10 Reasons Not To Buy A Smartwatch

People using smartwatches worldwide are growing rapidly, but is smartwatch really necessary ? Even though there are 10 reasons not to buy a smartwatch, people still love wearing this masterpiece.

Smartwatches can keep track of a user’s health and fitness, ability to track sleep, send notifications right on your wrist, and can keep you updated with happenings on your social media accounts.

Even if the technology behind smartwatches have improved for good in recent times, they are yet to become a must-have accessory. This is because most people are still happy using their smartphones and wearing traditional watches which may even be more fashionable to them.

The truth is that we still have happy smartwatch owners, even though these watches are far from being perfect. But if you’re among those thinking about purchasing a smartwatch, then below are 10 reasons not to buy a smartwatch:

1.       Health tracking on smartwatches sometimes are unreliable

2.       Most Smartwatches are very expensive

3.       They have limited design

4.       The screen on Smartwatches makes to function less

5.       You need to charge Smartwatches regularly

6.       Not convenient enough for call

7.       You still need a Smartphone to enjoy them completely

8.       Getting regular notifications can be distracting and annoying

9.       Most of the Smartwatches aren’t made with waterproof

10.   They can be too complicated to use

Limited Battery Life

10 reasons not to buy a smartwatch

Smartwatches do not have the same kind of internal components like other devices, and their operating system may also be different. Manufacturers often try cutting down costs by using inefficient chips that do not need much power to function just like other types of device. Even though these smartwatches come with the latest technology, it still doesn’t save them from regular battery draining.

One of the reasons why smartwatches have a shorter battery life than other devices is due to their high power consumption. Producers integrated too many functionalities on smartwatches and most even copied the architectural design of smartphones in producing these watches.

The frequency of charging these devices can be inconveniencing to many users unlike other smart devices. We think that draining the battery is one of the major disadvantages of buying a smartwatch. The reason is because of the low-power CortexM3 architecture used in manufacturing smartwatches, and it can’t guarantee the smooth functionalities of these devices, so the only thing it can do is to sacrifice battery life.

Limited Functionality

Functionality of smartwatches is sometimes compared to the functions found on smartphones. You will notice that the screen on most smartwatches are very small when compared to that of a smartphone. However, Apple Watches are beginning to have bigger screen sizes with every released model. Even at that, there are many things a smartphone can do that smartwatches can’t do.

You can chat and call easily with your phone. It is easy to use a word document app on your smartphone. But you can’t do all these through a smartwatch. Also, it is worth noting that smartwatches will not function well without needing a smartphone.

There are some apps on smartwatches that give less accurate results when compared to the results you get from other devices. It is true that smartwatches can track your heart rate and show you the results which sometimes are unreliable when compared to smartphones. So smartwatches are not as reliable as other devices when it comes to giving accurate data, and this is a major concern for smartwatch users.

Expensive Price Point

All smartwatches on the market come with a variety of functions for their users, and this requires more advanced technology to work. This means that the more technology involved in designing these smartwatches, the more expensive they become when compared to other devices. Many smartwatch producers have built-in apps that make it easy to track your health and fitness.

Below are some of the apps on smartwatches that needs additional technology to function which adds up to the total cost of the watch:

«  Steps tracking

«  Heart rate reading

«  Sleep monitor

«  Blood pressure level

«  Pulse

«  Blood sugar level

«  And many more

The technology involved in tracking these metrics includes sensors which makes smartwatches to generally cost between $300 and $400 to purchase. However, there are low budget smartwatches that cost between $100 and $250 on the market.

 

Limited App Selection

Apps on smartwatches differ from those found on smartphones, these apps on watches do not function and execute in a creative way like the ones found on other smart devices. One example of such an app is the activity tracker found on watches which helps in keeping track of the calories that you burn.

The reason why apps are limited in watches is because the hardware components used in designing them are smaller and less powerful than the ones found on other smart devices. Remember that apps on smartwatches are designed to communicate with apps present in smart devices and require both to carry out its intended task.

Another reason is that the lack of third-party apps support makes it common for smartwatches to have limited apps. Most of these apps on watches take too long to load and can be annoying and unresponsive. Even though these third-party apps may request access to your smartwatch’s camera, microphone, location services and many more during installation, they hardly work well.

Indeed, smartwatches have lots of functionality, but adding support to many third-party apps found on them would make them more user-friendly.

Limited Compatibility With Other Devices

Smartwatches can sometimes be sometimes very selective, and it is vital you understand that not all watches will work with all smartphones and operating systems. There are some smartwatches that are compatible with an Android or iOS device, or sometimes are compatible with both. There are some too that use their own operating systems and will never accept or work with any device that doesn’t use the same brand.

However, since most smartwatches are designed to accompany your smartphone, make sure you purchase a watch that’s compatible with the operating system of your phone.

There are limitations of how a smartwatch would function if your phone or its operating system isn’t compatible with that of the watch. One of such limitations is pairing.

