What Kind of Smartwatch You Should Buy – Everything You Need to Know(2021)

Reading someone’s reviews and opinions is one thing while actually buying a smartwatch for yourself is completely another. So, What Kind of Smartwatch You Should BUY? 

To help you pick the best one, this buying guide runs down all the important factors to consider when you decide to buy a smartwatch.

Check out on Amazon for a variety of smartwatches the wearable technology has brought in.

I have comprehensively covered the 10 Best Smartwatches that fit well in your pocket. The opinions made in that article are based on my own experience, opinions and feedback received from my coworkers, friends and relatives. All these smartwatches are excellent on their own functionalities. But, frankly one size doesn’t fit all.

There are wide variety of smartwatches to choose from. Starting from big brand like Apple, Samsung, Fitbit to Amazfit, Realme, Firebolt, Noise and so on. They have their own unique features. However, Apple and Samsung watch come in the premium class and have better capabilities.

Every smartwatch has different design and features, but all of them are designed to help you keep on top your health and fitness. Many of them come with built-in fitness metrics. For example, the heart monitoring sensor, blood oxygen monitoring, steps counter and so on. Others may also work as an extension of your phone.

It doesn’t matter really whether you are looking for a budget smartwatch or health and fitness focused with premium features, this buying guide is all for you to decide which wearable best fits you.

What Kind of Smartwatch You Should Buy – Smart Tips

• Check and make sure that the smartwatch works with your mobile phone when planning to buy one. Not all watches are compatible with both iOS and Android devices. For example, Apple watches android phones.
• If you are fitness and health freak, choose a smartwatch with heart rate and oxygen sensor and also check step counter etc.
• Take the battery life into consideration and see if this has full touchscreen with high resolution display when you are shopping.
• Make sure that the strap of the watch and its buckle is easy to use and comfortable on your wrist to wear.
• Also check compatibility and running App, design and other features. Whether it provides instant notifications or not.

What Kind of Smartwatch You Should Buy – Compatibility with OS and Mobile Phone

As you can understand now the smartwatches work in companionship with mobile phones, the device compatibility is the top most important feature. There are watches that perfectly work with both Android handsets as well iPhones. I personally find using smartwatches with Android enabled device is much easier.

There are still others which work only with iOS devices. I am saying especially because if you prefer Apple watch over other brands, make sure you have iPhone. Fire-Boltt SpO2 smartwatch in my collection of the 10 best smartwatches perfectly works with Android phone and iPhones as well. It’s also easy to reply text messages with Android devices.

Crux of the matter is if you are buying a smartwatch, make sure it will work with your mobile phone.

So, did you know what kind of smartwatch you should buy for yourself?

What Kind of Smartwatch You Should Buy – Type of Display (OLED, LCD or BW)

We know majority of smartwatches available today offers colorful LCD or AMOLED display. Millions of users love this feature because this lets you view appealing photos, apps and other content in rich beautiful color while maintaining balanced brightness.

The only factor that goes against this feature is short life span of battery. There is no denying that manufacturers and different technology brands are working relentlessly to improve the performance of the device and therefore the efficiency. Smartwatches with colorful display have shorter battery life as compared to black and white display counterparts.

Clearly, if you want battery to stay longer or even the longest, you opt in for black and white display. But, then this might not speak of the style statement.   

Smartwatches with OLED display look crisp and slim while LCD watch doesn’t offer such crisp and slimmer designs. So as watch with OLED display are more expensive that other ones.

If you look at a few years back, Apple developed slimmest smartwatch with OLED display and this was the first generation Apple Watch in its series. But you should also remember Samsung built the first ever OLED smartwatch called Galaxy Gear, in 2013.

So, choose the one which you think is the best in terms of display type.

What Kind of Smartwatch You Should Buy – Connectivity and GPS Range

When you determine to choose a smartwatch, one important factor to keep in mind is to check the connectivity strength and GPRS range. Talking of the connectivity, I mean the strength of the Bluetooth connection and its reliability. This means how does the Bluetooth connection work when you get away from your phone or move from one room to another.

