alt.hn

7/28/2026 at 2:48:13 PM

Una GPS smart watch – Repairable, USB-C charging, developer-friendly

 https://unawatch.com/

by pimterry

7/28/2026 at 5:16:12 PM

> "UNA is currently a non-submersible device due to its innovative modular design. So, swimming is not something we offer as an activity, nor do we advise it. UNA is IPX5 rated, which means it is splash & showerproof to a high degree."

If I had a dollar for every time some project that was ipx5 rated failed after getting caught in the rain one too many times...I'd have enough to buy another Garmin Fenix.

by pandemicsyn

7/29/2026 at 1:22:59 PM

I got all the way to the order screen thinking it was IP68 because my eyes scanned over "UNA features a universal IP68 rated usb-c charging cable" and thought the port was IP68.

The CABLE is IP68? But the watch is IPX5? This is just up to the line of criminally deceptive false advertising. It's not criminal because the fine print, but what an absolute loss of trust. They know what they're doing. IPX5 is a no-go, which they know, which is why they're being so deceptive.

by jubilanti

7/28/2026 at 10:32:12 PM

Cue to younger me that discovered the difference between water resistant and water proof when I found out that my "7 melodies electronic watch" didn't survive after a few minutes in the swimming pool.

Will the UNA hint us with a little bit of fog on the window?

by whynotmaybe

7/29/2026 at 1:35:38 PM

Or middle-aged me swimming with my "10 ATM water resist" ~$400 Hamilton watch...

by hydrogen7800

7/29/2026 at 12:57:42 PM

I too destroyed my "7 melodies electronic watch" back in the 80's by taking it for a swim at the beach .. man, that was so disappointing. Did get me on the CASIO Data Bank train, though ..

by aa-jv

7/29/2026 at 1:22:43 PM

If you ever get into this situation again, you can rinse it with distilled water to remove corrosive/conducting residues, then let it dry.

by amelius

7/28/2026 at 8:20:07 PM

Yeah that's a non-starter, I don't ever wanna worry about that in a watch. And putting "designed for lifetime" next to it is just hilarious, where are you gonna trek with no water, from bathroom to kitchen ?

by PunchyHamster

7/29/2026 at 12:35:04 PM

the bathroom and kitchen both have faucets! You can potentially trek from the bedroom to the living room

by frankbreetz

7/29/2026 at 1:04:01 PM

Your bedroom doesn’t have a washbasin? How American of you :)

by artisinal

7/29/2026 at 8:04:02 PM

Well our inmates have washbasins in their bedrooms and we have more inmates than some European countries have citizens.

by davkan

7/28/2026 at 10:19:24 PM

Those are not exclusive statements — as long as parts are available for a lifetime

by cromka

7/28/2026 at 10:52:06 PM

There are zero spare parts available on their website.

If repairability is one of their selling points, not having spare parts immediately available is a big misstep.

by jerlam

7/28/2026 at 10:05:00 PM

I would not buy a watch rated less than IP68/IPX-8, annd ideally it would be much more water resistant. Apple Ultra watches are rated to 100m of water which is well beyond that.

The watch I am wearing right now is a steel automatic that would have an IP69 rating as it’s rated to 150 meters of water depth.

by quickthrowman

7/29/2026 at 3:35:35 AM

The only IP ratings that I trust are on dive computers and dive computer watches (but I've read mixed results about Apple Watch Ultras for diving). The Garmin Descent Mk3i dive computer and smart watch is a solid performer.

by peterleiser

7/29/2026 at 1:25:22 PM

I mean, they're from Scotland, the watch would have to be pretty water resistant to survive more than one day...

by fguerraz

7/29/2026 at 3:19:36 AM

Yeah, and drop your iPhone, in a ruggedized case, into 3 inches of bath water for 5 seconds from a height of one foot and then realize apple's IP68 claim is laughable.

by peterleiser

7/29/2026 at 5:00:06 AM

I wash my iPhone like every month. As I do with all of my phones for the past decade. Zero issues. I had a problem only once a long time ago, when I was in water with one of my Sony, but they replaced it immediately. No issue with the replacement.

by ruszki

7/29/2026 at 11:38:49 AM

washing is okay but dropping it in a pool destroyed my charging port on iPhone 14... the phone kept working and was rechargeable wirelessly though...

by black3r

7/29/2026 at 6:52:01 AM

Yes, this happens to people all the time. The seals that keep water out degrade over time. New phones are generally ok, but heat, dirt, detergent/salt in water, etc. wear them down until they are not water resistant anymore.

This is also why almost none of the manufacturers will fix the device under warranty when there is water damage, despite the IP rating.

Even Apple themselvers recommend against submerging and iPhone in water:

To prevent liquid damage, avoid: [...] Intentionally submerging your iPhone in water

https://support.apple.com/en-us/108039

The water resistance in these phones exist so that the phone hopefully survives when they get wet accidentally (heavy rain, pool drop, etc.). Not to shower with the phone, cleaning it by putting it under the tap, or doing underwater photography. Usually, it survives, until the seals fail.

by microtonal

7/29/2026 at 1:04:31 PM

> The water resistance in these phones exist so that the phone hopefully survives when they get wet accidentally

So accidentally dropping the phone in a bath or toilet for a few seconds doesnt count as that?

by alt227

7/29/2026 at 4:54:40 AM

Most water rated devices will warn against wearing them in the shower/bath because surfactants (soaps) let water penetrate a lot easier.

by RobotToaster

7/29/2026 at 8:55:09 AM

I thought it was that the jets of water (sprayer) increase pressure and are actually harsher in some ways vs submerging ?

