Now is a good time to buy a smartwatch

What is a smartwatch, everyone can see. Smart watches never gained the popularity that they were told and at some point it seemed that they would disappear from the market for good. However, it did not happen. Let's answer the question - is it worth buying a smartwatch in 2019?

Amazingly, the answer to this question is yes, it's worth it. This is an unusual situation, that even a year ago, writing a similar text, I would rather advise against purchasing the device to the average user, despite the fact that I personally love smartwatches.

What changed?

The smartwatch market finally moved from the hoof. After a long break and a period of drought, smarter watches began to appear on the market. It's enough to mention Samsung Galaxy Watch (in several variants) or Huawei Watch GT Active . The producers of traditional timepieces, such as Fossil, Casio or Michael Cors, are more and more willing to present their variations on smart watches.

Garmin also found a place in the consumer market, which suddenly became a leading manufacturer of watches from a niche fitness accessory manufacturer. The company, whose watches were identified with sports enthusiasts, now offers smartwatches also for those who do not run ultramarathons, do not gain peaks in the Andes and do not ride a bike 100 km a day for fun.

The choice of fitness wristbands is also not diminishing. As a society, we are still fat in a terrifyingly high percentage, but every year more and more people start to take care of themselves and, consequently, also monitor their progress on the path to health. Basic fitness wristbands can be purchased for PLN 90 ( Xiaomi Mi Band ), and quite decent even for PLN 200 ( Honor Band 4 ).

There is also a shortage of equipment for traditionalists who refuse to replace analog clocks with displays, but at the same time would like to receive notifications from the smartphone straight to the wrist. There is a growing range of so-called "Hybrid", or analog watches equipped with Bluetooth connectivity, which can transmit alarms and notifications from telephones.

The growing selection means that prices are falling. And the drop in prices means more interest among those for whom smart watches have not been available until recently. Today, we do not have to prepare nearly PLN 2,000 for a smartwatch - high-quality models, such as last year's Samsung Galaxy Gear S3 , we can buy for just over PLN 800.

Who has a smartwatch in 2019?

Instead of repeating what I wrote a year ago , I will describe how I use my smartwatch every day and what a smart watch is useful for me.

For several months on the wrist, I wear a smartwatch based on the Wear OS platform. And I use it more intensively than I expected to use it, putting it on for the first time.

The basic function of a timer is of course ... measuring time. A great advantage of the smartwatch over a traditional watch is, however, the way it can present this time. When buying an analog watch, we are permanently associated with only one shield. On the smartwatch, we can pick out virtual digital dials, from analog imitators to strict digital indicators.

Personally, I configure the smartwatch to show me other necessary information in addition to the hour. So I always have a date and time stamped on the dial, the level of the watch, and a calendar widget, thanks to which I monitor the daily schedule on an ongoing basis.

The second most important function in the smartwatch is for me to monitor my activity. On the one hand - I work on a computer, so I appreciate the fact that the watch "pokes" me with the vibration every hour, that I get up from the desk and stretch my bones.

On the other - I spend at least two hours every day for dog walks. The smart watch allows me to monitor their length, intensity and distance traveled. I also use passionately to monitor the activity at the gym, saving the progress of training.

Of course, apart from the watch and measuring the activity, "smart" functions count.

Ever since I have a smartwatch on my wrist again, I'm never afraid that I will miss the notification. I know that if someone tries to contact me, the watch will inform me. And also with a quick look at the smartwatch dial I can assess whether the notification requires immediate attention and reaching for the phone, or maybe it is a meaningless alarm from social media.

I also regularly use the smartwatch application, but it is nothing fancy. Ot, I will set the timer when brewing coffee, or quickly check the weather when I do not have a phone at hand. Apart from the fantastic Apple Watch in this respect , applications on smartwatches are their least useful part, and not counting the few examples above, I do not see much use for them.

I see the use of a smartwatch as an extension of the application on a smartphone. I especially appreciate in this matter the control of media from the level of the watch - when I play music on a smartphone, I do not have to reach for the phone, for example to change the song being played. Just touch the screen on the wrist. When using Spotify Connect, I can control the playback of even non-smartphone media on my watch, and on a personal computer I use this function every day.

The smartwatch lets you take a break from the smartphone.

In a world where addiction to telephone and social media is becoming a civilization disease , the smartwatch is the most effective tool allowing a little breath.

Confidence of wrist notifications helps in the fight against compulsive phone checking every 30 seconds.

We reach for the phone only when we see on the wrist that the notification really requires our attention. Media control from the level of the watch minimizes the chance that when we change the song we will start scrolling social media. And automatic activity logging in the watch is less time-consuming than manually filling in data on the phone, especially when we talk about fitness-focused timers, like Garmin Fenix ​​5S or 5Plus

Is it worth buying a smartwatch in 2019?

Definitely. Now that smart watches have stopped to cost a fortune, and some models - like the Huawei Watch GT Active - hold on a single charge for several days, buying a smartwatch is a very sensible expense.

This is not a gadget necessary for life. But if only because of the fact that it frees us from continuous use of a smartphone, it is certainly a gadget that improves the quality of our lives.

* The material was created in cooperation with RTV EURO AGD

Now is a good time to buy a smartwatch