Best Android Smartwatches in December 2014

Best Android Smartwatches in December 2014

Early this year the folks at Google officially introduced Android Wear, their new software platform for smartwatches and other wearables. Many OEMs were quick to announce their intentions to develop Android Wear-powered smartwatches and many of them already launched them on the market.

Of course, there plenty of are other smartwatches besides the Android Wear-powered  ones, but unfortunately, only a few are worthy of being included in our Best Smartwatches in December 2014 post. Therefore, if you were planning to acquire a new smartwatch, we hope that you would find the one that suits your needs in the list below.

The Best Android Smartwatches of December 2014 post will also bring you details about each device, complete with links to help you order with ease. Anyway, if you believe that are some smartwatches that we should have included in our list, use the comments section below to let us know.

Samsung Gear S

Samsung Gear S is the latest smartwatch announced by the South Korean company. Unlike other devices of its kind, Gear S comes with SIM support so it can connect to mobile networks on its own, allowing the user to receive notifications even though the connection with the smartphone has been lost.

Samsung Gear S features a 2.0-inch Super AMOLED display with 360 x 3480 resolution and a dual-core 1.0 GHz processor. It’s running a customized version of Tizen OS and integrates 512 MB of RAM, 4 GB of internal storage, a 300 mAh battery, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.1, and USB 2.0.

It also brings an accelerometer, gyro, compass, HR monitor, ambient light, barometer, and UV sensor. On Amazon, the AT&T Gear S is selling at $199.99 on contract, or $299.99 without.

Samsung Gear Live

Gear Live is Samsung’s first smartwatch underpinned by Google’s Android Wear platform. The device saw the light of day at Google I/O back in June and it’s the only Android Wear smartwatch in Samsung’s line-up.

It’s available in two color options Black and Wine Red and it’s water and dust resistant with IP67 certification. The heart rate monitor is compatible with Samsung S Health, Google Fit, and other such apps, and it can be used to track your fines activity.

Samsung Gear Live has a 1.6-inch Super AMOLED display, quad-core Snapdragon 400 CPU, 4 GB of native storage, and 512 MB of RAM. It’s kept alive by a 300 mAh battery and weighs in at 59 grams. You can use the following link to order Gear Live from Amazon at a price of $199.

Samsung Gear 2

Samsung Gear 2 shares many of the technical specifications of the Gear Live, but it runs Tizen OS and it’s only compatible with a limited range of devices. You can sync it with 17 Samsung devices such as Galaxy S5, Note 3, Note 4, Galaxy S4, or Galaxy S3.

It’s available in three body colors Black, Orange, and Brown and it’s also IP67 certified. In terms of hardware it arrives with a 1.63-inch Super AMOLED display, a dual-core 1 GHz Exynos processor, 512 MB of RAM, 4 GB of storage, and a 300 mAh battery. It has a 2 MP BSI camera and the connectivity features include Bluetooth and NFC.

Samsung Gear 2 can be ordered from Amazon starting at $213.54. You can place your order using this link.

Samsung Gear 2 Neo

Unlike Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo doesn’t feature a camera, but the technical specs are pretty much the same. Just like the higher-end model it runs Tizen OS and it’s compatible with 17 Samsung devices.

Gear 2 Neo integrates a 1.63-inch Super AMOLED screen, 512 MB of RAM, 4 GB storage, 300 mAh battery, and the same 1 GHz processor. It also features Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy and IR blaster that can be used with WatchON and it’s IP67 water and dust resistant.

On Amazon, Gear 2 Neo is available starting at $149.99. You have three body colors to choose from (Charcoal Black, Mocha Gray, and Wild Orage) and you can order it using this link.

Samsung Gear Fit

Samsung Gear Fit is a Tizen OS-powered smartwatch aimed at the customers who are involved in a lot of activities. In the same time, it’s the fist smartwatch in the world to feature a curved display.

Gear Fit arrives with a curved Super AMOLED screen sized 1.84 inches diagonally and the processing tasks are handled by a dual-core 1 GHz Exynos CPU. It’s equipped with 512 MB of RAM, 4 GB storage, Bluetooth, and a 210 mAh battery. It also brings sensors such as heart rate monitor, gyro, and accelerometer.

