Smart watches, wrist bands and rings are not just the latest in digital trends. They can actually make you look smart and classic in your regular outings.
Being the second half of 2017, I’ll like to discuss about my favorite 10 smart watches for classic outing in 2017 and beyond.
Introducing Smart Watches
Smart watches and smart wrist bands are computerized wrist watches with digital functionality. Aside from being used for timekeeping, they have hi-tech features and can be used to run mobile apps depending on its operating system (Android wear, Ubuntu touch, or WatchOS).
A smart watch has the ability to do various tasks, such as; Game-play, Media player, translator, and can also serve as a tracker. Some variants of these smart watches features full mobile phone compatibility; which means it can be used to make/receive calls and also to send text messages.
Digging into the early days of smart-watches
The world’s first ever ‘smart’ watch Pulsar was considered as digital watch instead. It was invented by Hamilton Watch Company in 1972. The watch(Pulsar) could store 24 digits which likely made it the 1st watch with memory-bank (user-programmable memory).
The introduction of PC’s (personal computers) in the 1980s made way for improvements in smart watch technology. Seiko (Hamilton Watch Company) started inventing watches with computing functionality. In 1983, it came up with a watch called Data 2000 watch; this watch has an external keyboard which is used to sync data to the watch through a process known as wireless docking (electro-magnetic coupling).
As decades passed, Smart watch technology world experienced lots and lots of improvements and today, we have smart and intelligent watches which can solve at least 85% of our daily challenges.
Best 10 Smart Watches to Buy with Confidence in 2017
Deciding on which smart watch to buy is not an easy task as there are tons/varieties of them scattered all over tech platforms and offline shopping malls.
Here’s my favorite 10; ranked according to my personal likes, fashion sense and/or shopping preferences. The recommended retail prices (RRP), specs and features is listed as well as their various images.
Apple iWatch series 2
[Price: $399.00]
Specifications
| Display | 2nd generation OLED Retina display (2x brighter)2
Ion-X glass (aluminum cases) |
| Size | 42mm (12.9 x 3 x 2.4 inches) |
| Technology | Built-in GPS, Accelerometer, Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n 2.4Ghz), Ambient light sensor, Gyroscope |
| Battery | Up to 18 hours |
| Sensors | Heart Rate Sensor |
| Misc | Magnetic cable for charging. |
Samsung Gear S3 [$330.00]
Specifications
| Screen Display | 1.3 inches AMOLED Display |
| OS | Tizen Based Wearable OS 2.3.2 |
| Chipset | Exynos 7270, Dual 1.0GHz |
| Network | LTE with Embedded SIM, (Applies to LTE models only) |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth V4.2, Wi-Fi b/g/n, NFC, GPS/Glonass, MST, LTE. |
| Features | Water and dust resistant, IP68 + MIL-STD-810G |
| Battery | Can last up to four days (Battery life depends on usage/settings) |
| Misc | Mic, SPK, Linear Motor |
Huawei Smart Watch 2
[Price: $275.95]
Specifications
| Dimensions | 48.9 mm x 45 mm x 12.6 mm |
| Display | 1.2″ AMOLED display with Corning Gorilla Glass
Resolution: 390 x 390 pixels (326PPI) |
| CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 2100 |
| OS | Android Wear 2.0 |
| Memory | 4 GB Flash +768 MB RAM |
| Network | LTE, UMTS, TD-SCDMA, GSM |
| Positioning/Sensor | GPS + Glonass, 3-axis A + G sensor, 3-axis Gyroscope, 3-axis Compass, Barometer, Heart Rate Sensor (PPG), Capacitive Sensor, Ambient Light Sensor |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 4.1, WiFi: 2.4 GHz 802.11b/g/n, NFC |
| Battery | 420 mAh (typical value), 410 mAh (minimum value) |
| Misc | Water and dust resistance – IP68 |
LG watch sport
[Retails for: $329.99]
Specifications
| Network | AT&T Wireless 4G LTE |
| OS | Android Wear 2.0 (Feldspar) |
| Display | 1.38″ P-OLED (480 x 480 pixels), 348 ppi |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 1.1 GHz – MSM8909w Quad-Core |
| Battery capacity | 430 mAh (Embedded) |
| Internal Memory | 4 GB (up to 2 GB usable) |
| RAM | 768 MB |
| Technology | WCDMA, GSM, UMTS, LTE |
| Network | Bluetooth Version 4.2 LE; Wi-Fi Connectivity 802.11 b/g/n |
| Frequencies | GSM 850/1900 MHz; LTE Bands 2/4/5 |
| Data Transmission | UMTS, GPRS, EDGE, GSM, HSPA+, HSPA, LTE |
| Protection | IP68 Certified |
| Audio | Built-in MIC and Speaker |
