Recently, I often receive a lot of messages from users about smartwatches in the background. If you summarize them, you will find that there are roughly these categories:
- “Confused whether to choose a smartwatch”
- “Should I buy a smart band or a smartwatch”
- “How to choose a smartwatch”
- “Which device should people with different needs choose”
- “Is the certain function really useful as advertised?”
- “I feel that XX products and XX functions are rubbish?”
I can’t help but fall into a thought when we choose a smartwatch, what are we choosing? Is there a way to allow everyone to choose a product that is more suitable for them through a standard? And which functions need to be avoided in these choices that are expected to be greater than the actual experience?
Based on these more common problems, I will try to use this article and my personal experience of nearly 20 trendy smartwatches that I have experienced in the past six months, hoping to help people who have the above doubts make recommendations.
Don’t want to read, just buy the series:
1. The price of $15, the basic function monitoring needs
Mi Band 7Pro
Reason for recommendation: For users with basic needs of wearable devices, bands are still the most cost-effective choice at present, and they can also experience basic health, notification, and NFC functions.
2. The price of $150, regardless of system compatibility
Huami Yueme GT4 Series
Reason for recommendation: Huami Amazfit GT4 series, as the latest annual flagship model released in September 2022, these two products can be regarded as a very conscientious series. Compared with the previous generation GT3 series, it has upgraded the dual-frequency GPS six-star positioning system.
The whole system is equipped with Bluetooth calling function as standard, supports ZEPP OS 2.0 system, enriches more applets and dial designs, and continues the good experience of 7-day long battery life, blood pressure monitoring function, and full compatibility with Android & iOS. At the same time, the listing price of the two products also maintains a reasonable price in the early $150. In short, friends who need it can check it out.
3. Android phone king, users with strong eSIM requirements
OPPO watch 2
Reasons for recommendation: OPPO has been regarded as the “Android watch king” by netizens since the Watch 2 series. It is inherently known as the “Apple watch of Android”.
Apollo+Qualcomm Snapdragon dual-chip design, this generation of products has greatly improved battery life, and the 3 Pro in the latest 3 series has been upgraded with a full curved screen and LTPO always-on screen functions, but the product as a whole It feels relatively large, and thick in the hands, which is more suitable for taller men.
4. Apple & Huawei Smartphone users must choose
Reason for recommendation: The reason for recommending this series of products is mainly to take care of many users to make recommendations from the perspective of “ecological” compatibility, but for now, the linkage effect of multi-device collaboration has not yet exerted its maximum effect. If you consider the same Brand of smartwatch users can choose according to their own needs. The four products I have listed are only recommended to you after my personal experience.
Table of contents:
- 1. The definition of smartwatch and how to choose a bracelet
- 2. Reasons for buying smart watches & detailed functional requirements
- 3. How to choose a smart watch according to personal needs
- 4. Where is the gap between needs and reality?
- Text begins:
- 1. The definition of a smartwatch and how to choose a Smartband
In the previous article, I tried to distinguish between the two from the perspective of technical definition, but I found that such a division is not practical. If I were to give a suggestion to someone who is hesitating between smart bracelets and watches, I would The answer is “whether wearing comfort is a priority for purchase”. After wearing these two products for a month, the biggest difference I feel is the comfort, the bracelet is really light.
Based on this premise, there are two types of groups of people to choose from:
If you have a traditional watch-wearing experience and want more functional attributes, I would recommend choosing a smartwatch with a price of about $150.
If you have no experience in wearing watches, and you have an early adopter attitude towards smart wearable devices, and you can meet basic health and exercise data monitoring, in fact, a smart bracelet with a price of $15 will be a better choice.
2. Reasons for buying smart watches & detailed functional requirements
When we choose a smart watch, we can’t escape these five requirements: appearance, intelligence, sports, health, and convenience. In addition, limited by the high-frequency requirements of smartwatches, there is also a need for battery life as a core factor. , but each requirement is actually a reasonable ranking according to your own subjective tendencies and needs when you choose.
From my point of view: health > intelligence > battery life > appearance > sports > convenience
Based on this principle, you can come up with your own purchase order, which is convenient for subsequent purchases. The selection criteria for expanding various functions and the combination of product functions at the current stage can be roughly divided into the following situations:
Appearance: This point is more biased towards the different aesthetic standards of each person. You can roughly choose from the dimensions of design style, shape, size, dial, and strap.
Design style
The product design language of different brands roughly includes several categories, business type represented by Huawei, sports type represented by Garmin, and combined type represented by Apple.
Product shape
It includes two types, square and round. The two types are mainly due to the difference in information presentation style. You can choose according to your personal habits.