And of course high heat melts the glue (like hot tubs)

by Melatonic

7/29/2026 at 9:17:59 AM

It’s more than one thing but the surfactants are pretty bad.

by LaGrange

7/29/2026 at 9:28:06 PM

Interesting. I've seen people wash their phones in just simple soap and I've done the same many times. I only use pretty minimalist castille soap though. Figured that would have the least chance of damaging the oleophobic coatings

by Melatonic

7/29/2026 at 3:36:39 AM

I take photos underwater (<2m) with my iphones all the time, all the way back to the iphone 6, never had any issues.

by bendews

7/29/2026 at 7:42:49 AM

My old iPhone 13 I used to take swimming daily in a salt pool, it was still running fine after 2 years of that, although the contacts in the lightning port did eventually corrode (now I can only charge it wirelessly)

by swiftcoder

7/29/2026 at 4:26:53 AM

I've used my iPhones for underwater photography with just a normal clearcase and never had any issues

by kalleboo

7/29/2026 at 5:23:53 AM

I felt while running next to the sea and my iPhone bounced on the ground and ended up somewhere in a levee under water. We could call it until the battery ran out of power. So I guess it depends.

by speedgoose

7/29/2026 at 6:15:57 AM

Exactly, it depends. I completely believe your experience. My wife's experience was instant bricking and Apple's warranty completely excludes liquid damage. If you have Apple Care+ they'll replace it for a fee.

by peterleiser

7/29/2026 at 4:08:28 AM

Dropped my iPhone in the toilet , never skipped a beat after that.

by bamboozled

7/29/2026 at 4:05:16 AM

What? I have never had an issue with this with my iPhone.

by mplewis

7/29/2026 at 4:07:50 AM

Apple Watch owner , always been indestructible, especially the ultra

by bamboozled

7/29/2026 at 10:44:15 AM

My first (and the original) Apple Watch, I won at the company Christmas party. My kid dropped it in the tree sap water under the Christmas tree and I didn’t find it for two days. After a lot of cleaning, it worked perfectly fine for years. I’m on the series 10 now. They’re very tough little devices.

by wincy

7/29/2026 at 8:31:56 AM

Got an SE 2 a year ago to track my daily swimming in the sea and it's been working great.

by PlotCitizen

7/29/2026 at 11:36:27 AM

my first apple watch (6th gen) died when I was using it on a water slide ending in a pool on a holiday... since then I'm wary of using it in water...

by black3r

7/29/2026 at 4:12:14 AM

1st gen is 1P7X, and 2nd gen and later are certified to depths of at least 50m.

Way beyond IP5X.

by TylerE

7/29/2026 at 6:42:31 AM

Same for most Garmins (Fenix 8 even has inductive buttons to avoid worn-down seals), Coros, and recent Galaxy Watches (the way beyond IP5X part).

Note though that all these watches are water resistant, the seals degrade over time and water can get in. Even the Apple Watch Ultra, plenty of people who had it leaking after scuba dives or even after swimming.

You can usually improve longetivity by following manufacturer instructions (e.g. typically rinsing with tap water after pool or sea use, avoiding saunas/steam baths, etc.).

by microtonal

7/29/2026 at 5:11:08 AM

The fact that they call it an "open source wearable" when only the SDK is open source feels underhanded. You'd expect at least the OS to be open source.

by RobotToaster

7/29/2026 at 6:49:05 AM

Well, to be honest, the OS might be ooen source but it doesn't have to be publicly available to everyone.

The only way to find out is to find someone who bought it and asked for the source code of the OS/firmware and the schematics.

by prmoustache

7/29/2026 at 6:58:19 AM

OS is listed as FreeRTOS.

by luckystarr

7/29/2026 at 12:59:50 PM

.. so thats freely available, but the question is whether UNA are making that source available too .. would be fantastic if they did!

by aa-jv

7/28/2026 at 7:32:41 PM

I just finished swimming, tracked by a Garmin Forerunner 910x which I bought back in 2015 and I have been constantly using since. Wrist band replaced once each side. Battery lifetime still amazing, even with longer bike rides and GPS. Data can be analyzed locally. Uptime since I bought it: almost 100%.

Amazing peace of Hardware.

Also their algorithms are cool. If the watch tells me to rest more than 24 hours, I know, I will be tired the next day.

The two features that I miss are built in heartrate monitor and temperature sensor. I payed around 500€ back then. Over the years I use this watch, the price became very reasonable.

by lobster2342

7/28/2026 at 11:20:17 PM

Honestly, Garmin watches are amazing. Going from a watch I had to charge daily (Samsung Gear line) to one I charge about 3 times a month feels incredibly liberating, particularly for travel. _And_ it feels almost as slim and light as my old Pebble Time Round.

by NBJack

7/29/2026 at 3:59:33 AM

I agree completely! Our Garmin Descent Mk3i dive computer smart watches are the best watches I've ever seen. They just work. You can charge it for an hour or so and it's good for 25 days. I hated having to charge previous watches every day. It has a double-tap light on/off feature with a very bright LED, four light levels, and a red light mode. It automatically starts tracking my dives and is rated to 200 meters. It can also do diver-to-diver messaging, air tank tracking, and group tracking using subwave sonar. And it has all the normal pulse ox, heart rate tracking, step tracking, sleep tracking, and smartwatch stuff. Just don't enable the one touch kill-switch ;-). Apparently it's a feature for military divers to erase their data (but sounds like a marketing gimmick).

by peterleiser

7/29/2026 at 6:57:01 AM

If only the map rendering wasn't so terribly slow. I often use mapping when cycling and panning or zooming the map is just unbearably slow.

I'm now usually taking the Coros Nomad because it has super-fast maps and still a battery life of three weeks.

