90 days with a smartwatch and I'm back on a $20 Casio

I owe y'all an honest update, because I hyped smartwatches pretty hard on the channel back in the day.

In March I bought a flagship smartwatch (my money, $429 with tax) and committed to wearing it every day for 90 days. No switching, no "review mode". Just living with it. On day 91 I put on a $20 Casio and I haven't taken it off since.

What actually happened

• Charging became a chore I hated. Every night or every other night. Miss one and the sleep tracking (the thing I bought it for) is gone. I charged it 61 times in 90 days. I counted. That's my brain now.
• Notifications got worse, not better. I thought it would mean less phone. It meant my wrist buzzed in every conversation. I turned off almost everything by week 3, and then it was a very expensive clock.
• The health stuff was... fine? Step counts close enough. Heart rate on runs close to my chest strap at a steady pace, way off on intervals. Sleep score told me I slept "great" on nights I absolutely did not.
• The strap gave me a rash. Atlanta in June plus silicone. Switched to a nylon strap, problem solved, but come on.

What I miss

Paying with my wrist. That's honestly it. Tap to pay at the gas station is really nice. Kitchen timers, second place.

The Casio

Tells the time. Has a stopwatch. The battery will outlive my car. Nobody can message me on it.

Here's the thing: I don't think smartwatches are bad. If you run seriously, or you need fall detection for a parent, they're great. But I bought one to "be healthier and use my phone less" and it did neither. That's the regret.

Verdict for people like me: Skip. For runners and for older parents: Buy, but the mid-tier one, not the flagship. 💀