2015 Christmas Wearable buying guide
The Holiday shopping season is here and you are most likely the only person from the entire family who cannot decide what to get for the close ones. It has been said many times, that the year 2015 is the year of wearable technology. We got 2nd wave of Android Wear smartwatches, the first round Samsung watch, an enormous number of new fitness tracker, and probably the most important thing, the Apple Watch went on sale. There are important choices to be made.
ON A BUDGET: LG G Watch
This is not the latest and greatest smartwatch, but you can find it for heavily discounted prices right now and it is almost just as functional as the latest models. It is a bit bland however, and the quality of the display is not very good.
STYLISH: Moto 360 (2015) and Huawei Watch
The complete opposite of bland. Both smartwatches feature a stylish and modern design, and it is only up to you which one you prefer. Both also offer a lot of customization options, but the Motorola Moto 360, takes it a step further with the ability to design your custom watch via Moto Maker. The Motorla also comes in two sizes, 42 and 46 mm.
THE WATCH-GUY: Withings Activité and Tag Heuer Carrera Connected
The Withings Activité is a luxury Swiss-made watch with smart functionality. The watch-face is cover by a sapphire crystal and the watch connects to a smartphone via Bluetooth and tracks all day activity with its motion sensors. It is not meant for serious sport tracking though. If you like this watch, but find the price a bit too steep, Withings also offers the Activité Pop, which is a cheaper plastic version.
The second option is the recently released Carrera Connected by Tag Heuer. On the outside, it looks like any other Carrera, but it is a computer on the inside with decent specifications, compared to the other Android Wear smartwatches on the market. I will let you decide whether that is a good thing, and whether it is worth the price tag. At least Tag Heuer has an interesting deal, because when the warranty expires, you can pay $1500 to get a "real" analog Carrera.
THE FLASHIEST: Apple Watch
I don't think much needs to be said about this one. The Apple Watch is an interesting looking smartwatch, with a lot of combustibility options and lots of features. One of the most interesting might be Apple Pay, allowing you to utilize contact-less payments right from your wrist. Beware, if you decide to go one of the more interesting bands, the price can end up being higher than you initially planned.
THE ACTIVE-GUY: Garmin Vivosmart HR
This is all about functionality, not about the looks. The Garmin Vivosmart HR is rugged, water-resistant up to 5 ATM, it has an optical heart-rate monitor, includes Bluetooth etc. Most importantly, it supports a wide range of activities, including running and cycling.
THE SUBTLE: Misfit Shine 2
Something what tracks your activity and gets out of the way for the whole day. That is the Misfit Shine 2. The battery is non-rechargeable and lasts an entire year, the device itself looks like a metal button, it can be attached anywhere, and of course, syncs via Bluetooth to a smartphone app.
THE GEEK: Pebble Time
Some could say this watch looks a bit childish, and I guess it does, but it is supposed to look a bit nerdy. And the best feature is pretty straight forward, the battery last forever compared to other smartwatches on the market, 5 to 7 days of real-world use.
INDEPENDENCE: Samsung Gear S2 (Cellular)
This is the watch you can use without a phone. Going out, but want to have a phone on you just in case? No longer a dilemma, the Gear S2 can be bought as a Cellular version with 3G and 4G connectivity built-in.
I WANT EVERYTHING: Microsoft Band 2
You still cannot decide between a smartwatch and a fitness tracker? Buy both, in one package. The Microsoft Band 2 fixes a lot of the issues of the first generation, but still delivers the same idea. A full-featured activity tracker with GPS and 10 other sensors with a full-color curved touchscreen for notifications and a few basic apps. Best of all, it works with iOS, Android, as well as Windows Phone.
These are just a few ideas, but feel free to go for something else, there are many options out right now. If you have any suggestions, drop them in the comments, because you might help somebody...
Also, make sure to check whether the watch you have chosen is compatible with a given phone. For example, the Apple Watch is only compatible with an iPhone, but many Android Wear watches support both iOS and Android, but the functionality with iPhones is limited.
ON A BUDGET: LG G Watch
This is not the latest and greatest smartwatch, but you can find it for heavily discounted prices right now and it is almost just as functional as the latest models. It is a bit bland however, and the quality of the display is not very good.
STYLISH: Moto 360 (2015) and Huawei Watch
The complete opposite of bland. Both smartwatches feature a stylish and modern design, and it is only up to you which one you prefer. Both also offer a lot of customization options, but the Motorola Moto 360, takes it a step further with the ability to design your custom watch via Moto Maker. The Motorla also comes in two sizes, 42 and 46 mm.
THE WATCH-GUY: Withings Activité and Tag Heuer Carrera Connected
The Withings Activité is a luxury Swiss-made watch with smart functionality. The watch-face is cover by a sapphire crystal and the watch connects to a smartphone via Bluetooth and tracks all day activity with its motion sensors. It is not meant for serious sport tracking though. If you like this watch, but find the price a bit too steep, Withings also offers the Activité Pop, which is a cheaper plastic version.
The second option is the recently released Carrera Connected by Tag Heuer. On the outside, it looks like any other Carrera, but it is a computer on the inside with decent specifications, compared to the other Android Wear smartwatches on the market. I will let you decide whether that is a good thing, and whether it is worth the price tag. At least Tag Heuer has an interesting deal, because when the warranty expires, you can pay $1500 to get a "real" analog Carrera.
THE FLASHIEST: Apple Watch
I don't think much needs to be said about this one. The Apple Watch is an interesting looking smartwatch, with a lot of combustibility options and lots of features. One of the most interesting might be Apple Pay, allowing you to utilize contact-less payments right from your wrist. Beware, if you decide to go one of the more interesting bands, the price can end up being higher than you initially planned.
THE ACTIVE-GUY: Garmin Vivosmart HR
This is all about functionality, not about the looks. The Garmin Vivosmart HR is rugged, water-resistant up to 5 ATM, it has an optical heart-rate monitor, includes Bluetooth etc. Most importantly, it supports a wide range of activities, including running and cycling.
THE SUBTLE: Misfit Shine 2
Something what tracks your activity and gets out of the way for the whole day. That is the Misfit Shine 2. The battery is non-rechargeable and lasts an entire year, the device itself looks like a metal button, it can be attached anywhere, and of course, syncs via Bluetooth to a smartphone app.
THE GEEK: Pebble Time
Some could say this watch looks a bit childish, and I guess it does, but it is supposed to look a bit nerdy. And the best feature is pretty straight forward, the battery last forever compared to other smartwatches on the market, 5 to 7 days of real-world use.
INDEPENDENCE: Samsung Gear S2 (Cellular)
This is the watch you can use without a phone. Going out, but want to have a phone on you just in case? No longer a dilemma, the Gear S2 can be bought as a Cellular version with 3G and 4G connectivity built-in.
I WANT EVERYTHING: Microsoft Band 2
You still cannot decide between a smartwatch and a fitness tracker? Buy both, in one package. The Microsoft Band 2 fixes a lot of the issues of the first generation, but still delivers the same idea. A full-featured activity tracker with GPS and 10 other sensors with a full-color curved touchscreen for notifications and a few basic apps. Best of all, it works with iOS, Android, as well as Windows Phone.
These are just a few ideas, but feel free to go for something else, there are many options out right now. If you have any suggestions, drop them in the comments, because you might help somebody...
Also, make sure to check whether the watch you have chosen is compatible with a given phone. For example, the Apple Watch is only compatible with an iPhone, but many Android Wear watches support both iOS and Android, but the functionality with iPhones is limited.
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