Up until recently, I hadn’t given much thought into purchasing a smart watch. It may have been my vain attempt at keeping my wrist tech free, almost an ode to the good old times before I could leave the house without frantically searching for my smart phone, let alone my smart watch, but now i'm starting to become convinced.
A brief history of Smart Watches
During the mid-2010’s, we saw several manufacturers revive the smart watch, introducing their own iterations of the tech. Although, there were vast improvements from what we’d seen in the past; many drew criticism for their bulky appearance, thick bezels, unfriendly user interface and short battery life.
The designs were often centred around the idea of being a companion device, giving the user the option to check notifications from their wrist rather than their phone.
As time has passed, smart watch tech has become more polished and refined, which begs the question, is now the time to buy a smart watch?
Benefits of smart watches in 2020
Easy access to your notifications
When you're busy walking the dogs or at your local supermarket holding shopping bags, it's never an ideal time to try and pick up the phone to see who's calling. When linked to your smart phone, you can check your wrist to see who that incoming call or message is from. Phone in your jeans pocket? No worries, your smart watch will tell you when you’ve got an email, tweet, WhatsApp message or calendar reminder. Configure your notification settings to choose the way you’d like to be notified by specific apps.
A must have for fitness fanatics
It’s a rare sight at my local gym to see anyone without a smart watch. Some have in-built work out modes to measure your running, walking, swimming, yoga, weightlifting, cycling as well as other types of sports.
Whether you’re working from home right now or in the office, your smart watch will remind you that you’ve been inactive for a period of time, prompting you to get your steps up!
Monitor your general health and well-being
When wearing a smart watch, I like to think of it as having your own personal fitness coach who’s keeping an eye on my general health. It tracks my heart rate, blood pressure, sleep duration and water consumption (just to name few), giving you the peace of mind that my health and well being is being monitored every step I take.
Leave your bulky phone at home
Go out and leave my phone at home?! Crazy concept, I know. Some smart watches can be standalone devices all on their own. With the advent of Number Share, you can use the same phone number on both your watch and phone. Your watch can even have it's very own number with eSIM.
Head to the gym, walk the dog, go for a swim, wear clothes with no pockets. Leaving your bulky phone behind will become an afterthought.
Locate your missing device
Is there a worse first world problem? You double tap your jeans pockets, do a quick scan of the room, frantically ask your partner “Have you seen my phone?!” Now, your trusty smart watch can be synced with the “Find Phone” feature on your phone. This gives you the ability to set off an alarm on your phone at the press of a button, even if it’s on silent!
Style your watch your way
With interchangeable bands and digital clock faces, you can choose the style of watch which best suits you. If you’re one to flaunt your tech, simply scroll through the various options to choose from or explore the seemingly endless possibilities on offer from apps like Facer and Twelvish.
If you’re into the old school traditional watch face paired with a classic leather watch band, check out the Galaxy Watch3.
What's the verdict?
You’re probably saying, “I can do all that already with my phone”. Let me tell you, I hear you. It really comes down to your lifestyle.
The reason so many people own smartwatches is because many of them give you the freedom to leave your phone at home and exercise hands free, all while receiving notifications, call, texts, emails and listening to their favourite music on Apple Music or Spotify. All this along with a nice display and lightweight wrist bands to track fitness goals and look after their health.
So, if you think your wrist is starting to appear a little bare, or your old school watch just isn’t cutting it; it may be time to purchase a smart watch.
What do you love most about your smart watch? Or if you’re thinking about getting one, what feature appeals to you the most? Leave a comment below 🙂
Disclaimer: The commentary and review, views and opinions expressed on Yes Crowd are those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the official position of Optus.
9 Comments
