There are two types of wearable technology that you can strap to your wrist: fitness trackers and smartwatches. Even if they appear similar at first glance, these are two distinct devices.
Many features of smartwatches and fitness trackers overlap, making it difficult to choose one, and because of it, the line between the two can be a little hazy at times, Let us try to compare the two wearable technologies.
Key Takeaways
- Smartwatches are wearable devices that can do more than track fitness; fitness trackers are primarily designed to track fitness-related data.
- Smartwatches have a more advanced set of features, such as making calls, sending messages, and controlling music. In contrast, fitness trackers have basic features such as step count, heart rate monitoring, and calorie burn.
- Smartwatches are more expensive than fitness trackers due to their advanced features and more sophisticated technology.
Smartwatch vs Fitness Tracker
The difference between Smartwatch and Fitness Tracker is a smartwatch tracks your fitness as well, but that also continues to keep you linked by providing information, updates, and notifications to your wrist, whereas a fitness tracker is a device that monitors your fitness health, and physical activity.
A smartwatch’s primary function is to act as an extension of the smartphone on the wrist, allowing it to check emails and texts, take phone calls, browse the internet, and browse social media sites.
The smartwatch has developed rapidly over the period and now can do the majority of what a fitness tracker can do. It can also track specific workouts.
In addition to these important functions, the smartwatch has more modern sensor features such as soundtrack control, and constructed Bluetooth to directly connect to your mobile phone, earbuds, and other devices.
On the other hand, Fitness trackers are equipped with a band that contains sensors to measure various activities. This data is then sent directly to your mobile phone, in which you can compile research and facts based on your workout routines.
Fitness trackers with more advanced functionalities have some smart features and capabilities, but they are not well almost as flexible as a smartwatch.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Smartwatch | Fitness Tracker |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A smartwatch is a hybrid of a cellphone, wristwatch, and fitness tracker. | A fitness tracker is a device that measures fitness-related metrics and other statistics. |
| Purpose | Capable of tracking fitness but also send notifications and updates. | Capable of only recording metrics related to fitness. |
| Display Technology | Uses backlit LCD, OLED, AMOLED, and PMOLED display. | Uses only an OLED display. |
| Size | Bigger and thicker | Comparatively Smaller and thinner |
| Weight | Heavier | Comparatively lighter |
What is Smartwatch?
Smartwatches are automated wristwatches that are the most convenient wearable technology with physical activity tracker functionality that goes far beyond this and integrates many of the features of the mobile phone.
As it combines a wristwatch, mobile phone, and fitness tracker, a smartwatch is much more akin to a computing device. It is like a smartphone extension that can do almost everything the smartphone can do.
Smartwatches have mobile phone abilities, which means they can send notifications to smartwatches such as text messages, emails, or social media messages, as well as incoming call notifications and scheduled event notifications.
But that’s not all. You can even use the smartwatch to browse photo galleries on your phone and listen to music. You can even use your voice to access Google Now and Siri on your smartwatch, just like you do on your smartphone.
A smartwatch is somehow similar to a traditional watch but is not mechanical. A smartwatch, rather than cogs that turn the time hands, has an operating system and a touchscreen for the clock face.
Smartwatches, unlike traditional watches, can tell the wearer more than just the time. Such gadgets can perform without a phone just as well. They have their very own battery and, in some cases, can connect to the internet without the use of a phone.
What is Fitness Tracker?
A fitness tracker, also recognized as an activity tracker, is a portable device that can be worn on the wrist or in several areas of the body.
It’s a wearable device that tracks everyday physical tasks and wellness-related performance measurements like moves, steps, running distance, pulse rate, sleeping habits, swimming, calorie expenditure, and more.
It’s an active digitizer that functions similarly to a smartwatch, but it does much more than display the time. Fitness trackers are precisely built to maintain you in the best shape by keeping track of your daily tasks, even if you’re a fitness freak, an athletic nut, or a casual runner.
The majority of fitness trackers resemble bracelets. They’re very light and comfortable and made of liquid and sweat-resistant materials to withstand all-weather workouts.
Some activity trackers have narrow touchscreens, while others look like watches and have buttons to browse through the information.
Some fitness trackers, such as the Bellabeat activity trackers and the Huawei Band 3e, feature a detachable core unit. These are about the shape of a token.
Because of their tiny dimensions, they can be moved between various housing accessories such as a buckle, pendants, or necklaces. In fact, some wearable devices allow you to snap them onto shoelaces or a bra strap invisibly.
Main Differences Between Smartwatch and Fitness Tracker
- A smartwatch is a cross between a wristwatch, a mobile phone, and an activity tracker, and it performs most of the same tasks as your smartphone, whereas A Fitness Tracker is a customizable device that keeps track of your daily physical activities, such as steps, distance, breathing rate, and so on.
- A smartwatch is a wrist-worn wearable piece of technology, whereas A Fitness Tracker can be worn on the wrist and in many other places on the body.
- Smartwatches are also designed for social interaction, whereas Fitness Trackers are only designed for tracking and data collection.
- A smartwatch’s primary function is to facilitate communication, whereas Fitness Trackers are not designed with communication in mind.
- Smartwatches do have healthcare monitoring apps and numerous fitness tracking capabilities, whereas, in terms of Fitness Trackers only on some branded devices, users may be able to receive notifications, but these facilities are not most imminent in a fitness tracker.
- https://tvst.arvojournals.org/article.aspx?articleid=2633273
- https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/OIR-04-2018-0115/full/
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