# Durability of Smart Watches



## geohook

Hello all, I have a question. I see a lot of manufacturers getting into the "smart watch" game but I have been hesitant to get one. We travel a lot and wherever we go, we tend to do activities that may put a delicate watch in danger. Hiking in the rainforest, glacier hikes and so forth, that kind of activity. (As long as the body holds up, I'm going to keep doing it). 

Needless to say, my watches get banged up. For travel currently, I wear a Casio G-Shock MTG-1000 but there are times where it's a bit too large and clunky.

Are current smart watches durable enough to withstand a serious impact? Last thing I want is to have it break after some event where my regular watch would keep ticking along.

Thanks.


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## Alex_TA

Do you have internet connection on glacier or in the rain forest? If not, there is no sense in a smart watch.


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## mharris660

hahahahahaha, not mine because I would never own one of the stupid things


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## EnderW

I'm not sure if traditional sense of durability applies here.

When I'm away at a beach for a week, or taking a 3 day hike, or going fishing for few days with just camping gear.... with traditional watches it's about about shock resistance or water and temperature resistance. But with a smart-watch... the questions are 1) is there a place to charge battery and 2) is there an internet signal or iphone connection to even keep it synched?


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## Mooda

Any smart watch would have a maximum life expectancy of 2-3 years beacuse by that time there will be new software not compatible withbyour watch and new technologies in hardware that will make you wanna upgrade.
Unlike regular watches which can last for generations.
I have a guess watch that I bought 17 years ago and still working fine. Never serviced. Just changing battery.
I am mentioning the guess example because it is a cheap watch and till now I am using it.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk


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## John MS

It's important to actually look at how a watch is constructed and consider the activities it was designed to perform before using it in potentially risky activities. For example I wouldn't take a dressy IWC Portofino scuba diving because it is clearly not designed for the task. Just as Smart Watches are clearly not substitute G Shocks to be used in strenuous outdoor activities. With a prominent screen and relatively short charge-life they are obviously designed to tell time while also allowing communications access through a touch screen interface.


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## kramer5150

As a scout coordinator for my local troop, I have smacked around my moto360 pretty good over the years. Nothing serious mind you like a hard fall or serious water submersion. For the longest time I used it with a glass screen protector which was getting scratched up so I took it off. I will replace it soon. Just the other day I brushed out all the case scratches with a green scotch-brite pad. I did not like the mirror polish anyways. It feels a lot like wearing a timex weekender but sized up a bit to 46mm. I have no complaints at all about the hardware... the Android Wear OS on the other hand has not been good to me, to put it very very kindly.

I am happy with the moto, but in all honesty I can not recommend any smart watch that uses Android wear. Its by far the most volatile operating system I own, as a user of both iOS and Android in various devices. As a tech-geek at heart, I am tolerant of this volatility... but quite simply I can't openly recommend AW. There are quite a few high $$$ watch makers getting into the Android Wear eco-system. Don't let the branding fool you, its still Android Wear beneath ticking away the bits and bytes of data.

My next upgrade will probably be a Garmin Foretrex. I need something with a better / dedicated GPS, compass, altimeter and standard batteries is a nice bonus.

If you are into serious adventure and want to try a smart watch... get one more specifically designed for that.... Garmin, Fitbit. You can buy rugged impact cases for apple watches and some of the fitbit models. I normally would recommend a Casio fore-trek, but like my moto it uses Android Wear.

Before case brushing... Hamilton Murph Khaki









After... Sinn 556A (I have the screen dimmed down in this pic)


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## kramer5150

Mooda said:


> Any smart watch would have a maximum life expectancy of 2-3 years beacuse by that time there will be new software not compatible withbyour watch and new technologies in hardware that will make you wanna upgrade.
> Unlike regular watches which can last for generations.
> I have a guess watch that I bought 17 years ago and still working fine. Never serviced. Just changing battery.
> I am mentioning the guess example because it is a cheap watch and till now I am using it.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk


Agree with this. My moto will be 2 years old to me in March 18. It still works fine, but its older generation snapdragon chip is showing signs of slowing down. It gets a bit laggy every once in a while. Still works fine, I just need to be more patient every once in a while.

those old guess watches were made by Timex... IIRC. I had one for a long time too.


