Dozens of companies, from giants like Apple and Fitbit to traditional watchmakers like Fossil and Tag Heuer, are creating smart devices that display text messages on their wrists, run apps, and more. of things. Although the functions and design of different models may vary greatly, they save time and record your he alth.
Many smartwatch features are related to fitness (such as heart rate sensor and GPS). The Fitbit Versa, for example, is positioned as a he alth monitoring device rather than a smartphone replacement. Some models (such as the Apple Watch) work independently of the phone, but most are paired with it. Therefore, for the right choice, first of all, you should decide why you need smart watches and bracelets for you?
Reasons for buying a smart watch
You will not waste your money and will be happy with a new purchase in the following cases:
- You need to be notified oincoming CMCs and emails, but you don't want to keep your phone in your hand all the time. The watch on your wrist will tell you what happened. You will not look stupid during meetings or dates, you will not interfere with the bright light of the smartphone screen in the cinema, constantly staying in touch and not spoiling the life of yourself and others.
- You need a really useful watch. You can also check the time on your phone. If you wear expensive timepieces because they are beautiful or prestigious, for the same money you get a lot of additional features.
- You want a watch that is customizable, from design to software and functionality. And if you can't do whatever you want with them yet, later you can do more without having to buy more.
- Children need smart watches. What for? Not only to play games, watch videos or receive messages. In an emergency, a child can send an alarm and parents can quickly locate the child.
Quick tips: how to choose a smart watch?
The following are the most important things to consider before buying:
- Why do you need a smart watch if it is not compatible with your phone? Before buying, you need to make sure of this. For example, the Apple Watch only works with the iPhone. Wear OS and Samsung Tizen are compatible with both platforms, but support fewer features with Apple devices.
- If you are into fitness, then choose a watch with a heart rate sensor and GPS to trackyour runs.
- When buying, pay attention to the battery life. Hybrid smartwatches, more analog-like, last the longest, but don't have touchscreens.
- Make sure the strap buckle is easy to use and easy to replace. Like the strap itself.
- App support matters, but design and other features are more important.
Compatibility
Most smartwatches are designed to be used as assistants to your smartphone, so compatibility is very important. The Samsung Tizen Gear S3 and Gear Sport, for example, work with both Android phones and iPhones, but are easier to use with Android devices.
Fibit Versa watches are well compatible with both OSes, but Android smartphone owners have one additional feature: quick replies to incoming text messages.
Wear OS runs on watches from LG, Huawei and other manufacturers and is compatible with Android 4.3 and above. Google makes it easy to check smartphone compatibility: just go to g.co/WearCheck from your smartphone browser. Some Wear OS devices work with iPhone, but many features (connecting Wi-Fi, adding apps) are not available for iOS devices.
Android Wear 2.0, released in early 2017, brings a host of features including fitness tracking, Google Assistant support, and the ability to install apps on the watch. In March 2018, Googlerenamed it to Wear OS to reflect its cross-platform compatibility.
Apple Watch is only compatible with iPhone. The preinstalled Apple Watch app is where you'll find the watchOS software store. From there, you can install your favorite iOS apps or find new ones. It's got everything from games to fitness trackers to popular app extensions that let you get Slack notifications or see Trello cards.
Buyers often wonder why a code is needed on a smart watch? It is required to register the device on the manufacturer's website or in the companion application to activate many of their functions.
Display
Almost all smartwatches are now equipped with a color AMOLED screen that allows you to view photos, applications, and other content in brighter and more saturated colors. You pay for this with battery life. Color displays use so much energy that many watches turn off their screens: you can't even see the time without activating the device. LCDs are thicker than OLEDs, so for the first generation Apple Watch, Apple designed an OLED display to make the device as thin as possible. Samsung launched the first Galaxy Gear OLED smartphone in 2013.
Interface: buttons vs. touch screen
The touch screen seems like the best choice at first. However, it can sometimes be difficult to get into images on the small display, and some gesture commands are not intuitive. Wear OS does a great job of providingnotifications that can be easily swiped off the screen, but to get to other applications and menu options, this operation has to be done too often. The latest update allows you to cycle through options with just a flick of your wrist.
In Apple Watch, the manufacturer has chosen a combined approach, offering a touch display and a side button on the right side. You can use the rotor to quickly zoom in or scroll, and the screen uses Force Touch, which knows the difference between a tap and a long press. The side button brings up a panel of frequently used applications.
The Samsung Gear Sport has a bezel that can be rotated to scroll through menus. It is used in conjunction with a touch screen.
Design
The best smartwatch manufacturers offer different straps and the ability to replace them with third-party options. This is important to personalize the appearance of the device.
Most smartwatches today offer many customization options. For example, you can choose the color and material of the strap, and on models such as the Moto 360 and Apple Watch, the finish and size of the case.
