Garmin is well known for its expansive list of rugged fitness watches, with multiple lines specifically tailored to different activity types. And now, the options for adventurers and serious endurance athletes are even more extensive with the announcement of updated Pro versions of the epix and fēnix 7 watches. 

Most of the updates to these premium next-gen. multisport watches are incremental software changes, such as more activity types and new fitness measurement tools. But there are also a few notable hardware and build upgrades, including a new size option and AMOLED display for the epix Pro and an LED flashlight in all three sizes of both the epix Pro and fēnix 7 Pro. Both watches will also benefit from trickle-down features from the new Forerunners.

Garmin epix Pro details

Garmin just debuted its epix 2 line of watches last year. Despite how new the series is, the company is rolling out some worthwhile updates to make it even better in a new Pro version. With vibrant metrics-rich watch faces and extensive sensors/navigation features in a sleek body, the epix Pro remains a great choice for boardroom-to-backcountry adventures and weekend warriors, from climbers and mountaineers to ultra-marathon trail runners. 

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epix Pro and build changes

The epix came in two sizes—42mm and 47mm—while the Pro version adds a 52mm option for those who really want a statement piece on their wrist. The larger size offers more than just a dramatic look, however. Garmin packed extra battery into the 52mm version, which promises up to 31 days of battery life in smartwatch mode. The 42mm and 47mm both should provide 10 and 16 days of battery life, respectively. 

Like the epix Gen. 2, the Garmin epix Pro will be available in Standard Edition, which features Corning Gorilla Glass and stainless steel case, or the Sapphire Edition, which uses a more durable Sapphire lens and titanium case. And all three sizes get an even brighter upgraded AMOLED display for a colorful, detail-packed watch face. 

All three sizes will offer an LED flashlight, which can vary in intensity and features a strobe mode. We were glad to see the flashlight included even on the smallest watch since it is a potentially game-changing feature. It can illuminate your path while trail running or hiking in the dark and help others see you, which is invaluable if exercising near a road. 

The epix Pro also gets an updated and optimized heart rate sensor. Garmin didn’t provide any information on what exactly that means, but it says these changes will provide “enhanced multisport performance tracking.”

Fitness tracking features

Garmin watches are already robust in their fitness tracking abilities, but the company is not one to just let things be. The epix Pro will offer new activities, which include team sports such as soccer, basketball, and racquet sports, as well as horseback riding and more.

Beyond new tracking modes, Garmin also created new training features. Hill Score gives you a better idea of how your training impacts your ability to run uphill. Uphill segments are automatically detected and analyzed, and that information is combined with other physiological metrics to provide a score from one to 100. It even breaks the score down into Hill Endurance and Hill Strength, which reflect short, fast efforts versus long, sustained climbs. And it offers feedback to improve your training over time. 

The second new feature—Endurance score—looks beyond your VO2 Max, giving a more personalized look at your fitness. It analyzes both short-term and long-term endurance training and takes into account all types of activity, not just running or cycling. And, like Hill Score, it provides training feedback to help you understand your score.

Additional new features

The Garmin epix Pro will provide a unique Red Shift Mode, which changes the display to shares of red. This lessens the impact on your vision when looking at your watch in the dark and reduces any sleep cycle disturbance you might get from the standard display. You can manually turn on this display mode or schedule it to automatically turn on and off based on sunset and sunrise time. And you can even select certain activities that automatically use Red Shift Mode.

Up Ahead mode will allow you to view running points of interest, such as checkpoints and aid stations, right on the map. This allows you to better understand what’s in front of you and plan accordingly on your race or activity. 

The last feature those navigating the backcountry will especially appreciate is the new weather map overlays and relief shading on topographic maps. The weather overlays can display temperature, precipitation, and cloud cover, to help you make more informed decisions on the go. And relief shading will assist in navigation. You can also opt into Outdoor Maps+ for even more map content, including satellite imagery and more detailed maps.  

Garmin epix Pro pricing & availability

The epix Pro is available for purchase as of today, starting at $899.99.

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Garmin fēnix 7 Pro details

Like the epix Pro, most changes to the fēnix 7 Pro are smaller software additions. The fēnix 7 Pro still comes in 42mm, 47mm, or 51mm sizes, though you no longer have the option of a version without solar charging. You can, however, choose between Standard Solar or Sapphire Solar, depending on how robust you want your watch face. 

Like many of Garmin’s new watches lately, including the Instinct 2X, the fēnix 7 Pro will feature an LED flashlight in all sizes. It offers a broad pattern, variable intensities, red safety light, and strobe mode. 

New training features

The fēnix 7 Pro also gets a new heart rate sensor. Garmin says this next-gen sensor utilizes “more spatially diverse optical sensors and sport-specific algorithms.” It should provide even better performance tracking for more activities, giving you even more accurate insight into your training. 

Like the epix Pro, the fēnix 7 Pro will also get the new Endurance Score and Hill Score for better endurance training insight. It also gets its share of new activities, including white water rafting, motocross, overlanding, and dozens more. And the watch will provide access to the weather map overlays, new relief shading, and Up Ahead mode.

Garmin fēnix 7 Pro pricing and availability

All versions of the fēnix 7 Pro are available for purchase at a starting price of $799.99.

The post Garmin’s newest smartwatches are even more adventure-ready appeared first on Popular Science.

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The unofficial kickoff to summer is a great time to get active, indoors or out. The warmer weather invites barbecues and relaxation. So whether you’re training for a race, looking to get out on the water for the first time, or improving your putt, these Memorial Day fitness deals will help you prepare, have fun, and save money while you’re doing it.

Aquaglide Deschutes Inflatable Kayak $543.89 (was $679.99)

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Inflatable kayaks are appealing because they’re generally much easier to transport than traditional models. But you shouldn’t have to sacrifice performance for portability. Aquaglide’s Deschutes Inflatable Kayak provides a solution: It’s both a cinch to toss into your car and includes features that paddlers are looking for. Plus, it’s currently available at its lowest price in months—just in time for the weather and waters to warm up.

This single-person kayak weighs just 18 pounds and fits into an included duffle bag. You’ll need a 12-volt air pump to inflate the three chambers of this open cockpit model, which is not included. Once inflated, this 11-foot kayak is designed with handles for carrying, a cushioned, quick-release seat, and adjustable footrests for a comfortable ride. The package also includes a quick-release fin, cockpit drain, and repair kit should you encounter rough waters. 

More outdoor fitness deals

• Strata Men’s Complete Golf Set $254.15 (was $299.99)
• Intex Challenger Kayak, Inflatable Kayak Set with Aluminum Oars and High Output Air-Pump $121.44 (was $138.99)
• GT Men’s Aggressor Pro Mountain Bike $299.98 (was $799.98)
• GT Laguna Pro Mountain Bike $299.98  (was $799.98)
• GoSports Golf Putting Green for Indoor & Outdoor Putting Practice $301.68 (was $349.99)
• Airhead Super Mable, 1-3 Rider Towable Tube for Boating $256.99 (was $541.99)
• Skywalker Trampolines Epic Series 15′ Rectangle Trampoline $800 (was $899.99)
• BCAN 40/48″ Foldable Mini Trampoline $105.99 with coupon (was $139.99)
• Franklin Sports Fun 5 Combo Outdoor Game Set $23.75 (was $54.99)
• VSSAL Portable All-in-One Badminton, Pickleball and Kids’ Volleyball Net Set $159.99 with coupon (was $169.99) 
• Seray Basketball Hoop with 4.8-10 Foot Height Adjustable for Kids/Adults $155.99 with coupon (was $189.99)

Best home gym equipment deals

• Bowflex T22 Treadmill $2,499 (was $3,599)
• NordicTrack Commercial Series Treadmill + 30-Day iFit Membership $2,299 (was $2,499)
• Hydrow Wave Rower $1,695 (was $1,895)
• Sunny Health & Fitness Space Efficient Multi-Function Magnetic Rowing Machine $169.98 (was $329.99)
• RHYTHM FUN Treadmill Folding Treadmill Desk Treadmill $849.15 (was $999)
• UREVO URTM012 3 in 1 Under Desk Walking Treadmill with Removable Desk $399.99 with coupon (was $499.99)
• UREVO URTM013 Walking Pad, 2 in 1 Under Desk Treadmill with Remote Control, LED Display $299 with coupon (was $389.99)
• Inspire Fitness FT1 Functional Trainer – Compact At Home Workout Machine $2,159.20 (was $2,499)
• FLYBIRD Weight Bench $119.99 (was $239.99)
• Sunny Health & Fitness Evolution Pro Magnetic Belt Drive Indoor Exercise Cycling Bike $720 with coupon (was $849.99)
• Tempo Studio $1,695 (was $2,495)
• Bowflex SelectTech 552 Adjustable Dumbbells $379 (was $549)
• ProsourceFit Slam Medicine Balls $25.19 (was $27.99)
• Bowflex SelectTech Curl Bar $449 (was $749)

Best smartwatch and wearable deals

• Apple Watch Series 8 [GPS + Cellular 45mm] Smart Watch w/Midnight Aluminum Case $459 (was $529)
• SAMSUNG Galaxy Watch Pro 5 45mm LTE Smartwatch $429.99 (was $499.99)
• SAMSUNG Galaxy Watch 5 40mm Bluetooth Smartwatch $229.99 (was $279.99)
• Garmin epix Gen 2 $699.99 (was $899.99)
• Garmin Vivoactive 4 $199.99 (was $329.99) 
• Garmin fenix 7 Sapphire Solar Adventure Smartwatch $699.99 (was $899.99)
• Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen) $204.99 (was $299)
• Amazfit Band 5 Activity Fitness Tracker $29.95 (was $39.99)

Best fitness accessories

• iGPSPORT iGS630 Bike Computer $169.99 (was $199.99)
• Hypervolt Go 2 Handheld Percussion Massage Gun $125.99 (was $199)
• TOLOCO Massage Gun, Muscle Massage Gun Deep Tissue for Athletes $39.99 with coupon (was $99.99)
• Everest Mini Hiking Pack, Dark Gray/Black, One Size $13.02 (was $14.60)
• Retrospec Solana 1 inch Yoga Mat $33.79 (was $39.99)
• Etekcity Scale for Body Weight and Fat Percentage $23.99 (was $29.99) 
• TRAKK – Multi Speed & Mode Deep Tissue Massage Roller $39.99 (was $69.99)
• Hydro Flask Standard Mouth Bottle with Flex Cap $27 (was $34.95)

The post The best Memorial Day fitness deals let you jump into summer activities and save appeared first on Popular Science.

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This near-mint 2021 Apple Watch Series 7 brings notifications, health information, and more right to your wrist for only $327.99—that’s 36 percent off its original price. 

From workouts to busy work days to running errands, an Apple Watch may make your life a little bit easier. These smartwatches go several steps beyond telling time to deliver notifications, collect health information, and so much more.

Avoid the hefty price tag by grabbing a high-quality, refurbished watch. Get a near-mint Apple Watch Series 7 (2021) for only $327.99 (reg. $529).

Revolutionize your watch experience

Apple describes the Series 7 as the most durable Apple Watch built to its creation date. The redesigned watch has extra watch face options, faster charging, and an improved WatchOS. Use new features like additional fitness tracking, a mindfulness app, and more.

The Series 7 also has a larger, always-on Retina display to make it easier to see the time, notifications, or any of your apps. Here are just some of the things you could do with your watch:

• Track workouts and get data like your heart rate, step count, measured distance, and even personalized reminders to stay active.
• Monitor other health information like your blood oxygen level, take an ECG, use sleep-tracking apps, and get reminders to take medications or wash your hands.
• Receive and respond to notifications, messages, or answer phone calls right from your wrist.
• Access reminders and calendar events without having to pull out your phone.
• Listen to music during your workouts by syncing your earbuds right to your watch. Leave your iPhone behind and control songs from your wrist.
• Make purchases with Apple Pay by tapping your watch for payment.

This specific watch is powered by either WiFi or cellular connections. Enjoy the full functionality of your watch anywhere you can get cell service or WiFi.

Excellent quality and price

You may be a little skeptical about purchasing a refurbished device, but this watch boasts an impressive Grade ‘A’ rating. That means it will arrive in near-mint condition with minimal or zero scuffing on its exterior. Essentially, you get a high-quality device while saving nearly 40 percent of its retail cost.

Take it from one verified buyer, who raved, “I love everything about this watch. I had a first-generation Apple Watch for many years and finally decided to upgrade. I’m very happy I did.”

Meet your new companion: an Apple Watch Series 7 (2021) with Silicone Band, Grade A Refurbished for only $327.99 (reg. $529).

Prices subject to change.

The post Grab a near-mint Apple Watch Series 7 for only $330 appeared first on Popular Science.

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Smartwatches are a handy way to keep weather notifications, health tracking, texts, and music accessible without taking your phone out of your pocket. If you have an iPhone, there’s no better choice than the Apple Watch, which easily syncs to your phone and other Apple devices. Our favorite starter Apple Watch—the Apple Watch SE—is on sale today, warranting you some savings.

Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen) [GPS 40mm] $219 (Was $249)

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If you don’t need a blood oxygen sensor like in the Apple Watch 8 or the ultra-long battery life of the Apple Watch Ultra, the Watch SE is the best choice. The 2nd-gen. SE comes in two varieties, appropriately: a GPS and cellular variety (also on sale for $299) and one that just comes with GPS, on sale for $219. As an Apple Watch makes a great fitness tracker, we also like pairing one with our favorite headphones for working out—luckily, the Apple Beats Fit Pro earbuds are also on sale.

Like we say in our Apple Watch comparison explainer, “If you just want an Apple Watch that works, and you don’t necessarily care about getting every kind of data, the SE 2 is probably the move.”

You know what’s also the move? Snagging this deal before it ends.

Here are more Apple, smartwatch, and electronics deals that are the apple of our eyes:

• Apple AirPods Max $479.99 (Was $549)
• Apple 2021 iMac All-in-one Desktop Computer with M1 chip $1,199 (Was $1,299)
• Apple Studio Display-Standard Glass $1,499 (Was $1,599)
• Apple 2023 Mac Mini Desktop Computer M2 Pro Chip, 512 SSD $1,199 (Was $1,299)
• Apple 2023 Mac Mini Desktop Computer M2 Chip, 256 SSD $559 (Was $599)
• Apple 2023 Mac Mini Desktop Computer M2 Chip, 512 SSD $749 (Was $799)
• Fitbit Charge 5 $109 (Was $149.95)
• Fitbit Sense 2 $244 (Was $299.95)
• Fitbit Luxe $89.95 (Was $129.95)
• Fitbit Versa 4 159.95 (Was $199.95)
• Google Pixel Watch (LTE) $329.99 (Was $399.99)
• Google Pixel Watch (WiFi) $299.99 (Was $349.99)
• Garmin Vivoactive 4 $199.99 (Was $329.99)
• SAMSUNG Galaxy Watch 5 40mm LTE $249.99 (Was $329.99)
• SAMSUNG Galaxy Watch 5 44mm LTE $279 (Was $359.99)

The post Get an Apple Watch SE for less than $250 on Amazon appeared first on Popular Science.

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There aren’t many smartwatches that can stand toe-to-toe with the Apple Watch, but Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 5 is one of those exceptions. The sleek-looking digital timepiece can also display notifications and continuously record key health metrics without intervention, bringing the kind of integration that iOS users are used to over to the Android ecosystem. The best part is that you can snag this smartwatch for $219—its lowest price ever—if you shop at Amazon right now.

SAMSUNG Galaxy Watch 5 (40mm), $219 (Was $279.99)

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One of the Galaxy Watch 5’s greatest strengths is that it doesn’t look like a piece of tech at first glance. Watches are fashion accessories regardless of functionality, and subtlety works in Samsung’s favor. This smartwatch’s 1.2-inch color display is large enough that you should be able to easily read text without feeling like you’re carrying a boat on your wrist. The screen is made of scratch-resistant sapphire crystal glass, so it shouldn’t chip if you accidentally bump your wrist against a desk or dumbbell. You can change its watch faces and bands to suit your mood or the occasion, too.

Aesthetics are important, but the Galaxy Watch 5’s tech features help it stand out the most. Samsung says its sensors can analyze your sleep and recommend changes to help you get more rest. Additional sensors can track your heart rate, BMI, body water level, basal metabolic rate, blood pressure, and more. If you’re exercising, the Galaxy Watch 5 can automatically assess how you’re working out and accurately track how many calories you’ve burned based on the activity.

If you’re trying to improve your health or want to know what time it is without pulling out your phone, Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 5 is an excellent option at this price. Just be mindful that it can only be paired with Android devices, which means it’s incompatible with the iPhone.

If you’re already happy with what’s on your wrist, here are some more deals to accessorize your home:

• Ninja CREAMi, $199 (Was $239)
• Edifier R1280DB Powered Bluetooth Bookshelf Speakers, $134.99 (Was $149.99)
• Blink Mini, $45.99 (Was $69.99)
• Blink Outdoor (3rd Gen) + Solar Panel Charging Mount, $90.99 (Was $129.98)
• Fire TV Stick 4K, $31.99 (Was $49.99)
• Beelink MINIS 12 Mini PC, $159.20 (Was $219)
• SAMSUNG PRO Endurance 128GB MicroSDXC Memory Card, $15.36 (Was $27.99)
• SAMSUNG T7 Portable SSD 500GB, $59.99 (Was $94.99)
• AcuRite Iris (5-in-1) Indoor/Outdoor Wireless Weather Station $119.99 (Was $172.79)
• AcuRite Digital Weather Forecaster $29.10 (Was $53.99)
• NutriBullet ZNBF30500Z Blender Combo 1200 Watt $103 (Was $149)
• Vitamix 5200 Blender Professional-Grade, Self-Cleaning 64 oz Container $379 (Was $549)
• De’Longhi EC9355M La Specialista Prestigio Espresso Machine $699 (Was $899)

The post You can save $60 on the best Android smartwatch at Amazon appeared first on Popular Science.

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The Apple Watch is still far and away the most popular line of wearable devices in the world. According to analyst Counterpoint Research, it accounted for more than 30 percent of all smartwatches sold in 2021. The wider range of Apple Watches also contains the best overall smartwatches you can get right now if you’re looking for a “lifestyle” watch that blends fitness tracking, health features, and a secondary interface for notifications, texts, and calls from your phone. In 2022, however, Apple completely overhauled the Apple Watch line with a wave of three new models: the standard Apple Watch Series 8, the budget-friendly second-generation Apple Watch SE, and a new high-end sports watch, the Apple Watch Ultra. Between those three and all of the past models, which you can still find at Amazon and other retailers, you have many options if you’re considering your first Apple Watch or upgrading from an older design. Before you commit to putting a new computer on your wrist, we’ve put together this Apple Watch comparison to help you figure out how to pick the right one for you.

Apple Watch SE 2 vs. Series 8 vs. Ultra

For the most part, we think it’s prudent to focus on Apple’s current set of Watches. They have the latest and greatest tech inside—perfect to pair with that new iPhone 14 Pro Max. All three 2022 watches—even the relatively affordable SE—feature the same processor and motion sensors that enable car crash detection. The 2022 models will also get more watchOS software updates down the road, which means you can hold onto one (or more) longer before your Watch needs replacing. From cheapest to most expensive, here are the three current options and why you may or may not want them:

Apple Watch SE 2

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The newly remodeled Apple Watch SE is the budget-conscious choice. Starting at $249 for GPS or $299 for a cellular model, it offers much of the core functionality of the standard Apple Watch line, but it’s slightly smaller than the other recent Apple Watches. Its 40mm and 44mm face options match the Apple Watch 6. It also lacks some of the line’s more advanced sensors and features, including a blood oxygen sensor, temperature sensors, or an “always-on” display that keeps the screen partially lit even when it isn’t in use. It also cuts corners in other small ways compared to the standard Apple Watch, like ditching fast-charging.

At the same time, the second-generation SE comes closer to parity with the standard Apple Watch than the last generation. It features the same chipset inside and offers the same battery life. It offers the power and features to work effectively as a fitness tracker, sleep tracker, and iPhone companion device for most people. And it costs substantially less. If you just want an Apple Watch that works, and you don’t necessarily care about getting every kind of data, the SE 2 is probably the move.

Apple Watch Series 8

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In my mind, the Apple Watch Series 8 is the best smartwatch for most people. It offers a wide array of features, including nuanced tracking features for fitness and your overall health. Its upgraded sensor array allows it to track ECG-based heart rate readings, blood oxygen levels, and skin temperature as a means to monitor ovulation and provide enhanced menstrual cycle tracking. It also features a constellation of quality-of-life advantages over the SE 2, like a bigger case size—41mm and 45mm—with a larger, always-on display, which makes it easier to type on and check at a glance.

Starting at $399 for GPS or $499 for Cellular, the Apple Watch Series 8 is the definitive Apple Watch experience. If you plan to use the Apple Watch to monitor your health, the advanced sensors will make a notable difference in what you can track. Even on its most basic level, though, the improved screen, fast-charging, and other small improvements over the SE makes the Watch Series 8 more effective as a half-step for monitoring activity on your phone without actually stopping to pull it out.

Apple Watch Ultra

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The Apple Watch Ultra is the most powerful Apple Watch and, frankly, will be overkill for most people. The $799 Apple Watch Ultra is an outdoor-focused “sport” watch, similar to many of Garmin’s high-end wearables. Unlike the other Apple Watches, it’s only in one size—a huge 49mm case—with cellular support and dual-frequency GPS built in. It features a thicker, more durable build with a redesigned digital crown and an extra “Action” button to quickly start workouts and toggle other functions. 

The Ultra gets double the battery life of the other 2022 Apple Watches—36 hours versus 18 hours on the Series 8 and SE—which is great for everyone, but many of its features are designed for athletes and outdoorsy folk dealing with harsh conditions. Its powerful built-in speakers enable a loud SOS siren if you get lost in the woods. Improved waterproofing, certifications, and a dedicated app qualify it as a diving computer. The three-microphone array is burlier than normal to improve call clarity in situations with power interference from blizzards and powerful winds. It even has specialty bands for specific activities like diving and endurance training.

Given the difference in price and specificity of its feature set, you should only consider getting the Apple Watch Ultra if you are either a serious athlete or a fan of outdoor activities that require specialized equipment like climbing, off-trail hiking, and diving. If that sounds like your speed, you’re better off comparing the Apple Watch Ultra to the best Garmin smartwatches, as well as top picks from other brands like Suunto.

What about the older Apple Watches?

Though Apple’s lineup is limited to those three watches, there are still plenty of ways to get your hands on an older-model Apple Watch. If you aren’t concerned with getting a handful of new features in the Series 8, such as low-power mode, Car Crash Detection, and temperature sensors for ovulation tracking, the Apple Watch Series 7 is still a very appealing, very viable option. Likewise, the Apple Watch Series 6 gives you most of the same functionality as the Series 7 and Series 8, though you’ll be stuck with a smaller display, which makes a bigger difference than you think.

I would not recommend going further back than the Series 6 at this point. Independent of the features you’ll lose access to model by model, the older Apple Watches inevitably offer shorter lifespans. With every new version of watchOS, the Apple Watch’s operating system, the company will inevitably shut off support for each older watch, leaving you without access to new software-enabled features and security updates. It may be cheaper, but we can’t recommend you buy an Apple Watch Series 4, knowing that it will likely become obsolete in less than 12 months. And suppose you’re using an Apple Watch Series 3, which Apple sold until earlier this year but stopped supporting with watchOS 9. In that case, you should consider upgrading soon to ensure your watch remains secure, especially if you use it for Apple Pay.

What size watch face should you get?

The new Apple Watch SE offers two case sizes, 40mm and 44mm. Series 8 features a larger size range at 41mm and 45mm. The Apple Watch Ultra comes in a single, extra-large 49mm size. Though it sounds small, even a 1mm difference can feel quite striking on your wrist and looks substantially larger.

If you’re unsure what size would feel right, we recommend going to an Apple store or other retailer and trying all sizes on to see what feels right. If one Watch feels noticeably better than the others, go with it. A bigger screen is an upgrade, but it won’t matter if the Watch feels bulky or uncomfortable on your wrist. 

Which Apple smartwatch is the best fitness tracker?

The Apple Watch Ultra has special features that make it the best fitness tracker for certain kinds of athletes and workouts. The action button on the side of the watch makes it easier to switch between legs of a race or training if you’re in the middle of a multi-phase workout, for example. It also offers superior GPS for more accurate tracking while using the Apple Watch’s “Race Route” feature to create and follow a work routine.

That said, in terms of heart tracking and data collection, the Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch Ultra feature the same sensors for tracking your heart rate and movement. If you’re looking for a watch to bring to the gym or track your outdoor runs, the Series 8 is probably the right call.

Is the stainless steel Apple Watch upgrade worth it?

In addition to the standard recycled aluminum body, you can pay extra for an Apple Watch Series 8 made from stainless steel. The Apple Watch Ultra features a highly durable titanium body. Both metals are tougher than aluminum and won’t scratch or dent as easily. Perhaps more importantly, the stainless steel Series 8 and the Ultra come with an extra-hard sapphire crystal over the display. Having worn both models extensively, I can say that the sapphire crystal upgrade clearly resists scratches and damage better than the Ion-X glass used in the standard Series 8 and SE 2 displays. We haven’t had any problems with scratches or breakage with the Ion-X glass, though, so it isn’t a huge concern if you’re not putting it in harm’s way regularly. 

Of course, that extra durability—and the additional colorways—will cost you. The stainless steel case models start at $699, and the Apple Watch Ultra costs $799. If you plan to keep one watch for a long time, the additional durability may be worth it. That said, you shouldn’t worry about your watch being highly fragile if you don’t.

Do you need cellular data on the Apple Watch?

When making your own Apple Watch comparison, whether or not you need cellular data is a major feature difference between models. The Watch itself costs more with cellular built-in: it’s a $50 premium for the SE and an extra $100 on the Series 8. Then you’ll have to factor in the cost of the data itself. Most carriers will charge you about $10 per month extra to add basic data to your Watch. Check with your carrier for compatibility before making a purchase. 

That extra expense may be worth it for some people because it allows them to use many Apple Watch features without lugging around an iPhone. So, if you run without a phone, you can still make calls and listen to music from streaming services. 

So, which Apple Watch should you buy?

I can think of many specific reasons to pick each of the newer Apple Watches. The Apple Watch SE 2 is cost-effective and does most of the things you really need. The Apple Watch Series 8 is the best complement to everyday life and offers all kinds of sensors for advanced health and fitness tracking. For the right kind of hiker/athlete/diver/outdoorsman who wants the very best Apple Watch, the Apple Watch Ultra delivers incredible utility and best-in-class versions of core functions like GPS and battery life.

Without any information about you, dear reader, we think the Apple Watch Series 8 offers the best balance between price and functionality. If that doesn’t ring true, if there are things you really want (or don’t want) that steer you to another watch, we totally get it. That’s why we made this Apple Watch comparison. The important thing is finding the Apple Watch that fits your life.

The post Apple Watch comparison: Which one is right for you? appeared first on Popular Science.

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Best overall		Apple Watch Series 8		SEE IT	Take calls, reply to texts, monitor your workouts, health, and more.
Best fitness tracker		Fitbit Sense 2		SEE IT	Sensors track vitals to help guide your daily fitness and wellness goals.
Best tactical		Garmin fenix 7X Pro Solar		SEE IT	Get all the best tactical features with solar-charging technology.

The best technology grants us the freedom to work and play whenever and wherever we want. Smartwatches embody this idea. They allow us to keep track of our activities and alerts pretty much anywhere—sometimes even underwater. Waterproofing technology allows top smartwatches to function through all types of weather, whether we’re caught in an unexpected downpour or jumping into the shower, swimming pool, or even the ocean. The best waterproof smartwatch operates safely and helps keep you connected no matter where the day takes you.

• Best overall: Apple Watch Series 8
• Best tactical: Garmin fenix 7X Pro Solar
• Best for kids: Garmin vivofit jr. 3
• Best Android: SAMSUNG Galaxy Watch Active2
• Best fitness tracker: Fitbit Sense 2

How we picked the best waterproof smartwatches

Waterproof smartwatches are a topic we really enjoy, well, diving into. With avid swimmers, cyclists, runners, hikers, and just general outdoors enthusiasts on the staff, we have a lot of experience with watches that can handle the elements. We combined these first-hand perspectives with peer recommendations and other real-world impressions, plus scoured critical reviews and specs sheets, to come up with the best waterproof smartwatches you can buy today.

The best waterproof smartwatches: Reviews & Recommendations

A great waterproof smartwatch will withstand the pressures of water and your level of activity. It won’t be daunted by rain, sleet, or snow, or by a spontaneous trip to splash in the ocean. On top of how much water it will resist, the best waterproof smartwatch can also help you track your own hydration and other levels that will keep you in optimal physical and mental health while out adventuring. The right timepiece for you will always keep pace. Here are some suggestions.

Best overall: Apple Watch Series 8

Apple

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Why it made the cut: The latest in the Apple Watch Series features crash detection, always-on display, sophisticated health tracking and more.

Specs

• Sizes: 41mm, 45mm
• Battery life: Up to 18 hours
• Swimproof? Yes

Pros

• Alerts first responders in case of emergency
• Provides ECG testing and blood oxygen level testing
• Water-, dust-, and crack-resistant

Cons

• Expensive

Whether you jump into a project or a pool, the Apple Watch Series 8 can handle it. This waterproof smartwatch can sync seamlessly to your iPhone, use apps to measure your vitals, and keep you moving. This new model also helps keep you healthy: It comes with new crash and fall detection features that will alert emergency services in the case of an accident. It will also keep tabs on your blood oxygen level, and alert you to irregular heart rhythms. It also comes with built-in gyroscope and compass and up to 18 hours of battery life. If you’re spending extended periods in liquid, however, it’s best to opt for the sports band that is made from a soft, silicone rubber because it has a little stretch, making it comfortable to wear during activity. Or if you’re serious about endurance sports or off-the-grid adventures, take it up a notch with the Apple Watch Ultra—read more here.

Best tactical: Garmin fenix 7X Pro Solar

Garmin

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Why it made the cut: The Garmin fenix 7X Pro is designed with sophisticated map features, comes with GPS and a built-in LED flashlight and tracks health metrics, and is solar-powered.

Specs

• Sizes: 42,mm, 47mm, 51mm
• Battery life: Up to 122 hours in direct sunlight
• Swimproof? No

Pros

• Compass, altimeter, and sophisticated mapping built in
• Water-resistant
• Long-lasting solar charging power
• Comes with features to optimize performance in a range of sports

Cons

• Pricey
• Rugged looking for everyday use

This fully-loaded Garmin tactical smartwatch is rated at 10ATM, meaning you could take it just about anywhere but diving (there are even surfing-specific features). It can survive drops and submersion, offers advanced health monitoring features to keep tabs on your blood oxygen saturation levels, altitude, sleep, and pace planning. Features to note include Multi-GNSS tracking, plus maps for at-a-glance navigation. While expensive, this solar tactical smartwatch extends the already long battery life by recharging while on your wrist for weeks of life (or days if GPS is constantly running). Garmin has numerous waterproof sports watches to choose from (including the Instinct 2 Solar we reviewed). However, if you covet the Apple Watch’s AMOLED screen and are willing to put up with “only” about two weeks of battery life at a time, the perfect choice is the epix Gen. 2, which puts all the features of the fenix 7 behind a vivid always-on display shielded by sapphire glass.

Best for kids: Garmin vivofit jr. 3

Garmin

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Why it made the cut: Kids are excited to wear this fun series of watches that helps them learn how to create healthy habits.  

Specs

• Sizes: One, with adjustable band
• Battery life: Up to a year before requires replacement
• Swimproof? Yes

Pros

• Models feature Marvel’’s Spider Man and Disney princesses 
• Comes with built-in adventures for kids 
• Tracks soccer games and provides step competitions

Cons

• Kids may quickly outgrow

Get your kid excited about swimming with the Garmin vivofit jr. 3. This smartwatch comes with a bright display with multiple faces and a range of fun designs, including Marvel and Disney characters to make the tracking more fun. These smartwatches are waterproof and will help your kids learn healthy habits, and will also let you keep tabs on their steps and sleep.

Best for Android: SAMSUNG Galaxy Watch Active 2

Samsung

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Why it made the cut: This Android watch comes with pace coaching, monitors your heart rate, tracks your sleep, and you can choose from a range of bands and faces.

Specs

• Sizes: 40mm, 44mm
• Battery life: Days on a single charge
• Swimproof? Yes

Pros

• Also compatible with Apple
• Comes with voice assistant, Bixby
• Sleek design
• Tracks workouts, heart health, and sleep

Cons

• Not super rugged
• Yes

This stylish smartwatch is also resilient, rated at 5ATM and IP68 (meaning it can withstand dust, dirt, and sand, and is resistant to submersion up to a maximum depth of 1.5m underwater for up to 30 minutes). So, whether you accidentally drop it in the pool or intentionally wear it while doing a pike and tuck, the SAMSUNG Galaxy Watch Active2 can survive and thrive. And its digital dial makes it easy to navigate menus full of options for activity tracking and smart assistants, as this smartwatch can connect to almost any phone and extend its connectivity and controls (though, it should be noted, iPhone users will have access to fewer features than Android users).

Best fitness tracker: Fitbit Sense 2

Fitbit

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Why it made the cut: Fitbit’s most advanced smartwatch goes deep on sleep and other health metrics and comes with stress management features.

Specs

• Sizes: Adjustable wristband
• Battery life: Up to 6 days on a single charge
• Swimproof? Yes

Pros

• Works with Apple and Android
• Built-in GPS
• Sophisticated sleep and stress tracking

Cons

• Doesn’t come with the fitness activities other smartwatches do

Swimproof to 50 meters, so you can track laps or just splash around with your kid wearing the similarly equipped Fitbit Ace 3, this fully loaded watch takes fitness and wellness tracking to the next level—monitoring heart rate, skin temperature, oxygen saturation, workout intensity, and more to help you meet your goals. From electrodermal activity to an ECG app, it’s tracking your body’s rhythms and stress—useful information to help you and your doctor tweak your lifestyle. It’s packed with advice and enhancements, good on and off dry land.

What to consider when looking for the best waterproof smartwatches

With the unpredictability of life, everyone can benefit from the added protections found in waterproof smartwatches. While it’s easy to imagine the benefit for hiking and outdoor sports, waterproofing is a smart choice for added protection from far more typical activities like handwashing or gardening. Popular brands—including Apple, Samsung, Fitbit, and Garmin—all offer waterproofing features to boost their overall durability for their customers. Sport models offer even higher levels for outdoor lifestyle customers. LTE-enabled options can make calls and keep you connected without a phone, giving you even more freedom to dive headfirst into adventure. Consider your activities and choose your watch’s level of protection to match.

Travel plans

Whether your plans involve day-tripping into national parks or navigating much longer trips into the backcountry, there’s a level of preparedness that can match. If you’re only worried about getting caught in the rain, or maybe navigating a tricky creek crossing, you should look for a watch with a water rating of 5ATM (5 atmospheres), meaning it can withstand underwater pressures at a depth up to 50 meters. Accordingly, 10ATM and 20ATM correspond with 100 meters and 200 meters—appropriate if you plan to go from just hiking and fishing to sailing, surfing, or snorkeling. This waterproofing protects the full suite of sensors—including GPS, altimeters, barometers, and compasses—that can make a properly specced tactical smartwatch an integral part of an expedition.

Options for kids

If your electronics ended up near a pool, chances are you’d be conscious of whether to leave them safely in a car or locker. Your kid, however, just wants to jump right in. And if you tell them to take something off but look after it, chances are that something isn’t making it home. So a kid’s smartwatch needs to be inexpensive and durable. Luckily, brands have taken this into consideration and made their children’s smartwatches lower in price than their adult versions, but with some surprisingly handy features—like waterproofing. The best kids’ smartwatches are fun and encourage your child to keep moving. And they’re resilient enough to keep up with the child while tracking their health and whereabouts.

Need a watch to go from the workday to weekend?

If your work life is already deeply integrated with Apple’s ecosystem, it makes sense to opt for an Apple Watch to maintain and even increase your productivity. As with most Apple products, they are designed to seamlessly work together, intuitively handing off apps, alerts, and data. On top of that, they’re water-resistant and look as much at home with a sports jacket as they do sportswear…as good with a three-piece suit as a swimsuit. The point is, an Apple Watch balances functionality and finesse.

Android v. Apple

Android smartwatches are offered by a variety of different brands, including TicWatch, Samsung, Fossil, Fitbit, Misfit, and more. Unlike the Apple Watch, Android smartwatch technology is conveniently compatible with both Android smartphones and Apple iPhones. The price point for Android’s best smartwatches varies depending on the number of features you are looking for, but is typically between $150 and $300. Due to the variety of manufacturers, you have a wider range of styles and looks than you do when purchasing the Apple Watch, including plenty designed to withstand the rigors of the office and the outdoors. 

Fitness tracking

When you look at the ratings of waterproof watches, you’re usually considering extreme circumstances. But if your main focus is fitness, considering the water-resistance of a best smartwatch makes sense because of one simple factor: sweat. You want a watch that can stand up to the most intense workout, rain or shine, while also obtaining vital readings such as skin temperature, oxygen saturation, breathing rate, and heart rate. Beyond protecting those sensors, you want the watch to keep running so it can play the music and podcast you need to keep motivated. 

FAQs

The final word on choosing the best waterproof smartwatches

Smartwatches can feel empowering, adding technology that allows wearers to track their vitals, fitness goals, sleep, and stress. Rugged smartwatches can be taken off the grid and offer users trackback maps and GPS-aided navigation, while simpler models help keep us all connected and motivated for a healthier active lifestyle. And the best waterproof smartwatches make sure that this motivation doesn’t end at the shoreline or when it rains. 

The post The best waterproof smartwatches of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best overall		Apple Watch Series 8		SEE IT	Take calls, reply to texts, monitor your workouts, health, and more.
Best fitness tracker		Fitbit Sense 2		SEE IT	Sensors track vitals to help guide your daily fitness and wellness goals.
Best tactical		Garmin fenix 7X Pro Solar		SEE IT	Get all the best tactical features with solar-charging technology.

Garmin is one of the most popular smartwatch makers in the world, largely due to the multinational GPS-enabled technology company’s focus on hyper-accurate fitness tracking. While Apple still holds 30% of the global market (and over 50% of its revenue), according to a February 2023 Counterpoint Research report, Garmin has achieved a position of prominence on people’s wrists from the boardroom to the backcountry. When it comes to premium multisport wearables, Garmin is the endurance athlete’s top choice because of the depth of activities supported and battery life that can outlast almost any adventure. We’ve pulled together several of the company’s most popular products to help you find the best Garmin smartwatch to fit your lifestyle, sense of style, and budget.   

• Best overall: Garmin fēnix 7 Sapphire Solar and Garmin epix (Gen. 2)
• Best running watch: Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar
• Best for hiking: Garmin Instinct Solar 2
• Best for diving: Garmin Descent G1 Solar
• Best fashion wearable: Garmin Venu 2
• Best budget watch for beginners: Garmin Vivoactive 4

How we chose the best Garmin smartwatches

All Garmin smartwatches provide a degree of wellness metering; they measure steps, monitor your heart rate, and generally check to make sure you’re still alive. But if you take your training seriously, the best smartwatches feature activity tracking, pulse oximeters to measure the oxygen in your blood, stress metering, energy-level monitoring, sleep trackers, customizable training regiments, and challenges designed to help you improve in your favorite sports. The Garmin Connect app syncs to your iOS and Android phones, providing access to customizable coaching and a community of athletes to compete with. If you’re serious about training, durability should also trump style. You don’t want it falling apart the first time you bang the watch against a machine at the gym, or you take a hit on the playing field. And if you’re a swimmer, your watch has to be waterproof, too. We took all these factors, and more, into consideration.

The best Garmin smartwatches for 2023: Reviews & Recommendations

Once you’ve considered your specific needs, it’s time to dig into the Garmin lineup. With multiple models in different lines—including sports & fitness, outdoor recreation, swimming, fashion, luxury, and more—there are plenty of options. Here are our top picks from several categories:

Best overall: Garmin fēnix 7 Sapphire Solar

Tony Ware

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Why it made the cut: If you want metrics that tell you if you’re in the weeds and guidance that helps you get out of the woods, the fēnix 7 Sapphire Solar can keep up with whatever you’re up to.

