More features sound tempting until another gadget needs regular charging and half the menu goes untouched. Work out what belongs on your wrist before deciding how much tech to buy.
You want steps, sleep, workouts and heart rate on your wrist, then the product page starts throwing calls, apps, GPS and payments into the mix. Suddenly, a fitness band and a smartwatch are solving two different problems, even if both look like small screens strapped to your arm. The easiest way to choose is to work backwards from what you expect to use after the first week, when the shiny-new-device excitement has worn off.
Start with what you want on your wrist
Samsung South Africa’s comparison guide draws the line around activity and health metrics for fitness trackers, while smartwatches extend further into phone-style functions such as apps and communication.
If you mainly want steps, heart rate, sleep records and workouts, a band may already cover what you need. Calls, message replies, apps, payments and more independent GPS functions give a smartwatch more reason to justify the extra spend.
Buying the device with the most features only works when those features have a place in your day. If most of the clever extras end up untouched, you paid smartwatch money for a very expensive step counter.
Another charger, another routine
Fitness bands generally last longer between charges than smartwatches, according to the same South African guide, while larger screens and extra smartwatch functions use more power. Exact battery life still depends on the model and the settings you switch on.
Charging habits deserve a place in the decision before checkout. If another device on the charger every few days already sounds irritating, compare specifications before you buy and check the claimed battery life under the functions you expect to use.
Liz Thorne
Check what works with your phone
Check the exact model against your phone before spending anything. Look at app support, built-in GPS, message replies, payments and any function that made you want the device in the first place, because compatibility differs by model.
A smartwatch loses much of its appeal when the feature you wanted depends on a phone or service your setup does not support. A band becomes an easier buy when activity tracking is the main reason it is going onto your wrist.
You do not need the most capable wearable on the shelf. You need one that matches how you exercise, use your phone and deal with another device asking for power. The right purchase is the one you still appreciate once the novelty is gone.
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