They are really great otherwise and I love my Coros Nomad and Garmin Fenix so much more than the Apple Watch Ultra.

by microtonal

7/29/2026 at 12:55:05 AM

Pebble Time 2 is available again! I bought one.

It doesn't have all the Garmin features, but it's free and I don't have to worry about it's software getting redesigned.

by cyberax

7/29/2026 at 7:00:14 AM

True, but in defense or Garmins, one cool feature is that they are really similar to their GPSr units in that you can just connect them to a computer and transfer data and maps (including many custom maps) through MTP (or as a USB drive on older models). Plus they work with Gadgetbridge. So you can pretty much use the watch forever without Garmin involved.

by microtonal

7/29/2026 at 7:19:47 AM

Yep, agreed. Garmins are great! I tried Fenix and I liked its feature set, but it's just too large for me physically.

by cyberax

7/29/2026 at 12:22:34 PM

I have a Garmin Vivoactive 3. Fantastic watch but I find the HRM underwhelming. Not very accurate and drains battery. I pair a chest band with it instead for much better quality monitoring.

by kitd

7/29/2026 at 9:27:06 AM

The missing heart-rate monitor is a pretty big limitation for a lot of users. LOL. Imagine writing a review and leaving the heart rate in last place. Just don’t write a review then.

by _giorgio_

7/29/2026 at 10:16:59 AM

He's talking about an 11 year old device of a 15 year old (long since discontinued) design, even flagship devices were less featureful then than some mid-market devices are now. Imagine expecting a review of such a device to be enticing to someone comparing modern options…

Also, not everyone with a GPS watch cares that much about heart rate. I am a runner (well, less so now that I used to be, but working on fixing that) and have a Feninx7, not for the health tracking features but for route tracking and the long battery life (for “ultra” events covering many hours or even multiple days).

by dspillett

7/29/2026 at 9:57:38 AM

GP is talking about a model that was released 14 years ago, and is closely based on one from 2009.

Seems to me that "still working well after more than a decade of use" is a more useful piece of info than "newer models include additional features".

by roryirvine

7/29/2026 at 3:04:38 AM

As a former very very fast swimmer, i never found a watch that worked. The ones with the features were to heavy/draggy. So i always bought dirt cheap ones that i could leave at one end of the lane. Cheap ironmans. They got stepped on every day. People would apologise and i would throw the watch across the deck to show how much i did not care about scratches. Try this: put your watch on your other wrist. The weight/drag difference will be dramatic.

by sandworm101

7/29/2026 at 8:58:21 AM

Couldn't you clip it to the little lane dividers or hang it from the edge somehow ?

by Melatonic

7/28/2026 at 7:49:02 PM

i have a fenix solar, i charge it once a month.

it has an insane number of features

by the_real_cher

7/29/2026 at 7:03:04 AM

The price is also insane nowadays though. IMO they are very vulnerable to the likes of Coros, who also have MIP watches that last for weeks, have much faster mapping and are less than half the price.

by microtonal

7/29/2026 at 6:46:03 PM

I know. I got a health perk at work for the year and used it all on the watch. I don't know if it would have been worth it to me without that.

How's the accuracy on the Coros watches?

by the_real_cher

7/29/2026 at 3:33:13 AM

Are these algos local, as well?

by DANmode

7/29/2026 at 11:45:15 AM

Yes, mostly because the Garmin app on iOS is pretty bad at keeping a live connection up even for weather =)

by theshrike79

7/29/2026 at 2:15:19 AM

Part of the selling point of a smartwatch, atleast in my opinion, is its ability to run apps that aren't developed by the manufacturer - for example, ones that help me be able to see my blood sugar from my CGM on my watch. They have a whole section of their site for developers, but I can't seem to find a link to any kind of store, even though they specifically say developers should register on their portal

by VoidWhisperer

7/28/2026 at 5:59:29 PM

Some good points were already brought up in the comments (IP5X, USB C charging), but I have the feeling that it's also just not a good fitness tracker/smartwatch.

I see a single unboxing of the watch from three weeks ago on Youtube and zero reviews on YT or websites. Just posts based on their PR release that it's available now. (Though some clearly already shipped.)

Thus, it's unfortunately very likely that the product is also not good at its main purpose, tracking activities, workouts and health. If it would only even come somewhat close to the performance of all the competitor smartwatches/trackers, they'd be louder about that part.

by lrae

7/29/2026 at 2:08:27 AM

There are only about 400 units in existence, and they just started shipping June 30:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/unawatch/meet-una-the-m...

so it's been out for less than a month. That's why you've seen zero reviews on websites, it's an indie Kickstarter. They don't have the marketing budget of a big wearables brand.

It has a GPS, IMU, and heart rate sensor: That's enough, obviously, to track activities, workouts, and health which their competitors do with the exact same set of sensors. It remains to be seen how accurate those are, or how well the manufacturer and community can develop useful algorithms to turn raw sensor data into activity logs and actionable health insights, but step 1 is to release an MVP to get people wearing the watch and logging data, and step 2 is to use the data to improve the algorithms.

by LeifCarrotson

7/29/2026 at 7:05:18 AM

It's not as simple as just dropping a heart rate sensor though. It also took Garmin, Coros, Apple, etc. several generations to make good-enough heart rate sensors and most of them are very proprietary.

by microtonal

7/28/2026 at 5:14:16 PM

> Can I swim with UNA?

