While I’ve always been intrigued by wearable tech and smartwatches, I had always been more focused on making my house smart, letting my smartphone and apps do all the heavy lifting. But the announcement of Apple’s watchOS 2 suddenly made me reconsider. What was I missing out on? So, I took it upon myself to do some considerable research on the many (MANY) smartwatches and look at the different features offered by some of the top smartwatches on the market today.
Apple Watch
I have to start with the Apple Watch, since it’s what initially got me thinking. The Apple Watch is probably the smartest looking smartwatch on the market. It’s very aesthetically pleasing and is ideal for anyone with an iPhone. It can make calls, it listens to dictated texts and sends them back as audio messages, it can track fitness goals, and more. And while the Apple Watch may have been lacking in some areas, it seems the new operating system, watchOS 2, will offer some improvements.
Pebble Steel
This is a pretty good looking watch for a decent pricing, coming in just under $200. Beyond sophisticated looks, you can easily glance at texts, emails, and notifications. Other features include a four-day battery life, a 5ATM water resistance rating, iOS and Android compatibility, and swappable bands.
Sony SmartWatch 3
The SmartWatch 3 stands out for a few major reasons, first its built-in GPS connectivity, which isn’t common for many smartwatches. And with the ability to pair it with wireless headphones and a sports design, this is the ideal smartwatch for fitness enthusiasts and anyone who primarily is looking for a fitness tracker with more advanced features, like a GPS.
LG Watch Urbane
If you want a smartwatch that doesn’t look like a smartwatch, look no further than the LG Watch Urbane. The Urbane looks like a classic watch, but has all of the advanced features of a top smartwatch. You can connect to your smartphone remotely over WiFi, draw emojis, and monitor your heart rate. And with an IP67 rating, it can be immersed in water down to one meter.
Moto 360
The Moto 360 is a popular pick, largely for being the first smartwatch to actually look like a nice watch you’d want to wear. While performance and battery life aren’t impressive, it’s a good looking watch at a very competitive price.
Garmin Vivoactive
If you are only looking for a smartwatch to help you meet your fitness goals, the Garmin Vivoactive is your best bet. It has an endless list of fitness features and fits your exercise fix, whether you prefer to cycle, golf, or swim. While the design and screen aren’t as impressive as other smartwatches, its notifications features are superior to others.
Photo by: raneko