Dial size
Most round watches are 42 and 46mm, and square watches include 41, 42, 45, 46, and 50mm. Generally speaking, you can choose according to your wrist, and the mainstream selection range for normal wrists will be concentrated. Mainly in 41-42mm, and 45-46mm.
Dial style
This is the biggest difference between smartwatches and traditional watches in terms of design. It can be divided into official and unofficial categories. Generally speaking, the more, the better, and the more frequent updates of the dial will allow you to keep wearing one from time to time. At the same time, you need to do your homework whether the dials in each dial mall are free, and the approximate price range.
Strap type
There are actually not so many restrictions on the strap. After all, you can also choose and buy according to the strap buckle after you buy it. Generally speaking, official straps are nothing more than genuine leather, fluororubber & silicone, meta,l Nylon and etc. It should be noted that in theory, the better the material, the more expensive it is. Sometimes you can buy a basic watch strap and then match it with a third-party watch strap yourself.
Intelligence: There are many dimensions for judging intelligence. In short, we mainly attribute it to four dimensions: system smoothness & personalization, application support, and compatibility.
Compatibility (suitability of different Smartphones)
When you read a lot of recommendations, you usually see the sentence “AA brand mobile phones give priority to AA brand watches”. This sentence itself is talking about the compatibility of devices of the same brand It will do better, and AA brand mobile phones with BB brand watches may encounter situations where they are completely unsuitable and some functions are castrated. At this time, you must consider whether you need to use the castrated functions. In many cases, it is actually some less important functions that are castrated. (Of course, there are some special cases, such as Garmin, Huami Amazfit, and OPPO, these three brands are actually relatively friendly to the compatibility of iOS and Android ecology).
System smoothness & personalization
At present, it seems that the fluency of the mainstream watches on sale is not bad, and the refresh rate can basically achieve 30-60 Hz. From the current stage, the performance of smartwatches is basically in a state of excess, so we will not expand this part too much; if you have needs for the personalization of watches, you can consider some support, such as custom sorting, and negative one-screen personalization products. (My personal experience is that the current chips of smartwatches are not the same as those of mobile phones, and the requirements for power consumption and performance are not high)
Application support
It can be divided into strong applications that satisfy our daily needs (such as maps, navigation, music, etc.), and some weak applications that are relatively entertainment-oriented and non-rigid (such as small games, pregnancy assistants, calendars, etc.) Wait)
Sports: Light sports people can choose regular smartwatches, and quasi-professional and professional sports people give priority to sports watches. After all, there are specialties in the art industry.
Types of exercise
There are about 80+ types of routinely supported sports, but there are about 20 types of routine sports that everyone comes into contact with in general life, and you can choose according to your own exercise needs. It should be noted that generally speaking, the monitoring of sports functions by non-professional sports watches is limited to some routine basic information, such as heart rate, blood oxygen, consumption, frequency, slope, altitude, trajectory, etc. The accuracy of the data is far less than that of Professional sports watch brands, and poor compatibility with third-party equipment, such as heart rate belts, treadmills, cycling machines, etc.
Satellite positioning
Simply put, the more satellites supported, the better, but in fact, 4 satellites are enough; secondly, it will be divided into single frequency and dual frequency, which refers to the frequency band supported by the watch. Dual frequency means signal reception efficiency is higher.
Sports coach
In recent years, various watch brands have begun to launch relatively customized sports coaching functions. By inputting their own weight, height, and other information to provide corresponding training plans, this part can be selected according to their own needs.
Health: Health is divided into two categories: basic monitoring and special function monitoring. In addition, the accuracy part is the key support for this function.
Basic monitoring
Heart rate, blood oxygen, sleep, etc. This part is the core function necessary for common smartwatches. Usually, data is collected by sensors for processing and analysis and provided to users as a reference. If you want to know whether the data is accurate, the simplest comparison method It is to compare with the data of the heart rate belt.
Special monitoring
Blood pressure, respiration, ECG, etc., are functions developed by major manufacturers in recent years that have begun to deepen the health functions of smart wearable devices. They usually cooperate with some medical schools and hospitals, which is conducive to the development of the entire industry. The role is more meaningful than the actual experience. If users really have relevant needs, it is recommended to choose a more accurate medical device or a product that has passed the national medical device license.
Convenience: It is mainly distinguished from officially supported functions and third-party adapted functions
- Convenient functions: NFC, WeChat/Alipay payment, remote control camera, music, calendar, Bluetooth call, etc.
- Convenient application: Users can choose to download third-party apps/small programs, car keys, travel apps, Yuepaoquan, WeChat, etc. according to their needs.
