How to Use Your Smartwatch for Live Coding and Debugging Developers
7 Best Smartwatch For Developers And Software Engineers
Smartwatches are pretty cool for developers, as they will manage their time for debugging, testing, coding, etc. You can set schedules for different projects to complete them on time.
These watches are loaded with dozens of fitness tracking features that help developers to monitor their heart rate, body energy, stress, SpO2 and more. I know coding is a pretty tricky and stressful task for most developers. So these smartwatches help you to release stress by offering different stress lowering programs.
We have collected some of the best smartwatches for you that contain all the features that are useful for developers. So have a look!
Best Smartwatch For Developers
- Galaxy Watch Active 2
- Apple Watch Series 6
- Fitbit Sense
- Garmin Venu Sq
- Huawei GT 2 Pro
- Amazfit GTR 2
1- Galaxy Watch Active 2
Galaxy watches are the beast of the market, and they offer premium fitness tracking and other advanced features. You can also pick an LTE variant which means you have a mini smartphone on your wrist.
So during your work, you can answer calls and reply to texts from your wrist, even you can use the internet on your wrist, how cool it is.
The Galaxy watch is so comfortable and lightweight that you can wear it for a whole day. It will support your wrist during your development work. The 1.2 dial is pretty vibrant and looks so sexy, and it has 360 x 360 px resolution at 364 PPI.
As a developer, you can install apps like Google Keep, Toggle, Todoist and other apps. These apps help you to manage your time, check future tasks, and more. This means the Galaxy watch can increase your productivity.
Other Fitness Features
Just like other smartwatches, Galaxy Watch Active 2 comes with tons of fitness and health tracking features.
It also offers a built-in GPS that helps you track your speed, pace, distance, etc., during your morning run, jogging, or cycling. You can also keep an eye on calories burned during your specific activities.
Whenever you feel stress, Galaxy watch will sense it and notify you to take some rest. The watch offers dozens of guided meditation and breathing exercises to lower stress, which is great for developers.
Apart from this, Galaxy Watch Active 2 can track your real-time heart rate, have advanced sleep tools, SpO2 sensor, blood pressure, ECG app, and more.
Pros
- Better design
- LTE connectivity
- Durable
- Lot of sports modes
- Excellent battery life
2- Apple Watch Series 6
This is another most powerful smartwatch for developers, loaded with tons of advanced features. The Apple Watch Series 6 is a Flagship watch which is much better than its predecessor.
The design of this device is very sleek and comfortable. Watchbands are also changeable, and you can pick any band that meets your outfit.
Just like Galaxy Watch Active 2, this Apple watch also has a cellular variant that allows you to use your watch as a phone. You can answer calls, SMS and also use the internet from your wrist.
One thing I like about Apple watches is their high accuracy. I have never seen an accurate smartwatch like Apple watches. Their GPS tracking is also very insane. You can get the best routes even in the most challenging environment.
The operating system of the Apple Watch Series 6 is like butter, offers high-speed navigation and easy to use interface. I strongly recommend Watch 6 if you are an iPhone user.
Fitness Tracking Capabilities
Apple Watch Series 6 will measure your every single activity, whether its indoor or outdoor. Advanced sensors can accurately estimate your high-intensity exercises like GYM, hiking, cardio, etc.
Apart from this, you can monitor your real-time heart rate, sleep tracking, ECG app, SpO2, respiration tracking, stress monitoring, calories counter and more.
You will get all the sports modes like running, swimming, yoga, cycling, dance and more. The watch automatically tracks most sports like running, cycling, or fantastic hiking.
[i2pc show_title=false title=Pros & Cons show_button=false pros_title=Pros cons_title=Cons ][i2pros]Accurate SpO2
Altimeter for real-time elevation tracking
Smooth performance
Best third party app selection
Excellent fitness tracking abilites[/i2pros][i2cons]Expensive
Battery life could be improve[/i2cons][/i2pc]
3- Fitbit Sense
Fitbit makes the best budget smartwatches, but Fitbit Sense is the high-end smartwatch of the brand. For fitness lovers and smart people, Fitbit wear is perfect. If you love yoga, meditations, and other stuff like that, Sense is ideal.
I love its sleek design, which looks elegant on everyones wrist. Especially for ladies, this watch is just like jewellery.
Fitbit Sense is also loaded with many features that will help you manage your time effectively. You can also install separate time management or project management apps. With a built-in Alexa voice assistant, you can make to-do lists, set timetables, alarms, stopwatches, and control your smart home devices with just one voice command.
