Why carry your gadgets when you can wear them? Steve Dinneen tries out ten of the best
The more observant among you may have noticed that Apple has started selling watches.
If this is news to you, you might be intrigued to know that there was also a general election last month and that the Duchess of Cambridge recently gave birth to a human baby.
Wearables are a big deal right now, evolving from a niche market aimed largely at fitness fanatics to an increasingly mainstream addition to your family of gadgets. By 2020, it is predicted that the sector will be worth US$57 billion in revenue annually.
Where once wearable tech would merely record data to be interpreted by your computer or smartphone, now it acts as a conduit for information, pushing your calls and messages to your wrist and telling you when you have a social media alert.
The more advanced watches are almost threatening to replace your phone altogether, although none have managed that feat just yet.
While wearables used to be manufactured from utilitarian plastic and rubber, today’s cutting-edge products are fashioned from the kind of materials that have for centuries been associated with high-end wristwatches – rose gold, stainless steel and fine leather.
Smart devices are also turning to traditional timepieces for design inspiration, with Motorola and LG producing stunning models that wouldn’t look out of place on Bond Street.
As with the smartphone and tablet markets, the big commercial battle to control the eco-system is between Apple and Google with their Watch OS and Android Wear software.
The phone you use will largely prescribe the watch you buy – so far, no Android Wear watch works with an iPhone (although the rumour mill suggests this could change in the not-too-distant future) and Apple’s watch is also locked to its own range of devices.
As ever, investing in technology that is in an early stage of development is a risky business. Still, there are some strong products worth considering.
SONY SMARTWATCH 3 (STEEL)
£230, sony.co.uk
Sony raised eyebrows when it released the third iteration of its smartwatch running Android Wear instead of its own software.
As we’ve come to expect from Sony, it’s packed with high-spec hardware. Its 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 512MB of RAM and in-built GPS make it among the most powerful watches on the market (the GPS is particularly useful for runners), and it also has wifi and NFC (near field communication).
It comes with a “transflective” screen that makes reading in sunlight easier, although the display is noticeably less crisp than that of a top-end phone.
This steel version has a pleasing retro look to it, like something out of the original Battlestar Galactica. Its battery is a beast compared with most smartwatches and you should comfortably achieve the two-day longevity that Sony claims.
FITBIT SURGE
£200, fitbit.com/uk
With GPS, a heart rate monitor, altimeter, ambient light sensor and digital compass all squeezed into one fairly attractive band, this is a great all-round fitness tracker.
It can connect to major smartphone operating systems via Bluetooth and log seven days’ worth of info before you have to upload the data to your phone.
The accompanying app is slick and provides some genuinely useful information. The battery lasts a stonking seven days.
On the downside, it’s rather cumbersome for everyday use, and not cheap. If you’re looking for an activity tracker with a lot of features, and are not too worried about people asking you about it all the time, this could be the one for you.
MISFIT FLASH
£50, store.misfit.com
Released at the end of last year, this affordable fitness/sleep monitor comes in the form of a small disc (roughly the size of a two-pence coin) that slips into a watch strap mount. It can even be set into a necklace or kept in your pocket.
The entire surface of the unit is a button – when you press it, it displays the time and your stats. The Flash automatically measures calories, steps and distance, as well as sleep quality and duration.
It comes in seven colours, is water resistant up to 30 metres, so you can wear it while swimming, and it needs no charging. To look at, it’s not all that stylish, but the benefit is you don’t have to make a show of wearing it – just hide it in a pocket or put it on a keychain.
LG G WATCH R
£200, lg.com/uk
The LG G Watch R wins the award for having the most superfluous letters, and for being one of the finest Android smartwatches.
It’s built to look like a traditional watch, and from a distance you could just about mistake it for one, with its round 3.3cm display.
Its hardware is at the top end of the scale, with a 1.2GHz processor, 512MB of RAM and 4GB of storage (plenty of space for a few running playlists), as well as a heart rate monitor, barometer, accelerometer and compass (but no GPS, NFC or mobile connection).
As ever, battery life is an inexact science given differences in usage, but it should last two days for most people. If you want a smartwatch that looks like a watch, this is the one for you. It comes in black only.
