Scott Anfield

Best Android Watches for 2019

December 2, 2019 By Scott Anfield Leave a Comment

There’s certainly no shortage of Android smartwatches on the market at the moment. These wearables have really hit the mainstream and are proving popular with buyers. However, if you’re planning on purchasing one this year you’re going to need to know which one is the best for you.

Not everyone has the same needs when it comes to choosing a smartwatch. If you’re a serious athlete, you’ll have very different requirements to someone who simply wants to track their sleep and receive notifications. That’s why we’re taking a closer look at the best Android watches for 2019 so you can make a well-informed purchasing decision. There’s sure to be one that’s right for you.

Is The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 The Best Android Smartwatch?

Firstly, of all the Android smartwatches on the market, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 is arguably the best. Optimized for use with Samsung smartphones, it runs equally well on all other Android devices too and boasts all the fitness features you could possibly want. Lightweight and compact, it offers an impressively long battery life and ensures a great all-round wearables experience.

The touch display is vivid and sharp while also being fun to use and simple to navigate. This device uses the Tizen operating system and, while there isn’t an enormous range of apps to choose from, you’ll find all of the most popular ones like Strava and Spotify.

When it comes to activity tracking, the Active 2 won’t disappoint. It has inbuilt GPS as well as automatic workout tracking, sleep tracking, caffeine, food and water consumption tracking and an improved Running Coach feature.

If you’re only really wearing a smartwatch to receive notifications, the Active 2 still delivers thanks to its outstanding support for the Android notification system. Furthermore, you can reply using the inbuilt keyboard, with a quick response or by using your voice.

Pros:

Well-designed and compact
Long 3-day battery life
Water resistance to 5 ATM
Automated fitness tracking
Inbuilt NFC and GPS

Cons:

The support for third party apps is limited
The Tizen operating system takes some time to understand

The Mobvoi TicWatch E2 – Best Value Watch For The Money

If you’re looking for an Android smartwatch which won’t break the bank, but which can compete with the major contenders, the Mobvoi Ticwatch E2 is a great choice. With its large 1.4”display and stylish good looks, this device offers a long battery life, excellent touch response, an inbuilt heartrate monitor, automated workout detection and waterproofing, consequently it’s a serious player in the Android wearables field. This device runs on the Wear OS which offers notification support as well as Google Assistant. In addition, the TicMotion layer automatically detects your workouts, even monitoring your swimming performance and providing stroke analysis.

Pros:

Robust construction
Waterproofed
Automated workout detection
Outstanding notification support
Inbuilt GPS

Cons:

Bulky design

Skagen Falster 2 – A Super-Stylish Watch Design

If you want a smartwatch that looks just like a regular watch but with great functionality built in, the Skagen Falster 2 is the one for you. Its simply design is paired with a high-quality strap while the 3-button layout and rotating crown makes scrolling through the Wear OS a breeze with no need for a touch screen. The body is made from stainless steel while there’s a choice of straps in silicone, metal or leather in a choice of colours. It’s also water-resistant and comes with inbuilt NFC, heartrate monitor and GPS.

Pros:

Classic, attractive design
Easy to use digital crown
Inbuilt heartrate tracker, NFC and GPS
Water-resistant

Cons:

Short battery life

The Garmin Forerunner 245 Music – A Great Watch For Runners

If you’re a serious athlete who needs excellent fitness tracking, the Garmin Forerunner 245 Music is certainly what you need. It might not be the top performing smartwatch on the market, but it can certainly track your swims, bike rides and runs with great accuracy and it’ll even receive phone notifications.

The battery life is impressive while the screen can easily be seen even in direct sunlight so it’s great for outdoor wear. As an added bonus, it offers music storage as well as the ability to stream from Deezer or Spotify, and its sleep tracking, heartrate monitoring, VO2 max estimation, recovery advisor and advanced workout capture certainly make this a popular choice among athletes.

