Disappointing Bluetooth Performance

The watch is nice and all, but I'm disappointed in the bluetooth capabilities. I wanted a watch that would notify me when I received an alert (call, text, etc) because my hearing is declining and my wife says my phone scares the neighbors due to the ringer volume being turned up. After reading the manual, apparently the battery cannot sustain an extended BT connection due to it being solar powered. The BT may work for a short period of time, like a meeting, but it automatically disconnects routinely. Reconnection is a deliberate & manual process. I thought about returning it but the convenience of setting the time through my phone is worth the extra cost. The jury is out on the "rubber" band; we'll have to see about that. The date display is pretty small too.