Though I have some philosophical and design issues with Apple, the biggest thing, the #1 requirement of any smartphone for me, is a notification LED for messages. I like seeing at a glance who or what is notifying me. Why is an LED so important? Because I want to identify a message quickly, without my phone always in my pocket (e.g. it's on my desk or next to the bed). With a watch accessory, for many, that need would go away.
None really I'm afraid. I enjoy having notifications on my wrist sometimes but most days I just slap on a regular watch instead since they're more fashion than utility item for me honestly.
I'm with you on that, at least in the short term. I honestly don't see a single proper use case why I would want to put some dorky 'smart'watch (which isn't really that smart because it can't work without a cellphone) that I need to take off every night and recharge (maybe even recharge during! the day like with the Moto360 apparently).
How hard is it to take out your phone, which is with you in your pocket or on your desk already anyway to see a notification?
I wouldn't say the sole purpose of a smartwatch is to deliver notifications. They're just slightly more useful watches, and that's more or less it.
I have an Apple Watch, and while it's not the best product Apple has ever made, I still find the time to put it on every day. I find that it's convenient in a lot of small ways. I also like wearing it through the night and using it as an additional alarm clock.
For me it's notifications. Calendar alerts, texts, app notifications, and alarms are much easier and less disruptive to look at on your wrist than to pull out your phone. It's a much better experience.
Speaking as a person who goes to a lot of meetings, having the right notifications on my wrist are great. I am rarely late for meetings now, and I can keep track of key events while sitting in those meetings. A look at my wrist is much more subtle than a look at my phone.
A smart watch helped me (Garmin). I find it's a nice balance. For example, let's say I'm working with my hands on my keyboard. When an email or text message comes in, I glance at my wrist, I see who it is and maybe the subject, and then I continue working without reaching for my phone or mouse. MacOS is pretty good for that with the notifications - integrated with iphone and email, but I've moved away from Apple. If didn't get these notifications, I'd be wondering if it's important or not, so i just take second to look.
I have a watch so that I can tell time without needing to access a device that is carefully tuned to draw my attention (especially if I'm in a situation where pulling out my phone would be rude or intrusive).
If anything, your argument advocates for smartwatches. When I get a notification and I'm not physically at a desktop computer, there is no way for me to check that notification other than my phone. It's the exact same problem that you just wrote about pocket watches, except it's not about the time -- it's about all the other information that we now want instant access to and can only get by removing a physical device from our pockets.
I also don't get a lot of notifications to my phone. But my younger coworkers do. They are frequently fiddling with their their phones to keep track of any number of ongoing text conversations, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, notifications from social games, etc.
Let's set aside whether you or I want to live that way, or if we think it's rude. It's their reality. A smart watch might be really useful for those folks if it works well.
That's the key--if it works well. The first iPhone didn't do much that any other smart phone did. It just did those things way better. Same with iPod and MP3 players. It seems at least possible to me that a similar jump is possible with smart watches.
I still want the main benefit of a smartwatch: not having to pull out the smartphone to see what my smartphone has to tell me (I have very few notifications, but there are some occasions where immediate response is necessary).
I don't need to check notifications right away - but I like to. It's definitely a personal preference and nowhere near a necessity. This is why I don't see smartwatches becoming as universal as smartphones.
While I love gadgets, the idea of wearing something on my wrist whose sole purpose is to interrupt me with notifications (most of which I would not want) and that offers an extremely bright display is pretty much the last gadget I'd want.
Even with the new color temperature adjustments on the iPhone, looking at the screen in the dark is quite unpleasant.
I don't know how much time it really saves me, but in addition to the convenience I find it much less intrusive (e.g. in meetings or other social situations, or when walking) to quickly glance at my watch to read an incoming notification rather than pulling my phone out.
Though I have some philosophical and design issues with Apple, the biggest thing, the #1 requirement of any smartphone for me, is a notification LED for messages. I like seeing at a glance who or what is notifying me. Why is an LED so important? Because I want to identify a message quickly, without my phone always in my pocket (e.g. it's on my desk or next to the bed). With a watch accessory, for many, that need would go away.
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