SmartWatch is not just a digital watch anymore. The smart device on your wrist is now capable of monitoring your heart rate, blood oxygen levels, tracking your sleep cycle, stress levels, performing Electrocardiogram, and whatnot. It is on the verge of becoming a portable health monitoring device.
There are many players in the smartwatch market. But, in this article, we will cover the top 5 players and the health features they offer.
Let’s dive in!
A concise comparison of health features in different smartwatches
| Apple | Samsung | Fitbit | Withings | Garmin | |
| Latest-model | Apple Watch Series 7 | Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 | Fitbit Sense | ScanWatch Horizon | Garmin Vivoactive 4 |
| Health features↓ | (Out of 10) | (Out of 10) | (Out of 10) | (Out of 10) | (Out of 10) |
| Activity monitor | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 9 |
| Heart rate monitor | 9 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 9 |
| Blood pressure | Unavailable | 8 | Unavailable | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Sleep tracking | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8.5 | 10 |
| Fall detection | 10 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 9 |
| ECG | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Fitness tracking | 10 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 10 |
| Blood oxygen Saturation | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 |
| Body fat composition | Unavailable | 9 | 8 | Unavailable | 8 |
| Buy Latest models | Buy Apple Watch Series 7 | Buy Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 | Buy Fitbit Sense | Buy ScanWatch Horizon | Buy Garmin Vivoactive 4 |
| Previous models | Series 6, 5, 4 and 3 | Galaxy Watch 3, 2, 1 | Fitbit Versa 2, 3 | Withings SteelHR, Move ECG, Pulse HR | Vivoactive 3, 2, 1 |
| Price range | Previous models start at $199 | Previous models start at $299 | Previous models start at $130 | Previous models start at $180 | Previous model start at $250 |
Note- No company advises you to replace medical tests with smartwatch readings. However, smartwatches are a great way to proactively take care of your health and monitor daily activities.
Health features of smartwatches
Nowadays, Looks and health features are the two things people consider before purchasing any device, and wearable tech is not an exception. Many prefer compromising with looks if the wearable is giving added health features.
Let us look deeper into the health features of the smartwatches provided by Apple, Samsung, Fitbit, Withings, and Garmin.
- Activity monitor
All smartwatches monitor your physical activity. Be it running, swimming, yoga, weightlifting, hiking, sleeping or sitting idle, smartwatches can track it all.
You will receive notifications if you are spending excessive time sitting motionless. Plus, with the help of mobile applications of smartwatches, you can track daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly activity.
When it comes to activity monitoring, Fitbit and Garmin monitor better than Apple, Samsung, and Withings. Both Fitbit and Garmin can track over 20 types of activities.
- Fall detection
While tracking activity, smart wearables can also detect falls. Fall detection can prove to be extremely helpful in the case of remote patient monitoring or taking care of the elderly.
While all smartwatches detect falls, the Apple smartwatch has the best fall detection sensors.
- Blood pressure
High blood pressure is the cause of many health problems. It is essential to track blood pressure and take precautionary steps. Samsung is the only company having a dedicated sensor to monitor blood pressure.
Other watches like Apple, Fitbit, Garmin, etc., use the heart rate variability to show relative blood pressure.
- Heart rate monitoring
All smartwatches monitor heart rate and its changes with different activities. Almost all smartwatches now have an electrocardiogram incorporated into them. Based on electrical signals of the heart, the sensors help in identifying cardiovascular problems like atrial fibrillation in the early stages.
- Blood oxygen saturation
Blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) sensor, also known as a pulse oximeter, measures oxygen levels in the blood. They help in detecting breathing problems that cause sleep apnea and other problems.
All of the above smartwatches have health features that can help in
- Detecting cardiovascular abnormalities
- Managing stress levels
- Manage calories and energy levels of your body
- Detect respiratory issues
- Manage sleep cycles and a lot more.
Smartwatches statistics
- When we talk about market share, Apple has the highest share of 34%, Samsung owns 8% share, Fitbit owns 4.2%, while other watches have a combined share of 400%
- Apple watch contributes $12 to $14 billion a year to the company’s revenue. The revenue growth of apple wearables is increasing at a rate of 23%.
- Fitbit generated a revenue of $1.13 billion in the year 2020. The company saw a 31% decline in sales.
- Garmin saw an increase in demand by 31%.
Which smartwatch to choose depends on factors like your requirement, budget, comfortability, etc. Apple, Samsung, Fitbit, Withings and Garmin, all these companies have smartwatches with great features and are working round the clock to make them better with new releases.
