Gone are the days when watches were just two boring arms drifting around to tell you the time. Technology has evolved and you can now slap on a smart watch full of apps.
Back in the day, the choice was between battery and mechanical, analogue and digital, different watch frames etc. Now smart watches offer choices around style, features and productivity. Just this week, Google Inc. announced the release of the Fit SDK, an extension of its Android Wear operating system.
Given that the Fit SDK opens up a treasure trove of useful APIs in Android Wear – including the activity and sleep tracking that has proven to be one of the killer features of such wearables, we thought we’d take a look at the sort of devices we can come to expect from manufacturers. Here’s four smart watches that are already available today, or soon to be available and running Android Wear (or are at least likely to do so):
Samsung Galaxy Gear Live
Remember the time when you were unable to attend mobile calls either because the phone was far away from you or because you didn’t hear the call? This smart watch is always around your wrist so that problem is solved.
The cool thing about it is that you can give the smart watch voice commands via Google Now and it will make calls, set alarm and check the weather or messages and a lot of other things. The smart watch has a 1.63-inch super-AMOLED screen. The watch connects to your phone to pause or skip music. The battery life is alright and is said to be good for a day. However, many critics including Eric Mack from Gizmag feel that there is a need for more apps. The Samsung Galaxy Live retails at $219.99 on Google Play.
LG G Watch
This smart watch from LG does everything that the Samsung Galaxy Live does. According to Samuel Gibbs from The Guardian, the G watch rests flat on the wrist while Samsung’s is curved which is better suited for comfort and flexibility. The design for the G watch is pretty uninspiring and it will need to do a lot on that front to beat the competition.
With a 1.65-inch IPS display, the G watch is slightly bigger than its Samsung counterpart. It also gives you the option of swappable bands so that you can choose to personalize it according to your will.
Sony Smart watch 2:
Sony was not to be left behind in the race of smart watches and its answer is the Smart watch 2. According to Slashgear.com, the latest version called the Sony Smart Watch 3 will be revealed during the IFA 2014 and it may not run on Android wear.
The current version looks more like a traditional watch. The downside of its 1.6 inch LCD screen is that it is not as good as the super-AMOLED screens offered by competitors. It is currently priced at $156 at TigerDirect.
Moto 360
Motorola has announced that it will unveil the Moto 360 this summer. Most of the photos reveal an attractive circular design and this could be the best one among all the smart watches. This smart watch may have an OLED display according to Kevin Lee from TechRadar. The advantage of having such screens is that they tend to consume up to 40 per cent less power which could significantly lengthen the battery life of this wearable.
According to Google and Motorola, the Moto 360 will also be water resistant. The price and other specifications are yet to be announced. You can be the first to know by by subscribing to their official updates.
There is still a lot of work and improvements to be made on these devices. They need to have a better battery life that goes on longer than a day since some smart phones can already do that. The design of these watches could also do with some facelift. Let’s hope the Moto 360 fills that gap. The smart watch category is still in its infancy stage and will evolve steadily.
So what do you think? Who will win this time ticking battle of the smart watches?
