Year in Review 2020: Here are the best five smartwatches launched this year

The onset of Covid-19 pandemic led to rise in demand for the health and fitness wearables, including smartwatches. Like in 2019, American technology giant Apple and South Korean electronics maker Samsung dominated the smartwatch segment for iOS and Android smartphones, respectively. While Apple continued its monopoly in smartwatches for the iPhone segment, Chinese smartphone maker OPPO with its Google WearOS powered Watch series emerged as a solid alternative to Samsung’s Tizen OS powered smartwatches.

Of the many launches this year, Business Standard lists the best five smartwatches that stood out in 2020:

Apple Watch Series 6

Apple Watch Series 6

Despite being an iterative upgrade over the yesteryear’s Watch Series 5, the Apple Watch Series 6 continued to reign supreme in the smartwatch category for iPhones. Powered by WatchOS 7, the Watch Series 6 got the blood oxygen saturation monitor, two-times brighter display, and improved battery life compared to the predecessor. Moreover, the Apple Watch Series 6 got more theme options, apps support and more, making it the smartwatch for health conscious people or casual fitness enthusiasts, besides those who are happy with it being a lifestyle device.

Price: Rs 43,900 onwards

Samsung Galaxy Watch 3

Samsung Galaxy Watch 3

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 3 is to Android smartphones what the Apple Watch Series 6 is to iPhones. It is a capable smartwatch that doubles up as a feature-rich health and fitness device. It boasts a classic circular design, 1.4-inch super AMOLED touchscreen, and e-SIM support for telephony. Besides, there are health and fitness features including heart rate and sleep patterns to measure blood oxygen saturation and detecting accidental falls, the Galaxy Watch 3 covers everything that one expects from a premium health and wellness device. It also doubles up as a device to take electrocardiogram but this feature is not available in India currently. Second only to Apple Watch Series 6, the Galaxy Watch 3 is as good a smartwatch as it is a health and fitness tracker.

Price: Rs 38,990

OPPO Watch

OPPO Watch 46mm

The OPPO Watch emerged as an affordable alternative to Samsung Galaxy-branded smartwatches for Android smartphones. It boasts both style and substance, thanks to smartwatch capabilities topped with health and fitness features. Moreover, its design has a touch of novelty (side-curved display) that looks unlike any other smartwatch. The Watch’s subpar on-battery time and lack of wireless charging support set it back a few notches if you compare it with Samsung smartwatches. Therefore, the OPPO Watch emerged as the best WearOS smartwatch, but the second best smartwatch for Android smartphones.

Price: Rs 19,990

Casio G-Shock GBD-H1000

Casio G-Shock GBD-H1000

The Casio’s G-Shock GBD-H1000 is one-of-its-kind smartwatch. It carries forward Casio’s legacy of making rugged watches but with smart features. It has built-in GPS for location services, multiple sensors, and solar charging on top of regular USB charging. Besides, it features an optical heart rate sensor. Being a G-Shock, it goes without saying that the watch is both shock and water resistance. The Casio G-Shock GBD-H1000 brings the modern day features in a conventional G-Shock form factor. The GBD-H1000 brings the best of both worlds, the comfort of conventional digital G-shock and a modern smartwatch that counts your steps, heart rate, VO2 max, and a lot more.

Price: Rs 39,995

Garmin Forerunner 45

Garmin Forerunner 45

Though more of a health and fitness wearable, the Garmin Forerunner 45 has some smartwatch-like functionality. It is a slim and lightweight smartwatch with built-in GPS, VO2 max, accelerometer, an optical heart rate monitor, activity and sleep tracking, energy-level monitoring, stress tracking, music controls, and safety features such as live tracking and incident detection. With seven-day battery life on a single charge, the Forerunner 45 (Review) keeps a track of all your activities and you get further insights on elevation, strides and other details from Garmin's app. The Forerunner 45 is one of the go-to smartwatches for those who take fitness seriously and are fine with compromising the flashy part in a smartwatch.

Price: Rs 19,990