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  • Best Smartwatches: Fitness Tracking and Keeping Time in Style

    Best Smartwatches: Fitness Tracking and Keeping Time in Style

    One of the most notable changes in wearable tech in recent years has been the shift from more sci-fi, goofy wearables like Google Glass to more practical and stylish items like smartwatches. Whether you’re a busy professional who needs a handy wrist-mounted smartphone or a fitness enthusiast looking for a good tracker, there are tons of great smartwatches for you. Let’s take a look at some of the best.

    We prioritized two things in this list: firstly, price point. The best technology is the tech you can afford, so we only included smartwatches that are a good value for the features they offer. The second consideration was style. If you’re going to be wearing a piece of technology as a fashion statement, it needs to look good. Finally, and most importantly, we considered the overall usefulness of the features on display in the individual smartwatch.

    FitBit Versa

    If your primary reason for wanting a smartwatch is to track your fitness and tell time while you work out, then the Versa is a great choice for you. It’s notably on the lower end of the price spectrum for smartwatches, coming in at a solid $200 MSRP, and available on sale for under $170 at many retailers at time of writing. The simple and straightforward UI and barebones features can make this watch feel a little lacking for some tech enthusiasts, though it makes a solid fitness tracker.

    If you’ve never owned a smartwatch, starting with the Versa wouldn’t be a bad idea. There’s not a ton of bells and whistles to keep up with, nor are there complex menus to navigate to get to your fitness data. For someone looking for a straightforward and no-nonsense smartwatch for fitness tracking, the FitBit Versa makes a great workout companion.

    Apple Watch Series 4

    The big, bold OLED face and the advanced heart monitoring functionality set the Apple Watch Series 4 apart from the competition in a big way. The signature square face with rounded corners makes the Apple Watch recognizable at a glance, and an easy status symbol for Apple faithful. A variety of stylish and functional bands are available from Apple’s own store, and numerous third-party outfitters make their own bands for the popular watch.

    Fitness features are a huge draw to Apple’s smartwatch. Advanced features for tracking heartrate over activity can even detect ECG! The watch can automatically detect workouts and track your runs, allowing you to keep track of your fitness with ease. The waterproof construction and loud speaker are also huge plusses for the stylish little smartwatch.

    Samsung Galaxy Watch Active

    In much the same way that the Apple Watch is the smaller iteration of the iPhone’s design, the Samsung Galaxy Watch is the scaled-down answer to Samsung’s own Galaxy smartphones. Much like the phones it gets its name from, it’s a solid competitor to Apple’s offering for fans of Samsung’s designs. The design is light and simple, and it’s a great companion for any fitness enthusiast. Robust fitness features like exercise tracking and great heartrate monitoring make this a stellar option for those looking for a fitness tracker.

    One of the best aspects of the Galaxy Watch Active is the price point. Coming in at only $200, it’s a fair sight more affordable than a lot of the competition, but it still offers comparable features. Many people prefer the round face, making it appear more like a traditional wristwatch. In fact, many watch faces mirror the appearance of a wristwatch, making the device more discreet and less flashy than some of the competition, too. This could be a pro or a con depending on your style.


  • Best Smartwatches: Fitness Tracking and Keeping Time in Style

    Best Smartwatches: Fitness Tracking and Keeping Time in Style

    One of the most notable changes in wearable tech in recent years has been the shift from more sci-fi, goofy wearables like Google Glass to more practical and stylish items like smartwatches. Whether you’re a busy professional who needs a handy wrist-mounted smartphone or a fitness enthusiast looking for a good tracker, there are tons of great smartwatches for you. Let’s take a look at some of the best.

    We prioritized two things in this list: firstly, price point. The best technology is the tech you can afford, so we only included smartwatches that are a good value for the features they offer. The second consideration was style. If you’re going to be wearing a piece of technology as a fashion statement, it needs to look good. Finally, and most importantly, we considered the overall usefulness of the features on display in the individual smartwatch.

    FitBit Versa

    If your primary reason for wanting a smartwatch is to track your fitness and tell time while you work out, then the Versa is a great choice for you. It’s notably on the lower end of the price spectrum for smartwatches, coming in at a solid $200 MSRP, and available on sale for under $170 at many retailers at time of writing. The simple and straightforward UI and barebones features can make this watch feel a little lacking for some tech enthusiasts, though it makes a solid fitness tracker.

