SuperWatches

Smartwatches for the Space Age

Buying Guides

The Benefits of Staying Fit

By Leave a Comment

Here is the article you’ve been waiting for. It contains the miracle answer to staying fit and living a long life!

The solution will halve your risk of developing a major illness like Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease, cancer and stroke.

Best of all, it’s free. You don’t have to pay a penny for this solution. It works instantly, too. You don’t even need to see a doctor to get your hands on it and yet it’s totally legal.

What is this miracle life-extending solution? Exercise.

We’ve always been able to exercise in some way. So why do we neglect it? Or not do enough? It has such a damaging effect on our health if we don’t.

There is no magic cure. Regardless of your age, there is a wealth of scientific fact supporting the notion that staying active leads to a happier, healthier life.

Those who regularly exercise reduce their risk of suffering from chronic illness like those we’ve mentioned. 

More research indicates that mental wellness improves with regular activity, too. Mood, sleep quality, self-esteem and more serious conditions like depression, anxiety, Alzheimer’s and dementia can be better managed. 

What are the benefits of staying fit?

The evidence is overwhelming. It’s painfully obvious that we should exercise regularly. Therefore, it’s simple; if you want a life of happiness and health, get exercising and stick with it even into your wrinkly years.

Medical data backs up the fact that those who are regularly active experience:

  • > 50% less risk of Type II Diabetes and colon cancer
  • > 35% less risk of heart disease and stroke
  • > 20% less risk of breast cancer
  • Up to a whopping 85% less risk of osteoarthritis
  • > 68% less risk of a fractured hip
  • A third less chance of having a severe fall
  • > 30% less risk of depression and dementia
  • > 30% less risk of early death 

How to stay fit

To get fit and stay there, you should be active every single day. Aim to complete 150 minutes of exercise in the period of one week. This can be done in immeasurable ways.

Most people enjoy a brisk walk. Maybe you have a bike? If you live within 5 miles of where you work, ditch the car and get your feet moving. If you’re keen on monitoring your activity and making sure you get the time and distance in, we recommend looking at our article on the Nike+ sportwatch which will be the perfect companion for you, with activity monitoring and a handy GPS feature.

The rule of thumb is that for any activity you do, you should be doing it fast enough that it raises your heart rate and you need to breathe a little harder. This is called moderate intensity. If you’re at this level, you can still comfortably talk, but you wouldn’t be able to sing. 

You can step it up to the next level, which is known as vigorous intensity. There is overwhelming evidence pointing to vigorous intensity benefiting your body significantly more than moderate intensity. Your breathing should become harder and faster. Your heart rate should go up more. To test it, you shouldn’t be able to say a full sentence aloud without struggling.

If you need some help to know if you’re at the right level, a Garmin fitness watch is your best friend. Check out our comparison of Garmin to Fitbit here to learn about the ability to monitor your heart rate zones.

Amazfit GTS

Physical activity is redundant 

Getting in enough exercise is a modern-day problem. Technology is largely to blame because it makes our lives so convenient. We drive our cars to work where we sit in front of screens for most of the day, we go home and machines wash our clothes and then we sit in front of another screen to be entertained.

Tech is taking out the physical labour of everyday tasks. We don’t even need to leave the house to fetch our food, which means we don’t have to walk, pack and put it away. Life is physically less demanding than it was for our elders.

This means we’re using less energy. The average adult spends 7 hours a day sat on their bottom. Those in the 65+ bracket spend around 10 hours of every day lying down.

The good news is, not all tech is bad for us. In fact, plenty of devices are created to combat this sedentary lifestyle we’re accustomed to. Your watch can be your personal trainer who lives on your wrist.

A lot of fitness trackers and smartwatches come with built-in fitness coach apps that motivate you to reach your goals. We’ve written about some of them in our review of the best smartwatches for 2020, and you can access that here.

Sitting down works against your fitness

You should be mindful of how much time you spend sitting down throughout the day. Making a proactive effort to be more active will naturally reduce the number of hours spent in a chair. 

