 "5 Alternatives to the Samsung Galaxy Gear")
While Samsung’s Galaxy Gear is one of the first high-end smartwatches in the market, it isn’t your only choice. Everyone knows about the Galaxy Gear’s limitations—namely price, battery life and the fact that it only works with Samsung’s smartphones. These other smartwatches, however, work with a wider range of smartphones, be it Android, iOS or both. Most upcoming smartwatches, barring a few exceptions, are still in the development phase, mostly through crowdfunding on Kickstarter and the likes. Nevertheless, here are a few alternatives to the Galaxy Gear:
The HOT Watch is not only a smartwatch, but the creators have also aimed for it to be stylish. It comes in a variety of form factors, namely Edge, Classic, Basic and Curve. It boasts a number of features, such as voice calls, messaging, apps and an SDK for custom apps. Much like the Gear, the HOT Watch let’s you go Dick Tracy on your smartwatch, since you can use its speakerphone functionality to talk without having to take your phone out. Other than that, it has more-or-less the same features as any other smartwatch, including notifications and watchfaces. To save battery, the HOT Watch features an e-ink display. Interestingly, the HOT Watch also claims compatibility with “any Bluetooth-enabled device,” but will provide better functionality with Android or iOS devices.
The Agent boasts of freedom with its microUSB charging and SDK
The AGENT, something the makers claim to be the smartest smartwatch ever, has a number of neat features. This one too has an e-ink display to save on power. A couple of its key selling points are its battery efficiency and the fact that it doesn’t use a proprietary cable to charge itself. Along with the typical bells and whistles of showing notifications, the AGENT smartwatch boasts of wireless charging technology where the charging bay is powered by the ubiquitous microUSB cable. It also features an SDK that allows developers to create, test and debug their apps in real time.
MeteorKreyos’ Meteor is aimed towards fitness buffs
The Meteor focuses more on interface design and fitnesss-related functionalities. It comes with a suite of built-in apps that help users in their workout routines. It also has a sports mode where the watchface becomes a useful stopwatch that lets runners track their time. All of this is controlled not only by the buttons on the smartwatch, but also through voice commands and gestures. For example, if you want to change the song that is currently playing, you can simply say “Play the next track on the playlist,” which will result in the song changing. It comes in a number of form factors, including the typical watch form, a handheld stopwatch form and can even be worn around your neck.
WatchsonThe Watchson certainly has interesting looks
The Watchson has the most peculiar design of the lot. It is a simple band featuring a circular e-ink display with a scrollwheel along the circumference. It is compatible with Android and iOS devices. It can’t do much other than show notifications, but it has compatibility with stocks apps, alerts, social apps and PayPal. Makers claim a week-long battery life and 180 lighting combinations. It is also waterproof and features Bluetooth 4.0, giving it Bluetooth LE compatibility.
The Pebble smartwatch is the forerunner of crowdfunded smartwatches
One of the most popular smartwatches, the Pebble was a runaway success the moment it entered Kickstarter with its crowdfunding campaign. However, the campaign has been over for quite some time now, and it’s also available in the market at the moment. It boasts integration with both iOS as well as Android, and comes in a number of colours, including orange, red, black, grey and white. The makers boast a battery life of 5-7 days between charges. It features an e-ink display with an LED backlight. It is also waterproof, and features a bunch of sensors including a 3D accelerometer and an ambient light sensor.
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