alt Hacker NewsConversely, I don't care about any of those features, and I do care about long battery life. It's great that different devices catering to different users exist. I don't think the fact that they are aiming at different users from you makes it "not smart", it just makes it not suitable for your use.
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Don't get me wrong, I backed the first Pebble on kickstarter. Still have it. It was a great watch for the time. I loved it.
But these days I just have bigger requirements. The whole heartrate thing I don't even care about. Notifications are the main thing, but route tracking, integration with my alarm system and above all payments are just things I can't do without anymore. I had an Amazfit for a while which also had a 3-week battery life (though no apps) but it missed the payment option.
The charging is not a big deal for me because I only wear my watch outside anyway. And it charges in 30 minutes. It makes it easy for me to keep it charged also because it becomes a routine. With the amazfit it was often empty when I needed it.
But yeah it is great that there are devices for everyone.
Same, I love Pebble and Pebble-like devices precisely because they have long battery life. I don't want or need payments on my watch. I'm also not a fitness junkie, so I don't use GPS tracking either. I mainly enjoy the well-designed UX Pebble provides and its simple functionality like alarms, stopwatch, and notifications.
With watches that need charging every one or two days, I get this Sisyphean feeling that I am owning a constantly dying device with a battery indicator that exists solely to be charged. The amount of functionality a watch can provide me (versus a smartphone) just doesn't justify the amount of charging I need to do.
Maybe I'm not a smartwatch power user like OP. But the Pebble and its ilk are a great fit for the niche audience I belong to.