Hi.
I found somewhere this link https://watlaa.com/
which shows the Watlaa One, a new smartwatch that, at a first glance, looks very interesting.
That page gives information and shows it’s xDrio+ watch face, that looks complete and give the main info we need to check our glycemic value, using it both as standalone and follower (but this only close to a smartphone, having no Bluetooth!).
But (in my life as Type 1 diabetic I always found a “but”) i’ve been unable to find comments and/or tests about it.
This sounds a bit strange, because it’s low priced and looks well featured for our needs.
But before buying it I would like to know more about it’s “real” usefulness.
As an example, what kind of screen has it?
This is very important to define the real visibility, e.g. in a sunny day.
Someone bought it?
Any info to share?
Thank you very much.
Pippo
I can’t find any reviews either. I looked around to figure out who they are. It is a Finnish startup with manufacturing, and possibly design, in Hong Kong. It appears to be designed specifically for diabetes integrated solutions.
It only costs about $80, so it would really be worth it to try if someone on the site wanted to play around with it.
Looks very interesting, but it seems to be geared towards the Libre and miaomiao, as it will not connect to Dexcom. Also, from the FAQ’s it looks like it may be a bit finicky.
I think a better, similarly priced alternative at this point would be the BlueJay https://bluejay.website/
It is being developed by the xDrip+ developer, and offers connectivity with numerous CGM transmitters.
Hi docslotnick.
Yes, I know JamOrHam’s incredible work about xDrip+ and so on, but I never heard of this BlueJay.
After looking at your link, it looks very interesting, same price, and most of all JamOrHam is surely an added value, as I’m sure the project and related software will go on till perfection.
Thanks a lot for the information, very appreciated.
At this point, anyway, I have the same problem: apart from the github dedicated forum, where I read of problems and solutions only, I would like to read something from people using it, I mean pros and cons.
So I’ll slightly change the name of this thread as fiollows: “What about the Watlaa One and the BlueJay Smartwatches?”
Bye.
Hi @PIPPO_PIPPI I recognize you from gruoner’s thread on his work with the new insulin profile manager. I think you’re help with that has been very good.
Most of what I know about Blue jay has come from github and Gitter. I’ve only had very limited contact with JamOrHam about it. But I do know that he is very dedicated to making it work. I plan on getting one when my SSW3 stops working.
Hi docslotnick, thank you for yor words, appreciated.
I’m sure that JamOrHam’s work is more than valid, but I have a particular problem, and this is the reason why I need to know the screen luminosity.
Many, many years ago (39, to be exact!), I had a serious bilateral proliferant retinopathy, but luckily the red laser treatment had just been introduced as a test in my town optical clinic, so I was one of the chosen guys.
But, alas, red optical lasers were not as developed as they are now, so my left retina was burnt for 25% of its surface, and 50% for the right one.
As result my retinopathy stopped, but I see everything darker than the real thing, and so I need a bright screen.
I’ll try to contact them and hope to receive a Nits value and not the wording “it has a very bright screen”.
Bye and thank you.
Pippo
I purchased the bubble and the watlaa and have had no success with the watlaa unfortunately. it recommended wearing it on the same arm as the sensor, I can maybe get one reading, then nothing… I am also in the us working with the us 14 day libre if you are wondering… for me, spending $70 or $80 seemed worth it, but unfortunately, I can’t make it work
Hi RogerType1, thank you for your info.
I was just asking me why there are almost no information and reports about Watlaa, and probably the reason is the isue you had.
So I’ll remain on my Xiaomi Band 4 that, even if smaller, is bright and works flawlessly.
Thanks once again, and good luck.
Pippo
I have been using the Bluejay for some time now with the Decxom G6 and Tandem X2 pump.
It is a very basic watch (no real smart watch features, etc.)
It does integrate very well with xdrip, and does run well as a collector.
If you are not using a Tandem X2 pump to connect to the pump slot, then this watch will immediately use that slot and work very well. This would also allow you to use your phone to use the phone slot.
I however do use the X2 pump, so I have my watch use the phone slot as the collector, and it will transfer data to my phone. My phone only receives data from my watch, it does not connect/collect from the G6 at all.
You can set it up so that both the watch and phone collect from the phone slot, but it does not work well for me at all.
Hi Hammer, from your experience it looks like the BlueJay could be the solution.
But I need to know if its screen is brighr and visible in sunlight, too.
It’s important for me, alas!
Thank you
Pippo
That will be a very hard question to answer, as you yourself said, I don’t know the NIT values for these screens.
