Ask HN: Is there a good hackable smart watch? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Is there a good hackable smart watch?

7 pointsxrd13 comments

I've owned a variety of smart watches. From Android via Google and Samsung to Huawei purchased in Japan.

I would like to find a hackable smart watch that allows:

  - gps 
  - cellular connection. But maybe just a data connection if I can write my own apps. I really want to record audio of my thoughts while I'm running.
  - programmable? Android apps are great, but I'm open to other things.
  - decent battery life, hopefully 2 days or more

I have been waiting for the right pine64 but it isn't coming. I love my banglejs but it doesn't have cellular.

Are there any interesting things from Shenzhen? Or on Alibaba? I don't need an app store.

I'm really interested in something that can capture audio and submit it, perhaps receiving audio or text back without an elaborate screen interface. If I have that, maybe my kids can use it without getting sucked into the platform of apps and games and all the other awful stuff.

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The Spectra is on Kickstarter https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pocuter/spectra

I still rock a Pebble. Nothing has dethroned it.

Hackable and cellular rarely go together, unfortunately. Especially on watches. I don't believe any such thing exists.

I'm no expert but I do like hackable smart watches, I own the Pine Time and the Watchy - and I've never heard of an open source cellular watch. Even without that requirement the options are basic.

Thanks for the comment.

Yes, I think I'm giving up on the hackable part. Maybe just something with the basic features of gps, audio recording, data capability. It would be nice to get messaging even if that means data only and not cellular.

But I'm wondering if there is something weird in a nook in the wilds of the Chinese electronics industry that I can play with...

How is the watchy? Where can I find a link to that?

https://watchy.sqfmi.com/

I'm building a hackable smartwatch. How much would you pay for it?

I've spent close to a thousand on all the different watches. It depends on the vision and what you could build. I'm definitely interested in discussing it. My email is on my profile page.

Interesting. So this is a hobby project of mine, I don't have a factory and I can't miniaturize the device modules, but I'm building it to be comfortable. I can make it boot Linux that is enough for hacking. Recording, playing audio is not an issue. GPS and GSM require extra modules. I'll need to check how much battery it consumes once assembled, but I can add as much capacity as needed, even with replaceable batteries for backup, at the expense of having a bulkier wearable. Maybe it's not the kind of device you want, or maybe you do, people used to run around with walkmans. Now, parts take long to arrive, so it will take some time for me to get back and send you pics.

https://www.lilygo.cc/products/t-watch-s3

Aimed at mor LoRa use, but you can def write apps for it.

Pebble might be the best hackable. They’re discontinued, not sure how much used ones go for on eBay. But it was ahead of its time, I don’t think there was a wearable that useful until the Apple Watch. No cel, no gps, just the basics.

I was looking up the pine time watch, but it turns out they went out of business. what a way to find out.

Pine64 is still very much in business and the PineTime devices are in stock as I write this:

https://pine64.com/product/pinetime-smartwatch-sealed/

Perhaps there is another watch with the same name?

Oh whew! pine64.org is still giving me a GoDaddy landing page and pine64.com was too but now that's been fixed

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