Are smartwatches useless? That’s what Nothing founder Carl Pei thinks

Carl Pei, the tech entrepreneur who founded Nothing and helped make OnePlus a successful brand, recently shared his thoughts on smartwatches. In a recent tweet, Pei admitted that he bought a Samsung Galaxy Watch5 Pro, but doesn’t really know what to use it for. He said it “kind of feels pointless.”

Pei’s candid admission of his own use of a smartwatch raises an interesting question about the broader appeal of these devices. He also expressed his curiosity about how other people use their smartwatches.

It’s worth noting that smartwatches have been around for quite some time. The first Android Wear watch – the LG G Watch was released in 2014. Since then, many OEMs have tried to make them, including both tech giants like Samsung and traditional watch brands like Fossil.

However, Apple has always sat at the top of the class with the hugely popular Apple Watch, which has been the dominant smartwatch in the market. Despite this, no CEO other than Pei has so far outright called smartwatches “useful.”

This begs the question of why Pei would buy the new Galaxy Watch5 Pro if he is not interested in smartwatches and their growing market. In a later tweet, Pei mentions that he is “learning about the category.” Perhaps Nothing is considering the possibility of releasing its own smartwatch to complement its wider ecosystem, which already includes the Nothing Phone (1) and wireless headphones such as the Nothing Ear (Stick) and Ear (1) already available on the market.

In response to Carl Pei’s tweet, many users emphasized the importance of proper tracking when it comes to smartwatches. One user noted: “I mainly use the Apple Watch to track calories burned (average as it’s not very accurate) and then heart rate and vo2 max estimates are good too.”

While some users shared their experiences of using smartwatches for fitness tracking, one user expressed displeasure at Pei’s comment, sarcastically congratulating her on a “cool wrist accessory you don’t know what to do with.” They continued: “Don’t worry, that doesn’t mean it can track your fitness, keep you connected, control your music, make mobile payments or help you manage your time.”

It remains to be seen whether Nothing will launch a smartwatch in the near future – and whether it will be based on Wear OS – which other popular Android watches such as the Samsung Galaxy Watch5 Pro and Galaxy Watch5 are based on.

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