I really doubt our views on these things differ that much. I strongly believe in using technology for as long as is feasibly possible. I have a 9 year old laptop (Asus U36) that I've repaired and replaced parts in myself. Prior to my current car I drove a 1994 Toyota Camry with 200,000 miles on it for 19 years. I now drive a ~10 year old Highlander that I will keep at least as long. I have a three year old phone that replaced a 4-5 year old phone. I avoid buying connected IoT, other home automation things, or products that are unnecessarily abandoned by their companies before their useful life expires (looking at you Sonos). I am also a strong advocate for Right to Repair Legislation in my state. BUT. Wearables are made to be worn. As such they are exposed to constant wear and tear, incidental damage whenever we accidentally knock our arms or hands into things, exposure to the elements including corrosive effects from rain or swimming in the ocean, and are expected to be on constantly. No piece of electronics is going to survive that kind of abuse for very long. I do fault Fitbit for not being more easily serviceable and repairable, but I also understand the material engineering tradeoff for having it be as resilient as it is. And regarding money, I don't think being willing to pay $5-10 a month for this kind of data makes me not value money? If you think about it as a subscription service then it's one of the cheapest I subscribe to. I think I pay more for razor blades, and I don't think that makes me Scrooge McDuck.
