I'm curious, do people generally feel that smartwatches are the way of the future? I can't really imagine that a device with a screen the size of a thumbnail outperforming a smartphone for common use cases (scrolling through Twitter, reading emails, browsing the web, etc.) Although at-a-glance notifications and health/sleep tracking are potentially desirable features, it seems that the price will need to drop significantly before anybody besides hobbyists will adopt these.
I recently started using a Pebble (the classic model). I don't traditionally wear watches. The core functionality -- being notified of text messages and phone calls with enough information to make a decision on whether I want to respond immediately -- is pretty much all I care about, although I have actually found myself surprised by how much I like being able to glance at the time without pulling out my phone.
The Pebble doesn't even support things like reading emails, browsing the web, etc. and I wouldn't want to use such a feature. The battery life is good and it charges quickly -- mentally it's more in line with my Kindle than my phone as far as how much I think about its charge. If it runs out of batteries it isn't the end of the world anyway.
My goal in getting it was to spend less time fiddling with my phone and concentrating more on life around me, while still not missing situations where a friend or loved one needs to get in touch urgently. A secondary motivation was to miss fewer calls (I am somewhat hard of hearing & frequently keep my phone's ringer off anyway for professional reasons, and I do not always feel my phone vibrate through my jeans). The Pebble has been very successful in that regard and I consider the $99 well spent.
My hope is that even though Pebble is pursuing a somewhat higher-end market with the Pebble Time that they (or some other manufacturer) continue to produce a line of cheap, durable, minimalist smartwatches. I hope to be able to replace this one if it gets seriously damaged or becomes completely obsolete (if Bluetooth goes the way of the dodo, I guess). I have no interest in higher-end smartwatches.
I think trying to use a smartwatch in lieu of a smartphone is the wrong approach, even if this is the approach the Apple Watch and Android Wear devices are leaning toward. Pebble's approach with Time (and, indeed, with its previous devices) is refreshing in this regard, since the focus is on amplifying the strengths of smartwatches instead of trying to work around their weaknesses relative to smartphones.
There is a tv show called Psycho Pass which is set in the near future. I bring it up as it has a wristwatch in it where you press a button on it and then it projects a larger screen out of it (maybe 6"x4") about six inches away from the wrist. Sensors then allow you to interact with the screen.
No idea what the tech behind that could be. Closest I could come up with is the watch shooting out a fog when you want the virtual display.
I definitely thought the Apple Watch would be a little bit further ahead of other smartwatches than it is. I thought it would be to other smartwatches what the iPhone was to other smartphones at the time.
The core functionality of notifications and at a glance complications really is great. If you are into fitness that's a big bonus. Depending on how much you like watches, the price may or may not be excessive.
While the price may need to come down for mass adoption, anyone that is already into watches shouldn't have too much trouble with the current prices. If you can afford it, they are totally worth it, IMO. (I had the original Pebble, liked it, and now I have an Apple Watch, and I'm also happy with it.)
Almost everyone will have a smart watch in the future for security and health reasons.
Parents will be able to know where their kids are at all times. Someone being attacked could shout into their watch that they need 911 and the GPS will route help to the scene. Health monitoring will become much more sophisticated. Women will enjoy going out without worrying about putting a phone in a pocket that doesn't exist. The heating and cooling of your car, office, and home will adjust to your body's temperature. Society will go cashless.
The biggest potential in smartwatches doesn't depend much on the screen interaction.