Watching TV, being on a computer, driving or even catching up with your friends and family all mean sitting down. Here’s where those health risks start creeping in.

All ages benefit from moving often. Even limiting the total time a baby spends sat in a buggy can contribute to healthy development. We can all benefit from saying no to sedentary behaviour.

How to get active and enjoy the benefits of staying fit

The 150 minutes a week target might sound daunting, but there are a lot of ways you can incorporate exercise into your existing routine. You don’t need a gym membership, equipment, money, or even additional hours in the day. 

Head to our article about how to utilise being at home where we give you some ideas you’ve probably not considered, including a workout you can do on the sofa!

If you’re someone who spends a lot of time in the office and you think you couldn’t possibly fit in a workout, you’re wrong. Here we give you a number of ways you can easily get active during your day, even when you have a diary full of meetings.

Fitness at Work

We haven’t forgotten the parents. We know kids love to watch videos on your tablet or smartphone, but we’ve come up with a few novel ways to get your little ones excited about exercise, without them realising it. Read our article on fitness for kids, here.

Follow Us

Fitness tips for beginners

By Leave a Comment

Fitness for Beginners

If you’ve decided it’s time to get fit and are looking for some information about fitness for beginners, we’ve come up with some essential dos and don’ts for fitness for beginners. These should help ease you into your new lifestyle of being healthy and active. You’re less likely to scare yourself off if you approach it right from the star.

Make a plan

You should start with a plan toward a goal. You inevitably will go off course if you don’t actually set one. This means you can track your progress on the way, which means celebrating milestones!

This could mean running a 5k in 30 – 40 minutes, being able to deadlift your bodyweight, or sustaining a plank for 60 seconds or more. If you don’t set a goal, how will you know you’re getting close?

Here’ a fitness tracker will be your best friend. If you have multiple goals, good for you! Try a multisport watch. If you have one focus, say, running or swimming, then there are dedicated devices that will aid your journey better than going it alone.

Common fails

If you head to a new gym, you’ll be offered an induction. It’s usually a whistlestop tour and you won’t be given all the information about the various machines that you need. This is so the gym can tell you they warned you, should you later do yourself an injury. The reality is you need time to learn about everything. This is the first don’t…

Don’t use a machine you’re unfamiliar with

Gyms constantly create new machines. Some of them are pretty weird compared to conventional machines like the treadmill, elliptical and rowing machine. As keen as you are to reveal your new 6 pack, if you’re not 100% sure how to use a particular machine at the gym, learn first. Do you know what position to be in and what form is needed? What muscle is it working? What variations of move can you use it for? Most gym machines only target one muscle, so you need to get it right.

Fitness for beginners

Do use a machine that will help you reach your goal

If your goals are to tone your back and shoulders, why would you use an ab machine? You should absolutely use various machines for a full-body workout. However, you should prioritise those machines and movements based on what you’re hoping to achieve on your road to fitness.

 For fitness beginners, you should talk to a personal trainer about what you want. They’ll offer expert advice. You can easily find other fitness fanatics that won’t ask you for a huge payment, too. 

Attend classes

Going to a fitness class has multiple benefits. You’ll be in a social environment with people of a similar ability to you, which will boost your confidence. You’ll also be introducing yourself to a new form of exercise, which can be empowering. Plus all the physical and mental benefits of the exercise itself. You might find something you love and it’ll soon be part of your routine.

Some gym memberships offer classes thrown in, others you may have to pay an additional fee for. There are so many different types from yoga to dance styles, boxing to HIIT and they’ll all be offered at progressive levels you can move up as you improve.

Don’t over-do it

When you’re in the mist of trying these new things, you will be brimming with enthusiasm. Don’t mistake this for an ability to do it all. It’s a good rule of thumb to walk away from a gym session or class with a feeling that you could’ve or wanted to do just a little bit more… It means you’ll be hungry to go back, but you haven’t over-exerted yourself in that particular session.

