Smartwatches are still a very new thing to a lot of people, and for good reason. You don't absolutely need one to get through the day, and some of the best smartwatches are much too expensive for many folks out there. With that said, they are good for a lot of things. They can provide you with an easy way to get information, allow you to dismiss or reply to new messages without having to pull out your phone, and much more.
Now, we've already rounded up some of the best Android Wear watches and fitness trackers you can buy, but what about the other wearables that are worth considering? With so many smartwatches on the market, we understand choosing the right one can be a bit daunting. We're here to help!
Here are the best smartwatches you can buy right now.
Upcoming: Samsung Gear S3
Samsung's Gear S2 smartwatch from 2015 was a very impressive offering, and now the company is back with yet another pair of Tizen-powered smartwatches, the Gear S3 Classic and Gear S3 Frontier! Featuring the same great rotating bezel, an all-new design and many more enhancements, these new wearables are definitely a step in the right direction.
Whether you're looking for a more classy or sporty look, the Gear S3 line probably has something for you. The Classic model is geared towards folks who want to wear their watch to work or out on the town. It should be noted that the Classic version does not come with LTE connectivity, though, so you'll need to be paired with a smartphone if you want to receive notifications on your wrist. If you're looking for something a bit more rugged that features LTE connectivity, the Frontier version is the watch for you. Both versions also come with an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, as well as big 380mAh batteries and 1.3-inch Super AMOLED displays.
We're still waiting to review the Gear S3, but we're pretty sure it will make our list as one of the best smartwatches available on the market.
Read more
- Samsung Gear S3 officially announced: specs, price, release date and more
- Samsung Gear S3 hands-on and first impressions
- Samsung Gear S3 vs Gear S2 comparison
Pebble Time
As of right now, the smartwatch landscape is packed with devices that feature touchscreen displays, 1-day battery life and over-$200 price tags. The Pebble Time might not have the best screen or the most powerful processor, but it's the overall experience that made us choose this device as our top pick.
For starters, it has a color e-paper display that's easy to read in all lighting conditions. And because the e-paper display is so great with battery life, the Pebble Time can easily last more than 5 days on a single charge. You just won't get that with other Android Wear or Apple watches. Plus, Pebble's new Timeline interface is quirky, intuitive and quite useful when you're trying to plan your day. It's compatible with both Android and iOS smartphones, too, so you don't need to pass this one up if you don't have the right phone.
It's also worth noting that the Pebble Time largely undercuts the competition in the pricing department. You can purchase the Pebble Time in a variety of different color options for under $100. For those looking for something a little more classy, the Pebble Time Steel is also available on Amazon for around $170.
Specs
- 1.25-inch LCD display with 144 x 168 resolution, 177ppi
- ARM Cortex-M4 processor
- 256KB of RAM
- 16MB of on-board storage
- 150mAh battery
- PebbleOS
- 40.5 x 37.5 x 9.5mm, 42.5g
- 30m water resistance, ISO22810 rating
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Motorola Moto 360 (2nd Generation)
The original Moto 360 was one of the best Android Wear watches around for quite some time, and now its successor is also at the top of the list.
The Motorola Moto 360 (2nd Gen.) has a bigger battery than its predecessor, a Snapdragon 400 processor and comes in two different sizes to fit more users' wrists. You'll even be able to customize it with Moto Maker. Overall, the biggest advantages the new Moto 360 brings to the table are the refreshed processing package, a customizable design and the addition of lugs that will make it much easier to swap out watch bands.
We should also note that if you're more of a fitness-oriented person, the Moto 360 Sport is also a great option. It's cheaper than the standard Moto 360, and comes with a large array of fitness tracking features.
Specs
42mm variant:
- 1.37-inch IPS LCD display with 360 x 325 resolution, 233ppi
- 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor
- 512MB of RAM
- 4GB of on-board storage
- 300mAh battery
- Android Wear
- 42.0 x 42.0 x 11.4mm
- IP67 dust and water resistance
46mm variant:
- 1.56-inch IPS LCD display with 360 x 330 resolution, 263ppi
- 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor
- 512MB of RAM
- 4GB of on-board storage
- 400mAh battery
- 46.0 x 46.0 x 11.4mm
- IP67 dust and water resistance
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Huawei Watch
The Huawei Watch was first unveiled towards the beginning of 2015 at MWC, though it didn't actually make its way to retail until the tail-end of the summer. Offering a design that is much more "watch-like" then many of its competitors, the Huawei Watch is certainly one of the more attractive Android Wear watches on the market and benefits from easily replaceable watch straps and a long-lasting battery.
