A connected watch, often known as a smartwatch, offers several functions. If you like to get notifications on your wrist, you can avoid having to remove your smartphone from your pocket at every vibration, which makes it easier, for example, to stay focused on your task. Also, it will be possible to answer urgent calls and messages directly from the watch, in certain models.
Beyond alerts, however, smartwatches are the best device for athletes and sports enthusiasts. They demonstrate their value in this situation. They enable you to be more effective in your training since they are loaded with an increasing number of sensors. These include the ECG, SpO2, VO2 max and others.
These sensors are also being used more and more for medical reasons, to the point where they may soon be of assistance to diabetics. Connected watches are another useful tool for tracking your evenings if you want to get better sleep.
How to choose the best smartwatch for you?
Today, the connected watch market is shared by several players: Apple with the Apple Watch, Samsung with the Galaxy Watch, Huawei with the Huawei Watch, but also Garmin, which is sport-oriented. We can also mention Xiaomi which has a lineup of smartwatches, or Fitbit, which focuses more on health.
First, you may decide between Android and iOS based on the smartphone you own. Anyone with an iPhone can use an Apple Watch as the best option.
The selection may be more expanded if you use an Android smartphone. The preferred screen will be the key determining factor. If, for instance, you favor a touch screen, a screen with a keyboard, an AMOLED display, etc. You will then need to consider how you will use it, such as whether it will primarily be used to receive notifications from your smartphone or if you’re looking for features to help you while you engage in sports. Of course, since a watch is also a fashion accessory that you wear on your wrist, its appearance will be important.
The watch strap is also significantly important. You need to consider the material and size. While some models use standard sizes, others use more unusual ones. Every watch has a standard strap.
You must always be less than ten meters away from your smartphone because the majority of smartwatches work via Bluetooth connections.
A selection of the top smartwatches for 2022 can be found here.
The best smartwatches to buy in 2022
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro
Samsung’s brand-new generation of smartwatches are among the best for sports use. There are two variants, including the “Pro”. The watch has a style that integrates the designs of the previous generation while yet being wearable every day. The only issue is changing the bracelet, which proves to be difficult at first.
You can easily see the user interface even in direct sunlight because of the 1.4-inch AMOLED screen. The light sensor makes adjustments as needed. There are multiple screen faces. With the One UI Watch, WearOS continues to rule at the interface level. When it comes to measurements and applications, the proposed ecosystem is very complete.
We are particularly interested in the sports-related aspect. You may choose from a hundred different activities, but you can also export your data using programs like Strava. Even if the GPS, Glonass, Beidou, and Galileo systems are compatible, the GPS accuracy is not at the needed level. The differences from the data gathered during the test might occasionally be rather large.
Similar to cardiac tracking, it might occasionally be too unpredictable to compete with the best sports watches. The whole package is still quite outstanding, with a two-day autonomy standing out as particularly noteworthy given how uncommon it is.
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With the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5, the Korean company has also released a little more user-friendly variant of its smartwatch. A model that is essentially the same as the previous generation but has still limited autonomy. The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro remains a fantastic everyday connected watch.
Apple Watch Series 7
There’s no need to wait to purchase an Apple Watch if you have an iPhone and want a smartwatch. The watch seamlessly blends into the company’s ecosystem, allowing for a connectivity between your iPhone, your wristwatch, and even your iPad and Mac to some extent.
Be aware that Apple has released the Watch Series 8 last September. A temperature sensor is one of the new functions that this new watch offers. Also take notice that there are two other models, namely the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE 2.
The seventh generation of the Apple watch is somehow the best option because of several things. And the first is its large screen. A millimeter more in height and width hardly affects the case’s actual dimensions. However, the display significantly more fully uses this area, with a 20% increase in display area over the Series 6 model. The end result is a watch that is simple to read on a daily basis, especially when used in conjunction with an Always On mode that is 70% brighter.
However, internal changes are minimal. The new CPU is happy to manage the extra pixels without negatively impacting autonomy, and we continue to discover a very wide range of sensors. The slightly larger battery is primarily there to make up for the larger screen. In practice, we once again have a full day of use, and the 20 W charger allows for a quicker charge. As a result, 8 hours of battery life can be restored in 8 minutes of charging. In terms of software, watchOS 8 introduces a number of new features.
Although not revolutionary, the Apple Watch Series 7 advances in terms of charging and size. Therefore, it continues to be our go-to smartwatch.
But the Series 7 will soon be replaced by the latest generation and dropped from the Apple store. The Apple Watch Series 8 does not provide many advancements. The SE version and the Ultra version of the catalog may also be interesting.
Huawei Watch 3
Huawei is upgrading its previous smartwatch model with the Watch 3. The brand’s first HarmonyOS-powered model is offering a lot of features. There is nothing to complain about in terms of Huawei’s aesthetics. The watch is classy and beautifully made, but most importantly, it is huge. Small wrists may also experience issues because of this.
There are various options for bracelets, ranging from Synthetic rubber to steel. A digital crown resembling the one on the Apple Watch is located on the edge. The AMOLED display, on the other hand, is sufficiently bright to be readable in any environment. We have a ton of options when it comes to watch faces because of the over 300 one that are accessible on the Huawei Health app.
We have access to all the standard metrics for activity monitoring, with the exception of the ECG. More surprisingly, the watch can detect fever by taking your skin temperature and alerting you to it. With an average battery life of three days per charge, we can’t complain.
What Harmony OS was worth on a watch remained to be seen. And we must acknowledge that the OS is functioning effectively and has a good user interface. Unfortunately, despite the system being made available to developers, there are still very few third-party applications.
Therefore, the Watch 3 is a good quality smartwatch that can compete with Apple or Samsung models.