Edited by: Sharya Sharma
Last updated: February 23, 2023, 1:26 PM IST
Nothing could consider the possibility of launching their own smartwatch to complete their wider ecosystem. (Image: nothing)
In a recent tweet, Pei admitted that he bought a Samsung Galaxy Watch5 Pro but is unsure what to use it for. He said it “feels a bit useless.”
Carl Pei, the tech entrepreneur who founded Nothing and was instrumental in making 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 is unsure what to use it for. He said it “feels a bit useless”.
Pei’s candid admission about his own smartwatch use raises an interesting question about the wider appeal of these devices. He also showed curiosity about how other people use their smartwatches.
I got the Samsung Galaxy Watch5 Pro on Sunday to learn more about smart watches, but I don’t know what to use it for… Feels a bit useless? What do you use smart watches for? — Carl Pei (@getpeid) February 22, 2023
It’s worth noting that smartwatches have been around for a while. The first Android Wear watch, the LG G Watch, was released in 2014. And since then, many OEMs have pushed their way into making them, including both tech giants like Samsung and traditional watch brands like Fossil.
However, Apple has always been on the premium end of the spectrum with its very popular Apple Watch, which has been a dominant smartwatch in the market. Despite this, no CEO, other than Pei, has so far called smartwatches outright “useless.”
This raises the question of why Pei would buy a new Galaxy Watch5 Pro if he’s not interested in smartwatches and their growing market. In a subsequent tweet, Pei mentions that he is “getting to know the category”. Perhaps Nothing is considering the possibility of launching its own smartwatch to complete their wider ecosystem, which already includes the Nothing Phone (1) and wireless earbuds such as the Nothing Ear (Stick) and Ear (1) already available on the market are.
In response to Carl Pei’s tweet, many users stressed the importance of fitness tracking when it comes to smartwatches. One user commented, “I mainly use the Apple Watch to track calories burned (on average because it’s not extremely accurate) and then heart rate and vo2 max estimates are good too.”
While some users shared their experiences using smartwatches for fitness tracking, one user expressed disapproval of Pei’s comment and sarcastically congratulated him on getting a “fancy wrist accessory that you don’t know what to do with “. don’t worry, it’s not like 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 if Nothing will indeed launch a smartwatch in the near future – and if it will be based on Wear OS – on which other popular Android watches such as the Samsung Galaxy Watch5 Pro and Galaxy Watch5 are based.
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