We’ve rounded up the top ten smartwatches in 2021. Including budget and high-end models that suit your daily and active lifestyle.
OPPO Watch
The fact that the most popular brands already have a couple of smartwatches in their arsenal, OPPO Watch were the first such devices of this Chinese company.
OPPO Watch is available in two formats – 41mm and 46mm. In both cases, an AMOLED matrix is used, 1.6 inches and 1.9 inches, respectively.
The case has 5 ATM protection against water, which means that you can go swimming with the watch. It has a Snapdragon Wear 3100 processor (up to 1.2 GHz), 1 GB of RAM, and 8 GB for storing files. Wireless connections Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz, GPS, and NFC. It is controlled by Wear OS with the shell ColorOS. Batteries for 300 mAh (41 mm) and 430 mAh (for 46 mm), which provide up to 36 hours of work in Smart-mode.
Fitness functions are presented with:
- Physical activity tracking
- Training regimes
- Calorie calculation
- Pedometer
- Heart rate monitor
Apple Watch Series 7
In the 7th generation of Apple’s smartwatches, the size of the OLED screen has slightly increased ( 41 and 45 mm), while the bezels have become smaller. The aluminum body is IP67 and WR50 water and dust resistant.
The gadget runs on the proprietary Watch OS operating system, a 2-core Apple S7 processor, and a set of wireless interfaces that includes Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, and GPS. Along with many fitness features, the smartwatch has added meditation and stress reduction modes with audio and video guidance, new sports modes, and improved sports modes for cyclists.
Apple Watch SE
As the flagship model, the SE is available in 40mm and 44mm sizes. They also use an OLED display of 1.57 and 1.78 inches, respectively.
The Apple Watch SE smartwatches are controlled by the Apple S5 chipset (the same was used in the Apple Watch 5). It has 32 GB memory and a full set of wireless interfaces. The main difference between the SE version and the Apple Watch Series is the absence of Always-On, ECG, and pulse oximeter functions, and the difference in cost is quite pleasant.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic
Galaxy Watch 4 Classic has a stricter design and mechanical bezel. They are presented in two sizes – 42 and 46 mm. The display is SuperAMOLED, in the smaller version the screen has got a diagonal of 1.2 inches, in the larger one – 1.4 inches. The body is made of stainless steel, while it has received the 5ATM water protection standard.
Unlike previous generations of Samsung smartwatches. The Galaxy Watch 4 no longer runs on the proprietary Tizen OS, but on Google’s Wear OS with the One UI Watch shell. Inside it has a 2-core Exynos W920 chipset (5 nm) with a maximum clock frequency of 1.18 GHz.
The smartwatch has 1.5 GB of RAM and 16 GB memory, as well as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, and GPS. The 42mm model has a battery capacity of 247 mAh, and the 46mm model has a 361 mAh battery, and in both cases it provides up to 1.5 days of battery life in normal mode.
In addition to basic functions, the Galaxy Watch 4 smartwatches feature ECG, blood pressure, and bioimpedance analysis (body composition: percentage of water, muscle, bone, and adipose tissue) – an innovative feature in Samsung wearable gadgets.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4
There are very few differences between the classic and sporty Galaxy Watch 4 smartwatches. Having identical content, autonomy, and basic functions, the models have different designs, sizes and use different materials.
The smartwatch is presented in two sizes – 40 mm and 44 mm. The display characteristics for both sizes are identical to those of the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic screens.
While the Classic version has a stainless steel case. The Galaxy Watch 4 case is made of aluminum, which makes this model of smartwatch lighter. Galaxy Watch 4 uses a touchscreen instead of a mechanical bezel.
The functionality of the bezels is identical and has compact dimensions, lighter weight, and the absence of additional parts, the “sports” Watch 4 is convenient not only for everyday use but also during training.
Xiaomi Mi Watch Lite
Mi Watch Lite followed the Mi Watch and is a simplified Xiaomi smartwatch model.
So, Mi Watch Lite has a 1.4-inch TFT screen with a resolution of 320 × 320 and 323 ppi. The standard of water protection is 5ATM. The smartwatch does not have a pulse oximeter, but there is a breathing exercise mode to reduce stress levels.
There are 11 sports modes, more than 120 dials and a music control function. The battery life in normal mode (without GPS and constant heart rate measurement) can last for up to 9 days.
Garmin Venu Sq Music
The Garmin brand is one of the leaders in the sports smartwatch market. Although it provides a lot of functions specifically for tracking activity and sports. Garmin gadgets with their design characteristics remaining a rather unique product. In September 2019, the company introduced the world to Garmin Venu – a smartwatch in a sleeker case and with an AMOLED screen. A year later, a simplified version of Venu – Venu Sq.
This smartwatch is presented in two versions – classic and Music Edition. Which provides a flash drive for storing music, as well as quick synchronization with music services. Venu Sq has a 1.3-inch LCD with a resolution of 240 × 240 and optional Always-On.
This Smartwatch has Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and ANT + modules. In addition to the main sensors, they are equipped with a pulse oximeter and a function for measuring stress levels.
This model provides a variety of sports profiles – for training in the gym, in the pool (the standard of protection of the case against water 5ATM). Thanks to 3.4 GB memory, the device can store up to 500 songs. The autonomy in smartwatch mode can last up to 6 days more than the Apple Watch.
Amazfit Bip U Pro
In 2018, the first generation of Amazfit Bip, created by Huami, a partner of Xiaomi, amazed users with an autonomy of up to 45 days. A revolutionary indicator for these types of gadgets. Over the three years of the existence of the Amazfit Bip line, smartwatches have changed and improved characteristics. One of the latest and most advanced models of the series – Amazfit Bip U Pro.
The Bip U Pro uses a TFT matrix. The Pro model is 1.43-inch with a resolution of 320 × 302. Thanks to this, the autonomy has become less (up to 9 days with normal use). The smartwatch has Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, a microphone for calling a voice assistant (Alexa), 60 sports modes, and a blood oxygen level sensor.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 3
If Apple Watch Series can be safely considered the best gadget for iOS. The Apple watch the main competitor currently is the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3. They have a 1.4 ”Super AMOLED display and durable Gorilla Glass DX.
The case meets the IP68 standard for dust and moisture resistance and can withstand pressures up to 5 atmospheres. The manufacturer allows you to immerse the gadget in freshwater to a depth of 1.5 meters, for a maximum of 30 minutes.
The Galaxy Watch 3 runs on the Tizen 5.5 operating system. With 8 GB of internal memory and 1 GB of RAM. Other features of the gadget include:
- Bluetooth 5.0 interface
- NFC module for contactless payments
- Wi-Fi, GPS and GLONASS
- Battery 350 mAh (it lasts for several days)
Huawei Watch GT 2
The gadget has two versions, which differ in case diameter: 42 mm (female model) and 46 mm (male).
The female model resembles the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 and has a 1.2 ”AMOLED display with a resolution of 390 x 390 pixels. The men’s model has a slightly larger screen: 1.39 ”diagonal with a resolution of 454 x 454 pixels. The built-in amount of memory is only 4 GB, of which only 2 GB is available to the user.
The Huawei Watch GT 2 has 15 sports modes. Including a heart rate sensor, sleep quality sensors, a pedometer, a calorie-counting option, a compass, a find phone function, and some others. The battery charge lasts for 14 days. When the GPS is always on, the gadget is discharged within 30 hours. When choosing this watch model, keep in mind that it does not support third-party applications.
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Photo by Daniel Korpai