Choosing the best smartwatch

Smart watches are discreetly from the category of toys for those who have nowhere to put their money into a useful companion. A model with top-end functions today will cost about $ 250-300 (Apple Watch is more expensive, of course, but we will also talk about this), for this money the user can already count on at least two days of work, a built-in player, the role of a headset, organizer functions and a really sensible fitness tracker. With such a watch, you can go to workout without a smartphone and swim in the pool (all of our collection will even have the corresponding tracking modes for physical indicators).

Rating of the best "smart" watches:

• Apple Watch 5
• Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2
• Fitbit versa 2
• Apple Watch 4/3
• Honor watch magic

Best of the best and best for iOS: Apple Watch 5

A smartwatch without compromise, except for very short battery life. They even earned our most prestigious award, the Editor's Choice.

Apple Watch 5 is ideal for training - it is convenient to launch it, all status information is displayed on the screen, you do not need to scroll to the second or third screens, there are many sports in the database and there is automatic tracking of some types of activity. The Always On display helps you keep track of your progress while exercising. And in general - the necessary information is always at hand. The clock interface provides maximum personalization - there are dozens of dials in the database, most of which you can customize widgets with quick access to the desired functions.

Say what you like, but at Apple they know a lot about design: the space of the small screen is used as efficiently and informatively as possible, while notifications from the smartphone on the Apple Watch are not a postcard, you can interact with them. Reply with emoji and voice messages.

There are already many third-party applications for the clock. Pros - there is where to roam for any request, and many are localized. The downside is that almost everything cool is available only by subscription.

Another disadvantage of the watch - in my opinion, Apple here saves on the strength of materials, and it is really easy to break them (as evidenced by my experience).

Well, the dignity is essentially everything else. Apple Watch 5 is the benchmark for the entire industry today.

Reasons to buy an Apple Watch 5:

• You have an iPhone and want the coolest smartwatch on the market;
• Expensive appearance (even in the budget version);
• Convenient work with text (reading, the ability to reply to a message);
• A full-fledged assistant when the smartphone is not at hand;
• Very user-friendly interface and a huge number of functions for healthy people and beginners;
• They are really smart;
• Access apps, music and podcasts straight from your watch;
• Market-leading implementation of Always On Display.

Reasons not to buy an Apple Watch 5:

• Beyond your budget;
• You have an Android smartphone;
• High cost of ownership (almost all third-party applications and services are paid).

Read also: Apple Watch 5 review

Best for Android: Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 for Android is the same as the Apple Watch 5 for iOS. You can, of course, look at alternatives, but if you want the maximum in just one device, then there are no alternatives from other brands. By the way, Active 2 is presented not only with a silicone, but also with a leather strap.

The advantage of the Samsung platform over competitors is localization and the presence of a database of third-party applications (it is important in a pair, because other manufacturers have it separately), an abundance of dials, support for all kinds of sports activities, Always On Display, the ability to respond to messages directly from the watch ( and there is even a keyboard for long text responses, but this is the most extreme case). In the section with applications there are useful extensions of basic features from Samsung - a calculator and other little things, but there are also Uber and a number of other services. The watch can act as a headset and a music player, it has all the standard functions like monitoring sleep, heart rate, automatic tracking of physical activity. Moreover, unlike the Apple Watch, there is no need to confirm that you are really walking or running, but a false workout can be canceled (for example, when the watch decided that it was you running along the bumps of the Kherson-Kalanchak highway at a speed of 30 km / h).

If we talk about the shortcomings, then first of all - this is not very convenient for working with text display. He's actually the dignity of a watch. After all, the round form factor looks more like a watch. But the small round display fits less information, and during a workout, all important information does not fit on one screen.

At full load, the watch works on a single charge for a couple of days. Larger than an Apple Watch, but smaller than a Huawei smartwatch. They charge 100% twice as fast as the Watch 5 and show how much is left during charging. Also, the watch can be charged from a smartphone using the built-in wireless charging.

