Smartwatches

Life is busy. Between work, friends, family, and the gym, it can be tough to stay connected with only 24 hours in the day. A smartwatch keeps you linked to your digital world with minimal distractions, so you can stay in touch with your family—and your body—when your phone is buried in the bottom of your briefcase or you're barreling down a mountain trail on your bike.

Once you figure out what you need from a smart watch, it's easy to integrate one into your life.

1. Choose the right smartwatch functions

Smartwatches are designed to streamline the use of your smartphone when it’s not easily accessible. At their most basic, they push forward call, SMS, and email notifications that alert you by LED light or OLED readout so that you can stay connected with a glance at your wrist. But most models offer more, right out of the box: smart watches with fitness trackers, step counters, and other handy features already built-in.

Look for a smartwatch that prioritizes fitness to get the most out of your workout every day. Along with calorie counting and sleep tracking, smartwatches offer in-depth data with heart rate monitors and pulse oximeters, even giving you information on things like your personal VO2 max.

2. Get the right smartwatch glass for your lifestyle

The wide variety of smartwatches available caters to every situation and walk of life, including:

• Water-resistant smartwatches for athletes who swim or exercise in the rain,

• Smartwatches that provide real-time Facebook and Twitter updates for social media advocates, and

• Devices with integrated cameras or remote shutter release apps for photography fans.

Another key smartwatch feature is the glass used to finish your screen. Gorilla Glass smartwatches are impact-resistant and make up most of the market, while sapphire glass (aka sapphire crystal) smartwatches are scratch-resistant and common in higher-end models.

3. Stay connected wherever you are

Besides giving you a more accessible platform for retrieving communication, calendar reminders, event notifications, fitness stats, GPS tracking, and more, smartwatches can also provide built-in storage, music playback control, and smartphone finder features. Smartwatches compatible with iPhones and Android devices are plentiful, and with thousands of apps being developed from the Google Play and Apple stores, there is no end to the possibilities of what a smartwatch can do for you.

Want more info? Check out some of our resources:

Wear OS by Google™ brings versatility, power and choice to your life

Samsung Gear S2, S3 and Fit2 now work with the iPhone

Smartwatch Roundup