The best thing about the Fitbit Sense is its long-lasting battery, and this smartwatch gives you 6+ days of battery life. You can track your activities for a long time without stress recharging.
It has a built-in mic and speaker that helps you make calls and reply to text SMS without touching your phone. Like Apple Watch, the Fitbit Sense also has a Fitbit pay that allows you to make contactless payments from your wrist.
Fitness Tracking Features
Fitbit Sense is full of health tracking features, including SpO2 tracking, real-time heart rate monitor, skin temperature, stress management, ECG app, mindfulness exercises, and advanced sleep-tracking tools. You will also get dozens of sports modes that track your different indoor and outdoor activities.
The smartwatch comes with a SmartTrack feature that will automatically recognize and track your activities.
Fitbit Sense tracks your every activity more deeply, and you can see all the insights on your Fitbit app. The app is outstanding and shows high-quality insights with different types of visualization.
Pros
- Attractive design
- ECG app is accurate
- Comfortable
- Excellent battery life
- Advanced sleep tracking tools
Cons
- Touch screen responsiveness could be better
- Small third-party app selection
4- Garmin Venu Sq
Garmin has created their name in the market by offering high-class durable smartwatches. No other brand can beat Garmin in durability and quality. Garmin Venu Sq is a mid-range Garmin watch that contains all the useful features for developers.
Im sure you will be surprised to see many fitness and health tracking features, like; the Pulse Ox sensor, body battery energy, advanced sleep tracking, respiration tracking, and more. All these features help you to stay active and achieve your fitness goals.
Venu Sq also supports Spotify, and you can download music on your smartwatch and build up your playlist. You can listen to songs without touching your phone. Just connect your smartwatch with headphones to listen to songs.
Just like other Garmin watches, Venu Sq comes with Garmin Coach, which is your training Coach. You can set different goals on Garmin Connect, and a Virtual coach assists you to achieve your destination.
Im a big fan of Garmin Watches GPS, and no other smartwatch can beat Garmin devices in GPS tracking. Even if you are in hell, their GPS will show accurate routing without any lacking.
Lastly, the Garmin Venu sq offers 6+ days of battery life, enough to keep tracking your fitness features for a long time.
Pros
- Very durable
- Compatible with 3rd party sensors
- Light and comfortable design
- Excellent battery life
- Accurate tracking
Cons
- No Altimeter
- Limited 3rd party app support
5- Fossil Gen 5
Fossil Gen 5 is powered by Wear OS (Made By Google). If you love Google products, Fossil Gen 5 is the best smartwatch for you.
The look is pretty decent and perfect for every outfit. But one thing I have noticed is that the Fossil Gen 5 is somewhat bulky compared to its previous models. It has a 44mm casing, and the back is made with stainless steel.
You will see all the major Google apps including, Google voice assistant, Google pay, Google fit, Google calendar, and Maps. You can also install a lot of other apps on your smartwatch according to your needs.
Fossil Gen 5 replaces your smartphone; you can track your run with untethered GPS, answer calls with built-in speakers, get important notifications, and download apps on its 8GB internal storage.
To extend the battery life, Fossil offers four different battery modes. These modes include; Daily mode, Extended mode, Time only mode, and Custom mode. The average battery life of this smartwatch is 24hours, and you have to put it on charge every night.
Fitness Tracking
Gen 5 is a multi-sports watch, and its perfect for tracking your everyday activities. It offers deep activity tracking, sleep tracking, real-time HRM, cardio fitness tracking, hand wash alters, and more.
It offers deep activity tracking, sleep tracking, real-time HRM, cardio fitness tracking, hand wash alters, and more.
The best thing in this watch is deep analytics. Now only on the smartwatch app can you even deeply analyze your daily fitness routine on your wrist. It shows daily and weekly activities graphs, heart rate graphs, sleep data, and more.
Pros
- Wear OS by Google
- Stylish look and elegant design
- Accurate fitness tracking
- Google apps are awe-inspiring
- Speaker allows tethered calls
Cons
- Battery life could be improve
- May be heavy on the wrist for some
6- Huawei GT 2 Pro
GT 2 Pro is a high-end Huawei smartwatch that gives you all the essential features. This is the only Huawei Watch that comes with 100+ sports modes.
If you look at its design, you will feel that its the most durable device. GT 2 Pro has a Sapphire glass and Titanium body that make it most robust. You can also track your underwater activities with this device.
The most premium thing in this smartwatch is the ABC sensor that will give geographical information and weather updates. The built-in Altimeter and Barometer detects air pressure, altitudes, heights, sudden change in weather, storms, and more.
