Smartwatch Buying Guide: Top 5 Things To Consider
Smartwatches are the next accessory to be digitalised and revamped using technology. Instead of buying traditional watches, people nowadays are opting for smartwatches which provides more value through technology.
For both casual and fitness use, smartwatches check all the boxes by providing additional benefits that traditional watches do not have.
From the eyes of a new buyer, it may be confusing finding a place to start. Not to worry as this buying guide will help you through the research and buying process.
1. Health features
The main feature of smartwatches is its ability to display anything health related about the user wearing the smartwatch. The difference between each smartwatch is the level of health features they offer.
For example, the most basic feature is a heart rate monitor to track the user’s ECG. More advanced features include a skin temperature sensor and a sleep tracker.
As a first-time buyer of a smartwatch, you must first identify how advanced you want the health features to be.
Casual User
For normal users, simple trackers like the heart rate monitor and pedometer are the most relevant to be informed of your current health status.
Athletes
Users belonging to the ‘pro athlete’ category or those that are very active in fitness may opt for more advanced features such as the oximeter or skin temperature sensor.
It is also important to note how much value the additional features bring you personally, as the more advanced the smartwatch is, the pricier it is.
2. GPS
Not all smartwatches have built-in GPS. The ones that don’t can still track your route, the watch just has to be connected to a phone with a GPS function.
The downside to this is that you have to carry your phone with you if you want to enable this GPS feature.
Smartwatches that have built-in GPS are more convenient to use as only one device needs to be used and it is wearable. However, this slight advantage comes at a price and is generally more expensive than smartwatches with no built-in GPS.
Thus, you need to determine how intensely you would use your smartwatch as a fitness tracker. If you’re not an avid fitness junkie, purchasing a smartwatch with no built-in GPS may carry more value to you as most times you won’t need to be hands-free.
3. Additional features
If the idea of convenience and portability is appealing to you, these additional features are what you should look out for.
NFC Reader
NFC readers in the smartwatch permits contactless payment.
All that’s needed to do is input the credit or debit card details in the smartwatch.
Receive Calls & Notifications
Instead of having to search for your phone, you can see who’s calling from the device on your wrist.
This is a feature that may have more value to busy people who often have their hands full.
Voice assistance
Voice assistance such as google assistant or Alexa are available on some smartwatches. If you are a previous user of Alexa or google assistant, you may want to continue using gadgets with these voice assistants due to familiarity.
The voice assistance also promotes a hand-free experience to users.
4. Compatibility
As most smartwatches still rely on connections with phones, it is important to see if the smartwatch OS works well with your phone’s OS.
Wear OS is a common operating system for Android smartwatches, developed by Google and Samsung. This operating system works with phones running Android 6.0+ or iOS 13.0+ and is available for iPhone 5S+ and later.
Apple smartwatches runs on watchOS and it is only compatible with Apple phones. It cannot be paired with Android phones.
Since smartwatches with wear OS can pair with both Apple and Android phones, it would be a recommended option to get an Android smartwatch due to its ability to diversify.
5. Price
Low-range
Cheap smartwatches range from RM99 to RM150.
The Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 4C is a good and cheap smartwatch to investigate.
This smartwatch is selling for as low as RM99.
The Mi Smart Band 4C offers basic health features such as the heart rate monitor and a sleep tracker.
It also has music playback control and can receive calls and notifications from the watch itself.
This smartwatch is marketed towards the fitness world as it is lightweight and water resistant.
It also has many small features that help assist you in your workout, or reminders to keep you active throughout the day.
Overall, this smartwatch provides very good value.
Mid-range
Mid-range smartwatches have prices from RM200 to RM369.
The Realme Watch 2 Pro is priced at RM265.90.
It offers more advanced health features such as heart rate and blood oxygen monitor.
It has a built-in GPS and as a fitness watch, it has a water resistance rating of IP68.
This watch is more fashionable than the Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 4C as it has a square screen display as opposed to the long rectangle design on the Xiaomi smartwatch.
It can be worn casually and when doing sports.
High-range
High-range smartwatches can go up to RM1000, with the lowest being around RM500.
From observation, these watches are either from very reputable electronic brands such as Samsung, or collaborations with fashion brands ie. Michael Kors. Other reasons for the drastic price are due to the quality of the product.
The Honor MagicWatch 2 may not be as well-known as brands like Apple, but the interesting features and added benefits this watch offers explains the price tag of RM699.
The appearance of the watch distinguishes itself from other similar products through its stainless-steel rim.
It instantly makes the watch look like a high-end brand watch that can be worn to fancy restaurants.
The basic features include the heart rate monitor and SpO2 monitor to measure the oxygen saturation in the bloodstream.
It has a dual satellite positioning system. This provides accurate readings on the route or distance travelled, allowing for a smartphone free adventure.
Phone features such as a built-in speaker and microphone, wireless music playback, and clock function ties the smartwatch together.
In summary, it is a phone condensed into a watch with added benefits of health trackers.
Final Thoughts
Researching about smartwatches may seem overwhelming initially, but most of the information in the product description just lists the features that the smartwatch has.
Other things to note include the operating system the smartwatch operates on, and the price.
