@guybrush01 I keep on hoping these cheapo smart watches can replace my aging Pebble Time, but no. Looks like this one can’t even control music playback.
@guybrush01@manhattnik It isn’t the same (wish I could replace the battery) as the Pebble Time but there is https://banglejs.com/ and the version 2 has pretty good battery life so far. (Although GPS will definitely drain it faster.) I might have a ‘new’ Pebble Time in a box somewhere but I haven’t looked into the alternative software ecosystem yet.
Buy a couple of them and goto a bar. Find a girl that you like. Walk up to her, take off the watch, throw it on the ground and stomp on it. Explain that just the sight of her makes you feel like time is standing still. She will think you broke an expensive apple watch just to impress her.
I bought a few of the “notifications” watches. I even tried one of the fitness trackers. Honestly, I think I’ve decided that I’m almost completely uninterested in the damned health shit—all of it. So can someone make a watch that doesn’t do any of that, but has more than just simple notifications? I like to think they can. And that someday meh will sell it.
@joelmw This, 100%. Imagine how long something like this would last between charges of it didn’t have unnecessary things like a constantly flashing LED on the back, or GPS? Maybe the developers could focus more on awesome free watch faces, or the physical design of the watch.
@joelmw Pebble started out as a notification watch and went bankrupt essentially because they were slow to add health tracking features. The “killer app” for smartwatches so far, for better or worse, is health monitoring (steps, heart rate, etc…).
@joelmw@mwarren They didn’t reeeeally go bankrupt. They just sold to FitBit because they knew the market wasn’t interested in what they were selling, even though they made hands-down the best smartwatch on the market.
@joelmw
This might just be a good choice for you, actually. Most (maybe all?) of those special-sauce functions can be turned off. The VT3+ I bought arrived with everything defaulted to “Nope”. Most of it still is.
Bought one earlier. Didn’t work. Contacted Virmee and they wouldn’t honor the warranty. Said they would only honor the warranty on watches purchased directly from them, not a third party! What a lousy policy.
I bought this twice, but the first one got lost in shipping, so I picked it up in the mehrathon. I was enjoying it, checking my oxygen levels (NYC, Covid central), I let it access my sleep patterns, it does measure heart rate (and stress rate), tried to walk the 10,000 steps (5 miles a day), I liked that I could see who was calling or texting without looking for my phone. But after three weeks it said I had to register or I would lose my information in future updates and it immediately stopped downloading info to my phone. I just read their privacy agreement and it is not good and I can’t get past it without agreeing or exiting, but if you exit and open the app again, you are at the same page, with the same choices (it pretends to offer you two other choices, but they don’t actually work). So, be forewarned, they share your info with other companies (Apple Health Google Fit and Strava, some outside of the US and EEA, probably China, since it downloads some info in Chinese first, requires an email, age, height, weight, access to all the technical data on your devices, basically your home is their home, so I think they will be uninvited. Be forewarned. BTW, the battery lasted a little more than a day with me, but charged quickly (under 1/2 hour), and I didn’t really have any problems with it except I once inadvertently seemed to switch to Chinese and it was hard to figure out how to get back to English.
Great for notifications. You can pick and chose which apps to see on the watch. No replies, though.
No GPS, so only as accurate as your phone for distance and location. (When I’m driving, Google Maps knows which lane I’m in, but when I’m walking, Google Fit has trouble telling which block I’m on.)
Not an accurate step counter. Under counts by about 25% compared to a pedometer.
Worth $20? Probably, as long as you know the limitations.
Wearing the VT3 Plus right now. The level of vibration isn’t adjustable like the Martian Notifier used to be, but it’s adequate. The degree of control for which apps get included in the notifications is very high. The band is plastic but very comfortable.
I don’t care about or use the body tracking features, but the stopwatch is really handy.
@lyoness
They claim 5 to 7 days worn 24/7, but with typical bells and whistles running, it seems like 4 to 5 is where it gets low. The recharge time is a couple of hours.
@hchavers
Smarter than spending almost $400 on an Apple watch if all you need is the time plus minimal other functions, but not as smart as not buying a smart watch at all, IMO.