Pros:

Inbuilt workout guidance and tracking
Long battery life
Easy to read transflective display
Comfortable to wear
Music streaming functionality

Cons:

Limited smartwatch features

The Fitbit Versa 2 – Top Watch For Casual Athletes

Fitbit is no longer only about fitness tracking. For example, The Versa 2 comes with a host of smartwatch functions including useful apps and a long battery life to ensure great value for money combined with excellent functionality. The design is modern and sleek while the speedy processor ensures smooth performance. Furthermore, Android users are able to dictate their replies to notifications through the inbuilt microphone and the Alexa inbuilt support gives you quick answers to your queries. The Fitbit syncs seamlessly with Android phones while the Fitbit social network makes it easy to get active thanks to weekly challenges and pre-made adventures.

Pros:

Attractive design
Long battery life
Good smartwatch features
Choice of colours
Inbuilt Alexa support

Cons:

Limited choice of apps

Which Smartwatch Is For Me In 2019?

To sum up, if you’re looking for the perfect smartwatch for you in 2019, any of the models on this list could be a great choice. Whether you’re looking for excellent fitness tracking functionality, plenty of modern style or great all-round capabilities, one of these devices is sure to be perfect for you.

Lastly, if you’re an Android smartphone user, you’re going to benefit from choosing an Android smartwatch to pair with it. With these models from the top manufacturers and brands in the industry, you’re certainly assured excellent fitness tracking, notification support and plenty of other fantastic features that help you to get more done.

Google Buys Fitbit – What Are The Implications

November 29, 2019 By Scott Anfield Leave a Comment

2009 was the year in which the first Fitbit activity tracker was launched, opening the gateway to a world of exciting opportunities. Not only did the brand become synonymous with accessible hardware, it was also recognized for its excellent software – its social networking, mobile app, sleep tracking and subscription coaching which set it apart from other fitness wearables.

However, all of that is set to change with the news that Google, one of the world’s biggest software companies, will be acquiring Fitbit in an attempt to bring the best hardware, software and AI together in a wearables innovation. So, what does this revelation mean for those who already own Fitbit products?

Google And Fitbit – What’s Happening?

Is there anyone on the planet that isn’t familiar with the Google brand? This technological giant is slowly permeating through every element of modern life, and doesn’t appear to be slowing any time soon. From its internet search engine to its Pixel entry into the smartphone market, Google is on the rise, so it comes as no surprise that the brand is keen to enter the wearables market too.

The recent news that Google will be acquiring the Fitbit brand for over $2 million marks its entry into the realm of fitness and health data, and, of course, there are several significant antitrust and privacy issues surrounding this pending acquisition. Users are asking, and rightly so, what happens when Google can access all of their fitness and health data then combine that information with all of the other information about them that it has derived from other Google services and its search engine?

Will I Receive Targeted Adverts?

There are now over 27 million active Fitbit users worldwide, wearing a broad spectrum of Fitbit wearables which collect a huge amount of personal data regarding sleep, heartrate, exercise and activity patterns. Fitbit devices also have inbuilt GPS tracking while also being customizable to collect further data about performance, diet and health. Even dates of birth and gender are recorded since users are requested to supply this information in order to have their fitness activity properly tracked and analysed. Now, all of that data will come within reach of Google.

In the past, the tech giant could have made educated guesses about users’ overall diet and health based on their Google searches, but now, precise details will be known. Does this mean that Google will take this data and put it to use to deliver targeted advertising? Will personal health and fitness data become raw material used to create new Google adverts?

How would this look in practice? Well, let’s assume someone has been wearing their Fitbit to track their daily run. Google could easily take that information and use it to show the wearer adverts for running sneakers. Somebody who has been tracking their heartrate with their Fitbit may be sent adverts for specific non-prescription medications.

When we add in the ability of Google to access GPS data in real-time, it’s easy to see how adverts could be even more tailored to the individual. Google could easily pinpoint a Fitbit wearer’s location and show them adverts for local cafes, restaurants and stores.

Will My Insurance Be Affected?

With Google being able to access personal fitness and health data through Fitbit devices, there are some major concerns about whether wearers’ health insurance could be impacted. Some insurers are now providing incentives to encourage people to wear a Fitbit, so it’s only natural to be worried that Google’s combined data about wearers could lead to changes in insurance premiums, or even in the type of policy which users could be offered.

Will Personal Information Really Be At Risk?

