5 factors to look before buying a smartwatch

May 17
07:35

2016

alberto steve

alberto steve

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Dozens of big companies, upstarts as well as traditional ones are creating smartwatches to deliver notifications, apps and more to your wrist. Although features and designs vary, the main appeal of a smartwatch is that it can save you time. Whether you want to quickly check incoming messages or control your music, you'll be able to glance down at your wrist instead of having to whip out and unlock your phone. Some smartwatches even work independently of a phone, but most are designed as companion devices.

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Evaluation of smartwatches has resulted in the current five big smartwatch platforms- Apple,5 factors to look before buying a smartwatch Articles Android Wear, Pebble OS, Samsung and Microsoft’s Band.

We need to check the below factors before buying a smartwatch-

1.Phone compatibility

 Look for a device that actually works with your phone. And though most smartwatches now feature some degree of cross-platform compatibility, they might offer different functionality on different platforms.

You should also know that being multi-platform means your smartwatch may get new features but in a slower rate, but this also means that you don’t have to buy a new smartwatch if you decide to switch your OS.

 2.Features

 Every smartwatch can handle notifications to an extent – that ability practically defines the category. Also all of them have peculiar features of music playback controls, pedometers, changeable watch faces and a variety of apps. Other features can vary depending on the smart watch platform and band.

 3.Fitness

 If you care about fitness more than notifications, you’ll want a heart rate sensor and/or GPS. Microsoft’s Band is best smart watch for fitness as it has very accurate versions of both of these as well as arguably the most robust health app for a smartwatch.

It includes the usual like mapping your runs and calories burned, but also provide information like your blood oxygen levels, UV light exposure, and comparing your body statistics to other people. It is the lack of apps which limits its abilities.

 4.Battery Life

 No matter how efficient manufacturers try to be, but if we compare longevity traditional watches are far more superior that smart watches. This is mostly contingent upon the display technology, with both AMOLED and LCD displays limiting most smartwatches to a maximum of two days on a charge.

With most options you’ll be charging your smartwatch every night, though there are a few exceptions. Samsung manages to squeeze up to 3 days and Pebble’s e-ink technology allows the Time and Time Steel to last up to a week on a charge, at the expense of colour and resolution.

 5.Design

 Most people simply won’t buy a smartwatch they wouldn’t want to be seen wearing, so design could be the most or least important part of buying a smartwatch, depending on how you want to use it. The design and pattern is strictly personal and it varies from person to person.

 6.Price

 This is the most important factor to be considered since none of the above matters if you can’t actually pay for a smartwatch, and prices vary tremendously depending on the above factors.

 

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