Best Smartwatch for a Dad Who Forgets Things?

rcgy on 03/06/2022 - 13:56

Hi folks,

My dad has trouble remembering things, and is constantly leaving his phone / wallet behind, forgetting to put his phone off silent, and has lost three bank cards in the past year or so. Mum has just about reached the end of her tether, and is happy to throw money at the problem, and I thought that a smartwatch might be a good solution to all of the problems.

Needs:

  • NFC
  • At least full day battery life

Would be really nice to have:

  • LTE
  • Alarm on disconnect to phone
  • Wear OS 3

Good to have:

  • Decent battery life
  • (Relatively) loud speakers
  • Piezo with some oomph

Not very important:

  • Fitness tracking
  • Health tracking
  • Water proofing

He has an Oppo AX5 as his phone, which doesn't come with NFC. He has zero interest in the Apple ecosystem. Have been thinking about the Galaxy Watch 4, but I'm not sure if that would work with his phone- I have an S20FE so could use that if the pairing is just a one-off thing. The Fossil watches also look good.

Electrical & Electronics Smartwatch

Comments

  • boomramada on 03/06/2022 - 14:02
    +7

    What if he forget to charge the watch? That was the issue with my old man. Or leave it behind while it charging?

    • rcgy on 03/06/2022 - 14:09

      He's pretty consistent with charging his phone, so I think that the idea is that it's a Hail Mary, and he'll either adapt to charging the watch + putting it on in the morning, or I'll end up buying the watch off them if it doesn't work.

  • GG57 on 03/06/2022 - 14:03
    +1

    Does he already wear a watch?
    Will he forget to put it on?

    • rcgy on 03/06/2022 - 14:11

      He's worn a watch in the past, but we're thinking that since he's a man of routine, it's easier to add one thing to that routine rather than try and somehow make him always remember his phone + wallet (we've tried pretty much everything- notes, sticky notes on the keys, on the dashboard of the car, etc.).

  • SF3 on 03/06/2022 - 14:10
    -1

    Dad Who Forgets Things?

    Wait for Neuralink from Elon. That way he can't lose it.

    • rcgy on 03/06/2022 - 14:11

      His brain will corrupt Elon's ML model and fry the circuitry!

  • BewareOfThe Dog on 03/06/2022 - 14:31

    I know Fossil were not great with their Service etc being a small company,

  • bdl on 03/06/2022 - 14:45
    +2

    Had a great recommendation but then I forgot it :(

    • rcgy on 04/06/2022 - 09:52

      This is my life, living with him!

  • ihbh on 03/06/2022 - 14:49
    +5

    Get him tested for dementia. Can't do much about it, but can help with improved diet, exercise, etc.

  • AustriaBargain on 03/06/2022 - 15:08
    -1

    Apple Watch is the best. It can notify you when you leave iPhone behind and if you put an AirTag in his wallet it'll notify him when he leaves that behind too. Him or you having zero interest in Apple ecosystem might not be an entirely valid reason to discount Apple if it suits his needs. There's a reason that babies can intuitively use an iPad but not a Galaxy Tab 7Z and it has a lot to do with Apple's ecosystem.

    • [Deactivated] on 03/06/2022 - 15:24
      +1

      There's a reason that babies can intuitively use an iPad but not a Galaxy Tab

      Do you remember the source? would love to read an article about this!

      • AustriaBargain on 03/06/2022 - 15:54

        YouTube videos of babies using tablet computers.

        • donga100 on 03/06/2022 - 17:36
          +2

          That's about the quality of research I was expecting for this claim.

          • AustriaBargain on 03/06/2022 - 18:14

            @donga100: You don't believe your own eyes?

            • donga100 on 03/06/2022 - 21:10

              @AustriaBargain: I've seen with my own eyes my own child pick up how to use an Android tablet very easily as an infant. Also, having used both OS myself, the basic user interface/controls is almost identical.

    • rcgy on 04/06/2022 - 09:54

      He's an old school programmer, and has waged a jihad against Apple for 20+ years… Not going to happen, unfortunately!

  • Transient on 03/06/2022 - 18:14

    As a teenager I sometimes lost my wallet, but all that stopped after I chained my wallet to my belt….might be cool to wear chains again.

    • rcgy on 04/06/2022 - 09:54

      This isn't a bad idea, actually.

      • Transient on 04/06/2022 - 10:48

        Also good if you have pants/shorts with shallow pockets as sometimes the wallet drops out when you sit down. Doesn't have to be a big bikie chain - something finer and lighter. Some wallets have a gap at the base in the middle to allow folding. The chain is fed through the gap and then you can use something like a split ring to stop it from pulling through. Not sure about chaining a mobile though. It is possible via the case but you'd want to ensure the chain does not scratch the camera or front screen - perhaps a screen protector.

  • USER DC on 04/06/2022 - 01:51

    galaxy watches are definitely good, they just arent cheap but quite expensive thats about all

  • MrThing on 04/06/2022 - 08:13

    its called your smart phone

    • rcgy on 04/06/2022 - 09:54
      +1

      Awesome thanks very helpful

  • capslock janitor on 29/06/2023 - 13:13
    -1

    wh piezo ?

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