Which Smartwatch is Best for Me? How To Choose in Kenya
If you are not sure which smartwatch in Kenya is best for you, then this blog post will help. We’ll cover what features to look for in a watch and how they can be beneficial.
Not only that but we will also give our opinion on the three most popular watches – Apple Watch 2, Samsung Gear S3, and LG Watch Sport.
Your choice of smartwatch might change after reading this!
What to look for when buying a smart watch
1). Compatibility
The first thing you need to know is what smartwatch will work with your smartphone in Kenya.
If you have an iPhone, then it’s most likely that the watch is compatible too.
However there are some watches that are made specifically for Android smartphones that might not be compatible with iPhones.
Also, consider whether both of your devices run on different operating systems – iOS and Android can sometimes be incompatible even if they’re running under the same brand (Apple/Samsung).
What about other brands?
It all depends on how much freedom Google has allowed manufacturers when creating their own version of Wear OS software… but in most cases, non-Suitable Brands’ watches aren’t able to pair up perfectly with any phone besides their own.
For example, Samsung Gear S watches only work with Samsung smartphones and the same goes for Apple watches.
With that being said, if you’re an iPhone user then a watch by either Sony or Nixon will be your best option because they are compatible with iOS devices in addition to Android phones too.
However, in terms of general quality – we’d still recommend sticking to well-known brands such as Motorola, Fossil Group (Fossil Q), Huawei, LG/LG Watch Sport, Michael Kors Access Smartwatches, Montblanc Summit… etc.
Brands like Sonim and Casio might not have been around long enough but their smartwatch designs look promising so far!
2). Battery Life
Battery life is a crucial requirement when buying a smartwatch in Kenya.
If you’re going to be wearing one all the time then it needs to have good battery life or else you’ll lose some features that might come in useful while out and about.
Some watches don’t even last an entire day on their own so they need charging more often than others – regardless of whether you use them for calls, fitness tracking, music playback, etc.
The battery capacity on most Android Wear OS devices typically ranges from 300mAh up to 500mAh but can sometimes go as high as 600mAh (Samsung Gear S).
Apple Watch batteries usually sit around 205mah and never exceed 355mah (Apple Watch Series One), whereas Q’s tend to fall between 300mAh – 500mAh (Samsung Galaxy Watch).
LG, Huawei, and Fitbit watches sit between 300mAh – 400mah.
The biggest battery capacity on a smartwatch is the one found on Fossil’s hybrid smartwatches in Kenya which contain an impressive 480 mAh of power!
This means that you can expect them to last up to 24 hours even with GPS, heart rate monitoring and music playback enabled all at once… but it will vary depending on how often they’re used throughout the day.
Smartwatches by Montblanc also have very long-lasting batteries as their design doesn’t include any LEDs or wireless charging coils so there are no components that require external power consumption in order for them to function properly.
We only recommend buying a watch from Montblanc if you’re looking for a luxury design rather than the latest and greatest features.
As we mentioned before, there are some watches that need to be charged more often than others – LG’s only last around 36 hours without music playback and GPS enabled whereas Fossil Group can go as long as two days or even up to three with minimal usage!
This is why it’s important to consider what kind of smartwatch you want so users don’t have to charge them every day…
Wireless charging or not?
The next thing worth knowing about the battery life of Android Wear OS devices is whether they support wireless charging or not.
Smartwatches such as those by Ticwatch in Kenya tend to come with metal bodies which means they won’t work wirelessly but most other ones have plastic/glass bodies that are compatible with Qi wireless charging.
This makes it easier to charge them overnight on a dock rather than having to remove the strap and plug in some cables every time they run out of power… here’s hoping that more manufacturers start releasing smartwatches with metal or ceramic bands!
There are also other factors such as ambient light sensor, display type, GPS chip, etc… but those aren’t so important when choosing your next watch unless you’re looking for something specific like an altimeter or barometer.
Just remember – don’t buy any Android Wear OS watch if you want one that lasts longer than two days because most models’ batteries last 24 hours maximum without anything else running at the same time!
3). Fitness features
If you’re looking for a smartwatch in Kenya that can track your fitness then it’s important to choose one with the right sensors otherwise your experience might be less than ideal.
The main thing we look out for is GPS because this allows us to accurately monitor our runs and other exercises while away from home or when it isn’t practical/possible to bring our smartphone along… such as swimming, cycling, etc.
There are various ways in which Android Wear OS devices go about tracking workouts but most of them use GPS combined with an altimeter (for counting stairs climbed), accelerometer, and gyroscope (to measure movement) – just like smartphones do!
There are some brands however that don’t include these components so they won’t be able to count how many steps you’ve taken or how far you’ve gone.
