Watches with A (today known as Wear OS) are the perfect complement to your mobile phone: You can live without them and nothing will happen, but when you try them they become that device that you you don't want to do withoutThey are not a social obligation like a smartphone or WhatsApp; they are a choice that, if you make it, It gives you comfort, control and speed In your day to day.
Android Wear: "unnecessary"
Many people say that smartwatches are useless these days. And that's not true. The truth is, they're unnecessary. That's true. But that's not a bad thing. All those people who think smartwatches aren't for them will still be very happy not to have to buy a watch. The same doesn't happen with smartphones, for example, or with social media, or WhatsApp. The latter are all products we have to use because society demands it, even if we don't like it. It doesn't matter if we don't want anyone to be able to send us a WhatsApp message because we need it if we have family and want to stay in touch with them. Something similar happens with social media, especially if we have a business. And how can we talk about not having a smartphone these days? However, smartwatches with Android Wear aren't in that situation. You don't need one. So you don't have to make an expense you think is unnecessary. Generally, manufacturers and the market in general "force" or lead us to buy certain technological devices, but that's not the case with smartwatches with Android Wear. They are not useless, If not the opposite.
Choosing not to buy it is also winning: you save yourself from unnecessary purchases and avoid further distractions. If extreme autonomy is your thing, an activity tracker can offer more days of battery life and fewer temptations. But if you're looking to go a step further without taking your phone out of your pocket, the watch is where everything happens at a glance.
Android Wear: "inalienable"
Now, if you're one of those users who wants a smartwatch, but is afraid to buy one because everyone says they're not useful or a waste of money, don't worry. We say it's the perfect watch because those who don't buy it won't miss out on anything, but those who do will have a lot. Those who buy it want to get the most out of it. It's perfect for sports. Depending on which one you buy, it'll be great for running or swimming. But it's also useful even if you don't like sports. It allows you to quickly reply to WhatsApp messages or respond to emails. But above all, it's a first screen that tells us what we have on our phone without forcing us to take out the smartphone, at a glance. If you buy it, you will learn that it makes using Twitter, WhatsApp and emailAnd in reality, it allows us to be much more connected. Try having it for two weeks and you'll see how hard it is to get rid of it, that source of information you carry on your wrist.
That's why it's a perfect product. If you buy it, you will really enjoy itThey will arrive soon best watchesSure. But if you're one of those who likes these smartwatches, and have always loved them, these Android Wear devices are definitely for you.
Much more than you imagine on your wrist
- Notifications and native apps: WhatsApp on Wear OS allows you to view chats, reply, listen to audio and even act without a mobile phone on some models with connectivity.
- Contactless payments: With NFC and Google Wallet, you pay by bringing your wrist close. You can also wear tickets and boarding passes on the clock.
- Assistant and home automation: Google Assistant lets you dictate reminders, ask questions, and control your home with Google Home. You can interact with devices like HomyHub or Nuki locks from your wrist.
- Navigation and Maps: with Google Maps you receive spins with vibrations and routes on foot, by car, or by public transport. Fewer distractions than looking at your phone.
- Complete communication: reply to emails, answer calls and, on models with eSIM, call without the phoneDetects falls and can issue emergency alerts.
- Health and sport: Track steps, heart rate, sleep, stress, SpO2, and ECG on supported models; metrics like PAI to simplify your daily activity. Swimming mode with water resistance according to each model.
- Productivity and extras: Record voice memos with Wear Audio Recorder, browse the web or watch YouTube with a browser like Samsung Internet; use WearGPT for voice queries; turn your watch into a mouse with WowMouse; activate the built-in flashlight; play casual games tailored to your screen.
- Find and control: : find phone function and compatibility with keychain locators; controls plugs and lights with automation apps.
Wear OS in a nutshell
Wear OS unifies the best of the Android ecosystem on your wrist with gesture-optimized interface, tiles/widgets for quick information, better performance in app opening and efficiency, and a growing catalog on Google Play (Spotify, Strava, Adidas Running, sleep apps and more). Google Wallet stores each time more types of cards and access. The Assistant improves voice interaction, and on some watches, you don't even need to activate a previous command. Some models offer iOS compatibility with limited features; with Android the experience is more complete.
Models and options for everyone
If you are looking for power and ecosystem, the duo between watches with Wear OS and the Android mobile: from families such as Samsung Galaxy Watch (including models designed for greater autonomy and resistance), OnePlus Watch 2/2R with dual processor for large autonomies, OPPO Watch X, or itself Google Pixel Watch with Fitbit integration. If you want to spend less, there are very valid previous generations such as the Galaxy Watch 4, 5 Pro or 6, and proposals from Xiaomi like Watch 2 and 2 Pro, with prices that can be placed below € 150 on sale.
Page 34: What is Android Wear?
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What is Android Wear?
Wrist wearables, whether a smart watch or a bracelet, are ideal accessories to accompany and complement our mobile phones, with developments such as Android Wear 2.0. By having a screen on the wrist we can quickly view notifications or relevant information, like the time of the next event on our calendar. But is there much difference between wearing a watch that costs hundreds of euros instead of a bracelet that costs around 50 euros?
