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A smartwatch is a compact all-rounder: it measures the pulse, can monitor sleep habits and body functions, is an extremely useful tool for athletes - and can also take over a number of smartphone functions, from receiving messages to navigating via GPS services.
Listening to music via the smartwatch is also part of this.
Apple Watch alternative: what speaks for it
One reason why many users decide against Apple models is the relatively high price of the products.
Smartwatches from other manufacturers, such as FitBit, are in many cases much cheaper to find - and all with similar functions and a similarly appealing look.
There are a number of operating systems for smartwatches.
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Wear OS: The operating system for Android smartwatches
Wear OS is the operating system for all those smartwatch users who want to rely on Google's Android.
One of the main differences between Wear OS models and Apple Watches is that the Android-based system does not necessarily require a smartphone, while Apple Watch users need an iPhone.
Samsung Smartwatch: These alternatives run on Tizen OS
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Samsung, on the other hand, does not rely on Wear OS for its newer smartwatch models, but on the Tizen OS operating system.
The well-known Samsung models include the Samsung Galaxy Watch * and the Galaxy Watch Active *.
The latter offers, among other things, GPS, a heart rate monitor, an altimeter and a barometer.
The Galaxy Watch does not have these features, but offers the option of using the watch as an MP3 player and checking your fitness with GPS route recording.
The Galaxy Watch Active, however, is designed for athletes.
The models look like classic analog watches, only after a closer look do they turn out to be digital smartwatches.
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FitBit OS
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Another operating system is FitBit OS from Fitbit, which specializes primarily in fitness trackers.
iPhone fans might like the look of the FitBit Versa, which looks similar to Apple models.
The FitBit Versa * offers continuous heart rate measurement, an MP3 player and various fitness apps - with a battery life of four days.
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iPhone Smartwatch: These are compatible
If you don't want to buy an Apple Watch, but are still looking for a model that is compatible with the iOS operating system in order to use it with your iPhone, you have the choice between various models.
All three operating systems mentioned offer models that you can also operate with your iPhone.
Those who rely on WearOS watches can, among other things, consider the Watch GT from the Chinese manufacturer Huawei, which is compatible with Apple's operating system.
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Here you have the choice between the Elegant and the Active model.
The elegant version * has a 1.2-inch AMOLED display and has a battery life of one week.
The Active model * has a significantly higher battery capacity: the battery lasts for up to two weeks.
The screen is slightly larger at 1.39 "(also AMOLED).
Both smartwatches have a storage space of 128 MB and 16 MB Ram.
TicWatch * and Fossil * models are also based on the Android operating system and can be combined with the iPhone.
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The FitBit Ionic *, which runs with the FitBit OS operating system, is also fully compatible with iOS and, according to the manufacturer, automatically synchronizes with over 200 popular iOS, Android and Windows devices.
The FitBit looks like a modern smartwatch in a simple design - its display is slightly smaller than that of the Apple watches.
However, there are restrictions here: Text messages cannot be answered via the FitBit Blaze, and the Apple Health app is not supported either.
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The Withings / Nokia Steel * comes in a special design - namely as an analog watch with a small digital display.
The special thing about it: According to the manufacturer, it offers a battery life of 25 days.
A special feature of this model: it offers sleep monitoring, analyzes your sleep phases and offers a smart wake-up function that is supposed to wake you up at the right moment or in the right sleep phase.
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But the Samsung Galaxy Watch can also be connected to the iPhone - with a few basic requirements: iOS 9.0 or a newer version is required, models prior to the iPhone 5 are not compatible, and neither are the iPad or iPod Touch.
Apple Watch alternative: What you need to consider when buying
Older iPhone and smartphone models in particular are often not compatible with each other - and not all smartwatches support all of your iPhone's functions.
Before you buy, find out what the minimum requirements are.
Owners of a Wear OS-based smartwatch can find out whether their smartphone or iPhone is compatible with their smartwatch on the Google website https://wearos.google.com.
In principle, smartphones from Android 6.0 and iPhones from iOS 10.0 are compatible.
* If you make a purchase using the links marked with an asterisk, WELT will receive a small commission. You can find our standards of transparency and journalistic independence at axelspringer.de/unabhaengigkeit.
This article was first published on October 11, 2019.