| Size | 45.4 mm (1.79″) Diameter; 14.2 mm (0.56″) Thickness |
| Weight | 3.15 oz. |
| Talk Time | Up to 2 hours (3G) |
| Standby Time | Up to 1.45 days (Ambient On) |
| Available Color | Titanium |
| Compatible with phones running Android 4.3 or higher and iOS 9 or higher. Please check with your carrier to see which features are supported. Supported features may vary. |
Microsoft Band 2
[Sold for: $449.00]
Specifications
| Display Type | 32 x 12.8 mm Curved AMOLED with 320 x 128 pixels |
| Band Material | Thermal plastic elastomer silicone vulcanate (TPSiV) |
| Battery | Li-Polymer – Up time; 48-hours per charge |
| Sensors | Optical heart rate sensor, Skin temperature sensor, Skin temperature sensor, Gyrometer, Microphone, GPS, 3-axis accelerometer, Ambient light sensor, Barometer, UV sensor, Capactive sensor |
| Technology | HVM – Haptic vibration motor |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 4.0 |
| Charge Cable Connector | Custom charge cable |
| Resistance | Water Resistant |
| Devices Supported | Windows Phone 8.1 update, iPhone®: 4S, 5, 5C, 5S, 6, 6 Plus, iOS® 8.1.2, and Android™ 4.3-5.0 phones, with Bluetooth® |
Asus Zenwatch 3
[Sold for: $258,10]
Specifications
| OS | Android Wear |
| Memory | 512 MB RAM |
| Storage | 4GB eMMC Flash |
| Display | AMOLED 1.39” – 400 x 400 (287ppi). Touch: 2-finger |
| Sensor | 6-Axis (G+A), Ambient light sensor |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth V4.1 |
| Battery | 340mAh with quick-charge |
| Colors | Silver, Gunmetal, Rose Gold |
| Dimensions | 1.77 x 1.77 x 0.39 inch |
| Note | Communication: Bluetooth® 4.1 + Wi-Fi |
Fossil Q Accomplice
[Price: $131.25]
Specifications
| Activity Tracking | Built In Fitness Tracker |
| Notifications | Social Media, Text / Email, App Alerts, Multiple Time Zones, Calendar Alerts. |
| Functions | Takes picture(s), Sleep Tracker, Controls Your Music, Step Tracker, Interchangeable Watch Band. |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth v4.1 |
| Compatibility | Android™ OS 5.0+, iPhone 5/iOS 9.0+, Smartphone App |
| Resistance | Water resistant 30m (100ft) |
Nokia Steel HR
[Price: $201.56]
Specifications
| Activity tracking | Heart rate tracker, Automatically tracks walk,swim, run, distance & calories burned. |
| Smartphone alerts | Notifications for text messages, calls, and events on the watch screen. |
| Sleep monitoring | Sleep cycle analysis (light and deep sleep) plus silent vibrating alarm with Smart Wake. |
| Battery | Up to 25 days battery life (charges in 2 hours) Extra 20 more days on power reserve mode (time & activity tracking only) |
LG watch style
[price: $294.20]
Specifications
| Mode Strap | Italian Genuine Leather |
| Display Type | 1.2 Full Circle P-OLED |
| Display Resolution | 360 x 360 (299ppi) |
| Network | WiFi/BT |
| OS | Android Wear 2.0 |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 1.1 GHz ( Wear 2100) |
| Battery Capacity | Embedded 240mAh battery |
| Bluetooth® | Bluetooth Version 4.2 LE |
| Storage | 512 MB + 4GB |
| Protection | IP67 Certified (Not Suitable for Swimming or Diving) |
| Sensors | Gyroscope, Accelerometer, ALS |
| Weight | 46g |
| Dimensions | 42.3 x 45.7 x 10.8mm |
| Compatibility | iOS Compatible |
| Colors | Titanium / Rose Gold / Silver |
| UPC | 652810800877 |
Moto 360 2nd Generation
[Price: $246.88}
Specifications
| Display | Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 with Backlit LCD |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 400; CPU: 1.2 GHz quad-core (APQ 8026), Adreno 305 + 450MHz GPU. |
| Sensors | Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Ambient Light Sensor, Vibration and Haptics engine |
| Battery | Capacity: 300mAh/400mAh |
| Charge | Wireless charging – charging dock included |
| Memory | 4GB Flash storage coupled with 512MB RAM |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth V4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g |
| Microphone | Dual digital mics |
In Conclusion:
Smart watches, just like regular fashion watches can be trendy and really fashionable. The hi-tech features that comes with these 10 makes them a great choice for classic online shoppers.
They can be bought offline from reputable tech shops or online from Amazon, Gearbest, Aliexpress, Jumia, Konga, Bestbuy and other top e-shopping malls.
Have you used any of these watches in the past or needs a help with choosing a particular type/brand of smart watch? Please do let us know in the comments section below.
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