Like Garmin watches, GT 2 pro also offers a Route Back feature to record your route. And when the GPS signal is weak, you can use the recorded route to find your way back.
Fitness Features
Under the hood, Huawei GT Pro 2 is packed with tons of fitness tracking features. And most of the features are premium and only found in high-end smartwatches.
There are over 100+ sports modes in this watch that will track your different indoor and outdoor activities. During each sport, the watch provides comprehensive data such as heart rate, speed, maximum slope, distance for cross-country skiing, snowboarding on a ski field.
The fitness tracking department can track your heart rate, sleep, calories, VO2 max, respiration tracking, 24-hour SpO2 level detection, stress monitoring, and more.
Pros
- Premium design
- No Altimeter
- Excellent battery life
- Accurate heart-rate tracking
- 100+ activity modes
- Wireless charging
Cons
- No NFC
- OS experience inferior to Android
7- Amazfit GTR 2
It comes with all the tools that are useful for developers. Amazfit GTR 2 offers 3GB of music storage so that you can pile up your tracks playlist.
Thanks to Amazfit for adding an extra long-lasting battery. GTR is the first Amazfit smartwatch that offers 14-days of long-lasting battery. It is equipped with a powerful 471mAh battery, and it also supports fast charging.
GTR 2 has a built-in Alexa that allows you to get the latest news, weather forecast, set alarms, timers, and control your smart home devices.
Fitness Features
In Amazfit GTR 2, you will see some unique and premium fitness tracking features. The first useful feature is the PAI Health Assessment System.
This system will track you all day activities, heart rate, exercise time, etc., and convert all the data into a single score. This score will help you to increase your day-to-day performance to improve the score.
Other fitness and health tracking features include; sleep tracking, stress monitor, blood oxygen saturation measurement, and real-time heart rate.
Plus, Amazfit GTS 2 has 90+ sports modes, which is pretty cool. And your watch will automatically track a few sports modes.
Pros
- Bright 3D AMOLED display
- Comes with 3GB storage for music
- Lightweight
- Best budget watch
- Ambient Light Sensor is Responsive
- Premium fitness tracking
Cons
- Hardly get Updates
- Stops Touch Response in Underwater Conditions
What To Consider Before Buying A Smartwatch For Developers (Buying Guide)
To get the perfect developers smartwatch, the following factors must be considered:
1- Compatibility
The first and foremost factor that you must consider before buying a smartwatch for developers is its compatibility. Dont buy a smartwatch if you arent sure it will work with your smartphone.
For Example, Wear OS devices are compatible with both iOS and Android, unlike Apple Watches, which work exclusively with iPhones.
Samsung, Garmin, Fitbit and other brands make smartwatches that work with Android and iOS, but youll need to install a companion app. So, always check the compatibility of a smartwatch before buying it.
2- Battery Life
Despite recent advancements in smartwatch battery life, it remains one of the biggest complaints. Wear OS devices, and also Apple Watches should last two full days.
Besides fitness watches, some other devices last as long as five to seven days on a single charge, but they tend to have fewer features and a lower-quality display.
A hybrid smartwatch that looks more like an analogue timepiece tends to have a longer battery life, but these dont have touchscreens.
3- Fitness Features
Smartwatches are popular because of their ability to track activity. Ideally, your wearable watch should follow your steps, calories, workouts and heart rate.
Most smartwatches have GPS onboard, which can be useful for mapping running and biking routes. Water-resistant devices will appeal to swimmers, and most are now able to withstand at least a dip in a pool.
So, always go with that smartwatch which contains the necessary features of your wish.
4- Communication
It is the most important factor for developers and software engineers that they must consider. With the help of apps, texting and call-answering, smartwatches can also enhance communication.
Many smartwatches let you reply directly to text messages directly from the wrist. You can answer calls with some of them, and those with LTE can make calls while the phone is turned off.
5- Price
On average, a good smartwatch costs between $200 and $400. The more expensive smartwatches have better fitness, music, and communications features than budget smartwatches, which cost between $100 and $200
Budget devices usually lack features like onboard GPS, music storage, and NFC. While luxury smartwatches can cost thousands of dollars, we dont recommend them.
Final Words
We have done a lot of research in building this list, so you can buy any watch without any doubt. I recommend Apple Watch Series 6 and Galaxy Active 2. We appreciate it if you choose any smartwatch from our list
About Author
Felix Leo is a passionate tech enthusiast with a deep love for smart wearables and fitness trackers. With five years of experience in the wearable industry, he is very conversant about the this industry. He is the author of Gorilla-FitnessWatches, aiming to provide unbiased and factual information regarding smartwatches.