> UNA is currently a non-submersible device due to its innovative modular design. So, swimming is not something we offer as an activity, nor do we advise it. UNA is IPX5 rated, which means it is splash & showerproof to a high degree.

by slibhb

7/28/2026 at 5:52:10 PM

Damn. But hopefully they improve on that. I would absolutely be considering one if this wasn't the case

by pockybum522

7/28/2026 at 8:33:53 PM

that's the thing about these "open" devices, there's always one "would absolutely be considering" use case that they never meet. makes it real easy to not buy one ;)

by parl_match

7/28/2026 at 7:43:05 PM

So it will never last a lifetime.

by jhoechtl

7/28/2026 at 6:11:26 PM

For me the value of Garmin (Forerunner) is their proprietary algorithm for calculating Stress Level from HRV. It is the basis for the Body Battery measure. I find it useful to see how food and activity affects my stress levels.

I guess it would be possible to reverse engineer a similar stress level calculation. Perhaps AI-powered?

by arnejenssen

7/28/2026 at 6:37:55 PM

I'm not sure the body battery/stress measures are that great. Garmin is infamous for having an awful sleep algo and it still has a lot of trouble detecting naps. It doesn't bode well for being able to get stress data. I think it's good for generally determining high stress vs low stress and when you've overdone exercise recently but probably not much more.

by scheme271

7/28/2026 at 7:19:02 PM

Body battery is amazing. I had long COVID/ME/CFS, and looking at the body battery when waking up was an outstanding predictor of how my day was going to be. When I hit 5% body battery, I was really feeling horrible.

by rolisz

7/28/2026 at 9:53:09 PM

Interesting. What did you have to do to "charge" the body battery tough? And how does the garmin keep track of that?

by throwaway270925

7/28/2026 at 10:31:27 PM

Naps and rest “charge”, and yes, Garmin keeps track of that.

Not that I put a whole lot of weight in those data personally.

by mikestew

7/28/2026 at 7:35:05 PM

It's just a collation of sleep-end RHR/HRV. It's completely trivial and many manufacturers do this correctly; both are extremely reliable predictors of recovery metrics.

Garmin has absolutely shitty sleep tracking but it doesn't matter; any wearable more or less nowadays can get static heart rate correct, leading to more or less accurate recovery metrics.

"Collect every paper you can find on RHR/HRV/etc. recovery metrics. Develop an algorithm for predicting recovery score per day based on the research" as a prompt to a Codex or Claude agent can probably get you 98-100% of the way there.

Edit: As a proof of concept, I had ChatGPT Pro 5.6 write the algorithm with my Fitbit data. Looks great.

by catigula

7/29/2026 at 7:05:19 AM

Do you have a particular hardware sensor requirement needed to clone the body battery function? I’m interested in developing this too but always resisted getting a smartwatch due to privacy concerns. If there’s something available that’s Gadgetbridge compatible I’d be very interested.

by patrickk

7/29/2026 at 2:05:48 PM

Good news; I'm gifting you with the fruits of AI, that has collated 200+ papers on the topic. I know, I know; this is generous.

https://github.com/catigula/recovery

by catigula

7/29/2026 at 9:00:23 AM

How does HRV predict stuff like this ?

by Melatonic

7/29/2026 at 6:00:42 PM

HRV is an indicator of how much stress you are experiencing. The variability increases when you are more relaxed and under less stress and decreases as your stress level increases. The relationship is a bit counterintuitive but it's a thing.

by scheme271

7/29/2026 at 2:05:51 PM

Good news; I'm gifting you with the fruits of AI, that has collated 200+ papers on the topic. I know, I know; this is generous.

https://github.com/catigula/recovery

by catigula

7/28/2026 at 6:25:52 PM

If the algorithm is proprietary, how do you know it is calculating something meaningful?

by TekMol

7/29/2026 at 2:26:56 AM

It matches my lived experience.

My body battery and stress often starts declining for no apparent reason and then 12-24 hours later I feel the symptoms of an illness. Similarly, when in a tough training block, HRV is a great tool to gauge how hard I ought to be able to go: I've tried to push through and just do a tough workout anyways when it's out of range, but failed to complete the workout in good form, or felt superficially crappy but had good training readiness according to the watch and was able to do better than expected.

The same holds true in the other direction, I don't log into Connect or scroll through the multitudinous widgets of data often enough to really keep tabs on this stuff, and when I get sick or feel good or bomb a workout or succeed at a workout when I felt off, the metrics consistently back up the actual results.

Personally, I've been thinking about jumping ship to a Coros Apex 4 if my battered Fenix 6 ever gives up the ghost - Garmin's prices are insane these days. At $270, this is cheap enough in comparison to a $1200 Fenix 8 Pro to take the chance. I could buy this and a $480 Apex 4, and then decide I didn't like either of them and go back to a used Forerunner 955, before spending as much as a new top-end Garmin.

by LeifCarrotson

7/29/2026 at 9:03:02 AM

Personally using a 955 I recently (ish) got new direct from Garmin while they were still selling them. Got some major discount through a link I believe was tied to health insurance or something.

The newest watches seem insanely priced though and don't seem to add much. But the newest Enduro with decent solar is tempting

by Melatonic

7/29/2026 at 12:00:21 PM

My Garmin Epix's Body Battery levels might as well be randomly generated. They don't correlate at all to how I feel. YMMV.

by elric

7/28/2026 at 7:09:21 PM

HRV from optical is garbage-in garbage-out

and post-2020 Garmin has totally lost their way with development/algorithms

by ck2

7/29/2026 at 11:19:18 AM

Is that calculated locally or send to the cloud? I got fed up how many Garmin features required an account.

by mtmail

7/28/2026 at 6:38:07 PM

Yes, and the sleep tracking that adds or subtracts. While not super accurate, it's good enough for me.

by kilroy123

7/28/2026 at 6:43:29 PM

I like this a lot. USB-C is obviously not ideal for a super durable plug but with the right cap (sounds like they use a rubber insert?) it could be great. Especially since it would allow direct data access.

