17 Different Types of Smartwatches – Know Your Options

Noor June 13, 2021

Smartwatches are no longer the new technology on the market. They have been around for a while now and come in all shapes, sizes, and colors! But with so many options available, how do you know which smartwatch is right for you?

In this guide, we will explore different types of smartwatches that exist out there today. We will also take a look at what features each type offers to help you determine what’s best for your needs.

But if you want to know about overall types of wristwatches then read our other article about different types of watches.

Different Types of Smartwatches

If you’re new to smartwatches, don’t be overwhelmed by the many options available in today’s marketplace. Smartwatch technology has come a long way from what were once rather bulky devices with limited functionality and expensive price tags. These days, there are many different types of smartwatches with options for men and women.

The selection process is not as daunting when you know what differentiates them all—and we’ll go through each type below:

1. Classic Smartwatches

A classic smartwatch is the most fashionable type of watch on this list. They have a simple, sleek design that doesn’t call too much attention to itself—a little like an analog or traditional style but with added features. You can choose from various styles and colors for both men and women, including stainless steel, gold, and rose gold.

This type of smartwatch is the most affordable, typically costing less than $200. They have a classic look that can be worn on any occasion and is great for men or women alike. Classic smartwatches can be connected to the phone via Bluetooth technology, so you won’t have to worry about staying connected with your smartwatch.

2. Companion Smartwatch

A companion smartwatch is a device that connects to your smartphone so you can receive notifications, messages, and phone calls on your smartwatch.

These devices can also provide various features such as step tracking for fitness purposes, controlling music playback on your iPhone with voice commands, and even making payments via NFC using Apple Pay.

The new companion smartwatch is sleek, fashionable, and full of functions. The newest in the line of innovative technology you can wear on your wrist! The cutting-edge design makes for easy use with a touch-screen interface to make things easier than ever before.

Fitbit Versa and Samsung Galaxy Watch are two of the best companion smartwatches available in the market.

3. Standalone Smartwatches

Standalone smartwatches don’t require a smartphone to function. You can use any cellular network or LTE to make or receive calls, text people, tune into your favorite music and use various apps. This gives you the freedom from using heavy smartphones.

There are different companies like Apple and Samsung that offer standalone smartwatches which have powerful capabilities. Not only do they offer a fitness tracking app, but they also include features like heart rate monitoring and GPS navigation, so users get every ounce out of them.

Apple Watch Series 4 and Samsung Gear S are popular standalone smartwatches that are a complete all-in-one package that meets your everyday needs.

4. Fitness Smartwatches

The fitness smartwatches are designed to tell you how many steps to walk, the distance traveled, and many others. They’re also great for those who want some exercise but don’t have enough time in their schedule or motivation on their own!

You’ll be set up with everything needed: reminders to get moving, workout programs customized based on individual goals and needs.

The casing of the fitness smartwatches is made from lighter materials, such as aluminum or plastic. Manufacturers use a silicone strap that is more comfortable on your wrist for the user’s convenience.

Speaking of features, some of the fitness smartwatches can also work as standalone watch that allows you to make or receive calls without being connected to a phone. This makes it easier for fitness trainers who don’t want to bring their phones along while running. It can easily integrate with fitness apps like Google Fit or Strava.

5. Sports Smartwatches

Sports smartwatches come in all shapes and sizes, but they are all made for physical activity. They’re usually the least expensive smartwatches out there too. Moreover, they make great starter watches for those who are new to the world of fitness.

If you want to track your fitness stats during a running, hiking, swimming, or cycling session and have an all-day comfortable design that can last for the whole day, then these sports smartwatches are perfect.

They’re water-resistant with inbuilt GPS, so even if it’s raining outside, they’ll still function properly.

6. Hybrid Smartwatch

The best smartwatches are those that have the look of a traditional watch but offer more than just telling time. The hybrid is an innovative technology that combines some connected features with mechanical techniques, so you can go from professional into casual real quick and not feel out-of-place at work or on your off day.

The hybrid smartwatches are made smart by adding blue-tooth connectivity that allows you to pair your smartwatch with the phone. They include a range of features that helps you to monitor your physical activity, such as tracking steps, checking your heartbeat rate, sleep tracking, etc.

You might have to use your phone to set up the smartwatch and making any changes to settings. The smartwatch screen is only big enough to show daily step count or tell you when you have a new notification, but it’s all about what comes from within you.

