Smartwatches: Are they worth it?
Marketing has improved so much in recent years that it has led us to believe that we need things that weren’t previously seen as a necessity, whether it’s a new phone, tablet or, of course, a smartwatch. Smartwatches are one of technology’s newest innovations as we move into a generation where almost everything is becoming “smart”. Now, once again there is an important question that people need to ask themselves: “Do I really need this?”
What is it?
A smartwatch is essentially a small touchscreen computer that is designed within the parameters of a wristwatch. They can carry out many functions like: take pictures, monitor heart rate and GPS among many other things. One of the more recognisable smartwatches is the Apple smartwatch, which provides services similar to that of a smartphone.
What are the benefits?
– Some smartwatches allow you to make calls and send messages. They are also able to generate a vibration when someone is calling/messaging you, a very useful feature considering how often people miss calls due to not hearing their ringtone or feeling the vibration.
– Some of the more popular advantages of a smartwatch are for health purposes. They can allow you to keep track of things like steps taken and heart rate. They can also analyse your sleep pattern, allowing you to make any adjustments needed.
– The ability to use navigation tools with smartwatches is very efficient, it just makes things simpler by only having to glance at your wrist rather than constantly fiddling about with your phone.
What are the disadvantages?
– Without question, one of the downfalls of the smartwatch is the small screen. While it wouldn’t ergonomically make sense to have a large screen, it still limits the smartwatch’s capability.
– Another problem that some people have encountered with smartwatches is that the data they provide for health purposes has been known to be inaccurate. This decreases their usefulness as a health tracker.
– They are very expensive considering they almost act as an extension of your mobile phone. Smartphones become outdated within 2 years usually, smartwatches are likely to have the same issue.
– Although most are waterproof, the straps for the watches usually get damaged from constant use in water.
While smartwatches are a great example of technological innovation, it is without question that they are not a necessity. Ultimately, there needs to be a drastic improvement to make smartwatches appropriately priced. At this point in time, it is just slightly less useful than a phone. For now, watches should be kept simple and for an example of the different occasions suitable for certain watches, check out this infograph.