Fitness tracker smart watches that work well without a smartphone app?
A family member of mine recently got a cheap smart watch online. They weren't planning to use it with a phone app for privacy/security reasons. They thought using it without a phone would be fine, since they just wanted it for the time and for the health features like steps, blood pressure, blood oxygen, sleep tracking, etc. and didn't need to see their texts or other notifications on the watch.
Unfortunately, when we tested the watch, we found that basically all of the features required connecting to a shady no-name company's app. You couldn't even set the time! You can't set the time on a watch without an app!
Also, the watch was a bit bulky for their wrist, and they would prefer a slimmer one.
People of Tildes, do you know of any smart watches that allow you to use the health tracking features without ever connecting to a smartphone? If so, are there any that are slimmer instead of being bulky?
Pretty sure Garmin's watches can be used without a phone if so desired. My Fenix 6s definitely lets me look at activities etc on the watch itself but I never tried using it entirely without the app (I wanted notifications to come through and to be able to upload activities occasionally).
If you haven't already come across Gadgetbridge then consider this as a halfway step between apps that might make off with your data and no app at all. It's compatible with a lot of devices so there's a chance it might even work with the watch they already bought (otherwise it's an option to consider when investigating other watches).
+1 for Garmin. The app shouldn't be required (unless they've changed it very recently with the newest models).
If you want the fitness data on something other than the watch, you can just connect it to a PC via USB and copy the data files straight from the watch.
I am a long time user of the Garmin Instinct line. I can probably answer any really nitty gritty questions you may have about that line specifically. In addition I can also answer a good amount of more general questions about Garmin's ecosystem, including what app development looks like.
In general Garmin is likely your best bet for non-smartphone and there is an open source app (Gadget Bridge) that for supported models is able to create a local bluetooth only connection to your phone which allows for syncing of contacts, ringing the phone from the watch etc. if such a compromise works for you. Otherwise you can connect the watch to a PC via USB and copy the files that way (you may also be able to add apps to the watch this was as well depending on the model).
Let me know if you have any questions I can try and answer.
Also note that Gadget Bridge supports lots of models from other brands, so their compatibility list may be of interest.
It was already mentioned, but if you are willing to connect it to smartphone via the app that isn'ŧ shady and doesn't call home, have a look at Gadgetbridge, especially how well various watches are supported by it.
The app itself is a bit rough on the edges, as many open source things are, but it works great after initial setup. I used it with Pinetime, Bangle.js 2 and I think I tried it with CMF Watch 2. I still use Nothing app over Gadgetbridge for CMF though as I have it for earbuds anyway and there are some things to set up in the app that Gadgetbridge can't do.
So just shouting out Gadgetbridge as possible app if there is ever need to connect the watch and not use the shady app of watch maker.
I second GadgetBridge. Using it with a Huawei Band 10. The only advertised feature that does not work is sleep phases tracking (algorithm is on the app, not the watch). The rest of the feature (including sleep time tracking and swimming lap detection) work fine on the device. I use gadgetbridge to sync weather and workout data only (disabled notifications and other stuff, I don't want more distractions).
Is this nothing the same company that made a stripped down smartphone a few years ago? How's the watch? I saw that Walmart has them really cheap... which surprised me if it is the same company for a few reasons.
This is that Nothing. They make cheap(er) stuff under the CMF brand (CMF by Nothing).
I bought the Watch 2 Pro (or whatever) in sale for around 50€. It looks great IMO, the aluminium circle around the display is a bit higher than glass, so no shattering when bumping into wall (or other dull/blunt thing; it wouldn't survive corner hit). I had to buy leather strao though as the silicone one got me rash due to sweating under it.
Functions: I use it as notification client, I don't do exercise, running or activities (I should though). It lasts for around a week on battery with heart rate monitoring on. It has GPS and does tracking my occassional walks well, but when you have activity on, it can't be minimalised - no watchface then. You have 4 different screen where you can put either four smaller or two bigger widgets on each (2x2 on each screen). These widgets can be shortcut to activity, timer, alarm, dialer, step count, HRM graph/reading, weather... There are quite a few watchfaces available and likely even photo one. I use one of the default ones which suits the watch well and kinda sold the watch to me. You can change some of the things on watchfaces - battery, steps, calories, HRM... Not everything on every watchface though. And you can do accent color on some if them. It has auto-brightness built-in too.
What I didn't know when I bought the watch and what is actually the most useful thing is calling. The watch has microphone and speaker and works as bluetooth call device. I drive my car, phone in the boot/trunk and my watch vibrates, I see it's daughter calling and ine tap on the watch later I speak with her through the watch. Very nice.
Overall: In my opinion for the price of around 50€ I couldn't have bought better device. Pre-sale price was around 60-65€, which is still cheap for what I got.
One drawback: Do not disturb on the watch doesn't work with the phone's one. I can have phone in DND and watch will still vibrate and vice-versa. I would love if they both worked in tandem, setting one's DND to on/off and the other one reacting by doing the same. Watch can be set to DND manually or on schedule, BUT when you use in schedule and then set it on or off manually, the schedule gets deactivated (which sucks). Still - just a minor software thing on overall cheap and good device.
We have introduced CMF Phone 2 into family this Christmas. I may have more information on that in a few months. For starters - reaponsive, nice display, nice cameras, no headphone jack but slot for microSD is present, though not occupied at the moment, IP54. Again - considering the price, of course.
EDIT: You want "Nothing X" app for the watch, not "CMF Watch".