These are the best smartwatches on the market

THE portable (or portable devices) have silently adapted to our daily lives. Either as a technological successor to the traditional clock, or directly in addition to the experience of our current nerve and communication center —the mobile phone—, they are integrated into the daily lives of many people in order to provide them with even more information. , measures or assistance. THE smart watchesor smartwatches, are by far the most important.

The popularity of these devices has been in crescendo over the years, beyond the natural boom that occurred during the pandemic. Today, for many, smartwatches are a perfect digital symbiosis to face daily tasks. Their sales growth is understandable, given the natural size of the screens and the amount of functionality and data they can provide in real time. This is how they gradually relegate the traditional analog watch to nostalgic corners or to the niche of extreme luxury.

It is understood: in addition to notifications, a connected watch is able to deliver extremely detailed information concerning the bodily activity that we carry out on a daily basis, also giving us discreet “touches” or warnings to remind us that it is time to get up from the chair, walk around or drink a glass of water.

Not to mention the user-friendliness conferred on it by sports and physical activity enthusiasts, where this type of device is too practical a tool for these uses. Runners get miles run, cyclists get average speed, and other athletes get calories burned, among other metrics. who loves it outsideextreme sports or venturing on less frequented routes, can also be helped thanks to the very precise geolocation possibilities.

Nearly endless variety of “faces” for the clock, sleep cycle tracking, ability to answer phone calls or play a music list, all without having to take the cell phone out of its pocket, bag or purse. anywhere else at any time. . Walking down the street can be a huge plus for feeling safer and avoiding risks (all the better if all of this is combined with wireless headphones).

Little by little, the market and the demand have added more players and Chile, in this sense, has reason to rejoice. Currently, Apple dominates the global market for smart watcheswith a 43% share, followed far, far behind by other companies like Samsung or Huawei, which have less than double digits.

But there is much more behind these colossi. Especially with the arrival of new Chinese players like Honor or Xiaomi. And to this we must add brands that operate outside the world of mobile phones, such as FitBit, Garmin, Casio, Amazfit or Polar. For now, these are the smart watches the most attractive of recent months available in our country.

A favorite, especially for those who own an iPhone or like the Apple ecosystem, which is adding more and more devices. Maintaining its traditional near-rectangular style, rounded edges and one-piece, recognizable identity for blocks away, these smartwatches come in three models capable of providing a wealth of data regarding physical activity and health of the user.

It has, of course, Siri assistance and, not a minor detail, with IP6X certification, dust resistant and designed for swimming, with resistance up to 50 meters deep. In this sense, the Apple WatchSeries 8 it’s the roundest of the family, not to mention the slightly smaller Apple Watch SE with fewer features, and the higher-end Apple Watch Ultra with a 49mm case.

This generation includes sensors to measure body temperature (with special emphasis on female cycles), shock detection with the sending of a help signal and a Retina Display screen that finally has the mode always on or “always on”. It offers a wide variety of faces to customize it and the possibility of including “complications”, a very strange name to describe the widget of micro information on the watch screen.

Despite all these virtues, this line of watches suffers from a major problem: the autonomy of its battery, which does not last more than a day (18 hours, according to the manufacturer). In other words, you need to charge the watch every day. Except for that -and the price, of course-, it’s a marvel of smart watch.

For many, this may be the ultimate experience for Android users or those who dislike the iOS ecosystem. Clearly optimized for use within the Samsung ecosystem, the fifth generation of the Korean brand’s smartwatches improves on an architecture that is already quite intuitive, practical and useful, along with an elegant, robust and functional design. It is very comfortable to use, its screen is pleasant to read, although the great Achilles heel of this line is – and continues to be – perhaps the most essential thing in a device of these characteristics: its autonomy . Same thing with Apple.

The fifth generation did not make such a quantitative leap in improvements or innovations compared to the fourth, which we have discussed in these pages. This did not prevent it from still establishing itself as one of the most interesting for this market. In addition to abandoning Tizen as an operating system in favor of WearOS -developed by Google- and slightly improving battery performance, the functions and execution of applications have improved a little, as well as very good sources of physical activity measurement -including the possibility of importing training routes-, a new strap style, health monitoring and step-by-step navigation, among many other possibilities. The professional version She is the most attractive of the generation.

After the ban in the United States under the previous administration of Donald Trump, Huawei was no longer so at the forefront with its devices. But the truth is that the Chinese giant – which has other more lucrative lines of business – continues to do so and with excellent and innovative results. Like this exceptional model, which is fighting for the scepter of the best smart watch not Apple of the last few months, thanks to a very rich balance between features, premium design, battery life and even good compatibility with iOS.

With a classic titanium and sapphire crystal design, like its competitors, this model uses HarmonyOS, which changes the dynamics of WearOS a bit. It doesn’t matter: the system is just as intuitive, beautiful and offers all the facilities for reading data and information that a watch needs, as well as other features, such as more than 100 entertainment modes, ECG analysis , water and dust resistance.

Best of all is its battery, where all the difference is concentrated. With a possible duration of up to two weeks, the meaning of smart watch This completely changes and makes the relationship with the device much more pleasant, bearable and user-friendly. Here are our impressions in detail.

If we talk about premium watches and experiences, it is impossible not to refer to this great alternative. Although it is the most expensive of all, it is the one that offers the most performance and autonomy when it comes to enjoying a watch. If the price is an obstacle, we must not leave aside its little brother, du instinct series an equally good and reliable alternative, although, of course, it comes with fewer features.

But as we were talking about at the time, the Garmin Fénix 7 is a real colossus on the wrist. Aimed at users who really spend a good part of their time in outdoor sports activities, this watch has all kinds of GPS, thousands of maps of routes and sports centers (skiing, golf), battery long lasting which is also supplemented by solar power charging (which should be standard for these gadgets) and even the ability to stream music without the need for a phone.

The Chinese brand, which became independent of Huawei a few years ago, delivers an intermediate model in terms of features, very interesting for its price range. Traditional, sleek and slim design, with a screen with curved edges, fast charging and a battery life of up to two weeks, it has all the body monitoring and physical activity apps you could want, with multiple disciplines and routines. Such were our impressions at the time.

Combining the best of the advantages of a smart watch Currently, it makes sense to consider that the model, both in design and operating system, performs dangerously similar to watches from its former parent brand. But it is hoped that the company led by the charismatic George Zhao will soon come up with a new model that will succeed in bringing out its own identity. It was time.

When we talk about innovation, this is what we mean: a smart watch that it is capable of housing a pair of headphones inside and which, in addition, serves as a charging box for them. That is to say: helmet and watch in one. A very simple and effective idea, which has been achieved without great sacrifices in design, size or posture. On the contrary: having ipso facto a new pair of hearing aids from the same clock is only the necessary step forward to invite new users. How has this not happened to anyone before? Now, personally, he is my candidate for gadget of the year.

Released this year (and soon to be discussed in detail), the Huawei WatchBuds feature a magnetic system that makes it easy to remove and place the headphones, which sit under the watch’s lid. The best thing is that the ear in which they are inserted does not matter, since they do not discriminate if it is the left or the right side. great.

If we add to this other new models such as the Huawei GT Cyber ​​Watch with interchangeable body, or the Huawei Watch D , which measures blood pressure and ECG from a meter hidden in the strap (just as it sounds), we have that the Chinese giant is by far the most innovative in this area. And we want more.

*Prices for products in this item are updated as of May 2, 2023. Values ​​and availability are subject to change.