Owing to lack of breakthrough innovations in smartphones, mobile-makers came up with digital watches with touch-sensitive screens and it became an instant hit among consumers. Samsung, Apple, Motorola, LG all launched their own smart wearables to cash-in on the craze. But, within a span of three years, the fad for smartwatches was beginning to fade; most probably, due to lack of creative design language. Also, most smartwatches had less value-added features, which only attracted niche tech-savvy users.
However, things are beginning to change for good in the smartwatch industry with the entry of traditional Swiss timepiece-maker Tag Heuer and also digital watch pioneer Casio, who recently launched a new line of smart wristwatches with great design and a slew of cool features ranging from fitness to outdoor trekking, voice-search on Google and more, which we believe will definitely re-invigorate this industry and also attract more people.
Here we have listed top five feature-rich smartwatches that will make you look classy and adventurous.
Casio Edifice EQB501:
The new Casio Edifice EQB501 series is unarguably the best looking wristwatch out there. It ticks all the three key aspects we expect in a smartwatch — visually appealing design language, wide functional capabilities and the most important, wireless mobile connectivity. With Casio Watch+ mobile app, Edifice EQB501 series owners, besides doing normal things like viewing current time, manage daylight saving time, stopwatch, alarm, sync with multiple timezones, can use it to track phone (compatible with Apple iOS and Google Android mobiles), and also view speed indicator, as well.
It comes in a traditional circular dial design and is made of tough and rugged metal case, which is capable of surviving close to 100 meters underwater, as well.
The most interesting aspect of the Casio's new watch is that it does not require electric charging. Edifice EQB501 series comes with a advanced rechargeable battery, which takes power directly from Sun solar energy drawn via Tough Solar glass panel on the dial. It is said to boast shadow-dispersing solar panel with excellent power-generation efficiency.
It is set to go on sale next month, but price details are yet to be announced.
Tag Heuer Connected Modular 45:
Switzerland-based Tag Heuer, which has been in the watch making business for more than 150 years, has embraced digital age with élan. It's newly launched Connected Modular 45 is poised to take on first generation smartwatch-makers.
Tag Heuer Connected Modular 45 offers both, the traditional look and also high-tech features, which will certainly please all age groups.
As the name suggests, it takes customisation to a whole new level. Tag Heuer is offering the watch 56 different styles with numerous choices in terms of straps, lugs and buckles, case materials and settings, including a diamond-set option, satin and polished Grade-5 Titanium modules. It also allows owners to switch between connected and mechanical modules, which no other watch-makers offer at this moment.
It can also survive 50 meters underwater and runs on Android Wear 2.0 with Google Assistant support powered by Intel Atom Z34XX chipset, has 4GB internal storage, offers 29 hours of active power. It sports 1.39-inch super AMOLED screen with 2.5D Sapphire cover glass.
Others features include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and NFC (Near Field Communication).
Note: Tag Heuer Modular 45 also supports Apple iOS, as well.]
With so much features tucked in to the small confines of the watch, Tag Heuer Modular 45 does not come cheap. Its base model costs a $1,650 and depending on the type of material used in the making of watch module case and customisation option chosen by the consumer, it will go up to a whopping $18,850.
Garmin Fenix 5X:
Garmin Fenix 5X is the most rugged smartwatch in our list. Its screen is made of sapphire crystal with high-resolution, full-color Garmin Chroma Display having LED backlighting, which offers optimized viewing experience at any light conditions even under direct sunlight.
Its bezel is made of super sturdy PVD-coated stainless steel and the reinforced buttons on the contours guarantees extra durability. Consumers can opt for either metal or silicon based straps. It is capable of sustaining dense water pressure up to 100 meters.
It boasts proprietary Garmin Elevate wrist heart rate monitor and also come with dedicated navigation sensors including GLONASS and GPS to track running, which will be beneficial for fitness maintenance. It's on-watch mapping and navigation features will definitely attract trekking enthusiasts.
Like Casio Edifice EQB501, it connects with smartphone both Apple iPhones and Google Android mobiles through application Garmin Connect (via Wi-Fi).
Garmin Fenix 5X houses lithium ion cell, which offers battery life up to 12 days in smartwatch mode (depending on settings), up to 20 hours in GPS mode, and up to 50 hours in UltraTrac battery saver mode.
Depending on the type of straps, consumers will have to shell out between $649.99 and $849.99 to buy Garmin Fenic 5X. Though, the price is expensive, it's worth every penny.
Samsung Gear S3 Frontier:
Gear S3 comes in two models -- classic and frontier, which is a rugged variant for outdoors. They house almost the same hardware, but differ in a few aspects. We recommend the latter, as it boasts additional features such as LTE support and built-in speakers, wherein users can activate voice messaging and listen to their favorite tunes.
And also, the Frontier model features rugged exterior design, best suited for people who love trekking. It sports a 1.3-inch circular super AMOLED display with AOD (Always-On-Display) feature and IP68 water-and-dust resistant certification. Under the hood, it houses 1.0GHz dual-core processor, 768MB RAM and 4GB inbuilt storage.
Samsung Gear S3 series also boasts Heart Rate Monitor and 380mAh battery, which can keep the device running for close to four days.
The Gear S3 series also features NFC (Near Field Communication) and MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission), thus paving way for cash-less transaction via Samsung Pay.
Another notable aspect of the Gear S3 series is its safety feature. Users can activate SOS and location tracking capabilities to alert family, friends and emergency professionals when facing dire situation.
LG Watch Sport:
The new LG Watch Sport is the best smartwatch from the South Korea to date. It looks stunning with premium metallic build and traditional round contoured design language. It's not just an eye candy, Watch Sport, as the name suggests, is rugged and is capable to survive the underwater dive. It boasts IP68 water-and-dust resistant certification.
It sports a 1.2-inch AMOLED display panel with 430×480p resolution having Gorilla Glass 3 shield and comes with Android Wear OS 2.0, sumptuous 768MG RAM, 4GB internal storage, LTE connectivity with SIM tray, built-in GPS for fitness tracking, Snapdragon Wear 2100, optical heart rate monitor, NFC (Near Field Communication) with contact-less Android Pay support, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and a massive 420mAh battery.
It costs $349 (approx. €323/Rs. 22824).
