[D13Fd]

I was with you until #5.

The Apple Watch is very useful. That’s why people keep buying it.

It’s nice to get notifications on your wrist if you don’t have your phone out 100% of the time. The alarms are silent and dead simple to set, and it can function as your wake up alarm in the morning, and sync with your phone as a backup alarm. It lets you unlock your phone while wearing a mask. It lets you pay for things instantly without taking your phone or wallet out.

If you are someone who exercises, the utility goes up even more. It’s great to control your podcast or music while out walking or running without digging around in your phone. It’s perfect for tracking your workouts, because it’s always on your arm and it tracks your heart rate.

I agree that the EKG & O2 level features are pretty much a gimmick. But the watch generally is an exceptional piece of technology.

[CharlesW]

> I agree that the EKG & O2 level features are pretty much a gimmick. But the watch generally is an exceptional piece of technology.

They are until they aren't, you know? https://www.cnet.com/news/apple-watch-lifesaving-health-feat...

[D13Fd]

None of those people were saved by the EKG or O2 features (other than that one person noticed a slow heartbeat while playing with the EKG feature). They are talking about the "fall detection feature, heart rate notifications, exercise tracking and even the ability to make a call from your wrist."

[malwarebytess]

You didn't read far enough.

The article includes a story on the watch detecting Atrial fibrillation. Presumably this used the EKG feature, since an EKG is the standard clinical tool for diagnosis of AFib.

[burnte]

Just to be clear, I'm not saying they have no use, I'm saying I can't find a use for them. I just want to be very clear I'm saying me personally and not others.

Wrist notifications are kinda nice, yes, but I almost never don't have my phone. I've also had one broken screen in 11 years of carrying Android phones, so I'm not the typical user. Always having it with me kills most of the utility of the watch for me, I think.

I also use finger unlock, because I'm Android. I don't use face unlock even though it's available because I think finger is far superior, to the point I won't buy a phone that doesn't have it. I skipped th ePixel 4 totally because of the lack of fingerprint. If the Pixel 6 has no fingerprint, then I'll skip that too.

[JohnTHaller]

> It lets you unlock your phone while wearing a mask.

I'm really glad I passed on the Pixel 4, mainly because I hated the concept of face unlock on a phone (slower and less reliable? sounds great!). And this was before the age of masks. I love having a fingerprint reader on the back. The phone is unlocked as it's coming out of my pocket. Google switched back with the 4a and 5 so I picked up a 4a 5G. It's a shame Apple won't stick a fingerprint reader on the back, too.

[dariusj18]

But aren't those features (notifications, alarms, exercise tools, music controls) in a bunch of other smart watches?

[D13Fd]

> But aren't those features (notifications, alarms, exercise tools, music controls) in a bunch of other smart watches?

Yes, definitely. I was replying to:

> I personally stuggle to see the point of smart watches.

I do think the Apple execution and hardware is generally better, but really I was just comparing the benefits of wearing a smart watch vs. not wearing one.