Almost a decade ago, the first models of smart watches as we know them today began to hit the market: full color touch screen capable of reproducing any graphic or text, connection to our mobiles and, of course, countless applications to the ones we had access to simply by turning our wrist a little. Now, as you know, they are capable of doing practically anything.
Two very different approaches
Now, from the same way that smart watches were born, over the years a variant has arrived that is one of the most popular among users because we can consider it as an intermediate solution for a series of very specific needs . So if you think so, we are going to break down in which cases you have to opt for a smartwatch, and in which others for one of those so-called activity bracelets that are also known as smartbands.
Which one do you need to buy?
connected life
If your daily routine involves constant use of social networks, messaging applications, etc. , surely smart watches have a greater efficiency when it comes to managing all the necessary connections with your phone. WhatsApp, Telegram, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, etc. They usually require a lot of attention, with notifications every so often, so it is advisable to enjoy a somewhat larger screen to preview what they tell us. Some activity bracelets are also capable of doing it, but in a less efficient way and with limitations imposed by the vertical screen that they usually mount.
Leisure and entertainment
Although we carry the phone with us, some smartwatch models are capable of managing the music alone , or the radio stations that we listen to the most… even the podcasts and audiobooks with the most popular applications. In this case, smart watches also win because it will be easier to manage all that content quickly and with applications designed to work on this type of screen, which is especially important if we connect wireless headphones directly or enjoy 4G connectivity to not even having to worry about carrying your smartphone in your pocket.
Unfortunately, in the case of activity bracelets, this management is more limited and, in many cases, it is not even possible due to the limitations of the platform and the OS itself.
Productivity
It is certain that a good part of the information you store on your phone has to do with work. Management of emails, agenda, calendar, etc. Well, we don’t want to err on the side of being heavy but for the purposes of managing all that information, smartwatches are once again more efficient and executive. It is possible to consult from the native apps and respond, create reminders or whatever we need.
Physical activity
Here we can say that there are models of activity bracelets that really exceed smart watches in utility and use , which, although they usually arrive at stores with very complete physical exercise suites , with different types of training, in the end there is nothing better than one of these smartbands to store everything we move. Even to keep track of the beats per minute of our heart or menstruation periods, etc.
If you only want to know how much you have moved, what calories you have burned and adapt everything to a specific type of training, your most obvious choice is to get one of these devices.
Mobile payments and price
Finally, we bring a function that has become capital after the pandemic: pay with a contactless card in establishments. Here, there are watches that do it and bracelets that do it too, so the thing is tied and it will depend on what you choose after the four previous points, that this fifth can become testimonial.
As for the price, it depends on the model you want in any of the cases. Smartbands generally begin to be offered in lower segments (from 25 euros), but there are also alternatives at the same price level as an Apple Watch SE (299), for example. So it will depend on how much or how little you decide to spend.