    If you’ve never owned a smartwatch, starting with the Versa wouldn’t be a bad idea. There’s not a ton of bells and whistles to keep up with, nor are there complex menus to navigate to get to your fitness data. For someone looking for a straightforward and no-nonsense smartwatch for fitness tracking, the FitBit Versa makes a great workout companion.

    Apple Watch Series 4

    The big, bold OLED face and the advanced heart monitoring functionality set the Apple Watch Series 4 apart from the competition in a big way. The signature square face with rounded corners makes the Apple Watch recognizable at a glance, and an easy status symbol for Apple faithful. A variety of stylish and functional bands are available from Apple’s own store, and numerous third-party outfitters make their own bands for the popular watch.

    Fitness features are a huge draw to Apple’s smartwatch. Advanced features for tracking heartrate over activity can even detect ECG! The watch can automatically detect workouts and track your runs, allowing you to keep track of your fitness with ease. The waterproof construction and loud speaker are also huge plusses for the stylish little smartwatch.

    Samsung Galaxy Watch Active

    In much the same way that the Apple Watch is the smaller iteration of the iPhone’s design, the Samsung Galaxy Watch is the scaled-down answer to Samsung’s own Galaxy smartphones. Much like the phones it gets its name from, it’s a solid competitor to Apple’s offering for fans of Samsung’s designs. The design is light and simple, and it’s a great companion for any fitness enthusiast. Robust fitness features like exercise tracking and great heartrate monitoring make this a stellar option for those looking for a fitness tracker.

    One of the best aspects of the Galaxy Watch Active is the price point. Coming in at only $200, it’s a fair sight more affordable than a lot of the competition, but it still offers comparable features. Many people prefer the round face, making it appear more like a traditional wristwatch. In fact, many watch faces mirror the appearance of a wristwatch, making the device more discreet and less flashy than some of the competition, too. This could be a pro or a con depending on your style.


  • Infinite Battery? The Matrix Powerwatch X

    Infinite Battery? The Matrix Powerwatch X

    Wearable technology is at a bit of a crossroads. Most people who are interested in the tech have pretty much seen everything the field has to offer. However, technology is a notoriously ever-moving industry. Tech companies are not content to see customers hanging on to gadgets they bought four, five, even six years ago. As such, wearable tech has seen a ton of crazy innovations recently to catch consumer interest. Notably, the Ticwatch Pro recently incorporated a revolutionary dual-screen display to help cut down on battery usage. Enter the Matrix Powerwatch X.

    The Matrix Powerwatch X promises infinite battery life. No, really, as long as you’re wearing it and supplying it with body heat, it’ll last you forever. Well, until the you’re out of body heat, huh? Jokes aside, let’s take a quick look at the pros and cons of this interesting new smartwatch.

    Matrix Powewatch X Feature Roundup

    The Pros

    There’s a lot to love about a smartwatch that won’t run out of juice as long as you’re wearing it. The screen is always-on and displays simple information. Steps, time and basic notifications are all visible on the monochromatic display. While the information isn’t very detailed, it’s all easily readable and presented well. The watch is big, bulky and sturdy. In fact, if you don’t like the idea of carrying a huge watch around, don’t even bother with this one. That said, it’s rugged and tough, and will even survive in the pool. It’s waterproof and rated for up to 200 meters of depth. Not too shabby!

    The Cons

    On the flip side, this watch is pretty basic. Sure, it’ll last you forever and ever on battery life, but you pay for that functionality. Both literally and in terms of features on the watch. The Matrix Powerwatch X costs a whopping $280, which is a lot for a watch with such simple functionality. The fitness tracking is incredibly basic, tracking only steps and calories burned. The watch offers notifications but doesn’t display the content of messages. The only thing it notifies you of is the message coming in. While that would’ve been fine in 2005, this is 2018!

    The Bottom Line

    While the ever-charged technology on display here is awesome, it’s not attached to a particularly useful smartwatch. If you absolutely love the idea of an always-charged smartwatch and don’t need a ton of robust features, then maybe you’ll like this watch. However, if you already own an Android Wear or Apple Watch, you’re in possession of much more powerful and robust technology.