GARMIN VIVOSMART
£120, garmin.com
Garmin has been in the fitness tracking game since its early days, and the Vivosmart certainly looks the part.
t’s a discreet band with a snazzy, glowing OLED screen that can receive notifications from your phone via Bluetooth.
It comes with its own app but, even better, is compatible with Apple Health, which is a far prettier interface and means the band can be used as part of a wider health regime. It’s available in berry, blue, black, slate and purple.
In terms of functionality, it’s fairly rudimentary, especially given the upper-mid market price point, with step, distance, calorie and sleep trackers. The battery will last a week between charges and it’s compatible with iOS and Android.
What it does, it does relatively well, and it looks nice.
MICROSOFT BAND
£170, microsoft.com/uk
The major selling point of Microsoft’s new fitness tracker is having a market-leading ten sensors, including heart rate monitor, accelerometer/gyroscope, GPS, microphone, ambient light sensor, skin response detector (so it knows when you’re asleep, for example) and UV sensor.
It’s compatible with iOS and Android, as well as Windows Phone, making it a good all-round device. It will send notifications when you receive calls, texts and social media alerts (via Bluetooth).
The slimline 3.3cm x 1cm screen features Microsoft’s now-familiar tiles, which are intuitive to interact with. The graphs of your fitness data supplied by Microsoft Health are useful and attractive.
Unfortunately, it has no internal storage, so you can’t upload a playlist for running, and it’s rather uncomfortable to wear. The battery lasts up to 48 hours.
ZEPP SENSOR
£130, zepp.com
One of the zanier trackers, the Zepp promises to help you improve your game, as long as that game is golf or tennis.
It is sold on the Apple Store as either the Zepp Golf Swing Analyser (with golf glove mount) or the Tennis Swing Analyser (with tennis racquet mount). Both cost £130 and the analysis is done by the corresponding app (free, iOS and Android store).
It’s unobtrusive, at only 2.8cm x 2.8cm, but promises to map your swing in 3D – tracking power, spin and trajectory – and beam your results to your iOS or Android device.
It sounds like a gimmick, but sportsmen and women say the data is accurate and can genuinely help hone their performance.
SAMSUNG GEAR S
£329, samsung.com/uk
This is a huge smartwatch. The two-inch curved screen looks great in the showroom but it’s a beast when it’s on your wrist.
It has a built-in SIM card – which you will probably have to pay for depending on your contract – allowing you to take calls and texts without your phone (Samsung smartphones only: you can’t set it up without one).
The display is crisp, with one of the highest resolutions (360 x 480 pixels) and an ambient light sensor that brightens it when outside. There is a heart rate monitor, accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, UV sensor and barometer, and you can even send text messages.
It has 4GB of storage and connects to Bluetooth headphones. Battery life is between one and two days. The flexible rubber strap comes in white, grey, red and two shades of blue.
MOTOROLA MOTO 360
£199, motorola.co.uk
Motorola is enjoying something of a resurgence of late, with some decent mid-range phones and now one of the best smartwatches out there.
The Android Wear Moto 360 is handsome, with a large round face, stainless steel case and leather strap (both available in black or grey). It feels like a quality gadget, borrowing something from the craftsmanship of traditional Swiss watches (although, just to be clear, it’s no Rolex).
It has a heart rate monitor, pedometer, ambient light sensor and wireless charging. The battery should just about last a full day if you’re not a heavy user, but it’s one of the weaker models in this regard.
Overall, this is the best-looking smartwatch you can buy, although it may not be long before its hardware is outdated. Still, Motorola is one to watch.
APPLE WATCH
From £299, apple.com/uk
With its rectangular design, the Apple Watch appears quaint compared with some of the more stylistically advanced Android pieces. But it soon becomes apparent that – as you’d hope for the price – it’s the most finely crafted device out there.
The cheapest model is the Sport, which is £299 for the 3.8cm or £339 for the 4.2cm version (with a white, blue, green, pink or black strap). Next is the Apple Watch, which has no less than 20 varieties, from £479 to £949. Lastly, there is the Apple Watch Edition, which costs between £8,000 and £13,500.
The more expensive versions simply have nicer straps and gold cases. Each features an elegant “taptic” alert that vibrates on your wrist when you receive a notification.
There is a whopping 8GB of storage, as well as a heart rate sensor and accelerometer (although no in-built GPS). The battery is good for 18 hours.