Don’t walk before you can run. Literally. The gym or a new form of activity should be a fun progression. There is no end to it so there is no need to progress to heavier weights or a faster setting on the treadmill before you’re ready. Push yourself, but learn what the right level of intensity is for you. It’s really important to listen to your body and avoid any injuries that could put you off ever going back.

Do your homework

The best thing you can learn is that you don’t have to train one muscle at a time. In fact, in functional fitness training, the very concept is working smaller muscle groups around the major ones. This improves your strength and reduces the risk of injury by utilising the supporting muscles at the same time.

Once you have a plan, you can look at the specifics to achieve your goal. It’s worth looking into the best form for the movements you want to try, for example, squats benchpress and deadlifts. Look into what the averages are for your height and weight so you get an idea of what kind of weight you should be aiming for. Which leads us into the next don’t…

Don’t skip strength training

Adults should be aiming for a total of 150 minutes of exercise per week, which can be broken down into 30 minute cardio sessions and 2 strength training sessions.

A common fear of novice gym-goers is that if they weight train, they’ll get too bulky. Honestly, if it were that easy, don’t you think we’d all be posing on the beach in skimpy swimwear? Bodybuilders take years to build their physiques; no one has ever accidentally built too much muscle.

Weight training will not only sculpt your body in a good way, but it helps your bones and joints to stay healthy too. It’s great for maintaining a healthy metabolism and it does wonders for mental health with data supporting a reduction in levels of anxiety.

Fitness for beginners

Never give up

You might be instantly successful. If you are, you’re lucky. Progress takes time, especially when you’re a beginner and you have learning to do before you can even begin to improve. You must fight the feeling of being defeated and accept that you will get better with patience and persistence.

There will be times when you feel frustrated because what you see in the mirror or how you feel doesn’t reflect the level of work you’ve been putting in. That doesn’t mean it’s not working. It actually means you should keep going because those physical and visual results are close. Using a fitness tracker to monitor everything will allow you to look at your data and see how well you’ve been performing or where you might need to make some adjustments.

Being mindful will also help you accept and even appreciate the now. You could add a few minutes of proactive mindful meditation to the end of a workout to boost your mood and appreciation of the amazing things your body can do. Accept this is a journey and that you’re at the start, but things will improve over time.

Follow Us

How to fit cardio into your day

By Leave a Comment

Cardio

We know exercise, including cardio, contributes significantly to your physical and mental wellness. More than simply getting a hit of endorphins, the long-term benefits include a healthy, happy and longer life. We talked about the benefits of staying fit here. 

Essentially, exercise has a wealth of benefits. It’s possible to fit it into your day, even when you think there’s no chance.

Our generation sits a lot. In fact, too much. The average person spends 7 hours a day sat down, and the average 65 year old spends an incredible 10 hours each day lying down. Being more active is undeniably linked to a reduction in our risk of heart disease, type II diabetes, some cancers as well as mental health conditions like depression, anxiety and Alzheimer’s. The evidence tells us that we will live longer if we exercise more. 

With this in mind, you might wonder how much you should be doing? Those in the know say 150 minutes a week, which is 30 minutes a day of moderate cardio and two sessions of strength training is the sweet spot.

No one is going to tell you how to break that down. You can do half an hour in one go, or 3 sets of ten minutes. There are so many ways you can sneak cardio into your day and we’re going to give you some ideas.

At work

Take the stairs

If you can get a coffee or use the bathroom, printer or meeting rooms on another floor in your office, why not take the stairs? You can push yourself even more by taking them two at a time. You could burn ad additional 300 calories a week just by taking the stairs either one or two at a time during the week. If you get a little breathless, this is known as moderate intensity and is great for you.

exercising

Take meetings outside

Do you really need a meeting room? Unless you need a screen for visuals, it’s likely you and your colleague can walk and talk. A 15 minute walk can burn just shy of 100 calories. However, sitting down for this time would only burn 28.

Being in this novel situation will also stimulate your creativity. You might be surprised at how much you get done. If you need to take notes, how about using the voice note function on your smartwatch? The Apple Watch and Samsung Galaxy Watch both have downloadable apps which will let you do this.

