By: Kelly | Last updated April 19, 2019 
Smartwatches have become incredibly popular in recent years and with all the technological advancements, they are gradually replacing a lot of the functions in our smartphones. We are now looking at smartwatches so smart they can take and make calls, they have built-in GPS, WiFi capabilities, enough memory to upload our favorite music playlist on them and so much more. Not to mention the fitness tracking capability that turns them into your own personal trainer. All these features are packed in a compact gadget, small enough to be worn on your wrist.
What to look for in a smartwatch
Smartwatches come in a huge variety of models, sizes, shapes and so on. In most cases, choosing the right smartwatch is a matter of tastes and needs, but here are a few factors to consider when you are in the market for a smartwatch:
- Battery life; the longer, the better, although you’ll be lucky if you can squeeze 2-3 days on a single charge
- Water resistance; water resistant doesn’t necessarily mean waterproof; check out the rating on the watch. You will often see marks and ratings, such as ‘IP68’ on watches, indicating the level of water resistance. IPM stands for International Protection Marking, or in other interpretations, Ingress Protection Marking and it indicates the degree of protection against several factors: impacts, dust, water. You can check the different degrees and codes on the Internet
- Type of interface: does it have buttons or touch controls
- Features: GPS, heart rate sensor, LTE support, etc.
- Available apps and watch faces for the watch
- Compatibility with your smartphone; you should obviously pick a watch that is compatible with your phone’s OS
- Strap compatibility; make sure you choose a watch that is compatible with as many wristbands/straps as possible, in case you need/want to replace the original strap
Samsung Gear Sport – One of the best Samsung watches you can buy
The Gear Sport smartwatch from Samsung is one of the best smartwatches released by the company. It is a watch for active people, it has a premium, modern look and a rich set of features to enjoy.
The Gear Sport came as an upgrade to Samsung’s S3 model and even though it was launched in 2017 (September) it continues to remain one of their best-selling models.
The Gear Sport is compatible with both Android and iOS devices.
Here are its most important specs:
- Dimensions: 1.8 x 1.7 x 0.5 inches
- Weight: 1.76 oz. (without the strap); 2.36 oz. (with the strap)
- Display: 1.2” 360 x 360 Super AMOLED full color AOD, Gorilla Glass3
- Processor: Dual Core 1.0 GHz
- Storage: 4GB +768MB
- OS: Tizen OS
- Battery: 300mAh
- Sensors: Accelerometer, Gyro Sensor, Barometer, Heart Rate Monitor, Ambient Light
- Connectivity: WiFi (802.11 b/g/n), GPS/Glonass, NFC
- Water resistant: 5ATM (50 meters)
Design and Features
The Gear Sport has an attractive, modern design. It is circular, it looks durable, it has a metal body and you can choose between different bands. It is also compatible with various generic straps, so replacing the original one won’t be an issue.
The Gear Sport is not the lightest watch out there, but it is slimmer than the S3. The AMOLED display is high-quality and you can adjust the brightness to any light conditions. The Gear Sport display is clearly visible in any light.
A unique design feature of the Gear Sport, also present in other Samsung watches, is the rotating bezel that lets you scroll through the menu.
Features
One of the biggest strengths of the Gear Sport is its Spotify feature. The Gear Sport was the first smartwatch with Spotify compatibility. The Gear Sport lets you sync music from Spotify when you are offline, so you can put a pair of Bluetooth headphones on and go for a run while listening to your favorite playlists.
Another great feature included with the Gear Sport is water resistance. The Gear Sport has a 5ATM rating and you can use it for swimming. It can be submerged in water up to 50 meters. You can also use the Swim.com app and do intervals, drills and more.
The Gear Sport uses the Tizen OS and there’s a decent selection of apps available, including Uber, Yelp and more. You can reply to a message you received on WhatsApp for instance, without opening the app. You can take calls and respond to texts, view your calendar and much more.
The battery life of the Gear Sport is truly impressive and can last for even 3-4 days on a single charge.
When it comes to fitness tracking and activities, the Gear Sport really shines. There’s a breathing exercise app, you can track your sleep, your steps, your elevation, stairs climbed, there’s a HR sensor and a built-in GPS. All your activities can be synced automatically to Samsung Health, which is a really complex yet user-friendly app.
Another useful feature is the S Voice support that you can use to set reminders, check the weather and more. There is also NFC support.
Price
The Gear Sport can be purchased for approximately $185 on Amazon.
Overall, the Gear Sport is definitely a premium product, designed for active people. Other premium smartwatches you should check out from Samsung are the Galaxy Watch and the Gear S3 Frontier.