I’ve tried a bunch of smart watches, and in the end I always go back to one of my Casios. I love my solar powered one, it’s got the best battery life of anything. I love my classic digital G-Shock, it’s simple and it works good and I’m not afraid of wrecking it. I love my calculator watch because I’m a huge nerd. What I’m saying is I have a lot of watches and I really could use something to display and organize them, I don’t really need another watch in my drawer.
@Kerig3 Feature-wise, they appear to be the same.
Since most of the useful information is presented via the companion phone app, the physically smaller screen/resolution is the only real factor to consider.
If you feel you missed out, get it anyway to try it out. It’s only $19. They may be cheaper if they’re over on sidedeals.com with your VMP free shipping and the happynewyear discount code today. Hmm. Maybe your non-VMP regular membership doesn’t carry over to sidedeals. Check before looking. Otherwise, here is the better deal.
@mike808 I did check out SideDeals and they didn’t have either version. Truth be told I really don’t need a smart watch (either version) since I no longer wear watches like I used to (years later I still have a pale circle on my wrist), but I thought it might be fun to play with and wear as a watch. But the other version with the larger battery & better screen is what all the YouTube reviews I’d watched were praising (there’s a ton of reviews for the Plus) saying it was a great deal at $50 a year ago. Unfortunately I “slept on it” and quickly forgot about it the next day. I was really hoping this one was the upgrade to that version, but instead this one is the older version. I’ll just save my money for the next toy/gadget that I don’t really need.
@mwarren For even easier hackability, for $52, you can get 2 PineTime watches, with one already opened up. Programming cable included. This is great for those of us that like to hack, but are afraid of damaging a waterproof seal.
Note that I haven’t purchased this product yet, but I have bought other products from them and I like them. In particular, I like the soldering iron. If you buy it, remember to buy some different shaped tips. The default tip is not ideal for fine work. The USB-C cables that come with the soldering iron are excellent. I am using one to charge my phone right now. I will buy more of them when I buy the watches and different tips.
The shipping was really slow due to COVID restrictions at the factory when I ordered the soldering iron. I am hoping that all of the normal shipping options are available again by the time there is more money in my toy budget.
How does one get lost? I’ve never been lost. I’ve been confused, but never lost. Not even in the woods.
That being said, I’ve always memorized key points on a map before I go anywhere. I mean, why wouldn’t you? Because if you didn’t, you’d get lost. Maybe I actually descended from pigeons?
@qkerby
On a cloudy day on dead-flat terrain with scrub tree cover that obscures the horizon, unless you have a compass, it’s very easy to lose all sense of direction. That’s just one example. Around midday at most warm latitudes, compass points are indistinct at best if you don’t have a good firm grip on what time it is. And 90% of the old advice about How To Find North turns out to be unreliable or even dead wrong in loads of places.
Have been wearing this daily for 2+ months since I bought it. Not really a smart watch–more of a fitness tracker with a screen. The Sleep tracking is probably not accurate–the heart rate is ok. Step count has been checked and is accurate (off by 1-2 steps per 300).
The notification setup is great, allowing you to select app by app which will notify.
Bought the VT3+ and out of all I’ve tried it is the most adequate, but my Samsung Gear S3 is the best. I like answering texts and voice calls with the S3, so buy a Samsung if you want a great smart watch, imho.
Does this thing run the android wear OS so it could pair with an android phone without the app? Or do you need to install the random (untrusted) 3rd party app and give it access to all of your phone calls, contacts, and SMS messages to use it for it to work?
@summetj Nope, you need to use the untrustworthy app to use this watch (not being sarcastic, btw). Of course, it’s not that big of an increase of your privacy being abused, because you already use a smart phone (sarcasm intended).
@summetj It runs its own proprietary OS, but Virmee does not require you to sign-in or sign-up for anything – they don’t even ask for your email address. It does require a companion app on your phone, but again, there is no signing-in to anything, it just interfaces with the watch and that’s it.
I bought one of the VT3+ last time and the band broke within a week. Was rather disappointed. Switched it for a metal band that I had lying around, but it’s a bit too tight for my wrist. Haven’t gotten around to replacing it yet.