Avoid sitting

Every time your phone rings, why not stand up to take the call? Can you walk around on your smartphone? Can you buy a standing desk? There is a range of options from cheap and cheerful monitor mounts to more serious desks. If you can’t change your furniture, you can set a reminder to get up and go for a quick stroll every half an hour.

Maintain hydration

How does this help get cardio in? Well, for one you’ll be walking back and forth from your source of water. Secondly, you’ll be needing more trips to the bathroom, which means more steps! If you add in our first suggestion of taking the stairs and use a bathroom on another floor, you’ll be well on your way to attaining your 30 minutes a day. You’ll also get the benefits of the additional water in take. It’s win-win-win. If you wear a Fitbit Versa, you can use the app to record everything from your stair climbs, distance travelled, calories burned, steps taken and even water intake.

On your days off

Cut some shapes

Before you think about opening that beer or packet of crisps in front of a film, consider having a dance about. 30 minutes works out to be around 8 songs and 150 calories burned. Make a playlist that will get you moving. Don’t worry about being a good dancer, there’s no requirement for that here, just have a good time and let it all go. It’ll boost your mood, too! 

Make it a date

If you’re on the dating scene, you can easily get cardio in. Get your mind out of the gutter, we mean ditch those calorific dinners for a hike, walk in the park or stroll around your neighbourhood. You can get to know one another as you walk and talk. 

You could try something more athletic like a tennis match, which would earn you 200 calories in your 30 minute slot. If you’re hardcore, an hour of spin burns around 700 calories. If you’re both gym buddies, why not spot each other? There are so many options to up your dating game and sneak in some cardio.

If you like the idea of a hike, you could utilise one of the five best altimeter smartwatches that we recommend in this article, here.

Make a game of it

Exergames are a thing. Think Wii Fit or Xbox Fitness. These clever things force us to use cardio techniques to play the game. It sure beats sitting down. Be mindful of what activity you do, though. A 30 minute session of yoga on the Wii doesn’t burn as many calories as you might like. To stay in the know of your calorie burn, we recommend a simple fitness tracker like the Miss Vapor X, which we’ve reviewed for you.

Out and about

out and about

Change up periods of inactivity

Here’s a novel idea you might not have considered. Are you stuck at an airport waiting on a delayed flight? Airports tend to be huge. Go for a walk! You’ll easily use up 30 minutes just exploring the stores. With the Diesel On Full Guard 2.5, you don’t have to worry about missing your flight. Use the microphone and Google Assistant to set yourself a reminder for when to head back to your gate.

Save your fuel

Save money on fuel by walking or cycling to where you need to be. Driving can be stressful whereas walking can really clear your head. Another win-win situation. Walking for 30 minutes can burn around 150 – 200 calories and will take you into that moderate-intensity range which is great for your heart.

Chores are an opportunity for cardio 

Time for a clean

If you think you don’t have time to fit in 30 minutes of cardio a day because you have too many chores, did you consider your chores could count for those 30 minutes?

30 minutes of deep clean housework will burn up to 100 calories. If you’ve got jobs to do outside, this counts too. Gardening and doing things like raking leaves can burn just over 100 calories in the same time. Plus, you get the benefits that come with being outside. You can time and monitor your calorie burn during this period using apps like MyFitnessPal, which sync brilliantly with fitness trackers like the Fitbit Flex.

Don’t park so close

If your chores include errands then don’t park as close to the store. Park at the back and walk the additional distance. 

Don’t be so efficient

If you’re out shopping, don’t plan a route around the store that gets you only to the items you need in the fastest possible way. There’s nothing wrong with doing several laps around the store. This will knock your step count up and you might not forget something you needed if you pass it two or three times!

Carrying the basket can burn up to 50 calories in just five minutes. If you have a smartwatch with NFC compatibility, like the 4th Gen Fossil Explorist, you can use it to see how many steps you’ve taken during your trip and then pay for your items when you’re done!