That being said, I consider it fairly bright.
I would not call it super bright though, and that might be what you are looking for.
The upside is they use WHITE numbers against a BLACK background. So this should help somewhat for your viewing (also helps with battery life.)
Also, there is no settings to change the screen brightness on the Bluejay.
To note, ALL settings for the watch are set from xdrip itself.
There are no real instructions for this watch. Most options are pretty straight forward, and setting it up is easy.
Turn the watch on, scan the QR code with your phone, and wait while it downloads xdrip core and installs on the watch.
Honestly, I like this watch.
If it had a couple more features like touch sensitivity, screen brightness, and an ALARM, it would be perfect!
Btw, my wife asks why I wear two watches (other is a Samsung Gear S3).
I tell her one isn’t really a watch, it is a BG monitor I wear on my wrist. This is a pretty accurate description of what the Bluejay is.
Honestly, it sounds like brightness is a major concern for you. And I wish I could answer that better.
My only guess is that it would be ‘ok’ for you. Not great, but ok.
As a collector, it does a great job. Just figuring out which way you want it to connect is the biggest job.
Also, not sure what country you live in, but shipping to the US takes a couple weeks. Still worth it for the low cost for such a useful item.
And if you get it, definitely sign up for the github so you can ask questions.
JamOrHam isn’t responsive on timing for posts, but he does see most things and does a good job overall of making sure it works well.
Hi.
I just saw that the battery life, considering that it works only as collector, so no heart rate, O2 saturation, steps, calories etc etc, with a 2-5 days endurance is very short, don’t you think?
Moreover I see that screen features shown in the image are not native, but obtained via ThinJam protocol, that I never heard before.
It looks a bit less simple and usefull than what I was hoping, so I fear I’ll have to wait for something more integrated in xDrip+ and with longer battery life.
Thank you both for your precious information.
Bye
Pippo
If you turn off the wake up feature so that you have to touch it instead of twisting your wrist, people are reporting over a week (almost 2 weeks,) of battery life.
If you use the wake on motion, etc. I get almost 2 days as the collector.
And yes, like I said, it is very basic, no real other features beside the time and xdrip.
As for the screen features, everything there is built by JamOrHam I think.
Other thing, as for battery life, this IS one of the longest battery life watches you will find that can act as a collector.
Personally, I would LOVE one to hit 5 days as a collector. That seems to be my sweet spot for me and the way I like to charge things. Alas, nothing hits that mark yet for this function.
I don’t use the “wakeup with wrist twisting” on my Xiaoli Mi Band 4, and this way its battery lasts one week.
So as I’ll do the same with the BlueJay its battery life will be enough for me.
Regarding the screen, you are saying that you don’t use ThinJam?
This makes me more safe, I’m absolutely unable to manipulate apps.
So I’ll give a try to BlueJay watch.
Thank you.
Bye
There is a new firmware on the watch that has a much longer battery life.
He is still testing it, so I don’t have it yet. The testers are the ones reporting MUCH longer battery life.
I don’t use anything on the watch other than time and xdrip. It literally does nothing more than show me time and BG numbers and graph/arrow (actually, this part looks GREAT on the watch.)
Honestly, I think Thinjam is just the protocol used for the watch to communicate. It could also be used for other 3rd party applications, but I don’t use any of that.
Hello Hammer.
All of this is fine for me, but I have a big doubt.
I logged into BlueJay’s newsletters, then asked them about a very important question:
“This watch works fine with Dexcom, but I couldn’t find anything about its compatibility with FreeStyle Libre 1, so I ask you if they are or not”.
No reply!
I searched the BlueJay web pages, not a word about FreeStyle!
So now I have a lot of doubts.
The github forum is too large and complicated to search, so I gave up early.
I still don’t know what the real situation is.
I am very disappointed with the many information missing in most of these almost handcrafted devices, no or very poor manuals.
An example: Bluejay’s information on the firmware update is found ONLY in Github, and this is absurd, since the BlueJay is a paid commercial device, and therefore they should provide me with this important information along with it, and not somewhere else!
Very disappointed with this.
I’m sorry.
Pippo
He only mentions that freestyle libre may be supported in the future.
I don’t agree with calling the Bluejay watch a paid commercial device.
He is clearly working through testing and development on the watch and firmwares.
I do agree that finding any information is difficult, and through the github is almost the only way to find anything.
Good news to that is that you have direct access to the developer.
And the fact that if/when needed, he makes the corresponding changes to xdrip and the watch firmware.