Health & Fitness Smartwatch: Featuring a 1.3 inch touch screen, Virmee Tempo VT3 allows you to check your steps, calorie or distance easily. With IP68 waterproof Protection and long battery life, VT3 can go with you anywhere.
Health Tracking: 24*7 tracking your heart rate, Stress & Blood Oxygen, Sleep state to let you know your body state better. This smartwatch can also be your compass, stopwatch and timer.
Goal-based Exercise Modes: Support 18 exercise modes to record workouts like run, bike, swim and yoga to get real-time status during your workouts.
Customize Your Own Watch: In addition to four watch face background designs, you can add 1 custom background watch face to personalize your accessory.
Smartwatch pairs with iOS & Android: Compatible with most iOS (10.0 above) and Android (4.4 above) smartphones (not for pc or tablet). Go to the App Store/Google Play to get your free VIRMEE app and enjoy your smart life with Virmee Tempo VT3.
Bracelet material: Alloy, ABS+PC
Strap material: Silicone
Screen: 1.3" Color touch display
Resolution: 240*240
Bluetooth: BT5.0
Battery Type: 170mAh polymer lithium battery
Input Voltage: DC5V
APP: Virmee
Support System: Smartphones of Android 4.4 or above / iOS10.0 or above
Charging time: about 2 hours
Lifetime: 5-7 days of use, 15 days of standby
Key Functions: Heart Rate Monitor, Stress & Blood Oxygen, Sleep State, Compass, Stopwatch and Timer, Call and Text Notifications, and Calendar Alerts
[b][i]DO NOT BUY THIS OR ANY OTHER SO CALLED SMARTWATCHES FROM Meh or MorningSave UNLESS YOU PLAN ON GIVING IT TO SOMEONE YOU TRULY HATE YOU WONT FIND ANY DECENT SMARTWATCH’S FOR LESS THAN $150
THIS “SMARTWATCH” IS ANYTHING BUT AND ITS MADE ENTIRELY OF CHEAP LIGHT PLASTIC THAT WILL BREAK WITH THE SLIGHTEST TAP.
IHAD BOIGHT ONE FOR MY 7 YEAR OKD NEPHEW WHO WAS ASKING FOR A SMARTWATCH BUT TENDS TO BREAK EVERYTHING SO I FIGURED ID BUY HIM A CHEAPER ONE SO HE COULD HAVE S “SMARTWATCH” AND IF UT BROKE OH WELL IT WAS $30.
WHEN IT ARRIVED ABD I TOOK IT OUT OF THE BOX TO SET IT UP I NOTICED HOW CHEAPLY MADE IT WAS AND JUDT THREW IT AWAY I WOULD’VE BEEN EMBARRASSED ACTUALLY GIVING HIM THAT.
Bought one and the step count is way off. I pad Health shows 2000+ this shows 700. Virmee support won’t honor buying from MEH. silly to try again but guillable I guess
Bought this last time it was up for sale for my 9 year old niece.
Super low resolution screen, but the touch screen worked okay.
I wouldn’t wear it (you can have my Pebble Time when you pry it off my dead wrist) but for people who just want the basics, you could do worse.
@guybrush01 I keep on hoping these cheapo smart watches can replace my aging Pebble Time, but no. Looks like this one can’t even control music playback.
@guybrush01 @manhattnik It isn’t the same (wish I could replace the battery) as the Pebble Time but there is https://banglejs.com/ and the version 2 has pretty good battery life so far. (Although GPS will definitely drain it faster.) I might have a ‘new’ Pebble Time in a box somewhere but I haven’t looked into the alternative software ecosystem yet.
Buy a couple of them and goto a bar. Find a girl that you like. Walk up to her, take off the watch, throw it on the ground and stomp on it. Explain that just the sight of her makes you feel like time is standing still. She will think you broke an expensive apple watch just to impress her.
@Num1Zero She’ll just dump you for a guy who stomps on Rolexes, happens every time.
@awk yeah
I bought a few of the “notifications” watches. I even tried one of the fitness trackers. Honestly, I think I’ve decided that I’m almost completely uninterested in the damned health shit—all of it. So can someone make a watch that doesn’t do any of that, but has more than just simple notifications? I like to think they can. And that someday meh will sell it.