As you might have expected already, it’s water and dust resistant with IP67 rating which means that you will be able to use it while in the swimming pool.

Amazon is selling the Gear Fit at a price of $159.95. You can order yours from here.

Motorola Moto 360

Motorola’s Moto 360 is one of the first Android Wear smartwatches. Even though the device was officially announced by Motorola in March, it didn’t debut on the market sooner than September. If you are scared of the early reviews saying that it has a poor battery life, you should know that this issue has been fixed by a software update.

Moto 360 brings great built quality and materials and it is IP67 certified. Motorola’s Android Wear-powered smartwatch has a round 1.56-inch display with 320 x 290 resolution and 205 ppi pixe density. The brain is a TI OMAP 3 chipset that teams-up with 512 MB of RAM and 4 GB of storage. It packs a 320 mAh battery, Bluetooth 4.0 LE, weighs in at 49 grams and the watch has 46 mm in diameter.

You can purchase the Moto 360 from Amazon at a price of $249.99 . You can order yours using this link.

Sony SmartWatch 3

Smartwatch 3 is the first Android Wear device developed by Sony. Sony Smartwatch 3 is compatible with almost all Android devices running Jelly Bean 4.3 and up.

Sony Smartwatch 3 can be purchased in Black and Yellow body colors and it’s worth noting that it’s water and dust resistant with an IP56 certification. The smartwatch has a 1.6-inch Transreflective screen with a resolution of 320 x 320 pixels. It weighs in at 45 grams and it’s powered by a quad-core 1.2 GHz CPU paired with 512 MB of RAM. You will also get 4 GB of RAM, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, and a 420 mAh battery that promises up to 2 days of autonomy.

On Amazon, the Sony SmartWatch 3 has a price tag of $275.00. You can order yours right a way using the following link.

Sony SmartWatch 3 is not yet available on Amazon, but it can be purchased from Google Play Store. It has a price of $249.99 and it can be ordered from here.

LG G Watch

Alongside Motorola, LG was one of the first manufacturers to announce their plans to develop an Android Wear smartwatch. The LG G Watch was announced soon after the platform’s debut and it was officially introduced to the public in June at Google I/O.

LG G Watch is water and dust proof with an IP67 certification and it packs a quad-core 1.2 GHz Snapdragon 400 CPU with 512 MB of RAM, and 4 GB storage.

After Google announced Android Wear in March, LG revealed their plans to launch the G Watch. Anyway, the LG smartwatch was introduced at Google I/O in June. Just like other smartwatches currently on the market, G Watch is IP67-certified. It has a 1.65-inch IPS LCD display, 400 mAh battery, Bluetooth 4.0, and it works with Android devices running Jelly Bean 4.3 and up.

G Watch is available in Black Titan and White Gold and it can be grabbed from Amazon at $114.54. You can order using this link.

LG G Watch comes in Black Titan and White Gold body colors and it’s available on Amazon at $184.99. You can place an order using this link.

LG G Watch R

G Watch R was introduced by LG in the fall and it’s underpinned by Google’s Android Wear platform. It has a round face, cronograph, and it has an IP67 certification.

The smartwatch comes with a 1.3-inch Full Circle P-OLED screen and it’s underpinned by a quad-core 1.2 GHz Snapdragon 400 SoC. It measures 46.4 x 53.6 x 9.7 mm and has a weight of 62 grams. It sports, 512 MB of RAM, 4 GB of native storage, gyro, HR monitor, and BT 4.0.

You can purchase the LG G Watch R from Amazon at a price of $299.99. You can order one right away using this link.

Pebble Steel

Pebble Steel has an amazing design and great build quality. It’s not powered by Tizen OS, nor by Android Wear, but you will have plenty of apps to choose from in the dedicated app store.

Pebble Steel measures 46 x 35.5 x 5 mm, has a weight of 56 grams, and it’s the closest you can get to a regular watch in terms of design. It has a battery that promises up to 7 days of normal usage, and it’s compatible with a wide variety of phones including Android and iOS.

It’s waterproof up to 5 atm and Amazon is selling it at $199.99. You can order one using this link.