Smartwatch: when is it practical and when is it superfluous?
2.5.2016
Translation: machine translated
Ever since Pebble raised $10 million in a Kikstarter campaign in 2012, smartwatches have been on everyone's lips and on many wrists. It didn't take long for other manufacturers to bring their own models to market. In the meantime, the choice is enormous: there are smartwatches of every size, shape and colour. But, as is often the case, all that glitters is not gold - even if it does say rose gold.
The benefits
Against the flood of notifications
Short answers
It doesn't matter whether it's a smartwatch with Android Wear operating system like the Huawei Watch Active or the Pebble Round with its own system, all of them can respond to notifications. If you use the Google Hangouts app, you can choose from a selection of short responses and Emojis. Voice command is also an option. However, reciting a monologue to your watch is still a fun situation for other passengers on the train. [[image:5842539]]
To telephone
While we're on the subject of voice control: with the Samsung Gear S2, as with the Apple Watch, you can feel like Michael Knight. Thanks to the built-in speakers, you can make phone calls - provided the phone is within Bluetooth range. This method is less suitable for longer conversations. With the exception of the LG Watch Urbane 2nd with LTE, which is made for making calls without a smartphone.
For sport
The remote control
For individualists
There are many models of smartwatches. Top of the list: the Apple Watch, available in many sizes, colours and materials, is attracting crowds. If you prefer the round shape, opt for the Pebble Round. A little bonus: it lasts longer than the competition. The bracelets can easily be replaced with those from a third-party vendor, making the possibilities almost endless.
Anyone who still doesn't have enough individuality can download one of the many Watchfaces onto the watch. From chronographs, to retro watches, right through to mini-games, almost anything can decorate the little screen.
The downsides
When the sun shines
In winter
All the advantages disappear when you wear a thick winter jacket or a cardigan with tight sleeves: the quick glance at the watch no longer exists. We then have to, as best we can, try to get the watch out from under the sleeve.
Taking a shower
Most models are barely splash-proof or can withstand a depth of one metre. We advise against showering and you can write off swimming. [[image:5846141]] The Pebble Time is one of the few smartwatches that is waterproof. Source: Mobilereviews
The weekend excursion
Gone are the days when you could go on holiday for a week and leave the charger at home. With the smartwatch, you even have the chance to take two chargers with you for a night out or the weekend excursion: the one for your smartphone and the one for your smartwatch, because the latter aren't compatible.
If you always have to have your mobile
Here's the general process: you see on the watch that you've received a message and you'd like to reply to it. So you take out the smartphone and start writing. Two minutes later, you start again. You might wonder why you don't just look at the phone. And without a connection to the smartphone, smartwatches are useless anyway - with the exception of the LG Watch Urbane 2nd.
Conclusion
Smartwatches are certainly not (yet) the technological jewel that manufacturers are trying to make us believe, but they still offer a number of practical functions, particularly in the world of fitness. And the choice is immense: shapes, colours, types and prices. There's something for everyone. For the moment, they are still toys. But aren't we all just big kids?
See our current smartwatches
Philipp Rüegg
Senior Editor
Philipp.Rueegg@digitecgalaxus.chAs a child, I wasn't allowed to have any consoles. It was only with the arrival of the family's 486 PC that the magical world of gaming opened up to me. Today, I'm overcompensating accordingly. Only a lack of time and money prevents me from trying out every game there is and decorating my shelf with rare retro consoles.
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