On a trip to Computex, the conversation turned about smartwatches, the discussion was quite active, and after it ended, I decided to present some of my arguments in the framework of Friday's column.
In fact, there are three main reasons. The main one is the first one. Well, let's start.
It always irritates me to find something on my wrist. Even if it is a high-quality leather or practical silicone strap, I cannot wear such an accessory for a long time. In an hour and a half, my wrist gets tired, and I don't want to torture my hands for the sake of dubious convenience. I thought for a very long time whether to talk about this inconvenience in the article, it seemed to me that the problem was too niche. But in one of my articles I saw that a number of readers also do not like it when some foreign object is worn on their wrist, so, apparently, I'm not alone here.
The current use cases for smartwatches and fitness trackers give me great doubts about their usefulness. Do I need a pedometer? No, I already have it on my phone. Smart alarm clock? I tested it, waking up is just as hard. Receive notifications on your watch? After a while, you get tired of the constant vibration on your wrist. Switching tracks? It's convenient, I don't argue, but I don't really need it, there is a remote control on the headset. The only more or less sane use case is to pair with wireless headphones while jogging, which allows you not to take your smartphone with you and not get tangled up in wires.
And last but not least, the price. It's a toy, an entertainment accessory that slightly improves the usability of your smartphone. Some people like it. But why do different trackers cost 8,000-9,000 rubles each (yes, I know about Xiaomi Mi – Band, but the light didn't fit like a wedge on it), and prices for smartwatches reach 25,000 rubles ! I understand the desire of manufacturers to cash in on such an accessory, but as a user, this does not please me at all. I see no reason to give up the price of a good smartphone for the dubious usefulness of an accessory.
In my opinion (and a number of authors and users agree with me), the problem of smartwatches is in the absence of really effective use cases. That is, there is no such thing: 'I need this gadget, because it is perfect for such and such a need.' Let me remind you that I'm talking about mass scenarios now, not niche ones. Reading notifications and switching tracks from your hand is not a reason to pay 7,000-20,000 rubles. And just in case, I clarify: this is my opinion, yours may well differ from it.