Any privacy/security friendly smartwatch or is this market as bad as something like VR?

Questions
1

So I’m looking to buy a smartwatch that preferably supports e-sim with phone calling and texting. wearos apps support and contactless payments is basically a plus. To my understanding there is no best option and I am leaning on pulling the plug on the Galaxy Watch 7.
It’s not like I can buy a Pixel Watch, flash a WearOS version of GrapheneOS and call it a day. And the new Pebbles while FOSS on the OS, is like Raw Linux (no hardening) even if maybe more private does not meet my requirements and Garmin would be an option if they did have smartwatches that meet my initial requirement. but just in case there’s something I would be amiss, I thought I’d ask for any suggestions.

Thanks!

Edit: if you’re wondering about Apple Watch, is possible I guess but it is about double the price so it has to really have a net positive for privacy and/or security though.

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2

According to (now defunded) Privacy Not Included project, your best bet is Garmin. Just know that Garmin doesn’t have any models that support LTE.

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3

Yes

4

It’s as bad as something like VR.

Just buy a cheap watch that only tells time. Use your phone for calling and texting.

contactless payments is basically a plus.

:face_vomiting:

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5

well not exactly a choice unfortunately for my digital rehabilitation (not necessarily about privacy and security and more relationship with tech) as im leaning towards getting one
also sorry, it’s optional, not mandatory, jesus

6

So you want to buy essentially another smartphone so you can use your phone less?

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I already have a Pixel 7 running GrapheneOS for calls, signal and stuff like that (I have 2 more profiles, one that uses the sandboxed google play, essentially for banking and what else, the other is notorious and honestly it is self described, a prison cell for notorious apps, so far it has just waze)
I also have an iPhone 16 Pro Max which is an entertainment mainly device.

Just have this thinking of getting one for when I want to leave both phones at home, mainly short-ish bursts (around an hour or less)

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8

Then save yourself the money and bring one of your phones if you need to make calls while away even for a short time. One less device. One less point of attack.

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Hmmmm, this honestly gives me a reason I may consider getting one myself. Would be great to leave the phone at home to disconnect.

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emphasis on leave both phones btw
yes one device less attack surface, rarely I need to bring my iPhone together with the Pixel

11

You’re not really disconnecting if you’re taking another internet device with you.

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12

I plan on documenting my experience after the video essay or before about using one entertainment phone (which If you may be wondering, I forgot to say, Yes Airplane Mode is on) and one main commute and communication device (entertainment being the iPhone, pixel being the commute and communicating) about this, so yeah

13

correct, however I don’t think overdrawn implied bringing 2 phones, just another so one of them will allow to have a healthy disconnect with their device.
I think basically similar setup phone of mine or a phone and a smartwatch

14

A technicality. I’ll rephrase: disengage. And by disengage I don’t mean on a binary scale of wrapping myself in a portable faraday cage vs installing neuralink and glueing my eyes to a screen lol.

Let me know how it goes! I’ll consider testing with this as well, maybe we can chat about results.

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Oh yeah I’ve been 3 weeks on it, I’ll be writing as soon as I can

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