Why the smartwatch has become the most popular wearable tech

Do you really need a smartwatch?

Full disclosure: I’m a little bit of a Luddite when it comes to horology and happen to think smartwatches are somewhat pointless. I’ve never quite understood why anyone would want yet another device that needs to be constantly charged or why they would need to look at WhatsApp messages *on a tiny little screen* when an intriguing new device called the smartphone is at hand. But this is only me.

In 2015, the Apple Watch cast a slightly condescending eye over the smartwatch market and then proceeded almost casually to take it over; it’s been the world’s bestselling smartwatch since then, with a current user base of over 100 million. This has happened in part because the attach rate (the number of add-on products sold in relation to a primary product) for smartwatches vis-à-vis smartphones has been growing—and nobody knows how to rate the heck out of an attach better than Apple.

Its ecosystem is so compellingly attractive and smoothly efficient that getting iPhone buyers to also shell out for an Apple Watch is akin to child’s play. It’s also the only true ‘smart’ watch in the world; for example, you can use it to communicate with your other Apple devices, unlock your MacBook or iPhone, dictate message replies to Siri and even browse web pages.

"In comparison, every other wearable out there is really just a glorified fitness tracker with a large screen,” says Nishant Padhiar, editor, Stuff (India). Padhiar wears an Apple Watch himself and says he doesn’t even own a regular watch; all he has worn on his wrist since 2015 has been the various versions of the Apple Watch. “Other brands are trying, but they can’t compete with the scope of the Apple ecosystem because they have to use either Google’s Wear OS or their own, so what they’re focusing on are affordability and battery life, since those are the Apple Watch’s principal weaknesses. Especially in South Asia, there’s a cool quotient to smartwatches that attracts young people. The majority of them aren’t too concerned with brand appeal and advanced features; they just want an affordable wearable that looks good and is reliable.”

Taking a bite out of the Apple

Like Padhiar, many others have switched to smartwatches as their daily-wearers. Take journalist and content creator Riaan George, a certified watch geek who has a collection of traditional timepieces but whose Apple Watch 7 is his go-to piece. “It’s hard to explain, but it is a matter of convenience and habit; I plug it in to charge and slip it on in the morning. I essentially use my Apple Watch only for time and fitness; I’ve turned off all other notifications. It’s also a question of simple elegance—it’s a minimalist, chic design that literally goes with anything. However, when I travel or attend a formal event, I prefer to use my traditional timepieces.”

As much as Apple is the undisputed king of the wearables hill, its market share has declined incrementally over the last couple of years due to the popularity of brands such as Samsung, Mi, Garmin, Huawei, Amazfit, Imoo, Fitbit, Realme, Oppo and OnePlus. These firms offer less expensive options than the Apple Watch that are still feature-rich, and, like Apple, many also have smartphones to go with their wearables. Established watch brands like Fossil, Michael Kors, Police, Titan and Timex—at the lower to middle end—and Tag Heuer, Montblanc, Breitling and Hublot (in the nosebleed section) have also gotten into the wearables game but not always to universal acclaim.

The downside of luxury

Luxury watch brands offering smartwatches is a bit of a risky strategy because even though the materials used are top-drawer, the very appeal of a luxury watch is its movement—and smartwatches don’t have movements (unless they’re ‘hybrids’ with mechanical movements and basic smart tech). Their batteries also don’t last very long, the hardware degrades, and their OS’ can’t be indefinitely updated, which means you’re paying thousands of dollars for a watch that will be outdated in about five years.

To counter this, brands like Tag Heuer are trying to reassure potential buyers by offering a five-year battery replacement service for its Connected series of watches (made after 2020) but if you want a luxury watch, buy an old-school, analogue one—it’ll last a lifetime. A watch—any watch—is a personal style statement. It’s as much a piece of jewellery as it is a timekeeping device, and if you’re buying one because it makes you feel good, that’s really all that matters. What are your options in the smartwatch world, then?

There’s no way around the fact that the Apple Watch is the world’s best smartwatch (and one of the world’s best watches), so it should be at the top of your list. However, it *will not* connect to an Android phone, so if an iPhone isn’t your jam, you could consider the following.

Motorola Moto 360 3rd Gen
Running Wear OS, this is a well-built, beautiful watch that will go just as well with a suit as it will in the gym.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 3
A pleasing mix of good design, features and compatibility with Samsung phones and tablets.

Mobvoi Ticwatch Pro 3
If you’re the sporty, rough-and-ready sort, this watch will sort you out with its inbuilt GPS and IPS68 certification.

Fitbit Versa 3
The fitness tracker specialists have thrown all their best features into this one—6-day battery life, smart notifications, advanced sleep-tracking, Spotify and Alexa compatibility.

Amazfit GTR 3 Pro
Excellent construction, a premium appearance, a hi-res AMOLED screen, 5 ATM water-resistance and 12-day battery life – that’s a lot of boxes ticked.

Garmin Venu 2 Plus
With the firm’s famous GPS tech, a microphone, hardy build, a slew of fitness trackers and an elegant design, this watch is Garmin’s best.

If you’re still hankering after a luxury smartwatch, the Montblanc Summit 2 is a stunning piece of engineering. The Tag Heuer Connected is rugged and sporty and has a five-year battery replacement guarantee. If you want to destroy the bank, Hublot will sell you the $15,000 Big Bang E Titanium Diamonds (spoiler alert—it has a lot of titanium and diamonds on it), powered by Wear OS.

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