    It’s hard to justify spending $280 on a watch that has functionality on par with a $40 smartwatch. The question you need to ask yourself with this smartwatch is “do I find an always-charged battery to be worth $280?” If the answer is no, you can skip this (admittedly interesting) watch.

  • Ticwatch Pro: Revolutionary Dual-Screen Smart Watch

    Ticwatch Pro: Revolutionary Dual-Screen Smart Watch

    The smartwatch field has been somewhat crowded for the last few years, but there has been little in the way of true innovation. Companies like Samsung, Fitbit and Apple have all iterated on roughly the same designs they’ve been using for years. Mobvoi has brought real innovation, however, with its newest smartwatch, the Ticwatch Pro. That innovation comes via the dual-screen technology that powers its two modes. More on that in a bit, though!

    Design

    While the watch’s internal mechanisms are quite impressive, the external design is also quite striking. The face is slightly recessed, and the bezels are contoured and rounded off ever-so-slightly towards it. Thankfully, the watch is water-resistant, rated IP68, meaning it’s fine for working out in or showering in. Mobvoi doesn’t recommend swimming with this device, though, even though the IP rating would suggest you probably could. While we won’t counter the recommendation of the manufacturer, it seems unlikely you would have any issues if your watch fell in the pool.

    The band, uniquely, is leather on the outside and silicone on the inside, making it the best of both worlds. If you intend to wear it to work or the gym, the band pulls double duty! Not having to swap bands to work out is certainly quite convenient.

    Ticwatch Pro: Dual-Screen Innovation

    That convenience and everyday usefulness extends to those dual-screens I was talking about earlier. You see, the Ticwatch has an LCD screen on top, and underneath it is an OLED screen. The OLED screen is the one you expect from a smartwatch: bold, vibrant and gorgeous. It’s easily on par with any other high-end watch on the market. The translucent LCD screen on top is key to the watch’s “Essential Mode,” by contrast.

    “Essential Mode” is a low-power mode that reduces the display to a few critical pieces of information. The time, your biometrics and other vital information is conveyed on the screen, which can last for weeks on a single charge. While you can engage Essential Mode yourself, it also activates when the watch’s battery gets too low. This is really quite useful, and sets the watch apart.

    Pricing

    The Ticwatch Pro is the most high-end smartwatch from Mobvoi, but it’s still rather inexpensive. As the company’s other smartwatches have been budget entries, this one is roughly middle-of-the-road. That refers to price, primarily, though, as the watch’s make is quite premium. It costs $250 through Amazon, but you need to have Amazon Prime to get one. That’s sort of a bummer if you’re not big on Amazon, but the company plans to explore other distribution methods soon.

  • New Galaxy Watch and What We Know

    New Galaxy Watch and What We Know

    The Samsung Gear was lackluster and not a commercial hit. The adoption in comparison is dismal to the iWatch’s success. Samsung is looking to change that with its next Galaxy Watch. While its name, its OS, and its features are pretty much still in flux, which, at the very least, makes it sound a bit more exciting.

    What We Know

    Very little Im afraid. There have not been alot of details released yet. Lets start with what we know. It will be round for starters, they will not be adapting to Apples square face. Bixby will be a huge and integral part of this watch.Although Bixby has been out for more than a year now, Samsung’s homegrown AI assistant has not descended on any of the current smartwatches. That will change with the Galaxy Watch. Oh yeah,  Presumably we also have a name, ,A registered trademark on “Galaxy Watch” has been leaked.

    Its Safe To Assume

    While we don’t have any confirmation its safe to assume the next line in the Galaxy Watch will be a big upgrade from previous models. For it to compete with the legendary and most popular watch on the planted, the iWatch, it will have to be something special. Look for vast strides in the ai and voice control aspect. Bixby will do things Siri just cant and hasn’t even though of yet. It will be much easier to use and that in turn will give this the commercial appeal all of android is been lacking since the dawn of time, or 2010.

    What Would Be Cool in the Galaxy Watch

    This is the part of these articles I like the most. This is where we get to throw in all the stuff my little heart could desire in a new Galaxy Watch. What do I want, I want battery. Battery Life, I can not stress this enough. A watch I  don’t have to worry about charging for a week. Use that cool Rolex kinetic energy technology they have been using since the beginning of watches to recharge my smartwatch. A big face, 52-54mm. Make is glorious and a true fashion and status statement, like a watch should be. Holograms? ummm yes please. a bit better speaker, just to make taking a phone call on your watch actually viable. Last but not least, lets change Bixby to Sam. Sam, short for Samsung seems like a friendly guy I would like to chat with. The name is also very gender neutral and could easily pair with a nice female voice.  Plus we get the added feeling of being Dick Tracy and talking to Sam back at the station.

