Are current smartwatches really clever and smart?

With the market announcement of the Apple Watch, the area of ​​"wearables" has moved a little more into the focus of reporting. If you are considering buying such hardware, then it is important to think about beforehand what advantages and disadvantages the device offers for you personally. There are currently so many different models with different equipment features that you cannot actually make a direct recommendation. In my opinion, all wearables are not yet fully developed and I would say: if you wait, you win! Nevertheless, I would like to give you a little insight into the area.

In a survey by Tomorrow Focus Media, almost 10% shared the opinion that wearables basically have no disadvantages.

The current hype about the Smart Watches and smart wearables probably stems mainly from the idea of ​​fully connecting one's body in the future heise.de/ct/. The keyword "self-optimization" is behind this development: You measure how much you ran a day, how well you slept, how many calories you burned and and and ... In dradiowissen there is also an interesting article called "Wearables - self-optimization or madness thanks to smartwatch". Of course, the little wise guys for the wrist also offer a few interesting advantages and not just disadvantages:

• Fitness functions: Recording your own pulse and physical activity has a great advantage. One is made aware of it if too little is exercised. During the activities you can stay in the heart rate range that is most effective for the selected training (fat burning, endurance, etc.).
• The annoying one No need to reach into your trouser pocket completely. This is particularly interesting with larger smartphones, because the smartwatch has all the important data ready on the wrist.
• The "smart watch" can - if it is waterproof is - can also be taken into the swimming pool.
• Furthermore, she is one Relief for certain professional groups (such as doctors, tradespeople or similar) who cannot get their cell phones out all the time.

Apple is presenting its smartwatch in different collections in order to address as many potential customers as possible (Photo: Apple).

Smart technology, but unfortunately not yet fully developed

However, the above-mentioned advantages are currently still offset by a few disadvantages, which may, however, be resolved within the next few years.

• Insufficient battery life: For many users it is annoying to have to recharge their device every day. Especially when the nearest socket is a little further away.
• Impractical charging adapters: Instead of being able to connect the watch directly to a charging cable, most manufacturers only have the option of being able to charge the gadget using a special charging adapter. For example, the Samsung Gear Live at the, loud computerbild.de/artikel/, the adapter can also be lost quickly.
• High prices: For the fact that many smartwatches are not yet fully developed, the manufacturers charge fairly "mature prices".

When buying, watch out for offers to cushion the high prices

But there are not only innovations in the features of the wearables. A lot has also happened in terms of sales sources. Many online mail order companies are increasingly offering the small gadgets as daily offers. In addition to websites that look for these deals and where the community can decide how "hot" the offer is, there are, for example, on the website of liveshopping-aktuell.de Another approach: The site offers the interesting possibility that users can post offers themselves and, depending on how good they are in the eyes of the other bargain hunters, so-called credits can be earned for them. These are paid out to the advertiser in the form of a voucher.

But of course you can also find on eBay or The Amazon corresponding wearables, which are always traded there at bargain prices. There you can find activity trackers, running watches, wearable cameras, smart glasses and much more.

My conclusion on the smartwatches and wearables

Overall, I find the development of technology very interesting. However, when I hear [battery life of 3 hours for the Apple Watch-> apple watch], then I have to admit that I find it absolutely "underground". Fitness trackers that still cannot be worn while swimming should also be a thing of the past in my opinion.

Based on the frequency with which the manufacturers launch new models on the market, you can tell that they are working at full speed to find the perfect fitness tracker or the perfect smartwatch, but at the moment, from my point of view, it is with the technical means that you can has not yet been able to develop a satisfactory all-round device. I hope somehow for the next generation of the Apple Watch with fuel cell ... then a week running time with activated GPS shouldn't be a problem. ;)

Jen Kleinholz( Founder & Sir Apfelot )

Jens has been running the blog since 2012. He appears as Sir Apfelot for his readers and helps them with problems of a technical nature. In his free time he drives electric unicycles, takes photos (preferably with his iPhone, of course), climbs around in the Hessian mountains or hikes with the family. His articles deal with Apple products, news from the world of drones or solutions for current bugs.