What might be cool for a version 2:

1. Custom hardshell "door" to cover the USB-C port. Something that cannot fall off the watch. The port itself could be well sealed like a phone and then have this additional layer of physical protection.

2. Wireless charging of some type (or even add pogo pin as well). Would be nice to top up charge without having to expose the USB-C and probably increase the plug life. Does this require a glass back? Because obviously that would not be ideal in a watch.

3. Better waterproofing. I dont personally use my Garmin for swimming often but would be nice to not have to worry about it.

Anybody know about the battery life in real world use?

by Melatonic

7/29/2026 at 9:36:18 AM

Not to pile up on the negativity, but looking at the SDK, first reaction is it's fucking C++ ? Can't wait for my watch to crash in the middle of something. And second reaction, when I see signatures like this :

  void TrackFaceTotal::setDistance(float dist, bool isImperial);
  void TrackFaceOverview::setPace(float pace);
and

  bool     unitsImperial;
littered everywhere, it makes my heart sink a little. Can't we have some data types and data modeling in 2026 please ? And leave unit conversion at the front end where it should be and not have to worry about it in every single core API ?

by ajnin

7/29/2026 at 11:11:47 AM

No, we can't. It's an ultra-low-power embedded ARM Cortex-M33 (successor to Cortex-M4) processor, the right language to use when programming it is C++. You want a minimum of abstractions and a close-to-the-metal programming environment to maximize battery life.

Be grateful it's C++, it could be raw C.

by LeifCarrotson

7/29/2026 at 1:01:38 PM

Just because its C++ doesn't mean it'll crash, come on, that's just lazy thinking. It could just as well mean that it will be rock solid and industrial strength. After all, a heck of a lot of very important life-critical systems run on C++ ..

by aa-jv

7/28/2026 at 6:16:47 PM

This is cool because we need more open competition for the app/identity locked ecosystems of sports related electronics like gps watches, bike computers, and action cams. I hate how none of the major brand ones will work without at least signing up for an account and most wont work at all without the manufacturers app.

by hackingonempty

7/29/2026 at 7:37:39 AM

Doesn't this also use its own app and services? The only "open" part of it I saw in the docs was that there's an sdk to write your own app that runs on the watch. Better than nothing, i guess, but not quite what I was hoping for.

by abeyer

7/28/2026 at 7:44:57 PM

Is there any good watch outside doing GPS for position and time, minus all the body survzeilance things?

by jhoechtl

7/28/2026 at 11:30:00 PM

I have garmin as it doesn't require any sort of connection or activation to function out-of-the-box.

Just put it on your wrist.

You CAN decide to use garmin-connect for apps/updates or pair it with your phone, but I never have and I'm fine.

Apple watch and others require activation.

by m463

7/29/2026 at 7:24:40 AM

You can plug in a Garmin to a computer with a cable and pull the files off the watch, as it acts like a USB drive. No app required.

by jerlam

7/29/2026 at 6:47:43 PM

It does require MTP which I had trouble with on linux. maybe it's better now.

by m463

7/28/2026 at 8:55:47 PM

I have an Amazfit Balance 2 and it does GPS just as well as any other smartwatch and you can turn off all the body surveillance.

by RedShift1

7/28/2026 at 9:33:38 PM

Apple Watch is great for that, and you can turn off whatever you don't like.

by Schiendelman

7/28/2026 at 5:45:15 PM

They hardly even mention the software, but isn't that half the value of Garmin devices?

by pimlottc

7/28/2026 at 9:01:07 PM

More than half imo, my Forerunner 265S is pretty much a full-blown coach that fits on my wrist. It adapts training to my sleep (such a great feature when you've just had a baby) keeps track of load, low aerobic, high aerobic, etc...

It's been a fragile piece of hardware, I am on my 3rd one in as many years (always replaced under warranty though), but I still probably wouldn't switch to anything else. When it breaks out of warranty I'll just buy another one.

by belval

7/29/2026 at 1:13:01 PM

I've got one of these and I love it. Much lighter than my previous watches (I've used garmin and polar before).

by mvc

7/28/2026 at 9:45:15 PM

Love the idea, but I can't handle the big screens on these smart watches. To me it feels like having a fisher price toy on my wrist. Hopefully a more open alternative to Withings will emerge

by deivid

7/28/2026 at 10:57:30 PM

Agreed. And beyond the size, MIP > OLED all day long for me. I'm sad to see it falling out of favor on flagship devices.

by handedness

7/29/2026 at 2:35:32 AM

This is a comparatively small one: 40.25mm diameter screen, 14.4mm thick, at 50g.

My Fenix 6 Pro has a 47mm face, is 14.7mm thick, and weighs 80g (but as a Fenix that's the stainless bezel one, the plastic bezel watches are closer to 50g).

by LeifCarrotson

7/28/2026 at 11:26:05 PM

I thought the same thing. Then gradually got slightly larger watches when I upgraded fenix 6 -> 7 -> 8. (also lcd->lcd->amoled) Now I don't notice.

by m463

7/28/2026 at 6:07:11 PM

If it has a flashlight and is beyond waterproof, I would maybe consider it.

My Garmin Epix watch is practically bullet proof. I've dove with it in open ocean. I've jet skied with it. I rock climb with it. It's surived 108miles of Unbound (the race) in mud, sun, sweat. I've water rafted with it. I've swam in crappy lakes, streams and jumped off cliffs. Hottubs? also no problem.

Zero chance a iWatch would ever survive these conditions.

Oh and despite all of this, the screen has not scratched, not even a little. Plus it has 5-10 days of battery life... and did I mention I always have a flashlight on me?

by exabrial

7/28/2026 at 6:45:14 PM

Zero chance a iWatch would ever survive these conditions.