One of the top concerns of those who already own a Fitbit is whether there will be any risk to their personal information. The good news is that Google have been clear in their statement that they won’t be selling any personal data to anybody, and no Fitbit wellness or health data will be used for any Google ads. However, there are still concerns about whether or not Google will find other, more creative ways of monetizing Fitbit users’ data. This data could be used to tie services and software together in order to sell more of Google’s other services, and offers yet another access point for this tech giant to enter into users’ lives.

Can I Trust Google With My Wellness Data?

For those who already own a Fitbit or who are considering buying one in the near future, the news of the $2.1 billion acquisition deal is almost certainly going to be met with mixed feelings. Can wearables users really trust Google? Will their wellness and health data be safe in the tech giant’s hands?

Although the Fitbit acquisition by Google may appear to be about hardware, in reality, it’s about data, and Google won’t just be acquiring a raft of fitness trackers, it’ll also be acquiring a host of fitness and health data which it could, in theory, put to work for its own aims and benefit. It isn’t surprising, then, that so many people have already reported their worries on the subject, expressing their fears that they will be bombarded with adverts, face higher medical cover premiums and put themselves at risk of even more security breaches as such major organizations are in the line of fire when it comes to cyberattacks.

Yet, despite these worries, the news that Google is taking over Fitbit could actually be positive in terms of security and privacy. Google is one of the biggest tech companies in the world, and as such, has the essential resources to ensure that any issues in these areas are addressed rapidly and efficiently. If users can’t trust a giant company like Google which has balances and checks in place to secure their data, who can they trust? Who knows what the future will hold, but Fitbit users are waiting in nervous anticipation to find out.

Smartwatches For Boys

October 23, 2019 By Scott Anfield Leave a Comment

Boy performing stunts using a silver scooter outside in the sunshine

Many people these days are choosing to wear smartwatches to make their lives simpler and keep track of their activity levels. It’s no wonder, then, that many parents are keen to bring the same benefits to their children by investing in smartwatches for boys.

With young people living increasingly sedentary lifestyles, it comes as no surprise that finding interactive and engaging ways to help children to boost their fitness is a top priority, and this is where the best smartwatches for boys can prove to be invaluable.

Some of the best models on the market today offer a host of interesting features. Many of which can be found on the highest-end adult smartwatches, and yet they have also been designed to be appealing to children with entertaining functions and a kid-friendly appearance.

If you’re ready to choose the right smartwatch for your son this year, here are some of the very best that are available for purchase right now. Read on to discover which models are the right ones for your children.

vTech Kidizoom Smartwatch

For your young son, it’s hard to beat vTech’s Kidizoom watch. This cool device doesn’t just have a kid-friendly design that won’t fail to impress. It also comes pre-loaded with three exciting and fun activities to keep your son engaged. It has three action challenges so your child will be encouraged to put down their video game controller and get active instead. There are five fun integrated games which will keep kids busy for hours as well as a motion sensor to alert you to when they are moving.

Other fantastic features include an inbuilt still and video camera, voice recorder, voice effects and photo editor. Controlled with an intuitive touchscreen, this device also comes equipped with a calendar, alarm, a choice of clock faces and a calculator. Furthermore, since it is sweatproof and waterproof, it can be worn all day long without any worries about its durability.

GBD-GPS Tracker Kids Smartwatch

With its child-friendly good looks and powerful performance, the GBD-GPS Tracker is a top choice. It comes equipped with a raft of intelligent features including GSM SIM card support and caller ID. It is controlled via a 1.44in colour touchscreen which has customisable options and three icons. This watch also offers an SOS call function as well as inbuilt Wi-Fi, GSP and GPS tracking. Pre-loaded games also help to keep your son occupied. Available in a choice of vibrant colours, it has a rubber strap which is comfortable to wear, easy to clean and highly durable.

HereO GPS Watch For Kids

Colorful and appealing to children, this smartwatch puts the safety of the wearer first. As it’s light and compact, even young children won’t mind wearing it. It features an e-paper screen for easier viewing while its long-lasting battery can last for up to 60 hours without a charge. There is an integrated panic feature as well as GPS tracking. In addition, the ability to send a family member a message with a single press of a button makes this a great choice for parents who want to monitor their child’s well-being wherever they go. Suitable for use for children aged three or over, this device does require a monthly subscription for Wi-Fi and tracking but it is well worth it thanks to the notifications that parents can receive whenever their children enter or leave their set safe zones.