This is why it’s important to do some research before buying a smartwatch in Kenya so users know whether they’ll be able to track their workouts effectively…
Heart rate monitoring
Most watches also have heart rate sensors on the back of them which can keep track of our pulse throughout the day without needing us to hold our finger up against anything.
It doesn’t matter what kind of optical sensor manufacturers use as long as they are accurate but we advise checking this feature out for yourself because not everyone has steady hands!
We think that most people would prefer an optically-based heart rate monitor over one using electrical contacts (such as those used by Fitbit and Garmin) – at least until someone comes out with something more advanced.
Barometers
Finally, there are some companies that add additional sensors such as barometers which can measure changes in air pressure and be used to track elevation while climbing stairs or running up a hill… but we find these features fairly gimmicky at the moment.
There is no point buying an Android Wear OS watch if you want one with GPS and/or heart rate monitoring capabilities because they all come equipped with both!
So make sure your watch has most of the following:
- ambient light sensor,
- touchscreen display type (preferably AMOLED),
- wireless charging coil for convenience during long runs/workouts without having to bring cables around,
- altimeter (for counting how many floors climbed) and accelerometer (for measuring movement).
4). App availability
It’s also important to consider when buying a smartwatch in Kenya whether your Android smartwatch will be able to support certain apps because some of them require special hardware such as GPS or heart-rate sensors in order for the developers to add that particular feature on.
If you’re looking at an Apple watch in Kenya then it runs WatchOS which is tightly tied into iOS and only uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE).
So if you want something compatible with both platforms then we suggest buying one of those… even though they are more expensive!
Otherwise, there aren’t many differences between Google Fit vs Samsung Health and other fitness tracking features but we recommend using whatever operating system a user has invested time/money into learning how to use – unless they really prefer another OS…
5). Price
The final thing to consider when buying a smartwatch in Kenya is how much you’re willing to pay because most Android Wear OS watches are well over KES10K at this point.
We recommend buying the cheapest option possible but if it doesn’t have GPS or heart rate monitoring then we suggest spending a bit more money so that your watch can provide accurate data during workouts…
If you want an Apple Watch, however, there isn’t really any difference in price between one with basic features and another with advanced technology – especially since they don’t use Google Fit!
The only reason people may buy an expensive model is for aesthetic reasons (such as rose gold vs stainless steel) but even those cost around 50K right now… which isn’t all that different from other models anyway.
Other things to look for include:
a). NFC – this enables Android users to make payments with their watch
b). LTE – this means that your smartwatch can be used independently of a phone (although it must have its own SIM card)
c). IP rating [IP68]. The higher the better because they will be dust-tight and fully waterproof up to certain depths without damage occurring. Water-resistance will vary by model so do some research before buying.
e). Battery life – this can range from 25 hours to upwards of a week depending on the brand and technology used (AMOLED vs LCD) but if you’re looking at an Android watch then there’s nothing wrong with getting one that lasts up to two days without needing to recharge it because most people charge their smartwatch overnight anyway!
However, we strongly recommend devices with wireless charging built-in since they are easier/faster than using cables… especially when running or biking outdoors while wearing gloves 🙂
Three most popular smartwatches in Kenya
Apple Watch 2
Apple Watch 2 is a great smartwatch in Kenya that is packed full of technology and has an impressive battery life, but it’s expensive.
The only reason most people might want to buy this model over the others is if they’re heavily invested in Apple products already because Android phones can’t be used with iOS watches… even though some companies have tried to make things work together!
- BATTERY Type – Li-Ion 334 mAh (1.27 Wh), non-removable
- Charging – Wireless charging
- Card slot – No
- Internal – 8GB 512MB RAM
- Display Type – Retina OLED, 1000 nits (peak)
- Size – 1.65 inches
- Resolution – 390 x 312 pixels (~303 ppi density)
- Protection – Sapphire crystal glass
Apple Watch 2 price in Kenya is KSh49,000.
We recommend buying Samsung Gear S-series or LG Watch Sport instead.
Samsung Gear S3
Samsung Gear S-series are also good options for android users since they run Tizen OS rather than Google Fit – which means you won’t need your phone around when working out.
However, we don’t think these devices stand up against the apple watch series so much due to their lack of GPS/heart rate monitor (especially at higher price points) and poor battery life.
We recommend buying a cheaper model if you want to save money or choosing another device entirely since there are better options out there for the price
LG Watch Sport
LG watch sport is also an excellent choice but it’s quite expensive too – especially when compared with other smartwatches in Kenya that do more despite being from smaller brands!
It has all of the latest technology, impressive specs, and can be used without a phone…but we think this feature is overrated because most people use their phones during workouts anyway… so why spend extra on something they already own?
The only reason someone might buy one of these watches instead of our top pick (Samsung Gear S-series) would be due to design preferences such as size/shape i.e. if you have small wrists or like a smaller watch face compared to the Gear’s larger size and/or circular design.