Specs

• Display: 1.3-inch sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP)
• Touchscreen: Yes
• Battery life with GPS: Up to 57 hours/73 hours with solar (GPS only mode)
• Weight: 2.68 ounces

Pros

• The battery life, which can stretch from many days to several months depending on usage and solar energy conditions
• Touchscreen and button navigation/controls
• The visibility in sunlight
• The durability of the titanium body and sapphire crystal

Cons

• Expensive
• Bulky

The Garmin fēnix 7 Sapphire Solar is perfect for gym rats, anyone who plays a wide variety of sports, and especially people who believe new terrain equals new gains. It tracks more activities than other watches and includes advanced training features like PacePro for grade-adjusted pace guidance throughout an activity. Plus, the heart monitor works underwater. Adventurous athletes will appreciate the preloaded TopoActive maps (updateable via Wi-Fi), ski maps for more than 2,000 ski resorts, and a multiband global navigation satellite system. Whether it’s jet lag or running laps, the sensor-packed smartwatch gives you insight into your body’s battery (tracking everything from heart rate and blood oxygen to respiration and sleep to stress and hydration). The downside: It’s predictably expensive and chunky. The upsides, though …

Watches need to be charged. Most of Garmin’s smartwatches plug into a wall via a proprietary multi-pin USB cable (don’t lose it!) that attaches to the back of the case. At the higher end of the product line, these watches run for about 26 hours under a constantly tracking GPS load or 173 days in battery-saver mode. However, if you’re someone who spends a lot of time outdoors—whether hiking, gardening, or running, for instance—Garmin’s solar watches can extend that time, well, almost indefinitely. Garmin uses what the company calls “Power Glass,” which is integrated behind tough Corning Gorilla Glass 3 in the standard Solar edition or Power Sapphire in the upgraded flagship (shown catching sunlight on a crisp January hike above), to turn a few hours of direct light into days of use. As a bonus, the Power Glass doesn’t take up real estate on the watch’s face, leaving ample room for all the other information Garmin’s watches provide. 

As its name suggests, the Garmin Solar watches can be powered by the sun; three hours of direct light is enough to keep one running. It’s a boon for outdoor enthusiasts, especially athletic ones who will appreciate the robust set of activity trackers, personal coaching, and other wellness features. It’s a great fitness watch, but the fēnix 7 Sapphire Solar isn’t the prettiest of Garmin’s premium products because it lacks the advanced AMOLED touchscreen found on the Garmin epix (Gen. 2)—though that vivid display (shown below on the same winter day in a bit of shade for comparison) means the epix can’t match the fēnix 7 in battery life even though it’s otherwise as full-featured. Though a week or two, depending on mode, ain’t bad and more than enough if most of your training and traveling centers around convenient recharging stations.  

Best running watch: Forerunner 955 Solar

Abby Ferguson

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Why it made the cut: The Forerunner 955 Solar offers excellent battery life with a seemingly endless list of features and capabilities, from training and safety tools to full smartwatch abilities and countless customization options. 

Specs

• Display: 1.3-inch transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP)
• Touchscreen: Yes
• Battery life with GPS: Up to 42 hours/49 hours with solar (GPS only mode)
• Weight: 1.86 ounces

Pros

• Long-lasting battery life
• A plethora of sensors for lots of data
• Full smartwatch capabilities
• Touchscreen

Cons

• Solar charging doesn’t add much to battery life

If you are serious about improvising your fitness and performance, a watch with many sensors is a must. There’s no such thing as too much data for such athletes. That’s where the Forerunner 955 Solar comes in. It’s jam-packed with just about every sensor you could imagine so that you can measure everything from heart rate to stride length and even REM sleep.

Garmin then uses all that data to provide training suggestions and status updates via the watch and the Garmin Connect app. It helps prevent overtraining, offers a rough guide for improving your performance, and suggests workout ideas to keep your training fresh (as we found out in our full review). Your Forerunner 955 can even give predictions on race times for different distances. It’s essentially like having a coach right there on your wrist (or in your pocket).

Beyond fitness tracking, the watch also pairs with your phone for full smartwatch capabilities. It will give you notifications for calls, texts, and all your apps and even let you send some preformatted responses right from the watch. And you’ll have access to important safety features for runners so that they can track your progress on an activity (LiveTrack), and you can quickly request help (Assistance).

Best for hiking: Instinct 2 Solar and Instinct 2S Solar

Abby Ferguson

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Why it made the cut: The Instinct 2 Solar provides truly impressive battery life and rugged design for those who seek out long adventures.

Specs

• Display: 0.79 x 0.79-inch or 0.9 x 0.9-inch monochrome, sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP)
• Touchscreen: No
• Battery life with GPS: Up to 30 hours/48 hours with solar
• Weight: 1.52 ounces or 1.86 ounces

Pros

• Ridiculous battery life
• Available in two sizes
• Robust fitness tracking and health features
• Garmin Pay compatible

Cons

• Black and white display 
• Detailed maps and graphs don’t show up well

Hiking—especially long hikes and backpacking—requires more from a watch than many other activities. Battery life, in particular, is critical. Recording with GPS for long periods can eat through battery life, and having your hike recording disappear because of a dead battery is extremely frustrating. The Instinct 2 Solar attempts to solve this with its absurdly long battery life. For example, in Expedition mode, you can get up to 105 days of battery with the right solar conditions.

Part of the long battery life is thanks to the rather simple monochrome display. It’s not a fancy color touchscreen like some of the more premium Garmin watches, but it’s easily visible even in bright sunlight and fits the rugged design of the watch. Additionally, the Instinct Solar 2 comes in two case sizes: 40mm or 45mm. That’s especially ideal for those with tiny wrists who don’t want a giant watch (like me, for instance). And a newer Instinct 2X Solar has been released with a larger bezel for those who prefer a larger display and longer battery life, so now there are three size options within the family.

The watch comes with more basic sensors, including heart rate, barometric altimeter, accelerometer, thermometer, pulse ox monitor, compass, and a few GPS modes. Even though it doesn’t have as many sensors as the more expensive watches, it still provides training details, statuses, and suggestions to improve your fitness without thinking much about it. 

Best for diving: Garmin Descent G1 Solar

Abby Ferguson

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Why it made the cut: The solar capabilities of the Descent G1 Solar prolong the battery life, allowing you to stay out longer while recording your dives. Plus, it offers a full suite of freediver-friendly features to keep you safe and help you improve your apnea performance. 

Specs

• Display: 0.9 x 0.9-inch monochrome, sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP)
• Touchscreen: No
• Battery life with GPS: Up to 26 hours/39 hours with solar
• Weight: 2.32 ounes

Pros

• Excellent battery life and fast charging
• Dive features are intuitive and easy to use
• Very customizable
• Pairs with other Garmin fitness devices like heart rate monitors and power meters

Cons

• Monochrome screen
• Not as sleek as the more premium Garmin dive watch

While most forms of exercise overlap with what you would want from a watch, diving presents a unique situation. Environmental conditions such as tide and weather are even more critical when diving, and different data types are useful to stay safe. The Garmin Descent G1 Solar is a robust and rugged dive computer and exercise watch that is water-rated to 100 meters. It’s the ideal tool for those who dive but don’t want a separate device for exercise on land.

This watch can keep you updated on the current tide, surf, and weather conditions, provides GPS coordinates of your surface entry and exit points, and can pair with the Garmin InReach communication device. All these features will help keep you safe even if you are in a remote location. Plus, you’ll get up to 25 hours of battery life in dive mode, so you won’t have to worry about your watch dying mid-dive session.

The Descent G1 Solar comes loaded with multiple types of diving, including single and multiple gas dives (including nitrox and trimix), gauge, apnea, apnea hunt, and closed-circuit rebreather. But it’s also ready for just about any other type of activity, from running to cycling and even hunting and yoga. My husband has been using this watch for six months and said it is a fantastic partner to have with you in the field (or in the water) on long days.

Best fashion wearable: Garmin Venu 2 

Amazon

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Specs

• Display: 1.3-inch AMOLED optional always-on mode
• Touchscreen: No
• Battery life with GPS: Up to 22 hours (GPS without music); 11 days as just a smartwatch
• Weight: 1.73 ounces

Sometimes you want a smartwatch that is less focused on your workouts but can keep you up on work while you’re out. While keeping track of your steps, etc., is valuable, sometimes you want to control your watch and control your life. The Garmin Connect app allows the company’s watches to sync to iOS and Android phones via a robust Bluetooth connection. This opens up advanced wellness features and biometric tracking, as well as a way to further customize the watch’s features. But what I really love is how syncing the two lets me subtly check my messages and calendar alerts by simply glancing at my wrist. I can also control my music, navigate through a new city, and many other things I’d normally use my phone for—all while keeping my hands free. Now, reaching into my back pocket for anything other than answering a call seems like a waste, even when not working out.

The Venu 2 features a colorful, touch-sensitive AMOLED display that’s as easy to read as it is to navigate. This is great because the smartwatch is loaded with features, including activity tracking, a powerful GPS, onboard storage for up to 650 songs, and seamless integration with your smartphone via the Garmin Connect app. This is a watch you can wear all day, in any setting, and it’ll never look out of place (and you can read more about the experience in our full review).

Best budget watch for beginners: Garmin Vivoactive 4

Garmin

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Specs

• Display: 1.3-inch sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP)
• Touchscreen: No
• Battery life with GPS: Up to 18 hours (GPS without music)
• Weight: 1.78 ounces

Pay attention to your budget when choosing a smartwatch. If you don’t need advanced features, like solar power, and AMOLED screens, then don’t pay extra for them. If you’re looking for a basic fitness tracker and something that syncs with your phone, many of Garmin’s entry-level watches will suit you just fine. 

They still offer basic sports apps, GPS, and access to apps and widgets from the Garmin Connect store, and they’ll integrate with iOS and Android phones. While future-proofing yourself might seem smart, smartwatch technology develops quickly and by the time you’re ready for more advanced features, watches featuring them might drop in price. Only pay for what you’ll use. 

Garmin’s Vivoactive 3 GPS smartwatch features built-in sports apps, a contactless payment system, and the ability to sync with compatible smartphones. It comes housed in a classy package that looks great in the gym and out and about, and the watch face can be personalized by visiting Garmin’s Connect IQ store.

What to consider when choosing a Garmin smartwatch

After holding the pandemic at bay with packaged cookies and streaming TV, people have been reintroducing regular exercise and movement into their lives in living rooms, gyms, trails, and beyond. And achieving goals is easier if you can accurately track them. However, if you’re not a hardcore athlete, you don’t need the same features someone training to hit specific benchmarks would. When choosing the best Garmin watch, focus on finding the health monitoring features you want without paying extra money for those you’ll never use. Here are some things to think about when choosing the best Garmin activity tracker:

Features

Are you looking for a simple workout tracker, or do you need advanced metrics? Will it be closely monitoring your health? How important is the sleep tracker function? Do you prefer a fitness watch that allows you to organize your life by providing access to your phone’s messages and calendars? Will you pay for things by tapping your watch? Download and play music, or control the music player on your phone? How important are GPS features? Different watches offer different combinations of these features and more. There’s a big difference between something like the $199 Garmin Forerunner 55 (reviewed here) or the $169 Garmin Forerunner 35, which are dedicated Garmin running watches, and something like the $399 Garmin Venu 2, which is more of a well-rounded smartwatch you’ll wear all the time.

Style

Many of Garmin’s best sports watches aren’t exactly elegant to look at. Think about when and where you plan on wearing your watch. Do you like the bulky aesthetic of classic sports watches, like the Garmin Instinct Solar, or do you want a watch you can wear all day—maybe even going straight to work from the gym? Don’t forget to look at the different color options available to each watch model, and keep in mind that watch bands are often customizable.  

Battery life

Do you spend a lot of time camping? Do you go weeks without seeing an outlet? Or are you home each night with access to a charging station? Make sure the watch you purchase won’t let you down by running out of juice. This doesn’t necessarily mean larger batteries—Garmin makes solar versions of most watch series that can last for weeks if exposed to enough direct sunlight. For other watches, battery life can come down to usage. The Venu 2, for instance, can last up to 11 days in battery-saver mode, but it will die in just 7 hours if you’re playing music and using GPS. 

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best Garmin smartwatches

• Best overall: Garmin fēnix 7 Sapphire Solar and Garmin epix (Gen. 2)
• Best running watch: Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar
• Best for hiking: Garmin Instinct Solar 2
• Best for diving: Garmin Descent G1 Solar
• Best fashion wearable: Garmin Venu 2
• Best budget watch for beginners: Garmin Vivoactive 4

It’s no mystery why Garmin has become a top smartwatch company. Instead of taking a one-size-fits-all approach to watch design, Garmin has offered up options focusing on health and fitness, all-day wear, and high-tech gadgetry designed to fit individual users’ lifestyles. Sometimes the differences aren’t obvious, and shopping for a Garmin watch can feel daunting. But by identifying your needs first and consulting this guide, you’ll be able to zero in on the smartwatch that’s best for you. 

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best Garmin smartwatches for 2023, tested and reviewed appeared first on Popular Science.

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The rise of smartwatches has made health and fitness tracking seem inherently more expensive. Even fairly straightforward watches containing only the most basic sensors tend to be pricey. There used to be many budget options when “Fitbit” was synonymous with fitness tracker, but many seem to have disappeared as convergence devices have increased. Enter Amazfit. The company is relatively new (established in 2015) but already has a robust lineup of budget-friendly activity accessories. And with the Amazfit Band 7, the brand has a bracelet-style tracker that takes a step back from pricier smartwatches so you can track your steps (and other performance metrics) as you move toward your fitness goals. Let’s take a close look at the conveniences and compromises that accompany a $50 fitness watch.

Abby Ferguson

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The Amazfit Band 7’s design

While all of Amazfit’s watches are more affordable than most options, the Band 7 falls in Amazfit’s Essential Series lineup, which, as you might guess, is its lowest tier. The Band 7 follows in the footsteps of the Band 5 (there was no Band 6) but presents a larger, more rectangular display, better battery life, and some general software upgrades. There’s no built-in GPS, and there are minor usability issues, but the compromises are minimal and, for most, insignificant. The watch is surprisingly capable for such a low price, with a good amount of health data and tracking opportunities. What it is not, however, is flashy.

Minimal is the best word to use when describing the design of the Amazfit Band 7. It is a simple rectangular shape with no buttons or design flourishes whatsoever. The band is one seamless piece that secures the watch face, with no special design or color inserts. The stock models are available in beige, pink, or black (the color I received to review). Should you want something else, you can also buy $10 replacement straps in green, blue, pink, or orange. 

The watch strap connects with a snap button-type design. That makes it easier to put on, but I also had issues with the edge catching on things resulting in the band unsnapping and the watch coming loose on my wrist. The band is also fairly large. I have small wrists, yes, but I used the second to last hole. Amazfit lists the minimum wrist size as 6.5 inches. So if you have smaller wrists than that, you’ll likely want to stay away from the Band 7 unless you don’t mind wearing it higher on your arm. 

Although the band may be a bit long, the watch itself is really slim. It only measures 1.7 x 1 x 0.5 inches, so it looks great, even on my miniature wrists. And it’s low-profile enough that the watch face doesn’t get caught on long sleeves. 

The lack of buttons is either really great or really annoying, depending on your preferences. It was a bit of both for me. I like the sleek look of a button-free design. But there were definitely times when having a button would have been nice. For example, if the watch turns off—either because I turn it off or it goes to sleep after not being worn for a few days—you have to connect the watch to a charger to turn it back on because there’s no power button. I found this very annoying, especially if I wanted to pop out for a run or walk. 

Display

Despite the budget price, the watch features a rather nice display. It’s a 1.47-inch HD ​​AMOLED display with a resolution of 198×368, 282ppi, and very minimal bezels. I really like the narrow rectangular design, as it provides enough screen real estate to see things easily but doesn’t take up my entire wrist to do so. It just looks really nice to me. 

It’s a colorful display and is easy to see in most situations. You have to adjust brightness manually, though, which is tricky if the brightness is turned down and you are out in the sun. You can adjust that setting in the app, but that’s a bit of a pain if you are on a run, for example. The screen is topped with tempered glass and an anti-fingerprint coating. Tempered glass isn’t as durable as other options, such as Gorilla Glass. Yet I haven’t managed to scratch the Band 7 display despite scratching my more expensive, Gorilla Glass-topped Garmin Forerunner 955. 

As you may expect, since there are no buttons, the display is a touchscreen, so you can swipe and tap through menus and settings. It is plenty responsive; in fact, I had issues with it being too responsive. When I crossed my arms, there was enough pressure to activate the touchscreen and enter the menu to change the watch face. It got quite irritating. 

Sensors

Amazfit fitted the Band 7 with its ​​BioTracker 3.0 PPG biometric sensor. Put simply, PPG sensors use low infrared light to measure how much light is absorbed by blood vessels. This provides a constant measurement of heart rate and blood oxygen levels (SpO2). It can also use that data to calculate and track VO2 Max, stress levels, and sleep. You will have to turn on settings to automatically track SpO2, as it defaults to only manual measurement.

The watch also utilizes a geomagnetic sensor and a three-axis acceleration sensor. It connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth 5.2 BLE, and that’s the extent of its sensors and connectivity. 

One of the aforementioned compromises due to the budget price is the lack of GPS connectivity in the watch itself. Instead, it relies on tethered GPS, meaning you’ll need your phone for all GPS data. That leads to some accuracy issues compared to watches with built-in GPS, especially multi-band GPS like the Garmin Instinct 2S Solar. If you want your route tracked or need distance data, you must have your phone along. And even with your phone, distance and route information won’t be as accurate as watches with GPS. 

Setting up the Amazfit Band 7

Setting up the Amazfit Band 7 is mostly straightforward, albeit a bit tedious. Most of the setup process is done on your phone in the Zepp app (Amazfit is powered by Zepp Health’s health management platform). The initial pairing process with my Samsung Galaxy S22 was very easy, with a simple scan of a QR code on the watch using the app. 

From there, however, things get a little bit complicated and a lot annoying. You have to grant a lot of permissions, more than any other watch platform I’ve used before. It seemed to go on forever. I also had a really hard time finding some of the menus for permissions that the Zepp app specified. It mentioned menus that simply do not exist on my phone, even though it says it’s specific to the phone manufacturer. Then, if you want to get notifications on your watch, you have to go through each individual app that you want notifications from. Which, again, was a bit tedious. 

The Amazfit Band 7’s features

As a budget device, you’d expect the Band 7 to be extremely limited in functionality and abilities. And while it certainly doesn’t have as robust a feature set as a $500 watch, the watch is surprisingly feature-rich for $50. It won’t be a replacement for serious athletes that need highly accurate information and robust tools, but it’s more than capable for most people. 

Battery life

The battery life on the Band 7 is quite surprising, given the low price of the watch. The watch offers a 232 mAh rated capacity, and Amazfit promises up to 18 days of battery life with typical usage. It says heavy usage will result in up to 12 days of battery life. Of course, all this depends on your watch settings as well, as the always-on display and certain settings like stress measuring will eat away at battery life. 

In my testing, I got an average of 16 days of battery life. I typically do one dedicated workout (either a run or strength training session) a day with anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour of duration. And I generally track a few short walks per day on top of that because of my dog. I did not have the always-on display running because I wanted to save the battery more, which greatly affected how much battery life I could get.

When the battery did run out, I was able to charge the watch quickly. Amazfit claims that the theoretical charging duration is two hours, and I found that to be accurate. If I needed a quick top-off before a workout, 15 minutes of charging would give me enough juice to record an hour-long session. The charger uses a magnetic design. In line with the watch’s design, it’s a tiny charger, making it easier to bring along on trips than other watches I’ve used. 

Activity tracking

The Amazfit Band 7 can track 120 different types of activities. That includes the basics like outdoor and indoor running, hiking, and cycling. But it also can track badminton, belly and square dancing, jumping rope, jiu-jitsu, and even kite-flying or swinging. Essentially, if there’s an activity you want to do, chances are there’s a unique profile for it on the Amazfit Band 7. 

Tracking is easy, though, by default, the workout widget (where all the activities are) is quite low in the list, so you’ll need to scroll a bit. I thought that was an odd default placement since that’s one of the main reasons to get a watch like this. But you can customize that placement in the Zepp app. Then, you simply tap on Workout and choose the type of workout you want. 

Before you start tracking, you can also adjust settings by tapping the ellipses above the “Go” button. For example, for outdoor running, you can set a workout goal (miles, time, or calories). You can set workout alerts for different metrics like high heart rate or minimum pace. And you can even set the watch up for interval training, which is a nice feature. 

Data collection and insights

The Band 7 is fairly limited in sensors, but it offers the most important ones for basic insights: a  PPG biometric sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, and a three-axis acceleration sensor. It uses these three sensors to collect and calculate heart rate, SpO2, VO2 Max, and stress levels. 

The watch can also track your sleep, breaking it down to give you insights into how long you slept, REM sleep, and how often you were awake during the night. While it doesn’t apply this information to your training, and it isn’t highly accurate, it can at least give you a rough idea of your sleep.

Your training information and data provide a few key insights: PAI and Training Status. PAI, or Personal Activity Intelligence, uses a simple 100-point scale to reflect how active you are, with the goal of keeping it at or above 100 to reduce your risk of disease. It is based on an algorithm that assesses your age, gender, resting heart rate, maximum heart rate, and accumulated heart rate over seven days. Because an algorithm powers it, it’s dynamic and based on you as an individual instead of using generalizations.

While Training Status and PAI are enough for most users, The Band 7 and Zepp app won’t provide the in-depth data and insights serious athletes want or need. For example, Garmin (what I’m most familiar with) provides training stats such as the training effect of each individual workout, power curves, race predictions, training readiness, and heart rate variability (HRV) information. Most of that isn’t relevant to those simply trying to stay active and healthy, but if you want focused training for performance reasons, the Amazfit Band 7 and companion app likely won’t cut it. 

Smartwatch features

On top of all the fitness tracking, the Band 7 provides some smartwatch functionality. It doesn’t provide cellular connectivity, and there is no microphone, which limits its capabilities, though that’s to be expected at this price point. But you can get notifications on the watch from your smartphone from just about any app you use. You can’t interact with those notifications in any way, but you can at least see them to know if it’s something important enough to pick up your phone.

Beyond notifications, the watch also provides access to weather information. And if you are playing music on your phone, you can control it from the watch. I really liked that feature while in the gym working out. If a song started in my UE Fits earbuds that I didn’t want, I could just hit next right on my wrist instead of needing to pick up my phone and sweatily navigate to Spotify. 

Zepp app

The Zepp app is clean and clutter-free, with three primary tabs containing settings and data that you may need. The Homepage of the app features data cards to give you snapshots of what you most want to keep track of. For example, it can show steps, sleep, workout history, exercise status, and more. You can customize this, both in terms of which cards are shown and their order, which is nice. 

The Health tab is also customizable, though with far fewer options. It primarily shows you a breakdown of your workouts and your target goals (which you can edit). Since all of this can be found on the Homepage, it’s a bit confusing that a separate tab is needed.

The third tab is your Profile, which gives you access to settings, goals, connected accounts, and more. It’s also where you access your devices to change device-specific settings.

The app runs very smoothly on my Samsung Galaxy, and it’s quick to sync the watch when I make changes via the app as well. It doesn’t provide as in-depth insights as the Garmin app and doesn’t offer the social component Garmin does, but Zepp works well and provides basic and necessary information. 

The Amazfit Band 7’s usability and accuracy 

Overall, the Amazfit Band 7 is straightforward to use. It has its quirks—such as a lack of buttons for input—that make getting used to it a little tricky at first. But most of the controls are intuitive and easy to figure out. The sensitive touchscreen can be a bit annoying but is small in the grand scheme of things. 

One aspect that I really love about the Amazfit Band 7 is that it provides help text on the watch itself for certain data sets and features. For example, under Workout Status, if you tap the “i” at the bottom of the screen, a rather thorough explanation of EPOC pops up. Since the budget-friendly watch is largely geared toward those who aren’t exercise experts, these terms may be completely new. Explaining what they mean and why they are important right on the watch is extremely helpful and valuable. 

I found the watch’s heart rate monitor to be very accurate, even compared to a dedicated heart rate monitor, which is typically more precise. Likewise, the calculated VO2 Max was in the range it should be for me, though I plan on getting a lab test done for a truly accurate comparison. 

I rarely find sleep tracking very accurate, and that was the case with the Amazfit Band 7. There were nights it seemed spot on, but most of the time, it seemed at least slightly off, and nights it was completely incorrect as well. It also tends to think I’m taking a nap if I take the watch off for more than a few minutes.

How the Amazfit Band 7 stacks up against the competition

There’s no shortage of fitness watches available, with even Amazfit’s own line of devices quite lengthy. I’ve also been using Amazfit’s T-Rex 2. At $200, the T-Rex 2 is still quite a bargain compared to the likes of a Garmin, though it’s four times more expensive than the Band 7. And in most ways, the price difference is noticeable. The T-Rex 2 is decidedly more aggressive looking and significantly larger. It’s much more rugged, having passed 15 Military-Standards Tests (MIL-STD-810G) to withstand harsh conditions. And it comes with more health data and built-in dual-band positioning. You get a lot more watch in the T-Rex 2, albeit in a very different style that isn’t for everyone.

Garmin’s fitness watches tend to be one of the gold standard options for athletes, and the prices certainly match that. The company has done a fantastic job of managing health and fitness data to provide useful and accurate information for training purposes. Amazfit does a nice job of providing useful insights, but it isn’t as thorough as Garmin, especially in the minimal Band 7 watch. Garmin’s watches offer more robust feature sets and data tracking than the Band 7, yet still offer battery life that’s nearly as much as the simpler Band 7.

So, who should buy the Amazfit Band 7?

I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised by the Amazfit Band 7. After exclusively using fairly expensive fitness watches for the past 10 years, I assumed that such a budget-level watch would be lacking and less impressive. But that was not the case. 

The Band 7 has some big wins, no matter what price point you are looking at. It sports a sleek design, lengthy battery life, accurate heart rate measurement, music controls, plenty of fitness-focused features, and a wide array of activity types. Of course, with the low price comes some disadvantages: No built-in GPS, a finicky touchscreen, and a cheap band enclosure design. It also doesn’t provide as in-depth training insights or data compared to more expensive watches. As a result, it isn’t great for serious, focused athletes looking for specific performance improvements. But it offers much more than the $50 price would lead you to believe. 

So who’s the Band 7 ideal for? It’s a fantastic choice for those looking for a simple device that can help encourage them to be more active. Not everyone needs access to race predictions and hyper-accurate pace and stride information. But the Amazfit Band 7 can help you learn more about exercise terms and support you in keeping tabs on your activity levels to work toward a healthier, more active lifestyle. And it can do this while functioning as a general smartwatch, making it even more well-rounded. 

The post Amazfit Band 7 fitness & health tracker review: Back to basics appeared first on Popular Science.

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Best overall		Withings ScanWatch		SEE IT	The Withings ScanWatch is stylish and comes with a full range of health-focused features.
Best for iPhone		Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR		SEE IT	The Skagen Jorn Hybrid is one of the most visually appealing in the space, and its e-ink display is a one-of-a-kind feature.
Best with heart rate monitor		Garmin Vivomove HR		SEE IT	The Garmin Vivomove HR is a sporty hybrid smartwatch with a nice array of features for fitness junkies.

Smartwatches are one of the most useful pieces of wearable tech out there. However, the chunky bodies and digital faces of the sensor-packed Apple Watches and Fitbits of the world don’t appeal to everyone’s sensibilities. So while the biggest tech companies build watches that emphasize the tech, many brands have integrated some of the simplest, most useful smartwatch features into conventional timepieces. The average hybrid smartwatch features analog hour and minute arms, with a small screen or screens underneath to show stats like heart rate and tracked steps. For many people, the best hybrid smartwatches provide a good balance between a watch that will give you the fitness tracking and heart rate monitor you desire without looking out of place in a professional workplace.

• Best overall: Withings ScanWatch
• Best for iPhone: Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR
• Best with heart rate monitor: Garmin Vivomove HR
• Best for smaller wrists: Fossil Women’s Monroe Hybrid Smartwatch HR (38mm)
• Best budget: Withings Steel HR

How we chose the best hybrid smartwatches

I’ve been writing about tech for nearly a decade for publications such as PC Gamer and Input, among others, so I know how to discern between the next big thing and the next big bust. I’m also a watch enthusiast who has owned more than my fair share of smart and traditional timepieces over the years. To determine these recommendations, I consulted technical specs and tests conducted by experts, as well as consumer reviews to find the best hybrid smartwatches for all kinds of people.

The best hybrid smartwatches: Reviews & Recommendations

Now that you know what to look for in a hybrid smartwatch, you’re ready to pick one for yourself. If you’d like a little help jumpstarting your search, we’ve selected the best hybrid smartwatches for all kinds of users. Whether you want to shell out a bundle for a high-end watch with all the bells and whistles or buy a cheaper model with just the essentials, we have you covered.

Best overall: Withings ScanWatch

Withings

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Buy it used or refurbished: eBay

Why it made the cut: The Withings ScanWatch offers everything you can hope for in a hybrid smartwatch.

Specs

• Size: 38mm or 42mm
• Heart monitor: Yes, with oxygen levels
• Sleep tracking: Yes
• Activity tracking: Yes, with altimeter
• Water resistance: 50m
• Battery life: 30 days
• Other features: Sapphire glass

Pros

• Great feature set
• Water resistance
• Comes in multiple sizes

Cons

• A little expensive

French health tech manufacturer Withings specializes in devices that monitor your body, including smart scales, thermometers, and blood pressure monitors. Their flagship watch, the ScanWatch, integrates deep health-tracking functionality into a simple, elegant hybrid timepiece. Going beyond basic step and heart rate tracking, it features an altimeter to track vertical movements, such as climbing stairs, and a pulse oximeter for blood oxygen (SpO2) tracking. Its 30-day battery life makes it one of the longest-lasting watches. It’s also waterproof and certified for up to 50 meters (or 5 atmospheres) of water pressure. 

It also provides lots of room for you to pick a watch that fits your style. It comes in two sizes and Withings offers more colors and styles than many of its competitors. In plain black with metal hardware, it’s a simple and elegant everyday accessory.

All of that function pushes the ScanWatch’s price up higher than many of our other picks, but it offers a strong blend of style and tech substance.

Best for iPhone: Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR

Skagen

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Buy it used or refurbished: eBay

Why it made the cut: The Skagen Jorn is an elegant hybrid smartwatch with a unique e-ink display, and it has great app integration for your phone.

Specs

• Size: 38mm or 42mm
• Heart monitor: Yes
• Sleep tracking: Yes
• Activity tracking: Yes
• Water resistance: “Water Resistant”
• Battery life: 14 days+
• Other features: E-ink display

Pros

• Multiple size options
• Stylish design
• Decent features

Cons

• E-ink display may not appeal to everyone
• Interface can be confusing

Skagen is known for their fashion watches, and the Jorn brings a very appealing “Bauhaus”-like sensibility—a cleanly geometric German retro-modern aesthetic—to the hybrid smartwatch market. Its signature feature is a sharp e-ink display, akin to what you’d find in an Amazon Kindle Paperwhite or the classic Pebble Watch. It shows your steps, heart rate, and other stats with chronograph-like icons that perfectly match the watch’s look. The unique design and controls aren’t as intuitive as other watches, but it’s a small price to pay for such attention to detail.

If you’re a fan of buttons, the Jorn has three for you to play with rather than the traditional “hold/tap” design of the Apple Watch, and its app integration and customizability have received high marks from reviewers. 

As a whole, the Skagen Jorn is a strong hybrid smartwatch for those who care more about the watch and its aesthetics than smart features. However, it works very well for what it is.

Best heart rate monitor: Garmin Vivomove HR

Garmin

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Buy it used or refurbished: eBay

Why it made the cut: The Garmin Vivomove HR offers excellent fitness tracking and an appealing design.

Specs

• Size: 40mm, 43mm
• Heart monitor: Yes, with oxygen levels
• Sleep tracking: Yes
• Activity tracking: Yes
• Water resistance: 50m
• Battery life: 5 days (smart mode), 14+ days (watch only)
• Other features: Stress tracking

Pros

• Good fitness features
• Many color options
• Easy to read

Cons

• Expensive
• Short battery life for smart mode

Though it is not specifically a “fitness watch,” the Garmin Vivomove HR delivers more fitness-driven features than most hybrid smartwatches, making it a notable choice for people who specifically want one to discreetly monitor their heart. It has dedicated stress tracking and relaxation timers so you can track your vitals in any situation, as well as SpO2 tracking. It falters a bit on battery life compared to other hybrids, especially when you use the smart features, though.

The design of its face is a bit simple compared to our other picks, and it’s less customizable than most, but it does have that true “Bauhaus” look. While it comes in multiple sizes and many colors, we found that many styles and colors are much harder to come by in the 40mm “small/medium” size.

If you’re a fitness enthusiast, the Vivomove has the edge over competitors thanks to its stress monitor and relaxation timers. But its high price limits its appeal compared to other watches in the space.

Best for small wrists: Fossil Women’s Monroe Hybrid

Fossil

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Buy it used or refurbished: eBay

Why it made the cut: The Fossil Women’s Monroe packs a lot of punch into a watch that looks good on any wrist.

Specs

• Size: 38mm
• Heart monitor: Yes
• Sleep tracking: Yes
• Activity tracking: Yes
• Water resistance: 30m
• Battery life: 14+ days
• Other features: None

Pros

• Fits any wrist
• The feminine silhouette isn’t common among smartwatches
• Competitive feature-set

Cons

• No signature feature

Look, there’s no delicate way to put this: The overwhelming majority of smartwatches out there feature masculine (or at least masculine-leaning) designs. Hybrid watches, in particular, are often based on larger “men’s” watches. If you’re looking for something feminine, rather than simply picking a smaller case size, Fossil’s Monroe is definitely the way to go. The mid-sized 38mm case will fit almost any wrist, unlike the 42mm (or even bigger) smartwatches out there.

It doesn’t skimp on the features either, with notification support, activity tracking, a heart rate monitor, and more. The only real downside to this hybrid smartwatch is that it lacks a unique tech-driven feature. The Monroe is purely a style play but, since feminine hybrid watches are fairly rare, that is a signature feature unto itself.

Best budget: Withings Steel HR

Withings

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Buy it used or refurbished: eBay

Why it made the cut: The Withings Steel HR is a fully featured hybrid smartwatch that offers 50m of water resistance for a cheap price tag.

Specs

• Size: 36mm, 40mm
• Heart monitor: Yes
• Sleep tracking: Yes
• Activity tracking: Yes, with multi-sport support
• Water resistance: 50m
• Battery life: 25 days
• Other features: None

Pros

• Competitive price
• Visually appealing
• Good battery life

Cons

• Some may prefer a larger case size
• Older model

The Withings Steel HR is an older, simpler hybrid smartwatch, but one that still holds up. For less than $200, the Steel HR offers only slightly less functionality than our top pick for $100 less. More importantly, the Steel is rated for 50m of water resistance, which means you can take it in the pool or the ocean without worrying about it. It offers great battery life—25 days—and features multi-sport tracking to record more accurate activity-specific health data.

Though many of the watches on this list feature a minimalist style, the Steel features what may be the simplest look. I quite like its two-dial configuration. However, with a 40mm case, it’s smaller than most of the picks on our list and may not be a great fit for people with very large wrists.

Things to consider before buying a hybrid smartwatch

Picking a hybrid smartwatch over a conventional smartwatch or fitness tracker is, more often than not, rooted in taste. You want some smart features, but not at the expense of how a classic wristwatch looks and feels on your wrist. In keeping with that, most hybrid smartwatches have a relatively standardized set of smart features, including step tracking, sleep tracking, and more. Some features, like surfacing notifications from your phone, aren’t on every model, though, so it does pay to think about how “smart” you want your watch to be.

It’s all about the features

Though hybrid smartwatches don’t vary as much in feature set and price range as other tech, you should keep in mind that they aren’t all identical. Most hybrid smartwatches offer some degree of fitness tracking, sleep tracking, and water resistance. Certain features—like GPS integration, altimeters, blood oxygen (SpO2) tracking, and 100-meter water resistance—tend to be reserved for more expensive models. 

High-end hybrids also tend to have better battery life, though even the least expensive of the bunch last longer than more tech-forward smartwatches like the Apple Watch Series 7 and Samsung Galaxy Watch4. The average battery life of a hybrid smartwatch is around two weeks, though some go as high as 25 to 30 days without a charge.

Aesthetics are everything

There are two main reasons to buy a hybrid smartwatch: less frequent charging and sheer aesthetics. As a watch enthusiast, I strongly prefer the round face and analog movement of a hybrid over the blocky silhouette of a Fitbit. As such, you should really consider the look and feel of the hybrid you want before you buy it. 

You should also measure your wrist before making any purchase. Most hybrid watches have a case diameter of 42mm, which is quite large on those of us with smaller wrists. If you have a wrist size of 6.5 inches or less, you will probably want to invest in a smaller 38mm model instead.

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best hybrid smartwatches

• Best overall: Withings ScanWatch
• Best for iPhone: Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR
• Best with heart rate monitor: Garmin Vivomove HR
• Best for smaller wrists: Fossil Women’s Monroe Hybrid Smartwatch HR (38mm)
• Best budget: Withings Steel HR

As with many products out there, these hybrid smartwatches ultimately have quite a lot in common with each other. Still, the devil is in the details. If you’re looking for top-of-the-line features, you may decide to go for a more traditional smartwatch instead. However, if aesthetics are what you’re looking for, all of these watches will have you well-covered. Besides, who wants to charge their watch every day, anyway?

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best hybrid smartwatches of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

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Garmin is keeping the ball rolling, and you running, this year with exciting releases. The company released two vibrant new watches in its Forerunner series in March. And now, Garmin has announced the newest product in its rugged, adventure-focused Instinct line: the Instinct 2X Solar and the Instinct 2X Solar Tactical Edition (shown below). The new smartwatches get many improvements and exciting editions compared to the Instinct 2 Solar, including even better solar charging and a more rugged, durable design. It’s also the first Instinct to feature a built-in flashlight and the Obstacle Course Racing activity type. We really enjoyed the Instinct 2 Solar, and this adventure watch looks even better. 

Garmin

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Garmin Instinct training features

In keeping with Garmin’s wearables, the 2X series has robust training features and tools. It offers 24/7 health and wellness tracking, including wrist-based heart rate, sleep monitoring, respiration tracking, heart rate variability, Pulse Ox, and more. 

There’s a vast range of sports and activity types, so you can track whatever you like to do to stay active. New in the Instinct line is the Obstacle Course Racing activity. This new activity mode lets you manually record obstacle splits and automatically track them after your first lap. The data from the activity will include the number of runs on a course, times, the number of obstacles, time spent on each obstacle, basic run metrics, and more. If you’re a fan of Tough Mudders, Spartan Race, or the new military-inspired obstacle competitions, this watch will be a big help. 

You’ll also have access to Garmin’s Training Readiness and Morning Report features. These help you plan and maximize your training and maximize to ensure healthy, well-balanced progress. And the multi-band GNSS provides highly accurate positioning to give you price route information and even navigation tools.

Garmin Instinct 2X Solar details

The Instinct 2X Solar gets some very exciting upgrades from the Instinct 2 Solar. It is even more rugged and built to U.S. military standards (MIL-STD-810). The 50mm polymer case—10mm larger than the Instinct 2 Solar—will withstand just about anything you throw at it.

One of my complaints with the Instinct 2 Solar was that the solar charging didn’t give all that much of a benefit. But Garmin says that the Power Glass lens on the Instinct 2X Solar (both the standard and Tactical Edition) will produce 50% more energy than the Instinct 2 Solar. It requires three hours of direct sunlight, but that’s a significant improvement and should mean that solar charging actually results in a real addition to battery life.

This watch’s other exciting new feature is the built-in LED flashlight (shown below). It even offers variable intensities and strobe modes. It could be a significant asset for hiking or any sort of activity in the backcountry, especially in emergency situations. 