    The Final Thought

    Whats left to say? Well plenty. We will have more solid info when these details emerge. My industry sources tell me look for a Note release in late Aug for this new Galaxy Watch.

  • Battle of the Smartwatches: FitBit Versa vs Apple Watch

    Battle of the Smartwatches: FitBit Versa vs Apple Watch

    The current smartwatch market has some serious competition with the Pebble Watch, Apple Watch 3, Samsung Gear 3 and now the new FitBit Versa smartwatch and fitness tracker.

    In terms of brand notoriety the Apple Watch is the clear #1 smartwatch out there so any new product has to compete with the tech giant’s dominance in this sphere.

    fitbit versa

    At first glance, you might mistake the FitBit Versa for an Apple Watch. With a gently rounded square face of beveled glass, the Versa’s design mimics the original Apple Watch, but there are some key differences between the two gadgets. Which smartwatch is right for you?

    Design

    fitbit versa
    Aesthetically, there isn’t much to choose between the two smartwatches. Both share a similar design, interchangeable straps, a selection of metal finishes and a variety of watch faces to customize the look. The Versa is lighter and slimmer than even the smallest Apple Watch, but users have reported that the band on the Versa is much more difficult to swap out. The digital watch faces, which allow you to customize the look of your smartwatch, are finicky to search and install when it comes to the FitBit Versa, and the quality of the designs is uneven.  The FitBit Versa is really comfortable to wear because it’s so thin and light. The Apple Watch depending on your wrist size, can be uncomfortable and dig into your skin when the strap is pulled tight.

  • Emporio Armani Opens The Door To Luxury Smartwatches

    Emporio Armani Opens The Door To Luxury Smartwatches

    The dynamic styling of Emporio Armani meets technology with a new collection of touchscreen smartwatches. This watch features the brand’ s most coveted designs with the added benefits of today’s wearable technology. The Emporio Armani Connected touchscreen smartwatch is compatible with both iOS® and Android™ phones, and are powered by Android Wear™ 2.0, Google’s smartwatch platform, and the Qualcomm® Snapdragon Wear™ 2100 smartwatch platform. Stay in the know with messages and notifications delivered directly to your watch and stay in style with a customizable watch face and interchangeable straps that can be changed to match your look. Connect to your favorite apps to track activity and access your music library. This black IP touchscreen smartwatch features a black dial with full display and is complemented by an easily interchangeable brushed-and-polished black IP bracelet.

     

    The Great

    • Sophisticated style
    • Crown controls Android Wear
    • Straps easily swapped to change the look
    • Comfortable, and beautifully presented

    The Not

    • Light on tech features

       

    • No Android Pay

     

    The Conclusion

    Smartwatches need to look good, and as luxury brands enter the market, we find they end up producing some of the best-looking wearables. One of the latest is the Emporio Armani Connected, Armani’s first Android Wear 2.0 smartwatch. It’s unquestionably attractive, with a name that oozes class, style, and sophistication but barley a smartwatch.

     

     

    Emporio Armani isn’t completely fresh to the world of smartwatches, after releasing a collection of hybrids last year. But with the Emporio Armani Connected and its full touchscreen face, this represents the Italian fashion house’s first dip into the world of Android Wear.Just as you would expect, entry doesn’t come cheap, either.

     

    Its Fancy

    Let’s be honest, if you’re looking to pick up this watch, you’re almost definitely more focused on the design than its connected features. And in our opinion, this is one of the sleekest options to consider.

    Like the rest of this year’s Fossil Group watches, there’s no flat tyre here, just a full AMOLED touchscreen offering a display which is up there with the best — and certainly an improvement on the Fossil smartwatches we saw in 2016. Interestingly, though, Armani has chosen not to release the actual specs regarding its screen.

    There’s been no skimping on build quality, either. While this admittedly feels like a more premium smartwatch thanks to our review model being the stainless steel band, the 46mm face doesn’t feel bulky or cumbersome when on the wrist. If you want a lighter variant or simply a different colour metal, 11 options are out there in total, giving you a strong pack to choose from.