@joelmw This, 100%. Imagine how long something like this would last between charges of it didn’t have unnecessary things like a constantly flashing LED on the back, or GPS? Maybe the developers could focus more on awesome free watch faces, or the physical design of the watch.
POPSOCKETS! ROAD ROCKETS! SONNY CROCKETT! AWESOME!
@joelmw @Xtoff
THIS. YES.
I also don’t need 23 or 217 exercise modes that I’ll never use either.
@joelmw Pebble started out as a notification watch and went bankrupt essentially because they were slow to add health tracking features. The “killer app” for smartwatches so far, for better or worse, is health monitoring (steps, heart rate, etc…).
@joelmw @mwarren They didn’t reeeeally go bankrupt. They just sold to FitBit because they knew the market wasn’t interested in what they were selling, even though they made hands-down the best smartwatch on the market.
@joelmw
This might just be a good choice for you, actually. Most (maybe all?) of those special-sauce functions can be turned off. The VT3+ I bought arrived with everything defaulted to “Nope”. Most of it still is.
@joelmw Yeah, they are called Apple Watch, Samsung Gear and Android Wear.
Is that a Swatch?
@yakkoTDI I’d be all over a Swatch…
Bought one earlier. Didn’t work. Contacted Virmee and they wouldn’t honor the warranty. Said they would only honor the warranty on watches purchased directly from them, not a third party! What a lousy policy.
I bought this twice, but the first one got lost in shipping, so I picked it up in the mehrathon. I was enjoying it, checking my oxygen levels (NYC, Covid central), I let it access my sleep patterns, it does measure heart rate (and stress rate), tried to walk the 10,000 steps (5 miles a day), I liked that I could see who was calling or texting without looking for my phone. But after three weeks it said I had to register or I would lose my information in future updates and it immediately stopped downloading info to my phone. I just read their privacy agreement and it is not good and I can’t get past it without agreeing or exiting, but if you exit and open the app again, you are at the same page, with the same choices (it pretends to offer you two other choices, but they don’t actually work). So, be forewarned, they share your info with other companies (Apple Health Google Fit and Strava, some outside of the US and EEA, probably China, since it downloads some info in Chinese first, requires an email, age, height, weight, access to all the technical data on your devices, basically your home is their home, so I think they will be uninvited. Be forewarned. BTW, the battery lasted a little more than a day with me, but charged quickly (under 1/2 hour), and I didn’t really have any problems with it except I once inadvertently seemed to switch to Chinese and it was hard to figure out how to get back to English.
@mcc36 +1 useful info
@communistjack does anyone else remember metawatch https://meh.com/forum/topics/metawatch-smartwatch-refurbished
i still have mine
somewhere
@communistjack I got that watch in an Irk but it did not have the proprietary charger included.
Great for notifications. You can pick and chose which apps to see on the watch. No replies, though.
No GPS, so only as accurate as your phone for distance and location. (When I’m driving, Google Maps knows which lane I’m in, but when I’m walking, Google Fit has trouble telling which block I’m on.)
Not an accurate step counter. Under counts by about 25% compared to a pedometer.
Worth $20? Probably, as long as you know the limitations.
@2many2no my pedometer goes off every time I get within 150 feet of a school. I might have bought the wrong model.
@fuzzmanmatt
@fuzzmanmatt gutsy, doing a pedophile joke.
Wearing the VT3 Plus right now. The level of vibration isn’t adjustable like the Martian Notifier used to be, but it’s adequate. The degree of control for which apps get included in the notifications is very high. The band is plastic but very comfortable.
I don’t care about or use the body tracking features, but the stopwatch is really handy.
Wrist Band Size???
@somf69 Really Effing Big. Wrist circumference range 160mm to 245mm according to my ruler.
@somf69 Ths assumes that the VT3 and VT3+ have the same band size, which it appears that they do.
Decent watch, if you don’t mind the slightly short battery life between recharges.
@werehatrack how short is short?
@lyoness
They claim 5 to 7 days worn 24/7, but with typical bells and whistles running, it seems like 4 to 5 is where it gets low. The recharge time is a couple of hours.