You may find it difficult to pair an Android Smartwatch to an iPhone. This simply means that you won’t be able to use such a watch, as you may not be able to connect to the internet via your iPhone network.

Constant Notifications

10 reasons not to buy a smartwatch

The notifications you get on smartwatches can beep and light up with every new social media message, emails, calendar, text messages and app notifications. Most times, these smartwatch alerts can vibrate on your wrist to get your attention. This can be very distracting.

For people whose jobs require concentration such as drivers, smartwatches are more dangerous than using smartphones because they come with annoying notifications that can interrupt a driver. Another thing is that these devices have small screens that often require two hands to be operated unlike smartphones.

Having consistent notification from watches is distracting and does not go well for productivity and quality of life. Some employers have reported that the use of smartwatches by their employees have degraded the quality of work input.

Not only that, it lowers morale, and also interferes with the relationship between boss and employee. Remember that distracted workers are simply unproductive.

Security and Privacy Concerns

One of the problems with Smartwatches is in the collection and transmission of your data. Though privacy and security in watches are similar to many other smart devices. Only recently, some popular brands are beginning to put some protections in place so that these security issues won’t affect their smartwatches.

It may be true that Smartwatches can be convenient for some people, but they can sometimes make your data easier for hackers to access. Though there are ways you can protect yourself from being hacked.

It is easy for hackers to take control of your smartwatch’s microphone and secretly listen to your conversation or how your kids play. The hacker may also know whenever you’re inside or outside, when alone, and even when you fall asleep. Now you can imagine the possible danger.

Remember that when installing third-party apps, you will be asked to grant access to your smartwatch’s camera, location services, microphone, and more. Of course, a lot of people will accept and grant the permissions for the app. When this is done, you give the app designer the ability to make use of your smartwatch’s location services to know where you are.

Additionally, there’s also the potential risks of having sensitive information on your device stolen by these app developers. Another point is that a poorly designed app may be more vulnerable to hacking.

What most hackers need is one crack in your device security system to gain access to your device. When they get in the system, the hacker can expand to other parts of your device stealing useful information such as your banking activities.

Limited Fashion Options

Most smartwatches aren’t fashionable accessories for both men and women unlike other types of jewelry and watches. In case you’re in search of a smartwatch that has many functionalities and at the same time fashionable, then you should consider getting an Apple Watch.

Despite how sleek and stylish Smartwatches appear, they can be a little bit expensive for most people. Even though these watches come with features that include a health tracking App, a GPS, and a camera, most are not fashionable like traditional watches and jewelry.

So in case you’re wondering if a smartwatch is a fashion accessory, then know that a smartwatch isn’t necessarily a fashion accessory. Most old fashioned wrist watches still remain better and fashionable than smartwatches in many areas. These smartwatches look like a bad investment when it comes to fashion because they easily fail in so many areas that traditional wrist watches won’t. Example, smartwatches lack accuracy and reliability .

However, if your intention is to wear a smartwatch and still look fashionable, then it’s best you get the expensive models. This is because the cheaper models aren’t as fashionable as the more expensive ones, but they can sometimes be stylish. Always remember that a stylish and fashionable watch should be an extension of your outfit.

There’s limited options for smartwatch’s personalization and customization. This is because not all smartwatches can be customized on the outside, but you can personalize and customize many Android smartwatches. Users can easily buy replacement/alternative straps for models such as G Watch R, the Asus Zenwatch, the Samsung Gear Live, Moto 360, and the LG G Watch.

When it comes to personalization and customization, everyone’s taste is not the same. So we won’t suggest to you a particular strap or designs for you.

Smartwatches Are Not Convenient for Phone Calls

There are some smartwatches that come with in-build sim card slots, but most don’t. These types of watches are called Standalone smartwatches. This means that you can make and receive a phone call without the need for your smartphone.

However, these standalone Smartwatches that can make calls aren’t convenient enough to make phone calls. The reason is because most of these watches come with smaller screen sizes which makes them not suitable for phone calls.

Another point is that their batteries are not strong enough to make continuous calls. This limits their functionalities and can’t be compared to smartphones. But if you’re in search of purchasing a standalone smartwatch to use for calls, ensure that such comes with a strong battery life and has a bigger screen size.

Fitness Tracking Is Sometimes Unreliable

Since the fitness sensors on your SmartWatch generate too much data, the displayed results may sometimes be misinterpreted. So what’s the cause of this? While sweating during exercise, these tracking sensors on watches can fail to record your heart rate because of poor conductivity.

This may cause your smartwatch to display unreliable fitness data.

 

Conclusion

In today’s article, we have shared with you 10 reasons not to buy a smartwatch and why they are not too fashionable compared to traditional watches and jewelry. There are also some limitations in compatibility too, security and privacy concerns, plus their inability to have lots of apps.

Despite how expensive smartwatches are, it is still a must have for many. So whether a smartwatch is the right choice for you, it will be based on your specific needs and preferences.