One of the major benefits of the hybrid smartwatch is the fact that it has long battery life. Unlike other smartwatches, this type of watch usually doesn’t consume a lot of battery.

7. Rugged Smartwatches

Rugged smartwatches are durable and designed for a variety of different conditions. They can withstand dust, water drops, sand, dirt, and even some degree of drop-shock – thanks to the durable and high-quality body they have.

These smartwatches also include features like fitness trackers to track your activity while you’re cycling, swimming, etc. It also displays sports metrics such as your heartbeat rate, finds out the no of calories you’ve burned, and many more.

8. Luxury Smartwatches

Luxury smartwatches have come a long way since their introduction in the early 2000s. Most consumer watches are not very expensive, but luxury smartwatch brands offer an opportunity for customers to spend higher amounts of money on quality timepieces that they may only wear once or twice per year.

Breitling, Frederique Constant, and Tag Heuer have stepped up the smartwatch market. These brands that are so highly prized for their timepieces now offer luxury smartwatches.

They include activity tracking, fitness monitoring, and GPS worldwide navigation capabilities, just like a normal smartwatch. The only difference is the fact that you’re paying a greater price for the premium brand.

9. Camera Smartwatches

The latest trend in wearable technology is the camera smartwatch. These devices are equipped with video cameras, which allow wearers to shoot videos and pictures.

The camera on your smartwatch can be a great way to take pictures that don’t immediately reveal the user’s identity. They are also ideal for use in tricky lighting situations, like when you’re at an event or sitting outside during sunset where there is often too much light.

Like any other smartwatch, you can connect it to your phone via Bluetooth and access various features. For example, making or receiving calls, sending or reading text messages, checking your notifications, opening your mails, and using other apps.

The smartwatch comes with internal memory as well as a separate slot for a memory card, which means you can easily store your pictures and videos with ease.

Another noteworthy feature is that they have a good battery life once it’s fully charged. It’s bound to last for 12 hours.

10. Waterproof Smartwatches

The waterproof smartwatch market is starting to heat up. Many newer models are coming with IPX-certified sensors, which can make them resistant to water damage for an hour or more.

The best waterproof smartwatch lets you check your messages and receive calls on a rainy day. You can’t use it while you’re swimming or performing any water sports. However, they can easily function underwater.

Not all smartwatches are designed to remain submerged in water, but some of them can withstand the pressure of 100m.

They are marked with different grades, such as 5 ATM or 10 ATM. This means that a 10 ATM smartwatch offers water resistance up to 10 meters. Similarly, watches having the 5 ATM mark can withstand pressure up to 50m.

Moreover, waterproof smartwatches have built-in GPS and can easily monitor heart rate, check stress levels, and other statistics.

11. GPS smartwatches

GPS smartwatches come with a built-in GPS module that can track your location without the need for an external Bluetooth device. GPS smartwatches are typically more expensive than other types of smartwatches.

GPS smartwatches have been gaining popularity lately with their ease of use to tell us our location and expected arrival times when we set out into unfamiliar regions.

This handy tool not only tells us exactly where we should be going but also lets us know just what kind of obstacles might lie ahead along the way so that nothing slows down or throws off our schedule unexpectedly.

12. Women smartwatches

A woman’s smartwatch can be a fashion statement, or it could just provide the convenient functionality of an ordinary watch. Women’s wrists can’t handle the heavy and bulky watches that they’ve been wearing all of these years and switching to smartwatches instead.

The world has seen a recent boom on ‘wearable technology,’ an industry term used when referring to tech-enabled devices worn on the body, especially wrist, instead of being placed at your desk or around your homes like computers, tablets, and televisions.

Many women smartwatches have features designed exclusively for women, including menstrual tracking, monitoring your heart and sleep patterns, or beat stress. This will appeal more to the holistic-minded woman interested in her wellbeing.

Women smartwatches have different designs that have got a feminine look to them. They are designed to be lightweight to fit the small wrist easily.

13. Budget Smartwatches

A good budget smartwatch has a solid build quality. From the moment you hold it in your hand, it shouldn’t feel like a cheap product with wobbly or mushy buttons and loose straps.

A typical budget smartwatch will mirror your notifications (like text messages), track your daily fitness goals such as steps or calories burned, and control media from time to time.

With budget models starting at under $50, they’re more accessible than ever before. Unlike general-use smartwatches, they cannot download apps, so you are limited to the features they ship with.