Battery life: Battery life, constant light, and power consumption have always been trade-offs, and you can choose according to your own needs.
- According to the current products on the market, there will probably be products with three battery life intervals, 1-2 days, 2-4 days, and 5-7 days. (The above are the battery life when the full-featured mode is turned on, and the ECG function is not turned on).
- At present, the battery life of the general watch is about 2-4 days. To use the watch better, a certain battery life guarantee is required. One charge per two days is the basic battery life requirement, and one charge every three days can also be used, but I believe that once a week Charging can better meet the needs of most users, especially those who love outdoor sports and need a watch with long battery life.
3. How to choose a smartwatch according to personal needs
The principle is still based on the requirements defined at the beginning of my article. We sort the six requirements “health, intelligence, battery life, appearance, sports, and convenience” in combination with our own needs and priorities, and then I also list the differences I have experienced so far. Products, as well as relatively personal feelings, are presented in the form of radar charts to give you a reference suggestion for purchasing.
From my point of view: health > intelligence > battery life > appearance > sports > convenience
The following data are based entirely on personal experience and may not be particularly authoritative, but I hope to give you some reference.
2022 smartwatch experience product evaluation recommendation
1. Huami Amazfit Yueme GTR 4
Advantage
It still continues the consistently good system compatibility of Huami Yuewo series products (compatible with iOS/Android devices)
In terms of health monitoring, the new BioTracker™ 4.0 biosensor equipped with a dual-tricolor light 4PD solution has an exclusive blood pressure screening function, which can detect blood pressure, heart rate, blood oxygen, pressure, breathing rate, and heart health with one click Important physical index values.
In terms of sports, it is equipped with the PeakBeats™ professional sports algorithm developed by Huami Technology, a newly upgraded six-star dual-frequency positioning system, which can support 150+ sports modes, 8 kinds of sports automatic recognition, and a new gym strength training sports mode. It can intelligently identify 25 action modes such as barbell squats and bench presses.
Upgrade the ZEPP OS 2.0 system, and at the same time optimize the visual interface of the ZEPP APP system, add a new application list style, and intelligently push the morning bulletin. Support NFC, support Bluetooth calls, WeChat Alipay payment, etc.
The watch weighs only 34g, and the watch body is made of aluminum alloy. The screen is equipped with a 1.43-inch retina-level AMOLED high-definition colorful display screen. There are two built-in color schemes, natural mode, and vivid mode. The mode can be switched freely.
The battery has a capacity of 475mAh and a long battery life. It can be used for 14 days in normal mode (without a display on and off), and about 20 days in power-saving mode. It can be charged every half a month and has a strong battery life.
Disadvantages
Does not support eSIM, cannot make independent calls, and has Bluetooth calls available.
Does not support the ECG electrocardiogram function, this function is only for auxiliary inspection effect and cannot be used as a professional report.
Although the third-party applet has been improved, it does not support the map function for the time being.
2. Huami Amazfit Yueme GTS 4
Advantage:
It still continues the consistently good system compatibility of Huami Yuewo series products (compatible with iOS/Android devices)
In terms of health monitoring, the new BioTracker™ 4.0 biosensor equipped with a dual-tricolor light 4PD solution has an exclusive blood pressure screening function, which can detect blood pressure, heart rate, blood oxygen, pressure, breathing rate, and heart health with one click Important physical index values. (Women’s Health supports the intelligent prediction of menstrual period, fertile period, and ovulation date)
In terms of sports, it is equipped with the PeakBeats™ professional sports algorithm developed by Huami Technology, a newly upgraded six-star dual-frequency positioning system, which can support 150+ sports modes, 8 kinds of sports automatic recognition, and a new gym strength training sports mode. It can intelligently identify 25 action modes such as barbell squats and bench presses.
It also works with the ZEPP OS 2.0 system and is compatible with iOS/Android dual systems. The APP contains a variety of practical tools, such as baby records, idiom matching, avoiding mines, Schulte squares, etc., and can also be customized through the APP Personalized Watch App Personally design a unique and exclusive watch face.
The weight of the watch is only 27g, the thickness of the watch body is only 9.9mm, and the wearing experience is more comfortable. It is equipped with a 1.75-inch super retina screen with a resolution of 390*450 and a screen pixel density as high as 341ppi. It also supports natural mode and Vivid mode.
The battery capacity is 300mAh, which can be used for about 6 days in daily mode (not in the state of turning on and off), and about 12 days in power-saving mode.
Disadvantages
Does not support eSIM, cannot make independent calls, and has Bluetooth calls available.
