Thinking of investing in a smartwatch for Christmas? Here are some of the choices on offer.
Apple Watch Series 4
€439
If you’re an iPhone user, the Apple Watch is probably your best bet for a smartwatch. Not only does the Series 4 have a bigger screen than before - the watch is now 40mm and 44mm instead of 38mm and 42mm - but it has new sensors that make it capable of taking an ECG. Aside from that, it has fall detection and SOS features, the activity tracking has been bumped up and you get some new watch faces that cram more information in without making it look cramped. The battery lasts more than a day, almost two if you’re careful.
Where to buy: apple.com
Samsung Galaxy Watch
€320
The Samsung Galaxy Watch isn’t just for Samsung users. Yes, it will work best with the company’s smartphones, but it still does a more than decent job with any compatible Android phone. It covers all the bases from phone notifications to fitness, and it looks more like a regular watch than many of the other options available at the moment. It comes in two sizes, 42mm and 46mm, and the rose gold version is particularly nice, depending on your tastes. It’s got a good battery life too, with the average battery life around three days, though you can eke it out further by using the low power mode.
Where to buy: Harvey Norman
Fitbit Versa
€180
If the Ionic is a little too rich for your blood, the Versa might be the compromise. It’s smaller and less expensive than the Ionic, but it still does a lot. It will monitor your heart rate, your activity level and sleep. The Versa is water resistant too so you can track swims, and there are more than 15 exercises to choose from on the device. There are personalised workouts that will coach you right from your wrist, and guided meditation sessions. If you are a KBC Bank customer, you can even use the Versa for contactless payments, with Fitbit Pay.
Where to buy: fitbit.com
Garmin Fenix 5 plus
€820
For fitness fans, the Garmin range of smartwatches and activity trackers are a good option. The Fenix 5 Plus comes in at the more expensive end of the scale, but it covers a lot. Not only will it link up with your smartphone for notifications, but it will also measure stress and your heart rate, and has a compass, altimeter, gyroscope, accelerometer and thermometer. It supports GPS, including the Galileo satellite network.The on-watch maps will direct you to your destination, turn by turn. It’s more of a heavy duty fitness watch than the standard smartwatch, but worth the investment if you are serious about sport.
Where to buy: buy.garmin.com
Huawei Watch GT
£200
Huawei may be on to a winner with the Watch GT. It’s slim, it’s sleek, it has an Amoled display and it looks great. There’s a two-week battery life - depending on what you are doing with the watch of course - and like the Garmin watch, it uses three satellite positioning systems to ensure maximum accuracy. There is smart coaching functions too, to keep you on track for your fitness goals. There’s no Android Wear here; like Samsung, Huawei has ditched Google’s operating system for its own LiteOS.