Caref GPS Phone Watch

If you have an older son who wants a smartwatch that looks more sophisticated, the Caref GPS phone watch could be the one for you. It keeps children safe while also keeping them entertained with its integrated SafeZones function which allows parents to set up to five safe spaces which will trigger a notification whenever their child enters or leaves them.

There are GSM, GPS and Wi-Fi connectivity options and with the ability to choose five contacts which the wearer can call easily, this watch is a great way for parents to keep track of their child without being too intrusive. As you’d expect from a child-friendly device, this smartwatch is packed with activities and games to keep kids occupied as well as simple functions like a calendar, alarm and clock.

DokiWatch S

The DokiWatch S proclaims itself to be the most advanced smartwatch for children. Having come a long way from its Kickstarter days, this device comes in a choice of styles and is a true all-rounder within its product category. It comes with inbuilt GPS for tracking as well as an SOS alarm to keep kids safe. Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and 3G are all supported while the inbuilt camera provides video, voice and text calling no matter where your son may be.

These functions require a monthly data subscription, but the Doki brand is able to offer 12 months of cover through its own package bundle. One of the top features of this device is its DokiPet activity game which helps the wearer to have fun. It is also water resistant to IP65 and boasts a range of watch wallpapers to suit all tastes. Ideally suited for children aged between six and 12, this kids’ smartwatch is leading the way.

If you’re looking for a high-quality smartwatch that is suitable for your son, one of these options is sure to fit the bill. All of these devices have been designed specifically with the needs of children in mind. With integrated features to improve fitness as well as to keep children safe, they tick all the boxes for parents. Meanwhile, their gaming features, challenges and child-friendly, visually appealing designs make them a hit with kids too. This makes any of these smartwatches a hit with their target market. Choose any of these for your child and you can be sure you’ve made a sensible choice.

Smartwatches For Teens

October 16, 2019 By Scott Anfield Leave a Comment

Boy performing stunts using an adult scooter outside in the sunshine

Teenagers are all over the latest tech. If your son or daughter is asking for the most up-to-date devices, it can be difficult to know which smartwatches to choose. There are lots of models on the market today, but not all are ideal for the teenage needs.

Young people want access to a fully functioning device which looks stylish and youthful, but which still allows them to accomplish all of the activities that they demand. Activity tracking, the ability to receive notifications and a host of other features are very important to young smartwatch wearers. So how can parents be sure of making the right purchasing decision? With this dilemma in mind, here are some of the very best smartwatches for teens which are on the market today.

Pebble 2+

This smartwatch comes equipped with everything that most teenagers want from their devices. It has an integrated 24/7 heartrate monitor together with a smart fitness tracker. This monitors the number of calories burned and steps walked. It even has a sleep tracker to measure deep sleep, as well as voice command functionality via an inbuilt microphone.

Even better, teens can reply to their messages and record notes as well as display their phone notifications easily. For keen swimmers, this watch is water resistant to a depth of 30 meters. It can be worn in the pool or in the shower without any worries. It even has a battery life of up to seven days, so it won’t need to be recharged too regularly.

The monochrome liquid crystal ePaper screen isn’t as visually appealing as a colour screen. However it does have an LED backlight which allows easy viewing, even in bright sunlight. Users can access more than 10,000 different apps for health, games, fitness and much more.

Fitbit Versa

The Fitbit Versa may be aimed at the adult market, but it’s the ideal choice for any teenager. Thanks to the array of impressive functions it offers. Its 24/7 heartrate monitoring functionality and sleep monitoring functions are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to tracking your wellness. There are also more than 15 different exercise modes to supply work-out stats in real time.

The Fitbit Versa offers access to a host of finance, fitness, sports and social apps. Furthermore, the Fitbit App itself allows you to record menstrual cycle details. The battery life is relatively long at around four days, while the case is light and slim making it great for all day wear. If you have an Android smartphone, you can receive notifications, texts and calls, and respond. It’s water resistant down to 50m too.

