With the holidays fast approaching, there’s a small but expensive gift for someone special. A smart watch 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 configured to do so, 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 created equal. Before purchasing one, here are some factors to check:
1. Compatibility with your phone type
2. The strength of the battery and how often it needs to be charged
3. What features do you want. Some include: notification of social networks and calls, stopwatch and calendar, voice activation, water resistant, various 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 harder.
These are the 10 best smartwatches of 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 between these watches.
MetaWatch Strata – This is an extremely strong watch that can withstand some knocks. The band is made of flexible plastic and is also washable. There is a scratch resistant face and it is also water resistant. The battery can last for a week on a single charge. There are several stylish colors for the band: electric blue, pink, orange and lime green, in addition to the conventional gray. 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 produced simply 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 go more than 5 feet away from your phone, the Gear secures and locks your phone, then unlocks it as soon as you return. The screen face is pretty 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 in at just $25.86. It can be easily attached to a bag strap, but wrist straps are available. For something this 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 disappears, it renders this phone unusable as it acquires its signal from the phone. One really useful feature is the “Find Phone” feature. If you can’t find your phone, Sony LiveView lets 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 out before you buy. At least put them on and also see if all the buttons work. “If you consider all the above factors, you will surely find a smart watch that fits you perfectly. 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? These days, smart watches that don’t require phone connections to work, essentially a cell phone watch, have started to appear. The world of the cartoon character Dick Tracy with his two-way walkie-talkie wristwatch has finally arrived.