A smartwatch is a computer designed to be wearable; in the form of a wristwatch. Smartwatches are currently very advanced, featuring advanced functionalities like heart rate monitoring, GPS, call functionality, Bluetooth, portable media players, thermometers, altimeters, barometers, compasses, accelerometers, pedometers, digital cameras, and others. These host of functionalities take the smartwatch closer to a smartphone every day.
Smartwatches also serve as fitness trackers that measure the activity a person does in a given time. Some smartwatches go further to upload such data to online storage where the data is analyzed and the results made available to the user.
Apple’s Smartwatch
Apple launched its first smartwatch in September 2014, and since then it has improved to become one of the leading providers of smartwatches, thanks to its superb resources, market share, and technology. The Apple Watch Series 5 is the latest of the Apple Watch series and comes with an always-on-display, built-in compass, built-in electrical heart rate sensor for taking on-the-go EKGs, and all of the functionalities of their previous series. It is a 40mm watch with LTE (Long Time Evolution), battery life of 18 hours, Cycle tracking and App store. The smartwatch is water-resistant and features a mobile pay option (Apple Pay) for seamless payments on Apple Store.
Other smartwatches, to save battery, only come awake when the smartwatch is either lifted or touched. Apple Watch Series 5’s always-on display provides a different user experience, especially during workouts. You will be able to tell the time whenever you glance at the watch; with the watch automatically adjusting to your surroundings with the help of an ambient light sensor.
Despite the outstanding features of the Apple Smartwatch, it is designed for Apple users. However, you don’t have to worry if you are not an Apple user or enthusiast. Other smartwatches provide the same functionalities as the Apple Watch. Read on to find out the top five competitors to Apple Watch.
1. Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2
The biggest competitor for Apple Watch is Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2. The Samsung Galaxy Watch is compatible with Android and iOS. It also comes in sizes of 40mm or 44mm with battery life (Rated) of 24 – 60 hours. Its battery life is more than three times the battery life of Apple Watch Series 5. It has GPS with a heart rate monitor and is water-resistant. It is an LTE smartwatch with its payment option (Samsung Pay). The Galaxy Watch Active 2 is based on Samsung’s Tizen operating system and boasts of other features such as offline Spotify storage, and other health features. Samsung is currently awaiting FDA approval to issue a software update that will enable the EKG feature on the Galaxy Watch like the Apple Watch Series 5.
2. Fitbit Versa 2
Fitbit Versa 2 is another smartwatch that will compete with the Apple Watch series. It is a 39mm sleek smartwatch designed to give you enhanced sleep tracking with its new feature that enables monitoring of blood oxygen saturation levels. It is the best smartwatch for sleep tracking. It has a battery life of 4 days and is compatible with Android and iOS. Fitbit Versa 2 has an in-built Alexa and a Spotify app that allows you to control your music from the watch, although you can’t download Spotify songs for offline listening. It does not come with onboard GPS hence GPS services can only be accessed on the device while it is connected to a smartphone.
3. TicWatch Pro
Ticwatch Pro is a strong competitor of Apple Watch, dubbed the two-screen smartwatch. There are two layers of displays, one on top the other. When the battery is low, the top transparent LCD is used to display the time, heart rate, and more. Below the top display is a full-color OLED display that gives you the full benefits of smartwatches. The low power mode can last a whopping 30 days. It is compatible with Android and iOS and comes with onboard storage of 4GB.
4. Fossil Gen 5
Fossil Gen 5 is a high-end smartwatch that comes with 8GB of storage. It features Google pay for your payments anywhere mobile payment is accepted. It uses Google’s Wear OS and so it is loaded with Google Assistant, Google Fit and Tiles. It is compatible with Android and iOS, with a battery life of 18 or more hours.
5. Garmin Vivoactive 4
The Garmin Vivoactive 4 is the best for fitness. It comes with a an energy monitor for tracking your how much energy you have during the day to find the best times for activities and relaxation. It offers all the functionalities of smartwatches. You can use the Garmin personal running coach for free for your 5k, 10k or half marathon. The watch is water-resistant and it also has its payment solution (Garmin Pay)
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