This year, there have been a fair number of smartwatch releases that are smarter and more capable of keeping us fit and well. Many of them are no longer just smartphone companions but have graduated to a self-sufficing state. We can see them moving towards a future wherein they could work without any reliance on phones. They already come equipped with a host of sensors to gauge our health, and the additions of smart features like auto workout sensing, GPS logging, calling functionality, etc make smartwatches very purposeful personal devices in our daily lives. So, in the Digit Zero1 smartwatch showdown, we put wearables from leading brands through the wringer and only the ones who proved their mettle made the final cut.
Price: ₹49,999
The Samsung Galaxy Watch5 Pro has a refined Wear OS smartwatch experience for Android users. If its predecessors were any sign of what a Samsung and Google partnership could bring about, this year’s Watch5 Pro model ups the ante on everything that encases this rich software experience. This includes premium build materials (like Titanium alloy for the case and Sapphire Crystal glass for the screen), assuring ingress protection, smooth and sultry AMOLED panel, cellular calling solution, smart workout and wellbeing trackers, advanced navigation features (like turn-by-turn alerts and backtracking facility), as well as a massive milliamp battery that lets you go the extra mile. In our tests which were performance and battery endurance-centric, the Watch5 Pro fared with flying colours and hence takes the crown for the best smartwatch of 2022.
Price: ₹79,990
The only reason Apple lost the gold to Samsung is because of the Apple Watch Series 8’s shorter battery life. However, what it offers in its runtime is par excellence. After all, what is that saying, “life should be great rather than long," eh? Apple has added new temperature sensors and a car crash detection functionality. Rest, it endows precise activity tracking and health monitoring, reliable eSIM calling, a fairly robust build and ingress protection, a polished app ecosystem, and smooth integration with iPhones. So, if you own the latter, the Series 8 is a no-brainer for regular folks.
Price: ₹4,999
Against all the odds, beating pricier rivals, realme has made it this far up the ladder. realme Watch 3 Pro is the second runner up and for a smartwatch priced at Rs. 4,999, this one had a lot going for it. It packs an AMOLED display with colourful and legible UI elements, Bluetooth calling support, standalone GPS-based navigation tracking, and performance comparable to the aforementioned high-end wearables. Keep it up, realme!
Price: ₹3,499
If there’s a product that has nailed the value-for-money offering, it’s Noise ColorFit Pro 4. It is a comfortable wristwear that’s decently accurate when it comes to fitness tracking and is armed with IP68 dust and water resistance, Bluetooth calling capability and a rather long battery life. There are some features missing, but considering the price at which it comes, we can give it a pass. Well, that makes Noise ColorFit Pro 4, objectively the best bet if you are on a tight budget.