Are you a Batman fan?
I mean the kind of fan who travels to Fan Expo Dallas and has a picture taken with more than one person who’s played Batman in the movies or on TV.
If you have an extensive collection of Batman action figures and comics, then you are just the target market for a Batman smartwatch.
This week I’ve been wearing the Batman Smartwatch from One61 Studio ($124.99, one61.com), which looks an awful lot like my Apple Watch.
The One61 Batman Smartwatch runs on its own proprietary operating system, so there is no app store to buy additional apps, but it will work with both iOS and Android phones.
I’ve been using it with my iPhone 8 Plus.
One61 Studio has partnered with DC Comics on a Superhero Smartwatch Collection featuring Batman, The Flash and Wonder Woman.
The Batman watch offers five different watch faces — including my favorite, the Bat Signal, that shows the current time.
Each smartwatch offers fans a “gamified” experience, where getting up, moving around and meeting step goals unlock superhero content.
In keeping with the superhero theme, instead of a step counter, the Batman Smartwatch calls it Crime Fighting. When I reached a step goal, I was rewarded with a five-second video clip of Adam West’s Batman punching the Joker.
The periodic notification to get up and stretch your legs is called the Patrol Reminder.
There are plenty of more traditional smartwatch features, like a stopwatch and timer. Alarms have different snippets of sound from the 1960s Batman TV show.
Once you sync the smartwatch to your phone, you can access your contacts, call logs, notifications and even make and answer calls. I will say I didn’t much care for the voice quality from the smartwatch’s tiny speaker and microphone. My voice sounded quite muffled.
Android users can read and reply to text messages. iOS users are limited to only reading SMS texts in the notifications section of the smartwatch operating system. There is no iMessage compatibility.
There is a phone finder, but I could never get it to work with my iPhone. It kept giving me a message about Bluetooth not being connected, but I could use all the other phone functions.
The calendar just showed the date and a month view, there was no connection to any type of account on the phone to sync appointments.
The smartwatch has a music controller to let you choose what plays on your phone and a camera controller to let the watch act as a remote shutter button to snap a photo.
A Voice Assistant button let me interact with Siri from the watch.
Overall, I liked the Batman Smartwatch, but it is not going to replace my Apple Watch any time soon. The smartwatch features worked well enough, but I’ve come to expect a bit more from my watch.
As I’ve noted, this is for hardcore Batman fans. I have a cousin who loves Batman, and when I told him about it, he immediately wanted me to send him the link to buy one.
I’m sure there are plenty of Batman, Flash and Wonder Woman fans who will run right out and order one of these smartwatches, and they won’t be disappointed.
Pros: Good integration with the superhero theme. Syncs with Android or iOS phones. Good looking.
Cons: No app store. Limited iOS functionality.
Bottom line: Best superhero smartwatch I’ve come across.
• Foundmi Batman Bluetooth Tracking Tag
I think everyone is familiar with Bluetooth trackers you can attach to your keychain or slip in a pocket of your backpack or computer bag to keep track of your things.
I’ve had a Tile Bluetooth tracker on my keys for a few years now, and I do find it useful when I misplace my keys.
I’ve been carrying around a Batman series 2 Bluetooth tracker from Foundmi. Well, it is a stylized version of Batman.
The Batman tracker ($25, foundmi.com) is one of dozens of character trackers from Foundmi. They have an extensive collection of superheroes, Star Wars and even My Little Pony trackers.
Each one functions the same. They have four main features.
You’ll need to download the free Foundmi app for iOS or Android to get started.
Once you get the app and pair the tracker, you can use your phone to find the tracker, from up to 100 feet away (although walls and other obstructions will cut down on the range).
You can also use your tracker to find your phone.
If you become separated from your tracker and you are out of Bluetooth range, you will be able to see its last known location on a map in the app.
Finally, the button on the tracker can be used to trigger your phone’s selfie camera, which I did find handy.
The tracker comes with a user-replaceable CR2032 battery that should last for six months.
The tracker did work exactly as it should, and Batman on my keychain did get some attention from my friends and co-workers.
Pros: Tracking worked perfectly. Remote shutter button for your phone’s camera. Replaceable battery.
Cons: Kind of large for a tracker.
Bottom line: These trackers will let you express yourself and help you find your stuff.