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## trott3r

My pebble time steel has gorilla glass and had some scraps at work.
Shame $h1tbit bought them out


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## kramer5150

That brings up another really good point... When you buy a smart watch you are purchasing really 3 things: Hardware, Operating system, *Support of the parent company.*

Companies like pebble, Vector and I think ticwatch and perhaps others too, rely heavily on crowd funding for the initial start-up. Once the funding dies, how sustainable are they? Are they generating sufficient revenue to stay afloat and support the eco-system as a whole? How immune are they to being sold, bought out and is the buying company willing to support the product and *operating system*?

The hardware is pretty standard... Lithium based battery around 350~450mah, OLED or IPS displays, gorilla glass capacitive touch screens, stainless or thermo-plastic case, strap materials of leather, polyurethane or silicone. Its the OS and support that varies greatly.

Cellular connectivity or not is one variable to you'll have to decide though.


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## BarracksSi

For in-the-moment durability, protective cases are an option.

Speaking about days away from an outlet, a battery pack (like what you'd use to charge anything else) would keep it going.

And like kramer5150 says, the longevity of the company - more importantly, its commitment to the device - is important for the long term. See the thread about Verizon dropping all support for their own smartwatch (which had been DOA anyway).


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## NapoleonDynamite

I personally think those Apple iWatches are ugly and boring. But that's just me.

I'm seriously looking at the Alpina Seastrong Horological Smart Watch for a pick up and go, swimming, cycling, etc. It looks like a "real" watch and has smart features. But just as important battery life falls into their years not days(s).




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## peagreen

You think a smartwatch can't count steps or heart-rate without being online?
You think it needs internet to show the way or record the route taken (possibly using the smartphone's GPS)?


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## BarracksSi

peagreen said:


> You think a smartwatch can't count steps or heart-rate without being online?


What's the point of recording any of that if it can't save the data elsewhere?



> You think it needs internet to show the way or record the route taken (possibly using the smartphone's GPS)?


Using the smartphone's GPS means it needs Bluetooth to transfer data from the phone to the watch.

You don't know how modern gadgets work.


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## lvt

Just but an automatic watch and pretend that it's smart.


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## BzB

my samsung gear s3 frontier has been surprisingly durable. granted i haven't exposed it to rock climbing, it has handled normal wear and tear very well. the design and finish of the frontier keep it from taking much abuse, or at least from showing it. the screen has been very durable as well fending off scratches and dings that seemed sure to caused damage. it helps that the screen is recessed into the bezel so it takes few direct hits. the only other durability concern i would have is how well the battery holds up over it's life.


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## rrtx2007

It's basically a quartz with additional functions so you can beat the crap out of it dependent upon the exterior materials durability. I've beaten the hell out of my Garmin tactix bravo, which is perhaps the most durable 'smart' watch but it comes back for more. Bangs, drops onto concrete, many tile drops from 5 foot countertop level, crashes, hiking, bushwhacking searching for lost game in south texas. I don't even worry about it at all.


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## Nemo_Sandman

Some smartwatches (like the Garmin Fenix 5X) don't need any Internet connection to perform perfectly. It has its own cartography, compass, barometer, thermometer, some gyroscops and GPS. It can count my steps but also follow me on the map... It's a stand alone item. Its battery can last more than a week too. It depends of your uses.
Now with a small powerbank at 10 euros you can last a month with no access to electricity. It's neat.


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## PoliteBoulder

It's quite sad that electronics these days have a short product lifecycle - 2-3 years then we have to buy new smartwatches/smartphones :/


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## WatchHound007

My Fitbit Ionic is used at the gym, hiking, skiing, etc. and it has held up fine so far. About to get a Garmin Fenix 5 which is known to be a very rugged watch with a sapphire crystal.