     

    Smart Functions

    Emporio Armani and Fossil have shied away from releasing all the tech spec but we found the Qualcomm Snapdragon 2100 processor to provide a lightning  experience around the Connected. Delay when opening apps is minimal and menus almost never suffer from lag.

    Fitness enthusiasts will be disappointed, though, if they’re looking to branch out to a more stylish all-in-one, with no support for heart rate tracking, no GPS sensor and zero opportunity for swimming due to the IP67 water rating. When we have taken the Connected out on a token run, the metal band was (obviously) seriously uncomfortable in comparison to the Fitbit Ionic and Apple Watch, so those who are looking to take the device out with their smartphone should at least invest in one of the more sporty bands to switch out.

    What was a nice touch, though, was the ability to control our music while on the go – whether playing through Apple Music on an iPhone or Spotify on an Android device.

     

    The Final Thought

    Luxury smart watched are coming, this is just the start. The price tags will climb to close to the cost of a 3/2 split level home in rural Tennessee soon enough. This is a nice mid step between a nice looking watch and a smartwatch but it is neither great at either.

     

  • Samsung Gear 3 is Still Just a Timepiece

    Samsung Gear 3 is Still Just a Timepiece

    Samsung’s Gear 3 is a boldly designed smartwatch that’s ready for anything and tailored to you. There are two versions with sleep tracking ,multi-day battery life all day calorie tracking , and Samsung Pay it has all the functions and Android smartphone one could hope for.

    The Great

    • Big Bold Design
    • Always-on display
    • Decent Activity Tracking
    • Built-in LTE
    • Samsung Pay
    • OLED display is bright and crisp

    The Not

    • Poor Gps tracking
    • Lacking compatible app
    • Missing intuitive functions

    The Conclusion

    This is an average looking watch and a lack luster smartwatch. While Samsung tried to squeeze a lot into the new Gear S3 its really just not enough.

     

     

     

    More Gear from Samsung

    For the Gear S3, Samsung has decided to offer up two designs. There’s the more rugged Frontier for outdoor types, and the Classic, which aims to be the more luxurious option of the two. Both still run on Samsung’s own Tizen operating system and that rotating bezel makes a welcome return. It can be pair with all samsung and most android smartphones, even and iPhone with reduced functionality. With the LTE model of the Gear S3, you can leave your phone behind and still have complete functionality on the watch. Note: LTE is only avilable on the Frontier model.  The call quality is surprisingly decent if you turn the volume up to the highest level. It’s still weird talking to someone on your watch, but it can be handy sometimes. You can also use it to listen to music, but get some Bluetooth headphones, its not enjoyable from the watch speaker

    Not for the Weak Wristed

    the Gear S3 is a big smartwatch, its a heavy watch, and its beastly.  Its hulking 46mm frame makes it most certainly a more mans man’s watch. It’s also noticeably heavier and thicker as well, probably to house the additional sensors and a larger battery. The Frontier rocks a more  rugged look, with a knurled, rotating bezel, a chunky stainless-steel body design and IP68 certified water resistant.

    The Interface

    The Gear S3 runs Tizen, it’s very easily laid out to make the most functionality of the spinning bezel. The highlight that makes the Gear smartwatches unique is the innovative rotating bezel. Crank it clockwise and you’ll get all of your notifications in one place. Spin it the opposite direction to breeze through the widgets you’ve added. The default set up includes thee current weather, favorite contacts, calories burned and what’s up on your calendar. Sadly that is all there is to the Gear S3’s interface.

    The Apps or Lack of Apps

    According to Samsung, there’s something like 10,000 apps in the Tizen Store, but just a fraction of those are tuned for the Gear’s small display.  Whats worse it that most of them are not wort using to begin with. Its as if no developers consider creating apps with Tizen in mind.

    The Final Thought

    All in all the Gear doesn’t excite me as much as I’d have hoped. Though it has a very intuitive interface, complete with a rotating bezel for navigation, many parts of the experience still need more engineering attention, whether that’s the dreadfully useless selection of apps or the irritatingly malfunctions of  S Voice digital assistant. In the p rophetic words of american Idols Randy Jackson, This is gonna be a hard no for me dawg.