Keep in mind that comfort matters a lot, as does the ease with which you can put the watch on your wrist. Cumbersome clasps that require too much effort to fasten and unfasten should be avoided. Fortunately, most new watches use regular clasps.
More and more models are being produced with a round screen, making them more liketraditional timepieces. They become thinner and smaller.
Traditional watch makers have also jumped into the fray with Android Wear devices, combining the style of analog timepieces with the power of Google's operating system. Tag Heuer Movado, Louis Vuitton and Emporio Armani have released expensive and stylish models.
Notifications and warnings
Alerts you to incoming calls, emails and text messages with vibration on your wrist, that's what a smart watch is for in the first place. Thanks to this, you can check whether it is worth answering right away. But it also needs integration with social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. Make sure this most-reviewed smartwatch feature is fast and lets you quickly see all the latest notifications, even if you didn't see them when they arrived.
Some models offer more customization options. The Samsung Gear S3, for example, has a manager app on your smartphone that helps you decide which notifications to display on your wrist. There is also a Smart Relay function. Selecting a phone with a notification displayed on the Gear screen opens the corresponding app on the big screen.
Apple Watch also allows you to configure notification settings through the app on your smartphone. You can either display iPhone notifications as they are or customize them.
Software
Another answer to the question of why smart watches are needed is that they support hundreds and thousandsapplications.
Today, the Apple Watch has the largest list of apps with over 20,000 titles available, including ESPN, MapMyRun, Uber and even Rosetta Stone. You can do everything from lighting control to ordering dinner. There is a special store for installing software on Apple Watch.
While Google doesn't release official data, Wear OS offers thousands of apps optimized for the platform. They are installed directly on the watch itself and do not require the smartphone to be launched. There are many of the same apps found on watchOS, including Lyft, which lets you plan trips, and WhatsApp, which lets you reply to messages by voice.
Other systems, especially Samsung Tizen OS for Gear S3 and Gear Sport, tend to lack software. This platform currently offers about 1400 apps.
Heart rate and GPS
As fitness trackers continue to be in demand, smartwatch manufacturers have begun integrating physical activity monitoring into them. Some models depend on the phone for this, but most have at least a built-in pedometer.
If you plan to control your workouts in the first place, you should pay attention to fitness trackers. Why do you need a smart watch if the Fitbit Versa or Garmin Vivoactive 3 also allows you to read notifications? Versa goes even further by offering features for women, such as logging menstrual cycles and recording symptoms, as well as comparing the cycle with such indicators,like sleep and activity.
Most Wear OS devices have built-in heart rate monitors, but they're not as reliable as dedicated fitness trackers like the Fitbit Charge 2. The Apple Watch's heart rate sensor is more accurate.
The Samsung Gear Sport and Apple Watch are equipped with GPS, making them attractive to runners and cyclists who want to track their distance and pace. In addition, this is a useful feature of smart watches for children. However, keep in mind that using GPS significantly reduces battery life.
Calls and mobile payments
Do you want to make calls from your wrist? The Gear S3 Frontier and Apple Watch are smartwatches with phone functionality, so you can leave your smartphone at home - at least in theory. Some telcos allow you to use the same number on both devices. In this case, the smartphone should not be nearby or be turned on. But you will have to pay for calls through your smart watch separately. This must be taken into account if you want to use a cellular connection.
According to reviews, smart watches with phone function S3 Frontier do a good job of this task. The voice of the interlocutor is well heard, and at the other end of the line too, even if you straighten your arm. But without a phone, the watch loses its ability to receive messages, news and weather data, and download apps.
Many models are equipped with NFC chips, so you can use them to pay even if you don't have a smartphone. All modelsApple Watch supports Apple Pay without an iPhone or LTE connection. Wear OS watches that support Android Pay include the LG Watch Sport, Huawei Watch 2, and Tag Heuer Connected Modular 45. Samsung's own mobile payment system, Samsung Pay, works with five Gear smartwatches.
Fitness band companies Garmin and Fitbit have also added mobile payments to their latest devices.
Battery life and charging
Most smartwatches with color screens last 1-2 days (and sometimes less than one) without recharging. So you need to think about how often you want to charge your watch.
Voice-enabled devices won't last long if you use them as phones, but that's to be expected. Apple Watch lasts about 18 hours of mixed use.
Most smartwatches use wireless charging, which is very convenient: there is no need to connect the device directly. Instead, you place it on the charging pad.
Price
With the exception of budget models of unknown brands, most smartwatches cost from 7 to 100 thousand rubles. Smart watches, depending on the functionality and accessories, are sold for 13-33 thousand rubles. For example, the price of Apple Watch Series 3 starts at 22 thousand rubles. for the basic aluminum case and silicone strap without built-in GPS, but their cost rises to 90 thousand rubles. for the ceramic case with GPS.
You need to decide which combinationThe shape and function of a smartwatch is best suited to your budget.
