I’ve been super critical of the smartwatch. I make no effort to hide the fact that I hope people will move directly to heads up displays soon. I think they’re an evolutionary midpoint, a convenient way to continue the conversation on wearable computing started by Bluetooth headsets. Having worn watches like the Toq, Martian, and Pebble for a couple months now though, my opinion on smartwatches has changed a bit, and lately I’ve been more positive on the experience.
During my recent trip to Vancouver, I opted for a Windows Phone instead of an Android. It provided me a better camera and the ability to store maps for offline use, handy as data was something of a premium on my pre-pay SIM. Unfortunately this meant no smartwatch support. I was surprised by how much I missed wearing one…
Maybe my favorite feature of wearing one is how it changes my experience with notifications. I often leave my phone on silent now and filter alerts through my watch. Those subtle pulses to my wrist help me stay aware of what’s going on online, and my wrist is more sensitive than my thigh. Even if I don’t always catch the screen during a notification, I at least know something is going on. That tactile sense was gone during my trip, and I missed that awareness.
I can’t say I missed much else however. It was nice not having another gadget to keep track of and charge. I like having a fitness tracker and pedometer, but it wasn’t mission critical info to have while traveling. I’ve never really used media player controls from my watch, so they weren’t missed on the go.
As we get ready for Android Wear and the Moto360, perhaps the most important feature I’m looking forward to is further improving notifications and alerts. The idea of feeding Google Now and proactive alerts to my wrist is especially exciting. The rest is icing, fun additional apps and services, but sending small pieces of info to my wrist has already had a profound impact on my relationship with my phone.
I went back to a normal watch for the trip. For fun I used my Happyhour Lightweight, and I was pleasantly surprised there was one at-a-glance piece of information delivery I could still get without a smartwatch.
Checking the time.