Friday, October 10, 2014

The smartwatch I'm keeping...at least for awhile...

I've tried the Pebble (now down to $99!) the Samsung Gear 2 Neo, and the Samsung Gear Live. I haven't been overly impressed with any of them. However, I am keeping the Samsung Gear Live, and here's why:
  • It's more elegant than the Pebble
  • It's less device-dependent than the G2N: Can run on more versions of the Android operating system
  • It uses Google Now for searching
  • There are more and more tiny apps every day that are actually valuable
I don't love the form factor: I find it quite masculine and clunky, but here's the weird part: I have gotten lots of compliments on it, all from women. Go figure.

What am I missing?
  • Sleep and step tracking synchronization (not critical; I love my Fitbit)
  • Sound--all feedback is given with vibration (not critical; I don't worry about forgetting to turn off my sound)
  • Configuration of notifications: For example, I can't have different notification settings on the phone versus the watch. The watch is just an extension of the phone.
I have to admit that I would also appreciate some standards around the UI design for the tiny apps; how they behave with certain gestures. It's The Wild, Wild West at the moment--good for creativity and ideation, but difficult for users learning the small form factor.