Mine survives such things just fine.

My Garmin Epix watch is practically bullet proof.

And your Epix cost about twice as much as the Una watch does.

by mikestew

7/29/2026 at 5:27:26 PM

Epix Gen3 is $500 w/ Garmin Discount. iWatch ultra is $800.

And iWatch doesn't have a flashlight. And iWatch doesn't have the same battery life.

by exabrial

7/29/2026 at 5:40:28 PM

We were talking about the Una watch, and you were, too. Your Epix still twice the price, so the comparison is invalid.

As for the "iWatch"<sic>, well, if you haven't researched enough to get the product names right, maybe it's best we move on with our day.

by mikestew

7/28/2026 at 6:22:00 PM

> the screen has not scratched

I believe this the least!

by notesinthefield

7/28/2026 at 6:28:35 PM

Same. Both have plenty of scratches here.

I also don't see why an Apple Watch wouldn't survive all those mentioned things. Pretty sure I did all those things with an Apple Watch on, except for the specific 108 mile gravel race. But I don't see why it would fail that.

And both might absolutely scratch while climbing, and if you're unlucky and hit it in the wrong spot, also crack.

That said, if I were an athlete in any of those categories and did it all the time, I'd still absolutely choose a Garmin.

by lrae

7/29/2026 at 5:28:43 PM

>And both might absolutely scratch while climbing,

Negative, just the iWatch. I'm scratch free despite outdoor climbing on limestone, sandstone, and granite.

I do take it off for crack climbing since it's a safety hazard.

by exabrial

7/28/2026 at 6:36:31 PM

the sapphire screens are incredibly resilient. mine looks brand new and is several years old. tested against plenty of bouldering

by gwill

7/29/2026 at 12:45:09 PM

Until I got to the Forerunner 965, my Garmins would easily scratch. I have an Instinct with such a deep gash I cannot see the top 1/4 of the display. The 965 display is wonderful but I still have a couple minor nicks.

by notesinthefield

7/28/2026 at 6:51:27 PM

They are, they still scratch though (just google e.g. Fenix 7 Sapphire scratches). It's also not on all models. I guess part of it is also just layers on top of it scratching and not the sapphire itself.

But, Apple Watch Ultras and also Titanium models since Series 6? ship with Sapphire crystal too.

by lrae

7/28/2026 at 6:34:17 PM

i have one too with a sapphire screen (fenix 7). the watch is beaten up but the screen looks brand new. really phenomenal watches.

by gwill

7/28/2026 at 5:47:24 PM

I've wasted so much money on vendor charging cables in the past 10 years while traveling or moving that I would probably buy this just for the USB-C port, assuming it is actually splash proof.

I wonder what HR sensor they use. Samsung apparently has an average error of 7% which is pretty bad, so I wonder if this would be worse. [0]

[0] https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/i-ran-30-miles-testing-5-sm...

by iancarroll

7/29/2026 at 8:07:48 AM

My only gripe with Garmin is having to throw away a perfectly decent watch just because a button stopped working after the warranty period.

But IPX5 is definitely a show stopper for my kind of usage

by Raed667

7/28/2026 at 5:29:48 PM

I really want to like this watch. Price is certainly right, and it does all of the things I'd want out of a Garmin or Apple Watch Ultra. But what problem does this solve for me? In the Apple Watch use case, a replaceable battery would be nice. But in contrast to Garmin, I've never replaced a Garmin because the battery wouldn't hold charge anymore. I've never broken a screen (if one has a habit of that, Garmin and Apple make watches with raised bezels). I just hold on to the Garmin for six or seven years, by which time it's so beat to hell that it's time for a new watch anyway. But I'm wondering if the subtle message isn't aimed at Apple and not Garmin.

USB-C charging would be awesome, instead of Garmin's proprietary plug and a cable that's made from spider silk. I'd prefer, though, wireless charging like Apple. Never once have I pulled an Apple Watch off a charger and said, "WTF? Why didn't it charge?" Garmin, OTOH...

I'm no triathlete, but the "no swimming" kinda puts a damper on my enthusiasm as well.

I wish them well, I love the idea even if I probably won't buy one.

by mikestew

7/28/2026 at 5:37:05 PM

USB-C would suck. Part of the purpose of that proprietary plug is that it's very water resistant and very durable. Imagine getting mud or coarse sand in your USB plug and not being able to charge anymore.

by throwway120385

7/28/2026 at 6:20:37 PM

The charging situation with Garmin is terrible, enough that when Venu quits charging I might go for the Apple Watch or anything that takes a charge...

by PaulHoule

7/28/2026 at 6:37:59 PM

And it's always been terrible, as long as I've been using Garmin watches (their bike computers seem to charge fine, mainly because they use whatever the standard USB plug is at the time). I remember the 410 had some suckass plug that didn't work well. I think it was the 610 with that gawd awful clip. And the 9xx series continues to use that delicate snowflake plug that has to plug in juuuuust right, maybe wiggle the cable a little, otherwise no 5 hour Sunday run for you.

Whereas I throw my Apple Watch in the general vicinity of the magnetic charger, it locks into place, and charges just fine, 100% of the time. Fine, don't use induction like Apple, use two exposed, flush pins and a magnet like my Coros armband HR monitor, because that works 100% of the time, too.

by mikestew

7/28/2026 at 5:41:01 PM

For me, I want an open API I can pull my data from. Last I checked, you have to be a business to use Garmin's API.

Apple certainly doesn't let you.

