Lifestyle use: ★★★★

This wearable Android device delivers instant notifications from your Android phone. The battery life is much better than some other products, making it genuinely wearable all day.

 

Fitness use: ★★

LG’s watch doesn’t have a heart rate monitor, and so can’t hope to compete with fitness-focused smart products. There is a built-in pedometer, and the watch includes a suite of LG health and fitness apps.

 

Design: ★★

Minimal and quite pretty, but the screen is very large which, although practical, makes the timepiece look quite cumbersome. Available in black titan and white gold with changeable straps.

 

Tech specs: 1.65” display, 400 mAh battery life. Compatible with Android 4.3 and newer.

 

Price: Official distribution pending, but currently available for USD229 or approximately B7,500 at Gadget Zone, MBK 444 Phayathai Rd. 02-620-9000. BTS National Stadium

 

While the Gear 2 is marketed primarily on fitness capabilities, it also features a 2MP built-in camera and, when connected to a Samsung phone, can take calls, receive messages and deliver notifications. Resistant to dust and water.

 

One for the athletes: it combines all the features of Samsung’s Gear Fit wristband, tracking your steps, giving out coaching advice and monitoring your heart rate.

 

It has more of a lifestyle look than the futuristic Gear Fit model, meaning you can also wear it as a daily accessory. Available in black and brown gold.

 

Tech specs: 1.63” display, 2MP built-in camera, 300 mAh battery power. Compatible with Android 4.3 and newer.

 

Price: B5,900 for Gear 2 Neo (plastic body) and B8,900 for metal body at Samsung and IT City stores

 

The main features are very close to those of LG’s G Watch, including push notifications, voice control and a display of general information like weather conditions and traffic. Unfortuantely most of the apps are designed for a square interface.

 

There is a built-in pedometer and heart-rate monitor to record your daily activity, but it does not have the full self-tracking capabilities of the Samsung Gear 2.

 

Design: ★★★★★

If you like Issey Miyake’s minimalist Twelve watch, you’ll see a lot of charm in the circular Moto 360. The dial is also customizable, with six different styles to go with the leather strap and stainless steel case.

 

Tech specs: Rounded display, all-day battery, water resistant. Compatible with Android 4.3 and newer.

 

Price: Official distribution pending, but currently available for USD249.99 or approximately B8,200 at Gadget Zone, MBK 444 Phayathai Rd. 02-620-9000. BTS National Stadium

 

The basic features include instant notifications, music control and water resistance. The best thing about this watch is its compatibility with both Android and iOS platforms. It also has much longer battery life than other smartwatches.

Fitness use: ★

There is an app that tracks how many steps you take each day, but this is definitely more of a lifestyle product.

The Pebble Watch comes with playful 8-bit-inspired design like the old Casio Data Bank.

 

Tech specs: 1.26” display. 5-7 days battery life. Compatible with iOS and Android.

 

Price: B4,500 for plastic body and B9,500 for Pebble Steel, available at www.fb.com/pebblethai