Year in review: Best smartwatches of 2019 [videos]

Almost every fitness tracker on the market can now tell the time, show you who’s calling or SMS’ing, play music online and came with some GPS functionalities, at the very least.

Here’s a look at the most notable smartwatch launches and reveals of 2019.

Samsung Galaxy Active Watch 2

The Galaxy Watch Active 2 features a new ECG sensor, a revamped optical heart rate sensor, Google Translate, and some fun new styling features.

Samsung also changed the optical heart rate monitor on the device; switching from four to eight lights to get your heart rate reading. This could also tie in to Samsung’s ongoing research into blood pressure tech.

Added to this, the accelerometer can now measure 32G rather than the 16G of force of the previous model as well as a new coaching feature that will add a real-time running coach that measures your pace.

Apple Watch 5

The Apple Watch saves lives, literally. Apple showcased a video snippet of people sharing their experiences and how the watch assisted with live-saving alerts.

“Apple Watch has become the most advanced and most loved smartwatch in the world.”

Stan Ng from Apple said the new watch has an intuitive display which is “always on.” You will always be able to see the clock face and vital information, the screen will never go dark.

It also comes with extended battery life – up to 18 hours per day – as well as a built-in compass. The Series 5 GPS models will start from $399, or R5 850 at the time of publishing.

Asus VivoWatch S

Asus announced its VivoWatch S, which is waterproof down to 50 meters and comes with a Pulse OX features that allows you to monitor your body’s oxygen levels.

The Asus VivoWatch is designed for runners: it has GPS functions, pace coaching, speed monitoring, distance and route mapping. There’s even an altimeter included for hikers.

That means that if your blood oxygen level drops when you’re at altitude, the VivoWatch S can advise you on when to stop and take a much-needed breather.

Fitbit Versa 2

The Versa 2 is probably Fitbit’s most popular watch. It boasts a host of upgrades from the original Versa, has a slightly smaller body, and has Alexa integration.

What it doesn’t have is GPS functions or offline Spotify – these might not be deal-breakers to some people, but it’s the reason I’ve held off from getting a Versa 2.

But for the average wearable fan, the Fitbit Versa 2 is a good option, it’s compatible with both Android and iOS, and it’s more affordable than some of the other smartwatches on the market.

Garmin Venu

Not to be left behind, Garmin introduced a new line-up for its Venu wearable, complete with OLED touchscreen displays to take your workout sessions to the next level.

Garmin claims that the Venu – which was first introduced at IFA2019 – has a battery life of up to five days. In addition, the watch is made primarily of plastic and silicone, with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 covering the display.

The bezel around the display is made of stainless steel. Garmin also went with a two-button design for this model: The top physical button brings you to the activity screen with a single tap and the bottom button acts as a back button.

Puma’s Wear OS smartwatch 

Then there’s Puma’s Wear OS-powered wearable, the company’s first-ever smartwatch. Puma teamed up with Fossil in 2018 and this is the result.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100 chipset will power the Puma smartwatch and run Google’s Wear OS. The watch will have a 1.19-inch AMOLED display housed in a 44mm nylon and aluminium.

Puma have positioned their smartwatch somewhere between a lifestyle product and a sports wearable. The watch has a clean, attractive design; it is super light coming in at just 0.06 pounds or just over 27g.

Also read – Huawei Band 3 Pro: Why I dumped Fitbit for a cheaper fitness tracker