My goal is to have a cron that runs on my homelab that pulls my health data into a DB I own, from various sources, and visualize it in Grafana.

by weakfish

7/29/2026 at 1:38:49 PM

I ran into the same issue when building ProForta.com. My solution was to build a companion app that pulls data (including Garmin) via Health Connect. Right now, it seems that every hardware platform from Oura to Garmin is trying to build their moat around user's data. That's not OK - users need access to the combination of all their data to derive meaningful health benefits. Thats the guiding principle behind lifecare.id (https://lifecare.id)

by enbarca

7/28/2026 at 6:28:08 PM

Apple certainly doesn't let you.

There are several apps[0] off the top of my head that pull data from Apple's HealthKit. Apple even has a framework for it: HealthKit. That said, I've never written to that API myself, but it observational evidence indicates that you can pull data from Apple just fine. The app I use to pull data off Apple and ship to Strava says as much.

[0] RunGap and HealthFit

by mikestew

7/29/2026 at 4:32:52 AM

There's a Python API that's "unofficial" but has worked well for me for ages. I've got it hooked up to NextCloud tables and it imports everything once a day. I've now got years of queryable metrics in NC.

by colingauvin

7/28/2026 at 6:22:24 PM

Polar has an API where you can get more or less anything out. That bit is fine - sadly you can't put things in (like virtual cycling, or any activities not recorded on the Polar).

by rich_sasha

7/28/2026 at 9:44:04 PM

Depending on what data you want, you can try Withings watches. I'm currently reversing the protocol and it mostly works.

by deivid

7/29/2026 at 12:06:49 PM

i hope they get one to DC Rainmaker, he has imho one of the most comprehensive testing framework for smartwatches.

i love the repairability but it should be a usable watch as well.

by jagermo

7/28/2026 at 5:44:21 PM

Any "open ecosystem" product needs to be a competitive product out of the box, otherwise it's just a development toy. Developers aren't going to enhance your product to fill in all the gaps unless there are customers, and preferably paying ones.

by jerlam

7/28/2026 at 5:30:58 PM

Specs don't make it clear if it supports BLE sensors (HR strap, power meter,... ).

by cuu508

7/28/2026 at 5:36:12 PM

One of the tiles on the buy page says "HR BAND SUPPORT Connect compatible BLE chest straps". But one single connection type doesn't compare to Garmin's list of supported ANT and BLE accessories.

by jerlam

7/28/2026 at 7:06:59 PM

I have an Amazfit Balance, and previously several Amazfit Bips. I really like being able to use my watch as a BLE heartrate monitor with iSmoothRun on iPhone. I gather that being able to do so is not typical for smartwatches.

by TMWNN

7/28/2026 at 5:10:26 PM

I do like the idea of USB-C, the garmin's power plug is nothing but annoying. It's really just a matter of battery life and what sort of software integration it has. Although, it's hard to beat the Garmin ecosystem.

by SketchySeaBeast

7/28/2026 at 5:14:27 PM

I think battery life is the most important. My Garmin Instinct 2 goes about 3.5 weeks between charging (the older non-OLED screen). It has solar, so I usually go over a month.

But a watch, something people will wear swimming, sweaty, in the rain, etc, is something that should ideally follow the wireless charging standards, and not have a plug taking up space, and being a spot for leaks...

by briffle

7/28/2026 at 11:07:18 PM

The 14 month warranty is eons compared to pebble's.

by nosrepa

7/28/2026 at 5:18:48 PM

And I just bought a Garmin Forerunner 55, too. I'm still within the return period, will have to consider this...

by branon

7/28/2026 at 5:23:54 PM

USB-C really does not make sense for such a device. It's significantly too bulky and is hard to get water proof

by hxbdbdb

7/28/2026 at 5:52:10 PM

Is it hard to get waterpoof, considering that every modern smart phone is both usb-c and waterproof? Important to note that this watch doesn't claim to be waterproof.

by SketchySeaBeast

7/28/2026 at 7:08:33 PM

> considering that every modern smart phone is both usb-c and waterproof?

I doubt that modern smart phones are waterproof. Who would trust use their smartphone while showering or being in a bathtube (including submerging the smartphone a few centimeters into the water)?

by aleph_minus_one

7/28/2026 at 9:53:03 PM

Tons of people trust having their phones while taking a bath or near a swimming pool. I've sometimes clean my phones off by washing them in the sink when they get exceptionally dirty after the kids have been messing with it. I regularly have mine near the pool, and have taken some work meetings while in the pool before. Why not? The featurelist says its waterproof.

I remember when the iPhone 7 had just come out (the first waterproof iPhone), a friend bought one and then went on a cruise. On a shore excursion he was at the docks and saw some cool fish. He dunked his phone in the water to take some cool photos. Everyone looked at him like he was a mad man, dunking his iPhone in the water just to take some pictures.

by vel0city

7/28/2026 at 7:34:46 PM

I dive in the ocean regularly with my Kyocera DuraForce Pro. I take underwater photos and videos with it. It works just fine.

by lightedman

7/29/2026 at 4:17:59 AM

I use my iphone in the shower all the time. Zero issues.

by TylerE

7/29/2026 at 12:21:51 PM

This product category is very important to me because of security concerns. The push notifications are stored in a database on most smartwatches that are relatively simple to hack. This and other vulnerabilities represent a significant attack surface on top of smartphones.

On a more social side, I find that people are more frustrated if I don't immediately reply when they know I have a smartwatch. While I understand that these watches make it easier to stay notified, I find it annoying to have more expectations in return. I still have plausible deniability with smartwatches similar to the Una watch. Otherwise, the toxicity of the technology is significantly greater.

by kittikitti

7/29/2026 at 12:21:11 PM

So this one breaks when it breaks and the company is no more.

by emsign

7/29/2026 at 12:43:18 PM

awesome. good start

by johmue

7/28/2026 at 9:02:15 PM

Nice, this might be the right thread to ask a question i have had on my mind for a while: is there a watch that can track some biological metrics (heart rate, steps, sleep data etc) but allowing my to pull data off it without using some proprietary platform? Basically i want to store my data in my own database.

