The Struggle is Real: Navigating Smartwatches with Android Phones

I've been making YouTube videos for a few years now, and every time I make a video, no matter what the subject is, people always ask me the same question. What's that watch you're wearing? It's different every time. This time it's a Fossil Q Hybrid, or something like that, I don't know. But I like using Android phones, and I like wearing smartwatches, but when you use an Android phone and you want to wear a smartwatch, your choices are actually kinda grim. There are so many of them, but none of them are really that good.

So, the first question shouldn't be, which smartwatch should I get if I use an Android phone? The first question should probably be, why do I need a smartwatch in the first place? But I digress. One of the main issues with smartwatches on Android is that they don't integrate as seamlessly with your phone as they do with iPhones. This can make it difficult to get notifications or access certain features, and it's something that I've definitely experienced myself.

In my opinion, one of the best options for Android users is a hybrid smartwatch. These watches are basically just a simple watch face with some basic functionality, but they're designed to be more low-key than traditional smartwatches. They often don't have color screens or all sorts of fancy features, but they can still track your steps, show you the time, and maybe even give you some notifications. And the best part is that they usually last for weeks or even months on a single charge.

One of the watches I've been wearing lately is a Skagen Hybrid Smartwatch. It's basically just a Fossil watch with some basic functionality added in. The thing that's interesting about this watch is that you don't get to see the content of your notifications, but it can still count your steps and show you some basic information. When a text message comes in, I've configured this thing to have the minute hand point to the three. If it points at 12, it's a call, and I should pull my phone out right now. It's little touches like that which make this watch so useful.

Another hybrid smartwatch I've been playing with is the Samsung Gear Sport. This one has a rotating bezel that you can use to quickly scroll through your notifications, which is really handy. The problem is that it only works if you're using a Samsung phone, and even then, it's not always easy to get everything working properly. You have to install four different pieces of software just to get this thing up and running, and it's not exactly the most user-friendly process.

Despite the occasional hassle, I really like the Gear Sport. It does most of the things right that Android Wear gets wrong, and it's just a lot less complicated. The watch itself is also pretty great, with a sleek design and a comfortable fit. But overall, I think hybrid smartwatches are the way to go for Android users.

One of the main reasons I've been leaning towards hybrids is battery life. These watches can last for weeks or even months on a single charge, which is amazing. I mean, most smartphones barely make it through a day without needing to be charged, so the idea that you could go days without having to recharge your watch is just incredible. And it's not just about practicality - it's also about convenience. When was the last time you didn't want to check your phone because you thought it might be low on battery? With a hybrid smartwatch, you can just glance at the time and see how much charge you have left.

Of course, there are some downsides to hybrids. For one thing, they're not as flashy as traditional smartwatches. They don't have color screens or all sorts of fancy features, which can make them seem a bit dull by comparison. And then there's the issue of compatibility - like I mentioned earlier, these watches only work with certain phones and software.

Despite these limitations, I really think hybrids are the way to go for Android users. They're just so much easier to use than traditional smartwatches, and they offer a level of convenience that's hard to beat. And let's be real - most people aren't going to need all sorts of fancy features on their watch. For most of us, just being able to glance at the time or see our notifications is enough.

So, what makes a good smartwatch? In my opinion, it's all about simplicity and ease of use. You want a watch that's easy to use, with minimal clutter and no annoying distractions. You also want features that are actually useful - like notification support and fitness tracking. And most importantly, you want a watch that's reliable and consistent.

Of course, these are just my opinions. Ultimately, the best smartwatch for you will depend on your specific needs and preferences. Do you need a watch with all sorts of fancy features? Or do you just want something simple and easy to use? Maybe you're looking for a watch that can track your fitness goals or monitor your health metrics. Whatever it is, there's a smartwatch out there that's perfect for you.

One thing that's definitely not perfect, though, is the state of Android Wear right now. I mean, don't get me wrong - it's still a great platform with some amazing watches available. But if I'm being completely honest, I've been really disappointed by some of the options that have come out in recent months. They're either too expensive, or not compatible with my phone, or just plain confusing.