Garmin Instinct 2X Solar Tactical Edition details

The Tactical Edition of the Instinct 2X Solar gets the same training features, sensors, and build qualities as the standard edition. But on top of that, Garmin says it is also “packed with features specific to tactical operations, including Jumpmaster and tactical preloaded activities.” It features a Stealth Mode, which prevents GPS location sharing and disables wireless communication. And the built-in multi-LED flashlight can be set to either white or dedicated green, resulting in natural vision at night.

Garmin Instinct 2X Solar pricing & availability

The Instinct 2X Solar is available in four colors: Flame Red, Graphite, Moss, and Whitestone. It’s available for purchase now for $449.99. The Instinct 2X Solar Tactical Edition is also available now for $499.99 in two colors: Black or Coyote Tan. 

The post Garmin announces an even more rugged Instinct smartwatch appeared first on Popular Science.

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Best overall		Galaxy Watch 5		SEE IT	Slick styling, optional cellphone connectivity, and lots of health tracking features put this watch on top.
Best dedicated fitness tracker		Fitbit Sense 2		SEE IT	The Fitbit Sense 2 is lightweight and slim but still offers lots of sensors and good battery life.
Best stylish smartwatch		Skagen Jorn Gen 6 Smartwatch		SEE IT	The Skagen Jorn is a unique hybrid watch, featuring traditional watch hands with full smartwatch capabilities.

The Apple Watch was not the first connected watch. Thanks to Dick Tracy, people have been dreaming of wrist-worn communicators since the 1940s, and companies have actually produced usable companion devices since the early 2000s. But since “Apple’s most personal device ever” launched in 2015, it’s come to dominate the smartwatch market by sheer volume. However, the best wearable for everyone, especially Android users, isn’t necessarily Apple’s. Many Apple Watch alternatives provide various tech that can match and even top the Series 8 experience. Really, the phrase “Apple Watch alternative” sometimes does these gadgets a disservice. Apple’s offering is great, but other top smartwatches and fitness trackers deserve recognition for their own forms and features. The best Apple Watch alternatives satisfy all kinds of purposes: collecting health metrics, delivering notifications, tracking outdoor adventures, and much more fantastic functionality without committing to watchOS/iOS. 

• Best overall: Galaxy Watch 5
• Best dedicated fitness tracker: Fitbit Sense 2
• Best smartwatch for Android users: Ticwatch Pro 3
• Best smartwatch for the triathlete in training: Garmin Forerunner 955
• Best stylish smartwatch: Skagen Jorn 38MM Gen 6 Hybrid Smartwatch
• Best for health data: Polar Ignite 3
• Best battery life: Garmin Instinct 2S Solar
• Best budget smartwatch: Amazfit GTS 4

How we chose the best Apple Watch alternatives

When selecting the recommendations included in this list, we evaluated a range of features, specs, and tools that make smartwatches useful and desirable. To function as an Apple Watch alternative, phone connectivity in some capacity was an absolute must. The selected watches also needed a robust array of sensors to capture important health and activity data. We aimed to choose watches with different styles since style is such a subjective topic. And lastly, we assessed important specs such as battery life, display quality, and durability. Combining this research with peer recommendations, critical reviews, and plenty of hands-on experience, we narrowed down our selection to the best Apple Watch alternatives.

The best Apple Watch alternatives: Reviews & Recommendations

The best Apple Watch alternatives are delightfully varied, and you’re sure to find one that strikes your fancy. So let’s look at the non-Apple products that can keep your phone in your pocket but your life connected.

Best overall: Galaxy Watch 5

Samsung

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Specs

• Weight: 1.2 ounces (44mm), 1 ounce (40mm)
• Case size: 1.7 x 1.74 x 0.38 inches (44mm), 1.54 x 1.59 x 0.38 inches (40mm)
• Display resolution: 450×450 pixels (44mm), 396×396 pixels (40mm) 
• Battery life: Up to 50 hours
• Waterproof rating: IP68
• Connectivity: BT 5.2, Wi-Fi 2.4GHz & 5GHz, NFC, LTE
• Sensors: Accelerometer, gyroscope, barometer, ambient light, compass, GPS, BioActive sensor (Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis sensor, Electrical Heart sensor (ECG), and Optical Heart Rate sensor), mic/speaker
• App support: Android

Pros

• Attractive design, with swappable straps
• Optional 4G LTE version
• Available in two sizes
• Plenty of health-tracking features
• Excellent third-party app support

Cons

• Battery life is lacking
• Some features only work with Samsung phones

The Galaxy Watch is one of the most direct competitors to the Apple Watch. That’s partly because it is one of the few watches that offer an eSIM for cellular connectivity. The eSim and built-in mic and speakers mean you can take calls and receive and respond to text messages via the watch. You don’t need your phone on you all the time to take advantage of the smart features, which is a nice option to have. The combination of Wear OS and an Android 8.0 or above phone, however, allows for Google Maps navigation, interaction with Google Assistant, and more.

The Galaxy Watch5 has a sleek, minimal design. It’s available in two sizes—40mm and 44mm—and comes in four colors. At only 1.2 ounces for the larger watch (44mm), it’s lightweight, making it more comfortable to wear. It is packed with useful sensors, including Samsung’s BioActive sensor array, responsible for sleep tracking, heart rate, blood oxygen monitoring, ECG, and body composition analysis. It will provide lots of health and fitness insights. It even automatically detects exercise, which is helpful if you tend to forget to start tracking as I do.

The downside of this watch is the battery life. The 40mm watch utilizes a 284mAh battery, while the 44mm features a 410mAh battery. If you use the device for any exercise tracking at all, you’ll need to charge it daily. Nighttime is the most logical time to charge it for most, but that means you’ll miss out on sleep tracking, which is a selling point of the watch. (A titanium-cased Galaxy Watch5 Pro version increases the durability, wellness sensors, and battery life.)

Best dedicated fitness tracker: Fitbit Sense 2

Fitbit

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Specs

• Weight: 0.8 ounces
• Case size: 1.5 by 1.5 by 0.45 inches
• Display resolution: 336 x 336 pixels
• Battery life: Up to 6 days
• Waterproof rating: Water resistant to 164 feet
• Connectivity: Bluetooth, NFC
• Sensors: GPS/GLONASS, heart rate, altimeter, skin temperature, gyroscope, accelerometer, ambient light, SpO2, cEDA, mic/speaker
• App support: Android and iOS

Pros

• Very slim and lightweight
• Lots of sensors
• Good battery life
• Easy to use

Cons

• No music support
• Subscription required to take full advantage of its features

The Fitbit Sense 2 is the company’s best and brightest smartwatch. It packs plenty of sensors, including onboard GPS to track your runs and bike rides. It also features a skin temperature sensor and Fitbit’s cEDA (continuous ElectroDermal Activity) sensor to help track stress. And it promises a six-day battery life (depending on usage), which is very strong.

At less than an ounce, this is one of the lightest smartwatches available, especially for one with such a robust set of sensors. It’s sleek and minimal, fitting nicely even on small wrists. And you can choose between three colorways. In addition, the Sense 2 gets an added physical button compared to the first version, making navigation easier.

Unfortunately, Fitbit removed third-party app support from the Sense 2. That means it isn’t as much of a smartwatch as other options. For example, there’s no Spotify app or music support, so you’ll have to rely on your phone. But there is a built-in speaker and microphone, so you can take calls on your wrist, as long as your phone is nearby. 

Best smartwatch for Android users: Ticwatch Pro 3

Ticwatch

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Specs

• Weight: 1.5 ounces
• Case size: 1.8 x 1.9 x 0.5 inches
• Display resolution: 454 x 454 pixels
• Battery life: Up to 72 hours (Smart Mode) or 45 days (Essential Mode)
• Water rating: IP68
• Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi
• Sensors: GPS/Beidou/Glonass/Galileo/QZSS, accelerometer, gyroscope, PPG heart rate, ambient light, barometer, mic/speaker
• App support: Android and iOS

Pros

• Good battery life
• Dual display helps save battery life
• Fast and responsive
• IP68 waterproof rating

Cons

• Somewhat pricey
• A bit bulky

With a Snapdragon 4100 processor, the TicWatch Pro 3 is among the fastest Apple Watch alternatives on the market. It has all the usual high-end smartwatch features, including onboard GPS and NFC for payments. There’s a whole host of sensors and data tracking features, including a heart rate monitor, barometer, sleep tracking, and SpO2 monitoring.

It also has one very clever feature: a lower-power LCD screen right on top of its regular AMOLED display. That allows you to switch over for up to 45 days of battery life in “essential mode.” And there is an ambient light sensor in the watch, so it can automatically adjust the brightness of the AMOLED display.

The Ticwatch features a rugged design that will hold up to whatever activities you participate in. It’s a waterproof smartwatch with an IP68 rating, so you can even swim in it. That said, even though it is 28 percent lighter than the previous version of this watch, it is still fairly large and chunky. It may not be best for the small of wrist.

Best smartwatch for the triathlete in training: Garmin Forerunner 955

Abby Ferguson

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Specs

• Weight: 1.8 ounces
• Case size: 1.8 x 1.8 x 0.5 inches
• Display resolution: 260 x 260 pixels
• Battery life: Up to 15 days (smartwatch mode)
• Water rating: 5 ATM water resistance
• Connectivity: Bluetooth, ANT+, Wi-Fi
• Sensors: Heart rate, GPS/Glonass/Galileo, thermometer, pulse oximeter, accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, barometric altimeter
• App support: Android and iOS

Pros

• Long battery life
• Highly customizable
• Collects loads of data
• Useful training assistance

Cons

• Pricey

Garmin specializes in super-advanced fitness and outdoor tech gear, making its gear one of the best Apple Watch alternatives for serious athletes. The Forerunner 955 is specifically focused on running, though it can track about any kind of workout you can think of, including ones specific to triathlon training. It includes a dizzying array of sensors to ensure you improve. It calculates elevation changes, measures your pace against an average for your fitness level, calculates VO2 Max, and can even measure stuff like ground contact time and stride length. In addition, the watch provides plenty of training help, such as suggested workouts and training load insights, to help you maximize your fitness. 

Despite all the data it collects, the battery life is fantastic. And You can easily customize battery consumption to get what you need out of the watch in a given situation. In smartwatch mode, Garmin promises 15 days of battery life. And when using the All Systems GNSS plus Multi-Band mode (the most accurate location tracking), Garmin specifies up to 20 hours. Should you want a little extra juice, Garmin also makes a solar version of this watch. Of course, battery life depends on your usage, but I was easily able to get the promised numbers when using the Solar version of this watch, even without getting the minimum sun exposure. 

There is no microphone on the watch or optional cellphone connectivity, so you will need your phone to take advantage of the notifications and safety features (unless you opt for the older Forerunner 945 LTE). But you can send pre-formatted responses to calls and texts and interact with notifications from certain apps. And it is surprisingly sleek for all the sensors that are onboard, even on small wrists. Of course, if you’re more of a weekend warrior and don’t mind charging more often in exchange for the most vivid visual experience, the Garmin epix 2 has an AMOLED touchscreen display that brings it near parity with an Apple Watch presentation.

Best stylish smartwatch: Skagen Jorn 38MM Gen 6 Hybrid Smartwatch

Skagen

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Specs

• Weight: Not provided
• Case size: 1.5-inch diameter, 0.5 inches thick
• Display resolution: 240 x 240 pixels
• Battery life: Up to 14 days
• Water rating: 3 ATM water resistance
• Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0 LE
• Sensors: Accelerometer, microphone, PPG heart rate
• App support: Android and iOS

Pros

• Sleek, attractive styling
• Unique hybrid design
• Good app support
• Built-in microphone

Cons

• Fitness tracking isn’t great
• Lacks a speaker

Skagen, the Danish-design-inspired imprint of Fossil, has a line of hybrid smartwatches called Jorn, which have uniformly been extremely good-looking watches. The hybrid design may not be for everyone, but it is a unique combination of classic watch looks with smartwatch features. The watch hands cleverly move out of the way so that you can easily read the E Ink display, and it still offers plenty of customization options. And it comes in 38mm or 42mm sizes with different color and band options. 

The Jorn features a built-in microphone as well as Amazon Alexa support. You can use voice control to set timers, reminders, and ask questions. Unfortunately, it lacks a speaker, so responses are displayed on the watch instead of spoken back to you, and you can’t take calls. But it does add a layer of functionality that some may appreciate. And it’s Android and iPhone compatible, so you can use it’s companion app with just about any phone.

The sensors in the Jorn watch are somewhat minimal but include an accelerometer and PPG heart rate monitor for basic exercise and health stats. These will track your steps, sleep, heart rate, and SpO2. Unfortunately, there’s no built-in GPS, so the watch relies on tethered GPS, which requires your phone. If you are looking for a serious fitness watch, this isn’t the best option, but we think it’s the most stylish Apple Watch alternative available. 

Best for health data: Polar Ignite 3

Abby Ferguson

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Specs

• Weight: 1.2 ounces
• Case size: 1.7 x 1.7 x 0.4 inches
• Display resolution: 416 × 416 pixels
• Battery life: Up to 30 hours (training mode)
• Water rating: Water resistant to 98 feet
• Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.1
• Sensors: GPS/Beidou/Glonass/Galileo/QZSS, accelerometer, heart rate 
• App support: Android and iOS

Pros

• Attractive styling 
• Really slim on the wrist
• Lots of smart health and training features
• Vibrant display

Cons

• GPS is inaccurate 

Polar has long been a staple in the fitness and health world, investing heavily in research and offering a range of watches and sensors. The third iteration of the Ignite is the sleekest yet, with attractive yet minimal design features. It’s available in four colorways, some of which (such as the Greige Sand) hardly look like fitness watches. It features an extremely slim profile, barely sticking up from my wrist.

The watch offers fairly minimal sensors, but it still collects plenty of data for excellent health and fitness insights. It provides the Polar Precision Prime sensor for highly accurate heart rate data. Unfortunately, despite the multi-band GPS, the location data is disappointing and inaccurate. This won’t matter for some, but if precise location tracking is essential to you, this watch won’t be your best choice. 

Where the Ignite 3 does shine is the health data it collects and the insights it provides. It provides accurate sleep-tracking information and uses that to help guide daily workout suggestions. It even provides secondary workout suggestions, such as stretching activities to keep you healthy. And Polar’s FitSpark suggests different types of exercise to keep your training well-rounded. It can provide a lot of information to help you stay on top of your training and health in general.

Best battery life: Garmin Instinct 2S Solar

Abby Ferguson

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Specs

• Weight: 1.8 ounces (45mm), 1.5 ounces (40mm)
• Case size: 1.8 x 1.8 x 0.6 inches (45mm), 1.6 x 1.6 x 0.5 inches (40mm)
• Display resolution: 176 x 176 pixels (45mm) 156 x 156 pixels (40mm)
• Battery life: Up to 28 days, unlimited with solar (smartwatch mode)
• Water rating: Waterproof to 328 feet
• Connectivity: Bluetooth and ANT+
• Sensors: Heart rate, GPS/Glonass/Galileo, thermometer, pulse oximeter, accelerometer, compass, barometric altimeter
• App support: Android and iOS

Pros

• Outstanding battery life
• Two sizes available
• Lots of training tools
• Highly accurate data collection

Cons

• Rugged, old-school design isn’t for everyone

Garmin’s Instinct 2S Solar has a lot going for it, but its battery life is certainly the main highlight. In smartwatch mode, Garmin says it offers unlimited battery life if you get three hours of 50,000 lux sunlight conditions a day. Of course, when you use the various GPS modes and tracking exercises, that goes down. But I got about a week of life from my 40mm version while doing some activity once a day, even without getting the required sun exposure per day for the solar benefits.

The watch also gets a robust set of sensors and tracking features, in line with most of Garmin’s products. It can suggest workouts and keep track of your training status to ensure you are getting the most out of your activities and advancing your fitness. You can even use it to navigate should you need help getting back to your starting point. Overall it’s a fantastic training partner.

The Instinct 2 Solar is a vastly different Apple Watch alternative in its styling. It has a rather rugged, old-school watch styling, which some may not like. The display is also a simple monochrome transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) display, so don’t expect fancy color graphics or touchscreen functionality. But it connects to your phone and provides notifications on the watch. There is no microphone or speaker, so you can’t take calls on the watch, but you can use it to reject or accept a call that you then take on your phone. And like the Forerunner 955, you can send prewritten responses to texts or calls directly from the watch, which is handy if you are in the middle of something. 

Best budget smartwatch: Amazfit GTS 4

Amazfit

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Specs

• Weight: 1 ounce
• Case size: 1.7 x 1.4 x 0.4 inches (without heart rate base)
• Display resolution: 390 x 450 pixels
• Battery life: Up to 8 days (typical use)
• Water rating: 5 ATM water resistance
• Connectivity: WLAN 2.4GHz, Bluetooth 5.0, and BLE
• Sensors: Geomagnetic, accelerometer, barometric altimeter, gyroscope, ambient light sensor, dual-band & 6 satellite positioning systems, BioTracker™ 4.0 PPG biometric sensor, mic/speaker
• App support: Android 7.0 and above, iOS 12.0 and above

Pros

• Sleek and comfortable design
• Lots of sport modes
• Good battery life

Cons

• Data collection isn’t the most accurate

Amazfit is a well-established maker of budget smartwatches, and the GTS 4 is a great one. It provides an eight-day battery life (depending on usage), which is surprising for a watch of this price. That can even be extended to 16 days in battery saver mode. It also has lots of sensors to measure your heart rate, steps, blood oxygen levels, stress, sleep, location, and more. 

As a smartwatch, the GTS 4 pairs with your phone and delivers notifications right to your wrist. And it can sync with apps like Strava and Google Fit. It features a built-in mic and speaker, so you can receive and make calls from the watch if your phone is near. It has a strikingly Apple Watch-like design, which is sleek and minimal.

Of course, as a somewhat inexpensive watch, there are some downsides. The companion app (called Zepp) is a bit clunky, with some settings difficult to find. And the data collection tends to be a bit inaccurate, especially the sleep data and the automatic stand suggestions. And you’ll lose some features like third-party app compatibility. But it still has a lot to offer as long as you aren’t relying on the data for precise training.

What to consider when looking for the best Apple Watch alternatives

Non-Apple Watch smartwatches are available running all kinds of different software platforms. And many of them will work with both Android and iOS, in case you ever switch phones. Apple Watch alternatives come in a few different flavors. There’s the direct competition, which would be Google’s Wear platform and the Samsung Galaxy Watch. And there are also more fitness-centric offerings, both for casual workouts and intense outdoors lovers, plus a whole crop of budget-friendly smartwatches that provide health tracking and notifications.

What’s the difference between a smartwatch and a fitness tracker?

In general, the phrase “fitness tracker” is used to differentiate these models from a smartwatch in a few ways. Fitness trackers are typically smaller. They often look more like a bracelet with a small screen than a big, fancy watch. They are, as their name suggests, focused on fitness: a good fitness tracker should have not just a step tracker, but also a heart rate monitor and sleep tracking tech. Many high-end fitness watches can also integrate with more robust devices like chest strap heart rate monitors. 

That said, the line between fitness tracker and smartwatch has blurred. Modern fitness trackers have some features we’re more likely to associate with smartwatches They may have the ability to deliver notifications of texts and emails from your phone, might have a speaker so you can activate Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. Some even sport similar faces and design elements.

But if you plan on wearing your wristpiece all the time, it’s fair to want something less like a fitness tracker and more like a full-featured smartwatch: you want it to have a bigger screen, because you’ll be looking at it more, and to have non-fitness-focused features too.

What watch features and sensors do I need?

A brief comparison of smartwatches will reveal a wide array of features and sensors. Of course, many companies have their proprietary names for traditional sensors, making matters more complicated. What sensors and features you need in a watch depends on how you intend to use it. 

If you mainly want a smartwatch for notification and call purposes, make sure you prioritize a watch with a microphone, speaker, and potentially cellular connectivity as well. Suppose you are more interested in highly accurate fitness information. In that case, you’ll want a multisport watch with a whole suite of features such as multi-band GPS, accelerometer, barometer, gyroscope, heart rate monitor, and more. 

Do I have to spend hundreds of dollars on a smartwatch?

The current generation of Apple Watch, the Series 8, starts at a whopping $399 (and goes up to $799 if you decide the Apple Watch Ultra is the right one for you). If you don’t necessarily need all the bells and whistles, just something that’ll track your health metrics and stick that data into a fitness app, plus maybe deliver some alerts, you don’t need to spend that much. In fact, you can spend barely a tenth of that price and get something surprisingly great.

The biggest use cases for smartwatches, according to Statista, are notifications and fitness tracking—and you can snag a budget smartwatch or fitness bracelet that can do that for you, acting as your everyday connected wearable at a fraction of the price of full-featured smartwatches.

What’s the most stylish smartwatch?

Smartwatches and fitness trackers aren’t known for being the most stylish accessories. They have some fundamental requirements that make being stylish difficult. For example, they have to be big enough to contain a touchscreen, a heart rate monitor, and a battery, which means that even the smallest tend to be on the bulky side.

For those who take wristwatches seriously, even the Apple Watch can be underwhelming from an aesthetic perspective. It’s a basic square made of glass and aluminum. Most Apple Watch alternatives are the same way: either a slim bracelet-style fitness tracker or a square or circular smartwatch. These tend to look just fine at the gym or when out for a run, but in more formal settings can look out of place.

Luckily, a few companies are getting on board with different designs. For example, the Amazfit T-Rex 2 leans into retro-style chunkiness, while hybrid smartwatches like the Skagen Jorn or Garmin vivomove 3 offer traditional analog watch hands with smartwatch features.

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best Apple Watch alternatives

• Best overall: Galaxy Watch 5
• Best dedicated fitness tracker: Fitbit Sense 2
• Best smartwatch for Android users: Ticwatch Pro 3
• Best smartwatch for the triathlete in training: Garmin Forerunner 955
• Best stylish smartwatch: Skagen Jorn 38MM Gen 6 Hybrid Smartwatch
• Best for health data: Polar Ignite 3
• Best battery life: Garmin Instinct 2S Solar
• Best budget smartwatch: Amazfit GTS 4

There’s truly no shortage of wearables these days, with most smartphone makers offering watch choices and fitness trackers increasingly becoming more like smartwatches. Thus, choosing the best Apple Watch alternative can be overwhelming. The good news is that whether you are looking for a hyper-focused fitness watch, a stylish smartwatch, or a simple blend between the two, there is an efficiency-boosting accessory for you among the choices we’ve compiled so you can complement your look and lifestyle.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best Apple Watch alternatives in 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

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Since its release in 2022, the Apple Watch Series 8 has been the model to get when it comes to wearables. You, too, can get crash detection, better heart monitoring, and even ovulation tracking thanks to this massive Apple Watch 8 deal on Amazon, which knocks down the price to $329 —that’s the lowest we’ve seen it go for, ever.

Apple Watch Series 8 $329 (Was $399)

Apple

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Don’t let the outside—which doesn’t feature any noticeable design changes compared to the Series 7—fool you. Inside, the Apple Watch 8 features improved sensors for more accurate health readings and safety detection. An Always On Retina display shows medication reminders and text messages in stunning clarity, and a crack-resistant, IP6X dust-resistant, and swimproof face and body mean you don’t have to worry about breaking it during everyday wear or while you’re taking laps at the pool. It works across the Apple ecosystem, meaning you can unlock your Mac, locate other devices, and pay for a coffee with a swipe, tap, or touch. An 18-hour battery life means you can take advantage of all of these features without worrying about a dying device.

If you can go without dust resistance, an Always On Display, and blood oxygen and ECG readings, consider the Apple Watch SE (2nd generation), which is also at its lowest price today. You can get sleep tracking, crash detection, water resistance, and some of the same features as the Apple Watch 8 for $219. If you’ve been considering testing the Apple Watch waters for a low price, we can’t recommend the Apple Watch SE enough.

Time is running out on this deal—take advantage of it before they spring forward and fall back to their regular prices.

The post Get an Apple Watch 8 on Amazon today for the lowest price we’ve seen appeared first on Popular Science.

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Garmin already has an extensive lineup of advanced running watches in its Forerunner series, but it just got even larger. The wearable tech company has announced two new smartwatches: the Forerunner 265 and 965. The highlight of the release is their vibrant AMOLED displays, a first for Garmin GPS running smartwatches. Each will offer an optional always-on, full-color touchscreen (though you can lock the display during activity and rely on Garmin’s classic five-button navigation system). We loved the Garmin Forerunner 955, and its fundamentals form the basis of the new models, so we have high expectations for these new additions to the Forerunner family.

Training features of the Garmin Forerunner 265 and 965

Garmin’s watches traditionally offer an impressive suite of sensors and performance tracking/analyzing features. As a result, they make great Apple Watch alternatives, especially for athletes. And this all holds even more true with the two new offerings. Like existing Forerunners (and other Garmin watches), they will calculate VO2 max, performance condition, training effect, and more. And all of that data is used to calculate a training readiness score to help you plan your rest better.

Sleep is a key component of performance, which Garmin clearly understands. Its watches can track your sleep, in part by evaluating heart rate variability, providing a more complete wellness and training picture. And, provided you sleep wearing the watch, a Morning Report summarizes your sleep, your day’s training outlook, and the environmental conditions you can expect. 

These watches will also offer daily suggested workouts, which adapt after every run to help you improve your running performance and prevent overtraining. The race widget, along with Garmin Coach and PacePro, will provide training tips and predictions for race performance based on specific course details, weather, and performance. They can even measure running power and running dynamics without any additional accessories. Now, however, shall of these metrics will be more visible and vivid indoors and out, thanks to the upgrade from memory-in-pixel displays.

Garmin Forerunner 265 details

The Forerunner 265, priced at $449.99, sits right between the Forerunner 255 Music and 955. It gets the full set of sensors found in Garmin’s advanced fitness smartwatches, including the wrist-based Pulse Ox sensor. The 265 also offers Garmin’s safety features, such as incident detection and LiveTrack.

As a smartwatch, it easily connects to your phone for smart notifications and allows you to download music from Spotify, Deezer, or Amazon Music to the watch for phone-free Bluetooth listening. And you can use Garmin Pay for contactless payments. 

The Forerunner 265 will be available in two sizes, each offering different battery life. The 42mm Forerunner 265S promises 24 hours of battery life in GPS mode and up to 15 days in smartwatch mode. The larger Forerunner 265, with a 46mm case, should provide up to 20 hours of battery life in GPS mode and up to 13 days in smartwatch mode. 

Garmin Forerunner 965 details

Garmin designed the Forerunner 965 for seriously dedicated athletes. It’s at the top of the Forerunner lineup, priced at $599.99. As a result, it will feature all the same things mentioned above and more. Garmin says it adds “additional performance metrics, built-in mapping, and the ability to store more songs right on the watch” compared to the 265. 

The 965 also offers a new feature, called load ratio, to “track short-term to mid-term load ratio” to stay healthy while training. Stamina insights will also help track exertion levels for a well-rounded picture of your training. And ClimbPro shows real-time information on climbs during a run, including gradient, distance, and elevation gain. There are also full-color built-in maps for route planning and navigation.

The 965 will feature a 47mm case with a lightweight titanium bezel. The AMOLED display is Garmin’s largest yet at 1.4 inches (the epix Gen. 2), Garmin’s first AMOLED-equipped watch, has a 1.3-inch screen). Garmin says it will provide up to 31 hours of battery life in GPS mode and up to 23 days in smartwatch mode.

Pricing & availability

The Garmin Forerunner 265 will cost you $449.99 for either the 42mm or 46mm versions. It is available for purchase now. The Garmin Forerunner 965 will run you $599.99 and won’t ship until late March/early April, but can be pre-ordered now.

The post Garmin’s latest running watches pair vivid visuals with your vitals appeared first on Popular Science.

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Best overall		Belkin BOOST↑CHARGE PRO 3-in-1 Charging Pad		SEE IT	An Apple enthusiast’s simplest solution for charging all the essentials.
Best charger		Mophie 3-in-1 Travel Charger		SEE IT	Classy as it is convenient, this compact charger helps simplify packing.
Best battery		OtterBox wireless 5K mAh Power Bank		SEE IT	Two-sided MagSafe compatibility adds versatility to this potent pint-sized battery backup.

If you’ve ever woken up and, groggily lumbering toward the bathroom, started the day by tripping over an iPhone charging cable, you know you felt no shame audibly cheering the first time you used a MagSafe accessory. MagSafe, Apple’s magnetic connector for electronic devices, started as an improvement for MacBook power cords in 2006. But it was with the introduction of the iPhone 12 in 2020 that the MagSafe name became synonymous with the much wider world of wireless power transfer and magnetic attachment products. Having a phone and a MagSafe-compatible charger saves you the problem of having the right cord with the right connector that’s the right length to be lined up just right; when that green circle lights up the iPhone screen, one less worry fills your mind. Not every MagSafe accessory involves power but they do all involve that feeling of security. Here’s our selection of the best MagSafe accessories to make sure your iPhone is fully charged and fastened when and where you need it to be.

• Best overall: Belkin BOOST↑CHARGE PRO 3-in-1 Charging Pad
• Best charging dock: Nomad Base One Max
• Best charger: Mophie 3-in-1 Travel Charger
• Best car mount: Belkin BOOST↑CHARGE Magnetic Wireless Car Charger
• Best phone case: Otterbox OtterGrip Symmetry Series
• Best battery: OtterBox wireless 5K mAh Power Bank

How we chose the best MagSafe accessories

As gadget geeks and serial upgraders, many of us have a recent iPhone. And considering how many devices we regularly test, requiring us to keep track of yet another interconnect, being able to wrangle one less tangle is a godsend. This is why we are both fans and intimate friends with many MagSafe accessories. Combining this firsthand experience with peer recommendations, critical reviews, and user impressions, we put together a list of potential inclusions from top manufacturers—including Belkin, Mophie, OtterBox, and more—then narrowed down the dozens of options to these picks.

The best MagSafe accessories: Reviews & Recommendations

MagSafe is a quality-of-life improvement you didn’t know you needed, but once you have it, you don’t understand why you didn’t this whole time. Here are our top picks for some of the best MagSafe accessories, focusing on accessories that offer charging.

Best overall: Belkin BOOST↑CHARGE PRO 3-in-1 charging pad

Belkin

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Why it made the cut: This unassuming silicone-clad slab packs a sweet suite of Apple device chargers into a low-profile accessory.

Specs

• Dimensions: 9.8 x 5 x 3.66 inches
• Weight: 1.74 pounds
• Power: Up to 15W MagSafe

Pros

• Charges iPhone, Apple Watch, and wireless earbuds simultaneously
• Full 15W MagSafe charging capability
• Apple Watch Series 7 fast charge supported
• Apple Watch can be charged flat or in Nightstand mode

Cons

• Not the cheapest charging pad

Fans of maximized minimalism will love this Belkin 3-in-1 charging stand. It’s an Apple enthusiast’s simplest solution for charging all the essentials, with dedicated spots for a MagSafe-compatible iPhone, an Apple Watch, and wireless-compatible AirPods. 

Despite being a three-device dream, it’s an unassuming silicone-clad slab—available in Black or White with a soft-matte finish and subtle chrome accents—and it’s a lay-flat design that can be easily packed for on-the-go use. The MagSafe iPhone platform offers full 15W charging, with or without an official MagSafe case on your device (an included 40W adapter ensures the full output). While the Watch puck is adjustable, allowing any size Watch to be oriented as an alarm clock in Nightstand mode—and enabling fast charge for compatible Apple Watch Series 8 models. And the AirPods panel includes an LED indicator, so you know the wireless charging is active. 

Stable without being too hefty, the Belkin BOOST↑CHARGE PRO is the top third-party MagSafe charger and fills an important gap in Apple’s own offerings.

Best charging dock: Nomad Base One Max charger

Nomad

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Why it made the cut: Nomad’s Base One Max is a sturdy 2-in-1 Made for iPhone-certified charger made of metal, glass, and soft-touch rubber.

Specs

• Dimensions: 7.44 x 3.54 x 1.8 inches
• Weight: 2 pounds
• Power: Up to 15W MagSafe, Requires 30W charging brick

Pros

• Beautiful design
• Weight keeps it anchored
• Apple Watch charges in Nightstand Mode

Cons

• Pricey
• Doesn’t support Apple Watch 7 fast charge
• Doesn’t come with a charging brick

Nomad’s Base One Max is a hefty 2-in-1 charger that emphasizes design and utility. Available in Carbide or Silver, it features a solid metal and glass design along with subtle soft-touch accents to keep your devices protected, and it looks and feels more like a centerpiece rather than just another accessory.

The integrated Apple Watch charger props up the wearable in Nightstand Mode, while the 15W MFi MagSafe pad provides a satisfying thunk every time you place your iPhone down to charge. The charging pad is also compatible with other Qi-enabled devices so that you can charge your AirPods in between Zoom meetings.

Although the Base One Max is heavy at 2 pounds, its weight allows it to stay anchored when you reach for your device, and the rubber base ensures it won’t move around. The Base One Max comes with a 6-foot braided USB-C cable, but you’ll have to supply your own charging brick. It also doesn’t support fast charge on the Apple Watch.

While the Base One Max is pricey and not as transportable as our best overall pick, its thoughtful, high-quality design makes it one of the most elegant MagSafe options for a designated iPhone charging station.

Best charger: Mophie 3-in-1 Travel Charger

ZAGG

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Why it made the cut: Simplify your packing without sacrificing anything with this elegant wireless charging solution.

Specs

• Dimensions: 0.4 x 12.3 x 3.2 inches
• Weight: 9.92 ounces
• Power: 7.5W, 15W MagSafe

Pros

• Compact yet complete charging suite
• Sophisticated aesthetics
• Apple Watch can be oriented in Nightstand mode

Cons

• As pricy as a permanent pad, but not as solid

Classy as it is convenient, the Mophie 3-in-1 travel charger with MagSafe is an easily packable trifold charger that comes with all the accessories needed, all tucked within an elegant felt organizer. Inside this backpack, briefcase, or maybe even belt bag-friendly case, you’ll find three pockets for the charger, a 30W USB-C PD wall adapter, and an included 1m USB-C to USB-C cable.

Unfurl the heathered grey fabric-wrapped hub and three pads will be revealed, ​​with a dedicated cradle for AirPods, a magnetized disc for iPhone, and a magnetized puck for Apple Watch. This charger powers all three simultaneously from a single cable plugged into the Watch platform. Perfect for pleasurable jaunts and business trips alike, this stylish set-up starts your devices charging on contact, so you’ll be ready to touch base with all your contacts in the morning.    

Best car mount: Belkin BOOST↑CHARGE Magnetic Wireless Car Charger

Belkin

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Why it made the cut: This vent-mounted charger helps you steer without your iPhone sliding around and driving you crazy. 

Specs

• Dimensions: 1.68 x 3.98 x 5.43 inches
• Weight: 3.35 ounces
• Power: Up to 10W

Pros

• Easily mounted/removed on a vehicle air vent
• Keeps phone secure, accessible, and charged during navigation

Cons

• Requires you to run a cable from the console to charge
• Placement might require some adjusting, based on vent blades

It may not quite be the jetpacks that the future promised, but having a MagSafe mount in the car definitely changed how I travel for the better. Securing my iPhone conveniently as fast, if not faster, than I fasten my own seatbelt, not having to fish out a charging cable, then detaching the phone just as expediently when I get to my destination is perhaps the greatest expression of MagSafe’s life-changing properties. 

Easily clamped to an air vent, the Belkin BOOST↑CHARGE magnetic wireless charging mount holds an iPhone firmly within sight even when traffic patterns shift abruptly. If you must keep an eye on a screen for navigation purposes (I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt you won’t play videos or other distractions while driving), it’s far better to situate your phone in an optimal place to the side of the steering column rather than have you fumbling for it with only one hand on the wheel. 

In addition to firmly holding the phone in place (in either vertical or horizontal orientation), the Belkin BOOST↑CHARGE can be plugged into (what was once) the cigarette lighter with the included 20W USB-C Power Delivery 3.0 car power supply and charge your iPhone while driving. This helps compensate for energy-intensive programs like Waze and Google Maps keeping your display and GPS continually active. The road may be full of bumps, but at least your phone won’t flip or its battery dip with this convenient accessory.  

Best phone case: Otterbox OtterGrip Symmetry Series

Amanda Reed

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Why it made the cut: Enter the world of MagSafe without having to get rid of a phone grip.

Specs

• Dimensions: 6.02 x 3.11 x .53 inches
• Weight: 1.76 ounces
• Power: N/A

Pros

• Combines MagSafe compliance with easy grip
• Durable
• Doesn’t interfere with phone buttons

Cons

• OtterGrip not a complete replacement for the PopSocket
• More of a phone grip than a phone stand

Thanks to increasingly more content and the pixels needed to display it, smartphones have gotten bigger and bigger over the last decade. For people with the small, dainty hands of a 19th-century child working in a watch factory, phone grips like PopSockets provided a handle to prevent some accidental drops and smartphone pinky. However, these add-ons meant that anyone using one could never fully experience the convenience of MagSafe—an iPhone‘s back cover has to be easily accessible so that compatible accessories can sit flush and align their magnetic array. Sure, you can buy a PopSocket that attaches using MagSafe, but then you’re taking it on and off and potentially losing it. That changes with the Otterbox OtterGrip Symmetry Series case, originally announced in January 2023 at CES and now available. The OtterGrip gives you the best of both worlds, allowing you to have an integrated phone grip and use any of the MagSafe chargers, mounts, batteries, etc., you see on this page. Simply pull the grip away from the case to use it, and snap it back in place when you decide to place it on a wireless charger or car mount. The grip also rotates 360 degrees for ergonomics.

The OtterGrip is also incredibly durable without the chonk. Some may think “big, bulky case” when they hear the name OtterBox, but that’s no longer the, well, case. There’s a better “click” on the volume and lock buttons compared to my old Speck Gemshell case, which has a slim profile, all things considered. The OtterGrip is actually slimmer than the Speck Gemshell using a separate phone grip, with higher drop protection.

If you use a PopSocket-like grip for a phone stand, however, you might want to pass on the OtterGrip case—it’s hard to balance the phone and get it to stay in place without the grip snapping back into place. The OtterGrip isn’t a one-to-one replacement for the PopSocket in terms of feeling, and there is some getting used to the experience. But being able to use MagSafe and feel more secure when you’re holding your expensive pocket computer is worth the learning curve.

Best battery: OtterBox wireless 5K mAh power bank

OtterBox

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Why it made the cut: Two-sided MagSafe compatibility adds versatility to this potent pint-sized battery backup.

Specs

• Dimensions: 6.69 x 4.25 x 0.39 inches
• Weight: 6.5 ounces
• Power: 5W Qi, 7.5W MagSafe

Pros

• Magnets on both sides allow connections to a phone and mount simultaneously
• Wireless input and wireless output
• LED indicators for charge status/battery life

Cons

• No magnetic stabilizing strip leaves the opportunity for the power bank to rotate 
• Not the biggest capacity available in a wireless power bank

The Otterbox wireless 5K mAh power bank tops the battery category not only because of what it can hold and also how you can hold it. It doesn’t have the capacity of, say, Belkin’s equally recommendable BOOST↑CHARGE Wireless Charger 10K, but only holding half the charge means it also takes up less space—a huge plus for pocketability (though the battery has the potential to rotate/become unaligned if you’re power-walking with purpose). And 5K is enough to fully recharge any iPhone 13 once (or the iPhone 13 mini twice).

What really stands out with this power bank is that it has MagSafe on both sides, meaning you can attach it to a MagSafe charger with your iPhone simultaneously attached, topping off both in the process. I actually store one on a Satechi 3-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charging Stand so it’s primed and ready to easily peel off in case I’m leaving the house without my iPhone at 100%. And if I was without that convenient perch and succumbed to a cable, I could use the bidirectional USB-C port to charge the power bank, as well as to charge my phone.  

Things to consider before buying the best MagSafe accessories

If you have an iPhone 12, iPhone 13, or iPhone 14 of any size/sort, you can access MagSafe. And if you have a debit or credit card, you can access the MagSafe accessories presented here. But before you invest in new accouterments, you might have some questions. And that’s why we’re here.

So, how exactly does MagSafe work?

MagSafe uses a series of internal magnets ringing an iPhone’s charging coil to snap securely to compatible accessories. This assures that any attachments are properly lined up, which is particularly valuable for optimized wireless charging. As for how magnets work in general, that is a tale of electrons spinning and atoms aligning and a miraculous mystery for another time. But when magnetized objects of opposite poles enter each other’s magnetic fields, they are as strongly attracted to each other as a long-time Apple fan is to hearing “… and one more thing.”

