Smartwatch buying criteria – Smartwatch user guide

Nowadays, smart watches are becoming more and more popular in the Vietnamese market. However, choosing a good device that suits the user's needs is not a simple matter.

In the article below, we will share with you some criteria for choosing to buy a smartwatch as well as instructions on how to use this device.

10 criteria for choosing the right smartwatch
When choosing to buy a smartwatch, let's consider the following 8 criteria.

Choose the manufacturing brand
Not only smartwatches but any electronic device, before buying, we must pay attention to the brand first. Each brand will have a different place of watch production and warranty policy. Choosing reputable brands is also a way to ensure the quality of the product you have purchased. Some famous brands include Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo, Huawei...

Watch face shape
There are 3 types of watch face shapes: round, rectangular and square.

• Round watch face: suitable for people with small wrists, combined with a leather strap or metal strap with small links to create a light, hugging feeling. Women often prefer to choose round-faced designs because they are easy to coordinate with many types of outfits and you can wear the watch in many situations such as going to work, going out, attending parties, etc.
• For watches with rectangular faces: suitable for people with large wrist bones. Rectangular faces will help to cover this defect well, creating a slimmer wrist feeling. In addition, rectangular designs also have larger screen sizes, meaning that more information will be displayed on the watch face.
• Square-faced watches: suitable for those with a wrist circumference of 17 cm or more. If you have large wrists but still like to use a square face, we can consider choosing a type with a minimum diameter of 3.7 cm.

 Strap material
There are 3 popular types of straps on the market today as follows:

• Leather strap: This is the most popular material because it can hug the wrist but does not cause stuffiness or discomfort to the wearer. This type of strap is mostly used by office workers. However, the usage time of leather watch straps is often short, only from 6 - 24 months. They are also easily damaged when exposed to harsh weather.
• Metal strap: Metal strap designs are often very sophisticated and beautiful, exuding luxury and elegance. At the same time, they are also favored for their high durability and sturdiness. In addition, when using metal straps, you can completely flexibly adjust the position of the strap to suit your wrist.
• Silicone strap: Made from synthetic polymer resin, silicone watch straps are highly heat-resistant, soft, creating a feeling of comfort for the wearer. In particular, this material is completely waterproof, you also do not have to worry about them rusting. These are 2 outstanding advantages of silicone straps compared to leather and metal materials.

Watch face diameter

The diameter of the watch is calculated based on the width of the wearer's wrist. Currently, there are 5 popular diameters, which are:

• 3.8 cm: For people with small and medium wrists, from 15.5 cm to 18 cm. This is the diameter size suitable for women's wrists.

• 4 cm: With this type, the wrist size will be from 18 - 18.5 cm and is often used more by men.

• 4.2 cm: Similar to size 4 cm, this type 4.2 is also more suitable for men and is often used for those with wrist sizes from 18.5 - 19 cm.

• 4.4 cm: from this size up is a very large size and is only for men with wrists from 19.5 - 20 cm.

• 4.6 cm: Men with wrists from 20 - 21.5 cm can choose this watch face size.

The above are just references, you can choose the size according to your preferences to suit your needs and express your own personality.

 Battery life
Usually, a smartwatch has a maximum battery life of about 7 days. After that, you have to charge the battery for the device to continue working. They are far different from traditional watches, but this is completely understandable. Smart watches must connect to the phone via Bluetooth, so they will consume more energy. In addition, smartwatches also have a rather bulky and complex processing and chip system, requiring a lot of power consumption. Of course, battery capacity also depends on many other factors such as display screen, product line, operating system, connection, etc.

Is it compatible with your phone?
The ability to connect to the phone is a criterion that many users are interested in because if 2 devices use different operating systems, they cannot synchronize data and applications. Therefore, before buying, you must carefully understand which platform the product will run on. Android smartwatches will only be compatible with Android phones and vice versa, Apple watch can only be used with iPhones.

Utilities on the watch
Depending on the needs and purposes of use, we choose products with suitable accompanying utilities. Below are some utilities in the appwatch that you can refer to:

• Listen and receive calls: just successfully connect to the mobile phone, you can completely listen and receive calls without having to insert a sim card.
• Positioning: Because it is a smart device, the smartwatch can help the wearer determine the direction, current location... with extremely high accuracy. This will be a very effective tool for those who like to experience exploration in the forest.
• Listen to music: Currently, most smart watches have the ability to store music, supporting users to listen even when there is no network. Just own a bluetooth headset and you can enjoy good music!
• Always-on display screen: No need to touch or unlock the screen like a smartphone, with this feature, you can check the time at any time. In addition, when the wearer is not observing, the screen will automatically reduce the brightness to save energy.
• Route: This is a feature used by many parents for their young children. You can observe your child from a distance, thereby detecting abnormalities and protecting your child in time.

Water resistance
Most of today's smart watches are equipped with water resistance technology up to 5ATM. Thanks to that, you do not need to take them off every time you swim, wash your hands or take a shower. Of course, waterproof watches cannot be used for swimming activities too deep in water because the pressure can affect your device. Instead, we can choose to buy a specialized type for more comfort when swimming or diving.

Health monitoring
Some of the smartwatch's health monitoring and care modes are as follows:

• Heart rate measurement: The bottom of the watch is equipped with a sensor by the manufacturer to support the heart rate measurement feature. From there, the device will provide a statistical table for users to monitor and make appropriate adjustments in their daily activities.
• Sleep monitoring: Use the sensor to monitor body movements during sleep. From there, give results and evaluate your sleep quality.
• Measuring blood oxygen concentration: Also one of the important indicators, assessing human health. The operating mechanism is the same as the heart rate monitor, which is from the sensor attached to the back of the watch. Calculating the number of calories consumed each day: This feature is based on body movement, counting the number of steps, height, weight, heart rate index... to calculate the number of calories we consume each day.

 Reputable stores
In addition to choosing a brand, finding a reputable store is also very important. Currently, the smart watch market is so diverse that it is impossible to avoid the appearance of fake, counterfeit, and poor quality goods. And most consumers cannot detect which is fake and which is genuine.

Therefore, the only way is to choose a reputable store to buy. You can refer to the top reputable smart watch stores through social networks, discussion and exchange groups or from people around you.

Instructions for using smartwatches effectively for beginners
Here are the most basic steps for using smart watches for beginners.

Starting the device
Before you want to use a smart watch, you must know how to start it. It's very simple! Find the power button and hold it for a few seconds until you see the screen display with the startup music.

Install SIM and memory card
To perform the functions of calling and storing information, we need to install the SIM and memory card into the watch. First, we will gently remove the watch cover. Then, pull the SIM and memory card holder in the direction of the arrow. Finally, you put the SIM or memory card in and reinsert it until you hear a clicking sound.

Charging the battery
Charging the battery with a USB cable is the most common charging method for low-cost or mid-range watches. In addition, you can also charge the watch with a magnetic dock. Charging with NFC will help the watch limit battery drain. Of course, this type of charging is only available on high-end products from big brands such as Apple. Garmin or Samsung.

Connecting to a smartphone
This is an operation that any smartwatch user must know. First, we download the watch control application compatible with your phone. For example, with a smartphone running the Android operating system, you download the Android Wear application. Then, you set the language, agree to the terms of use. Finally, connect via bluetooth.