Technology has taken over our lives. We have smartphones, smart watches and smart TVs. There are even smart fridges, smart toilets and smart sex dolls. (Or, uh, so I hear.) And with the rise of AI, Big Tech is now jumping on the smartglasses bandwagon… again.
An analogical rebellion is in the making. I recently went to Barnes & Noble for the first time in over a decade. I was amazed at how many young, hip people were there, checking out print books and vinyl records. Then there was the resurgence of digital cameras, film cameras and cassettes.
When smartwatches first appeared in the mid-2010s, they promised instant information at a glance without holding your phone. In theory, that meant freeing you to interact with the world around you. But in practice? However, ten years later, not everyone finds it so.
To be clear, no one is disputing that people are ditching smartwatches left and right. In fact, the market is steadily growing, not shrinking. But not everyone wants to keep marching in that direction.
“My smartwatch was keeping me attached to the b******** I wanted away from,” wrote analog watch user RadioAdam. But not everyone needs to go back to the days of Casio and Timex. Small wearable tech products can track your fitness, without feeling like you have a second phone on your arm.
Notification overload
The persistent nagging of the online world can feel overwhelming when it’s in your hands. It’s one thing to hear your phone chirping in your pocket or purse. It’s another thing to have a wearable device that prompts you every time something goes wrong.
“I don’t want my wrist to contact me at all,” /NeoMoose wrote on the Whoop subreddit. “My phone is too much of a distraction.” Yes, you can mute notifications. But then, you (like these smartwatch expats) can question how much you need in the first place.
Big Tech has sold us an always-online lifestyle as a utopia. But the reality often resembles a dopamine-addiction hellscape. And if you want to cut back on devices, smartwatches are an obvious candidate for the first item on your list.
Characteristic (and tracking) fatigue
Smartwatches can suffer from slow motion. While the Apple Watch has potentially life-saving features like fall detection and the ability to call emergency services on your wrist, it (and its competitors) also has… a lot of other features.
For example, Redditor u/Adventurous_Rice_731 briefly switched from a tiny Whoop to a Garmin smartwatch and quickly regretted the decision. “I went for the first time [workout] and I noticed how many times I was checking the screen, checking if all my representatives are recording,” they posted. “Overall, I just found myself attached to it even during TV time.” Simple devices can keep you focused not only on work or the work at hand, but also help you stay present from time to time.
For some, tracking health (ironically) can increase stress. Furthermore, while smartwatches and other fitness trackers measure things like sleep, stress and recovery, they’re just measurements. Those things can’t be measured directly by a wrist-worn device, only measured by advanced algorithms. Some people don’t see much point in using data beyond informed guesses, instead of paying more attention to their bodies.
In this economy?
Smart watches, at least the most useful ones, can be expensive. For example, the Apple Watch Series 11 starts at $399. Other variants of Samsung and Google are in the same ballpark. And while the Apple Watch SE is $249 and up, it lacks important health features (ECG, blood oxygen and high blood pressure monitoring).
With inflation running rampant, it’s easy to cast a critical eye on the price of a smartwatch. Of course, it’s best not to take out your phone to check messages or the forecast. But is $400 good? If all you want is health tracking, wearables like Google’s Fitbit Air and Nothing’s CMF Watch 3 Pro offer it for a fraction of the price.
Road safety
Smart watches can also make driving a little safer. One study found that drivers were more distracted by smartwatch notifications than phone notifications. Looking down at the clock seems more likely to take your eyes off the road than glancing at the phone, which is usually mounted on the dashboard. (For the record, voice-based responses on any device were a little annoying.)
Arguably, this one is more about common sense and self-control than the machine itself. But it’s another thing to consider when asking if you need a screen on your body.
Style and materials
Tech companies are doing everything they can to make smartwatches look good. I’m in the camp that doesn’t care about the beauty of the Apple Watch and some of its competitors. But if I was basing my decision on style alone, above all else? I would go with a sleek analog watch without hesitation.
The advantage of screenless tracking bands is that they are subtle enough to be worn next to stylish watches. It can also be easy to dress up or be worn to events where smart watches can’t be seen. And if you’re looking for something that still tells time and tracks your steps while looking like a classic watch, there are hybrid smartwatches from companies like Wings and Garmin that can meet those needs.
Choosing something simple
If a smart watch seems like a lot, there are simpler and cheaper alternatives.
Screenless fitness bands are having a moment with the recent launch of Google’s $100 Fitbit Air. The device, which impressed us in our review, is currently on sale everywhere. Whoop, the visual inspiration behind Google’s brand, is another screenless competitor with strong health tracking. However, it requires a subscription that ranges from $149 for the first year (then $199) to $359 per year, which may put some people off.
Then there are smart rings. Although they are more expensive (the new Oura Ring 5 starts at $399), they excel at tracking sleep and getting metrics. Of course, they also don’t have a screen and haptics, so that’s one less thing that bothers you. There’s also the Samsung Galaxy Ring, a $400 competitor that usually sells for $300 at big-box supermarkets.
As a bonus, this frees up space on your arm for an analog watch. “I can wear a mechanical watch and be bigger now,” u/Th3p4l4d1n posted. “Whoop allows me to do that more since it has automatic workout tracking.” Also, you don’t need to worry about charging old watches. And they won’t be out of date in a few years.
There is no shortage of variety (in style and prices) in that space. For example, Casio has many options, starting at $30. Or, for that matter, go to any jewelry or department store and be there. And while old-school watches won’t promise the moon, neither will they slow your attention span or raise your blood pressure.
