Your guide to buying the perfect smartwatch

Woman measuring blood pressure with modern smartwatch
| Photo Credit: adrian825

Like smartphones, smartwatches are becoming an indispensable part of our gadget-owned lifestyle. Not merely for keeping track of the time, but to watch the daily stats associated for our well-being. For youngsters, smartwatches are a way to flaunt another accessory, for working professionals they are a watch-cum-reminder machine and for the elderly, they are used to monitor vitals.

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While there are several ways to define a smartwatch, choosing one for yourself is a tedious task. And we are here to make that a tad easier with this buying guide.

Display

A good, bright display is the most-desired feature in a smartwatch. Being just over an inch in size comes with restrictions so your watch’s dial has to be bright, and most importantly, visible in sunlight. Opt for AMOLED display smartwatches because those are vibrant and you can identify the fonts even under the sun.

Sensors

We all understood the importance of blood oxygen monitoring during the initial pandemic days, so look for smartwatches that offer you this feature on top of providing additional functions, like heart-rate monitoring, stress count, or the period tracker.

Battery

Anything without a good battery back-up becomes a pain in the long run, and the same goes for smartwatches as well. Choose the wearable variants that offer a comfortable 3-4 days of battery life while having all the features running, such as GPS.

Having said that, battery life is a co-related feature that depends on the build of the watch and functions we run on it daily. For example, a smartwatch with AMOLED display will consume more battery, compared to other IPS panels.

OS

This remains a critical aspect as we have to interact with our smartwatches multiple times daily. The clean OS makes the experience better and immersive. This also becomes a personalised experience because some will prefer Wear OS while others have watchOS running on their smartwatches. The experiences of both the OS’ have been different. Yet, there are familiarities.

Features

The features vary, depending upon price. We can get ECG and body temperature functions on high-end watches while the SpO2 and heart rate features come handy on most smartwatches today. Similarly, replying to messages directly on a watch is something found especially on higher variants, whereas the call accept/reject feature, music control can be readily found. Storing files locally on the watch is again a premium feature that is not found on all models.

A few tried-and-tested models that could be your companion in the process of monitoring and fitness:

Apple Watch SE

The ‘affordable’ smartwatch launched along with the premium Series 8 Watch, the Watch SE gets you the basic of almost everything and the accuracy of Apple. It features all the sensors for daily activity tracking, but does not get you the ECG feature that Apple Watches are known for. With Retina LTPO AMOLED display, the Watch SE fills the need at around ₹29,900.

Samsung Galaxy Watch5

Perhaps the most inclusive Android smartwatch we have at the moment featuring AMOLED display protected by sapphire crystal glass and comes with an IP68 rating. The Galaxy Watch5 ships with Android Wear OS 3.5, One UI Watch 4.5 and has Exynos W920 (5nm) chipset. With BioActive sensor to monitor health and other stats, it is priced at approx. ₹30,000.

Garmin Venu Sq2

The Venu series has been the most-successful smartwatch for Garmin in India last year. With AMOLED display and Gorilla Glass protection, the Garmin Venu Sq2 comes with a host of health-tracking features like oxygen saturation, respiration tracker, fitness age, and sleep monitor. Known for its GPS precision, the Venu Sq2 is one of the best smartwatches available around ₹27,990.

Fitbit Versa 4

Known for its accuracy and features, the U.S.-headquartered brand has been a serious player in the smartwatch category. With the Versa 4, we get an AMOLED display, and an option to answer/reject calls on your wrist, adjust the volume, and read texts. However, it does not come with typing feature. Fitbit has incorporated sensors to monitor heart rate, SpO2, and sleep tracking as well. The long battery life is the USP of Versa 4 which can be found at around ₹20,000.