How can anything $19 be smart?
@hchavers Smartwater
@hchavers
Smarter than spending almost $400 on an Apple watch if all you need is the time plus minimal other functions, but not as smart as not buying a smart watch at all, IMO.
@hchavers Plan B pill
Does it play pornhub
@thechinglish That depends where you strap it on.
@thechinglish You’d watch porn on a tiny screen?
I’ve tried a bunch of smart watches, and in the end I always go back to one of my Casios. I love my solar powered one, it’s got the best battery life of anything. I love my classic digital G-Shock, it’s simple and it works good and I’m not afraid of wrecking it. I love my calculator watch because I’m a huge nerd. What I’m saying is I have a lot of watches and I really could use something to display and organize them, I don’t really need another watch in my drawer.
@fuzzmanmatt Like that drawer of watches at the beginning of Doctor Strange?
@fuzzmanmatt have you considered buying the exact thing you want?
@fuzzmanmatt Man, if only someone made an item that you could safely store and maybe even display watches in. Probably a pipe dream…
I got the VT3 Plus for the same price, $19. What’s the difference, or what am I missing out on with this one, the regular VT3?
The feature list looks the same to me.
@mike808 I’m also curious about the differences between the VT3 and VT3+…
Looks like the Plus has:
A bigger screen:
1.57" (vs 1.3")
360 x 320 HD (vs 240 x 240)
A bigger battery:
300 mAh (vs 170mAh)
The VT3 Plus was a better deal.
This might be better for someone with smaller wrists, although the strap will fit a gorilla.
@mike808 I’m a gorilla and I can vouch for this (if someone brings me a watch).
@mike808 Thank you! Looks like the Plus was a better watch. I should have grabbed one months ago. Oh well, moving on…
@Kerig3 Feature-wise, they appear to be the same.
Since most of the useful information is presented via the companion phone app, the physically smaller screen/resolution is the only real factor to consider.
If you feel you missed out, get it anyway to try it out. It’s only $19. They may be cheaper if they’re over on sidedeals.com with your VMP free shipping and the happynewyear discount code today. Hmm. Maybe your non-VMP regular membership doesn’t carry over to sidedeals. Check before looking. Otherwise, here is the better deal.
@mike808 I did check out SideDeals and they didn’t have either version. Truth be told I really don’t need a smart watch (either version) since I no longer wear watches like I used to (years later I still have a pale circle on my wrist), but I thought it might be fun to play with and wear as a watch. But the other version with the larger battery & better screen is what all the YouTube reviews I’d watched were praising (there’s a ton of reviews for the Plus) saying it was a great deal at $50 a year ago. Unfortunately I “slept on it” and quickly forgot about it the next day. I was really hoping this one was the upgrade to that version, but instead this one is the older version. I’ll just save my money for the next toy/gadget that I don’t really need.
Thanks, but PineTime smartwatch ($27) or the BangleJS offer more hackability.
@mwarren For even easier hackability, for $52, you can get 2 PineTime watches, with one already opened up. Programming cable included. This is great for those of us that like to hack, but are afraid of damaging a waterproof seal.
https://pine64.com/product/pinetime-smartwatch-dev-kit-sealed-twin/
Note that I haven’t purchased this product yet, but I have bought other products from them and I like them. In particular, I like the soldering iron. If you buy it, remember to buy some different shaped tips. The default tip is not ideal for fine work. The USB-C cables that come with the soldering iron are excellent. I am using one to charge my phone right now. I will buy more of them when I buy the watches and different tips.
The shipping was really slow due to COVID restrictions at the factory when I ordered the soldering iron. I am hoping that all of the normal shipping options are available again by the time there is more money in my toy budget.
Timely!
Notifications! Heart monitor! Steps! Wow!
Does it tell the time?
@patchitect Twice a day.
How does one get lost? I’ve never been lost. I’ve been confused, but never lost. Not even in the woods.
That being said, I’ve always memorized key points on a map before I go anywhere. I mean, why wouldn’t you? Because if you didn’t, you’d get lost. Maybe I actually descended from pigeons?