Do I need MagSafe accessories?

No. If you are a connoisseur of cables—each one personally, painstakingly labeled as to what it is for—then keep enjoying those curled-up keepsakes and a Jenga-like set of power bricks. USB-A to Lightning, USB-C to Lightning … you do you. Being hardwired to the wall will continue to work … for now (we have no insight into Apple’s plans to discontinue ports on iPhones). And if you always have or prefer to secure your phone in a dashboard-mounted vice while driving, don’t switch up what works for you. So, no, you don’t need MagSafe accessories. But if you’ve gotten tired of trying to find a convenient place to plug in a somehow always slightly too short cable, or finding out that the cable you desperately need to save you from an imminent power-down has a short in it, you definitely may want MagSafe accessories. And don’t even get me started as to how convenient a MagSafe car mount is … (OK, get me started but wait till we get to our top pick in that category, please.)

Do I need a MagSafe case for my iPhone?

To charge wirelessly, no, you don’t need a MagSafe case. But to attach additional accessories to your iPhone while it’s in the case, yes, you need a MagSafe case. Plus the MagSafe system in the case helps alleviate any concerns that it might fall off.

If I buy a MagSafe accessory, does it need to be “Made for MagSafe” to work?

No, though it can’t hurt. There are plenty of “MagSafe compatible” options with the magnetic ring that lets your iPhone snap to them with the precision needed to stay and/or charge properly. We even recommend some. But the “Made for MagSafe” badge does bring some benefits. It means that the device can support 15W charging (12W for iPhone mini models), rather than the 7.5W charging of “MagSafe compatible” alternatives (and more watts=faster charging). To get maximum output, however, be sure you have at least a 20W USB-C PD adapter for the charging pad. In addition, the near-field communication between “Made for MagSafe” charging devices means you get the undeniable satisfaction of seeing your iPhone’s screen light up with the curling green MagSafe animation that guarantees authenticity and efficiency. 

Can I charge anything other than my iPhone with a MagSafe pad?

Sure, you can place anything with Qi-enabled wireless charging on a MagSafe pad and the battery will fill. However, the device won’t snap into place so you won’t know if it’s set down correctly and there’s nothing to stop it from getting knocked off the pad accidentally. There are Android devices, and optional cases, that do have magnetic rings in them, which solves that problem, but Android devices don’t replicate the alert an official MagSafe charger gives when it comes into contact with an iPhone.

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best MagSafe accessories

If you’re wired to go wireless and you’re an iPhone owner, MagSafe accessories are the best way to get your fill of features and battery capacity. Matching convenience with efficiency, the best MagSafe accessories are as attached to your pocket computer as you are and can help empower your adventures together.

The post The best MagSafe accessories of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

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Spring is drawing nearer with each passing day, and the promise of warmer weather gives you the chance to break out those new running shoes and take a leisurely stroll around the neighborhood. No offense to your treadmill, but there’s something especially lovely about feeling the sun on your face and the breeze in your hair. Track how many steps you take—along with distance walked—with Fitbits on sale for up to 20% off on Amazon.

Fitbit Luxe $98.95 (Was $129.95)

Fitbit

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The Fitbit Luxe (which is just one of our favorite Fitbits) has a slimmer face compared to other touchscreen fitness watches. This watch, however, has a stainless steel case for added durability. 24/7 heart rate tracking gives you more accurate numbers, and a gentle, affirming buzz lets you know when you’ve reached your target heart rate while exercising. Five days’ worth of battery on a single charge means you can spend more time using the watch’s stress management tools and less time hooking it up to a charger. And, get real-time pace and distance tracking when you connect it to your phone’s GPS. It’s perfect for someone who is looking for a smartwatch that blends fashion with function.

If you’re looking for something that looks and feels like an analog watch with health features, the Garmin vivomove Sport is on sale for $149.99, down from its original $179.99 pricing. It has a traditional watch face and real hands with a touchscreen display that shows your daily step count, smartphone notifications, and more.

And if a smartwatch isn’t your jam at all, we love plenty of timeless timepieces under $500 including this Timex Unisex Weekender Chronograph watch, which comes with a leather and nylon strap to match practically any outfit in your closet.

These deals will fly away like a bird after it drops below 30 degrees, so take advantage of them before it’s too late.

Here are some other fitness watches we want to get our hands on:

• Fitbit Inspire 3 $79.95 (Was $99.95)
• Fitbit Charge 5 $128.99 (Was $149.95)
• Fitbit Sense 2 $249.95 (Was $299.95)
• Garmin Lily $149.99 (Was $199.99)
• Samsung-Galaxy Watch5 Aluminum Smartwatch 40mm BT-Pink Gold $229.99 (Was $279.99)
• Apple Watch Series 5 (GPS, 40MM)-Space Gray Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band (Renewed) $144.95 (Was $205)
• Apple Watch Ultra [GPS + Cellular 49mm] $749 (Was $799)
• Amazfit Band 5 Activity Fitness Tracker with Alexa Built-in $34.99 (Was $39.99)
• Amazfit [2022 New Version] GTS 2 Mini Smart Watch $84.99 (Was $99.99)
• Amazfit GTS 2e Smart Watch $89.90 (Was $119.99)
• Withings ScanWatch-Hybrid Smartwatch & Activity Tracker $232.60 (Was $279.95)

The post Take time to get more steps in with discounted Fitbits on Amazon appeared first on Popular Science.

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Smartwatch enthusiasts should take note of this surprise deal on the Apple Watch Ultra, which brings its price down to $750 at multiple retailers. The $50 discount is just $10 shy of the Watch Ultra’s lowest price ever and the best price we’ve seen for this accomplished multisport wearable in months. Best Buy, which is honoring this deal, is also offering an open box model in excellent condition for $704, which is nearly $100 off the Ultra’s list price.

Apple

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The Apple Watch Ultra is Apple’s most premium smartwatch yet. The durable titanium watch body features a bigger screen (49mm), a brighter display (up to 2,000 nits), longer battery life (up to 36 hours during typical use and 60 hours in low power mode), and a physical function button that can be customized to a specific action. For instance, you can set the button press to start a workout or a timer, so you don’t have to swipe on its screen.

In addition to IP6X dust protection, the smartwatch is swim-proof to 40 meters and water-resistant down to 100 meters. A depth gauge and water temperature sensor can give you vital stats about your dive at a glance while you’re underwater. These advanced features are exclusive to the Apple Watch Ultra, but this model also supports Apple’s improvements to its entire smartwatch line.

The Watch Ultra’s High-g accelerometer and gyroscope enable crash detection, which sends a distress signal to the police and specified contact if it believes you’re in a car crash. The Emergency SOS feature allows the smartwatch to connect to satellites in rural regions in case something goes wrong and you can’t get voice service but need to send an alert. You can also use the watch to drop points on your hike and follow them back to civilization using a map on the Apple Watch if you get lost.

There’s also the standard assortment of health features, like heart rate tracking, sleep tracking, taking an EKG, and alerts if an Apple Watch detects an irregular heartbeat. Apple brought menstrual cycle tracking and temperature tracking to the Apple Watch this year, and that data will be encrypted and stored in Apple’s health app.

Apple doesn’t discount its hardware, and this is the best Apple Watch Ultra deal we’ve seen in months—especially if you pick up a refurbished model. If you’re been curious about the Watch Ultra or want to upgrade from an older model to the most luxe edition yet, this is a great time. If you’re not sure about which Apple Watch suits you best, check out our Apple Watch comparison.

The post The Apple Watch Ultra is $50 off right now at Amazon appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Nowadays, watches today don’t just tell time—they can track your steps, play music, and even tell you your pulse. If you’re shopping for someone who raises your heart rate, Garmin has you covered with its fitness watches on sale just in time for Valentine’s Day.

Garmin fenix 6 Pro Solar $399.99 (Was $499.99)

Garmin

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The biggest deal we saw in this sweet Garmin deal was on the fenix 6 Pro Solar Edition, which is $400 off from its OG $799.99 price.

Don’t discount it for being “last year’s model”—this watch still holds up to its adventure watch competition, thanks to its 16-day battery life and support for multiple global navigation systems like GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo. Combined with preloaded TOPO maps, barometric altimeter, and dedicated activity profiles for different sports, you have a watch made for adventure with your favorite buddy, platonic or romantic.

If you’re looking to gift something that blends into everyday life, consider the Lily or vívomove models. The Lily—on sale for $149.99, down from $199.99—complements your look with stylish leather or silicon bands. However, this watch isn’t just a pretty face, thanks to a built-in pulse oximeter, hydration tracker, and connected sports apps. The vívomove—also on sale for $149.99—is for those who want a less pronounced face like the Lily, but are looking for something with a wider band. It also features an analog look with smart features, like sleep monitoring, stress tracking, and activity profiles.

These are Valentine’s-exclusive deals, meaning they’ll disappear once Cupid has packed his bags and goes back to the heart-shaped arrow factory to prep for next year, so act fast.

Here are other Garmin fitness watch deals that move us:

• Forerunner 735XT $199.99 (Was $349.99)
• vívoactive 4S $199.99 (Was $349.99)
• Instinct Solar–Standard Edition $229.99 (Was $399.99)
• Forerunner 245 Music $269.99 (Was $349.99)
• Forerunner 45 $139.99 (Was $199.99)
• Venu 2S $349.99 (Was $399.99)
• Venu Sq $119.99 (Was $199.99)
• Bounce $139.99 (Was $149.99)
• vívofit jr. 3 $59.99 (Was $89.99)
• vívosmart 4 $99.99 (Was $129.99)

The post A watch is a timeless gift—snag one from Garmin for up to $400 off appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best overall		Panasonic CR2016		SEE IT	Power key fobs, calculators, and other small electronics with the CR2016 battery.
Best for watches		LiCB LR1130		SEE IT	Keep watches, children’s toys, and more powered up with this affordable 15-pack of alkaline batteries.
Best budget		AmVolt LR44		SEE IT	The LR44 batteries in this budget-friendly value pack are ideal for clocks, toys, watches, and more.

Coin batteries are tiny energy sources that power mobile devices, computers, remotes, toys, key fobs, calculators, electronic thermometers, flashlights, watches, and more. These batteries come in a wide range of different sizes and voltages. But while there are many different types of coin batteries, it’s important to note that even if two different batteries have the same voltage, only the type of battery specified by the device will work properly. In addition, some coin batteries also have safety features, such as a bitter-tasting coating, to discourage kids and pets from swallowing them. Keep reading to learn how to choose the best coin batteries for your devices.

• Best overall: Panasonic CR2016
• Best for cameras: Duracell 2032
• Best for remote controls: Energizer 2450
• Best for watches: LiCB LR1130
• Best budget: AmVolt LR44

How we picked the best coin batteries

Coin batteries are known by this name because of their shape and because people often had to put a coin into a slot to twist open the compartments to change the batteries. Key factors that helped to select the top products included the battery type, battery shelf life, safety features, and the overall value of the product.

While coin batteries can be used in many different electronic devices, not every device uses the same type of coin battery, and the different types are not interchangeable. With this in mind, the top products are each a different type of coin battery. In addition, we considered the value and battery shelf life together because while it may seem like a great bargain to invest in a 30-pack, you may risk not being able to use all of them before the end of their useful life.

Finally, safety features aren’t something most people consider when purchasing batteries, but some coin batteries can cause death within two hours of being swallowed, so products that attempted to prevent accidental ingestion were considered superior to similar products.

The best coin batteries: Reviews & Recommendations

Our extensive research into more than 40 different coin batteries is backed by years of firsthand experience dealing with a wide variety of different devices that required specific types of batteries to operate.

Best overall: Panasonic CR2016

Panasonic

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Why it made the cut: These CR2016 coin batteries are excellent for key fobs, alarm sensors, clocks, watches, and many other electronic devices.

Specs

• Type: CR2016
• Quantity: Two batteries
• Voltage: 3 volts

Pros

• Child-resistant packaging
• Shelf life of up to eight years
• Advanced sealing technology reduces the chance of chemical leaks
• Temperature resistant from 14 to 140 degrees F

Cons

• Only two batteries in a pack

Ensure that your wall clock and alarm clock tell the correct time by replacing dead batteries with a Panasonic CR2016 coin battery. This pack includes four lithium coin batteries that have a nominal voltage of 3 volts and can last for up to eight years. Just keep in mind that this is the batteries’ shelf life, so a battery installed in a device will likely need to be replaced within that eight-year window.

These coin batteries should be used only in devices that require CR2016 batteries to ensure that the device receives the appropriate amount of power without any ill-fitting connections that may cause internal damage to the battery compartment. The batteries come in a child-resistant package that must be opened carefully with scissors. This attempts to prevent the batteries from being swallowed by kids and pets. Additionally, the batteries are resistant to extreme cold and hot temperatures, ranging from 14 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, though exposure to these temperatures will still degrade the batteries’ life.

Best for cameras: Duracell 2032

Duracell

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Why it made the cut: Designed for various electronic devices, such as cameras and medical devices, these CR2032 batteries are one of the most frequently used coin batteries.

Specs

• Type: CR2032
• Quantity: Four batteries
• Voltage: 3 volts

Pros

• Bitter coating to deter ingestion by children and pets
• 10-year shelf life
• Child-resistant packaging
• Popular battery type suitable for many devices

Cons

• Only four batteries in a pack

One of the main benefits of using a coin battery instead of a standard cylinder battery is that coin batteries are lightweight, making them ideal for portable devices such as flashlights and watches. Used in cameras, computer motherboards, key fobs, watches, garage-door openers, toys, doorbells, medical devices, fitness trackers, and more, these CR0232 batteries are one of the most popular types of coin battery available, and this small package of four will likely be put to good use quickly.

The Duracell CR2032 3 Volt coin batteries are an excellent option for homes with kids and mischievous pets because not only do they come in a child-resistant package, but they also have a bitter-tasting coating to deter kids and their furry friends from putting them in their mouths. Each 3-volt battery can last for up to 10 years; however, it should be mentioned that some users found that they received an old, dated package with batteries that were already dead. This situation should be able to be resolved by the company with a replacement package, but always make sure to check the date of manufacture to ensure that the products are indeed new.

Best for remote controls: Energizer 2450

Energizer

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Why it made the cut: Store these lithium batteries for up to 10 years or use them immediately in various electronic devices for reliable, long-lasting power.

Specs

• Type: CR2450
• Quantity: Two batteries
• Voltage: 3 volts

Pros

• Child-resistant packaging
• 10-year shelf life
• Leak-resistant casing

Cons

• Only two batteries

In contrast to the short shelf life and battery life of alkaline coin batteries, these Energizer 2450 3 Volt lithium coin batteries can last for up to 10 years before the stored energy is fully discharged, which should be more than enough time to put these two batteries to good use instead of worrying about throwing them out unused. Additionally, each battery is individually sealed and cannot be accessed without scissors. While the packaging may frustrate some adults, it was intentionally made difficult to open to protect kids and pets from accidentally swallowing the batteries.

These coin batteries have leak-resistant casings to prevent the battery wall from rupturing and leaking chemicals into the package or within a device. This product only comes with two batteries, so users with more than two devices that operate on CR2450 batteries will need to purchase more than one of these two-packs.

Best for watches: LiCB LR1130

LICB

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Why it made the cut: Keep track of the time, stand out during a presentation, and double-check calculations with these LR1130 alkaline batteries for watches, laser pointers, calculators, and more.

Specs

• Type: LR1130
• Quantity: 20 batteries
• Voltage: 1.5 volts

Pros

• Affordable 20-battery pack
• Leak-resistant casing
• Individually sealed compartments for each battery in the package

Cons

• Short shelf life could lead to wasted batteries

While alkaline batteries are known to have a shorter shelf life than most lithium batteries, they are still a popular choice for powering a variety of electronic devices because they cost less than lithium batteries, and the short shelf life isn’t a concern if the batteries are going to be used immediately. This 20-pack of LiCB LR1130 coin batteries can last up to three years, giving users a decent amount of time to use them in small electronics such as watches, calculators, children’s toys, laser pointers, electronic thermometers, and more.

These alkaline coin batteries are made with a leak-resistant casing to help prevent the batteries from rupturing and damaging the devices. To help protect the batteries that are not currently being used, the package has individually sealed compartments for each battery. 

Best budget: AmVolt LR44

AmVolt

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Why it made the cut: The three-year shelf life and leak-resistant construction help preserve the batteries both when in use and when stored for later use.

Specs

• Type: LR44
• Quantity: 15 batteries
• Voltage: 1.5 volts

Pros

• Leak-resistant casing
• 15-battery value pack
• Compatible with a wide variety of devices

Cons

• Packaging is not child-resistant

The AmVolt LR44 1.5 Volt coin battery is an affordable option that can be used on numerous electronic devices, including laser pointers, watches, clocks, calculators, cameras, remote controls, toys, flashlights, cholesterol-testing meters, blood glucose testers, and digital voice recorders. This impressive range of uses makes the 15-battery value pack with a three-year shelf life an ideal option for most homes. 

Additionally, these LR44 1.5V coin batteries are made with a leak-resistant casing intended to prevent the battery from rupturing. However, if these batteries are exposed to extremely high temperatures, even this resistant casing may bulge and break. Also, it should be noted that the packaging of these batteries is not child-resistant, so the package needs to be kept out of reach of kids and pets.

Things to consider before buying coin batteries

Before grabbing the first coin batteries that look like they might work, take some time to learn about the various factors that are important to think about before your purchase, such as the battery type, the battery life, and any safety features that can help prevent accidental ingestion.

Coin battery types

 It’s necessary to differentiate between the various coin batteries because even if two coin battery types have equal voltages, the different types are not interchangeable. With this in mind, it’s necessary to check each electronic device to determine the specific type of coin battery the device needs to operate.

Some of the most common types of coin batteries include CR2032, CR2016, CR450, LR44, and LR1130, but there are many more. They also typically come in alkaline or lithium options and may differ in voltage, though 1.5V and 3V are standard voltages for coin batteries.

Battery life

The life of a coin battery is difficult to determine because the rate at which the stored energy is absorbed and used depends on the amount of energy used by the particular device, the frequency with which the device is used, and the number of batteries in the device. For this reason, manufacturers do not often provide this detail; instead, they advertise the shelf life of the battery, which refers to the amount of time the battery can remain effective while not being used.

Alkaline batteries are an affordable option for low-power devices like watches, and they can last up to three years, but they have a short shelf life compared to lithium batteries, which can last up to 10 years in some cases. If you are looking for a battery value pack, remember that even when batteries are not in use, they can still lose the stored energy and become useless.

Safety features

Coin batteries certainly don’t seem as dangerous as poison or power tools. Still, if these little batteries are accidentally eaten they can cause serious harm to the body’s interior. They may even lead to death if the powerful chemicals inside the batteries leak out. Due to this inherent danger, many coin battery manufacturers have improved the battery packaging in an attempt to prevent kids and pets from opening the packages and swallowing the batteries.

Additionally, some companies have added a bitter flavoring to the exterior of each battery so that if a child or pet puts the battery in their mouth, the bitter taste will make them want to spit the battery out and avoid ingesting batteries in the future.

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best coin batteries

• Best overall: Panasonic CR2016
• Best for cameras: Duracell 2032
• Best for remote controls: Energizer 2450
• Best for watches: LiCB LR1130
• Best budget: AmVolt LR44

The child-resistant packaging and convenient four-pack make the Panasonic CR2016 coin batteries an excellent option for a home with kids or pets. Still, if you need LR44 batteries, the 15-pack of AmVolt LR44 coin batteries is an affordable option for watches, clocks, remotes, and even game controllers.

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There is no shortage of general fitness and multisport smartwatches these days, but fewer catering hyper-specifically to runners, particularly the way the Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar does. This wearable sits at the top of Garmin’s Forerunner line and is jam-packed with helpful training tools, no shortage of smartwatch features, and impressive battery life. Garmin, a multinational specializing in GPS-enabled technology, designed it with endurance athletes in mind, though it still provides many benefits for casual enthusiasts. Following in the footsteps—or is that stride—of the Forerunner 945 (released in 2019), the Forerunner 955 offers several incremental, not necessarily essential updates, as well as a couple of marquee additions. I’ve tested the Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar for six months, giving me plenty of time to learn about the watch and whether it’s a worthy upgrade for most people.

Abby Ferguson

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The Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar’s design

The changes between the Forerunner 945 and Forerunner 955 are subtle, carrying over most of the design language from the previous iteration. This may explain why the launch price of $599.99 is the same between both models. But there are a few things that stand out on the newer iteration. For starters, the transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) display has been upgraded. The 955 uses a 1.3-inch display with a resolution of 260 x 260 pixels, while the older 945 is 1.2 inches with a resolution of 240 x 240 pixels. It’s not a huge difference, but you will get a slightly larger display with the 955, which is nice for quick glances at your numbers while working out. 

The most notable change is that the 955 now features touchscreen capabilities, which the 945 did not. I appreciated the touchscreen functionality, which is one of the main reasons I have stuck with the 955 over my Forerunner 745 or the Instinct 2S Solar. I’ve found that it makes scrolling through widgets and (sub-sub-sub)menu items much easier than repeatedly pushing buttons. And I enjoy tapping the screen to enter a menu or view a notification more. If you are prone to accidentally swiping, you can turn touch off completely or choose which specific activities have touch functionality turned on (it defaults to off for all activities).

As with the 945, the newest Forerunner features a full-color display. You may expect that it would be more difficult to read in sunny conditions compared to traditional exercise watches’ high-contrast, monochrome display. But that is not the case. I found it as easy to see and read, even at a glance when in direct sun, as my Instinct 2S Solar. And, with the customization options, you can even choose color schemes that are easier to read for you.

Unfortunately, the case and included band are only available in white (technically named “Whitestone,” the version I’ve used) and black instead of a range of colors like other Garmin watches. I was a bit worried about the white staying white. I have been pleasantly surprised by its resilience, however, even while working on a car engine and getting quite greasy. 

The band and large watch case tend to trap water, though, so if you shower or swim in the watch, you will want to take it off to dry things off more thoroughly. I wore my Forerunner 955 for a handful of weeks nonstop and ended up with a bit of a reaction where the sensors are. It was minor and cleared up with some time sans watch, but it’s something to be aware of. 

While the Forerunner is still decidedly a fitness watch in design, it still has rather sleek looks. And considering all the tech that is packed inside, it’s impressively thin (14.4mm). The 46.5 x 46.5mm watch face still looks giant on my wrist, but that’s the trade-off when you want to take advantage of a large screen size on child-sized wrists. 

Materials

The bezel of the watch is made of fiber-reinforced polymer, which seems to be incredibly durable. I have hit this thing on hard surfaces far too many times, and the perimeter doesn’t have a scratch. One of the benefits of the all-plastic design is that it helps cut down on weight. The all-polymer, 46.5mm Forerunner 955 only weighs 1.86 ounces. For comparison, the 47mm fēnix 7 Sapphire Solar features a titanium bezel and fiber-reinforced polymer with a titanium rear cover, weighing 2.57 ounces. That may seem like a tiny amount, but for serious endurance athletes, every fraction of an ounce adds up, making the Forerunner the better choice for those individuals.

Topping the display is rugged Corning Gorilla Glass DX. I managed to scratch mine somehow, so it isn’t impenetrable, but I haven’t exactly babied it either. It would have been nice to get the more durable Power Sapphire glass that tops the fēnix 7 Sapphire Solar or the Sapphire edition of the Garmin epix (Gen 2).

Lastly, the band of the watch is made of silicone. The silicone is a bit thick and, as mentioned, tends to trap moisture, so may not be for everyone. Luckily, it is Garmin QuickFit compatible in the 22mm size so you can purchase bands made of nylon, leather, metal, or titanium instead, should you wish. 

Setting up the Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar

Garmin consistently does a fantastic job of making its products easy to set up and use and remains consistent with the Forerunner 955. This is especially true if you are already a Garmin user. The watch comes with a partial charge so that you can get started right away. You’ll need to download the Garmin Connect app, but the watch walks you through all the necessary steps, making setup clear and confusion-free. It’s a fast process if you do the bare minimum for setup.

Where things get a bit more complicated is all of the personalization available on the watch. While you certainly don’t need to mess with most settings just to get started, there are seemingly endless options—with more added semi-regularly. I appreciate Garmin’s Auto Update—it saves me from having to remember to check for OS updates, which I usually forget—and I feel like I am regularly discovering new things in menus or in the post-workout display, which is always fun. 

The watch face can be fully adjusted, as can any of the visible widgets when you scroll down and the layout of each workout screen. You can even adjust things as nitty-gritty as accent and background colors. If you want to really fine-tune your watch, it could take a while. In fact, I’ve had this watch for around six months and I’m still tweaking things.

The Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar’s features

The Forerunner 955 Solar is so packed with features that I could easily write an entire book describing everything. It seems that the capabilities of this watch are nearly endless. As such, I’ll be focusing on the items that I used most frequently and those that are the most widely helpful. 

Usability 

Navigating the watch is pretty straightforward, especially if you’ve used a Garmin watch. There are tiny (and hard to see) labels on the bezel and the buttons themselves to point you in the right direction for the most common things you’ll need to access. But, for specific menu items, you’ll likely need to spend some time digging around or reading the manual.

My biggest complaint about the Forerunner 955 is how you turn it off and on. My other Garmin watches have simply involved going to the Power Off menu item, and that was that. But the Forerunner 955 asks you to take the extra step of confirming that you want to turn it off. Given that you have to go into a menu within a menu to get to this, it seems unlikely that you would accidentally turn it off. The extra step is subtle but annoying. 

Additionally, startup time is much slower. Sure, more tech is involved in the Forerunner 955, but it takes just over 20 seconds to turn on fully. It’s nit-picky, sure, but if I’m powering up to get going on a run, it’s a bit annoying to wait for that, especially when that hasn’t been the case on other watches I’ve used.

Data collection and insights

Being at the top of Garmin’s running watch line, the Forerunner 955 comes with just about every possible sensor packed inside. It features the Garmin Elevate Gen4 optical heart rate sensor, barometric altimeter, compass, gyroscope, accelerometer, thermometer, and pulse ox blood oxygen saturation monitor. Those sensors are, of course, used when recording an activity, but many are constantly recording data. For example, you can always check your heart rate and steps. And you can take a pulse ox reading on-demand or while sleeping.

All of those sensor readings are used to provide insights such as Training Status, Training Readiness, stress level, sleep data, and Body Battery. It also provides hyper-specific stats such as run cadence, stride length, vertical ratio, ground contact time, and more. The information is there to help guide your training to maximize your fitness and potentially even assess form issues.

The data collected also helps manage general health with features such as Abnormal Heart Rate alerts. For example, if your heart rate is abnormally high, the watch will suggest breathing exercises to reduce stress and help you calm down. I’ve found this to be a helpful tool in high-stress situations, as it reminds me to reset and mentally take a step back from the thing causing the stress.

GPS

For location tracking and mapping, the Forerunner 955 provides access to three Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)—GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo. There are four settings to choose from—GPS only, All Systems, All Systems + Multi-Band, and Ultratrac—which differ in accuracy and impact on battery life. Ultratrac is the mode for multiday excursions as it provides the best battery life but the worst accuracy. The watch defaults to All + Multi-Band GPS for the most accurate results.

The watch also comes equipped with Garmin’s SatIQ, which determines the optimal GPS mode based on your environment. And new to the 955 is the dual-frequency GPS. This combines the All Systems option but then also connects to two satellites at once for exceptional accuracy, even when in canyons or a city. It does use much more battery, however. 

I only used the watch in pretty wide open spaces but found it to be very accurate with no issues. I compared it to data from a simultaneously worn Instinct 2S Solar (a watch I’ve written extensively about), and they were the same as far as my naked eye could tell. 

Smartwatch features

Beyond that obvious fitness tracking, the Forerunner 955 is also a robust productivity partner. It can connect to your phone, allowing you to receive messages and notifications. You can even select pre-formatted quick replies to text messages to respond right from your watch. 

The watch lacks a cellular connection and a microphone, however, so you cannot take calls like on an Apple Watch 8, etc. But you can at least see who is calling to determine if you want to bother getting your phone out. And you can reject and respond to calls with pre-formatted messages as well. 

Beyond the basics, you’ll also get access to Garmin Pay, which allows you to save cards to your account and pay with your watch. This is great, in theory, but my bank (USAA) isn’t participating in Garmin Pay, so I have been unable to use the watch for payment. Additionally, you can connect music providers, such as Spotify, to save music or podcasts directly to your device when you don’t want to have your phone on you. Again, this is great in theory, but I ran into nothing but issues when trying to set up music and never was able to get more than a handful of songs to sync. So I haven’t really been able to test that feature successfully.

Safety features

As someone who mostly runs alone, the safety features of the Forerunner 955 are extremely appreciated. And, in line with the rest of the watch, there’s no shortage of them, either. It’s important to note right off the bat that you will need to have your connected phone with service on you to take advantage of these features. And all of these features need to be set up within the app in order to be used. 

The most basic feature enables the basic safety tenet of outdoor recreation: Make sure people know where you are and when you expect to be done. When you begin an activity with GPS (weightlifting, for example, is not included), the watch connects to LiveTrack. This emails a real-time view of your location to your preselected contacts. Or you can share a link (accessed via the app on your phone) with anyone you’d like so they can follow along and ensure you are progressing as anticipated.

Additionally, there are some bigger safety features for even more peace of mind. One enables you to quickly call for assistance directly from the watch with the press of a few buttons. By entering the menu accessed with the top left button, you can navigate to “Assistance.” Once there, there are three options: “It’s an emergency. Please get help,” “Not an emergency, but please pick me up,” and “I need help. Follow my location to find me.” 

I tested the “Not an emergency” option with my husband to see what would happen, and Garmin sent him a message with the pre-formatted text along with my coordinates. It sent him multiple messages until I selected that I no longer needed assistance, which triggered a follow-up message to him to let him know I was okay. While you do need your phone to take advantage of this feature, it makes it much faster and easier to get help than getting out your phone and texting or calling someone. 

The last safety feature you’ll have access to is incident detection. If your Forerunner 955 detects an incident, it will display a notification on the watch. If that isn’t dismissed promptly, it automatically sends a message with your name and location to your emergency contacts. Unfortunately, Garmin doesn’t provide any information on what this exactly means or how it detects an incident, but in theory, this is an excellent feature to have. It’s worth noting that, unlike the Apple Watch Ultra, the Forerunner 955 cannot notify emergency services for you since it doesn’t include a cellular connection like the Apple Watch. 

Garmin app

When you set up the watch, you must pair it to the Garmin Connect app. The app allows you to see your data in more detail. Of course, you can access most of your insights on the watch itself, but it is a bit easier to digest and sift through via the app, especially if you really want to dive into the data.

Where the app really comes in especially handy is with customization. Just about every setting can also be changed within the app once you select “Forerunner 955” from the Connected Devices list. Changing settings and customizing things via the app is a bit easier to do than on the watch. That’s especially true of the message and workout data screen settings. And some things, such as Garmin Pay, can only be set up in the app.

Battery life

The battery life of this watch is certainly one area where the Forerunner 955 shines. As with anything, the extent of the battery life depends on how you are using the watch but, no matter what, it is impressive. Of course, it’s worth pointing out that any solar battery life estimates mentioned by Garmin are based on “all-day wear with 3 hours per day outside in 50,000 lux conditions.” For someone like me, who works inside and is lucky to get outside for an hour or two, that means I’m not really getting any advantage from solar charging on an average day.

Garmin promises 15 days of battery life in smartwatch mode or 20 days with solar. During those times that I wasn’t able to exercise much and was using the watch as, well, a watch, I was absolutely getting the promised battery life. As mentioned, I’m not meeting the full required conditions for solar charging, but I did get some boosts that resulted in a few extra days. 

With the watch set to All Systems GNSS mode plus Multi-Band and without music, Garmin says you’ll get up to 20 hours, or 22 hours with solar. Since I didn’t complete any lengthy (more than a few hours) events while testing this watch, I didn’t fully push this to the limits. But, even with using the most accurate GPS setting, I was able to get a 30-minute to an hour-or-so-long workout in daily and still have my watch battery last a full week.

The thing that drained the battery most was fiddling with the settings and downloading music to the watch. I went from 80% battery to just 1% while trying to get a single small playlist to sync fully over the course of a few hours. So, if you aren’t in a situation where you can charge your watch, it’s best to save the settings adjustments and music syncing for another time. 

While the long battery life is certainly appreciated, the thing I most love about my Forerunner 955 is how quickly it charges. I’m guilty of forgetting to charge it up when needed on a far too regular basis. But I can plug it in as I get ready for a run and have it at 50% battery (depending on how low it was to begin with) in just 10 minutes or so. It’s crazy speedy.

The Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar’s activity & fitness tracking experience

As expected, since this is a running watch, the activity tracking options are robust. The 955 comes preloaded with the basic types of workouts—such as running, swimming, and cycling—but you can quickly add just about anything you can think of, including Ultra Run, eMTB, Backcountry Ski, and more. You can even create custom workouts or import workouts from third parties like TrainingPeaks.

Recording workouts is incredibly easy. It’s done by simply pressing the top right button, selecting the type of workout, and then pushing start. Where things can get complicated, as mentioned, is all the customization you can do. You can choose to adjust what fields are displayed on the watch during your workout, customize notifications and audio cues, along with many different options specific to different types of workouts.

Training status and readiness

As you complete activities and wear your watch throughout the day (and night), Garmin collects data to offer insights into your training. The Training Status feature shows whether you are actively getting fitter (productive), holding steady, or even detraining (the worst). It can even tell you what types of activities you should add more of to maximize your training. For example, mine frequently tells me that I have a low aerobic shortage and need to work in easier runs.

Training Readiness is another helpful tool. As the name implies, it helps you assess how ready you are for your training. It may suggest that you back off and give yourself more time to recover or that you are prepared to dive right into a serious workout. It simply helps to keep you from overtraining and gives you a more clear picture of your training load. 

Both are very nice, but you can’t take full advantage of them if you aren’t wearing your watch 24/7. For example, to collect heart rate variability (HRV) data, you’ll need to wear the watch while you sleep. I’m not a fan of sleeping in a watch, so I don’t get highly accurate data for some of these fields as a result.

Suggested workouts

One feature I love about Garmin watches is the “Suggested Workouts” for running or cycling. These can be accessed in the Morning Report or when you start a workout. When providing these suggestions, Garmin factors in the above items, plus your Training Load & Load Focus, VO2 Max, and more. The result is that they are customized to you. It then suggests a workout to improve your fitness based on all that data. It’s great for days when you don’t want to think about what you should do or if you want something different but don’t want to pay for a coach.

Of course, these features should be taken with a grain of salt. Garmin doesn’t know if you are getting over an illness, dealing with stress at work, or managing an injury. It can infer some things based on the data it collects, but it won’t be perfect. There have been many times that my watch suggested a sprint, VO2 Max, or long run when my body could not handle that at the time. Your best bet is to use it all as a guide, listen to your body, and, if you really want results, hire a coach.

So, who should buy the Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar?

As the watch’s name suggests, the Forerunner is truly a running watch. Sure, it offers all the basic—and not-so-basic—watch functions to make it suitable for anyone wanting a smartwatch. But if you aren’t an exercise enthusiast, you’ll be paying for many features and tech that you won’t actually be using.

And the extensive list of training features makes the watch more suitable for avid, focused runners looking to improve performance. It’s especially useful for runners competing in races. That said, as someone who is currently more of a casual runner than anything else, I found it rather motivational and aspirational. I’m not currently training for any races or even pushing the limits hard (thanks to some nagging injuries), so while I don’t necessarily care about things like the Race Prediction widget, it is fun to see those numbers changing when I’m consistent with my working out. At the same time, the Forerunner 255 can provide many of the same training and health features for an average of $258 less.

And, in terms of the Solar capabilities, which come at a $100 surcharge, they don’t seem to provide a substantial enough boost over the basic battery version for most. But if you’re one of the runners who can benefit from the lengthy list of features packed into this watch, particularly the touchscreen, the Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar will be a fantastic training partner.

The post Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar running watch review: The power to persevere appeared first on Popular Science.

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We’ve made it to 2023, which means the PopSci commerce and gear team has decided what our resolutions will be and what we’ll need to achieve them. It’s okay to be a New Year’s resolution skeptic—there are plenty of potential pitfalls in trying to make literal life-changing decisions overnight—but we’re taking a different approach. Our goals can be accomplished little by little over the course of the year, the gear we’re using won’t take up too much space, and we’re not afraid of facing some setbacks every little while. After all, it’s only self-care if it doesn’t cost you mental health. If you’re scrambling to figure out how to make your New Year’s resolutions happen, we hope our gear suggestions can provide a little clarity (and encouragement).

