How to pick a good smartwatch

If you are thinking about getting a smartwatch you might have already noticed the huge amount of options available out there – each very different from each other.  Do you go with a big brand or do you pick by functionality?  To make it easy for you here are a few things that you should be aware of before buying a smartwatch as all is not what it seems...

Battery capacity

You don’t want to be running out of battery before the end of the day so this is a huge consideration.  Lots of smartwatches actually have a very small battery capacity so if you are going to be listening to music and tracking your fitness you should make sure that you have a decent size battery.  For example, the Apple Smartwatch battery is pretty low at just 205mAh whereas the Krome smartwatch is almost double that at 350mAh.  A 350mAh battery will give you 168 hours on Bluetooth connection standby and 3 hours in talk time.

 

Style

Now, this is often what it all comes down to – how well does it look on your wrist.  A smartwatch might have all the coolest features but if it looks like something you would rather keep hidden then it just won’t do.  There are some good looking designs out there, depending on what style you want.  We love the Nigma smartwatch as it looks regal but not in your face.  In fact, you can barely tell it’s a smartwatch.

 

Storage

Depending on what you plan to use your smartwatch for, you might need more than the average storage.  Will you be listening to music, if so this can take up a lot of space, especially if you want a good variety of tunes.  Big brands like the Samsung Galaxy Gear 2 has quite low storage capacity with just 4 GB of internal storage.  If you want a smartwatch with a decent storage capacity one with external storage might be a better option.  The Neuvo smartwatch, for example, takes a micro SD card up to 32GB.

 

Syncing with your phone

 

 Make sure that the smartwatch you want is compatible with your phone as some smartwatches are either for iPhones or Android phones which is annoying if you want to get a new phone in 6 months’ time.  There are however lots of smartwatches that sync with both types of the smartphone so these are a better idea.

 

Pretty much all smartwatches will sync with your phone but this is done over Bluetooth which means your smartphone has to be within a very close distance.  You can’t for example play music from your smartphone via Bluetooth while you are at the gym and your phone is in a locker.  Some watches sync with your smartphone but are also standalone phones so you can actually insert your SIM card inside.  This means you can leave your expensive smartphone at home while you go out for the evening and you can still make calls receive text messages and even browse the internet.  Smartwatches with SIM cards are also great for traveling as you don’t have to carry your smartphone with you but you can still have the convenience of having a phone strapped to your wrist.

 

Fitness

Fitness bands a really useful but let’s face it, most of them don’t look as good as a smartwatch.  Luckily there are a few cool looking models that are smart and keep you fit.  The Prodigy smartwatch, for example, has a heart rate monitor, pedometer, temperature reading, ECG Analysis, sleep monitor, sedentary reminder – it even has a UV radiation checker.  More importantly, it oozes style and comes in 5 different designs.

 

 

Price

So you might have found the smartwatch you want but some are hugely expensive and often you are paying for the name rather than a decent spec which leaves you wondering if it really is the best deal.  Before looking for smartwatches have a think about how much you actually want to spend as there are many good options available outside the well-known brands.  You can still get loads of great functions (actually way better) and pay less. After weighing up all the pros and cons we love this smartwatch as it has a good battery life, decent storage, it looks amazing, it’s available in loads of styles and it tops many of the fitness trackers out there, best of all its easily affordable.

Want to win a smartwatch?  Enter our competition and win a whole heap of cool gadgets!