Summary

We hope you’ve learned that you don’t need an expensive gym membership or even necessarily more hours int he day to fit cardio into your day! Simple changes can really add up to achieve that goal of 150 minutes a week. Pair this with the features of a handy smartwatch or fitness tracker and you’re destined for success.

Follow Us

An Introduction to 10 Top Luxury Men’s Watch Brands

By Leave a Comment

Luxury Watches

Introduction

Firstly, by nature of being on our site you already know not all watches are born equal. Some names stand out more than others, and we’re going to tell you the ten luxury men’s watch brands you should be aware of.

Montblanc

Montblanc probably brings a fountain pen to mind faster than a watch. However, did you know they make extraordinary luxury watches?

Crafted beautifully by hand, a Montblanc timepiece is certainly as functional as it is sophisticated. Which is no surprise. Montblanc has over a century of experience creating sensational items. The company started in Berlin in the 1900s and was handed down the family. Each new owner was a visionary and the brand soon built a reputation rivalling the quality of Cartier and Piaget.

Having fully-immersed into the world of luxury watches, you’ll certainly find some of the most modern technology in their smartwatches and revolutionary designs in their traditional pieces.

Michael Kors

Michael Kors holds a licence agreement with the Fossil Group so this means the former makes and distributes their watches. We know the Fossil Group is vast. They design, manufacture and distribute quartz and mechanical watches all over the world. 

At the high-end, you’ll find Swiss-made mechanical watches, ranging from $750 all the way up to $25k.

Fossil watches themselves are price-accessible, but Michael Kors is a different breed, being a well-known fashion brand. 

Specifically looking at the watches, they’ve become remarkably popular. This is down to successful digital marketing, along with superior development. 16m people follow the brand on Instagram, who posts frequently about their watches. It’s no doubt a Michael Kors watch is certainly at the pinnacle of timepiece fashion.

Luxury Watches
Michael Kors Smartwatch

Breitling

Follow our link for a cool history lesson on how Breitling came to be a watchmaker. 

Breitling is the 15th most-recognised Swiss watch brand, globally. It’s a major brand in the luxury watch market and known for superior quality at half the price of a Rolex.

Breitlings are certainly an excellent quality watch. Their brand recognition is a direct indication of this. 

Breitling has a speciality for professional watches for pilots, military personnel and rescue operators. The brand offers several smartwatches catering to these specific individuals due to features such as distress beacons and emergency locators.

If you started looking for a Breitling now, you’d have thousands of models to peruse, including many limited editions. Furthermore, they come with quartz or mechanical movements, depending on your need for precision.

Rolex

Rolex is, above all, the undeniable number one most-recognised Swiss-made watch brand in the world. With near-enough 100% brand recognition. Internationally, it’s the 3rd most recognised, behind Nestle and Nescafe. They’re one of the few brands where you’d get more for reselling your Rolex than what you paid for it.

Rolex has an absurd number of models. Dripping in diamonds and precious metals. 

The most iconic of all is the Submariner, closely followed by the Sea-Dweller. 

They produce mechanical timepieces with highly-accurate movements and chronographs. You can expect precision around +/- 2 seconds a day.

We know James Bond sported a Rolex in many of the films. You can read more about that in our article here.

Rolex

Bulova 

Bulova

OK, they’re not actually considered a luxury, but let’s give them the benefit of the doubt. At the $500 top end, you can find some superb timepieces that, to some dreamers, rival a lower-end Rolex.

Here’s why. Bulova, owned by Citizen, has an exceptional reputation for creating timepieces boasting stellar accuracy, durability and style. Their entire ethos is about developing something considered a luxury, but equally affordable.

Tag Heuer

Tag Heuer is another well-known brand that’s carved a name for itself worldwide. It offers a beautifully-crafted timepiece that makes a bold statement. 

Tag Heuer began around 1860. Year-after-year, building itself a fantastic reputation for accuracy and impressive design. The precision offered by a Tag Heuer watch is so good that they became the official Olympic Games timekeeper in the 1920s. If you’re interested in something cutting-edge, formed from years of experience and craftsmanship, check out our review of the Connected Modular 41.

