Why I Will Buy Watches Made by my Phone Manufacturer from Now on

**This is the opinion of the author and is not a reflection of any brand mentioned. This article was not sponsored. Author currently carries a Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra **

This may be a break from our normal content about IT Services, but my discovery is just too good not to share. Ellis County small business owners need to know about smartwatches just as much as they do about other IT Services in Ellis County. If you are an Apple phone user, stop reading right now. There really is only one choice of Smartwatch worthwhile for you. It is the Apple watch. Android is known for allowing users choices, so for the Android users out there carry on.

Smartwatches, though they have been around since the early 2000s, have really gained popularity in recent years. As a family, we have been loyal to the Fossil brand as our timepiece of choice for decades. When Fossil released their Gen 1 smartwatch several years ago, it was a no brainer. This watch was Google WearOS, which paired nicely with my chosen smartphone type, Android, without sacrificing the aesthetic of a normal watch. To date, I have had 3 models of Fossil smartwatch, the Fossil Founder 2.0, the Fossil Gen 3 Marshall Stainless, and the the Fossil Gen 3 sport.

How I use a Smartwatch

I may be a technophilean enthusiast of technology, as referenced from Merriam-Webs... More, but I don’t expect much from my smartwatch. I want to get basic notifications from my phone, to track my steps, and to be able to use OurGroceries while shopping. Basically, I want my watch for the quick meeting peep without drinking from the water hose, and to leave my phone in my pocket while shopping. I do not care if I can answer a phone call on it or listen to music from it, though the movement reminder on the Apple watch did look appealing during 2020 Stay Home Stay Safe Orders. While the Fossil watches have met all of those needs over the last 6 years, at 3 years old my Fossil Sport was beginning to show it’s age. It was taking an increasing amount of time to show notifications, if at all, it was running slower than I had patience for, and I am not honestly sure it was really tracking all of my steps. So I began to shop in the summer of 2021.

My Requirements

WearOS was a must for me since the OurGroceries app will only work on WearOS or Apple Watch iOS. Since I was experiencing lag I also looked at the storage and memory of each watch as I compared them. I had put off purchasing the Fossil Gen 4 and Gen 5 because there was no real improvement in this arena and it didn’t feel worth the money to upgrade. The Gen 6 was really the first to offer any real hardware upgrade in this arena.

My watch needs to look like a watch and not a wrist computer.

My watch needs to look like a watch and not a wrist computer. I almost always buy a stainless watchband for everyday, a leather watchband for winter wear, and a silicone band for active wear. Watches in our house are definitely a fashion piece, but the Fossil Gen 6 watch offered only one women’s watch bezel. It was a rose gold and jewel encrusted. Seriously, I am not into that and it was a definite choice for the most versatile watch company in the world to back themselves into that corner – no silver, no plain, only bedazzled rose gold. I was resigned to buy the men’s watch or go elsewhere.

What I found elsewhere

I took a glimpse at the Galaxy Watch 4. In years past, Samsung seemed married to the Tizen OSMainly developed and used primarily by Samsung Electronics, ... More. However, it seems Samsung pulled their head out of their butt and realized that Google WearOS was a better decision than going out on their own. The Galaxy (1.5Gb) had 50% more RAM memory than the Fossil Gen 6 (1Gb), it looked generically watch-like, and cost about 40% less. I was also able to order an open box Galaxy Watch 4 from Best Buy, for $20 off the already lower price. These are all wins for me.

Unboxing

Once paired it was like my phone was reunited with an old friend.

My watch arrived in the mail 5 days after I placed my order. I excitedly opened the box, downloaded the Samsung Galaxy Wearable app and started to pair it. Once paired it was like my phone was reunited with an old friend. The settings menu on the watch and the phone look identical. Apps, like Samsung Health, that once seemed ridiculously limited and manufacturer fluff came to life with new and exciting features. My watch tracks my sleep, charges within an hour and notifies me when fully charged on my phone, it reminds me when I need to get up and walk, in addition to having an Apple-esque app interface.

Daily Usage

I am sure you are wondering, what is the battery life? How much am I actually using it? and a whole slew of other questions. So I thought I would offer my daily usage:

Wake up

My watch is still on my wrist from the night before, and my phone is by my bed charging. My watch battery is usually about 80% charged. I take my watch off and place it on the charger, grab my phone off the charger, and get ready for the day. I am usually ready within 15 to 20 minutes, in this time my watch is near charged if not fully charged,.

Bedtime

After a full day of Facebook Messenger, Microsoft Teams, and email notifications, I typically take my watch off after a full 12 to 14 hours of wear. I place it on the charger again at 55 to 60% charge. My nighttime routine generally includes getting my pjs on, washing my face, and getting a glass of water before settling into bed for an evening of 1 to 2 weekly shows or a couple hours of TikTok. I charge my watch back to 100% while unwinding, before replacing it on my wrist to measure my sleep. I have at least once forgotten to charge my watch before bed and have woken up to a watch with a 35% charge or better.

Conclusion

I am 2 weeks into this watch purchase and I am sold that in order to receive the most out of your phone / wearable experience they need to come from the same manufacturer. This hasn’t always been the case, but it is certainly the case for the current Samsung environment.