Vitamix FoodCycler FC-50

Jen McCaffery

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An estimated 30 to 40 percent of the food supply in the United States is wasted, according to the USDA. If you’re looking to cut down on the amount of food waste you send to the landfill in 2023, Vitamix’s FoodCycler FC-50 can help. Just toss your vegetable peelings, egg shells, coffee grounds, and even chicken bones into the 2-liter container and press the on button. About four hours later, your scraps are turned into nutrient-rich soil you can use for your houseplants or in your garden. — Jen McCaffery, Director of Commerce

Kindle Paperwhite

Amazon

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Too many times in 2022, I found myself laying in bed at 2 a.m., basking in the hypnotizing glow of TikTok. The lure of people arguing with belligerent neighbors or endless strings of air fryer chicken thigh recipes is just too strong. This year, I’m determined to replace those hours spent mindlessly swiping with reading, and I’m counting on Amazon’s Kindle Paperwhite to help me pull it off. The 6.8-inch touchscreen offers soft, warm light that won’t mess with my sleep after a marathon session spent reading Brandon Sanderson. Plus, the latest version charges via USB-C, so it’ll help my other resolution of getting rid of all the MicroUSB cables hanging around my house. — Stanley Horaczek, Executive Editor

Mr. Coffee Iced Coffee machine

Mr. Coffee

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The iced coffee I like at a well-known chain has recently risen to nearly $6. Not even a raging caffeine addiction can justify that cost. This super-simple machine doesn’t rely on wasteful coffee pods and comes with an insulated cup, even though it works with pretty much any other cold up. It simply brews hot coffee over iced cubes, which is sure to make your coffee snob pals bristle, but it’s still better (and even cheaper) than the gas station swill I’ve been known to drink in the past. Plus, all that saved money leaves room in the coffee budget for fancy syrups to spruce up the wallet-friendly brew. — Stanley Horaczek, Executive Editor

Kindle Scribe

Amazon

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I’m trying to (finally) complete The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron’s crash course in kickstarting your creativity after about two years of stopping halfway. Part of the journey includes journaling three pages every morning—simply called “morning pages.” If you do the math, that’s a lot of pages and trees. I’m hoping the Kindle Scribe—with its paperwhite display and pen that won’t leave ink marks on my hands first thing in the morning—will help protect the environment and be the fancy, shiny, neat thing that gives me enough dopamine to organize my morning pages and complete the separate chapter prompts in one convenient, digital place. Spiritual and creative clarity, here I come. — Amanda Reed, Commerce Updates Writer

Garmin Forerunner 955

Garmin

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Setting a fitness goal is one thing, but having a way to track your progress and keep you motivated is another beast entirely. Garmin’s Forerunner 955 is sleek and attractive, so you won’t mind wearing it all day, but it has a nearly endless list of features and tricks. Though it’s geared toward runners, it can track a long list of activities. It also connects to your phone for full smartwatch capabilities and provides workout suggestions when you are stumped on how to move on a given day. Plus, it makes it easy to see how your training is going and how you are progressing toward your goals, giving you specific insight on how you can improve when needed. — Abigail Ferguson, Associate Editor PopPhoto

Nest Hub Max Smart Display

Nest

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Eating out (and ordering in) has always been pricier than cooking at home, but that is more true than ever right now. It’s hard fighting the temptation just to tap a few buttons and have food magically show up ready to eat at your door but, for me, having an easy way to follow recipes helps. I’m a recent Nest Hub enthusiast but have loved the larger screen that always stays on as I work through the steps of a recipe. And it makes it easy to store recipes I like in one place. But the biggest bonus is the ability to play music on something other than my phone, so I can jam out while I cook. It does wonders for making me not mind being in the kitchen even after a long day of work. — Abigail Ferguson, Associate Editor PopPhoto

Ring Fit Adventure

Nintendo

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I will be making a concerted effort to be more active after years of COVID-inflicted lethargy, but my tool of choice may seem a little strange: a video game. Ring Fit Adventure is a game for the Nintendo Switch that comes with a Pilates ring and leg strap with slots for the system’s Joy-Con controllers. Accelerometers and gyroscopes in the Joy-Con can track your movement, which correlates to actions happening in the game. Instead of passively choosing an attack, you defeat enemies by doing squats, curls, and other exercises. As an avid gamer, I hope Ring Fit Adventure can slot into my lifestyle more easily than a set of barbells. — Brandt Ranj, Commerce Reporter

iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit

iFixit

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Repairing technology can feel daunting, especially when many companies make documentation and spare parts difficult (if not impossible) to get, but that will not deter me next year. I have a great deal of respect for iFixit, a site that offers step-by-step instructions on how to disassemble and reassemble gadgets along with links to parts when possible. The site offers a tool kit with bits, spudgers, tweezers, and everything else you’ll need to get into your gear safely and easily. This kit is notable for featuring pentalobe screws, which are proprietary and designed by Apple. If you plan on joining the DIY movement next year, this kit deserves a spot in your workspace. — Brandt Ranj, Commerce Reporter

Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2

Bowers & Wilkins

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I’m ashamed to say I have a huge music backlog, but I plan to listen to one new (to me) album from front to back every day in 2023. I reserve the right to listen to one disc of a two-CD (or LP) record because I make the rules. While I love speakers, my tool of choice this time will be Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2s, which are infinitely more portable. These Bluetooth headphones are the closest I’ve come to taking my at-home audio system—which consists of wired headphones, a tube amp, and a DAC—with me everywhere I go. Music sounds superb, the headphones are very comfortable, and their active noise cancellation is always top-notch. This is the resolution I’m most excited about, if for no other reason than spending dozens of hours with the Px7 S2s on my head. Maybe, if I’m feeling extra committed, I’ll even upgrade to the B&W Px8, the brand’s flagship wireless headphones that further refine the physical build and sonic profile. — Brandt Ranj, Commerce Reporter

Brava Oven Starter Set

Brava

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Cooking at home more often is my final resolution of 2023, and the Brava Oven is the key to making it happen. The 10-in-1 oven supports multi-zone heating and makes a whole dinner faster than a conventional oven or stovetop. The oven can be operated using an app or its built-in touch screen, and Brava is continually updating its recipe library with new dishes to fit any dietary restrictions. Yes, it’s luxe, but cutting out one takeout order per week using the Brava will allow the machine to pay for itself. — Brandt Ranj, Commerce Reporter

OTOTO Gracula Garlic Crusher

OTOTO

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I love garlic and plan on cooking more. This Gracula garlic crusher takes knife work out of the equation when presentation isn’t important and helps you get close to a minced consistency in a fraction of the time. On top of saving prep time, a way to work more fresh garlic into meals has the benefits of being a natural antibacterial/detoxifier, aiding blood circulation/lowered blood pressure, while also repelling vampires. Plus, it just tastes good. — Billy Cadden, Director of Commerce

AQUAFIT One Gallon Water Bottle

AQUAFIT

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I wish this fit into my Aarke seltzer maker, but I guess good old-fashioned flat water will do. While attempting to cook more garlic-rich meals and use my Tempo daily, I decided to snag a gallon water bottle to keep me hydrated. Or at least try to convince me to stay hydrated. I bet you $10 it sits on my bedside table with the same water for weeks. — Billy Cadden, Director of Commerce

Arc’teryx Kyanite AR Hoodie and Pearl iZUMi Prospect Barrier Jacket

Arc’Teryx/Pearl iZUMi

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In 2023, I want to get outdoors more. Hiking. Biking. Though I love reporting on tech, I need to get away from it more, even if for only a few hours. Just because I’m coming out of my virtual (and real) shell doesn’t mean I won’t need a protective layer or two, however. The Arc’teryx Kyanite AR Hoodie is a multisport midlayer that’s far from middle of the road. A worthwhile investment, it’s light, soft, stretchy, and, most importantly, surprisingly warm when traveling on the trail. Did I say I’m coming out of my shell? That doesn’t mean I won’t need some wind and water resistance if I’m in the saddle in the city, so I’m also hanging the Pearl iZUMi Prospect Barrier Jacket in my closet when I need something to cut a brisk breeze and absorb a bit of light rain and road spray. — Tony Ware, Associate Managing Editor, Commerce

Vasque Men’s Breeze Waterproof Hiking Boots

Tony Ware

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If I’m going to maintain my getting-outdoors-more resolution throughout 2023, I need accessories that can also go the distance. And one of the most important is trusty mid-range footwear. Lightweight, breathable, and comfortable to … boot … the Vasque Breeze immediately impressed me by requiring zero break-in, then continued to impress me with its stability and traction. While I haven’t submerged my feet to test the proprietary VasqueDry waterproofing fully, I’ve had no complaints following some light but sustained drizzles. And, with each component of the boot’s construction being made from 25%, 60%, and sometimes 100% recycled materials, I can feel better for the Earth as I explore it. — Tony Ware, Associate Managing Editor, Commerce

The post Gear to help us (and you) keep those New Year’s resolutions appeared first on Popular Science.

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Smartphones are annoying to tote along on a run, but they can come in very handy. A friend of mine once had a medical emergency while jogging and was able to call 911. My wife sometimes receives uncomfortable attention from strangers while training for races, so she likes the reassurance that comes from being able to call me or a friend if she ever feels unsafe. But both have told me that, all things being equal, they don’t enjoy strapping a phone to an arm or finding a way to secure one in small pockets. That’s where the new Garmin Forerunner 945 LTE sports watch comes in. As its name suggests, the company built LTE technology into one of its popular fitness tracker watches, the Forerunner 945 first released in 2019, so that it now provides powerful safety alerts in addition to advanced athletics tracking in a sophisticated wearable. 

However, the Garmin Forerunner 945 LTE can’t break fully from a connected device. You’ll still need your smartphone if you want to stream music from Spotify, get and respond to text messages, make calls, or receive Twitter updates or photos, etc. Replacing your phone isn’t Garmin’s goal. Instead, the company has packed an already feature-rich running watch with a number of reassuring wireless tools. So read on to find out if the latest iteration of the Forerunner 945—and the added cost of its LTE—are right for you. 

Brian Stillman

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The Garmin Forerunner 945 LTE’s design

This Forerunner is a surprisingly classy athletic watch. It’s not as chunky as the company’s Instinct Solar [check out our hands-on review]. And, while nowhere near as sleek as the Venu 2 [see our thoughts on that model], the understated design looked good when I met some coworkers for dinner. At 44.4 mm in diameter, 13.9 mm thick, and only 49 grams, it’s comfortable, too. Like many of Garmin’s sports watches, the Forerunner dons a familiar array of five control buttons, which I had no problem finding by touch while working out. 

The watch’s lens is made from strong Corning Gorilla Glass DX (similar to the material used on various smartphones) and it’s set into a fiber-reinforced polymer bezel. This watch can take some abuse. The included silicone watchband feels fine, but it traps sweat and I’d prefer something that breathes more. Thankfully, Garmin and third-party providers offer dozens of replacement bands. Finding the right look and feel requires only a quick Internet search. 

The bright, color display provides ample information at a glance, and it’s easy to read in full sunlight. Backlighting helps when it gets darker. Garmin preloaded the Forerunner 945 LTE with a number of watch face options. You can download more from the GarminConnect store or third parties. From there, it’s easy to tweak what information is displayed and how it’s laid out. You can also adjust the colors. Personally, I prefer a simple watch face with the time and date. I included message alerts for a while, but I get so many during the day that I can’t keep up, and seeing an icon with the number 75 next to it was just embarrassing. Three clicks of a button and, unlike all those unanswered message alerts, it was gone.

Setting up the Garmin Forerunner 945 LTE

My watch arrived 92-percent charged out of the box. I still topped it off by plugging it into a USB power source (you’ll need to supply your own adapter). In typical Garmin fashion, it charges via a proprietary multipin cable. Some companies, like Apple, have opted for wireless magnetic charging, but using a cable is definitely faster. 

Garmin reports that the battery lasts up to two weeks in smartwatch mode and up to seven hours in GPS mode with music and LTE LiveTrack activated. In my tests, I was able to go a little more than 13 days before the watch died on me. However, in GPS mode, it did last the reported seven hours, though not much more. 

Once charged, the watch guided me through its setup using helpful prompts that started by linking to my phone through Bluetooth to take advantage of the downloadable Garmin Connect app (available for both iOS and Android). From there, I established my baseline for health tracking, including weight, height, and sleep patterns, as well as other biometrics. I was also able to link the watch’s Spotify app to my account in order to stream music through my device or play music I downloaded to the Garmin Forerunner 945 LTE itself. The app then provided a quick-start guide to the watch’s top-level navigation and functions. You can also activate some of the community features, like challenges.

This is also where you set up your LTE plan. I was thrilled to discover I didn’t need to contact my cellphone service provider to activate a second line. In fact, you don’t need to sign up for a plan with any of the phone providers. The watch uses Garmin’s own cellular service. You’ll have to pay $5.99 per month with an annual subscription ($6.99 a month without). You’ll have to decide for yourself whether that fits your budget, but I found the price more than reasonable for what this watch provides. 

LTE connectivity

I was excited by the prospect of the Forerunner’s new LTE connectivity. I dreamed of owning Dick Tracy’s communicator watch when I was a kid, so the lure of having a wearable that wasn’t tethered to my iPhone was impossible to ignore. But that’s not exactly what Garmin had in mind when they designed this sports watch. 

The Garmin Forerunner 945 LTE, which costs $50 more than the base model, uses its over-the-air functionality to add helpful tracking features for both performance metrics and well-being, such as real-time progress sharing, crash detection, and emergency response team assistance request.

The Assistance tool is the one you hope you never have to use. It sends a message to your emergency contacts if you’re feeling unsafe or you’re lost, and it includes location data so they can find you. Assistance Plus takes this a step further by sending your name and location to the Garmin IERCC, which is a professional emergency response coordination center that then contacts emergency services to get you out of trouble. This is the same technology Garmin uses on its navigation tools to help rescue people at sea, when mountain climbing, and in other extreme situations. For extreme runners, backcountry skiers, wilderness hikers, people who like to swim in the open ocean, this safety tool is a no-brainer.

Taking it for a test run

I tested out LiveTrack, a tool that lets friends and family follow your location in real-time, on a jog through my new neighborhood. My friend, back in his apartment, followed my route without any trouble through an invite-only web portal. Of course, it also showed him how long I chilled out in the park halfway through my run. The tool was accurate enough that he could even figure out which bench I sat on. Busted!  

Spectator Messaging is a fun tool that lets friends, family, coaches, or teammates add some extra motivation during a race by delivering audio and text messages.

Finally, Live Event Sharing automatically sends race updates to your friends so they can stay up-to-date on your pace, location, and time. No need to press a button or do anything else that might break your concentration or interrupt your stride.

The rest of the specs

The Garmin Forerunner 945 LTE puts a lot of information on your wrist, but the lack of touchscreen technology means navigating what to me often felt like a maze of submenus. Expect a learning curve.

That said, hot-buttons take you to convenient widgets that provide snapshots of such biometric data as heart rate, step count, run details, and pulse ox. Some widgets report the weather, provide calendar alerts, notifications, and similar information. This is just surface-level information; dive deeper via the watch or the Garmin Connect app.

Thankfully, dedicated buttons access the music player and stopwatch, two features that I hate hunting for in the middle of a workout.

While navigating the watch is sometimes trickier than I’d like, Garmin does an excellent job of conveying information clearly and concisely through the smart use of icons, colors, and easy-to-read text. I only needed to glance at my wrist to read my lap time and heart rate.

Keep track of your movement and activities

The Garmin Forerunner 945 LTE tracks all sorts of preloaded activities—like biking, paddling, hiking, walking, snowboarding, and rafting. You can easily add new ones. With its focus on running, it’s no surprise this GPS fitness watch provides different running options, including outdoor, indoor track, and trail. You can also get real-time feedback on your form, including cadence, vertical oscillation, ground contact time, stride length, and more by pairing it with a running dynamics accessory. 

The watch suggests times for heat and altitude acclimation, lactate threshold, predicted race times, and training load and focus. It even provides daily suggested workouts. It tracks sleep data and then combines it with other information to help compute body battery, a measurement of energy levels. This, in turn, cycles back into the data set that helps the watch set up workout plans. 

Garmin has a long history of making excellent navigation tools, and the Forerunner 945 LTE includes full-color mapping of streets and trails, plus you can create your own courses in the Garmin Connect app. ClimbPro ascent planner displays real-time information including gradient, distance, and elevation gain. The Garmin Forerunner 945 LTE also includes turn-by-turn navigation and round-trip routing. 

Pay as you play

I like to keep my wallet secured in my locker when working out at the gym. The Garmin Pay feature lets me use my watch to pay for things like juice or a light snack in the same way that I might use my phone and Apple Pay. Just add a credit or debit card to the Garmin Pay wallet and you’re all set. It’s also handy for anyone who worries about losing their credit cards when running, or who spends a lot of time in the water. No one likes a wad of soggy cash.

So, who should buy the Garmin Forerunner 945 LTE?

The Garmin Forerunner 945 LTE is an upgrade to the original Forerunner 945, but it’s not an upgrade everyone needs. It provides peace of mind and fun features for fitness trackers, especially racers, but if you spend most of your workout time in the gym or running on a local track or in a safe neighborhood, you could save some money by considering running watches like the original Forerunner 945 or the Instinct line. They cost less but have nearly the same tracking, measurement, and training capabilities. 

Related: Apple Watch comparison

The post Garmin Forerunner 945 LTE review: A fitness watch that won’t leave you stranded appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

When it comes to my kids and technology, I often feel at a loss. Technology can engage and stimulate kids in ways our parents never imagined (and probably wish they could have plunked in front of us). And yet, watching my daughter zoned out in front of a “CoComelon” cartoon makes me want to swear off screens entirely. So when I tested out the Little Tikes Tobi 2 Robot Smartwatch, I didn’t entirely know how I would feel.

On the one hand, it is yet another screen-based device reaching for—and often clutching tightly—my preschool-age daughter’s attention. On the other hand, many of the smartwatch’s apps and activities are designed to either test her mind, get her on her feet—or both. The Tobi 2 Robot Smartwatch, complete with its lively robot who laughs and cries and demands to be played with—literally chiming in with activity and game ideas—accomplishes all of this. And while I did find the Tobi 2 Robot Smartwatch, like many of the best kids’ smartwatches, to be more in line with kids’ toys than school supplies, I couldn’t completely overlook some notable benefits.

Andrew Waite

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What is the Tobi 2 Robot Smartwatch?

The Tobi 2 Robot Smartwatch truly lives up to both parts of its name. It’s a kids’ smartwatch that can track steps, encourage you to run around, take photos, and send messages. It also has most of the usual functions you’d have on a smartwatch, including a timer, alarm, calculator, and calendar. But its personality—and, oh boy, does it have personality—comes from the Tobi robot face. The Tobi robot can cycle through more than 100 expressions, and frequently speaks gibberish, demanding to be cared for and played with through gestures like shivering and clickable thought bubbles that lead to a menu of activities. It reminded me of the digital pets that were popular when I was a kid (Tamagotchi anyone?). 

A follow-up to last year’s Tobi Smartwatch, the Tobi 2 Robot Smartwatch offers many of the same games and activities as the original, while adding to the connectivity between Tobi Robot smartwatches. In addition to sharing voice messages and emoji, the Tobi 2 lets kids send and receive images and videos, and play games head-to-head when two Tobi 2 watches communicate via an ad-hoc Wi-Fi connection. (Plus, kids can use the Tobi 2 as a remote with the separately available Tobi 2 Interactive Karaoke Machine or Tobi 2 Director’s Camera, if you decide to invest more in the Little Tikes ecosystem.)

The Tobi 2 Robot Smartwatch’s design 

Like a lot of kid-friendly tech, the Tobi Robot 2 is purposefully oversized. At about 1.5 inches by 1.75 inches, the LED touchscreen face itself isn’t actually much bigger than a regular smartwatch’s face, but the housing around it extends to accommodate metal flippers that the Tobi robot shows off when seeking attention (it reminded me of a pinball machine). My 3.5-year-old daughter, still a bit too young to use the watch completely on her own, loved it whenever those fins popped out. The silicone band, which is available in bright colors like red and purple, is 1 inch wide and dotted with 10 rows of holes that allow for tighter and looser fits. It expanded to fit my wrist and tightened enough for my 3.5-year-old daughter’s wrist. The back of the face is transparent, letting kids see into the smartwatch’s inner workings.  

There are two onboard cameras, both capable of shooting 640- by 480-pixels photos or 320- by 240-pixels video. The first camera, on the face, is motion-activated and primarily for selfies. The second, along the top edge, is an outward-facing P.O.V. camera better for taking footage of the rest of the world.

A physical button below the face lets kids toggle between screens—from Tobi’s face to a clock to a menu of available functions. Below that home button is the micro-USB charging port. Also included is a color-coordinated case that features a clip built into the back that lets the watch attach to a belt or stand on a bedside table.

Setting up the Tobi 2 Robot Smartwatch       

The Tobi 2 has an intuitive setup process that puts parents in control. Hold the menu button for five seconds to wake Tobi up. Select your language, and then set the date and time using scrollable menus on the touchscreen. Then name your device by cycling through the alphabet, numbers, and set of symbols to change each unit. Parents can set a passcode, choose whether they want to turn on Wi-Fi to let it talk to other Tobi 2 watches, and limit their kid’s screentime. I opted for an hour. When my daughter hit the limit, the watch locked its games and stopped showing Tobi’s face unless the passcode was entered.

Once set up, it was playtime. If you’re on the clock screen, you can swipe to select from more than 50 watch faces—a kind of game in its own right. My daughter, of course, went with a rainbow face, but the options range from simple analog clocks to a desertscape to themes with dogs and cats.  Meanwhile, on the application menu, four options are displayed at once, and you can swipe between four screens. This lets you do everything from take photos to test your memory to track your steps.

On the Tobi screen, you can interact with the gibberish-speaking robot. Tobi will show icons with activity ideas, and if you’re on that screen the robot won’t stop bugging you unless you’re still for 25 seconds. For many kids, that means Tobi simply won’t stop until the kid—or, let’s face it, the parent—decides it’s time to turn the watch off completely.  

Features of the Tobi 2 Robot Smartwatch 

Here are some of the characteristics of a watch brimming with character…

Meet Tobi

Tobi the Robot is literally the face of the watch. The digital friend is certainly fun and spunky, but I’d be lying if I said that little robot never got under my skin. When the watch is set to the Tobi face, the robot makes more than 100 expressions—from a sly smile and plucky grin to a wistful wink and a pensive pursing of the lips. Tobi behaves like a digital pet. Icons pop up with Tobi’s needs—Tobi can be hot, cold, hungry, in need of teeth brushing. Much like my daughter, come to think of it. And if you don’t oblige Tobi’s needs, you’ll be informed. For instance, before realizing that Tobi was cold and wanted a hot water bottle or a scarf, I offered to play soccer. That produced an “uh-uh” and a head shake. Tobi also suggests dance parties and displays the step tracker, encouraging the wearer to walk or run. The gamified approach to fitness is definitely effective. But as with any helpful yet slightly irksome friend, it’s best to hang out only in small doses.  

Mind games and mindless fun 

The Tobi 2 comes with four educational “brain games” and four “arcade games.” The brain games include “Smash Math,” in which players touch the correct solution to the equation, and “Match Match,” which tests memory. Arcade games include “A-Maze-Ing Balance,” in which players guide colored balls into holes, and “Drivin’ Time,” in which players collect tokens and try to avoid crashes. The games can be controlled using the touchscreen as well as motion controls via a built-in gyroscope. The games are fun and run smoothly…most of the time. 

Movement motivation 

Like any good fitness tracker, the Tobi 2 Robot Smartwatch is designed to get you moving.  It features a built-in pedometer that logs your steps and rewards progress with unlockable “Tobi World” room decorations, letting you decorate different rooms that Tobi will come to check out. (Playing games and interacting with Tobi also earns you decorations.) All in all, unlocking the decorations is fun and motivating, but the games themselves are fun enough on their own to get you off the couch. For instance, “Freeze Dance” gives you points when you groove to the beat and successfully hold still when the music stops, and Robot-o-Box lets you earn coins as you raise your arm to spar with a robot. Contrast that to a smartwatch that simply buzzes when you reach a set step total, and it really doesn’t compare. 

Also important for your health, the watch can encourage you to take a deep breath. While it won’t monitor your oxygen levels like Dad’s Amazfit Bip U Pro, it promotes slow and steady breathing by having wearers mimic Tobi. 

Well, shoot

Like many of the best smartwatches for kids options, the Tobi 2 Robot Smartwatch can shoot videos and photos. The watch can store up to 3,000 photos and up to 30 minutes of video. It all looks grainy compared to what you’d shoot on a phone, but it’s more than functional for an elementary school-aged kid. Plus, you can spruce up photos with digital borders and stickers, like an outer space frame and an ice cream cone sticker. 

Do you see what I see? 

The wireless connection you can establish between two Tobi 2 watches only works if the devices are nearby. I was provided two watches to test these features out but when I brought one watch out to the backyard and left the other in the front of the house, the two devices couldn’t communicate. When close enough, however, there were lots of things they could do. I could beam photos, videos, voice memos (via an onboard microphone), and emoji—which Little Tikes bills as messages—directly to my daughter’s watch. We could also play a couple of games, Tic-tac-toe and a basketball game, though these options felt thin, especially when the activity games, like freeze tag, seem like a great fit for two-player or group multiplayer. 

Power up the robot

Little Tikes says the rechargeable LiPo battery can last anywhere from five days to a few hours, depending on usage. By comparison, the VTech KidiZoom Smartwatch DX can last anywhere from two weeks to a single day, depending on usage. You can check Tobi’s charge on the quick menu view, and a yellow light lets you when it’s time to plug in.  

So, who should buy the Tobi 2 Robot Smartwatch?

If you’re hoping to draw your elementary schooler’s attention away from the TV toward a screen that promotes more engagement and active participation, the Tobi 2 Robot Smartwatch can be an effective distraction. Tobi the Robot is certainly a captivating and engaging character, and many of the built-in activities will work your kid’s brain or get your kid to work out in a fun, innovative way. 

​​My honest assessment of this smartwatch for kids is that when children want to play with Tobi the Robot rather than just play the games, parents may want to flee the room after a few minutes. The robot’s clicks and coos and laughter are just too much. But, then again, my daughter is always telling me to “Go away, Daddy,” when I’m trying to brush her hair or put on her shoes. So perhaps with the Tobi 2 Robot Smartwatch on her wrist, she won’t have to bother verbally banishing me. And at least when I leave the room I can feel good that the smartwatch asking for her attention seems to have her health and well-being in mind. “CoComelon” on the other hand…

The post Tobi 2 Robot Smartwatch review: A kids’ device that brings its game face appeared first on Popular Science.

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Fitness equipment can be an expensive investment if you’re looking for a tricked-out treadmill or the latest smartwatch. Fortunately, some of the best equipment around is steeply discounted for Black Friday. You can save more than $1,000 on a treadmill, or hundreds on a seriously rugged smartwatch. At these prices, this inventory is sure to go fast, so check out a few highlights alongside our curated selection of the best Black Friday fitness deals below and make sure to take advantage of them while you can.

The best Black Friday smartwatch and wearables deals

Garmin fenix 6S Pro, Premium Multisport GPS Watch $339.47 (was $599.99)

If you’ve got a serious skier or a mountain climber on your list, the Garmin fenix 6S Pro is an excellent choice. This rugged smartwatch comes with maps for more than 2,000 ski resorts around the world, plus sophisticated GPS, global satellite tracking, a gyroscope, and barometric altimeter. The watch will also keep tabs on critical health metrics at high altitudes, such as heart rate and oxygen levels. The battery lasts anywhere from 9 to 34 days, and its display is always-on in the sun and comes in stainless steel, titanium, or with a carbon coating that’s as hard as a diamond.

• Garmin Vivoactive 4 GPS Smartwatch $179.99 (Was $329.99)
• Garmin Instinct Rugged Outdoor Watch $159.17 (Was $249.99)
• Apple Watch Ultra, $739 (Was $799)
• Google Pixel Watch Android Smartwatch $299.00 (Was $349.99)
• Fitbit Inspire 3 Health & Fitness Tracker $69.95 (Was $99.95)
• Fitbit Charge 5 Advanced Fitness & Health Tracker $99.95 (Was $149.95)
• Fitbit Versa 4 Fitness Smartwatch $149.95 (Was $229.95)
• Amazfit Bip, $49.99 (Was $69.99)
• Amafit Band 5, $27.99 (Was $39.99)
• SAMSUNG Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, $149.00 (Was $349.99)
• Apple Watch SE (1st Gen) $149.00 (Was $279.99)
• Fitbit Inspire 2 Fitness Tracker $49.00 (Was $99.95)

The best Black Friday fitness equipment & home gym deals

Bowflex Treadmill 22 $2,499.00 (was $3,599.00)

Putting in some serious miles on the treadmill is a lot more pleasant when you have something fun to watch. The Bowflex Treadmill 22 lets you stream Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Disney+, and more from its HD touchscreen. You can also virtually globetrot on 50 routes around the world. A Bluetooth wireless armband and speakers complete the experience. And you can crank up the resistance up to 20 percent or run up to 12 mph.

• NordicTrack Commercial Studio Cycle $899 (Was $1,499)
• Schwinn Fitness IC4 Indoor Cycling Bike $799.00 ($1,199.00)
• Hydrow Rowing Machine $1,994.99 (Was $2,494.99)
• NordicTrack Commercial 14.9 Elliptical $1,599.99 (Was $1,799.99)
• Schwinn Recumbent Bike $549 (Was $599)
• Darchen Mini-Trampoline for Adults $87.99 (Was $117.99)
• Sunny Health and Fitness Pro Indoor Cycling Bike $222.70 (Was $299.00)
• UREVO 2 in 1 Under Desk Treadmill, $309.97 (Was $359.97)
• Tempo Move, $395 (Was $495)
• The Mirror, $745 (Was $1,495)
• Bowflex SelectTech 552 Adjustable Dumbbells (Pair) $349.00 (Was $549.00)
• Bowflex SelectTech Dumbbell Stand with Media Rack $129.00 (Was $229.00)
• PowerBlock Adjustable Kettlebell, $122.55 (Was $169)
• Bowflex SelectTech 840 Kettlebell $119.00 (Was $199.99)
• Bowflex Xceed Home Gym $649.00 (Was $999.99)
• Bowflex 5.1S Stowable Bench $249.00 (Was $499.00)
• PROGEAR 1300 Adjustable and Foldable 12 Position Heavy-Duty Weight Bench $98.64 (Was $118.64)
• Gold’s Gym Classic Weightlifting Wrist Wrap Gloves, Medium/Large $7.99 (Was $12.73)
• Tru Grit Fitness 20 lb Rubber Hex Dumbbell $17.47 (Was $19.97)

The best Black Friday fitness accessory deals

Bose Sport Wireless Earbuds $129.00 (was $149.00)

Listening to music or a riveting podcast can help the miles pass by easier—unless you’re constantly fumbling with your headphones. Bose’s Sport Wireless Earbuds solve this problem with three sizes of earbuds for a custom fit. With an IXP4 rating, they’re also water- and sweat-resistant. These earbuds are designed with Bose’s signature high-quality audio and touch controls that make answering calls or adjusting volume a cinch. Plus, these earbuds have a long battery life of up to 5 hours if you’re up for the challenge. 

• Garmin Edge GPS Cycling/Bike Computer $149.99 (Was $199.99)
• Hydro Flask Wide Mouth Bottle with Flex Cap $34.09 (Was $49.95)
• Manduka Pro Yoga Mat $101.26 (Was $129.00)
• Gaiam Essentials Thick Yoga Mat Fitness & Exercise Mat, $18.60 (Was $21.98)
• Nekteck Shiatsu Neck and Back Massager, $34.99 (Was $45.99)
• Theragun Elite Massage Gun $295 (Was $399)
• Hypervolt Go 2, $149 (Was $199)

More of the best Black Friday deals

• TV deals
• Computer deals
• 3D printer deals
• Headphone deals
• Speaker deals
• Apple deals
• Telescope deals
• Walmart deals
• Appliance deals
• Fitness deals
• Generator deals
• Coffee deals
• Deal: LG OLED TV
• Deal: Shark vacuum
• Deal: Anker Power Station
• Deal: Vitamix blender

The post Black Friday fitness deals: 40+ wearables, cardio machines, and more appeared first on Popular Science.

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If you’re looking for a Black Friday deal on AirPods, MacBooks, an Apple Watch, or an iPad, you’re going not going to find them directly from Apple. The company is offering free Apple Store gift cards when you purchase hardware at its stores, but no discounts. Don’t worry, retailers like Amazon and Best Buy have you covered and have heavily discounted Apple’s latest hardware to their lowest prices of the year. We’ve pulled out some highlights alongside a curated list of the best Apple Black Friday deals.

You can save hundreds of dollars by shopping right now, which is great whether you’re looking for a gift or want to treat yourself. All of the current deals ship well before the holidays, too. It’s important to remember that these deals will only be available while the items are in stock. A lot of Apple gear sells out—especially when it’s available at a great price—so act fast!

The best MacBook & accessories deals

• M1 MacBook Air, $799 (Was $999)
• M2 MacBook Air, $1,049 (Was $1,199)
• M2 MacBook Pro (14-Inch), $1,599 (Was $1999.99)
• M2 MacBook Pro (16-Inch), $1,999 (Was $2,499)
• Twelve South BookBook Case (13-Inch MacBooks), $64.99 (Was $89.99)
• Twelve South BookBook Case (16-Inch MacBooks), $67.19 (Was $79.99)
• Excitrus 100W Power Bank, $79.99 (Was $119.99)
• Lamicall Adjustable Stand, $37.48 (Was $39.99)
• Logitech M720 Bluetooth Mouse, $34.99 (Was $39.99)
• Anker USB-C Hub for MacBook, $54.99 (Was $59.99)
• Elgato Stream Deck MK.2, $119.99 (was $149.99)
• Samsung T7 (1TB SSD), $89.99 (Was $104.99)
• Blue Yeti USB Microphone, $84.99 (Was $129.99)

The best Black Friday AirPods & accessories deals

AirPods Pro 2, $199.99 (was $249.99)

The AirPods Pro 2 are Apple’s top-of-the-line earbuds, and they’re down to their lowest price ever during Black Friday. The earbuds have longer battery life, clearer sound, better active noise cancellation, and more sophisticated Spatial Audio (surround sound) performance. These earbuds were only released a couple of months ago, so this Black Friday deal is especially surprising.

• AirPods (2nd Generation), $99 (Was $129)
• AirPods Max, $449 (Was $549)
• EarPods, $16.99 (Was $29)
• Nomad Rugged AirPods Case, $9.95 (Was $29.95)
• Casetify AirPods Case With Ring, $29.75 (was $35)
• Nomad Modern Leather AirPods Pro Case, $20.95 (Was $29.95)
• Spigen Rugged Armor AirPods Pro Case, $18.99 (Was $24.99)
• YeeHoo AirPods Pro Lanyard, $5.99 (Was $9.88)

The best Black Friday iPad & accessories deals

M1 iPad Pro (12.9-Inch), $799.99 (was $1,099.99)

The 12.9-Inch M1 has a faster chip than most Windows laptops and weighs just over one-and-a-half pounds. This is the ultimate tablet for creative professionals who want to use a tablet to edit high-resolution photos, videos, or multitrack audio recordings in addition to kicking back to stream video and read eBooks. Apple just released a new generation iPad Pro, but the differences are so minor that most people aren’t going to notice, so we recommend snagging this deal while you can.

• 10.2-Inch iPad, $269.99 (Was $329)
• iPad Mini, $399.99 (Was $499)
• iPad Air, $559.99 (Was $599)
• Nomad Modern Leather Case, From $62.95 (Was $89.95)
• Spigen Hybrid Pro iPad Air Case, $23.99 (Was $54.99)
• ZAGG Pro Keys Wireless iPad Keyboard, $59.99 (Was $99.99)
• Brydge 11.0 Pro+ Keyboard with Trackpad, $79.95 (Was $149.99)
• Brydge 12.9 Pro+ Keyboard with Trackpad, $89.99 (Was $169.99)
• Apple Pencil (2nd Generation), $89 (Was $129)
• Anker 100W USB-C to USB-C Cable (2-Pack), $15.99 (Was $19.99)
• Omoton Tablet Holder, $12.98 (Was $21.99)
• Twelve South HoverBar Duo Adjustable Arm, $47.99 (was $79.99)

The best Black Friday Apple Watch & accessories deals

• Apple Watch SE (40mm), $229 (Was $249)
• Apple Watch SE (44mm), $309 (Was $329)
• Apple Watch Series 8 (41mm), $349.99 (Was $349)
• Apple Watch Series 8 (45mm), $479 (Was $529)
• Apple Watch Ultra, $739 (Was $799)
• Apple Watch Charging Cable (1m), $14.55 (was $29)
• Nomad Modern Slim Band (40mm/41mm), $48.95 (Was $69.95)
• Nomad Traditional Band (45mm/49mm), $69.95 (Was $99.95)
• ZAGG InvisibleShield Glass Fusion Screen Protector (41mm), $22.99 (was $29.99)
• ZAGG InvisibleShield Glass Fusion Screen Protector (45mm), $18.70 (Was $29.99)
• Satechi USB-C Wireless Charging Dock, $20.99 (Was $29.99) [Amazon Prime Member Exclusive]
• Belkin Boost Charge Power Bank, $44.96 (Was $59.99)

The best Black Friday AirTag & accessories deals

• Apple AirTag (1-Pack), $24.98 (Was $29)
• Apple AirTag (4-Pack), $74.98 (Was $99.99)
• Hawanik Slim Minimalist Front Pocket Wallet, $10.39 (Was $16.99)
• Belkin AirTag Case With Wire Cable, $14.82 (Was $19.99)
• Nomad Leather Keychain, $20.95 (Was $29.95)

The best HomePod & Apple TV 4K deals

• HomePod Mini, $94.99 (Was $99.99)
• Apple TV 4K (2nd Generation), $114.99 (Was $179)

More of the best Black Friday deals

• Computer deals
• 3D printer deals
• Headphone deals
• Speaker deals
• Apple deals
• Telescope deals
• Walmart deals
• Appliance deals
• Fitness deals
• Generator deals
• Coffee deals
• Deal: LG OLED TV
• Deal: Shark vacuum
• Deal: Anker Power Station
• Deal: Vitamix blender

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Black Friday is here and you can start saving on hundreds of items for your household and your loved ones with Walmart’s Black Friday deals. You can maximize your savings by getting a free 30-day trial to Walmart+ early access. That will get you free delivery from your local Walmart, free shipping, discounts on prescriptions and gas, access to stream more than 40,000 videos from Paramount, and more. We’ve highlighted some standout discounts, then listed dozens more, and we’ll keep updating this guide with new deals through Cyber Monday and beyond.

Black Friday laptop and computer deals

SAMSUNG 34″ Class Flat LED Ultra WQHD Monitor, $229.00 (was $399.99)

If you don’t want to shell out a lot for a monitor but still want an ultra-wide option with a high-quality picture, Samsung’s LED Ultra WQHD monitor is a great pick. At 34 inches across, the screen has a resolution of 3440×1440 pixels that delivers a sharp picture. A  respectable 75Hz refresh rate and AMD FreeSync technology cut down on tearing and stutter for better gaming. And the VESA-compatible mount works with both HDMI and Display Port.

• Open Box | Apple MacBook Pro $399 (Was $599)
• Lenovo Legion 5 15.6″, Ryzen 5 5600H Laptop $599.00
• Acer Nitro 5 15.6″ 144Hz FHD Gaming Laptop $649.00 (Was $798.00)
• MSI GF63 Thin 11SC-693 15.6″ Gaming Laptop $499.00 (Was $632.00)
• Lenovo Ideapad 1i, 14.0″ Laptop $179.00
• Gateway Notebook 11.6″ Touchscreen 2-in-1 Laptop $149.00 (Was $199.00)
• ASUS VivoBook 14″ FHD Laptop $199 (Was $299)

Black Friday sports & outdoors deals

Hyper E-Ride Electric Bike, $398.00 (was $698.00)

Electric bikes can be pricey, but this option features quality craftsmanship at an affordable price. This eye-catching blue bike comes with an aluminum frame and premium Shimano grip shifter and rear derailleur gear system. It’s got front and rear brakes for extra safety, plus a 36-volt battery that allows for a ride time of about 20 miles—great for commuting or short rides around town.

• GOTRAX Fluxx Black FX3 Hoverboard $48.00 
• Razor Miniature Dirt Rocket MX350 Electric-Powered Dirt Bike $199.00 (Was $328.00)
• Intex Sierra K2 Inflatable Kayak with Oars and Hand Pump $69.99 (Was $159.99)
• Ozark Trail Hazel Creek 12-Person Cabin Tent $250.00 (Was $349.99)
• Ozark Trail Camping Director Chair $35.00 (Was $77.69)
• Hyper Bicycles Electric Bicycle Pedal Assist Mountain $398.00 (Was $648.00)
• XDP Recreation Super Disc Metal Swing Set $99.00

Black Friday fitness deals

SAMSUNG Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, $149.00 (was $349.99)

Do you like the idea of smartwatches but still prefer a more classic-looking timepiece for everyday wear? The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic BT ticks both boxes. It’s got the traditional clock face with hands and stainless steel casing. Yet it will track your vital health metrics, from your oxygen levels to ECG monitoring to sleep tracking,  let you participate in group workouts, and get live coaching. Of course, you can also listen to music, take calls, and text. But hurry, at almost $200 off, this deal won’t last long.