Mobvoi TicWatch S2

The Mobvoi brand is becoming known for its high-quality, affordable smartwatches and the TicWatch S2 is a great example. This is a robust and long-lasting device. It is resistant to high temperatures, shock, dust and, being water resistant to 50m, it’s ideal for swimmers. It also comes with inbuilt GLONASS, GPS and Beidou so the wearer can enjoy receiving real time statistics of their activities and performance.

This watch tracks swimming, running and sleeping patterns while the integrated heartrate monitor tracks your heartrate 24/7. Its Wear OS operating system gives the user access to favourite Google Play Store apps. In addition, the Google Assistant function can be accessed direct from the wrist.

Huawei GPS Smartwatch

The Huawei brand is well-known for its high-tech solutions and this GPS integrated smartwatch lives up to the reputation. Its HD AMOLED touchscreen enables the wearer to view each detail clearly. This device has a slim and strong stainless steel shell for extra strength. It also has a ceramic bezel and a DLC coating that makes it even more resilient to damage.

It has an inbuilt heartrate monitor as well as support for three satellite position systems – GALILEO, GLONASS and GPS for faster and more accurate positioning. One of the top features of this smartwatch is its running coaching function. This covers beginner level up to advanced, while the many different sports modes offer more functionality.

Water resistant up to 50m, this device helps wearers to identify then improve their strokes with a SWOLF score being provided after swimming. When paired with an Android or iOS device, this waterproof smartwatch allows the wearer to receive notifications on their wrist.

Kate Spade Smartwatch For Girls

If you have a teenage daughter, she’s sure to love the Kate Spade smartwatch for girls. Designed to be a fashionable choice, this device is powered by Google’s Wear OS software so it works perfectly with Google Play Store apps.

It comes complete with a comfortable silicone band and a protective, 9mm thick case. Water resistant and with a 24 hour battery life, this watch is a great choice for all day wear. It keeps the wearer informed at all times by displaying phone notifications and Android users benefit from the ability to respond to email and messages and access to the Google Assistant function.

The smart activity tracker lets the wearer stay on top of their fitness while controlling music directly from their wrist and customising the watch to match their outfit, personality or style.

Xiaomi Mi Band 4

The Mi Band 4 is a popular and relatively inexpensive alternative for teens. It comes with lots of band colors and options and also features many of the features you could find on other smartwatches listed here.

The Mi Band 4 feature a 0.95inch RGB AMOLED touchscreen display with a 120×240 pixel density and 400-nit brightness. It can track all your fitness activities, control your music devices and connect to your phone via Bluetooth. It’s a light smartwatch that can easily be worn by teens and adults alike.

With the Mi Band 4, you are able to change your screen skin to pre-built templates or design and upload your own. It’s a pretty cool watch and you can read all about it in our full Mi Band 4 review.

If you’re searching for the perfect smartwatch for the teenager girl or boy in your life, any of the options showcased here could be the ideal choice for you. Well-designed, affordable and appealing to the teen market, these devices bring the convenience of wearable technology to the teen market.

Sleep Tracker Watches

October 15, 2019 By Scott Anfield Leave a Comment

Woman in led in hammock wearing a smartwatch and listening to music on her phone

A personal sleep tracker can give you lots of interesting insights into how you sleep. After all, we spend a third of our lives asleep. So it makes sense to want to know more about this important function. While a sleep tracker isn’t going to give you such an accurate and thorough result as a professional medical assessment. It will certainly tell you what you need to know about your sleep quality so you can take the necessary steps to make improvements. Some personal sleep trackers are also smartwatches and activity trackers, and it is these devices that we are looking at here.

The Fitbit Versa

Of all the wearable sleep tracker watches available today, the Fitbit Versa is certainly one of the best. Reliable, accurate and easy to wear, it gives you all the information you need about how long you’re sleeping for, how often you wake and what time.

This watch also offers a number of other benefits too. Its fitness tracking is also pretty reliable and, while it doesn’t have as many functions as other fitness tracking smartwatches like the Apple Watch Series, it does have a good step counter, a pulse sensor and an automatic movement tracker. As this device is also water resistant to 50m, you can use it while swimming and it even has sufficient storage for as many as 300 songs which you can listen to through Bluetooth.

