All I Want for Christmas is a Smartwatch…..Not

It’s about that time of year again when those Christmas tunes flood the radios, and when people flood the shops in search of that perfect holiday gift. It’s the most wonderful time of the year but for some, it can be a real pain in the “you know what”. The official start of the holiday season is the day after Thanksgiving, or what’s known as Black Friday.

This year about 22 million shoppers headed to Wal-Mart on the infamous day. Apparently a lot of people are willing to stand in line for hours, and are ready to go to great lengths to get a deal.  In Virginia this year, a man was even held up at gun point in a Wal-Mart parking lot. People want va

So, should you consider buying a smartwatch this holiday season? Well, if you’re an early adopter or a trendsetter, then you’ll probably want to flaunt your new toy at the office faster than a kid opening a present on Christmas morning. But, if you want to get your money’s worth, you may want to hold off for a while.lue or ‘bang for their buck’. Obviously, it’s completely insane to shoot someone to save a few dollars but, it is important to make sure you spend your hard earned money wisely.

One of the reasons you may want to reconsider purchasing a smartwatch is the price. The least expensive, fully functional smartwatch on the market is the Pebble. The Pebble comes with a $150 price tag. What does that buy you? Well, you get a pretty snazzy black and white display. If you want colour, you’ll have to reach a little deeper into your pockets.

Although a lot of people are making a fuss about the relatively steep price of smartwatches, they’re not that expensive when compared to the traditional wristwatch. On that note, are smartwatches a direct competitor of wristwatches? Does Rolex have to keep an eye out for Samsung and Apple? That’s an idea all unto itself but, when the smartwatch is considered to be a functional gadget that makes our lives easier, it needs to offer something that your phone can’t already do. I doubt anyone buys a smartwatch to tell time. So, when you can get a Samsung Galaxy S4 on a 2 year plan for $99, it’s a no brainer.

The other issue with smartwatches is that their battery life is really limited. Sure smartphones are only good for a day or so but, can you imagine recharging your watch when you get home? The Pebble offers nearly a week of battery life whereas higher end models only last a couple of days. Convenience is key when it comes to smartwatches, it’s the very essence of their existence. Right now, however, the notion of charging your smartwatch every few days does not exude ‘convenience’.

What can a smartwatch do? Well, smartwatches do offer convenient access to notifications. People check their phones regularly to see if they have a new text or something all the time. Sometimes though, it’s pretty hard reaching into your pocket to check your phone. Say you’re on a crowded bus during rush hour; reaching into your pocket may literally rub people the wrong way. Checking your watch would be much easier and more discrete.

The smartwatch is most probably in the introductory stage of the product life cycle. As such, it shows a lot of potential but, it still has to work out its kinks. Hopefully when a major player like Apple steps in, we’ll get to see something really cool. Till then, it’s best to save your money come Christmas and wait for the next generation of smartwatches.