Most of the Bluetooth enabled smartwatches cover the range of 10 meter up to 30 meter today. But seamless connection is not ensured when you cross over the wall. For instance, if you come on other side of the wall, in other words if wall come between you and connected device, the connection will be lost. In this case the Bluetooth signal will be interrupted or it will stop working.

Majority of the smartwatches I discussed in my collection have decent Bluetooth connectivity. On the other hand, almost all watches use same GPS tracking system. But what makes one better than other is accuracy of the GPS signal.

There are some smartwatches whose GPS system works accurately only within the periphery of the cities. I am saying this because satellite coverage for internet and other communication purposes is very common there. There are still other smartwatches with strong GPS system that works perfectly even when you are roaming in rural areas or mountain for hiking.

Therefore, choose ones with better GPS tracker if you are outdoor fitness junkie.

What Kind of Smartwatch You Should Buy – Whether the Watch is Waterproof or Not

This is one of the most important features to keep in mind when considering to buy a smartwatch. Waterproof certified watch provides with a protective shield against the water being seeped through delicate internal components and electrical parts. This protects the device from being dysfunctional.

Why you need a smartwatch with weatherproof technology? Well, this is absolutely valid question and smartwatch must be waterproof because if you are fond of outdoor activities, there is all possibility of sweat being seeped through the watch and damage its components.

That’s not all, you need to ensure that the smartwatch you are going to buy is waterproof, if you intend to keep it wearing while you get into swimming exercise. By the way, swimming exercises help you keep track of calories burned and measure your heart rate.

All said and done, most smartwatches these days come with waterproofing mechanism. You really don’t need to worry about it. But just double check the watch you are opting comes with enough protection from water and sweat.

What Kind of Smartwatch You Should Buy – Can You Customize it or Not?

Although customization of watch faces or display for that matter isn’t absolute necessity, this is a value addition to your device. And fortunately many of these smartwatches allow you to customize their watch faces or displays. Surely, this will help your watch stand out in the crowd.

Not to forget that many of you and me also like to customize our gadgets. You and me all want to change the home screens and display appealing social media profile pictures. So, if your smartwatch has this feature you can easily do this and flaunt your personalized style.

Also check if the smartwatch you intend to buy has multiple watch faces, because not all of them offer multiple watch face feature.

What Kind of Smartwatch You Should Buy – Does the Smartwatch Have Calling Functionalities?

Most of the smartwatches offer the ability to make and receive phone calls. If not all, they come with the feature that gives you instant notifications on calls and messages. But frankly speaking, there are some premium smartwatches that come with speakers that allow you to make calls without reaching your phone physically.

Therefore, all smartwatches are not equipped with this feature. If at all, they have calling feature, you will also want to check speaker quality and see if it’s worth buying.

What Kind of Smartwatch You Should Buy – Fitness Features Offered

To meet the expectation of the fitness freak buyers, smartwatch makers are investing their time and money in integrating activity monitoring functions. Quite a few number of smartwatches need your smartphone for activity tracking. But most them have built-in pedometer for steps counting and tracking.

It is also the fact that not all watches have equal number of sports mode. If you are more inclined to the sides of sports and workouts, you may consider to buy fitness trackers which have great and equivalent features of smartwatches.

Apart from built in heart rate and blood oxygen monitoring sensor, also check out if the smartwatch in question comes with the health features like sleep pattern monitoring, women health monitoring such as menstrual cycle tracking. This helps you get on top your health throughout the day.

What Kind of Smartwatch You Should Buy – What Other Features You Need to Look?

This is my last point in this smartwatch buying guide. But this doesn’t mean it is less important when you have a plan to buy one. Smartwatches come with whole lot of features. Make sure to check other features with your mobile phone also. These watches come with special Apps, connectivity add-ons, voice assistants and so on.

These features influence the buying decision and you may like one smartwatch over another and vice versa when you have two great picks to own.