will get you the 1-2 day battery life.

Garmin watches are great (I have the Fenix 5+), but it won't allow you to text/message with anything but canned responses.  Further, it still requires a phone that's nearby to maintain the data connection.  Probably not good for your use case.

At the end of the day, if you need access to messaging apps, either a phone or a phone+watch is required.  Solo watch isn't going to work.

 

[beer 30]

I actually like the Garmin Fenix series. Almost bought a 6. But I don’t think they can utilize the TigerConnect app, which is the whole reason I’m looking into smart watches in the first place. Basically, I want a compact device that can send/receive texts in my work place that isn’t a full fledged smart phone. Anything beyond that is gravy, but ideally I’d like it to substitute for my dumb phone outside of work. Perhaps naively, I imagine it’s possible to skip ever owning a smart phone, if I’m willing to forgo a lot of the functionality like unlimited internet access, photos, etc.

I assume the average smart watch user is kinda a “techie”, who can’t relate to the idea of smart phoneless world. But that’s what I’m trying to accomplish, with the caveat I need access to TigerConnect.

Does...Not...Compute...

So looking at the TigerConnect website and kind of understanding it a little better, I don't know that you can get to where you want to go with a smart watch. You can get notifications and some rudimentary responses back from your watch but you can't type a response, it's just a canned "thanks", "ok", "see you there" type stuff. Maybe I'm not understanding it correctly, does anyone else at your work use a watch as the primary means of communication or you looking to be the first? This one is a little above my paygrade.

https://tigerconnect.com/support/system-requirements/

 

[MAC_32]

Maybe I'm not understanding it correctly, does anyone else at your work use a watch as the primary means of communication or you looking to be the first? 

He's never owner a smart phone and doesn't want to change that.

 

[beer 30]

He's never owner a smart phone and doesn't want to change that.

Yea I get that, but if he's going to use his wife's smart phone to interface it's the same as owning one. Just don't think you can get a watch to do what he's looking for it to do.

 

[MAC_32]

Yea I get that, but if he's going to use his wife's smart phone to interface it's the same as owning one. Just don't think you can get a watch to do what he's looking for it to do.

I don't either, but I'm monitoring in case I'm wrong. I'm all for anything that improves efficiency and minimizes distractions. 

 

[Terminalxylem]

Yea I get that, but if he's going to use his wife's smart phone to interface it's the same as owning one. Just don't think you can get a watch to do what he's looking for it to do.

Apple has a Family set up which has one central phone connected to one or more iWatches, each with a separate phone number.

Apple today announced Family Setup in watchOS 7, bringing the communication, health, fitness, and safety features of Apple Watch to kids and older family members of the household who do not have an iPhone. For the first time, Apple Watch can be set up through a parent’s iPhone, so kids can connect with family and friends through phone calls and Messages, stay motivated with personalized Activity goals, and express their creativity through custom Memoji.

Family Setup makes it possible for the entire family to benefit from the important health and safety features of Apple Watch, like Emergency SOS, while Maps, Siri, Alarms, and the App Store provide greater independence without needing an iPhone. In addition, parents will have peace of mind knowing they can reach their child and identify their location, and that all personal data stays securely encrypted. With watchOS 7, the whole family can also take advantage of optimized features that enhance the overall Apple Watch experience

But I think the charge limitations will be a deal breaker. Can I save charge by using my work’s Wi-fi instead of the cell network?

And no one else at my work communicates in this fashion. Then again, nobody else uses a flip phone, either. I keep telling people I’m Amish to get off my back about purchasing one, but the TigerConnect app is forcing the issue.

 

[BoltBacker]

I have a slightly different take than the rest. To me the limiting factor using a smart watch will be the processor and camera(s). It looks to me like you will need text-to-speech and/or video conferencing ability on the TigerConnect app. I wouldn't worry about the battery power issue because it sounds like you only need it for ~10 hours at a time and the data required should be pretty negligible.

I ordered a Zeblaze THOR 6 on 11/11(it's slightly more expensive now)....

https://www.banggood.com/4G-RAM+64G-ROM-Zeblaze-THOR-6-Phone-Call-The-First-Octa-Core-4G-Smart-Watch-with-Android-10-OS-Face-Unlock-WIFI-GPS-Long-Standby-4G-LTE-Global-Bands-Watch-Phone-p-1752596.html?rmmds=category&ID=6287830&cur_warehouse=CN

It's an actual full android 10 phone in the shape of a watch. It uses sim cards so a big advantage would be that you can use many different "pay as you go" data plans at good prices. I'm not sure if the processor will be fast enough to do "voice-to-text" well, but I have my fingers crossed. It has a Helio P22 processor which gets AnTuTu scores between 90k-100k so entry level phone territory. One of the requirements for me was accurate GPS and this one has both GLONASS and Beidou. It "claims" to do video calls.... but who knows(it wasn't a feature I personally was very interested in). BT 5.0 was a feature was another feature that made this watch desirable to me. Banggood orders typically takes about a month to reach the US, and I have a particularly complicated deliver situation so I won't be able to tell you what it's like first hand for several months but there are some solid videos on the page(the third one down being my favorite). Zeblaze has been making smartwatches for awhile now so don't worry if the name seems unfamiliar. Of course it's a direct from China product so if you are the type of person that needs a great deal of customer service it may be a bad choice for you.

