You’re no less than a hero if you’re able to pick up your phone, essentially to do something without getting sucked into doom-scrolling mindlessly.
Be it on Instagram watching everything being cut and revealed as cake, or on Twitter where threads are spun into conversations, and eventually into debates that take a form of an exchange of banter amongst anonymous accounts.
In recent times, when people have been trying so hard to reduce their screen time from using their phones too much, many have turned to the face of a smartwatch.
How? Well, most smartwatches these days can do enough, however, not everything that your smartphone can do. And that’s the neat trick of reducing your screen time. Here are a few things an average smartwatch can do for you:
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Set an alarm.
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Pay for stuff.
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Play music and audiobooks.
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Receive or interact with phone calls/text messages.
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Alert you of email notifications.
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Help you meditate with an app.
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Keep track of your To-Do lists.
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Send quick texts.
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Track workouts.
But wait, why does the smartwatch exist in the first place? The short story is Consumerism. You need something? We’ll sell it to you. Don’t need something? We’ll still sell it to you.
The Apple Influence
The Apple Watch—a rather late arrival to already existing competitors at the time— was released in April 2015. It took no time for the wearable to become the best-selling device; 4.2 million were sold in the second quarter fiscal of 2015, and more than 100 million people were estimated to use an Apple Watch as of December 2020.
Since the Apple Watch was formally launched, Apple has responded to critics who claim the maker of the iPhone is pushing out a completely new product category when there is little to no market for such a gadget.
But it seems like we’ve all wanted to communicate into our wrists for a very long time based on even a few instances from television and entertainment, from James Bond’s renowned Omega Seamaster, which had a built-in laser and a remote detonator, to Fred Flinstone speaking to a sophisticated piece of technology strapped to his hand.
According to a Reddit comment from 8 years ago: “If history is any indication, smartwatches will become more affordable, thinner, and incorporated into our social lives in the future. As a result, they will be more appealing to a wider audience because they won’t provide a challenge and their advantages will be obvious.
It’s difficult to assess whether the new watches mark a turning point in viability. But you can say more about them being cooler than you can about many of the older, dreadful vehicles that have come before.”
Pretty sure the comment was ahead of its time in guessing what the future holds for us.
But tell me, is it a fad?
Your grandfather’s Swiss watch rests on the dresser, a symbol of exquisite craftsmanship. But the heirloom watch of tomorrow does more than simply keep accurate time; it also pays for your groceries, prompts you to exit at the next train station, and unlocks your hotel room door. Well, maybe not.
But recently, businesses have marketed these products less as luxury goods and more as necessary medical gadgets, which are needed by anyone who cares about their health. This pitch seems to be effective in the midst of the pandemic.
SPO2 sensors in a smartwatch. Sound familiar?
Back in late 2016 people thought that the smartwatches—since the overall sales went down— would die down as a fad and wouldn’t see any real improvements over the next years as a valuable piece of tech.
Some, however, still felt that regardless of being a fad or not, the smartwatch addition to the digital ecosystem was in itself a revolution.
You didn’t still tell us if it’s a fad. Forgive me, I digress. Well, short answer: No, it’s not.
Reasons why Smartwatches are here to stay
You can’t deny it; the effectiveness and functionality of smartwatches have had a significant impact on life in the 21st century. Given the possibilities available and the rising popularity of smartwatches, it is obvious that they are here to stay.
Yes, there are initial problems with smartwatches, such as their poor battery life. These are simply chances for new competitors to enter the market and set themselves apart with their innovations, making these watches the envy of everyone who doesn’t possess one.
Let’s name a few reasons why the smartwatches are obviously here to stay:
Keeping an eye on fitness and health
First things first, the beneficial features that smartwatches offer, such as the ability to track fitness and workout schedules and use the applications to alter workout intensity, greatly boost the attention of consumers for these devices. Trust me, it does.
Smartwatches soon became a need for fitness enthusiasts because they come with heart rate monitors, workout intensity trackers, and sports apps, among other features that increase their benefits.
Even a simpler stat such as your steps for the day has become common for the average smartwatch. And it’s why the smartwatch stays.
Calendar monitoring and Receiving notifications
The reason smartwatches are so named is that they have completely changed the way individuals go about their daily lives.
You can stay informed about events in your personal and professional lives by using the watch to see calendar appointments and mail, as well as receiving notifications from LinkedIn and WhatsApp.
With relatively little use of the phone, some smartwatches enable sending of responses. The adoption of smartwatches has generally reduced reliance on phones and minimized the need for them to perform specific tasks.
Honestly, I am 10 times less likely to take out my phone from my pocket if I have my smartwatch on. This makes it easier to catch up with important notifications without digging deep into the flux of social media for an hour.
The Productivity Boost
Obviously, people are able to concentrate on their work more effectively and without as many interruptions thanks to the ability to be informed about what is occurring in their personal and professional lives right on the watch, as I mentioned earlier.
Similar to this, keeping up with social media notifications helps users spend less time on their phones, giving them more time to plan their work and encouraging a healthier way of life where the phone isn’t the center of one’s life.
Conclusion
When you don’t want to take out your phone, many popular wearables, like Apple Watches, Samsung’s Galaxy Watches, and Fitbits like the Sense and Versa, may function as miniature speakerphones.
Depending on the type of watch you’re wearing, call quality can vary, but it’s typically adequate for brief talks.
Keeping this in mind, and the fact that technology just keeps getting better each day, it’s a greater possibility that smartwatches become more vital in complementing your digital experience in the smart device ecosystem, as they already have proved.
