Vector Luna - The smartwatch for minimalists
30.12.2016
Translation: machine translated
The Vector Luna smartwatch is simple, light and black. The manufacturers go their own way in hardware and software design, which makes a test almost mandatory. I strapped on the watch and tested it.
"You go ahead. I've got Q4," says Product Manager Domenico Melina as he walks past. He may look like he hasn't slept for several days, but he's still grinning his "Now it's getting exciting" grin as he hands me the black box. On it is a circle symbol and the word Vector. Nothing else. But before I can ask Domenico Melina what this is all about and why he should explain to me why I should be looking at a black box, the product manager has disappeared from the editorial team again.
Because you know what you're doing?
Because you know, we "have Q4". This means that product management is running at full speed and trying its best to keep the shelves full of your favourite products. The reason: you want your Christmas presents for Christmas too, which is why we're working overtime here. Any help from the editor is welcome. That and the help of the coffee machine, which is also working overtime in Q4. Internally, however, we know: We are on track.
But that still doesn't explain the black box - or is it dark grey? - in my hand.
A box can usually be opened. So I'm going to have a go at it. A string wrapped around a button closes the rather elegant little box, which is about the size of a music box. "What truly matters" is written on the underside of the lid and inside the box is a smartwatch. Plain and black. I conclude that "You do it" means "Would you please be so kind as to critically examine this watch, test it in everyday use and then write a review?" So: Review Time!
Lightweight, sporty, unobtrusive
As elegant as the box is, as inconspicuous are the contents. The look of the Vector Luna is hardly surprising. It is mainly black. Even when in use, most of the screen is black. Android Wear? Not a thing. Although the watch has an interactive screen, the screen is not a touchscreen.
The reason for all the lack of features? Saving energy. Because under the bonnet, the Vector Luna is anything but inconspicuous. According to the manufacturer, the battery should last up to 30 days. With other smartwatches, the battery lasts just under 30 hours. In return, the manufacturer from England has dispensed with a myriad of features.
That's essentially it. The watch is inconspicuous, what else do you want to hear? Everything is black, the silicone strap is black and a matter of taste, the dial is mainly black with only a few graphic elements. The dial has the 8-bit charm that we know from old Nintendo games. Slightly pixelated, somehow retro, somehow charming.
On the hardware side, I found a bug, if I can express it in computer language. The buckle on the silicone strap is just as inconspicuous as everything else. It has a minimalist finish, just like everything else. But the clasp is so precisely minimalist that I can push it through to the other side of the roller buckle with very little force. Pushing the part back is just as easy, so no big deal.
The perfect smartwatch for relaxed people
Smartwatches have not yet found the niche they want or should occupy. With the frameworks of the major manufacturers Apple and Google, an ecosystem has been created that is as open as possible. Smartwatches can do everything from making phone calls to taking your pulse. But somehow all of this hasn't knocked our socks off yet? The path that manufacturers are currently taking is to build in more features.
Vector is taking the approach of using fewer features. In everyday use, I rarely find myself pressing on the watch for minutes on end and swiping through screens, wondering what's where and, anyway, where has humanity failed that I should spend ages talking to my watch?
The Vector Luna makes it easy for me. There are three buttons on the watch that take care of all the controls.
- The button in the centre is OK, Yes or Open
- The button at the top scrolls upwards
- The button at the bottom scrolls down
Finished. It's super simple.
Every message I receive on my mobile is forwarded to the watch. So I have to open it and can then scroll to the end while I'm reading. This is complete rubbish for longer messages, but it's perfect for short messages. On the software side, I can set which messages I want to receive and which not. If I have several notifications on the watch, I have to click through all the notifications to get back to the watch face.
I can't reply, but let's be honest, the reply function on Android Wear watches is not only limited, but also super awkward to use. So why spend ages fiddling with the watch when you can just as easily reach into your trouser pocket?
Every message? Every message!
The Vector Luna is not without its drawbacks. By default, the notifications on the watch are set to mimic the behaviour of the phone. To do this, the watch reads changes in the notification area - i.e. everything you see when you pull down the "drawer" at the top - and vibrates as soon as something happens there. Quite clever in itself. However, this makes the watch a little overzealous.
After every song I play on my mobile, the watch informs me that a new song is playing. Thanks, Vector Luna, I wouldn't have heard that now. Really great. Merci, right. Even when I call someone, Luna tells me that I need a vibration on my wrist. Why? Because otherwise I wouldn't realise that I have a phone on my ear.
Okay, I can switch everything off, but it takes me about a day to find all the apps that affect my notification area, which are actually completely useless on the watch. As with any device, I just have to make settings in the app.
Everyday life with the watch
What I like most about the Vector Luna is the fact that I have never consciously charged it. In the weeks since I started testing the watch, I have plugged it in once because the watch software has been updated. I then left the watch on the cable for a few hours and it has worked ever since.
The Luna is also not conspicuous in use. I don't know what to write about it. The watch doesn't bother me, counts steps and vibrates every now and then. The smartwatch balances new smart features very well with the unobtrusiveness and comfort of a classic watch. It is an understatement, deliberately minimalist, and scores points thanks to its well thought-out and executed concept, even if the features can't quite keep up with the smartest of smartwatches. <p
Journalist. Author. Hacker. A storyteller searching for boundaries, secrets and taboos – putting the world to paper. Not because I can but because I can’t not.
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