What Are the Benefits of a Smartwatch? (Complete Guide 2022)
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A smartwatch is a wearable device that connects to your smartphone or other mobile devices to provide additional functionality. Smartwatches are becoming increasingly popular as they offer a range of benefits that are not available with traditional watches. But what are the benefits of a smartwatch?
A smartwatch is important to offer you time-related benefits, health-related benefits like sleep tracking, heart rate monitoring, among others. They can also function as music players, and you can use them to make and receive calls. Smartwatches offer smart features like paying for purchases, find my phone, and controlling smart home appliances.
In this article, I will discuss the many benefits of owning a smartwatch. I will also provide a comprehensive guide on choosing the right smartwatch for your needs.
What is a Smartwatch?
Smartwatches are wearable computers in the shape of wristwatches that offer additional functionality in addition to telling time. They frequently integrate with your smartphone, displaying incoming calls and messages, and some apps with extra features like maps and weather information.
Smartwatches serve as a smartphone’s extension, displaying some of the content you could see on your phone without picking it up.
Smartwatches also offer a variety of sensors for tracking fitness and health. Some of the capabilities that may be included with a smartwatch are step counting, heart rate monitoring, and GPS.
If you are looking for a smartwatch to buy, you can go to Amazon here to take a look.
READ MORE! Can You Use Apple Watch or Fitbit Without Bluetooth?
What Are the Benefits of a Smartwatch?
There are many benefits to owning a smartwatch. Read on as I discuss each of them in detail:
1. Time-Related Benefits
Some of the time-related benefits of smartwatches include:
2. Telling Time
Smartwatches can save you time by displaying information that normally requires you to take your phone out of your pocket.
This is especially useful for checking the time, weather, and notifications without fumbling for your phone.
3. Stopwatch and Timer
A stopwatch and timer are two other time-related benefits of smartwatches. A stopwatch is useful for timing yourself during a workout or tracking how long it takes to complete a task.
A timer can be used to remind you to take breaks, take medication, or start cooking dinner.
4. Alarm
You can choose to set the alarm on the watch rather than the phone, and the watch’s built-in speakers and vibration will wake you up. Some smartwatches, like the Apple watch, have alarms that are independent of the phone.
Because many smartwatches lack built-in speakers, you must rely solely on vibration to alert you.
The vibration is usually not loud enough to wake you up, but it is useful for setting an alarm during the day to remind you that you should go somewhere.
5. Quick Access to Apps and Information
With a smartwatch, you can quickly access the apps and information you need without having to take out your phone.
This is convenient for tasks such as checking the time, weather, and notifications.
Health-Related Benefits of a Smartwatch
In addition to the time-related benefits, smartwatches also offer a range of health-related benefits. These include:
1. Activity Tracking
One of the most popular features of smartwatches is activity tracking. This feature tracks your steps, heart rate, and calories burned throughout the day.
Activity tracking is a great way to motivate yourself to be more active and to monitor your fitness progress.
2. Sleep Tracking
Some smartwatches also track your sleep. This is a great way to see how well you sleep and identify patterns affecting your sleep quality.
3. Heart Rate Monitoring
Heart rate monitors are becoming increasingly common in smartwatches. This feature allows you to track your heart rate throughout the day and during exercise.
This is important because:
- You can monitor your heart rate while exercising to stay in a range that will improve your fitness level.
- Another advantage is that artificial intelligence-powered heart rate monitoring may precisely identify some types of irregular heart rhythms.
4. Blood Pressure Monitoring
A few smartwatches on the market claim to be able to measure blood pressure. This feature is still in its infancy, and the accuracy of these devices has not been independently verified.
READ MORE! Can a Smartwatch Monitor Blood Pressure? (Explained!)
5. ECG
This is an electrocardiogram, a test measuring the electrical activity of your heart.
A few smartwatches on the market claim to be able to take an ECG, but the accuracy of these devices has not been independently verified.
6. GPS
Many smartwatches include GPS, which can be used for a variety of purposes, such as:
- Finding your way around an unfamiliar city
- Tracking your location while out on a run or hike
- Monitoring your speed and distance while cycling
- Using GPS can be helpful in case of an emergency. For example, if you’re out on a run and you get injured, your smartwatch can send your location to emergency services.
Notification Benefits of a Smartwatch
In addition to the time-related and health-related benefits, smartwatches also offer a range of notification benefits. These include:
1. Receiving Phone Calls
There are two ways to go about it. You can use the smartwatch as a remote to answer a call on your smartphone or make a call by asking Siri to make a call on your smartphone.
The second way is using a cellular smartwatch with a network connection, a microphone, and a speaker to make a call without your smartphone. This is convenient if you’re in a situation where you can’t take out your phone, such as while driving.
LTE smartwatches are more widely available. All major LTE smartwatches manufacturers, including Apple, Samsung, Huawei, LG, and Garmin, have models available.
However, because cellular connectivity significantly reduces battery life, these watches frequently have short battery lives.
2. Text Messages and Emails
You can also use your smartwatch to read and reply to texts and emails. This is convenient if you’re in a meeting or otherwise occupied and can’t take out your phone.
3. App Notifications
You can receive notifications from a variety of apps on your smartwatch. This is convenient if you want to be alerted of something without taking out your phone.
For example, you could set up a notification to alert you when your favorite team scores a goal.