Tudor

Tudor Pelagos

Tudor as a brand was founded in the early 1920s by the Rolex founder. Immediately you expect a level of quality. It’s not uncommon for a major brand to have a smaller sister company who can produce more cost-effective watches.

A Tudor looks like a Rolex. Over time, Tudor began introducing in-house movements. Stepping away from being the “Poor Man’s Rolex”. They focus on design and technology. Constantly developing. Making improvements from successful releases.

To see an example, read our review of the Pelagos, here.

Victorinox

Victorinox Watch

Victorinox is actually famous for creating the Swiss Army Knife. They made the knife for well over a century when the owners decided it was time for a new specialism. 

They wanted to encapsulate the knife-quality in something new. So began production of the Swiss Army Watch, sometime around 1990.

Today, Victorinox is a luxury watch brand offering Swiss watches with fine craftsmanship.

Maurice Lacroix

Maurice Lacroix is a Swiss watchmaker from Zurich. As with a lot of watchmakers, they didn’t start out as such. Originally making just components, their success was so unprecedented that they began making watches of their own.

By 1990, Lacroix was famous for making affordable luxury. The brand has grown to become one of the most highly-ranked Swiss manufacturers after they launched Les Mécaniques, their high-end range.

Cartier

We couldn’t write a whole article about luxury watches for men without ending on Cartier.

Back in 1903, Cartier created its first men’s watch. It was aimed specifically at pilots. The watch, named Alberto Santos-Dumont, was named after aviation pioneer and close friend to the designer himself.

Originally and still known for fine jewellery, Cartier watches became loved as a functional accessory. Their timepieces flourished into one of the most well-regarded in the world.

You can read more on both Cartier and Lacroix watches here.

Luxury Watches

Summary

If all those dollar signs have blinded you a little, take some respite in our article detailing the best watches for men under $200, here.

Follow Us

Oppo Watch

By Leave a Comment

Oppo Watch

The new Oppo Watch released in China on March 24th. And has been intriguing tech fans with its striking similarities to the more expensive Apple Watches. It boasts a wide range of features and is due to be competitive on the pricing front. However, it has not yet been released globally. It has been promised to hit the European market later in 2020. Check out our review so that you know whether you should get your hands on one when they become available.

What Is the Design Of the Oppo Watch Like?

Apart from the obvious Apple Watch comparison, the new Oppo Watch offers an AMOLED display that comes in two size choices (1.9 inches and 1.6 inches). Furthermore, a choice of three colourways (gold, black or silver). You can also opt to have in aluminium or stainless steel. However, the latter option will set you back a bit more in the price department.

The strap is made from fluororubber and is incredibly comfy when it is on your wrist. This means that you will probably forget you are wearing it when you consider it only weighs in at 40g.

What Features Does the Oppo Watch Offer?

The good news is that the Oppo Watch comes with eSim so that you can use it alongside your phone. It is also water-resistant up to 50m so you can wear it when you head out for a swim or even in the shower.

It has a 1GM RAM and offers an 8GB internal storage capacity. There is no camera on this watch. However, like its inspiration, it can help you to take photos directly from your phone whenever you want! When it comes to charging, you will not be able to charge it wirelessly. It comes with its own charging cradle that it sits in when it is powering up. Talking about charging – you can expect it to be ready after just 70 minutes of charging. Furthermore, the battery is said to last around forty hours before it needs to be plugged back in.

Some of the best built-in features include:

  • Sleep tracking. This will tell you how well you slept and how much of each phase of sleep you managed to achieve.
  • Extended battery life. This is achieved by the watch knowing when to switch chips to get the most from the battery. While this mode will not allow you to use the watch features, you will be able to get notifications for up to three weeks when it is in this power-saving mode.
  • A skinny watch face that is only 4.5mm wide! This ultra-slim watch face will sit beautifully on any wrist, and it helps to make it seriously comfy to wear.
  • Super-fast charging that means you can get around twenty hours of charge from just fifteen minutes of charging. This is great when you want to wear it a bit longer before you plug it in for a full charge.
  • Wallpapers that match your outfit – we really are not joking. Oppo says that their AI watch face will be able to display a wallpaper that matches your outfit photo so that you are able to coordinate every single day!