If we talk about the S Health platform, which was developed by Samsung and with which its watch works, then I like that a service for tracking nutrition is already integrated into it (calorie tracking is implemented on the basis of FatSecret, but Samsung has brought the interface to mind), there is a count calories burned and what Samsung calls “weight control” is a balance of calories consumed and burned, calculated based on the user's goals - to lose weight, gain weight, keep weight, and so on. I just lacked information about the calories spent from activity, but these are nuances. In my experience, Samsung watches are more generous in calorie counting on a regular basis and more stingy when exercising. Compared with FitBit Versa 2 and Huawei Watch GT 2 Sport. But here it is difficult to say who is right, because the data of all clocks differ slightly or much from each other.

If you use an iPhone and still consider this watch for purchase, comparing it with the Apple Watch 5, then I can say that the Apple Watch seemed more convenient to me because of the form factor and the logic of the interface in general, also do not underestimate the battery life and the depth of integration of watch software into smartphone software. They are useful not only in training, but also in life for developing healthy habits. For example, they have a coolly implemented function of reminding you to relax with the help of breathing, there are many third-party apps for meditation, the trend function (when the watch collects data on physical activity over 90 days) motivates more for daily activity.

What opportunities are available on the iPhone in comparison with Android - shown in the table:

Functions	Galaxy Watch / Galaxy Watch Active
Challenges	- Incoming call notifications	✔
- Accept / Reject call	⚠ * Making a call is only possible from a smartphone
Posts	- Notifications about incoming messages (including iMessage)	✔
- Reply to messages	✕
Email Messages / Calendar	- Email - Calendar notifications	✔
- Reply to Email - Disable alarm / calendar tone	✕
S Health	- Fitness tracker - Heart rate monitor	✔
Player	- Music Control (iTunes) * Requires Gear music manager (PC web) to send music files to Gears	✔
Dial selection	- Download / Install	⚠ * Download is only possible from free apps

On the Samsung side, the price and cost of ownership (most third-party Apple Watch apps will have to pay extra, and here many are free), as well as the traditional form factor and support for standard straps.

In comparison with the latest generation Huawei smartwatches, this model wins almost everything - and smart functions, and the number of workouts, and third-party applications, and a more user-friendly interface, and the number of watch faces. In addition to the battery life, which the competitor will have two and a half times - three times more.

Reasons to buy Samsung Watch Active 2:

• You have an Android smartphone;
• You want the smartest smartwatch available;
• Your smartphone is also Samsung;
• You have previously used smartphones and / or smart watches, fitness trackers of the brand, so you managed to accumulate a database in S Health.

Reasons not to buy the Samsung Watch Active 2:

• You need even more autonomy;
• You have an iPhone;
• You are on a limited budget.

Read Also: Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 Review

For the old school enthusiast: Fitbit Versa 2

Fitbit is one of the oldest manufacturers of wearable electronics on the market. The Versa line (and the Charge update) last year helped Fitbit win back the market a bit from Apple. Versa 2 is a sequel to last year's hit that costs almost half the latest Apple Watch. The watch is worth paying attention to those who have been using Fitbit for a long time, have managed to accumulate a large amount of data about their lifestyle in the services of this manufacturer, and now they can only think about moving with pain. In this case, it is better to just upgrade to the top Fitbit model and accept the fact that the synchronization speed with the smartphone leaves much to be desired in terms of speed, and the interface looks too old-school in some places.

The Versa 2 has a nice design and performance in the spirit of the Apple Watch, although in direct comparison the latter look more expensive due to the smoother metal and docile strap. Personally, I really like the Versa 2 color scheme that came to our test (but the Lavender Golden Rose color model is available exclusively on Amazon). They also have only one control button (this is a minus), but it is located on the left (this is a plus). That is, under no circumstances can it be touched or accidentally pressed at the wrong moment. This happens regularly with other watches. They also have a strap with a comfortable buckle.

Fitbit has all the popular training modes, and the watch can automatically track many activities. Unlike Samsung and Apple, they cannot be “told” that they should not have considered riding on bumps as race walking, this is a minus. The watch can monitor sleep, pulse, notice its abnormal activities, allow you to keep a food diary (alas, only in English) and follow the cycle, monitor the calories burned per day (without allocating active calories separately), water and coffee drunk. In general, it seems that Samsung was inspired by this particular brand when they worked on S Health. After the last update, many small improvements appeared in the watch, which brought them closer to competitors. For example, now you can assign different functions to a long press of a control key, and not just a payment or a call to Alexa, the Always On Display mode has become more informative. 