• Apple Watch SE (1st Gen) $149.00 (Was $279.99)
• Fitbit Inspire 2 Fitness Tracker $49.00 (Was $99.95)
• PROGEAR 1300 Adjustable and Foldable 12 Position Heavy-Duty Weight Bench $98.64 (Was $118.64)
• Gold’s Gym Classic Weightlifting Wrist Wrap Gloves, Medium/Large $7.99 (Was $12.73)
• Tru Grit Fitness 20 lb Rubber Hex Dumbbell $17.47 (Was $19.97)

The best Walmart Black Friday deals in 2022

Black Friday TV deals

• TCL 65″ Class 4-Series 4K UHD HDR Smart Roku TV $228.00
• TCL 32″ Class 720P HD LED Roku Smart TV 3 Series 32S331 $118.00 (Was $148.00) 
• TCL 65″ Class 4-Series 4K UHD HDR Smart Roku TV $228.00
• VIZIO 70″ Class V-Series 4K UHD LED Smart TV $448.00 
• TCL 32″ Class 720P HD LED Roku Smart TV 3 Series 32S331 $118.00 (Was $148.00)

Black Friday home theater deals

• HP CC200 FHD LCD LED Projector with Roku Express Streaming Player and 84″ Mobile Projection Screen $137.00 (Was $199.99) 
• TCL Alto 5+ 2.1 Channel Home Theater Sound Bar $59.00 (Was $79.99)
• Roku Premiere 4K/HDR Streaming Media Player with Premium High Speed HDMI Cable and Simple Remote $19.00 
• onn. Full Motion TV Wall Mount for 50″ to 86″ TVs  $32.00 (Was $47.58)

Black Friday audio deals

• Apple AirPods with Charging Case (2nd Generation)  $79.00 (Was $99.99)
• Beats Solo3 Wireless On-Ear Headphones with Apple W1 Headphone Chip $79.00 (Was $131.39)
• JLab Go Air Pop Bluetooth Earbuds, True Wireless with Charging Case $9.88 (Was $24.88)
• Soundcore by Anker Flare 2 Portable Speaker $39.00 (Was $79.00)
• Sony Portable Bluetooth Speaker  $29.88 (Was $45.00)

Black Friday gaming deals

• Acer 32″ Curved HD LED Gaming Monitor $165.00
• Marvel’s Spider-Man: Game of the Year Edition – PlayStation 4 $15.00 (Was $39.99)
• Gotham Knights – PlayStation 5 $35.00 (Was $69.99)
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II: C.O.D.E. Edition – Xbox Series X $55.00
• Gotham Knights – Xbox Series X (No Steel Book)  $35.00 (Was $69.99)
• Grand Theft Auto V, Rockstar Games, PlayStation 5 $10.00 (Was $39.99)
• Grand Theft Auto V, Rockstar Games, Xbox Series X $10.00 (Was $39.99)

Black Friday home deals

• Shark AI VACMOP Wi-Fi Connected Robot Vacuum and Mop with LIDAR Navigation $188.00 (Was $479.99)
• iHome Bundle StickVac + AutoVac, Robot Vacuum $149.00 (Was $399.99)
• Hart 270pc Mechanics Tool Set $98.00 (Was $188.00)
• IonVac 3-in-1 Lightweight Corded Stick Vacuum $20.00 (Was $39.98)

Black Friday kitchen deals

• Henckels Silvercap 14-Piece Stainless Steel Knife Block Set $89.00
• Chefman Barista Pro Espresso Machine $99.00 (Was $139.00)
• Gourmia 14 Qt. All-in-One Air Fryer, Oven, Rotisserie, Dehydrator with 12 Cooking Functions $60.00
• Rubbermaid EasyFindLids 26 Piece Plastic Food Storage Container Set $8.00
• Ninja Professional Blender 72 oz. XL Total Crushing®Pitcher $50.00
• Thyme & Table 32-Piece Cookware & Bakeware Nonstick Set $89.00 
• Anchor Hocking 30-Piece Glass Food Storage and Bake Container Sets $20.00
• Gourmia 12-Cup Programmable Hot & Iced Coffee Maker $15.00

Black Friday deals on tools

• Hyper Tough 48-In Rubber Wood Top Workbench $99.00 (Was $199.00)
• EverStart Maxx LED 1000 Lumen Spotlight with Rechargeable Li-Ion Battery $9.97 (Was $19.93) 
• Hyper Tough Portable LED Work Light 2 Pack $10.00 (Was $20.07)
• TACKLIFE 4 In 1 Center Finding Electronic Scanning Stud Finder $14.00 (Was $28.83)
• 3-in-One Garage Door Lubricant, 2 Pack for $9.40 (Was $14.24)

More of the best Black Friday deals

• Computer deals
• 3D printer deals
• Headphone deals
• Speaker deals
• Apple deals
• Telescope deals
• Walmart deals
• Appliance deals
• Fitness deals
• Generator deals
• Coffee deals
• Deal: LG OLED TV
• Deal: Shark vacuum
• Deal: Anker Power Station
• Deal: Vitamix blender

The post The best 60 Walmart Black Friday deals appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best battery life		Garmin Vivofit 4		SEE IT	Forget the charger—this option has a battery life of one year and offers the basic functions of measuring steps, calories burned, and sleep monitoring.
Best sleep tracker		Fitbit Versa 3		SEE IT	Equipped with ample fitness features, a detailed sleep tracker, and Google Assistant or Alexa compatibility, this Smartwatch can seamlessly track and monitor all your health metrics.
Best screen display		Galaxy Watch Active 2		SEE IT	This lightweight pick has a full-screen display that automatically detects six exercises while tracking up to 39 more.

The very first fitness trackers were rudimentary step-counters, but technology has advanced since then. Now, whether you want to hit that 10,000 daily step goal, monitor your sleep, or train in a specific heart rate zone, there’s a wrist-mounted wearable for you. The best fitness trackers don’t just log and display info, they link with your smartphone, usually via Bluetooth, and use sophisticated apps to show where you are in relation to your goals and how you’re doing compared to historical data.

But in a world that already bombards us with information, do we really need more data in our lives? The quick answer, if you’re serious about getting fit, is “yes.” Research shows that setting goals, benchmarking progress, and getting feedback make us more likely to improve our fitness, health, and wellness. Add in accountability—yes, many of these trackers can post directly to your social media—which is another proven way of sticking to your healthy lifestyle, and you can see why so many people are devotees.

Yet with so many options, how do you know which is the best fitness tracker for you? From product design to functionality and battery life, we’ve tracked down everything you need to know to make the best decision.

• Best for heart rate monitoring: Apple Watch Series 6
• Best sleep tracker: Fitbit Versa 3
• Best for battery life: Garmin Vivofit 4
• Best with GPS: Coros Apex
• Best screen displays: Galaxy Watch Active 2
• Best budget: Xiaomi Mi Band 5

Best fitness trackers: Our picks

Best for monitoring heart rate: Apple Watch Series 6

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Various academic papers have found that Apple Watches appear to measure heart rate most accurately. The most recent iterations, like the Apple Watch Series 6, can generate an ECG reading similar to a single-lead electrocardiogram and can even notify the wearer of heart rate irregularities. Admittedly the Series 6 is pretty pricey—although earlier models are less expensive and still packed with features. If you’re already an iPhone user, it’s a no-brainer—needless to say, it syncs seamlessly.

Best sleep tracker: Fitbit Versa 3

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The Fitbit Versa 3 automatically tracks your sleep and not only shows how long you were in each sleep cycle but how your sleep compares to others of the same age and sex. The app displays the data clearly, and lets you see historical data and a 30-day average, too. Sleep and sleep quality are clearly important to Fitbit—you can also set an alarm to wake you when you’re in a lighter sleep stage so you feel less drowsy. The Fitbit Versa 3 has more fitness tracker features that make it a worthy workout companion, too.

Best for battery life: Garmin Vivofit 4

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Extra-long battery life like that of the Garmin Vivofit 4 comes with a few compromises, but those who don’t want to be tied to a charger will appreciate this pared-back tracker. It will track steps, distance, activity, and calories burned, as well as monitor sleep and provide a personalized daily step goal. The color display is customizable, and the app adds functionality.

Best with GPS: Coros Apex

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Designed for serious athletes—hence knob control rather than touchscreen so you can get info when your hands are sweaty—the Coros Apex GPS-heavy watch allows navigation tracking on preloaded routes, keeps track of your elevation, lets you know if there’s bad weather ahead, and even reminds you to refuel.

Best screen displays: Galaxy Watch Active 2

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The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 may offer fewer customization options and third-party apps than rival Apple Watch, but that provides you the opportunity for a cleaner, less cluttered customer experience. You can still track more than 40 exercises (and auto-detect six), monitor heart rate and sleep, and get notifications from your phone as well. Waterproof and with decent battery life, it plays best with an Android phone.

Best budget: What you get for under $50

You’re probably going to have to head over the $50 mark if you want to pick up any of the brands in our main feature, although Fitbit and Garmin have entry-level products around $70. But to get more bang for your buck, look to Chinese brand Xiaomi. The Xiaomi Mi Band 5 has a large screen display, tracks 11 different sports, as well as your sleep, steps, and heart rate. It can also show you notifications from your phone and can be used to control your phone’s music and camera, too.

Things to consider when shopping for the best fitness trackers

It’s easy to get bewildered by all the features and functions available. But the best fitness tracker for you is the one that will effectively and efficiently monitor exactly what you want it to—maybe your heart rate or the quality of your sleep—and deliver the info in a way that works for you. But it’s also smart to keep in mind that too many functions, such as GPS or an energy-sapping display can drain your tracker’s battery life.

1. Want to follow your heart?

There are few more accurate measurements of fitness than your heart rate at rest. Normally, the fitter you are, the lower your heart rate will be—generally a good thing as it indicates that your heart muscle doesn’t need to work as hard to maintain a steady beat.

Keeping an eye on your heart rate while working out can also be a good way of knowing you’re working as hard as you should be. Broadly speaking, if you want to work out at a moderate intensity, your heart rate should be somewhere between 50% and 70% of your maximum heart rate (this varies with age) and during high-intensity workouts, you should be in the 70-85% of maximum zone.

There’s been some dispute about how accurate the heart rate monitors on wrist-mounted wearables can be. Unlike chest straps which use electrodes to detect a heartbeat and are considered almost comparable to the devices that medics use, fitness trackers usually shine a light on the blood vessels in your wrist to measure the volume of blood flow, and calculate heart rate accordingly. However, when you’re moving, the sensor can slip, resulting in an inaccurate reading.

Manufacturers seem aware of this issue, and each new iteration of the tracker seems to improve on the last.

2. Want the best fitness tracker for counting zzz’s?

When it comes to fitness, we tend to neglect recovery—and that’s partly why sleep monitoring has become a key feature of fitness trackers. Some argue that you should know whether you’ve had a good night’s sleep just based on how you feel in the morning. Trying to beat a sleep score every night, they say, only adds stress and makes it less likely you’ll sleep well.

However, if you’re trying different approaches to improve your sleep—a relaxing pillow spray, avoiding screens before bed, or winding down with a warm shower—a tracking app can help you figure out what works best for you. While sleep trackers in labs use brain activity to measure the different stages of sleep—light, deep, and REM sleep—fitness trackers tend to use a combination of movement and heart rate tracking to estimate your sleep cycles.

You have to notify some trackers that you’re going to bed in order to initiate sleep monitoring, but others do it automatically as long as you are wearing your device to bed. If you want to wear your tracker to monitor your activity during the day and your sleep at night, make sure you’ve got a device that has a long battery life—see our pick for best battery life below—or a quick charging time so you never have to miss a moment, night or day.

3. How long will the battery last?

When it comes to electronics, particularly small yet powerful ones, battery life can be a major concern. Depending on how you want to use your fitness tracker, battery life might be key when choosing one.

Many of the most popular products blur the line between fitness trackers and smartwatches and come with a huge number of functions such as sending and receiving messages, storing music, and GPS tracking. But these bells and whistles can be a real drain on your battery. You might find yourself needing to fast charge your device while you’re in the shower or sacrificing sleep tracking so it can power up overnight.

That might be fine if you just want to keep track of the odd HIIT class. But if you hate being a slave to a charger—or want to take your tracker on a camping expedition, say, without access to power—it might be worth sacrificing some features for longer battery life.

Trackers with slightly fewer functions can go for up to seven days without a charge, and yet still allow you to receive notifications from your phone, prompt you to move when you’ve been sitting still too long, and track your heart rate. Bear in mind that the more interaction you have with the screen, the sooner you will likely need a recharge. If you want something that will last months or even years, there are options out there, but you’re going to have to compromise somewhere.

4. Want to know where you are—and where you’re going?

GPS—or Global Positioning System—is a series of satellites that circle the Earth. If you have a GPS receiver, it can use the relative positioning of these satellites to tell you exactly where you are. It’s this sort of geolocation technology that is used to help your car company or food delivery service locate you, and how the map app on your phone gives you directions.

When it comes to fitness trackers, GPS can be helpful in a number of ways. Using what it knows about your location and the time you were there, you can get an accurate idea of your pace when you’re running or hiking. It can also allow someone who’s not with you to track your progress or help you create a map of your route. Further, on some devices, with an additional app, GPS can be used to help direct you along a pre-programmed route.

Fitness trackers have various ways of capitalizing on GPS. Some may include their own built-in receivers, which means you don’t have to have your phone with you, while others use the GPS in your smartphone to help geolocate you.

The quality of GPS in fitness trackers varies, too. Sometimes it’s tricky to squeeze a high-quality receiver into a small band or watch, and if accurate GPS is really important to you—say you’re a competitive runner and need a highly accurate record of your distances and pace—a GPS running watch might be a better option for you.

5. Want a jam-packed screen—or a minimalist one?

How much information do you want to see on the screen of your fitness tracker? Ask three people and you’d probably get three different answers. Do you want all your info there? Or would you rather a single piece of data on screen—your step count, calories burned, or heart rate—knowing that you’ll have to scroll through to get the other data you want?

As with so many choices, it’s all about compromises. If you want a full color, fully customizable screen, you’re probably looking at a smartwatch rather than a band-style tracker, but that probably means a touch screen, rather than buttons, which can be tricky to interact with when you’re sweaty or wearing gloves.

Whatever you opt for, it’s worth spending a bit of time getting to know your tracker’s screen, working out how you can customize it so that the functions and information you want most are easily and quickly accessible. As with your phone, you may find some apps or functions installed that you don’t need. If you know you’re never going to record a ballet class, for example, delete that option if you can. The less information you have on screen, the easier it will be to zone in on what you want.

It might also be worth considering a screen protector if you’re going for a smartwatch-style tracker. These can be really thin and unobtrusive, and the best don’t interfere with functionality, just protect against scratches, scrapes, and damage.

Best fitness tracker brands

Fitness trackers have an interesting heritage—closely related to sports watches and mobile phones—as well as being their own stand-alone tech. The brands we’ve identified below as strong players in the industry encompass the entire spread of these technologies. From companies known originally for their computing genius to those established with the sole purpose of creating fitness wearables, here’s a slightly deeper dive into some of the brands included in this article.

Fitbit

Established in 2007 when two entrepreneurs realized that the technology behind sensors and wireless computing had reached a stage where the concept of a wearable device to improve fitness had real potential. Fitbit has come a long way since their early rudimentary clip-on trackers that used motion sensors to track movement, sleep, and calorie burn. In 2019, Google announced its acquisition of the brand for $2.1 billion.

Garmin

Garmin’s roots lie in GPS. Founded in 1989 by two engineers Gary Burrell (Gar) and Min Kao (min) who gave their names to the brand, the company’s first product was designed for automotive and marine purposes at a time when GPS was predominantly being used by the military. Their first wearable GPS didn’t launch until 2003 when they brought out the Forerunner 201, a pager-sized wrist-mounted device, and many feel they’ve led the way in wearable GPS ever since.

Apple

Born as a computer company in 1976, Apple has always been as much about product design, desirability, and user experience as about technology. The iPod, which launched in 2001, marked a turning point for the company, revolutionizing the way the world listens to music. The iPhone launched in 2007, followed by the Apple Watch in 2015. In 2019, it was reported that Apple had sold more watches than the entire Swiss watch industry.

FAQs

A final word on the best fitness trackers

There’s no doubt that a fitness tracker can help you up your game when it comes to your workouts, and that there are a host of different features and functions out there that can keep you on track, whether you’re a busy parent squeezing in a quick yoga class or a professional athlete trying to shave every last second off your time. The huge leaps and bounds in technology also mean that your fitness tracker can do double duty as a smartwatch, notifying you about everything from news headlines to your next meeting. The type of tracker you opt for will depend on your life, lifestyle, and what you want from it. But the choices are out there like never before.

The post Best fitness trackers of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

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Back in September, Apple announced a new addition to the Apple Watch series: The Apple Watch Ultra. This new model is larger and more durable, and its battery life goes on for longer between charges. 

The Apple Watch Ultra is also different from the rest of Apple’s wearables because of its orange Action button, which users will find on the left-hand side of the device and gives quick access to a series of customizable shortcuts.

From a software perspective, the Apple Watch Ultra works the same as the rest of the newer models in the series, as they all run watchOS 9. But the Action button makes it easier to access and activate various features because when you’re out on the trail and in harsh weather conditions, pushing a physical button is simpler than having to look at the screen and tap on icons there.

Additional options also appear if you select Workout from the Action menu. Go back to the Action Button screen (via the blue arrow) and tap First Press: You’ll then be able to pick the workout that the Action Button launches, or just have it open the Workout app so you can select something different each time.

In the middle of a workout, you can tap the Action Button again to access different functionalities. How the Action Button works will depend on the specific workout you’re doing (during a run, for example, it will create a new segment) but once you’ve decided on your exercise, the device will walk you through everything you need to know in the Gestures section of the Action Button screen.

Sometimes you’ll get extra features when pressing the Action Button and the Side button at the same time. For example, during any kind of workout, you can press the Action Button and the side button together to pause the workout. Again, you’ll get all of this information in the Gestures section on-screen.

Other Action Button functions are simpler. With Dive, for example, you just press the button to start a diving session, or when you select Waypoint, a press will drop a compass waypoint at your current location. Apple is also letting third-party apps add their own shortcut options for the Action Button. It will take some time for developers to create them, but depending on the apps installed on your wearable and your phone, you might start seeing more functionalities on the list besides the built-in ones. 

If you prefer to configure these Action Button shortcuts through the Watch app on your iPhone, you’ll see an Action Button heading on the My Watch tab in the app: Tap on it to get to all the same functions we’ve already covered, including the Action menu, the First Press menu, and the Gestures section that tells you what subsequent button presses do in your selected mode.

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Apple just announced the second generation of its AirPods Pro noise-canceling headphones and they’re already getting a discount during Amazon’s Early Access sale. Right now, you can pay $225 instead of the regular $250. It’s not a huge discount, but it’s enough to buy a pizza that you can eat in peace thanks to the very excellent active noise cancellation. The Apple deals go beyond AirPods, however, so keep scrolling!

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) Wireless Earbuds with MagSafe Charging Case $223 (was $249)

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Apple Watch Series 8 $349 (was $399)

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The latest Apple Watch is currently $50 off in either of its sizes. The 41mm Watch checks in a $349, which is the lowest we have seen it since its recent release. The 45mm version is currently $379, which is a solid deal if you have a wrist large enough to support all that screen. While buying the new model gets you access to specific features like crash detection, it also guarantees that you’ll get the maximum number of new software updates, which allows you to keep your current device longer.

2022 Apple iPad Air (10.9-inch, Wi-Fi, 64GB, 5th Generation) $519 (was $599)

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If you’re looking for an iPad, Amazon’s Prime Early Access also has discounts on just about every model you can think of. I generally recommend the iPad Air as the best iPad for most people. It’s a solid mix of power, size, and price. It lacks Face ID, but rather uses Touch ID with a sensor on the power button to automatically log you in as you open the tablet. It’s powerful enough to run any app you can throw at it without the high price that comes with the iPad Pro.

More Apple deals for Amazon Prime Early Access:

• Apple 13-inch M1 MacBook Air Laptop: 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD $799 (was $999)

• Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) Wireless Earbuds with MagSafe Charging Case $235 (was $249)
• Apple AirPods (2nd Generation) Wireless Earbuds with Lightning Charging Case $89 (was $169)

• 2021 Apple 10.2-inch iPad (Wi-Fi, 64GB) $269 (was $329)
• 2021 Apple 10.2-inch iPad (Wi-Fi, 256GB) $419 (was $479)
• 2022 Apple iPad Air (10.9-inch, Wi-Fi, 64GB, 5th Generation) $519 (was $599)
• 2022 Apple iPad Air (10.9-inch, Wi-Fi, 256GB, 5th Generation) $669 (was $749)

• 2021 Apple TV 4K (64GB) $129 (was $199)

• 2021 Apple 12.9-inch iPad Pro (Wi-Fi, 128GB) $899 (was $1,099)
• 2021 Apple 12.9-inch iPad Pro (Wi‑Fi, 256GB) $999 (was $1,199)
• 2021 Apple 10.2-inch iPad (Wi-Fi + Cellular, 64GB) $399 (was $459)

More Amazon Prime Early Access deals:

• Amazon Early Access headphones deals: Noise-canceling and more
• Amazon Early Access microphone deals: Raise your voice not your budget
• Eat up these Amazon Early Access deals on kitchen gear
• Save $120 on DJI’s Mini 2 drone during Amazon’s Early Access sale
• Amazon Prime Early Access smart TV deals: OLEDs and more
• Save on generators during Amazon’s Prime Early Access sale
• Save on smartwatches during the Amazon Prime Early Access Sale
• Get deep discounts on robot vacuums during Amazon Prime Early Access
• Soak in these Amazon Prime Early Access deals on inflatable hot tubs
• Save $210 on the Garmin Forerunner 735XT during Prime Early Access
• The best Amazon Prime Early Access earbud deals
• The best Amazon Prime Early Access deals on 3D printers
• Amazon Prime Early Access Sale: modems and routers
• The best Amazon Prime Early Access deals on wireless chargers
• Focus on these Amazon Prime Day Early Access binocular deals
• These Amazon Prime Day Early Access telescope deals are stellar
• Logitech Amazon Prime Early Access deals: Mics, mice, and more
• The best Amazon Prime Early Access deals on Kindles
• Save up to $1,000 on Sony OLED TVs during Amazon Prime Early Access

The post Apple deals for Amazon Prime Early Access: AirPods, iPads, and Watch appeared first on Popular Science.

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If you have yet to invest in a smartwatch, they offer a range of tools—all from your wrist. They range from sophisticated satellite tracking systems to real-time information on the health of your heat and lungs, to the ability to answer calls, texts, and get the news and weather in real time.

Fortunately, you can save hundreds on smartwatches as part of Amazon’s Prime Early Access Sale. But today’s the last day of the shopping event, don’t wait on these deals. From the recently released Apple Watch Series 8 to tried-and-tried models, there are plenty of options for everyone in your family.

Apple Watch Series 8 $349 (was $399)

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If you have been eyeing the new Apple Watch Series 8, you can currently save $50 off the regular price for both the 41mm and 45mm versions in white or black. This is the first big discount we have seen on this new model and these typically sell out quickly so don’t hesitate if you’re looking to get one. The 41mm model will cost you $349 and the larger 45mm version checks in at $379.

SAMSUNG Galaxy Watch 4 Classic 42mm Smartwatch $269.99 (was $399.99)

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Smartwatches generally track health metrics like heart rate, but if you’re one of those people who can’t get enough of the data and want to drill down into your metabolic health in real time, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic is for you. In addition to your body mass index, this watch can measure your basal metabolic rate, and skeletal muscle, track your sleep, and monitor your heart for irregularities. You can also participate in group challenges in a variety of sports and use Google Pay and Maps right from your wrist.

Fossil Women’s Gen 5E 42mm Stainless Steel Touchscreen Smartwatch $169 (was $249)

If you’d prefer a smartwatch that resembles a traditional timepiece and will still track your steps every day, the Fossil Women’s Gen 5E Smartwatch is a solid choice. Made of stainless steel, the watch is customizable with thousands of different faces. Answer texts and calls, ask Alexa about the news and weather, and track your heart rate and other important health metrics all in one device. On sale as part of Amazon Prime Early Access Sale Smartwatch deals, this watch also charges fairly quickly, reaching 80 percent within 50 minutes.

More Amazon Prime Early Access Sale smartwatch deals:

• Garmin Forerunner 735XT, Multisport GPS Running Watch $129.99 (was $349.99)
• Fossil Men’s Gen 5E 44mm Stainless Steel Touchscreen Smartwatch $170 (was $279)
• Garmin Vivoactive 4S $187 (was $329.99)
• Garmin Venu GPS Smartwatch $149.99 (was $249.99)
• Michael Kors Women’s Gen 5E 43mm Stainless Steel Touchscreen Smartwatch. $235 (was $350)
• SAMSUNG Galaxy Watch 4 Classic 42mm Smartwatch $219.99 (was $349.99)
• Garmin Vivoactive 4S Smartwatch $187 (was $329.99)
• Polar Grit X Pro GPS Multisport Smartwatch $449.50 (was $499.95)
• Polar Ignite GPS Smartwatch $219 (was $229.95)
• Withings Steel HR Sport Hybrid Smartwatch (40mm) $159.95 (was $199.95)
• Polar Vantage V2 Premium Multisport Smartwatch $371.17 (was $549.95)
• TouchElex Smartwatch $47.99 (was $79.99)
• GRV Smartwatch for iOS and Android Phones $27.11 (was $39.99)
• SKG Smartwatch, Fitness Tracker $39.99 (was $49.99)
• VTech Kidizoom Smartwatch $28.49 ($62.99)
• Ralehong Smartwatch for Kids $26.39 ($29.99)

Fitness tracker deals:

• Withings Pulse HR Water Resistant Health & Fitness Tracker $79.95 (was $99.95)
• IOWODO X5 Fitness Tracker for Men Health and Fitness Smartwatch $39.99 (was $49.99)
• MorePro Fitness Tracker $40.79 (was $59.99)
• Amazfit Band 5 Activity Fitness Tracker $29.49 (was $39.99)
• Amazfit Band 7 Fitness & Health Tracker $39.99 (was $49.99)
• Amazfit Bip 3 Pro Smart Watch for Android iPhone $54.99 (was $69.99)
• Amazon Halo View Fitness Tracker $44.99 (was $79.99)

More Amazon Prime Early Access deals:

• Save $120 on DJI’s Mini 2 drone during Amazon’s Early Access sale
• Amazon Prime Early Access smart TV deals: OLEDs and more
• Save on generators during Amazon’s Prime Early Access sale
• Get deep discounts on robot vacuums during Amazon Prime Early Access
• Soak in these Amazon Prime Early Access deals on inflatable hot tubs
• Save $210 on the Garmin Forerunner 735XT during Prime Early Access
• The best Amazon Prime Early Access earbud deals
• The best Amazon Prime Early Access deals on 3D printers
• Amazon Prime Early Access Sale: modems and routers
• The best Amazon Prime Early Access deals on wireless chargers
• Focus on these Amazon Prime Day Early Access binocular deals
• These Amazon Prime Day Early Access telescope deals are stellar
• Amazon Early Access headphones deals: Noise-canceling and more
• Logitech Amazon Prime Early Access deals: Mics, mice, and more
• Apple deals for Amazon Prime Early Access: iPads, AirPods, and more
• Save $100 on 23andMe during the Prime Early Access Sale
• The best Amazon Prime Early Access deals on Kindles
• Save up to $1,000 on Sony OLED TVs during Amazon Prime Early Access

The post Ready, set, go get a great deal on Apple, Samsung, Fossil smartwatch during the Amazon Prime Early Access sale appeared first on Popular Science.

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You probably won’t pull an Eliud Kipchoge and shatter your own world record in your next race. But that doesn’t mean you can’t aim for your best time ever by tracking your performance and health metrics over time. And today is the final day to take advantage of the Amazon Prime Early Access Sale Garmin Forerunner 735XT deal.

You’ll need to be an Amazon Prime member to enjoy all the savings of the virtual shopping event, but it’s easy to sign up for a free, 30-day trial. Start off your holiday shopping with discounts on smartwatches for the whole family.

Garmin Forerunner 735XT, Multisport GPS Running Watch With Heart Rate $129.99 (was $349.99)

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Designed for running, cycling, and swimming, the Forerunner 735XT can help you drill down into metrics like stride length and vertical ratio to help you optimize your performance. It’s also compatible with tools that can provide an estimate of your VO2 max and lactate threshold, make race predictions, and help you recover. The Forerunner 735XT also comes with up to 14 hours of battery life in GPS mode, great for endurance runs. And you can get a hefty discount during the Amazon Prime Early Access Sale Garmin Forerunner 735XT deal.

More smartwatch deals:

• Fossil Women’s Gen 5E 42mm Stainless Steel Touchscreen Smartwatch $169 (was $249)
• Fossil Men’s Gen 5E 44mm Stainless Steel Touchscreen Smartwatch $170 (was $279)
• Garmin Vivoactive 4S $187 (was $329.99)
• Garmin Venu GPS Smartwatch $149.99 (was $249.99)
• Michael Kors Women’s Gen 5E 43mm Stainless Steel Touchscreen Smartwatch. $235 (was $350)
• Fossil Women’s Gen 5E 42mm Stainless Steel Touchscreen Smartwatch $169 (was $249)
• Fossil Men’s Gen 5E 44mm Stainless Steel Touchscreen Smartwatch $170 (was $279)
• Garmin Vivoactive 4S $187 (was $329.99)
• SAMSUNG Galaxy Watch 4 Classic 42mm Smartwatch $219.99 (was $349.99)
• Polar Grit X Pro GPS Multisport Smartwatch $449.50 (was $499.95)
• Polar Ignite GPS Smartwatch $219 (was $229.95)
• Withings Steel HR Sport Hybrid Smartwatch (40mm) $159.95 (was $199.95)
• Polar Vantage V2 Premium Multisport Smartwatch $371.17 (was $549.95)
• TouchElex Smartwatch $47.99 (was $79.99)
• GRV Smartwatch for iOS and Android Phones $27.11 (was $39.99)
• SKG Smartwatch, Fitness Tracker $39.99 (was $49.99)
• VTech Kidizoom Smartwatch $27.11 ($62.99)
• Ralehong Smartwatch for Kids $26.39 ($29.99)
• Citizen CZ Smart Touchscreen Smartwatch $320 (was $395)
• Amazfit T-Rex Smart Watch with GPS $69.99 ($139.99)
• Citizen CZ Smart Hybrid Smartwatch 44mm $280 (was $350)
• Amazfit Zepp Z Smart Watch for Men $99.99 (was $149.99)

Fitness tracker deals:

• Withings Pulse HR Water Resistant Health & Fitness Tracker $79.95 (was $99.95)
• MorePro Fitness Tracker $40.79 (was $59.99)
• Amazfit Band 5 Activity Fitness Tracker $29.49 (was $39.99)
• Amazfit Band 7 Fitness & Health Tracker $39.99 (was $49.99)
• Amazfit Bip 3 Pro Smart Watch for Android iPhone $54.99 (was $69.99)
• Amazon Halo View Fitness Tracker $44.99 (was $79.99)

More Amazon Prime Early Access deals:

• Save $120 on DJI’s Mini 2 drone during Amazon’s Early Access sale
• Amazon Prime Early Access smart TV deals: OLEDs and more
• Save on generators during Amazon’s Prime Early Access sale
• Save on smartwatches during the Amazon Prime Early Access Sale
• Get deep discounts on robot vacuums during Amazon Prime Early Access
• Soak in these Amazon Prime Early Access deals on inflatable hot tubs
• The best Amazon Prime Early Access earbud deals
• The best Amazon Prime Early Access deals on 3D printers
• Amazon Prime Early Access Sale: modems and routers
• The best Amazon Prime Early Access deals on wireless chargers
• Focus on these Amazon Prime Day Early Access binocular deals
• These Amazon Prime Day Early Access telescope deals are stellar
• Amazon Early Access headphones deals: Noise-canceling and more
• Logitech Amazon Prime Early Access deals: Mics, mice, and more
• Apple deals for Amazon Prime Early Access: iPads, AirPods, and more
• Save $100 on 23andMe during the Prime Early Access Sale
• The best Amazon Prime Early Access deals on Kindles
• Save up to $1,000 on Sony OLED TVs during Amazon Prime Early Access

The post Finish strong and save $220 on the Garmin Forerunner 735XT during Prime Early Access appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Like its predecessor, the Apple Watch 8 reportedly offers around 18 hours between charges, which means that if you’re a power user, you might have find an outlet before the day is out.

The newly released Apple Watch Ultra does twice as good, with 36-hour battery life, according to the manufacturer. But the gadget is designed for the great outdoors, so if you’re away from civilization for several days, you might still struggle to keep your watch powered up for the duration of your trip.

But whatever model you have, there are multiple ways you can extend the time between charges for your Apple Watch. Put some of these into action and you’ll find the smartwatch still has juice left when you need it the most.

In this mode, the Apple Watch will also turn off  Wi-Fi and cellular connections when there’s no iPhone nearby, as well as block incoming calls and notifications. As a result, Apple says making phone calls may take longer, background apps will refresh more sporadically, and complications (the widgets on your watch face) will update less frequently. In addition, Siri might be slower, and you’ll notice animations and scrolling can look less smooth.

To enable low power mode, touch and hold the bottom of the Apple Watch screen to bring up the Control Center, then swipe up. Tap the battery percentage icon and turn on the Low Power Mode toggle switch. You can also enable it from Settings on the watch, by tapping Battery. Whenever you turn it on, you can also choose to turn the mode on indefinitely, or for one, two, or three days. You’ll see a yellow circle appear at the top of the screen when low power mode is on.

Another option is to have low power mode enabled every time you start a workout. From the Settings app on the smartwatch, scroll down to the Workout option, then turn on the Low Power Mode toggle switch. And don’t worry: your device will still measure key metrics such as heart rate and pace.

Other ways of reducing the power draw of the display are to switch to a darker watch face and limit the number of complications you use. That doesn’t only mean there will be fewer pixels firing up, but also that the wearable will have less information to update in the background. Tap and hold on the current watch face to change it.

Disabling the wake on wrist raise feature can help with battery life, too. That way you’ll prevent the face from lighting up when you, say, scratch your ear, and will only do so when you actually need it. This feature is on the same Display & Brightness screen in Settings on the watch—just turn off the Wake on Wrist Raise option.

Stopping your Apple Watch from having to listen out for your “hey Siri” all the time can also ease some of the pressure on the battery. Head to Settings on your smartwatch, select Siri, and disable the Listen for “Hey Siri” option. You can also disable Raise to Speak to save more battery life.

Cutting down on the number of notifications coming through to your phone can help as well. This reduces the number of background checks the watch has to do and how often it has to beep and vibrate. From the Watch app on your iPhone, tap Notifications—start by turning off alerts for any apps that you don’t absolutely have to hear from.

[Related: Make your laptop battery last all day]

You could also use a trick from managing battery life on smartphones, which is to enable Do Not Disturb on your watch for a while. This blocks all notifications, stops your watch from running constant checks for them and cuts down on the buzzes and pings your device has to power. Touch and hold the bottom of the Apple Watch screen, then when the Control Center appears, swipe up and tap Do Not Disturb.

Also on the subject of apps, you can tell your Apple Watch not to refresh them in the background—so they’ll only update when they’re actually open. From the Watch app on your iPhone, tap General: You can either turn off the Background App Refresh option completely or disable it for individual apps using the toggle switches.

The post How to make your Apple Watch battery last longer appeared first on Popular Science.

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Garmin turns 32 this year. Since you can’t buy a company a gift, treat yourself to a new watch with Garmin’s birthday sale—we’re partial to the fēnix 6S, which is up to $250 off, depending on the model you choose.

Garmin

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We’ve featured Garmin watches many times in our coverage, from our Instinct 2 Solar review to naming the Vivomove HR as the best hybrid smartwatch with heart rate monitor. The fēnix 6S lets you combine mapping, music, and pace planning on your workouts so you can make the most of your marathon prep. It features a built-in heart sensor and pulse oximeter, and plenty of built-in programs for practically every sport. The 42mm and 47mm standard watch is on sale for $449.99, $200 off its $649.99 retail price. The Sapphire model, equipped with scratch-free Sapphire sapphire glass, is $549.99, $200 of its $749.99 retail price. The Solar model with built-in solar charging, is $599.99, $200 off its $799.99 retail price. The 51mm case of the standard, Sapphire, and Solar models are on sale for $549.99, $599.99, and $699.99, respectively.

Take advantage of Garmin’s birthday sale fast—it ends Sept. 18, since no party can last forever. Here’s what else is on sale as part of the festivities:

• Tacx NEO Bike Smart Trainer $2,799 (Was $3,199.99)
• Forerunner 735XT $149.99 (Was $349.99)
• Instinct – Esports Edition $139.99 (Was $299.99)
• Approach S60 $249.99 (Was 399.99)
• vívoactive 4S $199.99 (Was $349.99)
• Forerunner 945 LTE $499.99 (Was $599.99)
• Garmin DriveSmart 65 & Traffic $199.99 (Was $269.99)
• Lily-Classic Edition $149.99 (Was $199.99)
• GPSMAP 79 Series $324.99 (Was $349.99)

The post Celebrate Garmin’s birthday with up to $400 in savings appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

It may be hard for some of us to see the virtue of the Apple Watch Series 8. Some people will not be able to tell the difference between it and last year’s Apple Watch Series 7, no matter how long they wear it. At a glance, it offers the same day-to-day functionality, with a few key boosts. A couple of these, like a “low power mode,” are hardware-specific, but most of what you’ll see and appreciate comes from the new version of Apple’s watchOS 9 and will be available on older watches as well. 

And, yet, it would not be right or fair to say that the Series 8 fails to make large evolutionary strides. The Apple Watch Series 8 shows its true colors at the most important times, before birth and death. First, a new pair of temperature sensors allows the Series 8 to chart estimated ovulation cycles, helping people attempting to get pregnant. Second, a new motion sensor, in conjunction with existing components, enables the ability to detect car crashes and automatically call 911 and your emergency contacts. 

While you may not feel its changes every day, the Series 8 offers two niche functions that should make a big difference for people at very specific, important times in their lives. That doesn’t necessarily make for a compelling new upgrade when compared to the past couple of watch models, but it’s a huge “building” year that advances the case for the Apple Watch as a product for years to come.

Mike Epstein

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What’s new about the Apple Watch Series 8?

In its eighth iteration, the Apple Watch Series 8 doesn’t introduce many noticeable design changes. The larger 41mm and 45mm case sizes of the Apple Watch Series 7 return, offering the same excellent visibility, whether you’re engaging with the watch or merely glancing at a notification on its always-on display. I can confirm that all of the Apple Watch’s core competencies—tracking your heart, monitoring your sleep, showing notifications from your phone, and so on—all work just as well as last year … which is to say very well. As with past models, it’s backward-compatible with all previous Apple Watch bands (though Apple has some new styles they’d love to sell you, of course).

There are a handful of improvements and tweaks to those core competencies, along with some honest-to-god new features, but virtually all of them are enabled by watchOS 9, the newest version of the Apple Watch’s operating system, which is compatible with the Apple Watch Series 4 and up. I’ll talk about the details of some of those changes more in a bit but the important thing to note here is that the Apple Watch Series 3, a very popular model that was on sale for a long time, will no longer receive updates. That leaves the Apple Watch SE 2 as the most affordable model in the line. 

The Series 8 offers the same battery life as the Series 7, up to 18 hours on a single charge, but there’s a new wrinkle this time around. The Series 8 adds a low-power mode, which can keep the battery running for up to 36 hours on a full charge. Entering low-power mode disables some of the watch’s passive functions, such as the always-on display, automatic workout detection, and heart health notifications. As in the Series 7, the battery offers about enough energy to get you through a day and track your sleeping overnight but with very little wiggle room for charging afterward. Low-power mode can be that wiggle room if you can’t find a good time to take the watch off for a while.

Crash detection

Though I hope neither you nor I ever need it, Apple Watch’s crash detection feature is very impressive.  It uses the watch’s many sensors together to confirm a very serious situation very quickly. It’s exclusive to the new line of Apple Watches—Series 8, SE 2, and Ultra—because it requires a new, more powerful gyroscope and accelerometer, which can detect the high force of an impact and distinguish between a car stopping suddenly under control and a crash.

That said, the feature also uses a handful of existing sensors on the Series 8 to confirm a car crash: The microphone should register the sound of the crash. GPS should confirm that you’ve gone from moving at high speed to a complete stop. Our personal favorite is that the barometer should detect a change in pressure caused by the release of an airbag. All of these sensors work quickly in tandem to register the kind of car crash that might leave a person stunned or knocked out and unable to call for help.

When the Series 8 detects a crash, it should raise a screen that lets you know it’s going to call emergency services, giving you 10 seconds to cancel the call. If you don’t, it promises to send your GPS data to EMS, as well as any emergency contacts you’ve specified. It’s a very smart, streamlined process that seems very capable of calling for help faster than the average person would be able to on their own.

I say “can” and “should” because I haven’t actually tested this feature, nor have I tested the ovulation tracking, which we’ll discuss in a minute. Based on Apple’s track record, we’re taking it on faith that these features work as intended—we simply do not have the facilities to test crash detection. (That said, we’ve seen that the predecessor to this feature, Apple Watch fall detection, works very well.) For ovulation tracking, it would take a few months of nightly use to test effectively—and a different reviewer, of course, but that we could’ve handled.

Skin temperature sensors

Apple Watch Series 8 also adds a two-sensor approach to temperature measurement, which enables a new ovulation tracking feature. One sensor, on the back crystal, reads your skin temperature. The second, under the display, reads air temperature. Like an active noise-canceling microphone array, the two sensors work together to get a precise read on your average temperature and note any substantial changes. It isn’t capable, however, of “taking your temperature,” as you would with a thermometer—the Series 8 specifically warns you not to use it to see if you have a fever.

How do we get from “takes your temperature” to charting your ovulation cycle? If you wear the Series 8 to bed every night, allowing the watch to regularly record your temperature, it can map out night-to-night (and, by extension, day-to-day) changes in your body temperature. For ovulation, specifically, measuring temperature changes and heart rate will allow the watch to retroactively map a user’s biphasic shift, indicating when they were most likely ovulating.

