Now that we have smartwatches starting at Rs. 1000, most people prefer buying a smartwatch over smart fitness bands or regular watches. Most companies have also ditched fitness bands in favor of smartwatches. Fire-bolt, Noise, boAt, Realme, and Play are a few popular brands that are several smartwatches for less than Rs. 5000. Low-cost smartwatch offering has also made these brands put at the top of rankings in terms of shipments. I have seen a lot of people boasting features of their budget smartwatches. But accuracy remains a key concern. If you just look at the specs sheet and features, these watches seem to offer a lot of things for the price, but are they really worth it? Let’s find out.
I have used several smartwatches and my experience was mixed. These watches count steps, calories you burn, heart rate, SpO2, stress, sleep, and more. But all these features are just there with no considerable impact. The accuracy of health data provided by affordable smartwatches depends on the specific device and the features it offers. Budget smartwatches use several sensors such as accelerometers and heart rate monitors to track various health metrics, such as steps taken, distance traveled, and heart rate. However, the accuracy of these sensors can be affected by several factors including the position of the device on the wrist and the individual’s physical characteristics. This can result in less accurate data for certain metrics, such as heart rate or sleep tracking.
Apple, Samsung, Garmin, and Fitbit are a few notable brands that sell high-end smartwatches. If you just look at the features list, budget smartwatches also have the most features found in high-end smartwatches. But accuracy is the reason why high-end smartwatches cost much higher. For example, Apple’s heart rate tracking is so accurate that its ECG is accepted by doctors in the US. In a study published in the Journal of American Medical Association, Apple Watch was found to be the most accurate. Budget smartwatches can give you a rough idea of heart rate but the data may be inaccurate.
Additionally, many affordable smartwatches do not have built-in GPS, which can affect the accuracy of data related to distance traveled and pace. This is the reason, High-end smartwatches feature built-in GPS to accurately track your position and altitude.
Several budget smartwatches now offer Bluetooth calling features. These watches basically pair with your phone like Bluetooth headphones. So, you can accept calls directly from your watch and have a conversation with the caller using the built-in mic and speaker in the watch. But this creates trouble when you try to play a video on your phone. Sound comes from your watch, rather than the phone. I really found this awkward.
Should you buy an affordable smartwatch?
Sure. You can buy it. There is no problem in buying an affordable smartwatch. You only need not blindly trust health tracking. While affordable smartwatches can provide some useful health data, it’s important to keep in mind that the accuracy of this data may be limited.
Most people use smartwatches to check notifications on their wrists. So, they don’t have to unlock their phone until there’s an important notification. People who care for their health can use budget smartwatches to have a rough idea of their workouts, steps, calories, and more. Even if this data is not accurate, it can still motivate them to get out of bed and do something for their physical health.
