New Swatch Windows Smartwatch

[Luke Thomas2]

I am currently using the pebble steel solution, but after coming from Android with a Sony SW2 to Windows Phone (which I love) and a pebble I am not enjoying the experience. But I am VERY HAPPY to have found this article, so it looks like we might have an official watch option soon!

I cant post the link because I am new however if you search/google:
"Swatch smartwatch set for launch:" its the first article that comes up

Let me know your thoughts,

 

[Witness]

Here's a link to the Forbes article: Swatch Smartwatch Set For August Launch - Forbes

At the end of the article, it mentions that Android and Windows Phones are compatible with mobile payment support via Visa and China Unionpay.

 

[Greywolf1967]

I sure hope that is not the way the display looks all the time. No watch face?
Don't get me wrong, I am over the moon someone is supporting Windows Phone but to my eyes it looks a little busy on that display.

 

[DavidinCT]

Ugly watch, I guess it depends on what your looking for as style goes. A Smartwatch needs to tell the time (always showing), have full functions of Notifications and has to look like a WATCH.

I'm using a Pebble Steel and it works great with the sideloaded app. Not sure what type of issues the OP is having but, I get everything emails texts and even Cortana notifications. My MLB app even kicks off a notification on my watch when there is a score of a game...

 

[Luke Thomas2]

Hi David,

Yeah my pebble steel is working OK, but my biggest issue is that I came from a Sony SW2 which was full color, lots of apps etc and integrated fully with my phone, so I guess I am missing that additional functionality. It still seems weird that Microsoft would not be jumping on top of everyone to try and get someone to develop a WP compatible smart watch to rival the android or ios options.

 

[DavidinCT]

Hi David,

Yeah my pebble steel is working OK, but my biggest issue is that I came from a Sony SW2 which was full color, lots of apps etc and integrated fully with my phone, so I guess I am missing that additional functionality. It still seems weird that Microsoft would not be jumping on top of everyone to try and get someone to develop a WP compatible smart watch to rival the android or ios options.

There is plusses to having a color display, sure, screen is nice and full of color with some battery killing apps, the bad thing is, it does not always stay on (need to shake your wrist to see the time) and then you have to deal with the battery life. Most color watches last no more than 2 days, in most cases your lucky to get through 24 hours with out charging them (iWatch, 18-20 hours, if you don't really use it ...for example).

The pebble is a LCD display, always on, many faces you can use to change the look, battery lasts 7-10 days on a single charge and does MOST of the stuff a lot of watches will do, well at least the most important ones, notifications. No big apps, or programs (some minor ones), one of the limits of it. Most apps don't work with Windows Phone so it's no use to bother.

The Pebble Time is looking nice but, only 64 colors but, still color, still 7 days battery life. Not as pretty as the Android wear displays but it is color. Right now there is no option to use the Time with Windows Phone (no app that supports it).

I would love to see MS come up with a WATCH, not a fitness band, I really would have to see how well it works out. After having a watch that I pretty much never take off (on weekends to change but, that is about it) that I don't really think about needing to charge it, it would be VERY hard to go to a watch that I have to charge every day or every other day.

I think the Pebble time(steel) would be my next choice of Smartwatches, as it kind of has the best of both worlds for me, I want a smart watch for Notifications and telling the time and the Pebble option fits my needs perfectly. If it does extra, cool but, not for the loss of battery life.

I do wish for some options tho... There really isn't much to chose from in this area.

 

[Greywolf1967]

There is plusses to having a color display, sure, screen is nice and full of color with some battery killing apps, the bad thing is, it does not always stay on (need to shake your wrist to see the time) and then you have to deal with the battery life. Most color watches last no more than 2 days, in most cases your lucky to get through 24 hours with out charging them (iWatch, 18-20 hours, if you don't really use it ...for example).

The pebble is a LCD display, always on, many faces you can use to change the look, battery lasts 7-10 days on a single charge and does MOST of the stuff a lot of watches will do, well at least the most important ones, notifications. No big apps, or programs (some minor ones), one of the limits of it. Most apps don't work with Windows Phone so it's no use to bother.

The Pebble Time is looking nice but, only 64 colors but, still color, still 7 days battery life. Not as pretty as the Android wear displays but it is color. Right now there is no option to use the Time with Windows Phone (no app that supports it).

I would love to see MS come up with a WATCH, not a fitness band, I really would have to see how well it works out. After having a watch that I pretty much never take off (on weekends to change but, that is about it) that I don't really think about needing to charge it, it would be VERY hard to go to a watch that I have to charge every day or every other day.

I think the Pebble time(steel) would be my next choice of Smartwatches, as it kind of has the best of both worlds for me, I want a smart watch for Notifications and telling the time and the Pebble option fits my needs perfectly. If it does extra, cool but, not for the loss of battery life.

I do wish for some options tho... There really isn't much to chose from in this area.

Maybe you could explain to me this issue people have with battery life......Maybe because I have a little more understanding of battery tech then most and it's uses in Electric Cars, and where the tech stands for batteries.

I am fine with adding charge to my gear each and every night. Even if my phone can run 2 days of my normal use, I still top it up when I lay down and have for many years now. So I can't see an issue of popping a watch onto a charger every day.

We are at a peak right now with batteries and their make up, until someone changes the material inside to add more capacity in a smaller package.

Of what I am aware of, we are still 5 to 10 years out from better battery make up and capacity that will be available to the market.

However I just don't get how add a charge to something seems like such a downfall. Maybe because I started with PDA's that if you were careful you got almost 8 hours of use off the charger.

Why are tiny things like smart watches given a strike if they need a daily top up??? The chips that run them are so much more powerful then the 166 Mhz chips I had in my early PDA's and they get so much more life doing way more then I asked of the PDA's.

 

[DavidinCT]

We are at a peak right now with batteries and their make up, until someone changes the material inside to add more capacity in a smaller package.

Of what I am aware of, we are still 5 to 10 years out from better battery make up and capacity that will be available to the market.

That is what the main problem is. A phone is a device you expect to charge every day or other day, it's just how it is, or always has been. Battery tech has not changed much in this aspect, they might of gotten a little smaller over the years but, for the power output, very minor. As far as I know (I don't clam to be an expert in this area but, I know a enough to make this statement), we are using the same basic tech in batteries that we were almost 10 years ago. 5-10 years ? This should of been here years ago.

Now using this SAME tech in battery, your dropping into a watch. with the stuff needed to make it work, so it's otherwise really bulky, or it's got a hit on the battery where the device needs to strip features to meet a reasonable battery life.

For MANY years (from my first Moto Star-tac), I expected one thing, to charge a phone every day, or other day. My watch ? Lasts 6 months to a year on a single battery (standard analog watch). So moving to a smartwatch, pulling it off every day to charge every day, it's not something I like and it's another thing to worry about.

If a smarwatch can last a week or so, it is things I have to worry about less, in about 5-6 days on my pebble, I will get a 20% notification, and if I let it go for another 2 days or so, it will give me the 10% notification. Not a pest but, a simple reminder.

All in all, to each their own, If you don't mind charging a WATCH every day, then cool. I just don't like it and will avoid it as much as possible. I pretty much only take the watch off to take a shower (and it's water proof so I don't need to do that if I wanted to), so it's another factor.

Tech moves forward at a crazy pace, faster better is always coming out almost every week but, when it comes down to it the ONLY tech that does not change is batteries, and we are in the dark ages in this aspect.