The market for budget smartwatches is on the rise. A great example of this trend is Casio’s latest releases, which are sleek-looking and stylish without costing a fortune. They aren’t only affordable but can easily be connected to Spotify and other apps.

14. Kids Smartwatches

Smartwatches for children have many positive features that make them a better choice than giving young kids an actual phone. For example, some will allow you to monitor their whereabouts by GPS or set up two-way calls with your child.

Some smartwatches for children also come equipped with educational games, GPS trackers, SOS buttons, all of which help make sure both parties know where each other is at any given time while providing some peace of mind.

Kid’ssmartwatches are suitable for ages 6 and above. They are useful since they offer built-in features like calendar, time, and trackers. Some smartwatches also come with a camera that allows your kids to take pictures or video if they are into photography.

15. Spy Smartwatches

Spy smartwatches have an advanced inbuilt camera that is cleverly hidden on display. Smartwatches help you secretly record videos and pictures with just a single push of a button.

Spy watches also come with night vision cameras and long battery life for clear recording at any time. They also include a large storage capacity to save all of those recorded clips safely away before transferring them onto an external device.4

Moreover, spy smartwatches have minimalistic designs that should be comfortable on your wrist and not draw any attention. Liyahha Home and CIGONG Smartwatch are some of the best-selling hidden camera smartwatches.

16. Sports Smartwatches

A sports smartwatch is an electronic device that can monitor your physical activity by using sensors, GPS tracking, and heart rate monitors.

Smartwatches are becoming more popular with athletes due to their information about training and how it affects other areas of life like sleep patterns and stress levels.

These smartwatches are particularly designed to be fitness-focused so that they can help you in any sport. You’ll find dedicated smartwatches for skiing, golf, and other outdoor activities that are different from regular fitness watches.

GPS and trackers are common features found in almost every smartwatch, but with a sports smartwatch, you can enjoy the benefits of additional features like maps, altimeters, and music.

Wow, this device is so lightweight and comfortable that you won’t even feel it in the long run.

17. Unisex smartwatches

Smartwatches are no longer reserved for men. As technology has evolved, Smartwatch designs have become more gender-neutral with a sleek design that can be worn by both genders comfortably!

In earlier days of wearables like watches, they used to be bulky and mainly worn by males. But now, there’s been an emergence in lightweight minimalist-designed devices tailored specifically to suit everyone’s taste.

They have all the latest features you can expect from a modern smartwatch. From GPS capabilities to tracking your progress to check your mobile notifications to monitoring your stress levels, this timepiece does the job well done.

What to look for when you’re buying a smartwatch?

There is a wide range of smartwatches available in the market, and picking one can be overwhelming. Before you decide to invest money in a smartwatch, consider these factors to find the perfect gadget for your needs:

1. Battery timing

The battery life of the smartwatch you choose should be one of the most important features when deciding which smartwatch to buy. Some watches can last longer while others only half a day, so it’s important to choose a smartwatch that will last until work, depending upon your requirements.

2. Screen

From the moment you hold a smartwatch in your hand, it automatically feels like something important. What does this device do? How much is worth its weight, and what can I accomplish with such a small screen size? When considering these questions, remember that every watch has its upsides.

From full touchscreen to simple black-and-white display, from showing only icons for notifications or displaying whole messages, every detail counts when deciding which one will be perfect for you. Choose the smartwatch wisely.

3. Water resistance

If you’re a swimmer, pay close attention to the water resistance rating. You’ll be wearing an extended-wear smartwatch for hours at a time; there’s even the possibility that you may forget it is on your arm. Not every smartwatch can withstand rain or heavy splash. Therefore, if you’re into swimming or water activities, you can’t ignore this factor.

4. Compatibility

The compatibility of a smartwatch is an important factor to consider when purchasing one. If you have the wrong phone, it will be useless, so make sure that your smartphone and smartwatch are compatible with each other.

5. Functionalities

Smartwatches have a lot of additional functionality. You can use some for checking in on Facebook or Foursquare with the tap of a button, finding your lost phone, play music, take pictures/videos and run different apps. It all depends on the type of smartwatch you’ve and its model.

6. Look

A watch is a perfect accessory to compliment your style. Do you want a subtle timepiece or something with more flash? Are you looking for classic elegance or a little sass in your wardrobe? There are many different styles of smartwatches out there, and they can be worn on any occasion. Choose a smartwatch according to your liking.