Putting the word “smart” on every existing technology ’til this day is kinda overwhelming. I mean, what’s next? Smart toasters that can give you a pep talk in the morning? Smart socks that can tell you if your feet are feeling lonely and cold? Oh wait, those actually exist! Never mind.
Technically, these smart devices are built to make our lives more efficient, and much easier. A smartwatch is just one of them.
As we all know, smartwatches have become increasingly popular in recent years, and this trend shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
With so many different models and brands to choose from, it can be difficult to know where to start when it comes to finding the perfect smartwatch for your needs.
So, we gotchu fam, ‘cause in this article, we will be discussing some of the key features and specifications of the latest smartwatches from notable brands such as Apple, Samsung, and Huawei, among others.
Table of Contents
The Difference Between Fitness Trackers and Smartwatches
Before we dive in, it’s important for you to know that there is a distinction between smartwatches and fitness trackers.
Fitness trackers look similar to smartwatches but focus more on tracking physical activity and health-related metrics, such as your heart rate, steps taken, calories burned, and sleep quality. They usually have a longer battery life and are more affordable than smartwatches.
On the other hand, smartwatches offer a wider range of features beyond fitness tracking. It keeps you connected with features such as notification updates, music streaming, voice assistants, and even mobile payments. They also offer customizable watch faces and interchangeable bands to match different styles.
With that settled, let’s now move on to the actual list.
Apple
The Apple Watch Ultra is the most premium offering from the company. For starters, it may just be the one of the strongest smartwatches out there, thanks to its 49mm titanium casing surrounding its flat sapphire crystal on top that protects its Always-on Retina display.
It can reach up to 2,000 nits of peak brightness, so navigating the Watch Ultra under the sun will never be a hassle.
For its battery life, it can last 36 hours on a single charge, and up to 60 hours in low-power mode.
Health is one of the main concerns of a smartwatch, and the Apple Watch Ultra addresses this with key features for health monitoring while also covering your safety needs. It comes with a Crash Detection feature that can automatically make emergency calls whenever you crash your vehicle (always drive safe, though).
There’s also a built-in, 86 decibels emergency siren that can be heard from up to 180 meters away. This feature is particularly handy for adventurers who engage in extreme heights.
It’s only available in one variant, the Titanium and is priced at only Php 52,990. For customization, Apple provides different stylized bands including Apline, and Trail Loop as well as Ocean Band.
Apple Watch Ultra key specs
Display: 1.92-inch Retina LTPO OLED, 2000 nits (peak) brightness
Casing: 49mm titanium
Protection:
• Flat sapphire crystal glass
• MIL-STD 810H
• IPX4 dust resistance
• 100m water resistance
• Swimproof
Battery life: 36 hrs (normal), 60 hrs (low-power mode)
Connectivity:
• Bluetooth 5.3
• Wi-Fi
• NFC
• GPS (L1 + L5), GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and BeiDou
• USB Type-C
• eSIM (optional)
For a minimalist look, we have the Apple Watch Series 8 which also has the Always-on Retina display, but with a half less peak brightness at 1,000 nits.
It can last 18 hours of battery life, and up to 36 hours in low-power mode.
Of course, it has all the health monitoring features and Crash Detection too.
It is available in a variety of stylized band which are more playful and colorful. There are also bands in collaboration by designer brand, Hermès.
The Apple Watch Series 8 starts at Php 25,990.
Apple Watch Series 8 key specs
Display: 1.9-inch Retina LTPO OLED, 1000 nits (peak) brightness
Casing: 45 or 41 mm aluminum
Protection:
• Sapphire crystal glass
• IP6X dust resistance
• 50m water resistance
• Swimproof
Battery life: 18 hrs (normal), 36 hrs (low-power mode)
Connectivity:
• Bluetooth 5.3
• Wi-Fi
• NFC
• GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and QZSS
• USB Type-C
• eSIM (optional)
This is perfect for those who wants an Apple smartwatch without breaking the bank: the Apple Watch SE—which is similar to the Series 8 but missing out on features like an Always-on display, built-in temperature sensing, and some health monitoring apps.
But that’s expected since the Apple Watch SE 2 starts at only Php 15,990.