Other Smart Benefits of a Smartwatch
There are more benefits to smartwatches than we could possibly list here. Some other benefits include:
1. Paying for Purchases
You can use your smartwatch to make contactless payments for purchases. This is through Apple Pay, Android Pay, Garmin Pay, Samsung Pay, or Fitbit Pay.
Thanks to contactless payment readers, you can make purchases using these mobile payment methods without using your card or phone.
Basically, your smartwatch should work in any establishment accepting contactless payments.
2. Listening to Music
You can store music on your smartwatch and listen to it without your phone. This is convenient if you’re going for a run or working out at the gym and don’t want to carry your phone with you.
You can also use your smartwatch as a remote to control the music on your phone.
READ MORE! Can Fitbit Charge 5 Play Music Without The Phone? Review!
3. Find My Phone
If you can’t find your phone, you can use your smartwatch to ring your phone. This is convenient if you’ve misplaced your phone and can’t remember where you left it.
4. Controlling Smart Home Devices
You can use your smartwatch to control smart home devices, such as lights, thermostats, and security cameras.
This is convenient if you want to turn on the lights before you get home or check to see if the oven is off.
5. Navigation
You can use your smartwatch as a remote control for navigation. This is convenient if you’re driving and don’t want to take your hands off the wheel to fiddle with your phone. It would help a great deal to guide you on turn-by-turn navigation.
There are many other benefits of smartwatches that we didn’t cover here. These are just some of the more popular ones. Smartwatches are becoming increasingly popular, and it’s easy to see why.
They offer a lot of convenience and functionality.
Disadvantages of Smartwatches
Of course, smartwatches also have some disadvantages. These include:
1. Short Battery Life
One of the biggest disadvantages of smartwatches is their short battery life.
Most smartwatches need to be charged every day, and some need to be charged multiple times per day.
This can be inconvenient, especially if you’re used to only charge your phone once daily.
2. Limited Storage
Another disadvantage of smartwatches is their limited storage. Most can only store a few days’ worth of music or a few hundred photos.
This can be inconvenient if you want to use your smartwatch as a standalone device.
3. Lack of Apps
While a few thousand apps are available for smartwatches, this is still far less than the millions of apps available for smartphones.
This can be inconvenient if you’re used to having a lot of app choices.
4. Inaccurate Fitness Tracking
While most smartwatches are good at tracking basic fitness data, such as steps taken and heart rate, they’re not always accurate.
This can be frustrating if you’re trying to use your smartwatch to track your fitness progress.
5. Small Screen Size
The small screen size of smartwatches is another disadvantage. This can be inconvenient if you’re used to looking at a larger screen, such as a smartphone or tablet.
6. Electronics get Outdated Quick
Finally, another disadvantage of smartwatches is that they tend to get outdated quickly. This is because they rely on new technology, such as sensors and processors, which become outdated quickly.
This can be frustrating if you just bought a new smartwatch only to have it become outdated a few months later.
Factors to Consider When Buying a Smartwatch
Now that you know some of the benefits of smartwatches, you might be wondering which one to buy. There are a few factors to consider when purchasing a smartwatch, such as:
1. Operating System
The first factor to consider is the operating system. The two most popular operating systems for smartwatches are Android and iOS. You’ll want to get an Apple Watch if you have an iPhone.
If you have an Android phone, you can choose from a variety of smartwatches that run on Android.
2. Design
The next factor to consider is design. Smartwatches come in all shapes and sizes. Some are square, some are round, and some are rectangular.
Some have a large face, while others have a small face. You should choose a design that you like and that fits your lifestyle.
3. Features
The third factor to consider is features. Smartwatches come with a variety of features, such as the ability to track your fitness, pay for purchases, and control smart home devices.
You should choose a smartwatch with features that you’ll actually use.
4. Price
The fourth factor to consider is price. Smartwatches can range in price from $100 to $500. You should choose a smartwatch that fits your budget and needs.
FAQ
Do smartwatches come with a warranty?
Yes, most smartwatches come with a one-year warranty. However, some companies offer extended warranties for an additional cost.
What is the battery life of a smartwatch?
The battery life of a smartwatch depends on the model. Some models can last for days on a single charge, while others only last for a few hours.
Are smartwatches waterproof?
Yes, most smartwatches are waterproof. However, there are a few models that are not. You need to check the specifications of the smartwatch before you buy it.
What is the difference between a smartwatch and a fitness tracker?
A fitness tracker is a device that tracks your fitness data, such as steps taken and heart rate. A smartwatch is a device that does everything a fitness tracker does, plus more. For example, a smartwatch can track your sleep, receive notifications, and make calls.
Should I get a smartwatch or a fitness tracker?
It depends on what you want to use the device for. A fitness tracker is sufficient if you just want to track your fitness data. However, a smartwatch is a better choice if you want a device that does more.
Final Thoughts
A smartwatch is a great device for people who want to be more connected and active. It offers several benefits like tracking your fitness, receiving notifications, and controlling smart home devices.
If you’re thinking about getting a smartwatch, consider the design, price, and features. I hope this article has helped you learn the benefits of a smartwatch.
Espen
Espen is the Director of ProPairing and has written extensively about Bluetooth devices for years. He is a consumer product expert and has personally tested Bluetooth devices for the last decade.