2020 has seen the release of several intriguing new smartwatches.
This market segment performed admirably in the first half of 2020, despite the economic downturn which came as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
While shipments remained fairly flat at 42 million units, the global market saw 20% growth in revenue, according to Counterpoint Research.
The organisation said that fall detection and SpO2 monitoring would be two of the most popular features in the coming period.
Apple remained the dominant player both in terms of value and volume – accounting for more than 51% of revenue. It was followed by Samsung, Garmin, and Huawei.
The growth of this market is no surprise, as smartwatches boast a range of features which make users’ lives more convenient, while also enhancing their ability to track fitness regimes.
Among their capabilities, smartwatches allow for the following:
- Keeping track of your your app notifications.
- Reading and responding to text messages.
- Making and receiving calls.
- Streaming and controlling music on Bluetooth devices – such as wireless headphones.
- Health, fitness, stress, and sleep monitoring.
Below are eight of the best smartwatches which were launched in South Africa this year.
Apple Watch Series 6 – Starting from R8,999
Apple Watch Series 6 | |
---|---|
OS | WatchOS 7 |
Display | 1.57-inch 324 x 394 Always On OLED (40mm)
1.78-inch 368 by 448 Always On OLED (44mm) |
Processor | S6 SiP |
Storage | 32GB |
Sensors | Accelerometer Altimeter Ambient Light sensor Barometre Blood oxygen sensor (Sp02) Electrical heart rate sensor GPS / GLONASS Gyroscope Optical heart rate sensor |
Connectivity | 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, LTE (optional) |
Battery life | 18 hours |
Water resistance | 50 metres |
NFC payments | Yes, not supported in South Africa yet. |
Apple Watch SE – Starting from R6,499
Apple Watch SE | |
---|---|
OS | WatchOS 7 |
Display | 1.57-inch 324 x 324 OLED |
Processor | S5 SiP |
Storage | 32GB |
Sensors | Accelerometer Altimeter Ambient Light Sensor Barometer Electrical heart sensor GPS/GLONASS Gyroscope Optical heart sensor |
Connectivity | 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, LTE optional |
Battery life | 18 hours |
Water resistance | 50 metres |
NFC payments | Yes – Apple Pay – not supported in South Africa yet. |
Fitbit Versa 3 – R4,999
Fitbit Versa 3 | |
---|---|
OS | Fitbit OS 5.1 |
Display | 1.58-inch 300 x 300OLED |
Processor | n/a |
Storage | 4GB |
Sensors | Accelerometer Altimeter Ambient Light Sensor Barometer Blood oxygen sensor (Sp02) Electrical heart sensor GPS/GLONASS Gyroscope Optical heart sensor |
Connectivity | 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0 |
Battery life | 6 days |
Water resistance | 50 metres |
NFC payments | Yes – Fitbit Pay |
Fossil Sport – R4,999
Fossil Sport | |
---|---|
OS | Wear OS |
Display | 1.19-inch 390 x 390 OLED |
Processor | Snapdragon Wear 3100 |
Storage | 4GB |
Sensors | Accelerometer Altimeter Ambient Light Sensor Gyroscope GPS Optical heart sensor |
Connectivity | 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2 |
Battery life | 24 hours |
Water resistance | 50 metres |
NFC payments | Yes – Google Pay – not supported in South Africa yet. |
Huawei Watch Fit – R2,999
Huawei Watch Fit | |
---|---|
OS | Huawei Wearable Platform |
Display | 1.64-inch 280 x 546 Always On OLED |
Processor | DK3.5+S |
Storage | 4GB |
Sensors | Accelerometer Blood oxygen sensor (Sp02) Gyroscope Optical heart sensor |
Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.0 |
Battery life | 10 days |
Water resistance | 50 metres |
NFC payments | No |
Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro – R6,999
Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro | |
---|---|
OS | Huawei Lite OS |
Display | 1.39-inch 454 x 454 Always On OLED |
Processor | Kirin A1 |
Storage | 4GB |
Sensors | Accelerometer Altimeter Ambient Light Sensor Barometer Electrical heart sensor GPS/GLONASS Gyroscope Optical heart sensor |
Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.1 |
Battery life | 14 days |
Water resistance | 50 metres |
NFC payments | No |
Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 – Starting from R8,999
Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 | |
---|---|
OS | Tizen OS 5.5 |
Display | 1.4-inch 360 x 360 Always On OLED |
Processor | Exynos 9110 |
Storage | 8GB |
Sensors | Accelerometer Altimeter Ambient Light Sensor Barometer Blood oxygen sensor (Sp02) Electrical heart sensor GPS/GLONASS Gyroscope Optical heart sensor |
Connectivity | 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, LTE optional |
Battery life | 2 days |
Water resistance | 50 metres |
NFC payments | Yes – Samsung Pay |
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