I Test-Drove A Smart Watch. Here’s How To Make The Perfect One.

I’ve been an iPhone user for over 4 years, and while it’s been great, there have been a few things that I didn’t love. I’ve jailbroken each one of my phones to unlock special features and apps that Apple doesn’t allow. One example is that ability to respond to text messages from any screen without opening the messages app. A lot of the features Apple has rolled out over the years first came from the jailbreak community and I like to stay a step ahead of the game.

I have been thinking of moving to the Google ecosystem for awhile now. I use Gmail, Google Hangouts, Google Docs, Google Calendar, Picasa, and have my contacts synced with Google. So why do I have an iPhone? I’m not sure anymore. So when I was given the chance to try out the Samsung Galaxy S5, I leapt at the opportunity. I wanted to find out if it was for me, even if the screen size seemed like a bit much for me.

Free Samsung Galaxy S5 Test Drive

Samsung set up a few shops across the country for users to test drive a few of their devices, and one of those happened to be in a nearby mall. Since I had a week off work, I went over to check it out and pick up my device. In addition to the S5, I also got a smart watch, the Galaxy Gear 2, for a trial. As long as I returned it within 3 weeks without breaking it, it would be free to me. I was excited to try it out, and I jumped right into the experience, forwarding all my text messages and phone calls to the new phone and making it my primary phone for about a week and a half.

First, a few notes about the phone: I thought the screen would be too big, but after the initial shock, I was able to get used to it very quickly. I ended up liking it a lot, and there are definitely things that take a little getting used to and settings to tweak, I could definitely see myself switching over for my next phone. While the S5 was great, I will be on the lookout for the next new phone to come out with even better features. I’m ready to say goodbye to the iPhone for good.

My Smart Watch Experience

My initial impression was very positive. At the beginning, I liked that I didn’t have to take my phone out of my pocket for every notification. I could read a text message on my phone and see who was calling without whipping my phone out. And best of all, I could put the call on speakerphone through my wrist, which was great when I was in the car. After just 24 hours, I had to turn off almost all notifications because it got to be too much. Every Facebook notification, every text message, and every Twitter retweet would make my wrist buzz. I turned off every notification except phone calls.

The feature I really liked was the step counter. I found out that I probably don’t walk enough during the day. But it was an encouragement for me to be a bit more active by going for a walk at night or short breaks during the day just to get my legs moving. I know there are other devices that can do something similar, but every smart watch has to have that feature.

How To Make The Perfect Smart Watch

If I could design the perfect smart watch, I would take a regular watch with a beautiful face and add a few key features to it. I would definitely have a sensor to add a step counter to it. I’d also add the speakerphone ability to it, because it was wonderful for multi-tasking and not having to hold a phone to my ear while cooking, which I did a bunch of during the week. Maybe an overlay on the watch face to see who is calling and have the watch buzz when there’s an incoming phone call, but that’s it. What I tested had far too many bells and whistles and likely caused the price to be a lot higher. The company that comes out with a low-priced beautiful looking smart watch will win the business. I’m not sure I really need a smart watch (I don’t usually wear a watch at all), but if I ever did, it wouldn’t be something as complicated as the Samsung Gear 2.

Would you ever wear a smart watch? What features do you think would be the most important?