How do watch phones work

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It had GPS and was capable of using Android apps. Combined, these three watches helped establish the smartwatch as so much more than just some nerdy tech toy; by , the smartwatch was becoming essential technology. As has been established, what we now call a smartwatch has had many antecedents. Much like the evolution of an animal species, it can be hard to pinpoint a definitive point when tech-equipped watches officially became smartwatches.

Still, now that they do exist, we can at least discuss the common features of all modern smartwatches. Smartwatches are, first and foremost, digital watches as opposed to analog.

Far more than a digital display , though, these watches can run the kind of apps that are found on smartphones. They are also capable of playing digital media like music and video. Nowadays, almost all smartwatches have a touchscreen for an easy user interface.

These are the essential qualities of a smartwatch. The biggest differentiation between types of smartwatches is whether or not the watch is standalone like the Omate TrueSmart , having its own internet connection, or is designed to link with another, internet-enabled device, most commonly a smartphone. Major smartphone manufacturers like Samsung and Apple have designed smartwatches to specifically interact with their phones. Beyond those basics, smartwatches offer a variety of features and have a spectrum of abilities.

Some smartwatches have exercise and health features that include measuring heart rates, the number of steps, sleep patterns, and much more. Others include GPS and navigation instruments , wind and metrological tools, and much more. The most highly equipped smartwatches can do essentially everything that a smartphone can do, including receiving audio and text messages , allowing phone calls, and receiving emails. The watch contains a small computer that runs on its own operating system.

But how does a smartwatch work and what can you do with it? In this article, I'll tell you more about that. Connect to your smartphone Measuring daily activities and exercise Applications on your smartwatch.

Connect to your smartphone. Measuring daily activities and exercise. Applications on your smartwatch. View all smartwatches. They could store bits of information, crunch numbers and even let you play some basic games.

Swatch, Fossil and Microsoft all followed with their own versions, none of which really made an impact on consumers. In terms of functionality, current smart watches generally don't do anything particularly groundbreaking. They simply shrink many of your smartphone 's features into a form factor that you can wear on your wrist. But with miniaturized technology advancing at high speed, some people think watches are ready for the masses. Analysts at NextMarket Insights see a huge potential for smart watches.

They anticipate sales going from a relatively paltry 14 million in to a whopping million before the end of [source: NextMarket ]. Many companies, including some corporate heavyweights, are hoping that smart watches will mean big profits. Blackberry, Toshiba and LG want to be in the mix, too, and as of , there are loud rumors that both Google and Apple intend to crash the smart watch party as soon as possible. Other numbers may be telling as to the direction of smart watch sales.

NextMarket anticipates that about half of all smart watch sales will run Google's Android operating system [source: NextMarket ]. For anyone even vaguely familiar with Android 's current domination in the smartphone market, it's easy to see why Google could be an odds-on favorite to rule your wrist. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. To date, smart watches haven't created much buzz with buyers. There are some powerful products out there, though. There are already dozens of smart watches for sale.

Here are a few of the most—talked-about versions. The Sony SmartWatch 2 features a 1. The touchscreen recognizes typical gestural commands, including swipe and pinch, and you can display a digital or analog-ish clock face by default. It's water resistant and has NFC capabilities, in addition to Bluetooth. In a nod to the importance of looks, Sony lets you substitute any millimeter 0. It comes with a USB port for data transfer and charging, and under moderate use, the battery lasts about four days.

The SW2 is designed to pair with a number of Sony smartphones through Bluetooth. Once paired, you'll be able to use the watch to reject or mute phone calls, receive a call if you have a compatible headset , control music playback, and check Facebook, Twitter and text messages.

Because SmartWatch 2 is an Android device, you can download many apps from the Google Play store and run them on your watch. Sony indicates that there are around apps specifically designed for SmartWatch. A startup company called Pebble makes one of the best-selling smart watches as of late Instead, it does a few things very well, and in a package that's more stylish than most other models. For example, you can choose from hundreds of watch faces to change the look of the watch with just a press.

Pebble is 2 inches 5 centimeters long, 1. It features an ARM Cortex-M3 processor and a 3D accelerometer , which is helpful when using the watch in tandem with an athletics-minded app like RunKeeper on your phone. It's also waterproof and boasts weeklong battery life. Instead of using a power-sucking touchscreen LCD display, it has a monochrome e-paper screen like the ones you see on digital book readers.

That means you'll have to navigate menus using side-mounted buttons. Pebble works with both Android and iPhone operating systems. Once paired to your smartphone through Bluetooth 4. The maker promises that many more features are forthcoming.