The demand for smart devices is on the rise. Some of the smart devices that have become part of our everyday life include smartphones, smartwatches, smart TVs, smart kitchen appliances, smart thermostats among others. As the name suggests, a smart device is an electronic device that has a computer system embedded in it. It is an interactive device which means it can connect and interact with both the user and other smart devices.
A smartwatch, therefore, is a wearable device that is designed to be worn as a wristwatch. A smartwatch has a variety of features and functionalities compared to standard watches. Some of these features include a GPS tracker, touchscreen, rechargeable battery, health trackers, phone calls, and messaging capabilities.
Table of Contents
In this article, we are going to how smartwatches work, their features, and their functionalities.
How does a smartwatch work?
To understand how a smartwatch works, we need to know how smartwatches are classified. In broad terms, smartwatches can be classified into three forms namely; general-purpose smartwatches, specific-use smartwatches, and hybrid smartwatches.
General-purpose smartwatches
These watches are designed to perform a variety of tasks such as checking notifications, answering messages by voice, playing music, making and receiving calls, GPS tracking, and other daily activities depending on the Apps available. Smartwatches that fall within this category are the Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy watch (Tizen) and Google’s Wear OS watches. General-purpose smartwatches usually dependent on smartphones.
Specific-use smartwatches
These watches are designed to act like stand-alone fitness trackers which means you can use them without having to carry your phone. These smartwatches are developed for specific activities such as hiking, flying, diving and would therefore appeal to people who are keen on monitoring their workout and physical activities.
Hybrid smartwatches
As the name suggests, hybrid smartwatches combine the features of a traditional analogue watch and those of a smartwatch. A hybrid smartwatch will have the traditional watch dial and an extra screen or dial that will display information such as notifications from your phone, physical activity, your heart rate, and sleep patterns.
Hybrid smartwatches connect to your phone through Bluetooth and allow you to receive alerts through the watch alarm or vibrations. The main advantage of hybrid smartwatches is that they have longer battery life and are relatively cheaper compared to other smartwatches.
Popular features in a Smartwatch
Notifications and alerts
A smartwatch displays notifications and alerts that help you stay on top of your schedule. Depending on the type of smartwatch, the notifications will vary. For instance, smartwatches connected to your phone will mostly mirror the notifications on your phone.
You can choose the notifications you want to receive either from social media, calls, texts, emails, scheduled activities, and events. On the other hand, specific-use smartwatches will display notifications tailored to their functionalities.
Calls/messaging
Smartwatches can be used for making and answering phone calls and messages. If your smartwatch supports a cellular connection, it gets even better because you can receive and make calls with your smartwatch even when you don’t have your phone with you. Better yet, some smartwatches can allow voice commands which means you can answer messages, emails, requests simply by dictating your responses.
Health monitoring
If you are a fitness enthusiast, a smartwatch will be a handy companion because it will help you track health features such as heart rate, blood pressure, physical activity (steps, workouts, running, cycling, swimming), and sleep hours. Most smartwatches can perform the role of a fitness tracker.
GPS tracking
Smartwatches have GPS which helps you navigate new routes and in plotting out maps to give you directions to various places.
Play music
If you are a music lover, a smartwatch can enrich your experience. Some smartwatches allow you to play music directly from them as they have storage and Bluetooth connectivity which makes this possible. Other models have to be paired with the smartphone, then play music from the phone and use the smartwatch to control the music e.g., changing volume or tracks.
Final Thoughts
As technology advances, smartwatches are continuously becoming sophisticated and almost earning the title of the ideal digital companion. The variety of features the smartwatches possess have made it possible for different users to meet their fitness, work, health, and exploration needs all in one gadget.