Smartphones killed watches but smart watches brought them back. I used to wear a wristwatch since I was a child when I got my first one - which was a cute little fake-silver one by Casio. I still remember it, especially the smell, and I loved it very much. It inevitably stopped working and joined a heap of garbage somewhere. With any luck, it was made with mostly biodegradable stuff, like metal, but I'm certain the plastic still endures as it will a thousand years from now.

Apple didn't give us the first smart watch, but they did blow up the genre with the first Apple Watch. By the way I still use the original Apple Watch which I've had since 2018 😂. The battery life isn't the same, but it still does it's thing. It's not as advanced as the latest offerings but, I don't know, it still works so why not keep using it? I also think Apple Watches are too expensive for what they are, especially since they're no longer special in the same way they used to be. There are alternatives now that are just as good or, pound-for-pound, even better. The factories that used to make those watches in China are apparently now unshackled to create lookalikes. Much like the headphones I wrote about in an earlier post, there are several smart watches now that look aesthetically similar to the Apple Watch, albeit with stripped down functionality.

I received one of such smart phones from a brand to review. I was pleasantly surprised to be honest. The quality, responsiveness and finish are all excellent. For the price, I'd probably opt for one of these than an older Apple Watch. It's definitely better than my current original Apple Watch. I've gotten used to the integration of the Apple Watch to my phone and computer so, for legacy reasons, I'm sticking with the old watch. Besides, my niece has been eying up this smart watch, which is notably unbranded, and called dibs on it the second she saw it.

Peace & Love,

Adé