The Fitbit Versa also has contactless payments enabled, allows you to receive notifications on the go, and there are an increasing number of apps available for download. In addition, the stylish appearance, the long battery life and the light and comfortable feel, it all adds up to one appealing device.

The Advantages:

Accurate and automatic sleep tracking
Fitness tracking functions including specific exercise tracking
50m water resistance
Robust glass touchscreen with 1000 nits brightness
Long battery life of 4 days

The Disadvantages:

Syncing is sometimes slow
No built-in GPS

Fitbit Alta HR

If you want a slim and unobtrusive sleep tracker with some fitness tracking features, the Fitbit Alta HR may fit the bill. Its design is thin, sleek and minimal, so you won’t notice you’re wearing it in bed. It doesn’t have so many apps and tracking features, but it does have an incredibly long battery life of seven days.

The Alta HR has pretty accurate sleep tracking, and its app breaks down your sleep patterns so you can see at a glance how you spent your night. There is even a vibration reminder to encourage you to get to bed on time so you can enjoy a healthy sleep regime.

The Advantages

Accurate and automatic sleep tracking
Heart rate monitor
An excellent app with sleep breakdown patterns at a glance
Vibrating alerts and reminders
Step, distance, calorie and active minutes tracking
Customisable display
Calendar, text and call alerts

The Disadvantages:

Few features
No inbuilt GPS
No waterproofing

Polar Vantage M

The Polar Vantage M is certainly one of the best sports watches with sleep tracking around. It links to the Polar Flow site to show you all of the details of your time in bed, for example a graph which depicts the quality of your sleep and any interruptions you experienced.

The watch is also a good all-round sports tracker with integrated GPS and a multisport mode, which allows you to get all the vital statistics you need to maintain fitness and good health. The battery life is pretty impressive too – 30 hours when in training mode – and the heartrate tracker is accurate and convenient.

The Advantages

Accurate sleep tracking functionality
Integrated Heart rate monitor
An excellent website with sleep breakdown patterns at a glance
Multisport mode
Step, distance, calorie and active minutes tracking
Integrated GPS

The Disadvantages:

Shorter battery life than some of its rivals

How Do We Test Smartwatches?

We take pride in the amount of time and effort that we put into testing and reviewing smartwatches. You’re relying on us to give you the key information that you need to decide whether a certain model is right for your needs, and that’s why we put each and every one through its paces with a rigorous approach to testing.

We examine the design of each watch to see whether it’s stylish and appealing while also remaining highly functional and easy to use. Is it comfortable to wear? Does it look good on wrists of all sizes? Does it offer customisation options or interchangeable straps and faces? We examine all of these elements.

We look closely at integrated features and fitness tracking capabilities. Is there GPS? Are there LTE capabilities? Can you make contactless payments? Is there storage for songs and podcasts? Sleep tracking and activity tracking for different sports? We test these elements and look at the effect that each have on the power, processing capacity, memory and battery life of each device.

Then we bring all this information together in an informative review so that you can make the best choice about whether the smartwatch that we’re reviewing is really the best one for your requirements.

In Summary

Firstly, all of the sleep trackers that we’ve showcased here have a lot to offer. If you’re looking primarily for a sports tracker with sleep tracking capabilities thrown in, we’d recommend the Polar Vantage M. However, if you’re looking for something easy to wear all night long with basic fitness tracking, the Fitbit Alta HR is hard to beat. However, we think that the Fitbit Versa represents the best value for money thanks to its accurate sleep tracking paired with its good looks, its smartwatch capabilities and its long battery life.

Apple Watch Options For Men

October 11, 2019 By Scott Anfield Leave a Comment

Man's hand and wrist showing the Apple Watch Series 4

The Apple Watch remains the original and best smartwatch. Now in its fifth incarnation, the Apple Watch comes in a host of styles and boasts plenty of features, albeit with a high price tag. For men who are keen to benefit from great functionality and stylish good looks, the Apple Watch is a great choice.

