Initially, I looked for an open source smartwatch that is sold with an opensource OS preinstalled. However, this was not really feasible.
- PineTime had some really bad first hand reviews in addition to them being quite expensive in the EU.
- Pebbles warranty is too low and it is rather expensive.
So as a second attempt I looked for operating systems that you can flash onto watches. I found Open-SmartWatch with OSW-OS and AsteroidOS. While I think that building your smart watch from scratch is cool, AsteroidOS looked more accessible and mature (just based on easy navigation and the feature list).
Sadly, the most supported watch is no longer available: TicWatch Pro 2018
So I thought I just mindlessly ask whether you have a different OS you would recommend or if you have a watch recommendation that is still available.
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Not really “smart” watch, but I’ve been thinking of getting https://www.sensorwatch.net/ . It’s a board that you swap into a casio f-91w (using the same display)
Check out the new pebble watches!
My OG Pebble is still going strong, but I have pre-ordered the new Pebble Time 2 because it just looks like a straight-up upgrade. The fact that the new Pebble company is fully supporting the old devices makes me want to buy their new devices even more.
Most people won’t agree with this but… Amazfit. About as closed as you can get. It has (depending on the model) about as many features as you might want. Mine, the GTR4, is circular and gives a decent watch effect with a dark watch face and a leather strap. It has GPS, can pair directly to Bluetooth earphones and has some internal storage you can use to upload your music so you can use it offline. No SIM/eSIM though.
Back to the closed part: You only need to install their app and pair it to theirs during the initial setup, once. Following Gadgetbridge’s clear instructions, you can then get the login token, pair with gadgetbridge instead and just uninstall the official app. It then becomes your trustworthy watch that never sends any data out, because it no longer uses the official app. Not just amazfit though, I’d suggest to go to their supported devices list (which is… Comprehensive by now), and carefully check if a device you are interested in is supported and to what degree. Gadgetbridge might look ugly but it’s 100% reliable and privacy friendly.
Ugly open source software is my favorite because i know the feature set is gonna be freaking awesome. I remember when I first started to transition to open source as an idea 15 years ago, and the sometimes ugly software was hard to get used to at first, but then I realized the ugly software did so much more than the fancy windows stuff and i really started to get used to and even like the ugly stuff. It’s designed to do the thing it was designed to do, and stays out of my way, fantastic!
Have you looked at bangle.js?
Most people won’t agree with this but… Amazfit. About as closed as you can get. It has (depending on the model) about as many features as you might want. Mine, the GTR4, is circular and gives a decent watch effect with a dark watch face and a leather strap. It has GPS, can pair directly to Bluetooth earphones and has some internal storage you can use to upload your music so you can use it offline. No SIM/eSIM though.
Back to the closed part: You only need to install their app and pair it to theirs during the initial setup, once. Following Gadgetbridge’s clear instructions, you can then get the login token, pair with gadgetbridge instead and just uninstall the official app. It then becomes your trustworthy watch that never sends any data out, because it no longer uses the official app. Not just amazfit though, I’d suggest to go to their supported devices list (which is… Comprehensive by now), and carefully check if a device you are interested in is supported and to what degree. Gadgetbridge might look ugly but it’s 100% reliable and privacy friendly.
I hadn’t! Thanks for the suggestion, but it does not match what I was looking for asthetically. Still a cool project!
There are two versions of the bangle.js watch. The second version looks pretty similar to the pinetime.
I used to use the pinetime for a while and now have the bangle.js 2 watch.
Pinetime is cheaper in DE than the bangle.js (40€ vs 90€ IIRC).
Both are nice watches and integrate well with gadgetbridge and have a couple of weeks battery. Which is much more then what you get from a Android watch.
Used Pebble is one option.
If you can handle soldering in a battery, you can usually buy a Pebble or Pebble Steel for really cheap (just make sure it isn’t a first batch glued shut model). Don’t get a Round, batteries are really hard to find. Pebble 2 and Pebble 2 Duo will also need replacement side buttons, they disintegrate quickly.Obviously they will have zero days of warranty though :p
I think pinetime is alright for 66€
I think the PineTime is nice enough, for being relatively new, surprisingly cheap, and fully open source.
It doesn’t have all of the features of a $300 watch, but it doesn’t cost as much either.
I just on watchy. Not sure if that more interesting to you.
I don’t think this is what I am looking for. I explicitly am interested in the smart features of heart rate monitoring and step count.
I’ve been looking for a similar thing (actually I don’t even really care about the “smart” part; I just want fitness tracking sensors), but have yet to find anything suitable.
