Do I really need a smartwatch

Do you really need a smartwatch?

In these days of constant internet connectivity, we search for more and more convenient ways to stay online. This desire to stay in touch brought us smartwatches, which have been a thing for almost a decade now. They come in different shapes and sizes, with different operating systems, and most importantly with different sets of features.

But the question is: do you really need a smartwatch? Are you the type of person that can take advantage of this gadget, or is it an unnecessary purchase? These are the questions that I will help you answer.

How do smartwatches work?

A smartwatch is a mobile wearable device, an accessory to your phone, containing most of the same ingredients but in another shape and with a different purpose. Smartwatches are an extension of your phone, and they cannot replace it.

Smartwatches work by connecting to your phone, so they always know what's happening. The most common way to connect is via Bluetooth, although some also feature other connectivity options like Wi-Fi and Cellular.

The point of the smartwatch is pretty simple to keep you alert on your notifications without the need to look at your smartphone, while also giving you extra functionalities. This added functionality, as mentioned above, is usually in the form of fitness and health-tracking features.

There are smartwatches that can make calls, and cellular models can even have their own number and sim card. These can be useful with kids because theyre always active and prone to losing their phone. A cellular smartwatch will always be on their wrist, offering the communication and tracking features that every parent needs.

Is a smartwatch worth it?

Some smartwatches are made with specific groups of users in mind, and some try to appeal to the masses. Depending on their target market, different manufacturers design different types of watches.

Athletes and fitness enthusiasts can take advantage of most of the activity-tracking functions of a smartwatch. Nowadays, these wearables can track your heart rate, teach you exercises, count your steps and calculate how many calories you have burned or how much you ran today.

Companies like Fitbit and Garmin make good fitness focused smartwatches. The

Fitbit Versa 2

is a perfect example of such a device, with its excellent battery life and vast tracking capabilities. Garmin offers the

Vivoactive 4

, also a great example of a sport-centric smartwatch.

But there are other types of people in need of this gadget. These are the users that want to stay connected, even when they're busy. Smartwatches provide a way for you to interact with your notifications without pulling out your smartphone from your pocket.

The

Apple Watch Series 6

and the

Samsung Galaxy Watch 3

try to do it all. They're some of the smartest watches on the market and offer exceptional balance between design and functions.

Of course, others will prefer luxury smartwatches.These are made to be more of a fashion statement than a gadget and often sacrifice functionality for better looks and build quality. Theyre often expensive and made by or in collaboration with renowned luxury brands.

Such smartwatches are the

TAG Heuer Connected Modular

series and the Apple Watch Series 6 Hermes Edition. The TAG Heuer smartwatches are a perfect example of functionality sacrificed in the name of fashion. The Hermes edition Apple Watch doesnt sacrifice any functionality, but it doesnt add any extra stuff either, choosing to differentiate itself with premium materials and a higher price.

So is it worth it? It all depends on your needs. If while reading this you've spotted some smartwatch features that youve been looking, but your phone never quite delivered them the way you wanted, then you probably need a smartwatch.

Smartwatch vs fitness band

You should remember one thing when it comes to these two categories of wearable gadgets: one tries to do it all; the other is purely focused on sports. A fitness band does what its name suggests - it measures your heart rate, tracks your steps, calculates your burned calories, acknowledges if you are running or climbing stairs and counts that too.

Fitness bands also have limited notification features, which are mostly to vibrate and show you what type of notification you just received on your phone, but you usually cant read what it says. If youre only interested in a smartwatch because of its exercising features, you are probably better off with a fitness band.

Smartwatches give you what a fitness band cant. They'll let you read and interact with your notifications, answer or hang up calls, give you information about the weather, the news and navigate you across the streets. Most of them have GPS connectivity for better tracking and navigation too, which is something that fitness bands dont. If you want the wearable that is smarter, you should definitely buy a smartwatch.

What smartwatch should I get?

Best overall - Apple Watch Series 6

This watch is the best in terms of software and performance. It is undoubtedly the smoothest smartwatch on the market and one of the best in terms of features. The Apple Watch Series 6 has an always on display and runs watchOS 7. The battery lasts around a day, depending on how active you are. The Series 6 smartwatch is waterproof and has cellular variants, which allow it to be used independently from your smartphone.

The Apple Watch 6 is a high-end smartwatch offered in different versions, depending on the materials used. The price varies from $399 for the entry level version up to $1499 for its Hermes special edition version. A Nike version of the Apple Watch 6 is also available. You can also read our

review of the Apple Watch Series 6

.

There is also a smaller version of the watch called Garmin Vivoactive 4s. The Garmin Vivoactive 4 and Vivoactive 4s cost $349 and come in a variety of colors to choose from.

Best value for money smartwatch - Apple Watch SE

This watch is basically the last generation Series 5 Apple Watch, minus the always on display, and the new processor and stainless steel body found in the Series 6. It is still a great watch, especially considering its starting price of $280. You still get most of the features you find on the much more expensive Watch Series 6, including a waterproof design and a variant with cellular connectivity.

The Apple Watch SE also has the same operating system and modern design as the Series 6. The body of the Apple Watch SE is made out of aluminium and there are a variety of wristband options to choose from. You can also read our

review of the Apple Watch SE

.