It's a question I've asked myself many times, and the title of this article already reveals what the answer has been, at least for a user like me: I prefer to use an activity bracelet, and I have good reasons.. That's right, although I have both, but I usually wear the cheaper device on my wrist. The band is more than enough and even offers me benefits for my digital wellbeing. Let's talk about that.
First things first: the battery lasts much longer
We live in a world where we have to charge many devices, some of them every day: the laptop, the mobile phone, the headphones, the external battery in case your phone runs out of battery, the Nintendo Switch (in my case), and of course, the wearable. Many smartwatches require us to charge them basically every day., or maybe, if I'm lucky, every day. If I can avoid using something that depends on being plugged into a charger every day, I'll do it.
An activity bracelet, on the other hand, offers several days of battery lifeI've used wristbands from various brands and ranges. Some have offered me between 5 and 7 days of battery life, while others, like the one I'm currently wearing on my wrist, have lasted between two weeks and a little longer.
It's liberating, especially because there's one thing that's been repeated across all the wristband models I've used over the past few years: since I don't have to charge the battery every day, I never take it off, not even to shower. I forget it's there until I need it.And this aspect, or rather, this benefit, is linked to the second point: the experience of using it.
The user experience: it is much more comfortable, even though it can do less
A fitness tracker is usually smaller and lighter than your average smartwatch, which means you're more likely to forget you're wearing it. You get used to it to the point where it doesn't bother you or you don't have to take it off for days., even for more than a week. You'll only notice it when you receive a notification or decide to use it.
The biggest disadvantage of a fitness tracker compared to a smartwatch with Wear OS is that has no access to applications, we cannot access WhatsApp to reply to a message from the wrist, view an email in Gmail or download a playlist on Spotify. This last aspect is the one that weighs on me the most, since I usually go running or exercising alone, using the watch not only to track my physical activities but also to listen to music from the watch, without needing a phone.
But still, the band has everything I need, the basics, the most important things: it can take health measurements, it can track sleep, it can show me my notifications, and I can even check my calendar from it. It's more than enough. For the rest of the apps and things I have my phone.To be honest, it's much faster and more convenient to take your phone out of your pocket to reply to a WhatsApp message than to dictate it into your watch.
More precise use, with fewer distractions
The activity bracelet also allows me to be less distracted; I am less likely to do things related to the constant need to be informed, to respond to that message as soon as possible, to be onlineSmartwatches give us access to many apps, which means more opportunities for distraction. Fitness trackers, on the other hand, are much more limited in comparison, and that's an advantage when it comes to digital well-being.
En general, bracelets are easier to use (even for someone unfamiliar with these devices), and they have exactly what I need, no more, no less: they track my health and fitness activities, and I can see my notifications. I don't need to watch a YouTube video from my wrist, and while sending personalized replies from the wrist can be very useful, the quick replies offered by some wristbands can help. If I need to write something longer and more complex, I take my phone out of my pocket.
The future of smartwatches with Wear OS is promising
Smartwatches continue to offer a much more complete and versatile experience, and that will only improve in the immediate future. Google is expected to bring Gemini to Wear OS, which would allow for much easier voice interaction with the smartwatch. This, along with greater battery life for the watches, would be a significant advance for these devices in a market full of very interesting options among smartwatches and bracelets of all kinds, and in all price ranges.
The obvious: displaying the time, making and receiving calls, receiving notifications on my phone, and reminding me of my daily schedule (Google Calendar) Answer questions on some issues, on other issues it's like asking a monkey (Google Now) Set an alarm (Google Clock) Pay for purchases (Google Pay) Locate your lost phone (Google Find my Device) Show the weather forecast (Google Weather) Make quick math calculations (Calculator) Monitor physical activity and sleep (Google Fit) Monitor heart rate (Google Fit) Take remote photos/videos with smartwatch (Wrist Camera). Turn on a smart plug or home lights remotely (Macrodroid). Listen to podcasts and music with a smartwatch (Spotify/WearMedia/Wear Casts). Identify songs you listen to, with smartwatch (Shazam). Use the watch as a PC mouse or wireless game controller (WearMouse). Learn languages ​​with the watch (Duolingo ). Take notes, make shopping lists, and remember tasks (Google Keep) Translate conversations (Google Translate) Show the altitude and atmospheric pressure of where you are (Altimeter-Barometer). Record a conversation (Wear Audio Recorder). Continue strength training (Seven) Follow a hiking trail and guide you (View Ranger). Follow the most recommended route on foot and by car and guide you (Google Maps). Follow the most recommended route by public transport and guide you (CityMapper). Request transportation to go from one place to another (Uber) Show my loyalty card when I go to the supermarket (Stocard) Be able to chat via messenger (Telegram) Make video calls (Glide) Relax when I'm stressed or nervous (Calm) Entertain myself with a casual game (infinity loop) Remind me to drink water (Water Drink Reminder) I know that for some uses there are more applications that can do the same thing, I have only listed the one I consider most representative, for example, for sports activities apart from Google Fit I know that there is also Strava, Runtastic, Mobvoi, etc. My question is more directed to other uses that you give to the smartwatch that are not listed.
A watch with Android Wear/Wear OS is not competing to replace your mobile phone, but to remove friction Hundreds of times a day: checking a notification, paying, opening a door, starting a run, turning on a light, or responding to a text message with your voice. When this gesture lives on your wrist, technology becomes invisible and your day runs more smoothly.
