What you need to know before buying a smartwatch in 2021

A few years ago, the case for smartwatches was not clear. Today, the visual world is full of the most advanced weapons to choose from, and a handful of players have pushed themselves to the front of the pack.

However some still ask: Are smartwatches important? Luckily if you are reading this book, you have already decided to say yes. But even though the market is eroding the supply, the remaining weapons are not designed to be the same. We are here to help you find the right questions to ask for the best smartwatch for you.

The basic foundation of Smartwatch

Let’s face it: The three things to keep in mind when considering each smartwatch are the same, price and battery life. All the major smartwatches today have a mobile phone, so you need to find one that is compatible with your device.

Although

Apple Watches only works with iPhones, while Wear OS devices play well with iOS and Android. Smartwatches made by Samsung, Garmin, Fitbit and others also work with Android and iOS, but you need to install a compatible app.

The Smartwatch OS should also dictate the type and amount of apps you watch that you may have. Many of these features are not helpful yet, making the app not a big list of what we want.

Price

The best smartwatches cost between $ 200 and $ 400. Compared to budget smartwatches, which cost between $ 100 and $ 200, these expensive gadgets have improved health, music and connectivity. They often also have essentials such as GPS, music storage and NFC, which budget equipment does not have.

Some companies make special fitness watches: These can cost upwards of $ 500, and we can only encourage athletes to run. “High” smart watches can also reach high prices, but we wouldn’t recommend any. These devices run out more than $ 1,000, and you often pay for a name or some other necessity but end up useless.

Battery life

Battery life is still one of the biggest concerns of smartwatches, but experiments have been made recently. You can expect two full days from Apple Watches and many Wear OS devices. Clocks powered by the Snapdragon Wear 3100 processor support batteries that claim to allow you up to five days of charging – if you want to let more aside, you know, show time. The next group of Snapdragon Wear a 4100 processor was announced, but we have not seen the first smartwatches moving there. Some weapons last five to seven days, but they usually have less visibility and less visibility, and some exercise watches last several weeks at the same rate.

Several smartwatches now support and communicate faster, too. For example, Apple promises that Series 6 can go from zero to 80% power in half an hour, and charge for 90 minutes. it’s very fast, ranging from zero to 43 percent in just 10 minutes (however, that’s one of the only good features of OnePlus’ potential).

What to look for in a smartwatch

Adherence to exercise

Event tracking is a major reason why people turn to smartwatches. A full-time watch should set your pace, energy and fitness, and many modern clothing also monitors heart rate.

Most smartwatches also have a built-in GPS, which helps to map and ride the bike. Swimmers will need something waterproof, and fortunately all the necessary equipment can now withstand the dunk pool. Some smartwatches from companies like Garmin are more dynamic than others and often offer additional features such as tracking heart rate variability, recovery time comparison, game recognition, internal maps and much more.

Over the past few years, health tracking has made great strides on many watches. Both Apple and Fitbit devices can measure blood pressure and the Apple Watch can measure ECGs. But a very cheap smartwatch, it may not be that it has health monitoring methods like this – if collecting this kind of data is important to you, you will have to pay for it.

Songs

Your watch simply monitors your morning and game activities. Many smartwatches save you music in your area, so you can connect wireless headsets and listen to music without bringing your phone. The ones that don’t have a music store are usually equipped with music monitors, so you can streamline the play without removing your phone. And if your watch has LTE, your saving is not necessary – you will be able to play music directly from the watch to your integrated ear.

NFC

Most watches with NFC, allow you to pay for items without your wallet. Once you save your credit or debit card history, you can set your smartwatch to the NFC reader to pay for coffee when you go home. Keep in mind that different brands use different payment methods: Apple brands use Apple Pay, Wear OS tools use Google Pay, Samsung tools use Samsung Pay and so on. Fitbit and Garmin have their own versions called – you guessed it – Fitbit Pay and Garmin Pay.

Communication

Smartwatches can also make communication easier with app notifications, voice feedback and the ability to answer calls. The app notifications provided on your smartwatch allow you to look down and see if you need to see your phone right now. Letter notifications do the same thing, and some smartwatches allow you to send short answers from your hands. Some allow you to answer calls again, and those with LTE allow you to call again even when your phone is down.

Engadget Options

Most importantly: Apple Watch

The program of Apple Penyani has been the most powerful smartwatch available since its inception in 2015. It’s a no-brainer option for iPhone users, and we can’t blame you for switching to an iPhone so you can use the Apple Watch. The latest version, the Apple Watch Series 6, is equipped with robust fitness equipment that can meet the needs of both new and advanced athletes. Also known if you have a fall, you can take an ECG test and measure your blood pressure. In addition, it offers NFC, on-board music storage and many useful software as well as several messaging solutions.

Although the Series 6 and Apple Watch are heavier than ever, they are much more expensive, at a starting price of $ 399. Those who do not want regular screening, ECG or blood counts may consider buying Apple Look SE, starting at $ 279.

We consider Watch SE to be the best option for your first smartwatch, or have a budget. You’ll find all the Apple Watch requirements as well as things like fall detection, noise monitoring and emergency SOS, but you should skip hardware requirements like a blood sensor and ECG indicator.

Buy the Apple Watch Series 6 on Amazon – $ 399 Buy the Apple Watch SE on Amazon – $ 279

Best budget: Fitbit Versa 2

Losing $ 400 on a smartwatch is not possible for everyone, which is why we recommend it Fitbit Versa 2 as a way of less than $ 200. That’s what we like because it offers a group of items at a great price. You get all the basics: Fitbit exercise (including self-testing), sleep tracking, water resistance, connected GPS, blood pressure monitoring and six-day battery life. It also supports Fitbit Pay using NFC and was built into Amazon Alexa on mobile terms. While Versa 2 costs $ 180, we have seen it at a price as low as $ 150.

Buy Fitbit Versa 2 on Amazon – $ 180

Best for Android phones: Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2

Samsung has given some time and resources to make Tizen smartwatch OS a better option in Google’s Wear OS (in many ways, we love the Google app). The program of Galaxy Watch Active 2 it is reflected in its minimal design, a wide range of health research methods such as exercise and sleep monitoring, as well as smartwatch tracking features such as home improvement, hiking and music play. We also love its non-slip bezel which gives you the opportunity to use the interface easily. The program of Galaxy Watch Active 2 it tracks events and is very successful as well, and its internal sensors are good and fast and accurate. Although they are priced at $ 250, we often see them for sale for $ 200.

It is worth noting that we will see some important WearOS updates soon. Google has announced at its annual conference of manufacturers that it is working with Samsung to find the WearOS version that brings some from our favorite Tizen. Google also completed the acquisition of Fitbit not too long ago, so the updated WearOS may have apps that Fitbit devices have had for some time.

Buy Galaxy Watch Active 2 on Amazon – $ 249

Fashion choices

Of course, there are still companies out there trying to make “high quality” smartwatches. While the clothes were strange and ugly, made like The past, Michael Kors and Skagen they found their appearance in smart watches that resembled traditional watches. They’re still good these days if you’d like, but clothing made by Apple, Samsung, Fitbit and others has been very popular ever since.

Lastly, the only thing you can’t change when you buy a smartwatch is depending on how it is made. If you don’t look at the Apple Watch’s iPhone-mini model, all Samsung smartwatches have a round charge that resembles a traditional watch. Most garments come in a variety of colors and you can pay extra for basic items like stainless steel. Once you choose the case, your band choices are endless. There are many — first and third party available on many large radios, which give you the opportunity to change your look whenever you want.

Cherlynn Low contributed to this.