5 Questions to Ask Before You Buy a Smartwatch

Considering a smartwatch? Join the club. In 2023, unit shipments of smartwatches are expected to reach 300 million, and Apple Watch sales exceeded those of the entire Swiss watch industry some years ago. Even many die-hard mechanical watch nerds seem to be coming around, adding the odd smartwatch to the mix of traditional mechanical timepieces that, until recently, they couldnt imagine putting away in favor something with a microchip and powered by batteries.

So how do you decide if a smartwatch is right for you? Its a tough decision a smartwatch can offer genuine utility, but do we really need yet another screen in our lives? And once youve decided that you want one, how do you decide which one is the right fit for your lifestyle? Here are five questions to ask yourself before you pull the trigger.

1. Do you truly need a smartwatch in the first place?

Nomad

What do smartwatches do, exactly? Many things: they can track your sleep, optimize your fitness regimen, alert you to incoming calls and messages, track your location on a map, and much, much more. However, theres a larger existential question to be addressed here: Namely, do you really need any of this shit in your life?

All this information is available on your phone, which means its available to you pretty much all the time. But maybe having fitness tracking alone is worth having Apple own even more real estate on your body? If the answer is a resounding (or even, a desultory) yes, then read on. If not if the entire idea of further connecting yourself to the Cloud makes your skin crawl, well then, reach back for your Timex, Rolex, or other -ex, as the case may be, and wrap one of those geeky plastic sleeves around your arm while you run or bike to tote your smartphone.

Do I Need a Smartwatch? No You Dont

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People often ask me, Are smartwatches worth it? And my short answer is No, they offer little value for money, rather go for a fitness tracker. But if you are still not convinced, here is my detailed explanation on why you should not buy a smartwatch.

First, a little background here. I use Galaxy Watch as my daily driver. Before that, I was using the Apple Watch and Android watch (Ticwatch E).

Now before I start ranting about Smartwatches, let me quickly tell you why you should get a smartwatch. The biggest reason, for me, is, reply to the notification. This is my most used feature in my Galaxy watch. If I get a notification, I can quickly glance at it from my watch and reply, without having to pick up my phone. This increases my productivity. The second reason I still use smartwatch is the inbuilt activity monitor. It automatically tracks my runs, swimming, etc without having to pull out my phone.

That said, there are many other things I use my smartwatch for, like alarm, controlling music playback, step counter, sleep tracking, heart rate monitor, timers, watch faces, etc. But all of this could be done with any fitness trackers. So, there is no real reason to spend 10x more on a smartwatch.

Now, with that out of the way, here are 4 reasons you should not get a smartwatch

1. Most of the features are gimmicks For example, picking up calls on a smartwatch. You have to bring your wrist near your mouth, which not only looks stupid but the quality of the calls is also not that great. Same is the case with voice assistants. Ok Google, Hey Siri, and Hey Bixby, all 3 of them are not as reliable as they are on the phone. For me, they work less than 50% of the time. I also tried to download music from Google Play Music onto the Android watch and connect Bluetooth headphones for the gym, but the connection was never stable. Same was the case with the Galaxy Watch. Though Apple Watch is an exception. It works fine when directly paired to Airpods.

2. Most Apps dont work Okay, Apple watch is again an exception here. But if you are thinking of getting a Samsung or Android smartwatch to try out different apps, well, think twice. The problem with Wear OS is that the Play Store is filled with plenty of apps that are not optimized for watch and often doesnt work. Same is the case with the Galaxy Watch.

For example, when I got my first smartwatch, I was excited to install the Uber app, and unfortunately, it didnt work on Galaxy watch or Wear OS. Though, it worked fine on Apple Watch. And thats just one of many examples. After a while, I have stopped trying.

3. You have to charge them, every day. Yes, some smartwatch has a better battery than others. For example, the Apple Watch and Galaxy watch can last 2-3 days on regular use, while my Ticwatch last a day. Fitness trackers, on the other hand, last 3-4 weeks. Now, even if you are comfortable charging your watch while you taking a shower, you have to consider the fact, that battery will die in a few years. Instead, spend a bit extra and get a Rolex. Itll last for generations and you dont to worry about charging it every day

4. Overpriced. Pretty much all smartwatches are priced between $200 to $300, sometimes even more. You can get a good mid-range smartphone at this price which can do a lot more than a smartwatch.

So, who should get a smartwatch?

Well if you are thinking of getting an Apple watch, you should go for it. That said, if you have an Android device, the only two options you get is Galaxy watch and Android watch. The Android watch is not ready for prime time yet. Software is slow and the price is high. Galaxy watch is slightly better.

So, to sum it up. Smartwatch needs to be charged every single day, most apps dont work that well and many inbuilt features like picking up calls is a gimmick. If you get a smartwatch, mostly you are going to do is, reply to the notification and a few fitness activities. Other than that, everything you can do on a smartwatch can be done on a fitness tracker. So, ask yourself, do I need to spend $300 for a smartwatch?

Sure, if you are into tech and like having cool gadgets in your wrist, then go for a smartwatch. Reply to the notification and a few fitness features is an added bonus. However, for most people, smartwatches are not useful.

Smartwatch doesnt really serve the purpose