For those that aren't a fan of the flat-tire look we've seen with Motorola's circular watches, you'll be happy to know that this isn't the case here. As for the rest of the specs? Everything is pretty standard fare, as most of the newer Android Wear watches feature roughly the same internals. That said, the AMOLED display on the Huawei Watch is one of the best displays available in the Android Wear market right now.
As far as pricing is concerned, starting at $350, the Huawei Watch isn't at the very top of the pricing totem, but it is certainly not the lowest priced either.
Specs
- 1.4-inch AMOLED display with 400 x 400 resolution, 286ppi
- 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor
- 512MB of RAM
- 4GB of on-board storage
- 300mAh battery
- Android Wear
- 42.0 x 42.0 x 11.3mm
- IP67 dust and water resistance
Read more
- Huawei Watch review
- Huawei Watch unboxing and initial impressions
- A closer look at the sleek and sexy Huawei Watch (IFA 2015)
Samsung Gear S2
Samsung has been making smartwatches for a long time, but it didn't make anything good until the Gear S2. And honestly, the company hit it out of the park with this one.
This Tizen-powered smartwatch sports a 1.2-inch AMOLED display, a powerful Exynos 3250 processor, plenty of on-board storage and a battery that can easily last a full day (we even managed to get 2 full days in our full review). Not only does it excel in the hardware department, Samsung also implemented a handy scrolling bezel that lets you navigate the interface with ease. That might sound a little gimmicky, but it's really awesome.
There are a few issues with the Gear S2, however, and they mainly reside in the software department. The Gear S2 is running Tizen, which means at the time of writing this, the platform is lacking some notable apps like Google Maps, Evernote, third-party music streaming apps, and fitness tracking apps like RunKeeper. Of course there are alternatives to these apps that might suffice as well.
All in all, the Gear S2 is a solid smartwatch that brings some really cool ideas to the table. It's available now in Dark Gray and Silver color options for around $240.
Specs
- 1.2-inch AMOLED display with 360 x 360 resolution, 302ppi
- 1GHz dual-core Exynos 3250 processor
- 512MB of RAM
- 4GB of on-board storage
- 250mAh battery
- Tizen
- 49.8 x 42.3 x 11.4mm, 47g
- IP68 dust and water resistance
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Apple Watch Sport
I know, I know. This is an Apple product. And we only like Android products here, right?
Wrong-o.
The Apple Watch Sport is a really nice smartwatch that does exactly what it should. It'll give you quick access to notifications, allow you to pay with your wrist, give you turn-by-turn directions, and it's a decent fitness tracker. And in terms of design, it doesn't feel like Apple cut too many corners with the overall look and feel of the device. Even the Sport model (the cheapest one of the bunch) feels like a well-built piece of hardware.
There are a few downsides to the Watch, though. Battery life isn't stellar, and oftentimes the interface can get really confusing. It's a solid first attempt at a smartwatch, sure, but Apple still has a lot of work to do.
The Apple Watch Sport is on the pricier side of the smartwatch landscape at around $300, but you might be able to find a refurbished model for less than that on Amazon or eBay.
Specs
42mm variant:
- 1.65-inch Retina display with 390 x 312 resolution, 302ppi
- 520MHz Apple S1 processor
- 512MB of RAM
- 8GB of on-board storage
- 250mAh battery
- watchOS
- 42 x 35.9 x 10.5mm, 70g
- IPX7 dust and water resistance
38mm variant:
- 1.5-inch Retina display with 340 x 272 resolution, 290ppi
- 520MHz Apple S1 processor
- 512MB of RAM
- 8GB of on-board storage
- 205mAh battery
- watchOS
- 38.6 x 33.3 x 10.5mm, 62g
- IPX7 dust and water resistance
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So there you have it, our list of the best smartwatches on the market! Do you have any suggestions for us? What do you think is the best smartwatch out there? Be sure to sound off in the comments!
Next: Best fitness trackers from Android Authority http://ift.tt/2b32BmZ
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