What Operating System Does the Oppo Watch Use?

Rather than offering the generic WearOS, Oppo has opted for ColourOS. This operating system is their own version of the Google system and uses much of the same features to power the watch.

You will be able to access the Play Store and all the other WearOS features but will offer a new way of using the system and customised icons, fonts, and backgrounds for you to choose from.

Who Is the Oppo Watch Suitable For?

Oppo claims that this watch is suitable for anyone that wants to enjoy the stylish offering and wide range of features. We would say that the differently priced models make it more accessible to a wider market, and because there are three colour choices and two sizes, it will suit most wrists.

Because it takes the Apple Watch as its muse, you can be certain that Apple fans will be impressed by the quality of this watch as well as the smaller price tag that comes with it!

Pros and Cons Of the Oppo Watch

When weighing up your options, consider the following pros and cons of purchasing an Oppo Watch:

Pros
  • Thin, sleek design that looks and feels great on your wrist.
  • Customisable display that matches your outfit.
  • Range of tech features that rival the competition.
  • Range of design options to suit your personal taste.
  • A competitive price tag that will make you reconsider the Apple Watch when you can have an Oppo Watch that does the same for much less.
  • Features that are not yet available on Apple, despite consumer demand.
Cons
  • Not yet available outside of China, with no specific release date, offered other than later in 2020.
  • No matter how good it is, it is not an Apple Watch.
  • Limited consumer testing outside of China, so some of the features may not be as good as they seem.

Should I Buy An Oppo Watch When They Are Released?

No matter how good this watch is, it is not an Apple Watch, and if that is what you want, then you are better off sticking with the original. We are fairly sure that Apple will not be impressed by this blatant cloning of their design and are sure to come back with their views when it is released globally.

However, if you want a watch that is sleek and functional, then the Oppo Watch might just be a great buy. It is quick to charge, customisable and packed full of features that will entertain you, impress you and even match the colour of your outfit if you want it to! Keep your eyes peeled; we think the Oppo Watch is set to be a good buy.

Follow Us

Which Smartwatch to Look Forward to in 2020 (June)

By Leave a Comment

2020 may have gotten off to a dodgy start, but there’s no reason not to treat yourself to a new smartwatch. We’ve dug into what you can look forward to in 2020.

We can’t ignore the Apple Series 6. Will it be all we hope it will? Maybe the new Samsung Galaxy Watch will land this year to compete.

Other releases have been confirmed from the likes of luxury brands Montblanc and Tag Heuer. Budget-friendly devices from Amazfit and Xiaomi are also keen to launch new devices, too.

New smartwatches due for 2020

Oppo Watch

It’s official that the Oppo Watch is coming. This is the brand’s first smartwatch attempt. The actual global release date has been delayed, understandably. For now, at least, you can only get it in China. 

The rumour mill was mostly accurate. The watch has a rounded 326 pixel AMOLED display. It comes in either 1.6 or 1.9 inches (41mm and 46mm respectively). It offers 50m water-resistance and there’s room for a SIM card, offering LTE connectivity. 

From a distance, you’d think it was an Apple Watch. The design is uncanny. The similarities don’t stop at the aesthetics. It also has a heart rate sensor and offers ECG data. 

It’ll cost around $288. Not cheap, but not bad considering.

Amazfit Bip S

We’re big fans of this budget fitness tracker brand. The Bip S is an addition to the budget smartwatch world. It’s simple-looking. Another copy cat of the Apple Watch. Unlike the above, that’s where similarities end. Which is about what you’d expect for around $70.

It’s a total bargain. You’ll find a level of 5M water-resistance, which is nice. It’s adopted the PAI health score. It’s got a great battery life of 40 days. It has built-in GPS and heart rate sensor.