With Versa 2, you can listen to music - but that's bad luck, you can add it only through the desktop application. There are third-party applications, there are many of them and they are installed slowly. You can download and log in only from a smartphone. Many are asking for money. In general, the feature of the Fitbit platform is a large number of paid additional functions. It seems to me more than the Apple Watch. Even the dials ask for money! However, there are really a lot of them here, and, in my opinion, Fitbit offers the craziest design solutions even in the free versions. And paid - in general space. On average, the watch works for 2-3 days, it also charges quite quickly (100% in 1:20).

In my opinion, one of the main disadvantages of this model for our consumer is the lack of localization (language and payments, first of all), as well as official supplies, which makes the device more expensive for the Ukrainian buyer. But Fitbit gave a good discount on the model during Black Friday - $ 129 instead of $ 199. For this money, they were not the best on the market. So if you are interested in a model, first of all, look at how much it currently costs in overseas online stores (in this article, by the way, we talked about how to buy abroad so as not to get into trouble) and the sales schedule.

Reasons to buy Fitbit Versa 2:

• You have previously used trackers or watches from this manufacturer;
• You want a smart watch, not a tracker, but the budget doesn't go for Samsung or Apple;
• You have Android (because for iOS it is still better to buy an Apple Watch).

Reasons not to buy the Fitbit Versa 2:

• Do you prefer a watch in a classic form factor;
• You do not know English;
• Your purchase budget is less / more.

The Fitbit Versa 2 review will appear on our website shortly.

Cheaper for iOS: Apple Watch 3 or Apple Watch 4

I don't want to recommend a specific model, because it all depends on your budget. Enough for Apple Watch 4, but you don’t pull the “five”? Then take a four, without Always on display and analysis of noise around (if you are not a musician, of course) it is quite possible to live.

If the “four” is also too burdensome for the wallet, you can stop at the three. The bezels around the screen will be larger, there will be no ECG (what a loss), the performance will be slightly lower, but all this is not so critical for the watch to abandon the Apple Watch in favor of another brand paired with the iPhone.

Budget Classic: Honor Watch Magic

Huawei (and sub-brand Honor) focuses on design and long battery life in smartwatches. At the same time, the first generation of watches for both brands was more of a fitness tracker in a classic form factor. In the current generation (Huawei Watch GT 2, in particular), it became possible to make calls from the watch, use it as a headset, listen to music, both through the speaker and from a connected wireless headset.

The capabilities of the watches have grown, but still, in terms of “smart”, they are inferior to Samsung, and they cost the same, so this is not the best buy. At the same time, the twice more affordable Honor Watch Magic, although not so “smart”, is damn good in terms of sports and longevity. With the watch, you can run, exercise in the gym, swim, go to the mountains, monitor sleep and heart rate, and at the same time charge them once a week (okay, if you actively run and train, then twice as often, but still not like the watches of others manufacturers). Starting at $ 130, they also look like real classics. When I tested this model, I noticed a huge number of compliments from the outside. But they will definitely not be able to call, write a message, listen to music.

Read Also: Honor Watch Magic Review

Reasons to buy Honor Watch Magic:

• Cool classic design;
• Long battery life (up to a week) and fast charging;
• Favorable price / design / features ratio (towards budget);
• Smart fitness tracker.

Reasons not to buy the Honor Watch Magic:

• They are not very “smart”: you cannot listen to music, make calls, answer messages, install third-party applications;
• You are willing to spend more money on the watch.

Comparison of the characteristics of the smartwatch mentioned in the article

How to choose a smart watch

At the moment, there are already a large number of models, platforms and generations of smart watches on the market. Unlike, say, Android smartphones or Windows laptops, they are not that similar to each other. And the main difference is that the functionality of a smart watch depends on the manufacturer, because there is no single platform on the market yet. Except for Google's mediocre Wear OS.