The Background

Having released the original Apple Watch to great acclaim, the brand has gone from strength to strength, releasing newer and more updated models year on year which offer even more in the way of functionality, features and style. The most recent is the Series 5, but for those who are happy to opt for an older model, there is plenty to enjoy at a good price.

The Apple Watch Series 4

Although the Series 4 isn’t the newest model from this iconic brand, in many ways it rivals its younger sibling the Series 5. With its attractive, large display, thin bezel and more rounded corners, this is a very wearable device which has a slimmer and rounder chassis and a ceramic redesigned back.

This smartwatch is powered by an S4 64 bi dual core processor, which ensures that it can provide double the performance of its predecessor, the Series 3. It also has some excellent features which weren’t found on earlier versions of the Apple Watch, including an ECG system which can detect any cardiac abnormalities and an inbuilt fall detection alert which contacts the emergency services automatically should you fall. The Series 4 also boasts a louder speaker, ideal for receiving calls on the go. It also has plenty of storage capacity which is essential for anyone who wants to listen to music or podcasts on the go.

There are two sizes of Series 4 available – 40mm or 44mm – so you should be able to find one to suit your wrist size. There is also a GPS-only model and a GPS + Cellular model, which is more expensive but means you can leave your phone behind when going for a jog.

What Are The Main Advantages?

Water resistant
ECG system
Inbuilt fall alert
Contactless payments are enabled
GPS (with a cellular GPS model available)
2 sizes to choose from

What Are The Main Disadvantages?

Expensive

Apple Watch Series 3

This model represents excellent value for money and although its functions and abilities are a little dated, it still offers a great user experience.

The display area is a little smaller than that of the Series 4, and the internals are older. This makes it slightly harder to see, and a little slower in terms of processing speed. Nevertheless, it’s still packed with excellent features including water-resistance to 50 meters, a battery which lasts as long as 18 hours before needing to be recharged, a barometric altimeter and an onboard heart sensor.

Again, there are two size variants to choose from – one measuring 38mm and one measuring 40mm – and there is also a GPS only and a GPS + Cellular model and a choice of colours.

What Are The Main Advantages?

Water resistant to 50m
Inbuilt heart sensor
Barometric altimeter
Choice of colors
GPS (with a cellular GPS model available)
2 sizes to choose from
Great value for money

What Are The Main Disadvantages?

No ECG system
No fall alert

Apple Watch Series 5

The Series 5 comes with a high price tag and, with only a handful of additional features to set it apart from the Series 4, it may not be worth the extra unless you’re desperate to have the latest device.

Of course, you’d expect the Series 5 to have stylish good looks, and you won’t be disappointed. Its big selling point is an always-on display , combined with a host of case materials including stainless steel, titanium, ceramic and aluminium. Each option comes in several different finishes so there’s a lot of versatility.

While there is an upgraded processor, there isn’t a lot of difference in terms of performance or speed. There is, however 32G of storage so you can save songs and podcasts to your heart’s content. There are also a couple of new health and fitness apps including a noise detection app as well as the inbuilt fall alert and the ability to detect heart abnormalities.

What Are The Main Advantages?

Inbuilt heart sensor and fall alert
Barometric altimeter
Huge range of finishes and materials
GPS (with a cellular GPS model available)
32G of storage
Always on display

What Are The Main Disadvantages?

Not much better than the Series 4 for the price

How Do We Test Smartwatches?

We take the time to test every smartwatch that we review here, looking at the various aspects of each model. We test out the fitness and health functions as well as the apps that come inbuilt into the device and even download and use some third party apps when the models allow this. Next, we look at its design and ease of use, and how well its battery life lives up to expectations. Once we’ve looked at all of the elements that go into each watch thoroughly, we’ll bring you the information you need to make a well informed purchasing decision.

In Summary

When you want a highly functional smartwatch from an iconic brand, you’ll be hard-pressed to beat an Apple Watch. There are several different models out there, but these three are the best. Overall, we think the Apple Watch Series 4 represents the best overall value thanks to the functionality and good looks that it offers, but if you’re looking for a lower price, the Series 3 won’t disappoint. On the other hand, if you haven’t upgraded your smartwatch for a while and want the latest model, the Series 5 is a top contender.