Does not support the ECG electrocardiogram function, this function is only for auxiliary inspection effect and cannot be used as a professional report.
Although the third-party applet has been improved, it does not support the map function for the time being
3. OPPO watch 2
Advantage
The optional eSIM version can be used independently from the mobile phone, and supports nearly 70 APP downloads at the same time, including the WeChat children’s version (can receive messages, send voice and emoticons), QQ, NetEase Cloud, Tencent News, etc.
Dual-chip dual-system, can switch between RTOS (light intelligent mode) and Android (full intelligent mode) according to different scenarios.
The battery life is about 2 days in the full smart mode, and about 10 days in the light smart mode. It supports VOOC flash charging and fast charging.
It supports continuous blood oxygen monitoring, 24-hour irregular heart rate monitoring, and sleep monitoring. It also adds a snoring risk assessment function (recording snoring fragments during sleep, which is convenient for screening for obvious abnormalities).
In terms of sports, it supports 100+ sports modes and automatically recognizes 6 sports modes.
Disadvantages
Does not support 24/7 blood oxygen monitoring
The Bluetooth version of Wechat for children will be a bit tasteless, and you must keep your mobile phone close to you or connect to WiFi to use it
Switching between different chips requires switching on and off, which takes about 15 seconds
The sensitivity of sports intelligence recognition is slow and cannot be adjusted
4. OPPO watch 3
Advantage:
Dual-chip dual-system, the first UDDE dual-core hybrid technology, is equipped with a 4nm Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 chip.
The appearance adopts the upper and lower hyperbolic micro-arc design, the middle frame part is made of aluminum alloy, and the 1.75-inch screen and the mirror is made of mineral anti-scratch glass, so there is no need to worry about bumps and scratches.
The optional eSIM version, which can be used independently from the mobile phone, can be adapted to 80+ APPs, supports the WeChat children’s version, has an NFC function, and supports bus, subway, and access control code swiping.
The health detection has a built-in professional optical heart rate sensor, blood oxygen sensor, etc., supports all-weather heart rate and blood oxygen monitoring, and can accurately record the dynamic changes of the body.
In terms of sports, it supports more than 100 indoor and outdoor sports modes, and the self-recognition of 6 regular sports, providing multi-dimensional tennis sports modes, number of shots, and swing speed.
The battery capacity is 400mAh, the standard battery life is 4 days, and the extreme battery life is 10 days. With all functions turned on in daily use, it can be used for 2-3 days.
Disadvantages
The sensitivity issue of automatic motion recognition needs to be updated
Connecting to an Apple mobile phone to use some data synchronization is slow
Poor compatibility with IOS devices, some third-party functions cannot be supported
5. OPPO watch 3 Pro
Advantage
The 1.91-inch 3D flexible curved screen is the first in China to adopt LTPO screen technology, which can keep the screen always on even in low power consumption mode.
Dual-chip dual-system, the first UDDE dual-core hybrid technology, equipped with 4nm Qualcomm Snapdragon W5+Apollo 4 Plus chip.
Equipped with the ColorOS Watch V5.0 system, OPPO users can be perfectly compatible. It supports eSIM for independent calls and Internet access and can download more than 80 life applications at will. There is also Xiaobu voice assistant to help find mobile phones and download applications.
The health test can monitor heart rate, blood oxygen, and sleep around the clock. It only takes 30 seconds to wear the test to evaluate blood vessel elasticity, full-scene sleep test, and snoring risk assessment.
Sports supports more than 100 types of sports, automatically recognizes 6 sports, and provides multi-dimensional tennis sports modes, number of shots, and swing speed.
The battery capacity is 550mAh, the standard battery life is about 4.5 days, and the ultimate battery life is about 13 days.
Disadvantages
Some friends will feel that the watch is too large and too thick, and the wearing comfort is poor
The sensitivity issue of automatic motion recognition needs to be updated
Connecting to an Apple mobile phone to use some data synchronization is slow
Poor compatibility with IOS devices, some third-party functions cannot be supported
6. Huawei GT3
Advantage
Equipped with the Huawei Hongmeng system, a small number of third-party apps can be downloaded.
Support Bluetooth calls, Alipay scan code payment, and NFC, more convenient to travel.
Support 100+ sports modes, and real-time monitoring of sports data.
Support heart rate, blood oxygen 24-hour monitoring, support female menstrual cycle detection, drink water reminder, sedentary reminder, and other health warning functions, can accurately identify arrhythmia, support sleep management, and accurately screen the risk of sleep apnea.
Equipped with a five-star dual-frequency GPS function, it supports Beidou, GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and QZSS satellite positioning systems.