@qkerby
On a cloudy day on dead-flat terrain with scrub tree cover that obscures the horizon, unless you have a compass, it’s very easy to lose all sense of direction. That’s just one example. Around midday at most warm latitudes, compass points are indistinct at best if you don’t have a good firm grip on what time it is. And 90% of the old advice about How To Find North turns out to be unreliable or even dead wrong in loads of places.
Have been wearing this daily for 2+ months since I bought it. Not really a smart watch–more of a fitness tracker with a screen. The Sleep tracking is probably not accurate–the heart rate is ok. Step count has been checked and is accurate (off by 1-2 steps per 300).
The notification setup is great, allowing you to select app by app which will notify.
For $20 well worth it.
Can anyone with one post the device ID? It can be found on “About” on the watch and looks something like this:
XXX-YYY-1.2.3
In particular, what’s the middle part (YYY above)?
Does it monitor blood pressure?
@SHOVAR I’d be surprised if this thing had anything more than a heart rate monitor for $20
@AROAH But… this is Meh! Hope springs eternal! Miracles happen!
@SHOVAR yeah, you strap it wound your neck real tight and it times how long until you hit the ground.
Bought the VT3+ and out of all I’ve tried it is the most adequate, but my Samsung Gear S3 is the best. I like answering texts and voice calls with the S3, so buy a Samsung if you want a great smart watch, imho.
Does this thing run the android wear OS so it could pair with an android phone without the app? Or do you need to install the random (untrusted) 3rd party app and give it access to all of your phone calls, contacts, and SMS messages to use it for it to work?
@summetj I guarantee you that it runs its own garbage OS.
@summetj Nope, you need to use the untrustworthy app to use this watch (not being sarcastic, btw). Of course, it’s not that big of an increase of your privacy being abused, because you already use a smart phone (sarcasm intended).
@summetj There is no way in hell this $19 meh watch is running Wear OS.
@summetj It runs its own proprietary OS, but Virmee does not require you to sign-in or sign-up for anything – they don’t even ask for your email address. It does require a companion app on your phone, but again, there is no signing-in to anything, it just interfaces with the watch and that’s it.
I bought one of the VT3+ last time and the band broke within a week. Was rather disappointed. Switched it for a metal band that I had lying around, but it’s a bit too tight for my wrist. Haven’t gotten around to replacing it yet.
I would like a heart monitor feature (like the sleep monitor, but for daytime).
Specs
What’s Included?
Price Comparison
$39.99 at Walmart
Warranty
90 days
Estimated Delivery
Wednesday, Jan 12 - Tuesday, Jan 18
[b][i]DO NOT BUY THIS OR ANY OTHER SO CALLED SMARTWATCHES FROM Meh or MorningSave UNLESS YOU PLAN ON GIVING IT TO SOMEONE YOU TRULY HATE YOU WONT FIND ANY DECENT SMARTWATCH’S FOR LESS THAN $150
THIS “SMARTWATCH” IS ANYTHING BUT AND ITS MADE ENTIRELY OF CHEAP LIGHT PLASTIC THAT WILL BREAK WITH THE SLIGHTEST TAP.
IHAD BOIGHT ONE FOR MY 7 YEAR OKD NEPHEW WHO WAS ASKING FOR A SMARTWATCH BUT TENDS TO BREAK EVERYTHING SO I FIGURED ID BUY HIM A CHEAPER ONE SO HE COULD HAVE S “SMARTWATCH” AND IF UT BROKE OH WELL IT WAS $30.
WHEN IT ARRIVED ABD I TOOK IT OUT OF THE BOX TO SET IT UP I NOTICED HOW CHEAPLY MADE IT WAS AND JUDT THREW IT AWAY I WOULD’VE BEEN EMBARRASSED ACTUALLY GIVING HIM THAT.
@Kerig3 I don’t think something is concealed all that well at this point. The cat is kind of out of the bag.
Bought one and the step count is way off. I pad Health shows 2000+ this shows 700. Virmee support won’t honor buying from MEH. silly to try again but guillable I guess
@captnlen I believe that is why meh (Mercatalyst) is providing a 90-day warranty instead.
Virmee vt3 smart watch has all the functions that you would want and more. It is customizable and easy to set up.