It's like Google is trying to create these fancy smartwatches that are supposed to be all high-end and sleek, but they're actually just a bunch of overpriced gimmicks. I mean, who really needs a watch that can track their sleep patterns or monitor their heart rate? It's not exactly essential functionality.

Of course, there are some great watches out there that do offer these features in a more practical way. For example, the Samsung Gear 360 has all sorts of fancy fitness tracking features, including GPS and heart rate monitoring. And then there's the Fossil Gen 5, which offers all sorts of smartwatch functionality on top of its traditional watch face.

But even with all these great options available, I still can't shake the feeling that Android Wear is not where it needs to be. There are just too many issues and inconsistencies, from compatibility problems to confusing software updates. It's like Google is trying to create this perfect smartwatch experience, but they're missing a few key pieces of the puzzle.

One thing that might help, though, is if Google were to simplify its approach to Android Wear. I mean, right now it feels like there are too many different watches and features available, which can make it hard for users to know what's going on. If Google could just streamline things a bit and focus on creating a few really great watches that work seamlessly with all sorts of phones and software, I think we'd be in a much better place.

Until then, though, I'm stuck with my Skagen Hybrid Smartwatch and its simple, practical approach to smartwatch functionality. And you know what? It's just fine by me.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en- I've been making YouTube videosfor a few years now, andevery time I make a video,no matter what the subject is,people always ask methe exact same question.What's that watch you're wearing?It's different every time.This time it's a Fossil Q hybridsomething or other, I don't know.But I like using Android phones,and I like wearing smartwatches,but when you use an Android phone,and you want to wear a smartwatch,your choices are actually kinda grim.There's so many of 'em, but none of 'emare really that good.So I'm trying to figure out what to doabout that situation.Now, maybe the firstquestion shouldn't be,which smartwatch should I getif I use an Android phone?The first question should probably be,do I need a smartwatch at all?And yeah, that's a totally fair question.For a lot of people, it's about fitness.It's about tracking your steps,and tracking yourexercise, but I don't know,that's not me, I care about steps,but I don't work outenough, and I don't needa smartwatch for that.For me, it's about notifications,and specifically, it's about treating themas ambient informationinstead of somethingthat's constantly pestering me.I really like wearing a smartwatchbecause when my wristbuzzes or my phone buzzes,I can just glance downat my watch, see if it'ssomething I care about or not,and move on with my day.I try to have the same relationshipwith all the informationstreaming into my phone,that I do with just a clock.I can look at it whenI need the informationand ignore it when I don't.So, if you're an Androiduser and you want to havethat same relationship with notificationsthat I do, what do you do?So the obvious answershould be if you havean Android phone, you shouldget an Android smartwatch.Android Wear.Except it's not calledAndroid Wear anymore,it's called Wear OS, 'causeGoogle wants everybodyto know that it also works with an iPhone.But, it really works better with Android.Anyway, the problem withWear OS is Google hasn'tdone right by its userswith this platform.There's a bunch of problems actually.So the first one, Ron Amadeo wrote areally good article a couple of month agoover at Ars Technica,pointing out that thevast majority of Wear OS watches use thisancient Qualcomm processor, the 2100,that hasn't been updated in two years,and there's really nothing on the horizon.And what that means is if you go outand just buy an Android Wear watch,it's probably going to be too slow,it's probably not going tohave great battery life,you're probably going tohave not a great experience.On top of that, if you just go out and buyan Android Wear watch,you're probably goingto buy it from the people thatare making them these days,which are Google's fashion partners,like Fossil, or KateSpade, or Michael Kors,or whatever.And so you're paying a premiumfor this old technology.But even if you get past all of that,the basic experience ofusing a Wear OS watch,doesn't hold up this year.They're kinda slow, thethird-party apps arenot that great, if youcan find them at all,and digging through the piles and pilesof