27

FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 2015 Best for customization

Moto 360 (249$) Best for sports The Moto 360 initially underwhelmed when it was launched last year, with poor battery life and a sub-standard screen cool- Sony 3 ing the fire of expectation as the first round-faced smartwatch. Well, Motorola has responded, improving its longevity and (249$) releasing a host of color and strap options that bring this device to life. With Android Wear on board, excellent notifications and An Android Wear latecomer, the Sony a growing range of quality apps, it comes highly recommended SmartWatch 3 is the envy of its rivals for its and, thanks to the new Moto Maker platform, customizing a built-in GPS features, which means you can 360 is easier than ever. leave your smartphone at home when you go for a run. The sports styling make it per- fect for a weekend jog, and while the screen is a little dull compared to the LG G Watch R, the latest Android Wear update means it can Best for women pair with wireless headphones for beats on the go. The Garmin Vivoactive is landing soon though and has serious eyes on becoming Asus ZenWatch (199$) the sporty smartwatch of choice. By no means exclusively for women, the stylish ZenWatch is about as close to unisex as Android Wear had come - at least until the slick looking Hua- wei Watch was unveiled at MWC 2015. All Android Wear’s features are available – from apps to notifica- tions – in a retro looking, gold device which rounds the edges for a less aggressive design. The screen lacks the punch of some of its rivals, but when it comes to looks, it will take some beating. Best for display S (350$) The doesn’t get everything right, and its main USP of being able to operate without your smartphone using its own SIM card is way off the mark. However, there’s no Most doubt that its 2-inch AMOLED display is the best you’ll find. It runs , Samsung’s own OS, and anticipated there are over 1,000 apps available in a vibrant app store and boasts GPS connectivity. smartwatch Best for techies (350$) Rounding up the best would be impossible without tipping our Time (199$) hat to the impending Apple Watch, which is expected to land on April 24th. Details are Arguably the first modern smartwatch, the original Pebble starting to emerge, and we’re expecting a is still going strong two years after its launch. But for Pebblers large host of app extensions on the watch, looking to upgrade, look no further than the recently announced which will act as a partner to an existing . Everything that made the original brilliant remains; iPhone. While techier-looking than many that affordable price, an impressive seven day battery life and imagined, it’s the most lovable square-faced both iPhone and Android compatibility. There’s some serious smartwatch we’ve seen, and with Apple’s upgrades to both the software and hardware, the most notable track record, the world expects big things. of which being the new color e-paper screen and the revamped Best for bling Timeline OS. Guess Connect Branded by fashion house Guess and developed by nerdy Silicon Valley smartwatch brand Martian, bling is the order of the day on this brand new smartwatch. Nearly unidentifi- able as a tech device, the Guess Con- nect displays your correspondence using an OLED screen ‘ticker’ on its face, and connects to iOS and Android devices via Bluetooth.—www.ware- able.com

26-27 n.indd 2 3/19/15 6:56 PM