Wearables has seen many new launches in India in 2020 and we tried many of them to find the best. With the ongoing pandemic, people are actively taking care of their health and these wearables make it easier to keep track of things. The ones we shortlisted will help you keep track of the number of steps you took, how long you slept, your heart rate and a few. You can also track your blood oxygen levels. So if you’re planning a healthy start to 2021, here are the best wearables of 2020 to help you keep track of your path.
Best Smartwatch of 2020: Apple Watch Series 6
The Apple Watch Series 6 takes first place in our list of the best wearables of 2020. You can get the Apple Watch Series 6 in a variety of case designs from aluminum to titanium. You can also customize different types of bands based on your preferences, which the Apple Watch Series 6 rates as very high in terms of customization.
Apple’s top-notch wearable packs in a powerful S6 SiP that delivers a smooth user experience with no lag. It also receives Apple’s W3 wireless chip and Apple’s ultra-broadband U1 positioning chip, which enables keyless entry and ignition in supported vehicles. You can only go for the GPS model, otherwise there is also the GPS + Cellular model which offers LTE connectivity on the watch.
In terms of fitness tracking, the Series 6 has a variety of workouts for it to track. It’s also able to keep track of steps and distances fairly accurately. Thanks to watchOS 7, the new Series 6 can track sleep as well as some older models. There’s also SpO2 tracking, which we’ve found to be more accurate than the Galaxy Watch 3. The Apple Watch Series 6 can only be used with an iPhone, which limits the user base. It’s also expensive with a starting price of Rs. 40,900.
Best value for money smartwatch of 2020: Samsung Galaxy Watch 3
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 is the best value for money that you can buy in 2020. Like the Apple Watch Series 6, it offers numerous functions, but is compatible with both Android and iPhone. Just like the Apple Watch Series 6, the Galaxy Watch 3 is available in non-cellular and cellular variants.
The Galaxy Watch 3 is powered by the Exynos 9110 SoC and has 1 GB of RAM on board. You also get 8 GB of storage on board. The Galaxy Watch 3’s user interface was sleek, and the rotating bezel made it easy to navigate the watch. The tracking on the Galaxy Watch 3 was accurate as it was very good at keeping track of steps, heart rate, and sleep. However, the SpO2 tracking on the Galaxy Watch 3 wasn’t as accurate.
You get around two days of battery life on the Galaxy Watch 3, which is good considering the features it contains. The battery life is shorter with the LTE variant when it is connected to LTE networks. Charging time is longer as it takes more than two hours to fully charge the Galaxy Watch 3. At a starting price of Rs. 30,990, the Galaxy Watch 3 offers the maximum bang for your buck.
Special mention: Oppo Watch
The Oppo Watch was a surprising entry into the wearable space in 2020 and is available at an affordable price. The base 41mm Oppo watch is available for Rs. 14,990 while the larger 46mm Oppo Watch retails for Rs. 19,990. You get a Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100 processor that runs WearOS. It offers decent step, distance, and heart rate tracking, and the larger 46mm Oppo watch also offers around a day and a half of battery life. The charging speeds are quite good and the watch can be charged quickly in 45 minutes.
Best Notifier of 2020: Xiaomi Mi Watch Revolve
The Mi Watch Revolve was Xiaomi’s first smartwatch in India and has managed to distinguish itself in the segment. The Mi Watch Revolve has all of the fitness features you would expect from a device at its price point, plus a crisp AMOLED display and good battery life. The Mi Clock Revolve was launched at a cost of Rs. 10,999 but is available for Rs. 9,999.
The Mi Watch Revolve allows you to track steps, heart rate and sleep. However, the Mi Watch Revolve is not very comfortable to wear while sleeping because the dial is a bit too big. We found that Mi Watch Revolve works best as a notification as there is no way to reply to incoming messages. You will be notified of incoming messages and calls, but you will need to use your smartphone to reply or reply.
The battery life of the Mi Watch Revolve was fantastic and we got almost two weeks of battery life with our use. Even if you follow the workout, you should be able to get around 10 days of battery life with the Mi Watch Revolve. The battery takes about two hours to charge, which is acceptable as the watch lasts a long time.
Best fitness band of 2020: Xiaomi Mi Band 5
The Mi Band 5 is the latest addition to Xiaomi’s fitness trackers. It’s the successor to the Mi Band 4. The Xiaomi fitness bands have been consistently good and the Mi Band 5 is receiving incremental updates to make it a little better. You get a bigger and brighter display and the loading mechanism has also been changed to a more convenient one.
The Mi Band 5 can track your heart rate, your steps, the distance and your sleep. We found the Mi Band 5 to be pretty accurate in terms of tracking. It is also capable of tracking some sports including swimming as it is water resistant up to 50m. The Mi Band 5 is compatible with Android and iPhones.
The Mi Band 5 lasted 10 days on a single charge in our test, and it took a little over 2 hours to fully charge. For a starting price of Rs. 2,499, it’s the cheapest wearable on our list.
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