watch faces to find the one good onethat you like just takes forever.It's really just a hugeproblem all around,and I've just been waitingfor Google to fix it.What I would like to do is tell youthat I've used all of theavailable smartwatchesthat work with Android and I've picked thebest one for most people.And I've used a bunch of'em, but I can't give youthe best one for mostpeople because I kindof don't think there is one.Instead, the best thingI can offer you is thisdecision tree.And your first decisionis, do you want a screenon your smartwatch or not?If you do, you've got two branches.You've got Wear OS, whichwe've just talked about,and we've got a coupleof third-party optionsthat I like.If you don't care about a screen,but you still want a smartwatch,there's another branchover here called hybrid.And so I wanna go through thesedifferent options with you.Okay, so you want a screen.We've already gone over Wear OS.It's, it's fine.But if that doesn't appeal to you,there is a brand new smartwatchthat just hit the scene.It's the Fitbit Versa.And I don't love it.As a fitness watch, it's pretty solid.It fits into Fitbit's whole ecosystem,but I think it looks pretty terrible.The watch face options are even worse.The third-party appsupport is non-existent.Battery life is great though.But as a general smartwatch,I don't think it's good.A better option is the Samsung Gear line.This is the Gear Sport.And I like it a lot actually.On the watch itself, it'sgot this rotating bezelso you can jam through yournotifications really quickly.There's not great third-party app support,but there's a little bit.The problem that I have with this isif you don't use a Samsung phone,in order to get this thing up and running,you have to install atleast four differentpieces of software.The Gear software, the notification thing,S Health, some other thing.And you could even get up to six.And that's just a lot ofSamsung crap on my phone,and I don't love it.So, the watch is fine.I think it's actually pretty good.It does most of the things rightthat Android Wear gets wrong, it's just,it's a lot of Samsung.Now the last branch in the decision treeis this hybrid watch.And so, here's one that I just got.It's a Skagen, again.And this is this Fossil I've been wearing.They're basically the same watch.And the thing that'sinteresting about this isyou don't get to see the contentof your notification, but itcan still count your steps,and it can still show you alittle bit of information.So when a text message comes in,I've configured this thing to have theminute hand point to the three.Or when it's a calendarappointment it points to the nine.Or whatever, and so when my phone buzzes,or my wrist vibrates, I can glance downat my watch and it'll point down to,I don't know, six, and I know in my head,that that's a Slack message.I'll look at it later.But if it points at 12, it's a call,and I should pull my phone out right now.The other reason I reallylike hybrid smartwatches isyou don't have to chargethe damn things every day.A battery in this thing could lastanywhere from three to six monthsdepending on how manynotifications you get.It's the watch I've beenwearing the most lately.So that's the decisiontree for smartwatchesfor Android users, as far as I see it.The place where I've landedis I've mostly been usinga hybrid smartwatch, but I don't know,I kinda want to go back to Wear OS.Which seems like a really bad choice,but I really like havingthe weather on my wrist,and I really like seeing mynext calendar appointment.And to do that, you need a screen.But even though it mightbe the right choice for me,I don't think I canrecommend a Wear OS watchto really, anybody else.There's the fact that theprocessor is really old.But more to the point, thesewatches aren't that cheap.Because Google partnered withall these fashion brands,it means that you're havingto pay fashion brand prices.You're paying for thedesign and the brand name.And that extra money justdoesn't seem worth it to mefor a platform that I don'tknow where it's going.It's great that there are so many choicesof different watch stylesand different kinds ofwatch bands and all theother stuff that you can getwith Android Wear, butif none of those choicesare a home run, then what's the pointof having all that choice?I really hope that thisyear, Google can find a wayto give better options to Android userswhen it comes to smartwatchesbecause looking around,it's way past time.Hi, everybody.Thank you so much for watching.And if you've gotten this far,maybe jump down to the commentsand let me know what isthe most important thingfor you in a smartwatch.For me it was, I don't know, battery lifefor hybrids, maybe it'ssomething different for you.\n"