This article discusses the recent announcements of connected watches, highlighting releases from Samsung, Google, and Apple in 2024. It emphasizes the lack of significant hardware innovations in the latest models, focusing instead on software enhancements centered around health and fitness tracking. Despite incremental changes in design, manufacturers are prioritizing advanced health features and metrics, indicating a shift in the market towards sports-oriented functionalities. Garmin’s stronghold in sports watches is also noted, showing the evolving landscape of connected devices.
This autumn has been particularly eventful, not just for smartphones but also for smartwatches. On July 10, Samsung kicked off the season by unveiling its Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch Ultra.
What are the top smartwatches of 2024?
A month later, Google introduced its Pixel Watch 3 and Pixel Watch 3 XL, followed by Apple with the single release of the Apple Watch Series 10 in September.
Overview of New Releases from Samsung, Google, and Apple
With summer behind us, it’s a good time to evaluate the latest generation of premium smartwatches powered by Wear OS and watchOS. Overall, the major brands have been somewhat conservative regarding new features in both measurement capabilities and design.
Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 7, for instance, retains a design akin to that of its predecessor, the Galaxy Watch 6. In terms of hardware, the updates include a more energy-efficient chip, a revamped heart rate sensor, and dual-frequency GPS tracking, which hasn’t proven to be particularly impactful.
Similarly, the Pixel Watch 3, which launched a month later, also features limited new hardware. The standout aspect is the new 45mm size, addressing concerns from previous models that felt too small on a larger wrist. A larger watch not only enhances skin contact for more accurate heart rate readings but also provides better screen real estate for a more enjoyable user experience. Notably, the bigger size allowed Google to fit in a larger battery, giving the Pixel Watch 3 over two days of use with the always-on display – a significant improvement over its predecessor.
However, aside from the size upgrade, the Pixel Watch 3 doesn’t deliver much in terms of new features. The updates are mainly aesthetic, with a slightly larger, brighter screen that doesn’t drastically outperform earlier versions.
The Apple Watch Series 10 follows a similar path, offering a slight design tweak and minor size increases, from 41mm to 42mm for the smaller option and from 45mm to 46mm for the larger one. The watch is also marginally thinner than the Series 9, losing 1mm, but this change isn’t substantial in day-to-day life.
In summary, like smartphones, the smartwatch sector has shown a tendency to stagnate regarding innovation. The groundbreaking advancements that characterized the industry five years ago appear to have diminished.
Enhanced Software Focused on Health and Fitness
Despite limited hardware and design changes, the new lineup of smartwatches for 2024 offers significant software advancements, enhancing the value of these devices. The great part is that these software improvements benefit not only the latest models but also older versions.
For instance, Google’s updated Fitbit app now includes more metrics for sports and running, such as vertical oscillation and ground contact time, in addition to new daily fitness and heart rate scores.
Samsung introduced an energy score feature that assesses recovery levels and provides tips for improving fitness.
Apple also contributes with new fitness metrics through the Vital Signs app, which analyzes overnight recovery, and the Training Load feature, designed to track progress effectively.
Health and Fitness: The Core Value of Smartwatches
These new functionalities largely cater to health and fitness enthusiasts. A survey I conducted revealed that nearly half of users primarily utilized their smartwatches for notifications, with 34% using them for health tracking and 16% for workouts, underscoring the devices’ focus beyond mere notification purposes.
The recent software upgrades from Samsung, Apple, and Google primarily target health-conscious individuals or fitness enthusiasts. After all, for basic notifications, an affordable fitness tracker would suffice.
This marks a significant shift from the early days of smartwatches. When the first Apple Watch was launched, Apple struggled to define its purpose, emphasizing features like Apple Maps and photo galleries. Meanwhile, Samsung’s Galaxy Gear included a built-in camera, and Android Wear’s initial offerings included mobile games on small wrist screens.
A decade later, the smartwatch market is evolving to answer a simple question: what distinguishes a smartwatch from a smartphone? Both have screens, processors, and storage – what makes the watch unique is its constant presence on your wrist.
Smartwatches can incorporate various sensors to monitor heart rate, oxygen levels, temperature, and more, enabling thorough health and activity analysis.
The Rise of Sport-oriented Smartwatches
Garmin has excelled in anticipating the sports-centric use of smartwatches. Initially recognized for its GPS products in the 90s, Garmin has dedicated over 20 years to creating watches specifically