I bought a £16 smartwatch just because it used USB-C

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

USB‑C Implementation Problems

  • Many devices with USB‑C ports don’t implement the spec correctly, especially cheaper ones.
  • Common failure: omitting the two 5.1kΩ resistors on CC1/CC2, so USB‑C–to‑USB‑C chargers won’t deliver 5V; only USB‑A–to‑C cables work.
  • This is often due to manufacturers swapping micro‑USB for USB‑C without reading the 300+ page spec.
  • Some products are worse: custom chargers that output 12V on USB‑A pins or fixed‑12V USB‑C bricks that ignore USB‑PD negotiation, risking device damage.
  • Several commenters see this as “fraudulent” UX: looks like USB‑C, behaves like proprietary power.

Cheap Smartwatch: Value, Features, and Tradeoffs

  • Commenters are impressed a ~£16 watch includes color screen, sensors, USB‑C, even a “torch.”
  • Expectations are still low: past cheap bands had inaccurate sensors, bad touchscreens, rash‑inducing straps.
  • Rugged/fitness users worry about debris in USB‑C ports; some prefer magnetic pogo‑pin chargers for waterproofing and durability.

Battery Life, Displays, and Use Cases

  • This watch lasting ~4 days triggers comparisons: many “real” sports watches last weeks, some with solar assist.
  • Others mention ultra‑low‑power watches (Garmin, Amazfit, COROS, Timex) and hybrids that trade rich OSes for weeks‑long battery life.
  • There’s frustration that expensive smartwatches (esp. Apple Watch) often can’t last 24 hours; explanation offered: brighter screens, full OS, many radios/sensors, and app ecosystem.

Chargers, Travel, and Cables

  • Proprietary watch chargers are widely disliked; forgetting one can render an expensive device useless on a trip.
  • USB‑C on a watch is attractive precisely because buses, planes, and hotels now have generic USB power.
  • Some argue the spec’s complexity plus bad implementations undermine the promised “one cable for everything.”

Privacy, Cloud Dependence, and Open Firmware

  • Concern about cheap Chinese devices vacuuming health and location data; counter‑argument: US big tech is not better.
  • Multiple mentions that this watch can work with Gadgetbridge, avoiding vendor clouds and keeping data local.
  • Interest in fully open or hackable watches: Pinetime, Bangle.js, Pebble‑derived stacks, and older NRF52‑based cheap watches (e.g., Colmi P8).
  • Frustration that many newer cheap watches use undocumented SoCs and locked firmware, blocking custom OSes or access to raw HR/O₂ data.

China, Trust, and Geopolitics

  • Debate over whether CCP access to personal data is worse, equivalent, or less concerning than Five Eyes/US corporate surveillance.
  • Some say they’d rather China see their data than their own government; others raise issues like Chinese police activities abroad and targeting of diaspora.

Economics of Ultra‑Cheap Gadgets

  • People marvel that a feature‑rich watch can cost the same as a couple of pints.
  • Comments note OEM/white‑label designs, low labor costs, and massive manufacturing synergies in China.
  • AliExpress is praised for showing how cheap hardware can be, with caveats about safety for mains‑powered or large‑battery devices.