Top 10 Smartwatches You Need To Know
Growing Wearables Market
The smartwatch market is young and has yet to take off. Despite this, some tech analysts and solution providers believe that it will eventually go through the roof, as wearables will one day be in high demand.
With some of the biggest vendors in the tech industry putting their weight into the market -- Google, Apple and Samsung, to name a few -- some partners see the market taking off in the next six to 12 months.
In just the last week, some of the biggest inroads have been made with releases and announcements by companies like Samsung, Motorola, LG and Apple.
Here are the top 10 smartwatches you need to know.
Sony Smartwatch 2
The Sony Smartwatch 2 starts off our list as it is compatible with any smartphone operating on Android 4.0 or higher.
Sony released the device just a year ago. It features a 1.3-inch OLED display with an aluminum casing. It also features Bluetooth connectivity and near-field communications (NFC) technology.
When connected to a smartphone via Bluetooth, it can display notifications such as text messages, social media alerts and more.
The Sony Smartwatch 2 runs on the Micrium operating system and is priced at $199.
Samsung Gear 2
The Samsung Gear 2 has been one of the more popular smartwatches on the market since its release in April.
The 41mm face has a 1.63-inch AMOLED display and a steel frame. It features a 2MP camera and a slew of health and fitness sensors, including an accelerometer, heart rate monitor and gyroscope.
The Samsung Gear 2 features Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity as it can connect with any Samsung Galaxy smartphone. It also came out prior to Android Wear, and runs on Samsung's homemade Tizen OS.
The Gear 2 is priced at $299 and has two to three days of battery life.
Pebble Steel
The Pebble Steel is a unique smartwatch as it looks close to a regular wristwatch.
With its square face, it has a 1.26-inch display made of Gorilla Glass.
The Pebble runs on the company's own operating system and features Bluetooth connectivity in order to connect with both iOS and Android.
The watch can display alerts, count a user's steps, control media on a smartphone and more.
A drawback of the device is that it can only carry six apps at the same time, but an advantage it has over other smartwatches is that it looks like a regular fashionable wristwatch, and has five to seven days of battery life.
It started shipping in March, and is priced at $249.
Samsung Gear Live
The Samsung Gear Live was released in late June and was one of the first watches to be released on Android Wear.
The device has a steel frame, a square watch face and a 1.6-inch Super AMOLED display.
It also has Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity with any smartphone that has Android 4.3 or higher.
The device has a changeable strap and is packed with compass, accelerometer, gyroscope and heart rate sensor.
It also has one to two days of battery life and the OK Google voice command feature.
The Samsung Gear Live is available for $199.
Sony Smartwatch 3
Unveiled at the IFA show in Berlin earlier this month, this is Sony's first smartwatch running on Google's Android Wear.
The watch has an interchangeable rubber strap that extends around the steel body of the device, avoiding the look of a designer watch.
The Smartwatch 3 has a 1.6-inch display and has a compass, accelerometer, gyroscope and GPS. It also features near-field communication (NFC) technology.
The watch can play music independently of a phone as songs can be loaded on the device.
A release date and pricing of the Sony Smartwatch 3 has not yet been disclosed.
ASUS Zen Watch
The first smartwatch by ASUS was unveiled at the IFA event in Berlin earlier this month.
The Zen Watch features a square face, a 1.6-inch AMOLED display and a stainless steel frame. It also comes stocked with an interchangeable leather strap, to give it more of a real watch look.
ASUS' smartwatch runs on Google's Android Wear, which was announced earlier this year.
The watch is loaded with many health-oriented sensors, including a heart rate monitor.
The device has Bluetooth capability, which allows it to connect to any smartphone running Android 4.3 or later.
The release date and price point for the ASUS Zen Watch have not yet been disclosed by the company, but is expected to rival some of the top smartwatches already on the market.
LG G Watch R
Here's another smartwatch shown off at the IFA show on Sept. 4.
LG's new watch is rather unique as it is one of just two Google Android Wear smartwatches that has a round display, making it look more like your classic casual wristwatch. Its sharp, bright touch screen has garnered much praise from those at the show.
The G Watch R features a 1.3-inch OLED display, and comes with different strap options, including leather. The watch is reliant on an Android smartphone to send alerts and push notifications.
The watch is expected to be released in October, but a price point has yet to be disclosed.
Samsung Gear S
Surprised to see so much Samsung in this slideshow? Well, the Korean conglomerate has come out with six smartwatches in the past year.
Samsung's latest wearable device was announced at the IFA and is actually quite the groundbreaking smartwatch.
The Gear S is the first smartwatch with 3G connectivity, meaning it can take and make calls all without the aid of a nearby smartphone, however, it needs a supported Android phone close by to download apps.
The device has a 2-inch Super AMOLED display and runs on Samsung's homemade Tizen OS.
It has a large, rectangular face and a wide interchangeable strap. It features an accelerometer, gyroscope, heart rate monitor and barometer.
It is slated to be released in October, but pricing has not been disclosed.
Motorola Moto 360
The Motorola Moto 360 is the other Android Wear smartwatch with a circular face.
Motorola quickly sold out of the Moto 360 on its website on the day of its release, Sept. 5.
What is appealing about this device is the design of the steel frame, the circular face and the leather strap make it look just like a regular wristwatch.
The Moto 360 features a 1.56-inch LCD touch-screen display, and is packed with an ambient light sensor, heart rate monitor and pedometer. It also has Bluetooth connectivity and will work with any smartphone running Android 4.3 and up. The Moto 360 also has access to Google Now voice commands.
The battery life is where the device has received its biggest criticism, as it requires a nightly charge, but Motorola has installed a Qi wireless charging system, so that may alleviate some inconvenience.
Motorola's Moto 360 is selling for $249.99.
Apple Watch
The Apple Watch is Apple's first wearable device and was announced at its iPhone 6 event on Sept. 9.
What is impressive about this device is its personalization options. It comes in two different size faces -- 38mm or 42mm -- while the frame is available in steel, aluminum or even 18-karat gold. There's a wide variety of different colors and materials for the watch strap, all designed to fit the user's preference.
The Apple Watch features Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity and an elaborate user interface on an iOS-based operating system. The device also can be used as a high-end fitness band with its accelerometer, heart rate sensor and GPS. It can count calories burned and chart activity all on Apple's HealthKit platform.
The device also features NFC technology, and will support Apple's mobile payment platform, Apple Pay.
The watch will hit stores early next year, starting at $349.