My ideal smartwatch [Opinion and Poll]
I love watches. Yeah, you can see the time on your phone, which nowadays are in front of your eyes more often than not. However, I’ve gotten a long, long affinity for them ever since I was a kid.
I’m really proud of the fact that I’ve bought each and every watch during my entire life with my own money. Right from the time I bought a talking watch (a digital timepiece that read out the time when you pressed a button) when I was five years old, to my Timex Expedition (pictured below. The metal strap was something I got done the original leather wore out) which I got four years ago.
And I’ve wanted an awesome smartwatch ever since I got my first Android phone. The problem is, the category of devices is still in its infancy, and for that reason the options available have failed to live up to my own expectations from them.
The one I like the most, the i’m Watch, is not even in the same galaxy as my budget. I love the design, especially the fact that the watch itself doesn’t pop out (I’m pretty darn certain I’ll bang the Sony Smartwatch every other day of use) but I cannot ever justify spending $469 on it.
If nothing else compelling comes out, I’ll probably just go for the Motoactv sometime during the summer (if any of you have one, do put in your own reviews in the comments).
Anyway, I was recently discussing with a friend what my idea smartwatch would be, and I thought I might share it with others to see if my demands match those of the most.
4GB on board memory, and bluetooth phone music player control
I don’t have a large music library, so 4GB on board memory would be more than sufficient for me. Plus the only time I’m without my phone is if I’m working out (which I barely do), so simply controlling my phone’s music player would be more than sufficient for 99% of the time.
Receive and make calls
I hate forgetting my phone in my pocket while driving. Despite always wearing straight-fit jeans, I can never get my phone out. Receiving and making calls from the watch would be God-sent.
Google Navigation support
Remember the navigation display in Google’s Project Glass video? I’d love navigation options coming like that on my watch. I love the challenge Google have set themselves with Project Glass, but I feel nearly everything there in the video should be available really soon, in the same UX manner, on a watch. The watch should be what helps you avoid taking your phone out every time.
Taking the navigation feature a step forward, I’d like to have a feature where the watch vibrates to alert me if I miss a turn, or cross my destination.
Voice-to-text
If and when Majel comes out, I would really, really love something that connects to that. Again, it goes back to the Project Glass feature. Receive mail notification? Read it out to me please, and then let me speak my reply. Pretty basic, and yet awesome.
Apps
Have a really simple marketplace, with preferably a website from where a user can add capabilities. If it can’t do that, then it’s not a smartwatch.
Fitbit/Jawbone Up kind of capability
Track my data, and do whatever you want to do with it. Just do it reliably, and let me see it, too.
Customizable dials
It is, after all, a watch. And I’d love to keep designing my own dials (which can potentially be part of the marketplace alongside apps).
At the end of it all, I’d like to know which features do you want. I’ve added those that I’ve mentioned to the poll, but if you’ve got some other ideas that I’ve missed out on, go ahead and shout it out in the comments.
[polldaddy poll=6137918]