If you decide voice-to-text probably won't work and you will actually try typing on a watch screen I'd suggest getting something like these because the screen is much bigger to type on.....

https://www.banggood.com/13MP-Rotatable-CameraKospet-Prime-2-2_1-480+480px-Screen-4G+64G-Octa-core-4G-LTE-Watch-Phone-1600mAh-Battery-GPS+Beidou-Android-10-Smart-Watch-p-1752117.html?rmmds=category&ID=224&cur_warehouse=CN

https://www.banggood.com/Face-UnlockTICWRIS-MAX-2_86-Inch-HD-Screen-Smart-Watch-3G+32G-4G-LTE-2880mAh-Battery-Capacity-8MP-Camera-GPS-Watch-Phone-p-1623129.html?rmmds=category&ID=6287830&cur_warehouse=CN

... I have never tried either of these but they may fit what you are looking for better as your ONLY DEVICE if you never plan on owning a smartphone. They are very bulky in comparison to the Zeblaze but you seem interested in the Garmin Fenix series and those are also bulky watches. If you do have to type on a watch screen I dunno how you would be able to use anything other than a bulky watch.

 

[Terminalxylem]

I have a slightly different take than the rest. To me the limiting factor using a smart watch will be the processor and camera(s). It looks to me like you will need text-to-speech and/or video conferencing ability on the TigerConnect app. I wouldn't worry about the battery power issue because it sounds like you only need it for ~10 hours at a time and the data required should be pretty negligible.

I ordered a Zeblaze THOR 6 on 11/11(it's slightly more expensive now)....

https://www.banggood.com/4G-RAM+64G-ROM-Zeblaze-THOR-6-Phone-Call-The-First-Octa-Core-4G-Smart-Watch-with-Android-10-OS-Face-Unlock-WIFI-GPS-Long-Standby-4G-LTE-Global-Bands-Watch-Phone-p-1752596.html?rmmds=category&ID=6287830&cur_warehouse=CN

It's an actual full android 10 phone in the shape of a watch. It uses sim cards so a big advantage would be that you can use many different "pay as you go" data plans at good prices. I'm not sure if the processor will be fast enough to do "voice-to-text" well, but I have my fingers crossed. It has a Helio P22 processor which gets AnTuTu scores between 90k-100k so entry level phone territory. One of the requirements for me was accurate GPS and this one has both GLONASS and Beidou. It "claims" to do video calls.... but who knows(it wasn't a feature I personally was very interested in). BT 5.0 was a feature was another feature that made this watch desirable to me. Banggood orders typically takes about a month to reach the US, and I have a particularly complicated deliver situation so I won't be able to tell you what it's like first hand for several months but there are some solid videos on the page(the third one down being my favorite). Zeblaze has been making smartwatches for awhile now so don't worry if the name seems unfamiliar. Of course it's a direct from China product so if you are the type of person that needs a great deal of customer service it may be a bad choice for you.

If you decide voice-to-text probably won't work and you will actually try typing on a watch screen I'd suggest getting something like these because the screen is much bigger to type on.....

https://www.banggood.com/13MP-Rotatable-CameraKospet-Prime-2-2_1-480+480px-Screen-4G+64G-Octa-core-4G-LTE-Watch-Phone-1600mAh-Battery-GPS+Beidou-Android-10-Smart-Watch-p-1752117.html?rmmds=category&ID=224&cur_warehouse=CN

https://www.banggood.com/Face-UnlockTICWRIS-MAX-2_86-Inch-HD-Screen-Smart-Watch-3G+32G-4G-LTE-2880mAh-Battery-Capacity-8MP-Camera-GPS-Watch-Phone-p-1623129.html?rmmds=category&ID=6287830&cur_warehouse=CN

... I have never tried either of these but they may fit what you are looking for better as your ONLY DEVICE if you never plan on owning a smartphone. They are very bulky in comparison to the Zeblaze but you seem interested in the Garmin Fenix series and those are also bulky watches. If you do have to type on a watch screen I dunno how you would be able to use anything other than a bulky watch.

That's interesting. I don't need a camera or video capability, but speech-to-text would be important - I'm not too keen on typing on a small screen. Most of the rest of your post is too techie for my level of sophistication, but it sounds like something I should look into further. Thanks.

 

[culdeus]

Yea I get that, but if he's going to use his wife's smart phone to interface it's the same as owning one. Just don't think you can get a watch to do what he's looking for it to do.

In the 5 minutes I looked into this tiger connect thing, I have serious doubts that a watch is going to give him the interface he needs even it was completely standalone.