It’s worth noting that there are already other devices out there with this functionality. Some, like the Ava fertility tracker, have been doing it for some time. The latest Oura smart ring can track your skin temperature, though it doesn’t have dedicated ovulation-tracking support. That said, having it in a device like the Apple Watch, which we’d recommend for a wide array of uses before and after conception, beats spending $200-$300 on another wearable specifically because it has a temperature sensor.

And watchOS 9 makes some great improvements, too …

For those of you who either pre-ordered a new Apple Watch or plan to buy one in the near future, most of the changes you’ll notice will come from the jump to the Apple Watch’s new operating system, watchOS 9. As with every annual OS update, there are a ton of changes, big and small. Here are a few of this year’s highlights.

Afib history

Building on the existing heart rate tracking, Apple Watches with watchOS 9 can record data on Atrial Fibrillation, or a rapid irregular heartbeat, for those who have been diagnosed with the condition by a doctor. On the Health app, you’ll be able to review how often your heartbeat’s out of sync. The app can also provide information that can help you manage the condition.

Enhanced running metrics and Workout views

The Workout app received a nice upgrade in watchOS 9, offering more data views and customization. During a high-impact workout, the Series 8 creates heart rate zones to help you gauge how hard you’re pushing yourself. You can also set multi-phase workouts on timers, so you know when to pick up the pace or slow down before the end of a workout.

Runners, in particular, will benefit from enhanced tracking that measures stride length, ground contact time, and vertical oscillation, or how much you bounce when you run. If you’re an outdoor runner, the Apple Watch will automatically detect when you arrive at a track and prepare for a workout. Even if you aren’t at a track, “Outdoor Run” and “Outdoor Cycle” workouts are set to gain a feature that lets you record your route so you can track your time on a specific run or biking workout time after time.

New Compass app and “Backtrack”

Though Apple has primarily linked it to the Apple Watch Ultra in its marketing, the Series 8 will also get the reimagined Compass app, which gives you the ability to drop GPS waypoints for locations like your home or car, so you can always reorient yourself to find them.

WatchOS 9 also enables a feature that uses GPS to help you retrace your path if you ever get lost. Since it’s GPS-based, “Backtrack” works even if your phone and watch can’t connect to a cellular network, making it very useful for campers and anyone else who finds themselves “off-grid.”

Medications app

There’s an entirely new app, Medications, designed to remind you when to take your pills. Going beyond a simple reminder, the app keeps a list of every medication you take, tells you exactly when to take it, and can cross-check for possible drug interactions when you start on something new (based on U.S. pharmaceutical information).

So, who should buy the Apple Watch Series 8?

As with a lot of Apple’s products, the general question—“Should I buy an Apple Watch or not?”—remains the same as before the Series 8 launched. The Apple Watch is, overall, the best lifestyle smartwatch you can buy. There are more intense fitness trackers, and dedicated sport watches for hikers and athletes, but the Apple Watch remains the indisputable champ for everyday life. (Of course, that is contingent on you already owning an iPhone.)

Despite the fact that many Apple Watch buyers are still hopping on the train for the first time, the real question becomes, “Should I upgrade to the Apple Watch Series 8 from whatever I have?” This will vary from person to person based on how they use the watch, so my best answer is that you should opt for the Series 8 if you decide to upgrade. The features it adds—particularly the car crash detection—are compelling background functions that are worth spending a little extra for if you’re already in the market for a new smartwatch. I don’t know that it’s enough to warrant running out and buying one, particularly if you just bought in, but it’s enough to endorse the idea that the Apple Watch, as an ongoing concern, continues to move forward.

The post Apple Watch Series 8 review: Laying the groundwork appeared first on Popular Science.

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Apple announced its latest generation of iPhone, Watch, and more Sept. 7. This means big savings on previous-generation products, like this Series 7 Watch, down $150 from its $799 retail price.

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This model features a silver stainless steel case with a silver Milanese loop wristband, GPS, and cellular capabilities. You can track your fitness goals, follow your blood oxygen levels, monitor your sleep, and take an ECG—just like the Series 8. It also includes safety measures like fall detection, irregular heartbeat notifications, and Emergency SOS call selection. There’s a reason Apple highlighted the Watch’s lifesaving capabilities at the beginning of its keynote event last week—a legacy the Watch Series 7 helped start and revolutionize.

If you’re using the watch to leave your phone at home during a workout, the Series 7 is swim-proof. And no workout is complete without a soundtrack, which means some reliable earbuds. Luckily, you can snag the first generation of AirPods Pro for $179.99, down from its $249 retail price. AirPods Pro earbuds have active noise cancellation, spatial audio, and three sizes of soft, tapered silicone tips for a customizable fit and immersive, energetic response. They’re IPX4 rated, meaning sweat- and water-resistant, so you can do cardio without destroying your headphones and connect easily to music saved to your watch so you can spend less time fiddling with your settings and more time demolishing personal records in the weight room.

If you want to upgrade from the second generation of AirPods, you can preorder the AirPods Pro 2 (which will be released Sept. 23). If you’re a serious athlete looking to upgrade to a more durable Apple Watch, the new Apple Watch Ultra—with ruggedized features, a bigger, brighter display, improved GPS, and up to 36 hours of battery life—is also available to preorder.

Check out these other Apple deals on Amazon for big savings on iPad, MacBook Pro, and Apple TV 4K:

• 2021 Apple MacBook Pro (14-inch, Apple M1 Pro chip with 8‑core CPU and 14‑core GPU, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) – Silver $1,599 (Was $1,999)
• Apple Watch Series 7 [GPS + Cellular 41mm] Smart Watch w/ Starlight Aluminum Case with Starlight Sport Band $399 (Was $499)
• Apple Watch Series 7 [GPS + Cellular 45mm] Smart Watch w/ Silver Stainless Steel Case with Starlight Sport Band $650 (Was $749)
• Apple Watch Series 7 [GPS + Cellular 41mm] Smart Watch w/ Graphite Stainless Steel Case with Graphite Milanese Loop $600 (Was $749)
• Apple Watch Series 7 [GPS + Cellular 45mm] Smart Watch w/ Graphite Stainless Steel Case with Graphite Milanese Loop $700 (Was $799)
• Apple Watch Series 7 [GPS + Cellular 45mm] Smart Watch w/ Midnight Aluminum Case with Midnight Sport Band $400 (Was $549)
• 2021 Apple 10.2-inch iPad (Wi-Fi, 64GB) – Space Gray $279.99 (Was $329)
• 2021 Apple 11-inch iPad Pro (Wi-Fi, 128GB) – Silver $739 (Was $799)
• 2021 Apple TV 4K (32GB) $119.99 (Was $179)
• Apple AirPods Max $429 (Was $549)

The post You can save up to $150 on the Apple Watch Series 7 right now on Amazon appeared first on Popular Science.

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Apple’s end-of-summer events generally bring exciting announcements and this year’s “Far Out” presentation was filled with exciting new gear, including four new iPhone 14 devices, three new Apple Watches, and an updated take on the AirPods Pro. That includes an all-new version of the phone, the iPhone 14 Plus, which offers standard iPhone performance in a 6.7-inch “Pro Max” form factor, and the Apple Watch Ultra, a rugged and powerful flagship sport watch. We’ll walk through all the gadgets Apple announced Sept. 7 and let you know what’s new and exciting about Apple’s next wave of tech.

iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus

If you’re not interested in Apple’s more expensive iPhone Pro lineup, the company also introduced the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, the latter of which is a new addition. These devices offer an excellent suite of features but are available at a more comfortable price for most people. The iPhone 14 and 14 Plus come with the same A15 Bionic chipset that was in the iPhone 13 and will be available for $799 and $899, respectively. Pre-orders begin Sept. 9. The 6.1-inch iPhone 14 will be available in stores Sept. 16 and the 6.7-inch Plus arrives Oct. 7.

Like last year’s iPhone 13, the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus features a dual-camera setup. The primary camera features a 12MP sensor and f/1.5 aperture with sensor-base stabilization. Apple claims the new camera system offers a 49 percent improvement in low-light performance over the prior model thanks to a “Photonic Engine,” so users should enjoy excellent pictures at night. There’s also a new 12MP front-facing TrueDepth camera with autofocus features, so, theoretically, you won’t encounter any out-of-focus selfies. The iPhone 14 also supports improved video stabilization features, including an “Action mode” for smooth-looking video with fewer shakes and vibrations.

While the outward appearance is unchanged, both devices feature an updated internal design for better thermal performance. This will allow users to watch movies and play games for longer. Speaking of marathon Netflix sessions, Apple said the iPhone 14 Plus model offers the best battery life of any iPhone in its lineup. If you’re the type of person who is frequently away from an outlet, the 14 Plus could be very appealing. The iPhone 14 and 14 Plus also support the new Crash Detection feature, which utilizes a new dual-core accelerometer to detect if you’ve been in a severe car crash. They also support Emergency SOS via Satellite, allowing users to connect to emergency services even when off the grid.

iPhone 4 Pro and 14 Pro Max

The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max bring a conventional suite of upgrades, including improved performance, a more advanced camera system, and better battery life. What you’ll notice, though, is that the display now features a pill-shaped cutout for the selfie camera, rather than the infamous top-center notch, and the introduction of an always-on display, so you can quickly check the time and notifications without any tapping. Apple said the iPhone 14 Pro would start at $999 and the Pro Max starts at $1,099. They’ll be available to pre-order Sept. 9 and in stores Sept. 16.

The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max will offer 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR displays, sizes unchanged from last year. Apple is cleverly embracing the new pill-shaped cutout with a feature known as “Dynamic Island.” Notifications, apps, and alerts will adapt and move around the pill-shaped cutout, so the pill feels like it’s a part of the screen … aesthetically, at least.

Like the Apple Watch Series 6 and newer, the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max display technology supports a 1Hz refresh rate, enabling the new always-on display feature. The always-on display will work with the lock screen widgets introduced with iOS 16, so users can quickly glance at information like calendar events, weather, and reminders without waking up the iPhone 14 Pro’s display. When the display does wake up, users can enjoy 120Hz ProMotion technology and a peak HDR brightness of 1600 nits, or 2000 nits outdoors.

On the inside, Apple’s new A16 Bionic chip improves the phone’s power efficiency, display performance, and the upgraded triple-camera system. It features a six-core CPU with two high-performance and four-efficiency cores, allowing photographers to capture 48MP images in ProRAW, which allows for greater editing possibilities. 

For most photos, however, the new quad-pixel sensor will capture 12MP pictures through a process called “pixel binning,” which lets Apple maximize detail and light capture. The flash can also adapt to the camera system’s different focal lengths. On the video side, Apple said its Cinematic Mode supports 4K at 30 frames per second (fps) and 4K at 24 fps. It also offers new stabilization features that make the footage look as though you were using a gimbal.

Other features available in the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max include Crash Detection, which can assist when it detects you were in a crash, and Emergency SOS via Satellite, so you can communicate when out of the range of carrier coverage. While the design of the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max isn’t a significant departure from what we’ve seen these last few years, the new pill-shaped cutout, always-on display, and improved camera system may prompt plenty of upgrades.

Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch SE, and Apple Watch Ultra

Apple announced a whole wave of Apple Watches, including a new standard model, the Apple Watch Series 8; a redesigned version of its budget watch, Apple Watch SE; and an all-new high-end sport watch aimed at athletes and adventurers, the Apple Watch Ultra.

The Apple Watch Series 8 features a largely unchanged design but includes new sensors that will enable new health and safety features. First, a pair of sensors measuring skin temperature will allow for improved menstrual cycle tracking and automated retrospective ovulation estimates, which can be helpful for family planning. In watchOS 9, the Cycle Tracking features will alert users to any deviations, such as irregular, infrequent, or prolonged periods.

The Series 8 also supports Apple’s new Crash Detection feature. If you’re involved in a severe car crash, your device will check in with you and dial emergency services if you’re unresponsive. The Series 8 also supports a Low Power Mode, offering users up to 36 hours of battery life. This new mode will temporarily disable or limit select sensors and features, such as the always-on display and workout autostart.

The Apple Watch Series 8 will be available for $399 for the GPS model and $499 for the cellular model. You can pre-order the Series 8 today and it will launch in stores Sept. 16. The Apple Watch SE, which features the same dual-core processor found in the Series 8 but lacks the more advanced features like the always-on display, starts at $249 and can also be pre-ordered today and will launch Sept. 16.

The Apple Watch Ultra, an all-new design, is built for intense fitness training and outdoor activities like climbing, hiking, and scuba diving. The more rugged model features an extra-large 49mm titanium case, a redesigned Digital Crown, and an “Action button,” which you can customize for various activities. The Watch Ultra’s display features sapphire crystal for durability and supports 2000 nits of brightness when outdoors. Notably, the Watch Ultra’s buttons have been designed to work with users who wear gloves.

The Watch Ultra has all the features of the Series 8 but also includes three built-in microphones and is twice as water resistant as other Apple Watch models. The more rugged wearable comes standard with cellular capabilities and can get up to 36 hours on a single charge—enough for any extreme athletes participating in grueling endurance sports. It also features an extended battery life of 60 hours when using Apple’s new Low Power Mode (which will be enabled in a software update later in the fall).

The Watch Ultra also supports L1 and L5 GPS frequencies, ensuring your coordinates are as precise as possible. This is necessary for a new trackback feature to help users retrace their steps if they get lost on a hiking trip. If you get lost and need assistance, the Watch Ultra has an 86-decibel siren so others nearby can better locate you. If you’re into water sports, the Watch Ultra is certified to EN 13319 for scuba divers, with a diving depth of up to 131 feet.

Three new bands are available for the Watch Ultra—Alpine, Trail, and Ocean—and they cater to the different environments they’re named after. The Watch Ultra will be available for $799 when it launches Sept. 23.

AirPods Pro 2

The AirPods Pro 2 sticks with a design introduced by the original model but can cancel twice as much noise. This is thanks to a new H2 chip, which also supports an improved Adaptive Transparency mode that will dynamically reduce heavy noise while walking around a loud city. The latest truly wireless earbuds include a new low-distortion audio driver and a custom amplifier for richer bass and crystal-clear sound.

The AirPods Pro 2 also supports new touch gestures, including the ability to adjust the volume with swipes on the stems. That will reduce the friction when using the earbuds because you will no longer have to take out your phone to turn up your favorite song. The AirPods Pro 2 features six hours of listening time on a single charge, a 33 percent increase over the original AirPods Pro. The charging case, which now has a built-in speaker (for Find My/status purposes) and a new loop on the side for a lanyard, allows for 30 hours of listening time, an increase of six hours.

The AirPods Pro 2 will be available to order for $249 Sept. 9 and launch Sept. 23.

The post Apple introduces iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, Apple Watch Ultra, and more appeared first on Popular Science.

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The new high-end Apple Watch is larger and more durable than the standard Apple Watch Series 8, which was also announced at the event, with features made for scuba divers, outdoor adventurers, and endurance athletes like marathon and triathlon runners. Unlike past Apple Watches, which have robust fitness features but are primarily “lifestyle” watches for all kinds of people, the Apple Watch Ultra is a more niche “outdoor” watch for people who want specialized support. And with a much higher price—$799, versus $399 for the GPS-enabled Series 8—it’s the kind of gear that you should learn a little more about before picking one up. We’ll eventually have a full review of the Apple Watch Ultra, but here’s an early look at the advanced tech inside.

Bigger and tougher

Apple Watch Ultra is big. While the difference between the 45mm chassis of the Watch Series 8 and the 49mm Watch Ultra may not sound substantial, it should feel positively huge to standard Apple Watch users. Keep in mind: Apple expanded the case size by 1mm with the Watch Series 7, and that made a very noticeable difference. 

It’ll also have a much thicker chassis to incorporate new components, including a larger, louder speaker and a three-microphone array to improve voice clarity when making calls on the watch in less-than-ideal conditions. The Watch Ultra only comes in one hardware configuration, which includes cellular connectivity, so the expectation is that people will want to use the Watch Ultra to make calls at any time.

Presumably, the larger case also allowed Apple to give the Watch Ultra a bigger battery, which it estimates will last up to 36 hours on a single charge, or up to 60 hours with a low-power feature (available later in the fall).

The redesigned watch will also feature some design tweaks for the sake of durability, and usability in extreme conditions. The titanium case extends up to cover the edges of the sapphire crystal display to minimize cracked edges. The Watch Ultra is rated to operate on-wrist at temperatures as low as minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit, or as high as 131 F. It’s also IP6X and MIL-STD-810H certified—a military-grade durability rating used for many “rugged” tech products—indicating it’s prepared for some conditions, including rain, humidity, immersion in sand and dust, freezing, shock, and vibration, among others.

The buttons—yes, plural—are also getting an overhaul. The Digital Crown is larger and features grooved notches to make it easier to manipulate with a gloved hand. There’s also a second input: a large customizable “Action” button, that will allow you to start tracking workouts and perform other functions quickly. For example, triathletes can switch from running to cycling to swimming by simply pressing the button.

Last, but not least, Apple has created three new, activity-specific Apple Watch Ultra bands—the stitch-free hook-clasped Alpine Loop Band, the wetsuit-ready rubber Ocean Band, and the ultralight stretch Trail Loop band.

Built for survival

The Apple Watch Ultra offers some specialized features, many of which seem designed with safety and survival for hikers and climbers in mind. It uses a more precise “dual-frequency” GPS tracking that allows the watch to maintain tracking when you’re surrounded by tall structures or mountains.

As part of watchOS 9, the Watch Ultra will feature a redesigned version of the compass app that allows you to set waypoints, like your home, your camp, or your car, and allow you to orient yourself in relation to those locations. It will also be able to use a feature called backtrack that can use GPS to create a path retracing your steps in real-time. If you find yourself fully lost or hurt, the larger speaker can now play an ultra-loud 86-decibel siren that sends a distinctive SOS alarm (audible up to 600 feet away).

During the day, the display is brighter, up to 2000 Nits, which should make it easier to see regardless of glare. It also features a night mode, which turns the whole interface red, making it easier to see without interfering with your own night-adjusted vision.

Diver’s delight

The Apple Watch Ultra also seems to be an especially useful tool for divers. It’s waterproof up to 100 meters (WR100) and has an EN13319 depth gauge certification for diving accessories. Using a new depth app, you’ll be able to see your depth, time underwater, and max depth. In conjunction with an upcoming app, Oceanic+, the Watch Ultra will reportedly work as an effective dive computer, letting you plan and share dive routes and providing safety stop guidance.

Plus the best of Apple Watch Series 8 and watchOS 9

In addition to all of its exclusive changes, the Apple Watch Ultra will feature all of the upgrades in the upcoming Apple Watch Series 8. Most notably, that means new motion sensors that can detect if you get in a car crash and automatically call for help. They include a gyroscope and a highly sensitive accelerometer. Even the Watch Ultra’s built-in barometer plays a role in detecting crashes by detecting pressure changes typically associated with airbag deployment. There is also a temperature sensor that improves menstrual cycle tracking and enables ovulation tracking through the Health app (information Apple stressed is encrypted on the watch and only accessible with a user’s passcode/Touch ID/Face ID).

Since the Watch Ultra is a sports watch, it’s also worth noting that watchOS 9 will offer improved tracking for runs, including stride length and vertical oscillation, as well as more advanced workout data views. (These were announced earlier this year, and will be coming to all watchOS 9 compatible watches.)

What does all this mean?

Apple Watch Ultra will have a lot of new features that the Apple Watch Series 8 won’t. Some of these features will be helpful for most people, like a bigger battery, brighter screen, and dual-frequency GPS. Many of them, though, are highly specific and are really made for people who are very devoted to intense fitness training and fairly advanced outdoor activities like off-trail hiking, scuba diving, and climbing. Will the Apple Watch Ultra be the best, most feature-rich Apple Watch? Quite possibly, yes. And, at double the price of a GPS-only Series 8, it may be too niche for the average person.

At a glance, the people who should get most excited are iPhone-using fans of multisports smartwatches from brands like Garmin and Suunto. Those brands already make watches with many of these features, but their flagship watches cost even more than the $799 Apple Watch Ultra and don’t offer the same level of connectivity and convenience as an Apple Watch and iPhone working in sync.

The question remains: Is the Apple Watch Ultra worth buying? We will hopefully get our hands on the Apple Watch Ultra in the coming weeks, so we’ll have a full review with our thoughts on whether or not it’s worth that higher price. In the meantime, the Apple Watch Ultra is available on Amazon for $799.

The post Everything you need to know about the Apple Watch Ultra appeared first on Popular Science.

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Apple held its annual iPhone extravaganza today, and among the debut of gadgets like the iPhone 14 and the chunky, extreme-sports-focused Apple Watch Ultra are two new services focused on safety. One of them, car crash detection, involves both gadgets, and the other, enabling emergency satellite communication, is iPhone-specific. 

Here’s a look at what to expect from the two new services. 

Car crash detection

Apple has previously rolled out two features tied to its wearable device that detect if you’ve taken a spill: a form of everyday fall-detection (in 2018) and then, last year, a workout-focused version of the same. 

A new service, announced today, aims to notice that you’ve been in a car accident and then call for help. 

Ron Huang, the company’s vice president for sensing and connectivity, said that the feature employs new sensors in the Apple Watch as well as machine learning. While the company’s watches already have gyroscopes and accelerometers in them, Huang said that new versions of these sensors help detect the forces present in a car accident. That new accelerometer, he said, can notice as much as 256 Gs of acceleration, “allowing it to detect the extreme impacts of a crash.” 

For context, one G—that stands for gravity—is what you feel pulling you straight down towards the Earth at any given moment, and fighter pilots endure as much as nine or more Gs while conducting maneuvers in which they bank hard or accelerate quickly. In a car accident, the Gs the watch are detecting likely stem from forces involved in actions like the rapid stop. 

[Related: A new AT&T update could make 911 calls more effective]

Huang also said that the onboard barometer, microphone, and GPS chip help with the detection process as well, and that machine learning helped tie everything together. The barometer is involved to measure pressure-related changes due to an airbag’s deployment, a promotional video during the event explained. 

The company’s latest phones also offer an identical service, said Kaiann Drance, the company’s vice president for iPhone product marketing, meaning that you do not need to buy the newest watch to get car crash detection. 

The announcement comes at a grim time for road safety in the United States, as almost 43,000 people died in car accidents in 2021, an increase of more than 10 percent over the year before. (Pedestrians are an especially vulnerable group.) But of course, difficult problems like national road safety are unlikely to be solved with something like a gadget. 

Satellite communications

The second safety feature the company announced is baked into the new iPhones specifically, and involves giving someone like an injured mountaineer a way to ask for help via satellite when they are out of cell service range. 

Apple is calling the new feature “Emergency SOS via Satellite,” and it works by instructing the lost hiker to point their phone at a far away, quick-moving communications satellite. To make this feature work, engineers had to tackle the bandwidth challenges that come with this form of communication. 

“To connect to these satellites, you need to be outside, with a clear view of the sky,” said Ashley Williams, the company’s manager for satellite modeling and simulation. “And the bandwidth is so limited that even sending a text message is a technical challenge.” (So, no Netflix via sat.) 

[Related: What it’s like to rescue someone at sea from a Coast Guard helicopter]

Other factors that allow this whole system to work are a “custom short text compression algorithm,” Williams said, as well as a specific screen interface for reporting what the problem is, like by hitting the “Lost or Trapped” option. Helping to handle any cries for help will be a ground network that also includes “relay centers staffed with highly trained emergency specialists ready to get your text and call an emergency service provider on your behalf,” she said, which are involved if the emergency center cannot deal with a text message exchange on its own. 

The satellite communication service will not come with any extra cost—for the first two years after you purchase an iPhone 14. After that, the sky’s the limit. The SOS service debuts in November, only in Canada and the United States. 

Watch the entire event, below.

The post Apple’s two big new safety features, explained appeared first on Popular Science.

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While many activity trackers strive for sleek, discreet designs, Garmin created the Instinct 2 Solar for those who like classic outdoor watch styling without sacrificing advanced features. Despite its rugged, rather old-school body and display, the second iteration of this Garmin solar watch is a robust smartwatch with highly accurate GPS, wrist-based heart rate monitoring, and integrated solar charging. While there haven’t been many changes on the exterior, the watch’s software has some updates that many will appreciate, mostly related to activity tracking. The Garmin Instinct 2 Solar promises to give you more accurate training information and keep you from charging as often and, in most respects, it delivers. 

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The Garmin Instinct 2 Solar’s design

As already mentioned, the Garmin Instinct 2 Solar doesn’t look very different from the original Instinct Solar. The case is made of the same fiber-reinforced polymer, the display is still Garmin’s transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) display, and both versions are topped with Corning Gorilla Glass for durability. The Power Glass tech allows the watch to charge by absorbing sunlight through both visible side panels and an invisible layer atop the display. The bezel has been ever so slightly redesigned, though it’s like a spot-the-difference game to see what changed since it’s so subtle. 

The Instinct 2 Solar comes in the original 45mm, 53g case options and a new, smaller 40mm, 43g size (technically designated the 2S). The latter—in the color “Neo Tropic”—is the watch I have been eating, sleeping, and breathing in for the past month or so. Despite my child-sized wrists, it fits well and, thanks to the 13.3 mm thickness, it doesn’t look clunky like other sports watches I’ve used. The band that comes with the smaller size is quite short, however. So while it fits me (just barely), many will likely need to purchase a separate, longer band.

It is a rugged watch, intended to be put through the wringer. It’s water-rated to 100 meters, so it can stand up to some deep free-dives, making a bit of sweat and rain a piece of cake. And it’s thermal and shock resistant, so if you climb with it on and take some hard falls, it should easily survive. I wore mine to the gym, knocking it on a fair share of weight racks and bushwhacked through some dense forest, and it still looks brand new without so much as a scratch anywhere. 

The display is a slightly higher resolution than the original Instinct Solar (156 x 156 pixels for the 2S vs. 128 x 128 pixels for the original) but, as mentioned, it is still the same old-school, monochrome look. This basic display contributes significantly to the Instinct’s 21-day battery life even when in smartwatch mode. It isn’t very fancy to look at, however.

The watch has a pretty large bezel, which eats up quite a bit of screen real estate. So while it collects tons of data and shows you graphs of certain things, such as sleep quality, I have found it a bit difficult to read and assess the graphs on the watch itself because of the small, monochrome screen. If I really want to see the information, it’s a much better experience to pull it up in the Garmin app instead. 

Setting up the Garmin Instinct 2 Solar

Garmin makes the setup process for any of its watches incredibly easy, especially if you already have a Garmin watch and account. The watch comes with a partial charge right out of the box, so you can get to set up right after opening it. You will need to download the Garmin Connect app (available for iPhone and Android), but the watch guides you through the process step-by-step and makes it very easy to pair with your phone/app using a Bluetooth connection. 

I was already a Garmin user, so the setup took only a few minutes on my Samsung Galaxy S10. But even if you are starting from scratch, it shouldn’t take much longer. Of course, if you want to take the time to customize things like notifications, tones, and watch faces right out the gate, you could spend quite a while in both Garmin Connect (the watch’s settings/metrics hub) and Garmin Connect IQ (the watch’s app, or “widget,” store, which did not work with the original Instinct). When in Connect, you’ll see steps that still need to be completed for full setup by tapping on the watch at the top. However, some, such as connecting to Garmin Pay, can wait or not be done at all, depending on what you want to use. 

The Garmin Instinct 2 Solar’s features

The Instinct 2 Solar is a comparatively simple smartwatch despite costing $450, lacking some of the fancier features of higher-end, Garmin offerings like the multisport fēnix 7 Sapphire Solar and premium running Forerunner 955. Those watches offer color touchscreens, more advanced training suggestions, and more detailed navigation maps. But the Instinct 2 Solar is still plenty feature-rich and provides loads of insights and data.   

Battery life

I would be remiss if I didn’t start out with the feature advertised in the name since “Solar” is one of the main selling points of this watch. Because of the basic display and the solar charging, it can last a seriously long time, though that seems to be with some caveats. 

According to Garmin, the Instinct 2 models improve slightly on the original and the 40mm Instinct 2S can last 21 days in smartwatch mode/51 days with solar and has potentially unlimited battery life when in battery saver mode (more in the standard-sized model). However, I have not been able to get that kind of battery life out of it, partially because it assumes the watch gets 3 hours of 50,000 lux sunlight conditions a day and partially because that number is based on general wear, with no or at least limited activity tracking. With a GPS-enabled activity nearly every day, and sometimes more than one, I have to charge it about once a week (running GPS nonstop, battery life is rated at 22 hours/28 with solar). Admittedly, I’m also not spending much time in the most intense sun right now, thanks to the summer heat, so I’ve not been able to take full advantage of the solar functionality—though I plan to gauge the battery life claims more as I evaluate other sports watches, so this section will be updated. Even without taking full advantage of solar, however, it still lasts longer than my much-loved Forerunner 745, and some time on the window sill or a sunbaked rock will keep it running for a day or two in a pinch.

You can change how often and what sensors pull from the battery, so you can customize it to get more battery life. And when the battery is running low, the watch prompts you to switch it to battery saver mode, which gives you a very pared-down display with no smartwatch functionality. And when you need to plug it in for a charge with the provided proprietary multi-pin USB cable (though no wall adapter), it bounces back quickly. I was able to fully charge the battery from 0% to 100% in about three-and-a-half hours, so it’s quick to top off the battery when you need to.

Activity tracker

If you’re buying a Garmin watch, it’s almost certainly for its acumen as a fitness tracker. The Instinct 2 Solar offers activity modes for just about every type of exercise, workout, and sport you could imagine, from treadmill and trail running and cycling (road, eBike, indoors, mountain, etc.) to climbing, swimming, and even breathwork and multi-day expeditions. HIIT timers are in the newer model, as well. Some you will need to add to the watch, but doing so hardly takes any time at all and can be done on the watch itself or the app.

Garmin also makes a few different editions of this watch, which have unique, hyper-specific modes. For example, the Surf Edition has specific tracking for surfing, kitesurfing, and windsurfing, along with tide data that you can’t access on the Standard Edition. There’s also a Tactical Edition, with Jumpmaster activity, waypoint projection, dual-position GPS format, preloaded tactical activity, and a stealth mode. Of course, the Standard Edition has just about everything other than some of those specialized activities so, for most, it will be the one to get.

No matter what type of activity you do, it is straightforward to track it. Different activities offer specific information on the watch face, though all of that is customizable, so you can choose what information is most important to see while tracking. For example, I like to have my heart rate and distance prominently displayed when on runs, while things like cadence and lap time aren’t important to me. 

You can also choose to silence tones and notifications during workouts. For example, if I’m out for a run, I don’t want to be notified that someone liked my Instagram post, so I can easily choose to block those during that activity. 

The watch can also give you suggested running workouts to help improve your fitness. When you click to start a run, a screen will pop up with “Today’s Suggestion” that provides a brief summary of the run and its training effect. It’s a nice way to mix up your workouts without paying for a coach or doing your own extensive research. 

Data collection and insights

The watch obviously collects quite a lot of data while recording activities, relying on the plethora of sensors built into it. It connects with three Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)—GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo—for better accuracy, has the newer Garmin Elevate Gen4 optical heart rate sensor, plus includes a barometric altimeter, compass, accelerometer, and thermometer. But it also collects lots of data when you aren’t explicitly recording an activity. For example, you can always see your heart rate and step count. 

If you wear the watch to bed, it will also track your sleep, giving you insight into your sleep stages throughout the night. I have found the sleep tracking to be hit and miss in terms of accuracy, with some nights showing as excellent sleep even though I most definitely was awake for chunks of time and do not feel rested in the morning. 

Though it’s not always accurate, wearing the watch during sleep allows Garmin to get a more complete picture of your fitness and recovery status, which is new on this Instinct 2 Solar. On this second version, you can now access Garmin’s Training Status, VO2 max, and Recovery time. If you are serious about your training, these are all very helpful. 

While the provided VO2 max value relies on an algorithm and heart rate data, the estimation yields similar results to a proper VO2 max test, which relies on indirect calorimetry and requires expensive lab equipment. And, if you click on the Training Status on either the watch or the app, it will tell you if you need to adjust your training in any particular way to improve your fitness. Of course, it is generalized, so if you are training for something specific, it may not be very accurate, but it does a great job for general fitness. 

Smartwatch features

Like most fitness trackers these days, the Instinct 2 Solar is a full smartwatch. That means it pairs with your phone to provide notifications on the watch’s display. Any notification you get on your phone can come through, though some allow more interaction than others. It’s handy when you are in a situation where you can’t or don’t want to pick up your phone but you want to know if any important calls or messages are coming through. When out and about, I typically leave my phone in my purse when out and about and only take it out if it’s something I care to deal with right then. 

The Instinct 2 Solar doesn’t have a cellular connection and it lacks a microphone, so you can’t take calls or use a voice assistant, etc. But, you can set up prewritten responses to texts or calls and respond from the watch, which is ideal for when you are in the middle of something. You can also like Instagram messages from the watch, should you care to do that. 

Safety features

One of the things that I love about the Instinct 2 Solar is the safety features. Garmin added Incident Detection to this second iteration, which uses the sensors in your watch to detect if a fall or crash may have occurred on a walk, run, or ride. If it does detect an event, it will text your emergency contact, which you can set up in the app.

There is also the ability to request assistance manually, though quickly, if needed. By simply holding the top left button for three seconds, the watch will send a text or email to your emergency contact with your exact location. It will continue to send your location until you end it and can even send an “I’m OK” text if things resolve themselves. You will need to have your phone on you and have service to use it, but it is very nice to know that feature is there if I ever find myself in a dicey situation. 

As a robust GPS watch, you’ll also be able to use Garmin’s TracBack. It is an extremely beneficial tool for any backcountry activities, as it allows you to follow your traveled path without needing to place waypoints as you go. Should you get lost, it makes it much easier to find your way back even if you don’t have expert-level navigation skills.

Lastly, you’ll also have access to Garmin’s LiveTrack. When you start a run, hike, or bike ride, you can send LiveTrack information to whomever. It’s an excellent feature for backcountry activities so that someone can know where you are and if your outing takes as long as expected. All these extra layers of protection make me feel safer when out alone on runs, bike rides, or hikes, and make my husband more comfortable with my solo trips as well. 

Garmin app

Though you can do a lot on the watch, the Garmin Connect app provides the best method for viewing and analyzing data collected by the device. As mentioned, it can be hard to decipher some data on the watch, so being able to see all that information in the app is very useful. The app also provides even more information and training data than the watch does, so you can really nerd out and get into the nitty-gritty. 

The app also lets you fully customize your watch, from downloading specialized faces to changing notification settings and enabling safety features. You can do much of that on the watch itself, but it may be easier for some to do on the app. 

For those who like the social aspects of staying active, Garmin also has its own platform for that within the app. You can connect with other Garmin users, with options to “like” or comment on their activities. There are even challenges that you can join to stay motivated. It’s not as feature-rich as apps like Strava, but connecting with others can be a big motivator. And you can also link your Garmin account to Strava, should you want your data to sync there. 

Usability and accuracy

Overall, the watch is easy and intuitive to use. The labels on the bezel help identify what key functions fall under each button (labeled Control, Menu, ABC, GPS, Set), but you will want to read through the manual or do a walkthrough to figure out where certain settings are hiding. I did find the menus slightly more confusing than on my Forerunner 745, but not overly so.

I had some lagging issues when pushing buttons for the first time in a while, resulting in me waiting for it to go to the right menu when wanting to start a workout or view certain stats. It isn’t terribly long, but it is enough to be a bit annoying and hasn’t been an issue on other Garmin watches I’ve used. 

I wore both the Instinct Solar 2S and Forerunner 955 Solar (which I’m also reviewing) on a handful of runs—both on my left wrist, though I also had a chest-based heart rate monitor that I only had paired with the Instinct. Results did vary slightly across pretty much all fields when I examined them in Garmin Connect, but it was all well within the margin of error. So, I would fully trust the results from both watches. I anticipated any heart rate-related fields to be different since chest straps provide much more accurate and reliable data than wrist-based. 

Garmin will suggest workouts for you when starting a run, and interestingly those varied slightly between the two watches as well. The Forerunner 955’s recommendations seemed to align better with my current fitness level and pacing abilities, though that is strictly based on perceived effort type insight. The Instinct Solar 2S also didn’t have any motivational type messages pop up after a run as the Forerunner 955 did. Although small and perhaps somewhat silly, it made me prefer running with the Forerunner. 

So, who should buy the Garmin Instinct 2 Solar?

There are other fitness-tracking smartwatches that are sleeker and thus better suited for blending into everyday wear (such as the Apple Watch Series 7). The rugged styling of the Garmin Instinct 2 Solar means that it doesn’t necessarily fit well with fancy attire, though I have to admit I am one of those who wear their Garmin no matter what the outfit, so this is a matter of personal preference.

Though the watch fully tracks activities and collects loads of data, it doesn’t present the information quite as elegantly or thoroughly as some of Garmin’s more specialized watches. As a result, it probably isn’t the best option if you are an intensely focused, multisport athlete (that’s where the fēnix 7 and even more expressive EPIX Gen. 2 series come in). And, as a runner, I much prefer the Forerunner 955, as it provides better workout suggestions and gives me more information about my preferred type of training. The higher-resolution color screen on the Forerunner also makes it easier to see data while running, which I appreciate. 

The durability and long battery life when outside, however, make the Garmin Instinct 2 Solar a truly fantastic smartwatch for outdoor enthusiasts looking for a more casual but still comprehensive activity tracker. It also has navigation modes that are helpful for activities. I definitely see the advantages of this watch for longer hikes, climbs, or multi-day adventures and plan on using it for such trips in the future. You can trust that it will survive some serious trips and that the battery life, once settings are customized, will keep up with your lifestyle.

The post Garmin Instinct 2 Solar smartwatch review: A highly capable adventure watch appeared first on Popular Science.

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Smartwatches are a great way to look at the time, send messages, and get health insights while keeping your phone in your pocket. The Amazfit Bip U Pro, a far more affordable alternative to the Apple Watch, is on sale for $56.99 on Amazon, down from $69.99. Soon the summer heat will break, but you won’t, and an Amazfit lets you track your continued fall training.

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We’ve previously reviewed the Bip U Pro and praised it for its accurate fitness metrics recording. A voice assistant and GPS are built-in, meaning you can ask Alexa about the best running routes and promptly take them. More than 60 sports modes help you exercise at your athletic level—from running novice to marathon marvel—and health-tracking lets you collect heart rate, blood oxygen levels, stress, sleep quality, and more. The watch is as light as a feather at 31 grams, but its intelligence stings like a bee—you can even control the camera of your smartphone from it. And, a 9-day battery life means it doesn’t stop to rest, just like you on a three-mile run.

If you’re not looking for a smartwatch but want a dedicated fitness tracker with long battery life, the Amazfit Band 7—which we are thoroughly reviewing, alongside the T-Rex 2, so check back in the coming month—lasts for 18 days on a single charge and includes double the amount of sports modes. It’s also water-resistant up to 50 meters, can simultaneously read heart rate, blood oxygen, and stress levels with one tap, and is currently $44.99 (with $5 off coupon clicked).

Don’t spend too much time debating on this deal—some of these smart watches will be back to their retail prices when the clock strikes midnight.

• Amazfit T-Rex 2 Smart Watch $183.99 (Was $229.99)
• Amazfit GTS 4 $95.99 (Was $119.99)
• Amazfit Bip U $44.99 (Was $59.99)
• Amazfit Band 5 $34.99 (Was $49.99)
• Amazfit Bip S Lite $34.99 (Was $49.99)

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Samsung’s summer Unpacked event brings exciting announcements every August and this year’s presentation didn’t disappoint. The company unveiled new versions of its two high-end foldable phones—the Galaxy Z Fold4 and Galaxy Z Flip4—which have been fine-tuned with slimmer bezels, smaller hinges, and more seamless display creases. It also revealed two versions of its next smartwatch—the Galaxy Watch5 and the first-ever Galaxy Watch5 Pro, which features a tough titanium case and sapphire crystal display. Last, but not least, an upgraded version of Samsung’s earbuds, the Galaxy Buds2 Pro, features some subtle design tweaks and support for high-fidelity audio.

Galaxy Z Fold4

With each passing year, Samsung’s Z Fold series further establishes itself as the company’s premier foldable. Samsung refines the Z Fold4’s signature tablet-esque 7.6-inch AMOLED 2X folding screen with a slightly wider inner display, a more subtle hinge with less of a crease, and a less-intrusive under-display camera. Samsung has also taken great pains to make the Z Fold4 more durable than its predecessors, as the line’s integrity has always been a concern. This year’s model features IPX8 water resistance for the first time and a newly optimized layer structure on the main display for enhanced shock absorption. 

