06-22-2026, 01:13 PM
I've gone back and forth on smartwatches for years. Bought a Fitbit in 2020, barely used it. Borrowed a friend's Galaxy Watch last year and found it genuinely useful for about two weeks before the novelty wore off.
The cases for them that I can't dismiss:
- Glanceable notifications without pulling your phone out (actually useful in meetings)
- Sleep tracking if you're willing to put effort into analysing the data
- Heart rate alerts - some people have caught actual medical issues early
- GPS tracking for runs/rides if you exercise regularly
The cases against:
- Another device to charge, usually daily or every 2 days
- Notification overload if you don't ruthlessly trim what sends alerts
- Accuracy on sleep/health sensors varies a lot between devices and wrists
- They look like a gadget, not a watch
I think the honest answer is: if you exercise consistently or have a specific health reason to monitor something, a smartwatch genuinely earns its keep. If you're buying it because it's cool, you'll wear it for a month.
What's your experience? Running one daily, or given up? Which device?
The cases for them that I can't dismiss:
- Glanceable notifications without pulling your phone out (actually useful in meetings)
- Sleep tracking if you're willing to put effort into analysing the data
- Heart rate alerts - some people have caught actual medical issues early
- GPS tracking for runs/rides if you exercise regularly
The cases against:
- Another device to charge, usually daily or every 2 days
- Notification overload if you don't ruthlessly trim what sends alerts
- Accuracy on sleep/health sensors varies a lot between devices and wrists
- They look like a gadget, not a watch
I think the honest answer is: if you exercise consistently or have a specific health reason to monitor something, a smartwatch genuinely earns its keep. If you're buying it because it's cool, you'll wear it for a month.
What's your experience? Running one daily, or given up? Which device?