HOW TO CHOOSE A SMART WATCH IF YOU ARE USING ANDROID

The processor is a weekly show on YouTube, where they analyze in detail how technology is changing, and how to think about our gadgets not as users, but as ordinary people. Subscribe here. Back in February, Ron Amadeo wrote a wonderful article in Ars Technica, where he pointed out an obvious fact: the Google Wear operating system has serious problems. Of course, in February, Wear OS wasn’t named yet; Her name was Android Wear.

The renaming took place mainly because Google wanted to emphasize - watches based on this OS are compatible with the iPhone, as well as with Android phones. Although in this context “also” is not quite right: Wear OS, after all, feels much better with Android than with iOS. However, according to Amadeo, Wear OS can not boast of excellent work on Android. One of the biggest problems really is that only one type of processor is available for this watch: a Qualcomm chip that is very outdated. People like to say that “stuffing doesn’t matter,” but in this case it does. “Android-based smart watches continue to be stupid, slow, energy-consuming devices,” wrote Amadeo. He's right. Still, Google made some improvements with the release of Android Wear 2.0 in February 2017. The watches became quasi-independent devices that could directly install apps from the Google Play Store, which theoretically made them more attractive to iPhone users. In practice, however, in order to search for decent applications, themes and specific programs on a smart watch, it is required to go through many sub-parameters and a slow, unresponsive interface. Since then, Google with its Wear OS has been closely following numerous fashion brands to create watches based on a standardized platform. They are all basically the same inside. Sometimes you can see minor additions, in the form of a GPS, heart rate monitor, or LTE. Outside, all watches are also similar: round and thick, with a short battery life. Screen, good battery, or fashionable style - you can only choose two The first thing that Wear OS watches have learned from fashion brands is a bunch of different styles. They, of course, look good, but not too attractive. The main innovation was the payment for the Wear OS brand itself. Perhaps they are worth it, but I think you need a more sober assessment of the prospect that the watch will have a rather short lifespan. TicWatch E - noticeably better and for only 159 dollars. If you are absolutely sure that you want to buy an Android Wear watch right now, try to spend as little money on it as possible. There is some good news: there are other options for Android users. But before you buy a smart watch, determine your requirements. First, do you need a screen? If yes, there is a choice between Wear OS and several third-party brands. I think the best among them is Gear Sport from Samsung. This is not the thinnest watch, but it looks good. More importantly, they win where the Wear OS stumbles: they are fast, intuitive and even fun to use. But I don’t like Gear if I don’t use a Samsung phone. The clock additionally requires the installation of four to six support service applications. Enough Samsung on my pixel. Another choice is Fitbit Versa, which works great as an improved fitness tracker, but very poorly, as a full-featured smart watch (I also hate their style). Both options suffer from a lack of third-party applications and integration compared to the Apple Watch, or even Android Wear. If you do not need a screen, there is a whole range of hybrid, smart watches , many of which are made by brands owned by Fossil. They have mechanical, analog interfaces, but additional features are offered, such as notifications, or step tracking. Recently, I used royal london watch http://www.rafiqsonsonline.com/product-category/royal-london/ which at the time of this writing was only 125 dollars on Amazon. He counts the steps, shows notifications, and has a battery whose charge lasts for three to six months. Changes are coming in Wear: OS, for example, is working to increase battery life in the next version. But I'm not sure that besides this, the company will correct the deeper problems of the platform. To begin with, it would be necessary to solve the problem with the processor in order to have a modern base for creating your devices. The upcoming Google I / O conference is definitely a good place to discuss future steps! 50 options will not help if none of them can compete with Apple Watch It's great that Google created a platform with a choice. Especially great if it's with something personal, like a clock! The problem for Android users is that there is obviously no better choice. When someone wants to buy a watch, he sees a bunch of devices in front of him and not one of them (at least) is not perfect. But, even worse: this pile is actually not that big. 50 options will not help if none of them can compete with Apple Watch.