Smartphone operating system

First of all, the choice will depend on what kind of smartphone you are using. In principle, iOS is supported by all manufacturers, but if the iPhone has it, then it's strange to choose something other than the Apple Watch 5 - now it is an exemplary device on the market. If there is no money for it, you can just stay on the Apple Watch simpler.

If you have Android, the choice expands to infinity, from which you must subtract the Apple Watch. Then you can look at the manufacturer of the smartphone (because its branded watch is more deeply integrated with the software of the smartphone), you can look at the possibilities of various platforms on the market.

Budget

In general, prices for different models from different manufacturers are comparable within the same materials and functions. The Apple Watch hovers above the market, of course. And Garmin, who are more athletic than the competition. Or Xiaomi (Amazfit), which are generally somewhat cheaper than the market.

Savings in the case of the choice of smart watches will lie in the plane of the choice of the generation of the gadget. So, the standard for the market today has become a built-in player, the ability to connect headphones or control music from a smartphone, a compass, a barometer, at least a dozen exercises, sleep monitoring, a built-in speaker, GPS and improved autonomy. If the maximum (on Android) costs an average of $ 300, then good versions without any modern functions (most often a player and answering calls) will cost about one and a half to two times cheaper.

Is it worth saving? Rate how much you need these features. If you would like to train to music and not carry your smartphone with you, or if you are the person-who-constantly-calls, you should probably pay extra for them.

Form factor

In my opinion, this point is less significant than the next one. But unfortunately, usually manufacturers of wearable electronics prefer to stay within the same form factor, and if you really care about a circle on your hand or a square, you will have to start from this, and not from the capabilities of the watch.

The advantage of the round ones is the shape that is close to the classics. Models such as Huawei Watch GT and Watch GT 2, Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Watch 2, Honor Watch Magic are practically indistinguishable from analog ones. Especially if you use a screensaver with an analog dial. There is only one drawback of such a watch, but, believe me, it is worth thinking about. Try placing your text in a circle. Convenient to read? That's the same. The best way to work with text and notifications is implemented on the Apple Watch - on the one hand, the watch makes the most of the screen space, on the other hand, it does not sculpt text into one pile, as Fitbit does.

The advantage of squares is in readability and in the amount of information that can fit on the display. This also applies to application icons (although Samsung somehow twists itself with its round screens in order to make the menu convenient).

Platform capabilities

So we got to the most, in fact, important. What your smartwatch will do and who will store your data. In my opinion, this point is even more important than the battery life. You just have to come to terms with her, so I did not include her in the aspects of the choice.

The platform's capabilities can be divided into two components - sports and smart functions linked to a smartphone. And above all this there is an add-on in the form of a more or less convenient interface. Apple has implemented the maximum for today, which is why the Watch 5 has become my favorite. Samsung is, in principle, also on a level, the platform, like the watch itself, has some advantages over Apple. But in general, they do not even compete with each other, since the Apple Watch 5 does not work with an Android smartphone, and the Galaxy Watch Active 2 (like other watch models of this brand), although they work with iOS, their functions are so limited that there is no point in buying.

For iOS users, it is a little easier to choose, since Apple smart watches, although significantly more expensive than competitors, are generally better in terms of capabilities, and if the user is important not only fitness, but also partially the functions of a smartphone, the choice lies only in the plane of the budget and different generations of Watch ... If you need first of all a cool fitness tracker, inexpensive, but with a decent appearance, then you can also take a look at the Fitbit Versa 2 or the Honor Watch Magic. But I hardly imagine such a scenario in my life.

More details about what can be expected from each of the platforms at maximum speed are described above in the description of the respective models.

And something else. All watches, except the Apple Watch, have a sleep monitoring mode. On Apple Watch, the feature is available through third-party apps. So, all watches give such a different result that I do not know which of them to believe. For fitness trackers Honor and Xiaomi, the analysis is approximately similar. Honor / Huawei smartwatches are analyzed in much the same way as the trackers of these brands. But smartwatches from other brands have a completely different picture. Between themselves a little more similar than with the Huawei / Honor platform, but still different. So I have big doubts about the accuracy and thus the value of this feature.