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A fashion expert just nailed why smartwatches have never really caught on (GOOG, GOOGL, AAPL)

The New York Times' fashion critic succinctly explained why smartwatches haven't yet replaced normal watches — and probably won't anytime soon.

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Despite years of development, new software updates, new hardware, and partnerships with fashion brands, smartwatches haven't hit the mainstream after roughly three years of wide availability. In fact, they've barely even conquered the tech community.

So, why is that?

The New York Times' Vanessa Friedman, fashion director and critic, summed it up succinctly in a recent Times' interview about personal tech. When asked whether smartwatches are ever going to replace normal watches, she replied (emphasis ours):

There are concrete issues with smartwatches that cause buyers to quickly tire of their watches, or . Prices for some of the top watches on the market — Apple Watch and Google's new LG watches — start at $249 and can reach up to $1,249 for Apple's ceramic Edition model. And once customers shell out for the watch, battery issues tend to plague those who wear it every day, since most smartwatches last for less than 24 hours before needing to be charged up again.

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Plus, the interface remains a problem on watchOS and Android Wear alike. Trying to use the watch as a tiny touchscreen phone remains challenging, not-quite-intuitive, and error-prone.

Those issues are likely contributing to the smartwatch industry's flat growth. Last December, slashed its estimates of people using wearable technology

"Without a clear use case for smart watches—which have more features than fitness trackers, but significant overlap with smartphone functionality—the more sophisticated, expensive devices have not caught on as quickly as expected,"

The problem is that companies making smartwatches can't quite figure out what they should be: should they replace fitness trackers, cell phones, or simply behave like normal wristwatches with a few tech features built in? This confuses people, and it makes them not want to buy.

In contrast to the Apple Watch, LG last month released the LG Watch Style, a smartwatch disguised as a regular wristwatch. It's sleek, minimalist, and it doesn't scream "I have a 512 MB RAM on my wrist." It is the essence of the "wannabe traditional watch" Friedman describes.

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While I was initially impressed with the LG Watch Style specifically for its fashion sense, I confess that I lost interest in it after a few days and it went back in its box.

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