Welcome to the smartwatch buying guide, in this article I will be sharing some useful tips that will help you buy a smartwatch for you. Small yet versatile, smartwatches are one of the most hot-selling gadgets here and now. All you need to do is tie a smartwatch around your wrist and you can get access to various useful features without actually touching your smartphone. You can use your smartwatch to receive notifications, make and receive phone calls, fitness tracking, navigation, and a lot more.
Smartwatches are advancing each passing day with more and more features being added to them which in turn adds to the reasons for you to buy one. A plethora of options available in the market can easily confuse you on which smartwatch to buy. But be at ease, because after reading this write-up, you’ll surely get to how to buy a smartwatch. You might also like Best Smartwatches under £50
Quick Tips
- Display: A good display is an important feature to look out for when buying a smartwatch so its screen is visible even in broad daylight.
- Compatibility: Ensure that the smartwatch you buy is compatible with the smartphone you use.
- Features: Smartwatches are equipped with diverse fitness features including a step-counter, heart rate monitor, activity tracker, and, so on.
- Battery life: The more feature-equipped the smartwatch is, the lesser will be the battery life.
- Bands and Shapes: You get to choose from a wide variety of watch shapes and sizes. Swappable bands are also offered.
- Waterproofing: Smartwatches with different waterproof ratings are available for you to choose from as per your need.
- Smartwatches which do not require being connected to a smartphone are also available. Various phone functions can be accessed through your smartwatch.
Detailed smartwatch buying guide
Various features to look for before buying a smartwatch have been listed and explained below so that you choose the right option suiting your need and liking.
Smartwatch buying guide: Display
The display of a smartwatch is a very important feature to look out for since it is the user’s interface. Smartwatches come with different kinds of displays with LCD and AMOLED being the most common. Both LCD and AMOLED have their own pros and cons. LCD displays are brighter in daylight and cheaper to produce. On the other hand, AMOLED screens have better contrast, are comparatively thinner, and utilize less battery.
More popularly, smartwatches have a touch screen but some watches have buttons for functioning. Touch screen smartwatches are easier and more comfortable to use.
Smartwatch buying guide: Compatibility and app selection
Before buying a smartwatch, make sure it is compatible with the smartphone you’ll be using with. Smartwatches mainly come with two types of operating systems – Android and iOS. Most android watches will be compatible with both Android and iOS smartphones. But Apple iWatches will work only with Apple iPhones.
Talking about app selection, some smartwatches like Apple’s Watch OS and Google’s Wear OS support a wide range of third-party apps even without pairing them to a smartphone, thanks to the dedicated app stores.
Smartwatch buying guide: Fitness tracking
A good reason for smartwatches to be popular is that they come with numerous fitness tracking features. These features include a pedometer or step-counter, heart rate monitor, ECG, sleep pattern monitor, blood oxygen monitor, calorie counter, and what not. Various sports modes like running, swimming, cycling, etc. are also available on smartwatches. In addition, GPS is also built-in in many smartwatches to track your performance and location. So if you are a fitness freak, buying a smartwatch is definitely going to be productive for you.
Smartwatch buying guide: Battery
One of the basic features of a smartwatch to be considered is the battery life. A smartwatch that possesses a lot of features will surely compromise battery life. Features like GPS and voice capabilities decrease battery life. Budget watches offer extended battery life since they lack certain high-end features. High-end watches might have a battery life of 1 to 2 days whereas the battery life may extend to about 7 days in the case of budget watches.
If we talk about the charging modes, smartwatches do come with both wired and wireless charging options. Though wireless charging is more convenient, smartwatches with wired charging options are more common and budget-friendly.
Smartwatch buying guide: Design and personalisation
Smartwatches come in different display sizes and shapes which include square and round. You can choose your desired shape but square-shaped watches usually offer a larger display area. Smartwatch models come in different color options for you to choose from. Most smartwatches even offer the option of swapping the wristbands with bands of some other color or material.
Moreover, different watch faces are provided in the smartwatch software and you get to select your desired watch face from hundreds of options available and never get bored of a single face.
Smartwatch buying guide: Build
Since a smartwatch is something you are going to wear for most of the part of your day and while doing different activities, they are made up of sturdy materials. The smartwatch is made scratch-proof and waterproof. Smartwatches with different waterproof ratings are available. So if you are a swimmer, consider a smartwatch with an excellent waterproof rating.
The material of the wristband varies from watch to watch. Budget smartwatches often come with a silicon band whereas the expensive ones even come with leather bands. Opt for the one which fits your budget and seems restful to you.
Smartwatch buying guide: Connectivity and communication
Smartwatches are usually connected to your smartphone through Bluetooth. Smartwatches offer call and text notifications when connected to a smartphone. You can also use your smartwatch to reply to texts and to silence or reject calls. There are certain smartwatches that do work without your smartphone being connected to them and even when your phone isn’t nearby.
Some smartwatches come with an NFC chip. This feature enables you to pay for stuff even when you do not have your phone along. Other common features which occur in smartwatches include music player control and camera shutter.