Disadvantages
Does not support eSIM, cannot make independent calls, and Bluetooth calls are available.
Some functions of non-Huawei mobile phones cannot be used.
The independent use experience is weak, and the 42g+ is slightly heavy to wear.
The data experience of some sports and health algorithms needs to be further improved.
7. Huawei Watch 3
Advantage
Equipped with a 14.3-inch AMOLED high-definition touch screen, it has more than 30 built-in dials, including dynamic dials, some of which are free to use.
The 42mm version has a battery life of 7 days in normal mode, and the 46mm version has a battery life of 14 days, which can basically meet the battery life needs of daily use.
Equipped with the Harmony system, Huawei mobile phone users can use all functions, support eSIM function can be used without the phone, support music playback, slide right to enter the negative screen, quickly check the weather, flight, and other information
The 8-channel heart rate detection technology adopted in health, coupled with the AI algorithm upgrade, can accurately monitor heart rate, blood oxygen, and other health data.
It adopts dual-frequency five-star positioning technology for sports and supports 100+ sports modes such as running, mountain climbing, and rope skipping.
Disadvantages
Does not support eSIM, cannot make independent calls, and Bluetooth calls are available.
Some functions of non-Huawei mobile phones cannot be used.
The independent use experience is weak, and the 45g+ is slightly heavy to wear.
The data experience of some sports and health algorithms needs to be further improved.
8. Apple Watch SE 2022
Advantage:
It is still the most worth buying a new full smartwatch for iOS device users on the market.
Appearance silver, midnight, and starlight, three color options to choose from, using recycled aluminum metal watch body, more comfortable and light to wear,
With the S8 processor, the speed is 20% faster. Support for calling, texting, and using Apple Pay and Siri.
In terms of health, it supports heart health, car accident detection, fall detection, and SOS functions, and supports menstrual period tracking and ovulation period prediction functions.
In terms of sports, Apple’s unique fitness record ring provides advanced sports indicators, which can track daily activities and regular physical training.
Disadvantages
The screen-to-body ratio is small.
Dustproof is not supported, please pay attention to protection.
The battery life is only 18 hours, and it needs to be charged once a day.
Only available for iOS devices and is completely unsuitable for Android users.
9. Apple Watch S8
Advantage
It adopts LTPO all-weather retina full-screen design, the case material is made of aluminum metal, and stainless steel, the screen size is about 41mm, and it is equipped with IP6X dustproof and waterproof functions.
Equipped with the S8 processor, it also adds a motion sensor to provide car accident detection and fall detection functions. When a car accident occurs and does not receive a response within 10 seconds, it will automatically dial an emergency call to synchronize location information. In terms of intelligence, Apple Watch can be said to be the ultimate.
In terms of health, it has the design of blood oxygen detection, mobile ECG atrial fibrillation reminder, and dual temperature sensing sensors, which are located on the back of the watch and below the display screen respectively, and can detect changes in body temperature of 0.1°C, thereby more accurately predicting women’s ovulation cycle and menstrual period.
In sports, it can be precisely positioned by the single-channel L1 global positioning system and supports a variety of marking and backtracking functions.
Support “low power consumption mode” battery life from 18 hours to a maximum support of about 36 hours.
Disadvantages
The standard battery life is 18 days, and the extreme battery life is 36 days.
Only available for iOS devices is completely unsuitable for Android users.
4. Where is the gap between needs and reality?
When I was engaged in the smart hardware-related industry, I experienced more than 40 in-depth experiences of various types. The biggest feeling is: there are only product functions that meet some needs, and there is no perfect product that suits everyone.
- “It is recognized that the Apple watch with the best smartwatch experience will also have battery life problems”
- “The OPPO Watch 3 Pro, which is considered to be the “King of Android” with Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 chip, will also be criticized as “big” and “thick”
- “The price of $150 for Huami, which is very compatible with Apple and Android, will also be criticized for not supporting eSIM, sapphire, fast charging, and stainless steel.”
I am not here to explain for the brand, but to give you a rational suggestion. Of course, it is best if these brands listen to the voices of consumers and continue to improve, but when they cannot achieve it, they should give some time and tolerate it.
The last thing I want to say
when we choose a product and its advantages, we must also learn to accept some of its shortcomings and regrets. The above is my personal summary of the purchased content of smartwatches in 2022.
I am perhaps a practitioner in the smart hardware industry, and I hope to share with you the crystallization of human technology that has flashed by on the timeline of the universe. Creation is not easy, thank you for your understanding and support! If the description above is inaccurate, please let me know in the comment area, and I will make corrections after checking.
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