More recently, a new, unique niche has appeared on the technology market, which quickly gained popularity among fans of electronics. We are talking about the so-called smart watch.
To tell you the truth, the idea of releasing such a gadget is not new - it was demonstrated a thousand times in science fiction films, when the characters had special portable devices for communicating with each other in the form of watches, so the developers only had to implement such a solution “in metal and plastic” that they did. However, another thing is that such devices are not limited to the function of calls. Modern smart watches, which we will review in this article, have a ton of other interesting options. Which ones? Find out during our review.
Benefits
Before disclosing data about a smart watch with a SIM card (the rating, review that we have prepared do contain such information), we would like to focus on another important point - regarding the advantages of these gadgets. So, without hesitation, we can note the multitasking of such devices. Having a compact watch on his wrist, the user can, for example, make calls. This is convenient if you do not want to take your smartphone out of your pocket, if you do not want to take the phone with you (for sports, for example), if you are in the cold and would like to answer the call as quickly as possible.
The second point is the ability to quickly find out information. Many smart watches (the review also includes such models) have browser support and can even access search engines. This means that you can (exclusively with the help of such a miniature gadget) find the necessary information in two counts, guided by a compact display. The same applies to access to media content (working with music, various applications, and so on).
The third aspect that should be pointed out concerns additional functions. Of course, they differ among each particular model. In general, we can note that these include: step counter, sleep sensor, heart rate monitor and other options. We will repeat, they all differ from each other, but the fact remains: with their help, you can monitor your health, combining business with pleasure.
disadvantages
Taking into account the advantages of smart watches, the review of which we are preparing, we can determine some of their shortcomings. In particular, these are too small in the first place. Due to the compactness of the case, it is impossible to place a large, convenient screen or navigation tools understandable to everyone in such a gadget. It turns out that the user is forced to be content with what is - to work with all the smallest. Based on this problem of such devices, we can draw another conclusion: they have low “endurance” (in terms of charge consumption). Since these gadgets cannot accommodate a sufficiently large battery, they have to be charged often enough, sometimes daily, in order to maintain operation at a normal level. And this, in turn, creates additional tasks for the user.
Let's not forget about another drawback - this is a high price. Now our review of smart watches will show how unreasonably expensive such devices are. And this happens because the market is relatively new, and there simply is not such a huge competition between manufacturers, as we see in the field of smartphones. And whether it will be in the future is a moot point. It should be borne in mind that the level of demand for smart watches (reviews, a review confirms this) is much lower than for mobile phones. Accordingly, one should not expect the same wide assortment in this area.
Well, let's not talk about the negative. As practice shows, there are more and more buyers of smart watches, and this is a positive trend. In this article, we will give a rating of devices and review each model. Recall that the information applies only to those devices that support the operation of the SIM card and are, in a sense, an independent device.
Samsung Gear S
As the review characterizing the Samsung smart watch shows, these devices are market leaders. The first two generations of Gear could only work with a phone or tablet of the same manufacturer. Version S is equipped with a SIM card module, which is why you can call from it even without a phone. Users call the disadvantage the fact that the device does not have a (3.5 mm) jack for audio (which means that you won’t be able to call from them through the headphones). In all other respects, it’s a worthy device worth $ 350.
Bizarro
The second in our rating, an interesting manufacturer of “smart” technology can be called Bizarro with its models 101, 501 and 505. The devices have a lot of advantages: low price (up to $ 80-90 will cost the simplest instance), wide functionality (the watch provides for such options like heart rate monitoring, user sleep monitoring, activity counter), as well as communication options (receiving calls, sending SMS). Of the negative aspects, people note only the rough, square design of the device.
On a single charge, the watch can "last" 3-4 days. The gadget can be safely included in the review of Chinese smart watches (more precisely, their best models).
Iconbit Callisto 100
And the next gadget is already the achievements of the Russian company, which also decided to enter the “race” of developers of “smart” watches. The phone also operates on the basis of Android, which makes it compatible with the category of devices with the same pre-installed system. There are also a lot of functions: browser, calls and SMS, Internet search, camera. The price of the device is 110 dollars.
Burg
In our review of the best smart watches, one cannot fail to include the brainchild of a famous Dutch designer who developed a somewhat unique device. In its capabilities, the watch is the same as the ones described above: they are a "stripped down" version of a smartphone based on the Android OS. But the gadget is implemented in a really different way: it is presented in the form of an assembled set of a leather strap and a “core” (case "stuffed" with everything necessary for the watch to work).
At a price of $ 200, the emphasis in the operation of the device is not on functionality, but on appearance, in particular, a whole set of different color combinations for the strap (8 options) is transferred for sale.
Fixitime
Another product of Chinese engineers is a $ 100 watch called FixiTime. The device is protected from moisture and dust inside the case, is equipped with a vibration motor and is offered on the market complete with a 600 mAh battery. This charge is enough for the device for a couple of days of work.
In addition to the options described above (fitness tracker, communication tools), the device also has a feature such as “parental control”. This allows parents to see online where their child is wearing the accessory. Thanks to this, users often prefer just such a watch.
Other
Of course, there are quite a few other models on the market that may interest you. In particular, these are products from companies such as Top Watch, Smarus, Zgpax and others.
Many of these devices are products, again, of Chinese electronics companies. Because of this, the capabilities of such gadgets are comparable to those functions that we already mentioned above (these are calls, fitness tracking, notifications from a smartphone). At the same time, the cost of gadgets varies in the region of 3-5 thousand rubles. Most of these watches are based on the Android OS, equipped with a small display (size within 1.5-2 inches), a processor for solving all tasks (often this is a product of companies that supply “accessories” for smartphones: MediaTek, Snapdragon or Cortex) .
A review of the best smart watches showed that many devices have internal memory for working with audio and video format media files. However, including everything in our rating, alas, is simply impossible.