With the holidays fast approaching, there’s a small but expensive gift for that special someone. A smartwatch is designed to coordinate with your phone using Bluetooth technology to make sure you never miss a call again. Your smartwatch will notify you of a call and, if set to do so, it will also tell you who is calling. There’s no need to take your phone out of your pocket or the bottom of your bag. You can discreetly check your watch.
Not all smart watches are the same. Before purchasing one, here are some factors to check:
1. Compatibility with your type of phone
2. The strength of the battery and how often it needs to be charged
3. What features you want. Some include: call and social media notification, stopwatch and calendar, voice activation, water resistant, miscellaneous alerts, and shock resistant.
4. Design – Do you want something streamlined and also contemporary or are you a geek who really wants a great watch with all possible features?
5. Simplicity of use – Does it fit effortlessly on your wrist? Do you need something shockproof? Can you check the dial effortlessly? Remember that this machine needs to make your life simpler, not more difficult.
These are the 10 best smartwatches for 2014: MetaWatch Strata, MetaWatch Frame, Pebble, Cookoo, I’m Watch, Samsung Galaxy Gear, Martian G2G, Martian Passport, Martian Victory, and Sony LiveView. I am going to select 3 of these to review in detail. These three represent the variety that exists among these watches.
MetaWatch Strata – This is an extremely strong watch that can take a few beatings. The band is made of flexible plastic and is also washable. There is a scratch resistant face and it is also waterproof. The battery can last a week on a single charge. There are several stylish colors for the strap: electric blue, pink, orange and lime green, in addition to the conventional grey. There are many more features and also apps that can be downloaded as apps for this phone suitable for iPhones. At $145, this is one of the least expensive smartwatches around.
Samsung Galaxy Team – This is a sleek and streamlined watch simply produced for a woman who likes jewelry. No Samsung S3 or S4 is complete without one of these smartwatches. A unique benefit includes the protection of your phone. When you move more than 5 feet from your phone, the Gear secures and locks your phone, then unlocks it as soon as you return. The screen face is quite clear and also the battery lasts 2-3 days between charges. The voice function allows you to dictate messages, set reminders and also make calls. This watch is $337 retail.
Sony Live View – This is one that suits someone on a small budget as it weighs only $25.86. It can easily be attached to a bag strap, but wrist straps are available. For something so small, it’s surprisingly handy with Facebook and Twitter updates, as well as conventional features. You can upload and play songs from your phone and also purchase Gmail updates. However, there is no Bluetooth capability on the watch itself. As soon as the reception goes away, it renders this phone unusable as it acquires your signal from the phone. A really useful function is the “Find phone” function. If you can’t find your phone, Sony LiveView will let you find it by calling it for you.
As you can see, these phones are quite different from each other and also from other devices and accessories. Considering that these watches are so new, it’s a good idea to try them on before you buy. At least put them on and also see if all the buttons work. “If you consider all of the above factors, you’re sure to find a smartwatch that’s the perfect fit for you. Then you can stop missing important calls or messages while checking your phone less often.”
What exactly will 2015 bring for the new Smart Watch technology? Currently, smartwatches that do not require phone connections to function have started to appear, essentially a cell phone watch. The world of cartoon character Dick Tracy with his two-way walkie-talkie wristwatch has finally arrived.
