Best Smartwatches in October 2014

Now that smartwatches have finally become mainstream, there are quite a few OEMs competing on the newly created niche. Google also helped raising the popularity of smartwatches after they introduced Android Wear earlier this year, their new mobile platform for smartwatches and other wearables.

Anyway, there are a lot of smartwatches currently on the market, but only a few are worth spending your money on. Hopefully our Best Smartwatches post would help you find the one that fits your needs.

You should also keep in mind that this isn’t a top and that the watches are sorted by manufacturer. If we missed any watch that you believe that it’s worth to be featured among October’s best smartwatches, please let us know in the comments section below.

Samsung Gear Live

Gear Live is Samsung’s first Android Wear-powered smartwatch. The device was released this summer at Google’s I/O annual tech conference and it’s one of the few Android Wear-powered smartwatches currently available on the market.

Samsung Gear Live is IP67-certified (water and dust resistant) and it comes in two color options: Black and Wine Red. Among others, the device is equipped with a heart-rate monitor that will track your activity and sync with Samsung’s S Health app on your smartphone.

The Samsung wearable has an always-on display that you will mostly use for reading texts, emails, or checking who’s calling your phone. It also has voice commands and is Google Now-compatible. Hardware-wise, Gear Live sports a quad-core Snapdragon 400 CPU, 4 GB storage, 512 MB RAM, and a 1.6-inch Super AMOLED display. The device is kept alive by a 300 mAh battery and weighs in at 59 grams. Amazon is selling the Gear Live at $197.99. You can order it from here.

Samsung Gear 2

Samsung Gear 2 shares many of the technical specifications of the Gear live, only it runs Tizen OS. The Gear 2 is available in Black, Orange, or Brow and it is water and dust resistant (IP67 certification).

Samsung’s Tizen OS smartwatch has a 1.63-inch Super AMOLED screen and is powered by a dual-core 1 GHz Exynos processor. The technical specifications list also includes 512 MB of RAM, 4 GB of internal storage, Bluetooth Low Energy, and a 300 mAh battery. Unlike the Gear Live, Gear 2 has a 2 MP BSI camera and is only compatible with 17 Samsung devices, including Samsung Galaxy S5, Galaxy Note 3, Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy S4, and Galaxy S3.

Gear 2 is also more expensive than Gear Live, having a price tag of $267.99. You can order it from Amazon here.

Samsung Gear 2 Neo

Samsung Gear 2 Neo is a bit lower-end than Gear 2, but it is capable of doing similar stuff. In terms of technical specifications, Gear 2 Neo arrives with a 1.63-inch Super AMOLED screen, Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy, 4 GB storage, and 512 MB of RAM. Gear 2 Neo doesn’t arrive with a 2 MP camera like the Gear 2, though.

The smartwatch also comes with an infra red blaster which will allow you to control your TV or other appliances using Samsung’s WatchON app. It has a IP67 certification meaning that it’s both water and dust resistant and it can be paired with the same Samsung devices like Gear 2.

On Amazon, Samsung Gear 2 has a price of $196.86 and you can order it from here. It’s available in Charcoal Black, Mocha Gray or Wild Orange.

Samsung Gear Fit

Samsung Gear Fit has a different form factor when compared to Samsung’s other smartwatches. The South Koreans said that they designed the Gear Fit to fulfill the needs of the outgoing and sporty type of users.

Just like Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo, Gear Fit is powered by Samsung’s Tizen OS, but it has a a 1.84-inch 432×128 pixels curved Super AMOLED display. The processing tasks are handled by a dual-core processor clocked at 1 GHz, while the technical specifications list also includes 512 MB RAM, 4 GB storage, Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy, and a 210 mAh battery. Gear Fit also integrates a heart-rate sensor, gyroscope and accelerometer.

It has IP67 certification and it can be ordered from Amazon at $149.99. You can use the following link to order it.

Motorola Moto 360

Motorola’s Moto 360 was one of the first Android Wear smartwatches to be announced, but it wasn’t made available for purchase until mid-September. Initially it has received negative reviews for its poor battery life, but a recent software update has fixed this issue.

Moto 360 is one of the most beautiful smartwatches currently on the market and it comes with a round 1.56-inch 320 x 290 screen with 205 ppi and has IP67 certification. It’s powered by a TI OMAP 3 processor paired with 512 MB of RAM, has 4 GB of native storage, BT 4.0 Low Energy, and a 320 mAh battery. The deice weighs in 49 grams, and has 46 mm in diameter.

On Amazon you will find the Moto 360 at a price of $329.99. You can order it by clicking this link.

LG G Watch

Soon after the Android Wear announcement, LG has introduced the G Watch to the public. Anyway, they didn’t reveal all the details sooner than Google I/O 2014. Just like its competitors, G Watch is water and dust-resistant having an IP67 certification.

LG’s Android Wear-powered smartwatch is underpinned by a quad-core 1.2 GHz Snapdragon 400 processor, while packing a 1.65-inch IPS LCD screen, 512 MB of RAM, 4 GB storage, Bluetooth 4.0, and a 400 mAh battery. LG G Watch can be paired with any Android smartphone running Android 4.3 Jelly Bean or latter.

You can order the LG G Watch from Amazon at a price of $170 here. It’s available in Black Titan or White Gold.

Pebble Steel

Pebble Steel is a beautifully crafted smartwatch. Is not running Android Wear nor Tizen OS, but it’s the closest you will get to a regular watch in terms of design. You will be able to download apps from the Pebble app store and it promises a battery life of up to 7 days.

Pebble Steel measures 46 x 35.5 x 5 mm, weighs in at 56 grams and is waterproof up to 5 atm. You will find it on Amazon with a price tag of $199.99. You can place your order here.

Pebble

The first gen Pebble is the oldest smartwatch in our list. It’s the predecessor of Pebble Steel and it’s made by the same company, being the result of one of the most successful Kickstarter crowd-founding projects.

Pebble brings a black and white e-paper display and, just like its successor, it promises a battery life of up to 7 days. It measures 52 × 11.5 x 36 mm and has a weight of only 38 grams.

The smartwatch is made of polycarbonate and is compatible with a TPU rubber or silicon strap. It’s waterproof up to 5 atm and it’s available in three body colors: black, red, and white. Amazon is selling the first gen Pebble at a price of $145.99. You can order it using this link.