I just wanted a up-to-date smartwatch. I had a few in mind, like the Google Pixel Watch 4 or the Garmin Vivoactive 6, but my AI shopping buddies seemed really convinced that watches from a few years ago would be the way to go.
Over the past month, OpenAI, Google, Perplexity and Microsoft have introduced up-to-date shopping features on their AI platforms just in time for the holiday shopping season. ChatGPT can generate a personalized shopping guide for you. Copilot will facilitate you track prices. Gemini will even call local stores on your behalf.
After asking four different AI bots to facilitate me find a up-to-date watch, I’m more impressed than I expected, but also quite disappointed. Every AI gets a few things right, but hiccups are both hilarious and crippling.
I asked the same question to ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Copilot to start my search: “Can you help me find a good Android smartwatch for my Nothing CMF Phone 1?” From that point on, I let each AI guide me through the search and purchase process.
ChatGPT was the most conversational and its up-to-date Shopping Research feature was the most engaging and in-depth of the four AI models. It asked me what features were most critical to me (appearance and battery life), showed me a dozen or so products to review (“about that”), and then prepared a list of recommendations along with a spec comparison table. Then I received several links to offers for the best watch I suggested, the Garmin Vivoactive 5. The whole process took about 10 minutes.
Fitbit Versa 4, Google Pixel Watch 3, and Ticwatch Pro 5 were also recommended to me by ChatGPT. It managed to compare battery life, app compatibility, pricing, and “best for” uses for each, such as “daily use,” “budget-friendly,” or “strong Android integration.”
I wouldn’t normally turn to AI for facilitate with a technology purchase, but I can see how a feature like this could be useful for someone who isn’t sure what they’re looking for or where to start. Unfortunately, if I had trusted ChatGPT’s suggestions, I might have chosen the last-generation Garmin watch instead of the newer Garmin Vivoactive 6.
To be fair to ChatGPT, I didn’t specify “latest,” and the Garmin Vivoactive 5 is still widely available at stores like Amazon and Best Buy. However, the newer Vivoactive 6 has some advantages that may have been a deal breaker, such as more storage, GPS improvements, and up-to-date features like Sharp Alarm. You can still choose the Vivoactive 5, especially if you’re looking to save some money, but it may still be critical to know what you’re sacrificing, or simply have more options to compare.
After waiting 15 minutes, Google’s AI sent me an email telling me that every store I called did not sell Garmin smartwatches. Perfect
This problem appeared to varying degrees in all four AI models. Gemini offered me the “latest model” of several watches, including the CMF Watch Pro 3, but also provided me with a comparison chart of its top three recommendations, all of which were from 2023 and 2022, including the Google Pixel Watch 2, which has already been updated several times. Is the Pixel Watch 2 still available for less money than the newer Pixel Watch 4? Dazzling. But it also has shorter battery life, uses an older charging setup, has thicker bezels, runs on an older processor, and only comes in one size instead of two.
Perplexity suggested the latest Pixel Watch 4, but also pointed me to the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4… from 2021. Things got really intriguing in Perplexity’s shopping tab, where the “More Products” section included a bunch of low-cost off-brand watches and even a phone. However, the confusion made it easier to access the actual purchase links, which took longer for ChatGPT and Gemini. If I wanted a $7 “Bluetooth smart watch” I’d be in business.
1/5Screenshot: Embarrassment
The co-pilot immediately suggested the CMF Watch Pro 2, which was specifically designed to pair with my CMF Phone 1, but was left out of most of the recommendations other AI models gave me. Unfortunately, Copilot still overlooked the newer CMF Watch Pro 3. However, what I found most useful was the Copilot shopping sidebar. It included price history, aggregated pros and cons from Amazon reviews, a few different shopping links, and the option to receive price tracking notifications.
Each AI successfully launched the CMF Watch Pro 3 when I adjusted my question to: “What are the best smartwatches for the Nothing CMF Phone 1 right now?” However, they still suggested older smartwatches alongside the Watch Pro 3. Again, the CMF Watch Pro 2 is still available and may be the right choice for some people. AI models may even retire older watches just because newer models have fewer reviews.
Still, you don’t necessarily know that you might be missing out on a newer version of any of these products unless you specifically ask the AI for “current” or “latest” leaders. However, if you read one of our reviews or watch the comparison video made by a real person, will explain why you may (or may not) want the latest version of the product. The AI can sometimes get there if you try demanding enough, but it’s pretty hit and miss.
Then there’s Google “Call me” function.which allows you to send automated calls to local stores to see if they have the product you’re looking for. To access this feature, I had to operate the Google app on my phone (not Gemini) and add “nearby” or “nearby” to the end of the query. When you scroll down the results for a specific location, you should see an option to allow Google to call you after asking you to confirm your location details and product query.
After waiting 15 minutes for Google to make these calls, he sent me an email telling me that every store he called does not sell Garmin smartwatches. Perfect.
All these AI shopping tools may seem helpful on paper, but in practice they don’t work. They seem to be drawing on data from products that are several years senior, while confidently making recommendations. If you don’t know what you’re looking for, it can be straightforward to purchase an antiquated product or even simply miss out on newer options that the AI doesn’t know exist.
The issue of time is such an obstacle that it makes it complex to conclude a transaction, so it is complex to recommend using any of these AI shopping tools, at least at the moment. A few of them are on the right track, especially ChatGPT and Copilot, but they don’t suggest current best deals often enough to replace up-to-date shopping guides written by real people. For now, I’ll do my own research on the smartwatch.