A great timepiece elevates your outfit and displays the time of day. Smartwatches take it a step further with their capabilities, which ranges from taking calls and answering messages to tracking workouts and measuring your heart rate.
The world of smartwatches was even more interesting in 2022, with the wearables going from strength to strength in terms of both features and style. This year, many tech giants such as Samsung and Apple, also debuted a new ‘Pro’ category for smartwatches in order to cater to premium and athletic-minded customers. These devices have muscled their way to the front of the pack with their advanced capabilities as well as rugged and sturdy design.
While there’s a vast array of options on the current market with diverse features, keep in mind that you’ll have to find a smartwatch that’s compatible with your smartphone – some wearables only work with iPhones, while others can only be paired with Android systems. You’ll also have to take in consideration your lifestyle requirements as well as the design of the watch to ensure that your smartwatch is one that you’ll enjoy wearing.
In the market for one of these nifty wearable devices? We round up some of the best new launches of the year to help you make a decision.
While it might not be a huge upgrade over the Series 7 in terms of design, the Apple Watch Series 8 is definitely the one to beat in the smartwatch market right now. The new feature of the wearable is what set it apart right now in a sea of feature-rich smartwatches.
As always, health and safety features like the ECG app and fall detection are present, but Apple has also placed a focus on women’s health with this new watch. You can now track your menstrual cycle with a new body temperature sensor as well as a cycle tracking feature, which offers period predictions and ovulation estimations. It also detects your cycle deviations, such as prolonged or irregular periods.
A new feature, crash detection, provides automatic notification to emergency services and contacts if you’re unresponsive in an accident. A feature one hopes to never have to use, but extremely useful in case of emergencies.
Other notable improvements include an always-on and larger display (with crack-resistant front crystal), improved battery life – 18 hours – that can be extended to 36 hours through Low Power Mode, as well as new watch faces.
Another bonus – there’s a plethora of accessories out on the market that allows you to bling out your smartwatch in style, including the new Apple Watch Hermès straps and bands.
The only caveat for the Apple Watch Series 8 is that it’s only compatible for those who uses an iPhone.
Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 5 is the Korean tech giant’s best smartwatch yet, and there’s a lot to love. Similar to Apple, while the Watch 5 isn’t a flashy upgrade as compared to the Watch 4, it’s still an extremely sophisticated smartwatch that has undergone considerable polishing and fine-tuning.
The circular display stays, of course, but the Watch 5 has a curvier back sensor for better skin contact in order for more accuracy when it comes to data. Health is a big focus; the new skin temperature reader and improved 3-in-1 BioActive sensor allows one to measure heart rate, ECGs, blood pressure, and blood oxygen. There’s also automatic walk detection, which sends prompts to stretch your legs and go for a walk if you’ve been idling away at your laptop.
You can also track your stress levels and body composition analysis. These insights can also be sent to your Samsung phone for a more comprehensive look.
The Watch 5 is Samsung’s most advanced sleep monitoring watch yet. The Sleep Dashboard offers you sleep reports, time scores, sleep stages, snore detection (which requires a smartphone at hand as well) and blood oxygen readings.
You can also get in-depth sleep coaching where you’ll be able to discover a custom sleep animal symbol. The animal is then used to customise your unique sleep coaching experience, and you’ll get to complete daily goals such as meditation, exercise and resisting naps.
There’s plenty to love about the new Galaxy Watch 5, especially in terms of wellness, and it’s currently the best watch for those with an Android phone.
If you’re new to smartwatches and you’re seeking a more affordable and less complicated activity tracker, the Fitbit Inspire 3 might be right up your alley. One of the new launches from Fitbit’s recently refreshed line of popular fitness trackers, the wearable is a perfect entry-level device with its low price point, 10-day battery life, and rich colour display that can track important metrics.
Activity tracking is where Fitbit excels, and the Inspire 3 makes it effortless to track your different workouts. You can choose from over 20 different workouts including running, swimming and biking, though there is a limit of six workouts on your tracker at once. It measures your heart rate, calories burned, number of steps and time elapsed. Once your workout is completed, you can view all the data on your wrist or in the Fitbit app.
The Inspire 3 also has new health monitoring features. It automatically tracks blood oxygen levels throughout the day, and there’s also a menstrual health tracking feature that allows you to log periods, record symptoms, estimate ovulation and find patterns in your cycle. While the Inspire 3 is unable to take an ECG like the more expensive Fitbit Sense 2, it is able to monitor your heart rate and alerts you if your heart rate is unusually high or low.
You’ll also receive call, text and app notifications, and there’s also a timer and alarm built-in to the tracker.
We have come a long way from hulking, boxy contraptions – smartwatches these days boast more aesthetically pleasing forms that are great for everyday use without sacrificing your style.
The latest Huawei Watch GT 3 is one such stylish piece. The 3D curved glass offers an elegant look, while the sleek body design with its high-gloss finish presents a modern sophisticated form that resembles actual watches. The fit of the watch is designed to look less bulky, and it doesn’t look comically large on the wrist.
There’s a variety of straps available to accompany the watch, including skin-friendly Viton straps, chic calfskin straps, and stylish Milanese straps. An assortment of watch faces are also available to be downloaded onto the GT 3’s always-on display.
In addition, the GT 3 has a ‘rotating crown’ to the side of the screen that resembles an actual watch crown. Simply turn the crown to zoom in and out of the apps on the board and quickly access your target function.
A mix of form and function, the fitness-oriented smartwatch not only looks great, but is also packed with an impressive range of health tracking tools too. The biometric sensors are able to track heart rates, SpO2, skin temperature, stress, and sleep.
Huawei has also upgraded the optical heart rate monitor for more accurate monitoring. Combined with the ‘AI running coach’, which assesses your athletic ability and provides you with a scientific and professional running plan, the watch is also one to keep in mind for avid runners.
With its polished design and sleek capabilities, the stylish GT 3 definitely strikes a balance between fashion and function.
Apple released three new smartwatches this year to much fanfare, and the incredible hulk of the lineup definitely comes in the form of the Ultra model. If you enjoy outdoor sports, this will probably be the most ideal smartwatch with its wide range of features built for endurance, exploration, and adventure.
The tech giant’s most rugged watch yet with an impact-resistant titanium case and flat sapphire front crystal display, the Ultra is certainly designed to be seen with its 49mm display.
Seemingly built for weekend warriors, the Ultra features a new GPS system that works well in crowded cities, as well as three built-in microphones for better pickup when take calls from off-beat locations. There’s a customisable Action button that offers instant access to a wide range of useful features, and battery life up to 36 hours (which can be extended up to 60 hours via optimisation settings). The watch also has a digital-analog compass app and night mode for better visibility.
Besides sports, the Ultra is also designed for exploration in extreme and remote locations. It will work whether you’re hiking up freezing cold mountains at -20° C, or exploring the desert with blazing heat at 55° C. It’s also designed to endure water sports including extreme activities like kitesurfing and wakeboarding. Three new bands are available with the watch, designed for specific activities (alpine, trail and oceanic).