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## utzelu

That is the nature of IT, it evolves extremely fast. But you don't really need to upgrade that often. With a good product, you can use it for 5-6 years if you do not upgrade the OS. Eventually the battery will die and the manufacturer won't offer battery changes, but by that time, the newer iterations would be so much better that you would want to buy the new model.

But I think the smartwatches are a temporary phase and in 10-15 years time they will become completely obsolete. Their main use case is health and fitness tracking and notifications. Once the sensors tech evolves and miniaturize to the level where they can function within the body, there won't be a need to wear a smart watch on your wrist. Apple and Samsung will eventually move away from smartwatches when they won't fit the purpose anymore.



PoliteBoulder said:


> It's quite sad that electronics these days have a short product lifecycle - 2-3 years then we have to buy new smartwatches/smartphones :/


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## rationaltime

utzelu said:


> ...
> But I think the smartwatches are a temporary phase and in 10-15 years time they will become completely obsolete. Their main use case is health and fitness tracking and notifications. Once the sensors tech evolves and miniaturize to the level where they can function within the body, there won't be a need to wear a smart watch on your wrist. Apple and Samsung will eventually move away from smartwatches when they won't fit the purpose anymore.


In your vision how will the sensors of that era be powered? 
Will they be powered by batteries or powered externally 
similar to RF ID tags?

Thanks,
rationaltime


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## kramer5150

utzelu said:


> That is the nature of IT, it evolves extremely fast. But you don't really need to upgrade that often. With a good product, you can use it for 5-6 years if you do not upgrade the OS. Eventually the battery will die and the manufacturer won't offer battery changes, but by that time, the newer iterations would be so much better that you would want to buy the new model.
> 
> But I think the smartwatches are a temporary phase and in 10-15 years time they will become completely obsolete. Their main use case is health and fitness tracking and notifications. Once the sensors tech evolves and miniaturize to the level where they can function within the body, there won't be a need to wear a smart watch on your wrist. Apple and Samsung will eventually move away from smartwatches when they won't fit the purpose anymore.


I don't know about that... Setting aside the technology for a moment, and focusing on psychological aspects. I can't imagine enough of the population wanting to undergo surgical implant procedures to completely obsolete a wear-able industry.


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## BarracksSi

kramer5150 said:


> I don't know about that... Setting aside the technology for a moment, and focusing on psychological aspects. I can't imagine enough of the population wanting to undergo surgical implant procedures to completely obsolete a wear-able industry.


Me neither. I also don't think smart glasses will make it into the mainstream after the Google Glass debacle.

A smartphone you can "put away", whether for privacy reasons or just to get rid of the distraction. A smartwatch is pretty similar, as you can put down your arm and ignore any of its wrist taps.

Smart glasses... well, they're always "on", and if they have a camera, everyone around you will wonder if they're being recorded. Wear smart glasses into a locker room or bar, and you'll be lucky if nobody forced you to take them off.

Surgical implants, though? Hell no. Even though I own a phone and a smartwatch, I still have the option to put them away and disconnect for privacy and silence.

There are already implant-able health devices, and they can connect to smartphone apps (and, by extension, smartwatches). But these are specific gadgets for specific purposes, and they can improve the individual's quality of life and help with medical research.

The idea of getting an implant just to receive Tweets or to let your spouse track your location is ridiculous.


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## utzelu

I doubt we will need surgical implants at all. I am thinking more of an injection for blood stream tracking and a pill to swallow for the digestive system. It will be so non-invasive that it won't be an issue. Plus that the benefits would far outweigh the inconvenience of an injection.



kramer5150 said:


> I don't know about that... Setting aside the technology for a moment, and focusing on psychological aspects. I can't imagine enough of the population wanting to undergo surgical implant procedures to completely obsolete a wear-able industry.


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## utzelu

I believe privacy won't be an issue anymore in the near future. The younger generation won't be bother with it as they are growing in the "social media" environment. But as the technology will become more non-invasive and will integrate seamlessly with our way of life, more people will adopt it and will become the norm. Eventually, I do believe (though I do not wish) that we will "evolve" into hybrid (bio-mechanical-hitech) entities. A smartwatch is going to be obsolete for a long time when it happens.



