Unlike other revolutionary pieces of technology, the release of the first smartwatch a few years ago wasn’t met with a viral trend on Twitter or any other form of acclaim for that matter. Not only was it too expensive by watch standards, customers simply didn’t see the need to have a second smartphone-like device on the hand.
Fast-forward to the present, and the situation is the same, if not worse. Smartwatch sales from leading manufacturers are either stagnant or plummeting. A technology that had great promise has now become the subject of many critical blogs, and even fans of the gadgets are now reconsidering their position. Nevertheless, smartwatches still have a place in the world. Here are five reasons why you should consider getting one today.
1. Notifications
Gone are the days where a landline phone on your desk was the only means of communication you needed in the office. Smartphones have enhanced the way we pass on information in a great way. However, having a phone can be an unpleasant distraction as much as it can be a benefit.
Every day, we receive countless notifications, and wherever we may be, we always feel compelled to check the phone everytime it beeps or vibrates. But with a smartphone, instead of reaching for your phone when a notification comes in, you can quickly glance at your wrist and decide whether it’s important or not, before opting to take action.
Moreover, instant notifications through smartwatches eliminate the need of always moving with your phone to avoid missing important phone calls, texts or emails.
2. Fitness
We all want to live a healthier life, but staying fit requires quite the effort. With a smartwatch, however, you can make your journey towards a more active life a lot easier.
Many modern-day smartwatches come with apps that help track our daily fitness progress. They will help you monitor your pulse rate, exercise routines, and the rate of calorie burn. Some watches even offer
tracking solutions for joggers and runners. They use GPS to determine how far to run or which routes to take to achieve the desired goals.
3. Making purchases
If you’ve ever experienced the hassle of having to pay for something when your hands are too full to reach for the wallet or phone, you will undoubtedly appreciate the smartwatch.
Both Samsung and Apple watches have “Pay” applications, which enable a customer to pay for goods or services by just clicking on a button and bringing the watch close to the payment terminal.
4. Easy navigation
Navigation has come a long way. It is almost ludicrous to imagine a time when we used paper maps to know the direction to take. Google Maps was the first major leap towards the success of electronic navigation, but just like a paper sheet, there was the inconvenience of always having to pull out your phone for directions.
Voice navigation came in soon after, and although an outstanding innovation, some still viewed it a distraction to walk around while listening to audio navigation tool.
With smartwatches comes the latest in navigation technology. Samsung has won the hearts of many by incorporating the overly useful HERE WeGo app on the Gear S, Gear S2 and the recently launched Gear S3. HERE WeGo is a stand-alone app that offers navigation features without the need to be synced to your smartphone.
Even more impressive is the Apple Watch, which in addition to looking at the screen, provides directions using its taptic engine. Admittedly, it’s not perfect, and you do have to learn what each haptic feedback means. But with only subtle taps on your wrist to tell you which turn to make, you can get around without even having to look at your watch.
5. Customization
Regardless of their complexities, at the end of the day, a smartwatch is essentially a watch. And in addition to telling the time, a watch is meant to compliment the wearer’s physical look.
Unlike buying a traditional watch which gets you stuck with one design, smartwatches are available in different colors and bands. For further customization, you could also personalize your watch by reorganizing the widgets and tweaking some settings.
Final words
Contrary to what you may have read online, smartwatches are very handy gadgets to have. This is why, despite disappointing sales, leading brands are still unveiling new devices. Even more gratifying is the recent influx of cheap smartwatches, which albeit lowly priced still have a lot to offer.
Smartwatches have an important part to play in the future of communication and modern electronics as a whole.
Fast-forward to the present, and the situation is the same, if not worse. Smartwatch sales from leading manufacturers are either stagnant or plummeting. A technology that had great promise has now become the subject of many critical blogs, and even fans of the gadgets are now reconsidering their position. Nevertheless, smartwatches still have a place in the world. Here are five reasons why you should consider getting one today.
1. Notifications
Gone are the days where a landline phone on your desk was the only means of communication you needed in the office. Smartphones have enhanced the way we pass on information in a great way. However, having a phone can be an unpleasant distraction as much as it can be a benefit.
Every day, we receive countless notifications, and wherever we may be, we always feel compelled to check the phone everytime it beeps or vibrates. But with a smartphone, instead of reaching for your phone when a notification comes in, you can quickly glance at your wrist and decide whether it’s important or not, before opting to take action.
Moreover, instant notifications through smartwatches eliminate the need of always moving with your phone to avoid missing important phone calls, texts or emails.
2. Fitness
We all want to live a healthier life, but staying fit requires quite the effort. With a smartwatch, however, you can make your journey towards a more active life a lot easier.
Many modern-day smartwatches come with apps that help track our daily fitness progress. They will help you monitor your pulse rate, exercise routines, and the rate of calorie burn. Some watches even offer
tracking solutions for joggers and runners. They use GPS to determine how far to run or which routes to take to achieve the desired goals.
3. Making purchases
If you’ve ever experienced the hassle of having to pay for something when your hands are too full to reach for the wallet or phone, you will undoubtedly appreciate the smartwatch.
Both Samsung and Apple watches have “Pay” applications, which enable a customer to pay for goods or services by just clicking on a button and bringing the watch close to the payment terminal.
4. Easy navigation
Navigation has come a long way. It is almost ludicrous to imagine a time when we used paper maps to know the direction to take. Google Maps was the first major leap towards the success of electronic navigation, but just like a paper sheet, there was the inconvenience of always having to pull out your phone for directions.
Voice navigation came in soon after, and although an outstanding innovation, some still viewed it a distraction to walk around while listening to audio navigation tool.
With smartwatches comes the latest in navigation technology. Samsung has won the hearts of many by incorporating the overly useful HERE WeGo app on the Gear S, Gear S2 and the recently launched Gear S3. HERE WeGo is a stand-alone app that offers navigation features without the need to be synced to your smartphone.
Even more impressive is the Apple Watch, which in addition to looking at the screen, provides directions using its taptic engine. Admittedly, it’s not perfect, and you do have to learn what each haptic feedback means. But with only subtle taps on your wrist to tell you which turn to make, you can get around without even having to look at your watch.
5. Customization
Regardless of their complexities, at the end of the day, a smartwatch is essentially a watch. And in addition to telling the time, a watch is meant to compliment the wearer’s physical look.
Unlike buying a traditional watch which gets you stuck with one design, smartwatches are available in different colors and bands. For further customization, you could also personalize your watch by reorganizing the widgets and tweaking some settings.
Final words
Contrary to what you may have read online, smartwatches are very handy gadgets to have. This is why, despite disappointing sales, leading brands are still unveiling new devices. Even more gratifying is the recent influx of cheap smartwatches, which albeit lowly priced still have a lot to offer.
Smartwatches have an important part to play in the future of communication and modern electronics as a whole.
