Digit Zero1 Awards 2021 for the best smartwatch takes into account usability, performance, and design.
These wearables aim to be the ideal accessory to smartphones and the fitness guru's best friend.
Here are the Digit Zero1 Award winners for the best smartwatches of 2021.
The thin line between smartwatches and fitness trackers is growing ever so blurred. Which made my job of picking winners so much harder. However, more work for me is very good news for customers. It means that the wearable market is continuing to mature and users have some very good choices on hand. In fact, users can pick up a great wearable for practically every price range. While it may seem unfair to pit budget wearables against premium smartwatches, it does help. First off, it gives you a great idea of what you get for your money. Secondly, it gives us the impetus needed to update our testing process to allow for the changing wearables market.
Each one of the nominees could stand up and claim a very good reason for being nominated. But in the end, there could only be one winner. After all, it’s all about performance when it comes to the Digit Zero1 awards.
Winner: Apple Watch Series 7
The Apple Watch Series 7 is the Zero1 award winner for smartwatches. While the device may not be that much of a jump from the series 6, it still manages to hold its own against the competition. The Apple Watch Series 7 is an all-round device that seems to understand what a smartwatch should be. A capable companion to your smartphone. It offers a smooth and intuitive UI coupled with the versatility of apps. It gives users the option to leave behind their phone (cellular only). Not only that, but it doesn't seem like the Watch judges you for how you use it. If you want to use it primarily as a fitness tracker, or just as a smartwatch, or simply as a fashion accessory, you can do so without feeling like you’re not using the device to its full potential. In simpler terms, Apple kinda gets it.
Runner Up: Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic
Samsung’s Gear range of wearables used to feature the company’s own TizenOS, and it was quite capable. But now, the company has shifted to Google’s Wear OS platform which is there in the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic. Unlike the standard Galaxy Watch 4 (review), the Classic comes with a physical rotating bezel. This makes it much easier to scroll through the UI, which looks and feels just like the old Tizen UI, but with added features offered by WearOS. Fitness tracking is also exceptional thanks to Samsung’s experience in the field. If only Samsung could make pairing a smartphone with it simpler, while also making a few tweaks to make the UI flow better.
Best Buy: Fitbit Sense
As mentioned earlier, choosing the winners was no easy task. Picking the ‘best buy’ option was possibly the hardest of the lot. There were so many value for money devices in the list. Of course, you can’t just pick the cheapest wearable and call it a day. It needs to offer the most bang for the buck and for that, the Fitbit Sense wins. While other devices offer excellent competition, the Sense managed to prevail thanks to its excellent design that combines form with functionality. On top of that, you get top-notch activity tracking as well as a refined app to view that information on. And for those who want to take things a step further, there is Fitbit Premium that gives users access to even more. Sure, it does not offer the same level of versatility as a fledged smartwatch and the touch button is a little fiddly, but for its price, the Fitbit Sense makes a lot of… ermm… sense.
ABOUT DIGIT ZERO 1 AWARDS
With a legacy of 20 years, the Digit Zero 1 Awards is recognized as the Industry’s only performance-based awards. Digit rewards brands for putting in years of research in developing and introducing performance-driven products for their audience. All products are made to pass through a rigorous and scientific test process and compete with competitor brands in the same category. The Winner in each category is announced on the basis of their total score, post complete performance analysis done across an average of 56 tests, conducted for every category, across key performance parameters. The test process for the Zero1 Awards does not consider scores for features, price or design. The aim is to identify the very best products that money can buy, celebrate the innovations that push the industry forward, and reward the products that dare to disrupt the market.
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Shrey Pacheco
Writer, gamer, and hater of public transport. View Full Profile