Might this be it?

by znpy

7/29/2026 at 9:06:51 AM

I believe you can do this with most Garmins ?

by Melatonic

7/29/2026 at 12:40:59 AM

Seconding this request!

by codethief

7/29/2026 at 9:21:57 AM

Anybody have good recommendation of a watch that you can write your own apps for?

by npodbielski

7/29/2026 at 3:04:50 PM

Would look at banglejs

by mafen

7/29/2026 at 9:45:23 AM

Pebble 2, perhaps?

by jonginn

7/28/2026 at 5:50:09 PM

2.5MB RAM, FreeRTOS!

by yread

7/29/2026 at 12:05:58 AM

The problem isn’t “one screw to change a battery”, the issue is parts cost, if they are expensive, it defeats the purpose. The other day I wanted to buy a new small container for the air freshener I have, and I found the container only is sold in packs and far more expensive than buying the freshener with one container, so I bought a new device instead with one container.

Also, any watch right now should be waterproof, it won’t survive otherwise.

by tamimio

7/28/2026 at 8:32:07 PM

>"non-submersible" - this right away excludes it from even considering for my use.

by FpUser

7/28/2026 at 7:56:55 PM

Why is it round?!? WHY?

Round watches are bad. A circle is the worst shape for watches. Good watches are not round. Roundness is an anti-feature.

Really. Just use a rounded rectangle shape. It will end up _smaller_.

by cyberax

7/28/2026 at 6:10:24 PM

The title is misleading at least, to compete with garmin you need the similar offering, with swimming/waterproofing being the huge outliar here but also the ecosystem and like it or not features like the notifications.

Very valiant first effort for sure but after 6 years with a Garmin Fenix still holding 90% of its battery (and being able to replace it), I'm not their potential customer.

by gbil

7/28/2026 at 8:10:06 PM

We removed "Garmin" from the title and used some representative language from the site.

by tomhow

7/28/2026 at 6:35:32 PM

I would say the big outlier is the battery life (for Garmin). Theres other options for waterproof stuff and a lot dont need something good enough for swimming. Of course its a huge plus.

by Melatonic

7/28/2026 at 7:36:34 PM

All of that stuff is the norm in the industry. There isn't anything remarkable about it.

by catigula

7/28/2026 at 7:05:12 PM

> but after 6 years with a Garmin Fenix still holding 90% of its battery (and being able to replace it), I'm not their potential customer.

What kind of battery life did you have when you bought it, and how long is it now?

Does Garmin still upgrade the firmware?

by TMWNN

7/29/2026 at 3:05:11 AM

Talking about a 6s pro and got at the beginning around 10 days without much GPS enabled exercise, after 6 years I get about 9 days!

Good thing with the Fenix line is that you stop the updates which I did a year in so I don't really care about them, but I do think they stopped firmware updates for the 6series about a year ago.

by gbil

7/28/2026 at 7:45:35 PM

Garmin doesn't really upgrade the firmware after the next model release.

But you'd be a fool to believe a hardware startup would do so anyway.

by jerlam

7/28/2026 at 7:41:16 PM

I have a 7S and it still gets updates regularly.

by sgarman

7/28/2026 at 6:43:28 PM

Can you analyze the data your watch and body generates locally using FOSS without uploading it all to surveillance capitalists? That'd be the true alternative.

by mikae1

7/28/2026 at 7:00:58 PM

> without uploading it all to surveillance capitalists

I by now often see the term "surveillance capitalists"/"surveillance capitalism" on HN.

While it is a great thing to fight surveillance organizations, don't forget that communist countries had/have (for the latter: People's Republic of China) much worse surveillance in place.

by aleph_minus_one

7/28/2026 at 9:50:31 PM

How is USB a feature?? Everything done via USB-C can be and should be entirely wireless for a watch.

>Gone are the days of brand specific charging cables.

Returned are the days of worn-out, broken ports and searching for another charging cable.

by 1970-01-01

7/28/2026 at 9:53:55 PM

Charging? It likely adds a lot of cost and complexity to add mag-charging if you’re not Apple or Samsung. Does Garmin even have it yet? (Edit: only on a small number of models at the premium end of their range.)

So it’s an important differentiator from Garmin, which uses a proprietary connector for its charging cable, that is easy to lose/break and expensive to replace (from personal experience with a 2022 Epix).

by tomhow

7/29/2026 at 2:32:07 AM

I love the Garmin pogo chargers. I've got a few of their $3 puck cables scattered about my home, car, and office, a USB-C to Garmin adapter in my keychain and backpacking kit, and someone recently made a neat little portable battery that I wore under my strap in an ultra to recharge mid-activity.

Yeah, if you only use the stock Garmin cable (why isn't it at least right-angle?!) it kinda sucks, but there are lots of products that do it really well:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F5L632HM

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D4F71WQC

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07N18DX6Y

I would much rather these totally waterproof surface-level pads that put the spring pogo pins in the cable than give up internal device volume to a USB receptacle or magnetic charging coils.

by LeifCarrotson

7/29/2026 at 12:12:27 PM

the second one are fantastic, i think i have 5+ distributed through the house and in several bags. 100 % agree, the garmin cable sucks, but at least they seem to be fine with 3rd parties offering different solutions.

by jagermo

7/28/2026 at 9:57:59 PM

When the port pins break and you have no way to recharge it until a new USB port arrives, yes.

by 1970-01-01

7/28/2026 at 11:27:39 PM

garmin cable thing became non-issue as cheap garmin cables came out.

by m463