There was one case in the last 3 years that I thought about getting one. I started running and hated having to need my phone on me and needed a watch either way.

Then I went to dinner and saw how a friend was continuously and unconsciously flicking their eyes down at their smartwatch every few minute if they weren't talking and decided against it. I'm getting old...

I use one because it lowers my screen time. I can walk away from my phone and still be aware of texts and calls from family.

Mine is primarily a sports watch. The smartwatch features are just an added bonus.

Edge case here: my hands are constantly dirty with things I don't want to get on my phone (relevant hobbies include machining, gardening and calligraphy). A smart watch means I can check to see if a message is important (ex: kids/partner attempting to get ahold of me) and I can answer calls and texts just using my nose/tongue + TTS. I never understood why they were such a mainstream accessory, but they are very convenient in some circumstances.

(Edit: I just remembered another use case, my partner is medically "a dingus" and constantly loses their phone as a result, but habitually is always wearing their watch. Upgrading them to a smartwatch has meant our relationship no longer suffers the daily turmoil of tearing apart several rooms looking for it. Again pretty niche, but a wonderful QoL improvement)

I work as mechanic and when my hand is either dirty or full or busy, it's super useful to have a fitness band to help tell time or see who's calling/messaging.

Sometime it's also quicker to check time instead of having to pull my phone out. It's also helpful for when i misplaced my phone.

Same here. They are just pointless devices. A smaller screen for your small screen. And I can't understand the point of a "watch" You take off to charge. I'm using a solar powered G-Shock and take it off my hand maybe once every 3 months.

I use my Garmin instinct to track fitness. I love it

I have a MiBand which for me is primarily a regular watch with notifications.

I haven't used audio notifications or ringing on my phone for years. I can also just allow the most important apps, while the less important notifications I'll see just on my phone when I unlock it, unless I blocked those notifications too.

Currently this means I get SMS notifications (mostly useful for verification codes / package pick-up codes), Lemmy reply notifications (and few other e-mails), bank notifications (like payments), phone battery charged (80%) notification, and notifications of upcoming space rocket launches with webcast available (within 10 minutes).

My phone doesn't make a sound, it doesn't light up the screen, it doesn't show notifications on lockscreen, it doesn't vibrate, it doesn't use notification LED. The smartband is a replacement.

Most of the time, it's just a decoration.