Apple Watch SE (2nd generation) key specs
Display: 1.9-inch Retina LTPO OLED, 1000 nits (peak) brightness
Casing: 44 or 40 mm aluminum
Protection:
• Sapphire crystal back
• 50m water resistance
• Swimproof
Battery life: 18 hrs
Connectivity:
• Bluetooth 5.3
• Wi-Fi
• NFC
• GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and QZSS
• USB Type-C
• eSIM (optional)
Xiaomi
The Watch S1 Pro is Xiaomi’s premium smartwatch that offers up to 14 days of battery life on typical use which is a huge gap from the Apple wearables we discussed above.
That still depends on real-world use cases though.
It sports an AMOLED display with an always-on feature, with a sapphire glass on top, and stainless-steel frame.
It also supports wireless charging that fully charges the device at about 85 minutes.
The Xiaomi Watch S1 Pro comes in either a black or silver stainless-steel casing coupled with black fluoro-rubber or brown leather strap, respectively.
It is priced at only Php 16,999.
Xiaomi Watch S1 Pro key specs
Display: 1.47-inch AMOLED, 600 nits (peak) brightness
Casing: 46 mm stainless steel
Protection:
• Sapphire crystal glass
• 5ATM water resistance
Battery life: 14 days (typical), 10 days (intensive), 5 days (AOD usage)
Connectivity:
• Bluetooth 5.2
• Wi-Fi
• NFC
• Beidou/GPS/GLONASS/Galileo/QZSS
• Wireless charging
Going onto the other end of the spectrum, we got a much more affordable Redmi Watch 3—which has an AMOLED display too and yes, always-on.
Xiaomi claims it has a 12-day battery life in a single charge via a magnetic charging mechanism.
The Redmi Watch 3 comes in either black or ivory straps and is priced at Php 4,999.
Redmi Watch 3 key specs
Display: 1.75-inch AMOLED, 600 nits (peak) brightness
Casing: 42.58 x 36.56 x 9.99mm metallic middle frame
Protection:
• 5ATM water resistance
Battery life: 12 days (typical), 7 days (intensive), 4 days (AOD usage)
Connectivity:
• Bluetooth 5.2
• Beidou/GPS/GLONASS/Galileo/QZSS
Huawei
Huawei Watch Ultimate
In March, Huawei introduced its take on the Apple Watch Ultra with the Huawei Watch Ultimate. This dive watch features a high-performance design and a 1.5-inch AMOLED sapphire glass display that can emit up to 1,000 nits of brightness, making it perfect for low-light environments, especially when submerged in water.
This smartwatch is a marathon runner, lasting up to 14 days on a single charge. And if it ever needs a power nap, it can recharge to full in just 60 minutes with its wireless charging support.
With a ‘liquid metal’ zirconium alloy case, the Huawei Watch Ultimate can withstand depths of up to 100 meters for up to 24 hours, as confirmed by specific diving equipment tests such as EN13319 and ISO 22810 water resistance standards. Divers of all skill levels and preferences can choose from multiple dive modes, including recreational scuba dive, technical scuba dive, free-dive, and gauge.
The watch’s design has been updated to accommodate glove wearers, featuring an ‘Ultimate mode’ button (similar to the Apple Watch Ultra’s Action button), as well as a digital crown and function button. The Huawei Watch Ultimate is a smart choice for divers looking for a durable and reliable dive watch that combines style and functionality.
The Huawei Watch Ultimate sets you back at only Php 39,999.
Huawei Watch Ultimate key specs
Display: 1.5 inches LTPO AMOLED, 1000 nits (peak) brightness
Casing: 48.5 mm zirconium-based liquid metal (front), nanocrystalline ceramic (rear case and watch bezel)
Protection:
• Sapphire crystal glass
• ISO 22810 10 ATM water resistance
• EN 13319 certified for diving
Battery life: 14 days (typical), 8 days (heavy usage)
Connectivity:
• Bluetooth 5.2
• NFC
• GPS
• Wireless charging
Huawei Watch GT 3 Series
Huawei has recently announced its advanced Watch 4 Series, but as of writing, it is yet to arrive in the Philippines.
For the meantime, we still have their latest and classic offering locally, the Watch GT 3 series which comes in three different variants: Watch GT 3 Pro, GT 3 SE, and the vanilla model.
The Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro is the most premium model of the three. It has a more luxurious design with a sapphire crystal AMOLED display with either a titanium or ceramic case. It can last up to 14 days on a single charge and it supports wireless charging as the main source of power.
It is priced at Php 16,999.
Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro key specs
Display: 1.43-inch AMOLED
Casing: 46.6 mm titanium or ceramic
Protection:
• Sapphire crystal glass
• 5ATM water resistance
Battery life: 14 days (typical), 8 days (heavy usage)
Connectivity:
• Bluetooth
• NFC
• GPS
• Wireless charging
The Huawei Watch GT 3 SE is a more affordable option that offers a similar set of features to the Watch GT 3. However, it has a more plasticky design with a polymer fiber case and a non-sapphire crystal AMOLED display. It also has the same battery life as the pro, lasting up to 14 days.
It is priced at Php 8,999.
Huawei Watch GT 3 SE key specs
Display: 1.43-inch AMOLED
Casing: 46 mm polymer fiber
Protection:
• 5ATM water resistance
Battery life: 14 days (typical), 8 days (heavy usage)
Connectivity:
• Bluetooth
• GPS
• Wireless charging
Lastly, the Huawei Watch GT 3 26 is the base model of the series which comes in either 46 or 42mm casing size that can also last up to 14 days or 7 days on battery, respectively.
It is now down to Php 7,990 from its original price of Php 11,999.
Huawei Watch GT 3 SE key specs
Display: 1.43-inch AMOLED
Casing: 46 or 42 mm stainless steel
Protection:
• 5ATM water resistance
Battery life: 14 days (46mm), 7 days (42 mm)
Connectivity:
• Bluetooth
• GPS
• Wireless charging
OPPO
The OPPO Band 2 is the newest from the brand. It boasts a 1.57-inch AMOLED screen that uses DCI-P3 colors. What’s interesting about this smartwatch is its ability to record data from your professional tennis strokes—which helps to better understand your skills.
OPPO claims that you can get a ‘full day of use’ on just five-minute charge and up to 14 days on a full charge.
It also uses a magnetic charging mechanism.
The OPPO Band 2 sets you back is now down to Php 3,999 from its original price of Php 4,499.
OPPO Band 2 key specs
Display: 1.57-inch AMOLED, 500 nits (peak) brightness
Casing: 46 mm
Protection:
• 2.5D glass
• 5ATM water resistance
Battery life: 14 days (typical), 24 hrs (5-min charge)
Connectivity:
• Bluetooth 5.0
realme
The realme Watch 3 has, by far the biggest, 1.8-inch display from the bunch with 500 nits brightness, and a built-in speaker and microphone for making calls.
It also supports 110+ Sports Modes, 24/7 heart rate monitoring, VO2 Max, continuous SpO2 and stress monitoring, sleep quality monitoring, all-day activity monitoring, and has a 7-day battery life.
Plus, an IP68 water resistance rating.
It is priced at Php 3,499.
realme Watch 3 key specs
Display: 1.8-inch TFT LCD, 500 nits (peak) brightness
Casing: 45 mm
Protection:
• 2.5D glass
• 5ATM water resistance
Battery life: 7 days
Connectivity:
• Bluetooth 5.3
Samsung
Galaxy Watch5 Series
Finally, we have the latest from Samsung: the Galaxy Watch5 Pro and the base model Galaxy Watch5.
All displays of the Galaxy Watch5 series will be made of Sapphire Crystal to help offer better resistance to scratches. They all will also carry a Super AMOLED Full Color Always On Display. All models are also rated for 5ATM and IP68 water resistance.
The Galaxy Watch5 Pro has a slightly larger 45mm body, and it can last up to 80 hours of typical usage.
Its price is now down to Php 22,941 via Samsung’s official website.
Samsung Galaxy Watch5 Pro key specs
Display: 1.4-inch Super AMOLED, 2000 nits (peak) brightness
Casing: 45mm titanium
Protection:
• Sapphire crystal glass
• MIL-STD 810H
• IP68 dust resistance
• 5ATM water resistance
Battery life: 80hrs
Connectivity:
• Bluetooth 5.2
• Wi-Fi
• NFC
• GPS, Glonass, Beidou, Galileo
• USB Type-C
The vanilla Galaxy Watch5 on the other hand has a either 40 or 44mm body and can typically last up to 40 hours.
Its price has cut too, now at Php 16,141.
Samsung Galaxy Watch5 Pro key specs
Display: 1.4-inch Super AMOLED, 2000 nits (peak) brightness
Casing: 45mm aluminum
Protection:
• Sapphire crystal glass
• MIL-STD 810H
• IP68 dust resistance
• 5ATM water resistance
Battery life: 40hrs
Connectivity:
• Bluetooth 5.2
• Wi-Fi
• NFC
• GPS, Glonass, Beidou, Galileo
• USB Type-C
