I've been pretty pleased with my Garmin Venu 2 Plus (now superceded by a 3 version). The activity tracking is accurate, it stores music, you can make and receive calls on it, and the health/fitness/wellbeing stuff is really good.
However, it will fall down for you on the looks front. I'm happy to wear it with a work shirt in the office but can understand why people might want something smarter-looking.
I have an Apple Watch. It just works.
Apple Pay is also more secure.
As a side issue, contactless payments are fantastic. It's like carrying cash, but if it's ever nicked you get it back.
I have some thoughts.
I have a Xiaomi phone, and a Xiaomi Mi band. Great hardware at good prices. I do not have the Xiaomi software for either. That is increasingly difficult (certainly on the mi band front).
The mi band...for £20 does the three on Russ's initial list. I use it through gadgetbridge. One of my essential criteria for putting something on my arm and carrying it around with me is: "is supported by gadgetbridge". I will not pay a lot of money to carry around a data collection device for data connected organisations to conspire to put up my hotel room, taxi rides, and meal prices. "Smart watches" are also really wank to use. I carry a phone, unless I am under water, so I don't need something that works worse. The advantage of a sports type band is that it is easier to wear, in a wider range of circumstances, and is something I don't mind wearing all the time and putting into jeopardy. Because it's fucking cheap (and waterproof, and small and not subject to being easily scratched or banged - especially worn inside or outside the wrist to suit the activity. Can also be mounted on a highly stylish surfer dude type string around the neck.). Under no fucking circumstances am I having a payment mechanism on an expensive watch. I can see too many obvious modes of failure.
Have you considered getting a compact cheap waterproof sports band, and when you are going somewhere nice pushing it up your arm, and wearing a dress watch of your preference? You wont look like a knob, and the battery wont wear out, or the software become obsolete.
Xiaomi probably sell more devices than any of the brands that you have heard about. I cannot think of many manufacturers who are not hell bent on reaming you out as much as possible, at your expense. I would be more than nervous about putting a payment mechanism on any watch (or ring, or butt plug). I just wouldn't do it. As we have discussed before I find bank cards perfectly functional.
Once you've discovered the convenience of paying your dominatrix for the extra hour without having to be unshackled you'll change your views on that quick sharp.
In all seriousness, I really like the look and price point of the Amazfit / Xiaomi watch. If I were to not do the payment thing, is there any reason for concern about the Zepp OS outside your general dislike of data tracking etc with any of these devices?
I have a concern about all such devices, from all manufacturers. They are almost without exception closed source software. I have no idea what they are programmed to do, or what their security or bug status is. Nor do you, nor anyone who isn't involved in their development...and often those people haven't got a fucking clue, or they wouldn't write code as badly as they do. The aim of all such devices is to leverage the platform for the betterment of the manufacturer and their partner organisations, not so much for you. When they are done with it, for whatever reason, they will hobble it and make you buy something else.
I don't really have a lot to offer in terms of user experience or functionality for any of these software platforms. I make it my business to not use them.
LOL, fair enough.
I've been hovering over the Buy button on Amazon for the Amazfit GTR 4 for a few months now. I have an Amazfit Bip Lite or something and it has been going for three or four years now. Battery seems to last longer than ever. Trouble is, the GTR 4 is at best £150 whilst the Bip Lite was about £40. The GTR 4 looks a lot better though.
Key things for me - long battery life (some last weeks, some last a couple of days), built in GPS, water resistance.
Difference between the Balance and the GTR 4 is the Balance has a brighter screen (1500 nits vs 1000 nits). Nothing else of note, though I've only just noticed the Balance because you noticed it so maybe it has something else.
And important to note, ownership of smart bands and watches has not affected my health or fitness in any way.
My s22 ultra is playing up and it is not something I can claim on the warranty.
I fancy a change from Samsung. It needs to be android, any recommendations?
Wife got a refurb Pixel 7a off of the Amazon. I have a feeling we will all be buying the Pixel series now. Added geek, you can run Graphene OSon lots of them as well.
I was looking at the pixel 8, not sure if much difference to the 7
My poco f3 is still fantastic and well on top of everything that i need. But I'm only running applications and connections for me, not for other undisclosed data partners.
I've had a look around and there are no compelling buys for me in the two hundred notes space, which is the most I'll pay. I generally track things in the three to six months old space, and look for when they are discounted to flush the channel. Tends not to be the 'names' these days, they just drop in to the next market segment down as the new shiny takes top spot.
The pixels are well and long supported for mod firmware, which is good. ... but they are massively overpriced compared to equivalent chinese modables, which is bad. I have 2 poco f3's and 2 moto g7's for the price of the equivalent leading pixel at the time.
Pixel or OnePlus if you're buying Android IMHO.
Three and a half, to four times, what I'm prepared to pay. Try again.
Poco are excellent phones
But if you want pretty/interesting then I'm very happy with my Nothing Phone.
I bought a Pixel 7a recently to replace an ageing Motorola. Neat and tidy with clean software but probably isn't going to blow your socks off if you're coming from a Samsung S22.