BarracksSi said:


> Me neither. I also don't think smart glasses will make it into the mainstream after the Google Glass debacle.
> 
> A smartphone you can "put away", whether for privacy reasons or just to get rid of the distraction. A smartwatch is pretty similar, as you can put down your arm and ignore any of its wrist taps.
> 
> Smart glasses... well, they're always "on", and if they have a camera, everyone around you will wonder if they're being recorded. Wear smart glasses into a locker room or bar, and you'll be lucky if nobody forced you to take them off.
> 
> Surgical implants, though? Hell no. Even though I own a phone and a smartwatch, I still have the option to put them away and disconnect for privacy and silence.
> 
> There are already implant-able health devices, and they can connect to smartphone apps (and, by extension, smartwatches). But these are specific gadgets for specific purposes, and they can improve the individual's quality of life and help with medical research.
> 
> The idea of getting an implant just to receive Tweets or to let your spouse track your location is ridiculous.


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## BenzCLK

smart watches look so silly on your wrist


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## filcord

I was gifted a Pebble steel in 2016, and initially was thrilled to bits. Wore it less and less, later once a fortnight or so. Then last month it just refused to charge, even though the cable checked out fine. It's dead now , barely two years later. My Citizen nighthawk from 2013 is as good as new.

Sent from my XT1033 using Tapatalk


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## TheJohnP

Back in 2014, my wife got me the 1st gen Moto360 for our anniversary and it's been my main daily wearer since. 
Had to send it back to Motorola a couple of years ago because the battery wasn't holding a charge, but has been working top notch other than that.
Then yesterday noticed that there is slight issues on the screen and some of the pixels are blacked out.









Since the watch isn't supported on Wear OS 2.0 anyway (still using Android Wear 1.4), only a matter of time before this one is a goner.
But for a piece of "disposable" tech, almost 4 years of everyday use isn't too shabby. I am satisfied.

Now the question is do I replace with another smartwatch once it's done or bring my other watches back in rotation? Hmmmmmm


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## BarracksSi

TheJohnP said:


> Now the question is do I replace with another smartwatch once it's done or bring my other watches back in rotation? Hmmmmmm


Try your regular watches for a while.

If you're like me (I'm wearing a regular watch instead of my AW today) and you fruitlessly check your wrist for the outside temperature (like I've done three times today) or miss a phone call (like I did an hour ago), you might be a fully-converted smartwatch wearer.


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## Rocket1991

New ones (quality ones) are far better. I would defineteley entertain idea of getting new one. 
This year we suppose to see new generation of models. Samsung S4 and others.


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## utzelu

BarracksSi said:


> Try your regular watches for a while.
> 
> If you're like me (I'm wearing a regular watch instead of my AW today) and you fruitlessly check your wrist for the outside temperature (like I've done three times today) or miss a phone call (like I did an hour ago), you might be a fully-converted smartwatch wearer.


I think I am slowly becoming a full time convert to smart watches. I've been wearing one for the past three months and I haven't really felt the need to wear a regular watch unless on the beach and that's only because I don't want to ruin the finish of my AW from the sand. Unless the watch manufacturers will not come up with real innovations my interest will eventually erode.


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## RandM

I have been wearing a Garmin Fenix 5s to the exclusion of everything else. It is not a G Shock but it will certainly take what I can dish out and it is 100 meters WR. My only concern would be chlorine spotting the sapphire crystal. 


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## rationaltime

RandM said:


> I have been wearing a Garmin Fenix 5s to the exclusion of everything else. It is not a G Shock but it will certainly take what I can dish out and it is 100 meters WR. My only concern would be chlorine spotting the sapphire crystal.


I have not read any complaints about sapphire watch crystals being
etched in swimming pools. Sapphire is pretty inert stuff. Though 
chlorine can etch sapphire at higher temperatures, if you were 
wearing the watch in that environment I think you would be beyond
concerns about etching the crystal.

Thanks,
rationaltime


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