Among all the wearable gadgets, smartwatches have hung on, and they are gaining popularity, slowly but surely. It’s not just the industry where only the big-tech firms like Apple, Samsung, or Google are locking their horns, but the conventional watchmakers like Fossil and Tag Heuer have jumped on the bandwagon well.
These smartwatches are incredibly useful because they not only tell you the date and time but also do a bunch of other stuff like measure your fitness date, track your routine activity, deliver a range of different notifications from various apps on your phone, and so much more. And with the upcoming models, these smartwatches will be able to do even more.
But which one to go for, as there are so many available on the market? Here’s a comprehensive guide that will tell you all about it!
Phone compatibility
First of all, you need to make sure the smartwatch you are looking to buy is compatible with the phone you are using or not. For instance, you can’t run an Apple Watch with your Android phone.
But you can run Samsung smartwatches with Samsung smartphones as well as other phones, including iPhones. Fitbit smartwatches work with both Android and iPhones. Tag Heuer, Fossil, and LG have Google Wear OS on them, and they also run with Androids. However, some of them will also work with iPhones.
LCD vs. OLED display
Most of the smartwatches come either with LCDs or OLED displays. These displays allow you to see your apps on your watch conveniently and come with brilliant color results. But with the brighter and sharper screen, you will have to deal with low battery life.
Most companies are working on this aspect, but they are still a long way to go. Most of the watches can only last for 3 to 4 days. If you still want the best battery time, you should go for a black and white display, which can last for weeks. However, these OLED and LCD smartwatches are sleek and stylish. They are slimmer in design.
Touch vs. touchless screens
Going for a touchscreen would always be a preferable thing. But navigating such a small touch screen can be irksome too. Some gestures are not intuitive either. Google Wear OS does an excellent job here as it uses card-based notifications and allows you to swipe apps within apps.
And if you want to switch between apps, you can do that with a wrist flick. Apple has a more combination approach with a touch display and a navigational side button, and a digital crown.
With the crown’s help, you can quickly scroll on zoom in while the screen has Force Touch that understands the difference between a long press and a tap. With the side button, you can quickly come back to the frequently used apps.
Samsung smartwatches have a bezel that can be rotated. You can scroll through different menus, and the watch also features a touchscreen.
Design
Good quality smartwatches also provide the users with different options when it comes to their straps. It’s always better to go with personalization to use different third-party options.
Most of the smartwatches come with these design and personalization features. For example, you can choose the band materials and color and set a matching face color. Finish and sizes are available too. Apple and Moto 360 are the best ones to consider here.
Make sure the watch is very comfortable to wear and don’t go with those cumbersome clasps. Most of the dials are getting rounder to make them look like the traditional ones. And, of course, the conventional watchmakers are joining the party with more fashion-forward designs.
App selection
Smartwatches are maturing, and you can now access hundreds and thousands of apps on them. For example, Apple Watch now supports more than 20,000 apps. Similarly, Google’s Wear OS also has a vast range of apps available, and you can’t use them directly on your watch without any troubles. Samsung’s Tizen is still considered to be inferior but growing rapidly.
Activity tracker
This is the area where Fitbit has taken a significant amount of lead over all other brands. Fitness trackers are becoming the most popular feature of any smartwatch. If it can track the activity accurately, it is going to sell like hotcakes.
With the activity tracking features, you can easily measure your heart rate and even the steps you take throughout the day. And based on this data, the watch can provide you with a variety of other data like your sleep time and quality, blood pressure, body’s oxygen flow, and so much more. For fitness freaks, smartwatches have become mandatory.
Battery life
Most of the smartwatches come with color displays and only last around a couple of days at the most. If you don’t use them much, they may last up to 3 or 4 days. But due to heavy use, you will only get around 20 hours of productivity from them per charge.
Apple Watches can last around 18 hours with a mixed-use. It uses wireless charging along with Samsung Gear Sport. This is quite a convenient feature because you will only have to pay for the watch on the charging dock.
Battery life is still a big question for the manufacturers of these smartwatches. Only time will tell how much improvement we can see in them.
Conclusion
The best smartwatches are useful as you can access your smartphone without even taking it out of your pocket. These watches come in handy. And of course, they also make you look tech-savvy and stylish. Make sure you consider all these aspects and get the most out of your purchase.