Casio G-Shock GBD-H1000

Casio shocked us all with the announcement of this GPS sports watch. It has an advanced heart rate sensor and smartwatch functions. It’ll be priced around $399 in the States and £379 in the UK respectively. You’ll find it on the market mid-May having fallen victim to a Coronavirus delay.

The H1000 offers 200m water-resistance. This is better than most smartwatches you’ll find (note, we do mean smartwatch – there are sports watches with better resistance). Essentially, you get 50m of safe water depth. It’ll also last for 14 hours in GPS mode. 

It’ll tell you a rough VO2 max by analysing your heart rate and GPS data. The same company that supplies Garmin’s metrics, Firstbeat, have helped develop the H1000. This means advanced information like training effectiveness, recovery and race predictions based on previous performance. 

Timex Ironman R300 GPS

Timex came along and released the R300 GPS this year. It’s perfect for triathletes and, best of all, it doesn’t cost the earth.

We’ve written a full review of this bad boy, which you can read here.

The upshot is that it has an impressive 30m water-resistance, accurate GPS tracking and a reliable heart rate monitor. 

It’ll track running, cycling and swimming. You can race against yourself, setting your personal bests. 

The best experience comes with use of the app, which creates a useful ecosystem.

You’ll find it for around $120.

Withings ScanWatch

This is a sexy hybrid. It offers ECG reading and will pick up on medical conditions like heart arrhythmia or sleep apnea.

The screen is small but will deliver important information like heart rate, steps taken, calories burned, ECG readings and your notifications.

The options are either 38mm or 42mm and either version carries a 30 day battery life.

The fitness tracking on this device is decent. It monitors your heart rate round the clock. Has 30 sports modes and step counting. It doesn’t offer GPS but it will pair with your smartphone and do the job that way.

You’ll get a sleepscore in your app, too.

It’ll come in 42mm and 38mm, which will be $299 and $249 respectively.

What about the rumours?

Apple Watch Series 6

Apple Watches have successfully been updated and released every year since conception in 2015. So it’s likely we’ll see the Series 6 in September.

The smartwatch rumour mill has certainly been very busy.

Features we might expect are a native sleep tracking ability as well as blood oxygen levels. 

Hopefully we can see an improved battery life, which is the main gripe currently. Apple Watch users haven’t seen a need for sleep tracking as that’s when they’ve likely taken it off to charge overnight. 

One particularly interesting rumour is that the Apple Series 6 might be able to predict panic attacks. It’ll be much like how it currently warns of an irregular heart rate. 

TouchID is anticipated to be incorporated into the crown or even the screen itself. 

A left-field rumour is the addition of a kids mode. Here the watch becomes safe for children to use. Bespoke activity tracking and goals that are simplified so younger users can understand.

A dedicated kids Apple Watch could be in production. This is off the back of patents submitted by Apple for a new plastic and ceramic device.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 3

Samsung has been dragging its heels with regard to a new Galaxy Watch Active. The 3 might be the next device to be released.

There have been some rumours that a new model might be on the way, known at the moment as SMR840. 

Samsung leaks information like a rusty pipe, though. Just because we see some information online doesn’t mean a new release is imminent. The experts are predicting the latter half of the year; particularly considering supply chain delays that a lot of brands are experiencing at the moment. 

Things we do know include a stainless steel case that will come in three colours. There is talk of 8GB on board storage which is twice that of its predecessor. 

That’s about it for now. Keep an ear to the ground around Christmas time.

Fossil Gen 6

Just as Apple and Samsung are committed to consistently launching improved smartwatches, Fossil is right there alongside them. The Fossil Gen 5 was released in the summer of 2019 and there are rumours of the Fossil Gen 6.

What will it be like?

It has a built-in speaker capable of taking calls, more built-in storage, a faster processor and a sleeker, sportier design.

The biggest tell is the apps that came preloaded on the Gen 5. Fossil has shown serious interest in fitness tracking via their heart monitoring functions.

It’s possible we’ll see bigger, better fitness features. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see this in a slimmer model.

There is no confirmed date. It’s all speculation at the moment, so watch this space.

Follow Us