The review sample of this good-looking watch came with a blue ion-plating. Its crown is flanked by two rectangular switches and all three have good tactile feedback . The chunky design is definitely targeted at men. If you dress to impress, this watch won’t be found wanting.
After pairing this with my Android phone, I loved swiping through the menu using the crown (and thus staying away from the brilliant full-round AMOLED screen, which picks up fingerprints easily).
The top button gives one access to three specialised apps — My Social, where one can log on to Facebook and Instagram to use photos as wallpaper; My Looks to set watch faces; and My Modes that lets one use two separate faces, say, for night and day.
The watch does basic tasks of tracking steps, displaying notifications, et cetera. Google Assistant can be summoned by pressing the crown and the microphone identifies your voice even if you speak softly. Both buttons flanking the crown can be customised.
The Michael Kors Access Grayson is your answer if you are looking for a stylish watch, which is also connected.
Price: Rs 26,995
Emporio Armani Connected
This watch oozes class and sophistication. While you get the standard charging puck, this watch also bundles in a case. The review sample was in black with a metallic strap and two customisable buttons flanking the crown.
Emporio Armani seems to be targeting men with this model. But despite having a big dial, the watch doesn’t feel chunky or heavy. In fact, this is one of the lightest metal fashion watches we reviewed. Having said that, the watch is not meant to be a running companion it’s more like stylish everyday wear. Besides notifications, it just bundles in a pedometer with no heart rate monitor or GPS. The watch pairs quite easily with both Android and iPhone (though Android Wear doesn’t work that well with Apple devices).
The all-round AMOLED screen is a fingerprint magnet, so it’s better to use the crown in conjunction with the shortcut buttons. And while the Google Assistant works well, it’s tricky to get it to follow voice commands on a noisy street. The screen and the in-built watch faces are nice. The battery lasts over a day. The Emporio Armani Connected is for those who love the label and don’t want to compromise on looks. The connected part is the icing on the cake.
Price: Rs 29,995
Fossil Gen 3 Q Explorist
The watch paired easily with an Android phone, but it played hooky while pairing with an iPhone (plus the battery drains rapidly when used with an iPhone). Performance was smooth with the Android. It also has a nice round AMOLED full-screen. But you need to crank up the brightness to read in sunlight.
The watch has the usual functions of a smartwatch, sans a heartbeat monitor and a GPS tracker. Responsive but inaccurate, the hard-of-hearing Google Assistant kept cropping up throughout the day. And the battery does run out of juice on a long day.
The Fossil Gen 3 Q Explorist is for Android phone users who want a classic, understated look in a smartwatch, which can be fiddled with, albeit for short durations.
Price: Rs 19,995
Guess Connect
This watch looks very similar to a mechanical watch (with a connected notification screen) we reviewed earlier.
While the single crown design is easy on the eye, the touch response of the bright screen is very impressive. A choice of custom screens and many combinations (the company claims there are over a 100) ensures that the watch matches your wardrobe. The watch performs unobtrusively — though it does lack stuff fitness enthusiasts like, such as a heart rate monitor and GPS — and has enough juice to get through a normal day (with some to spare).
The Guess Connect is for those who want a smartwatch with classic looks and who aren’t too concerned with its fitness-tracking functionality.
Price: Rs 24,500
To read the full story, Subscribe Now at just Rs 249 a month
Already a subscriber? Log in
Subscribe To BS Premium
₹249
Renews automatically
₹1699₹1999
Opt for auto renewal and save Rs. 300 Renews automatically
₹1999
What you get on BS Premium?
-
Unlock 30+ premium stories daily hand-picked by our editors, across devices on browser and app.
-
Pick your 5 favourite companies, get a daily email with all news updates on them.
Full access to our intuitive epaper - clip, save, share articles from any device; newspaper archives from 2006.
Preferential invites to Business Standard events.
Curated newsletters on markets, personal finance, policy & politics, start-ups, technology, and more.
Need More Information - write to us at assist@bsmail.in