Under the hood, the Z Fold4 is powered by a Snapdragon+ Gen 1 processor, has 12GB of RAM, and offers 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of storage. The device continues to provide a triple-camera setup, but there are some welcome updates this year.

Its rear cameras receive a major boost, sporting the same trio as the Samsung Galaxy S22—a 12MP ultra-wide, a 50MP wide, and a 10MP telephoto camera, the latter of which offers 3x optical zoom and 30x digital zoom. It will also feature a 10MP wide camera on the front, just like Z Fold3.

Samsung has also made some software changes that make the Z Fold4 a more effective multitasker. The taskbar has been redesigned in OneUI 4.1.1, providing users easy access to their favorite and recently used apps. Speaking of software, the Z Fold4 is the first device to ship with Android 12L, a version of Android for large screen and foldable devices.

Last, but not least, the Fold4 now has touchpad controls in “flex mode,” when the Fold4 is partially folded. It should, if nothing else, make it easier to use the half-screen as a viewfinder when taking selfies.

The Galaxy Z Fold4 will be available Aug. 26 for $1,799 in graygreen, phantom black, and beige. Samsung is also offering the device in burgundy exclusively on its website.

Galaxy Z Flip4

Samsung also introduced an updated Galaxy Z Flip, which the company said is the most popular foldable in the world. (Practically speaking, that simply means it’s more popular than the Z Fold.) This year’s model, the Galaxy Z Flip4 improves the clamshell design with a tougher frame, refined hinge, and slimmer display bezels compared to previous generations. Samsung also said the display is stronger, so users will encounter fewer unexpected cracks from everyday use.

Improved durability is welcome but that isn’t the only change. Samsung has enhanced the cover screen so users can more efficiently reply to messages and make calls. New widgets are also being made available, further establishing the cover screen as a core part of the Z Flip experience. The concept of the cover screen has always been exciting and it looks like Samsung is getting closer to making it a reliable quick-glance solution in more situations.

Like last year’s model, the Galaxy Z Flip4 launches with a 6.7-inch OLED display that features a 22:9 aspect ratio and supports 120Hz ProMotion technology. The display also features a 10MP selfie camera with a familiar hole punch design.

The Z Flip4 is powered by a Snapdragon+ Gen 1 processor and comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB storage options. The device also comes with a 3700mAh battery that can charge to 50% in just half an hour, and it’s water-resistant, so it can survive getting wet if caught in a downpour. Like last year, the Z Flip 4 features a dual-camera setup, with a brighter 12MP wide lens and a 12MP ultra-wide lens. 

Samsung said the cameras now offer larger pixels, better image stabilization, and enhanced processing for better low-light performance. Tracking for video has also been improved, so moving subjects stay in focus without much intervention from the user.

The Galaxy Z Flip4 will cost $999 when it launches Aug. 26 and is available in bora purple, graphite, pink gold, and blue. Samsung is also offering bespoke editions that will allow users to pick from a set of colors for the front, back, and frame.

Galaxy Watch5 and Galaxy Watch5 Pro

Samsung historically releases a standard Galaxy Watch and a more robust, expensive “classic” version with a larger frame. This year, the company is shaking things up by introducing the Galaxy Watch5 and a more rugged, outdoor-minded Galaxy Watch5 Pro.

The Galaxy Watch5 comes in 40mm and 44mm sizes and will be available in both Bluetooth and LTE. Both feature sapphire crystal glass and curved rear glass, which Samsung said offers better contact with a user’s wrist, enabling more accurate biometrics, including advanced sleep coaching, body composition analysis, heart rate monitoring, blood oxygen levels, and a new skin temperature detection feature, which could tell users when they have a fever. The Watch5 also features IP68 water and dust resistance and runs Wear OS powered by Samsung’s customizations.

The 40mm Watch5 features a 1.19-inch display and 284mAh battery, and the 44mm Watch5 includes a 1.36-inch display and 410mAh battery. Otherwise, the two devices offer the same features and support 20mm band sizes. The Galaxy Watch5 starts at $279 for the 40mm and 44mm versions with Bluetooth and the price goes up for both models to $329 if you want LTE. Curiously, the small version is available in silver, graphite, and pink gold, while the larger model comes in sapphire, silver, and graphite.

The only totally new product in the announcement, Galaxy Watch5 Pro is a larger smartwatch made for people who spend a lot of time in the great outdoors. It features a harder titanium case and a sapphire crystal display, making it better prepared to handle whatever outdoor adventure you have planned. 

The Galaxy Watch5 Pro comes in a single, extra-large 45mm case size. Like the Watch5, it offers advanced health and sleep tracking features. It includes a larger 1.36-inch display and a 590mAh battery, giving it enough juice to last a day away from outlets. The Galaxy Watch5 Pro will start at $499 and comes in black and gray titanium.

On the software side, both the Galaxy Watch5 and Watch5 Pro will have eight new watch faces and support Samsung’s Smart Switch feature, which allows you to quickly transfer contacts and other data from an old Galaxy Watch.

Galaxy Buds2 Pro

Last year, Samsung released the Galaxy Buds2, and this year Samsung follows the “Pro” earbuds trend with the Galaxy Buds2 Pro. These true wireless earbuds feature improved active noise cancellation, allowing users to tone down even the loudest ambient noise, and an auto voice detect feature, which can turn down your music and let outside noise in after you start speaking.

Since the Buds2 already offered active noise cancellation, the distinction between the Buds2 and Buds2 Pro is a little more subtle, focusing on a smaller design and improved fidelity. Samsung said this year’s Pro model is 15% smaller than the Buds2, providing users with a more comfortable fit. The updated design also helps reduce pressure inside your ear because, as Samsung explained, air flows more effectively through the device. The more ergonomic design also prevents rotation, so you can comfortably lay down without them moving around.

The Galaxy Buds2 Pro offers higher-quality audio in the right conditions, thanks to new 10mm drivers with support for 24-bit audio. The higher bit depth provides audio with a higher dynamic range and reduced noise, resulting in a cleaner sound. It also offers multi-channel Dolby Atmos support for virtual surround sound in certain streaming apps. The Buds2 Pro also features IPX7 water resistance.

The Galaxy Buds2 Pro will be available Aug. 26 for $229 (up from $200 for the original Buds Pro).

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Before a piece of technology becomes ubiquitous, there exists a period where you have early adopters going all-in on the shiny new toy and others who continue to cling to the old, comfortable ways of doing things. The smartwatch is still kind of in that phase, where some people are reluctant to give up their familiar watch for something that offers more functionality, but also potentially more complications. 

Traditional watchmakers such as Fossil are doing their best to usher these people into the new era by manufacturing hybrid smartwatches that have the look and feel of traditional timepieces—showcasing classic mechanical action atop a display for features like step trackers, weather reports, plus text and email alerts, etc. The Fossil Latitude Hybrid HR—the most fully-featured of the Fossil smartwatch connected lineup with the inclusion of an always-on display and heart rate monitor—may not market itself as a “Smartwatch for People Who Don’t Like Smartwatches,” but it may as well. 

A great smartwatch design for newcomers

Fossil has long been known for making stylish—but ultimately straightforward—watches. The company puts years of design experience behind its Fossil watches, and the end result shows. The Fossil Latitude Hybrid HR has the heft of a good sports or diving watch, and it doesn’t scream “smartwatch” on your wrist. 

The Fossil Latitude’s good looks lead the way

Right out of the box, the most striking thing about the Hybrid HR—like all the Fossil Latitude lineup—is, well, how much like a watch it looks. The hybrid Fossil smartwatch we tested was black and silver, with red highlights. It was simple, classic, and could easily be paired with work clothes or workout clothes. It simply looks like a quality timepiece, smart capabilities aside, which is to be expected for a timepiece that retails for $195. 

The analog arms and large watch face are easy enough to read without any backlighting or digital display, and the watch’s 50mm case has considerable heft to it. It feels sturdy. The main drawback to this as a smartwatch is its weight. The Hybrid HR clocks in at a relatively hefty 5.6 ounces, which is considerable when measured against the Fitbit Versa 2 (1.41 oz) and the Apple Watch (1.07 oz); again, more in line with a “regular” Fossil watch that is typically around 6 ounces. The addition of extra weight renders some of its activity and fitness tracking capabilities moot, as it’s not comfortable as an all-out fitness accessory. 

The silicone watchband of the Fossil Latitude likewise feels sturdy and comfortable. At 24mm wide, it sits comfortably and doesn’t irritate nor does it feel like it’s ever in danger of overstretching or wearing out during typical day-to-day activity or even moderate exercise. Being a standard band size, as well, means it’s swappable based on your preferences.

The eyes have it

The Hybrid HR uses an e-ink display like the one you’d find on a Kindle, so it doesn’t glow like the OLED on an Apple Watch. This is a standout feature, because it can remain on all the time without eating up the battery life as greedily as a powered screen. The only drawback is that e-ink has a slow-ish refresh rate, so it may feel a bit sluggish compared to lit screens. Still, it’s easier on the eyes, but it can make the digital readouts tough to see at a glance. A firm double tap on the crystal kicks on a backlight in these instances.

The best feature as far as the Hybrid HR’s overall design is how the timepiece handles switching between traditional watch functions and the digital display. When you press the main side button to access digital information, the hour and minute hands automatically go to 9 and 3 to get out of your way.

Easy setup with iPhone or Android smartphone

If easing into smartwatch use is your plan with the Hybrid HR, then you will not be disappointed with this Fossil smartwatch. All you really have to do is download Fossil’s smartphone app, which is compatible with Android devices running OS 5.0 or higher and iOS devices on 12.0 and up. Once you do so, it walks you step by step through syncing and customizing your Fossil Latitude watch. 

The watch also comes with a USB cord for magnetic charging/syncing with a desktop device for downloading music or aligning calendars. Only two to three hours on its USB charger should provide a full, lasting charge of its lithium-ion battery. That juice-up can last well over a week: We tried the Hybrid HR with a fairly consistent amount of use and made it about 11 days before the battery was depleted. 

Like other offerings in the Fossil Latitude line, the Hybrid HR doesn’t have a ton of customization options, but it does allow you to prioritize certain functions and make them easier and quicker to access. The readout on the watch face itself is minimal, based on the company’s custom software, as opposed to a more robust OS like Google Wear. So, for example, if you intend to use this primarily for fitness, you can make activity trackers (such as steps and heart rate) your default display. If you are more interested in weather reports, you can bump those up easily as well. Through the smartphone app, you also select the apps you’d like to receive messages from—such as Gmail, Facebook Messenger, and even Slack—and you can set the watch to receive all messages from everyone, or only from favorite contacts.

The learning curve with the Fossil Latitude Hybrid HR comes from getting used to which buttons on the watch itself do what. The main “big” side button is the “enter” button in most instances, which is different from other hybrid smartwatches that tend to use that as the default “back” button. Because the Hybrid HR’s crystal isn’t a touchscreen, scrolling is also button-based: the other two smaller buttons act a bit like scrolling cursors.

The rest of what you need to know

Although not the most sophisticated or detailed smartwatch available—being a hybrid, it is a bit of a dilettante—it combines enough to convince you of its usefulness beyond telling time. 

The step tracker and heart rate monitor provide some insight, but the fact that it isn’t the best fitness tracker (coupled with its overall bulk), which will likely make it a poor substitute for a dedicated monitor if you’re focused on highly accurate tracking. We used the Hybrid HR only for light activity (brisk walks, jogging), but did appreciate that you can set a “Challenge Profile” through the app to establish fitness goals, such as number of steps per day). The information is also easily accessible in the app and even displays alongside a handy calendar for keeping tabs on progress.

The Fossil Latitude Hybrid HR features an alarm clock function, text alerts, and the ability to sync with social media for notifications. You are able to accept text messages and emails, control music, and access a calendar and weather alerts. It’ll also notify you of incoming calls, but there is no speaker or microphone on the watch itself, so you’re not able to accept calls as you would an Apple Watch. When a call comes the watch hands move to their horizontal positions, with text on the screen notifying you of an incoming call, which you can accept or decline with a push of the side button.

It also has standards like a stopwatch. Again, not extremely deep or sophisticated—you won’t be able to sync up contactless payment, for example—but functional enough to do basic jobs.  

So, who is the Fossil Latitude for? 

At the end of the day, the Fossil Latitude Hybrid HR is a great option for those who wouldn’t mind a few bells and whistles, but maybe aren’t ready to dive into a full smartwatch. Overall, it’s a nice-looking timepiece first and foremost, with a few added functions, like the step tracker and heart rate monitor, etc., that may not be necessary for all folks. Hardcore fitness enthusiasts who want to track and accumulate data might find this Fossil smartwatch too bulky for use during exercise, and too slight when it comes to numbers and measurements. People who like the look and feel of a traditional Fossil watch, however, will appreciate the overall simplicity of the user experience. Weight is a factor, however: It’s not the kind of wearable that blends in and you almost forget it’s there. Overall, though, the Fossil Latitude Hybrid HR is very well-constructed and feels likely to survive as one’s everyday watch for a good long while.

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Best overall		Apple Watch Series 8		SEE IT	Take calls, reply to texts, monitor your workouts, health, and more.
Best fitness tracker		Fitbit Sense 2		SEE IT	Sensors track vitals to help guide your daily fitness and wellness goals.
Best tactical		Garmin fenix 7X Pro Solar		SEE IT	Get all the best tactical features with solar-charging technology.

This spring, Apple Watches reached some of their lowest prices ever on Amazon. A likely culprit? Competition. A lot of shoppers are realizing that the best budget smartwatch could be just as useful as a more expensive model—if they home in on finding one with the features that suit their needs. Whether you’re in the market for the best fitness tracker or a wrist gadget with robust features like GPS, there’s a cheap smartwatch out there for you. From the step-counting Fitbit Inspire 2 to the pint-sized Garmin Vivofit Jr. 2, we’ve rounded up a list of the best budget smartwatch options you can put around your wrist without having to pay in installments.

• Best for fitness buffs: Fitbit Inspire 2
• Best for roving offline: Garmin Vivoactive 3
• Best for the fashion conscious: Willful Smartwatch 
• Best for most situations: Amazfit Bip U Pro
• Best for kids: Garmin Vivofit Jr. 2  

What to consider when shopping for the best budget smartwatch

The key to picking a smartwatch is focusing on how, where, when, and why you plan to use it. Features, sizes, styles, and uses vary greatly from brand to brand and even from device to device. Before you pull the trigger on a new smartwatch, review precisely how it will fit your specific needs. 

Will you use it as a fitness tracker? 

The best fitness trackers have come a long way since the days of dots measuring your daily step total. Even a cheap fitness tracker can supply data ranging from heart rate to mileage pace, calories burned to distance covered, sleep scores to stress levels. An ideal fitness tracker will be comfortable (silicon bands are common) and waterproof. After all, your activity of choice may be swimming or paddling—many budget fitness trackers are equipped to monitor such exercises—and you need a tracker that can withstand water. 

Do you need advanced features like mobile payments? 

More versatile smartwatches can, of course, track health data, too, but upping the size also gets you a bigger feature set. Are you hoping to use it to control your music? Tap to make a payment? Display your texts? This is all possible in the best budget smartwatches, but they may not all be available in a single device. So make your priority list, and go from there.

Do you want it to work without your phone? 

Just as GPS can help you get anywhere you need to go, budget smartwatches from companies like Garmin are built to monitor your active lifestyle no matter where you wander. Want to listen to a five-hour playlist while on a hike? Additions like onboard storage and GPS let devices work even when there’s no cell tower in sight. 

What device do you want to pair it with? 

Once you’ve narrowed down the style of smartwatch that works for you, make sure it will be compatible with your phone. If you want more detailed health analytics and the ability to receive calls and other alerts, apps are essential complements. Nearly every offering will work with iOS and Android apps, but be sure to check compatibility. 

Will a kid be the main person using it? 

Sometimes a little extra motivation can go a long way, especially with kids. A smartwatch may feel like a toy to them—and, let’s face it, it kind of is—but the included activities just might make them more active. Since kids are still developing their sense of responsibility, shopping for the best cheap smartwatches is a wise move. Even budget smartwatch options can keep track of your kid’s movement—or whereabouts if it’s equipped with GPS. Colorful bands and color screens will also keep your kid happy. 

Do you care how it looks? 

Even when shopping for the best budget smartwatch, you have every right to expect to find something that’s as stylish as it is practical. Colorful band options and metallic trims around the watch face can go a long way toward making even a cheap smartwatch a desirable fashion accessory. But that doesn’t mean your smartwatch won’t have brains, too. 

How much battery life do you need? 

Longevity is the final key. Some watches have replaceable batteries that can last a year. Others have rechargeable cells that can run for several days or even several weeks. If you’re the kind of person who always forgets your USB cord, or who will constantly be running battery-draining apps, factor battery life heavily into your smartwatch buying. 

The best budget smartwatches

The wearable landscape is a crowded place, but deciding what feature is most important to you—from fitness tracking to GPS for backcountry trekking—is the fastest way to winnow the field. Once you identify your No. 1 goal, additional things like killer design or mobile payments are gravy.

Best for fitness buffs: Fitbit Inspire 2

Fitbit

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If seeing your heartrate climb in real-time motivates you to run a little faster, or if reviewing a full report on last night’s sleep encourages you to get to bed a little earlier, the Fitbit Inspire 2 could get you on track to better health. This best budget smartwatch offers challenges and milestone badges on your weekly pursuits of 150 heart-pumping minutes, whether you want to burn those calories in the pool or on the trail.

At night, it’ll measure your light, deep, and REM sleep. It can then assign a score that tells you just how recuperating your slumber was. Call, text, and calendar alerts sent to this Bluetooth-connected, full-featured but cheap fitness tracker mean you don’t have to take a break from work when you’re on the go. And with a lithium-ion battery that lasts 10 days per charge, the Fitbit Inspire 2 maintains as much energy as you do even as it works 24/7 to monitor your heart rate. 

Best for roving offline: Garmin Vivoactive 3

Garmin

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With 15 preloaded sports apps—including running, cycling, yoga, and swimming—and smart notifications when paired with a smartphone app (compatible with iOS 12 or higher and Android 6.0 or higher), the Garmin Vivoactive 3 lets you stay on top of it all. Featuring Garmin Pay for contactless transactions, downloadable apps, thousands of custom watch faces and fields, plus fitness and stress monitoring, the Vivoactive 3 GPS smartwatch is great for the workday and the weekend warrior. There’s also a model sold with onboard music storage for phone-free listening. The watch can even keep an eye on how equipped you are to handle stress based on your VO2 max, heart rate variability, sleep, and recent activity. The battery lasts a week in smartwatch mode. It can last nearly two weeks in GPS mode, which tracks activity details without the need for a phone connection.  

Best for the fashion conscious: Willful Smartwatch 

Willful

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Yes, those attractive people in the gym who somehow look even more attractive when sweating on the treadmill may be annoying. But with the Willful Smartwatch, you can capture a little bit of their mojo. The matte band, in color options like plum, is beautiful. The watch face is sleek, and the smartwatch itself can track nine sports, including mountaineering and dynamic cycling. This IP68-rated watch can survive being submerged in up to a meter of water for 30 minutes. Plus it’s dust-tight. Built-in sensors automatically track your heart rate, and it can monitor everything you want to know about your workout. That includes everything from calories burned to miles run. Pair the watch with a smartphone app (compatible with iOS 8.0 and higher and Android 4.4 and higher), and you can keep tabs on incoming calls, monitor social media alerts, and switch up the music in your earbuds.  

Best for most situations: Amazfit Bip U Pro

Amazfit

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No, it’s not an Apple Watch. But you might fool your friends if they don’t look too closely. You can certainly awe them with the watch’s ability to track dozens of sports—from rowing to rope skipping to cricket. And as a GPS smartwatch, you can retrace your jogging route. You can also use the watch to set alerts, track your sleep, and even talk to Alexa, which is built in. If you mistakenly ask for Siri, we’ll understand.  

Best for kids: Garmin Vivofit Jr. 2

Garmin

SEE IT

Your kids are likely to love the customizable color screen and Disney themes. You’ll enjoy the ability to set reminders for chores and homework. And you’ll both like how the smartwatch encourages activity: Achieve movement goals, and the wearer unlocks new Disney-themed adventures and games. The Garmin Vivofit Jr. 2, compatible with iOS 12 and higher and Android 6.0 and higher, has a replaceable battery that can last a year. 

FAQs

Related: Feed that smartwatch a healthy amount of data with one of the best home gyms.

The final word on shopping for the best budget smartwatch

Finding the best budget smartwatch is really a style choice. Are you looking for a smartwatch that does it all—from health monitoring to email alerts? Or are you really focused on fitness? Once you know whether you are in the market for a cheap fitness tracker or the best cheap smartwatch, you can look for the features that matter. Battery life and phone compatibility are key, but also don’t neglect what’s going to make you happy. Whether a GPS smartwatch is more your speed or listening to music is more your jam will determine the kinds of features you need to prioritize when shopping for the best budget smartwatch. 

The post Best budget smartwatches of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

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The latest generation of Samsung Galaxy smartphone, Galaxy Watch, and Galaxy Buds are coming in the next few weeks. And, you get a $200 Samsung credit if you reserve all three. We have seen this kind of deal from Samsung before and, for a die-hard Galaxy user, it can be very appealing. 

Although it’s unclear exactly what the newest Samsung Galaxy tech will offer, we’re big fans of the current models for their aesthetics, multitasking capabilities, and more. The preorder page teases “A new way to selfie” and “the next small thing is coming,”  all of which will most likely be unveiled at the company’s Galaxy Unpacked event August 10.

Expect $100 of Samsung credit by reserving the next Galaxy smartphone, $50 by reserving the next Galaxy Watch, and $30 for the next pair of Galaxy Buds if you don’t want to reserve all three. Samsung is also advertising a “commitment-free” reservation—most likely the choice of not having to buy if you’d like to get some more wear out of your current Samsung devices. 

You’ll also unlock the highest online trade-in values for your current Samsung devices and get access to exclusive colors only available on Samsung.com. While it’s certainly unusual to preorder devices before they’re even announced, it could make sense for dedicated Samsung fans. Supply chain issues have made availability uncertain and this is a way to get in early. Plus, if you’re already planning on buying the latest and greatest once it drops, you might as well save some money in the process.   

The post Save $200 when you reserve the newest gen of Samsung Galaxy gear appeared first on Popular Science.

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This story has been updated. It was originally published on May 16, 2019.

Digital cameras can snap better photos

Smartphones have undoubtedly revolutionized photography. With cameras in nearly everyone’s hands, we’re now documenting and sharing much more of our lives than ever before. From social media to breaking news, phone photography has changed the game.

It’s fair to say phones have eaten up the cheap compact camera market, but the jump in quality from a phone to a pro-level DSLR camera is still a significant one, even as mobile cameras continue to get better.

Control over lenses, particularly zoom levels, is a big factor. Even with top smartphones now finding ways to offer 5x optical zoom, an actual camera can go way, way beyond that and get you much closer to the action.

Tweaking the amount of light that hits a camera’s sensors is also crucial for getting the best shots, and DSLRs simply give you more control and more options. Most phones don’t offer much in the way of controlling aperture, light sensitivity (ISO), and shutter speed settings, so users can’t easily customize how much light reaches the lens.

For fast-moving action, detailed close-ups, or really low-light situations (especially when a flash is necessary), it’s still worth carrying a standalone digital camera and a lens or two. You’ll find you generally get better shots and can capture them more easily, too.

E-readers can help you read more comfortably

Smartphones function perfectly well as e-readers—there’s even an official Kindle app for iOS and Android that lets you do without an actual Kindle entirely. Both Apple and Google make dedicated e-book apps for their platforms too.

So why bother packing a separate e-reader into your backpack or suitcase? A few arguments can be made for it, not least that the e-ink screen of a Kindle or similar device is much easier on the eyes than the bright display of a phone.

As well as mitigating eye fatigue, dedicated e-readers last much longer between battery charges. Amazon’s most basic Kindle ($90 on Amazon) stays juiced for around four weeks, according to the manufacturer, so you don’t have to worry if you forget to pack its charger.

[Related: How to efficiently charge your devices]

E-readers also have the benefit of doing just one job, so your reading won’t be interrupted by WhatsApp notifications or incoming emails. When you want to unwind on vacation or simply concentrate during a lunch break, that’s a bonus.

Phones are still good for short bursts of reading, of course—and the aforementioned Kindle apps will sync reading positions with a dedicated e-reader—but for serious digital reading it might be better to use a separate device.

Digital music players can keep you immersed in sound

Remember, the iPod was Apple’s first breakthrough portable gadget before the iPhone came along and scooped up all its sales.

Today, the main reasons you would want to pack a separate digital music player are similar to the arguments for using an e-reader: you’ll be able to listen to your tunes without distractions, and it will give you more battery life while saving your phone’s power cell.

Another factor is portability. Something like the Mighty music player ($120 on Amazon) can sync your Spotify playlists for offline listening and is small enough to strap on your arm or keep around your neck—perfect for that early morning run.

Apple discontinued the iPod Touch earlier this year, but is still offering support and selling them while supplies last. It works with Apple Music, Spotify, and every other music app on iOS, while offering access to a whole host of other apps and games as well.

If you need something cheap and compact that’s not going to light up every five minutes with a new messaging alert, or run out of battery in half a day, a dedicated music player still has appeal, particularly for runners, cyclists, and frequent travelers.

Smartwatches are a little more portable

Plenty of us rely on our phones to tell the time and, probably, to wake us up in the morning. If you think about it, though, there’s a compelling argument for using a smartwatch, or even a regular watch, to do the job instead.

For a start, it saves you from having to fish around in your pocket or bag (and then getting distracted by 100 Instagram notifications) every time you just want to know what time it is.

[Related: Trying to use your smartphone less? Get a smartwatch.]

When it comes to exercising, a smartwatch also gives you access to apps like maps and calls, right from your wrist. Alternatively, a smartwatch will let you leave your phone at home, but still take your music with you.

For the outdoor adventurer, higher-end smartwatches can provide accurate directions to and from your destination long after your phone’s battery has died. And once it’s time to hit the hay, smartwatches can track your sleep without being intrusive, too.

So, a smartwatch can be a useful extension of, and in some cases, a complete replacement for, a smartphone. You’ve got plenty to pick from as well, including the Apple Watch Series 7 ($400 and up from Apple), and the Garmin Instinct ($175 from Amazon).

Digital radios keep the party going, but don’t drain your phone

You might be used to streaming radio stations through your phone, but a pocket digital radio might be worth taking along in some situations.

First up: battery life. These small radios will last for hours between charges, so your smartphone can take a breather or spend its precious battery on other tasks.

Second: data usage. Even if you’re on a generous cellular plan, you’re going to be using a big chunk of data trying to stream radio stations to your phone. That won’t happen with a dedicated radio, and you’re more likely to get a signal in crowded spots, too.

If you want to crank out the tunes at a beach or picnic without using your phone’s data or battery, you can spring for a bigger portable radio. Sure, it’ll mean more bulk when you’re packing, but it might be worth the extra weight.

With good-quality models costing as little as $35 on Amazon and offering Bluetooth connectivity and memory card support (for your MP3s), radios are worth considering as complements to your phone.

Portable gaming systems let you play on the go

Another type of gadget smartphones have nearly killed off is the portable gaming console, because a phone with a huge selection of games is, effectively, the same thing.

Some portable systems live on, though, and they’re worth taking with you. Most notably, there’s the Nintendo Switch ($300 on Amazon), which gives you a bigger screen and better graphics than a smartphone can offer, and plugs right into your TV when you get home.

Unlike your phone, the Switch has its own controllers, and can offer a better overall gaming experience. As mentioned during the discussion of other gadgets on this list, it will also save you from draining your phone’s battery while gaming.

The explosion of smartphone use has largely scared manufacturers away from portable gaming devices, but older systems like the Sony PlayStation Vita ($285 and up on Amazon) and Nintendo 3DS ($300 and up on Amazon) are still around and worth considering.

Even so, it’s really the Nintendo Switch that’s currently carrying the torch for portable gaming systems. Fans of gaming on the go can only hope its popularity is enough to prompt the development of a few more gadgets just like it.

The post Why it’s worth carrying more than one gadget appeared first on Popular Science.

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Training and fitness come in many forms and Garmin makes a smartwatch to fit just about all of them. Here on Amazon Prime Day, Garmin has cut the prices on wearable training devices across almost all of its most popular lines. So, whether you’re a die-hard triathlete or someone still in the “couch” phase of the Couch-to-5K program, you’ll want to check out these deals on fitness-oriented wearables.

Garmin offers a ton of different models and the individual lines can be difficult to tell apart, so we have broken this list down by type. We have also included separate links to include different sizes and colors because personal preference comes into play heavily. Whichever one you pick, it can help you track your progress and fitness gains. Or, it can tell you just how elevated your heart rate gets during the finale of The Bachelor. Data is data.

Of course, you could always just get an Apple Watch 7 since those are on sale for their cheapest price ever here on Prime Day. And if you’re testing your new watch in the backcountry, don’t forget a nicely priced portable generator.

Garmin Instinct Solar watch deals

Garmin Instinct Solar Rugged Outdoor Smartwatch with Solar Charging, Flame Red $199 (Was $339)

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The Instinct Solar is one of the best all-around options in the Garmin lineup. It offers essential fitness features like heart rate and blood-oxygen tracking. It’s absurdly rugged and waterproof down to 100 meters. Built-in software can track exercise in various forms including running, biking, and swimming. Plus, solar tech in the face allows the watch to pull power from the sun and extend the already-excellent battery life. For $199, that’s a ton of features in a very cool-looking device.

• Garmin Instinct Solar Smartwatch with Solar Charging, Graphite $199 (Was $259)
• Garmin Instinct Solar Smartwatch with Solar Charging, Dark Blue $199 (Was $259)
• Garmin Instinct Solar Smartwatch with Solar Charging, Sunburst Yellow $199 (Was $259)

Garmin Enduro watch deals

Garmin Enduro GPS Watch with Solar Charging, Carbon Gray Titanium with Black Nylon Band $549 (Was $749)

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This super-high-end sports watch retails for $899, which makes the $549 sale price even more impressive. Garmin designed this device for racers. The buttons, case, and bezel all rely on coated titanium construction for strength while keeping the overall weight and form factor down. The tracking tech includes typical features like heart rate monitoring and blood-oxygen levels. But, the analytics go well beyond the typical training tools. It keeps track of your recovery and compares your performance to overall trail conditions. If you’re a serious racer (or you aspire to that status), this is the watch you want and Prime Day is a very solid time to get it.

Garmin Fenix watch deals

Garmin Fenix 6S Pro GPS Watch, Rose Gold with White Band $399.99 (Was $589)

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The Fenix lineup offers athletes robust training tools like heart rate and pulse-ox monitor in a package that doesn’t look out of place in non-athletic settings. The relatively understated designs work with a business suit or a sweat suit. You could also probably wear them with other types of suits like a hot dog suit or a suit of armor. In short: It’s a versatile watch and these are great deals.

• Garmin Fenix 6X Sapphire, Dark Gray with Black Band 499.99 (Was $689)
• Garmin Fenix 6 Pro, Premium Multisport GPS Watch, Black $449 (Was $498)

Garmin Vivoactive watch deals

Garmin Vivoactive 4 GPS Smartwatch, Black $188 (Was $249)

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This is perhaps the most traditional smartwatch on the list of deals. Its spartan design might obscure its serious fitness chops at first glance. But, under the slick, slim exterior, you’ll find everything you’d expect from a real training watch. It tracks heart rate, blood oxygen, workouts, sleep, and everything else that you’ve been ignoring as you binge the gritty-but-heartwarming chef-oriented drama, The Bear on FX (which is really excellent, FYI).

Garmin Forerunner watch deals

Garmin Forerunner 245 Music, GPS Running Smartwatch, Aqua $239 (Was $279)

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The Forerunner line is what most people picture when they think of Garmin fitness watches. It’s a straight up-the-middle option meant for athletes and serious workout folks. It’s rugged but offers a solid mix of dedicated smartwatch features, including support for popular music streaming apps like Amazon Music and Spotify. Options in this line go from beginner-oriented devices to serious training wearables, so it has something for everyone.

• Garmin Forerunner 245 Music, GPS Running Smartwatch, White $239 (Was $279)
• Garmin Forerunner 945, Premium GPS Running/Triathlon Smartwatch, Black $378 (Was $457)
• Garmin Forerunner 735XT, Multisport GPS Running Watch With Heart Rate, Black/Gray $169 (Was $199)
• Garmin Forerunner 245 Music, GPS Running Smartwatch with Music and Advanced Dynamics, Black $239 (Was $349)

Garmin Venu watch deals

Garmin Venu 2S, GPS Smartwatch, Silver Bezel with Light Gray Case and Silicone Band $269 (Was $399)

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Like the Vivoactive, the Venu fits more into a traditional smartwatch category. It sports a thin bezel and a low profile that won’t stand out when you’re wearing it outside of the gym. It can store up to 650 songs directly on the watch, so you can go and work out while your phone sits somewhere else. It also includes Garmin Pay, which helps if you hate having your phone with you on a run.

• Garmin Venu 2, GPS Smartwatch, Slate Bezel with Black Case and Silicone Band $269 (Was $347)
• Garmin Venu 2S, Slate Bezel with Graphite Case and Silicone Band $269 (Was $397)
• Garmin Venu Sq Music GPS Smartwatch, Black $159 (Was $249)
• Garmin Venu Sq Music GPS Smartwatch, Rose Gold with Tan Band $159 (Was $249)
• Garmin Venu Sq Music GPS Smartwatch, Light Gold and Navy Blue $159 (Was $249)
• Garmin Venu Sq Music GPS Smartwatch, Black and Rose Gold $159 (Was $249)
• Garmin Venu Sq Music GPS Smartwatch, Slate and Moss Green $159 (Was $249)
• Garmin Venu Sq Music GPS Smartwatch, White and Slate $159 (Was $249)
• Garmin Venu 2 GPS Smartwatch, Silver Bezel with GraniteBlue Case and Silicone Band $269 (Was $399)
• Garmin Venu 2S GPS Smartwatch, Rose Gold Bezel with White Case and Silicone Band $269 (Was $399)
• Garmin Venu 2S GPS Smartwatch, Light Gold Bezel with Tan Case and Silicone Band $269 (Was $399)

If you’re looking for other Prime Day deals, follow us over on the PopSci Goods Twitter page. Bring money.

More Amazon Prime Day deals

• The best AirPods deal for Prime Day
• Amazon Kindle Prime Day deals
• The best gaming deals for Prime Day
• Prime Day TV deals
• Prime Day deals on drones
• Eero router deals for Prime Day
• 2022 Coleman camping Prime Day deals
• Save 30 percent on a huge LG OLED TV for Prime Day
• Bose headphones Prime Day sales
• The best audio deals for Prime Day

The post Save on Garmin watches and wearables for Prime Day 2022 appeared first on Popular Science.

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Technology has transformed the way we communicate with each other, making it possible to chat with someone on the other side of the world in seconds, after just a few taps on a smartphone or a laptop.

Google Nest Hub Max

The benefit of the Google Nest Hub Max—as opposed to, say, the Google Nest Mini—is that it has a 10-inch touchscreen display that’s perfect for video calls. Add in the stereo speakers, the 6.5-megapixel camera, and the two far-field microphones, and you’ve got everything you need to see and hear the person you want to keep in touch with.

You can use Google Duo, Google Meet, or Zoom with the Nest Hub Max, so you’re not just limited to one video-calling platform, and for your friend or relative who has the device in their home, taking the call is as simple as tapping Answer on the screen. If they want to call you, they can just say: “Hey Google, video call…” followed by your name.

[Related: How to keep your video calls private]

On your end, you can use whatever technology you want to get on Google Duo, Google Meet, or Zoom: a phone, laptop, your own Nest Hub Max—whatever. There are, of course, many other ways to make video calls, from FaceTime to the Portal box that Meta manufactures, but the Nest Hub Max is one of the most straightforward options from both a hardware and software perspective.

Alexa Together will cost you $20 a month or $200 a year, and a 6-month free trial is available. Sign up on the web, and activation emails will be sent to you and the person you’re caring for. Once you both click the links in those emails, the Echo devices associated with your Amazon accounts will be up and running with Alexa Together, through the smart speakers themselves and the Alexa mobile app for Android and iOS.

You can get alerts when your friend or relative uses Alexa for the first time each day (through a “start my day” command, perhaps), and when no activity is detected on a device for a certain time period. You can set reminders for the other person, have Alexa call you if the other person asks for help, and connect a compatible fall detection service such as the Altumview camera system.

Apple Watch

Speaking of fall detection, that’s something the Apple Watch can do—specifically the Apple Watch SE or the Apple Watch Series 4 or later. From the Apple Watch app on the iPhone, enable fall detection by choosing My Watch, Emergency SOS, and Fall Detection (you may have to set this up for the person you’re looking after).

If the Apple Watch detects a fall, it displays a message on screen asking if the wearer is okay. It also gives them the chance to select one of two options: EMERGENCY SOS and I’m OK. If no arm or body movement is detected for a whole minute, the smartwatch starts a 30-second countdown with an audible alarm before automatically calling emergency services.

[Related: Smartphone settings that could save your life in an emergency]

When the call connects, the Apple Watch plays a message saying that it’s detected a hard fall, together with location coordinates. If the person wearing the Apple Watch is able, they can speak through the watch as well. When the call ends, the smartwatch sends a notification about the fall to the person’s emergency contacts—you can make sure you’re one of them by having them go to Health and Medical ID in the Settings app on their iPhone and adding your details there.

However, you do get a lot for your money—or rather your friend or relative does. ElliQ works a bit like a smart speaker, engaging its owner in conversation, making suggestions about healthy habits, and providing companionship and interaction. It can play music, read out the news, and report on the weather forecast.

When it comes to checking in remotely, ElliQ enables its user to check in with their loved ones via video calls, audio calls, and text messaging, and can notify specific contacts when they’re feeling unwell or in pain. As a trusted caregiver, ElliQ will provide you with updates on any relevant activity, and allow you to, say, check in on your friend or relative’s daily routines and medication reminders.

The post 4 tools to help you care for loved ones remotely appeared first on Popular Science.

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It’s traditional for those celebrating their 10th anniversary to give their partner a gift involving tin or aluminum. And while sleek metals do play a part in many of the brand’s products, modern lifestyle gear designers Nomad has opted to give you the gift of overall savings with 30 percent off its entire site in celebration of its 10th anniversary.

Nomad first entered the phone accessories scene in 2012 with the ChargeCard, a charger the size of a credit card for iPhone 5. You simply had to find a USB port and plug in the compact charger to get juice on-the-go. Although it seems like a silly idea now—there are USB ports lining bar counters and built into nightstands—it was a bit revolutionary in the post-aughts, with the burgeoning company raising more than $150,000 on Kickstarter to bring the charger to life.

Nomad has continued to keep up with technology trends and now sells MagSafe accessories for iPhone, including one of our favorite charging docks, the Base One Max, on sale for $104.95.

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The Base One Max provides up to 15W of fast-charging speed—provided you have a 30W charging brick—to power your post-iPhone 8 model iPhone, AirPods, or Series 4, 5, 6, or 7 Apple Watch at the same time. It also can charge any Qi wireless charging-compatible devices. The iPhone-certified MagSafe platform is made of metal and glass and features a soft-touch, anti-slip rubber base for peace of mind against accidental slips. Those who love haptics and tactility will enjoy the satisfying “thunk” that happens when your iPhone 12 or 13 snaps into place to charge. To quote ourselves, “it looks and feels more like a centerpiece rather than just another accessory.” If MagSafe charging isn’t your jam, we’re partial to Nomad’s AirTag accessories and leather Modern Band for the Apple Watch. 

The sale excludes Paperlike, OrbitKey, Chipolo, Popl, and Moment products featured on the site. If you want genuine Nomad Goods, however, don’t put off your journey to celebratory savings—this deal ends July 15. 

The post Celebrate Nomad’s 10th birthday with 30 percent off its entire site appeared first on Popular Science.

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