Do you have any questions about how does a smartwatch work? It is a device for notification, exchange of data and entertainment.
In the process of using smartwatches, you must connect with the phone to do some operations. So it can never replace the features of a mobile phone. But what do smartwatches actually do?
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What Smartwatches Can Do For You?
Smartwatches are growing in popularity as they become available on more smartphones, not just Android. That has led to a lot of questions about what they can do for you.
They are our constant companions, but there are times when it is too inconvenient to dig out our phones from our pockets or purses.
A smartwatch provides a convenient way to make and receive calls without having to take the phone out of the bag.
It makes it possible to track your fitness by recording the steps taken and monitoring your heart rate, even if you don’t have a phone with you.
They also allow you to listen to music, send messages and check weather information without taking your phone out of your pocket.
Smartwatches is used for health and fitness tracking, too. They can count steps, monitor heart rates, guide you through workouts and automatically recognize when you’re exercising in order to track your performance. They can even monitor sleep patterns.
In short, let’s list down some of the key functions of smartwatches:
- Manage calls, messages & social media notifications
- Sleep monitoring
- Spo2 monitoring
- Calculate steps & set daily goals
- Access to multiple Android/iOs apps
- Menstruation tracker
- NFC payments
How Smartwatches Works?
Managing Calls, SMS & Notifications
As far as using these watches for calls, notifications and SMS, the process is pretty much the same across the board.
It doesn’t matter if you choose an Android or an iPhone watch, nor does it matter which smartwatch brand you pick. These watches can receive calls, text messages and other notifications just like your phone.
Many smartwatches have an inbuilt microphone and speaker so you can make and receive calls directly from the watch. Also, some of them have the ability to read text messages out loud.
But in order to access all these features, you must connect your smartwatch to your smartphone. Few smartwatches support eSIM which means your phone is not explicitly required.
How do Smartwatches Measure Sleep?
Sleep is important because it helps restore your body and it also helps you stay more alert during the day.
Sleep tracking is one of the newer features smartwatches can perform. It is also one of the most important. But how does sleep trackers work on your smartwatch? How do the most popular models do it?
Smartwatches are able to track your sleep by monitoring your heart rate, movement, and quality of sleep. The most common way to measure your sleep is with a metric called actigraphy, which is based on movement.
The wearable device uses an accelerometer to measure how much you’re moving throughout the night and assigns you a sleep score based on how closely it matches a standard sleep pattern.
Oxygen (Spo2) Monitoring
We have already written a dedicated article on how smartwatches monitor spo2. A lot of people want to check their blood oxygen levels, but they aren’t sure how to do it without an oximeter.
A smartwatch is a great option for people who want to make sure their oxygen levels are within the normal range but don’t want to fork over a lot of money for an oximeter.
When a smartwatch can measure your pulse and blood oxygen level, it’s due to the existence of photoplethysmogram (PPG) sensors.
The PPG sensor indirectly measures the volume of blood flowing through your wrist. The PPG sensor is made up of a green LED and an infrared diode.
When the two are placed in contact with the skin, some of the light energy is absorbed by blood cells as they pass through capillary beds next to the skin.
The light absorption rate changes with blood volume: when more cells pass through, more light it absorbs.
How Do Smartwatches Calculate Steps?
Smartwatches tend to use motion sensors, such as an accelerometer or a gyroscope, to calculate your daily step count.
These sensors measure the amount of movement in your wrist and convert that into a step count. Let’s make it simpler:
When you take a step, you move your body forward, then backward (and so on). A smartwatch uses its motion sensor such as a gyroscope or accelerometer to measure how much you’ve moved over a given period of time.
If you’ve moved one meter forward and one meter backward over the course of a minute, it counts that as two steps.
However, the accuracy of smartwatches is not as precise as a fitness band. If health monitoring is your sole purpose, decide wisely what you should buy, a smartwatch or a fitness band.
Using Multiple Apps on Smartwatches
It’s clear that smartwatches have become an integral part of people’s lives, from fitness and health tracking to receiving notifications to even controlling other devices. Here are five apps you should consider downloading next time you upgrade your smartwatch:
1. Gmail: The app will let you read the emails on your watch. It is available for free.
2. Spotify: Love music during workouts or wanna listen to your favourite podcast? Spotify is the app you should consider in your wearable for all these.
3. Runkeeper: If you love running, then this is just the app for you. You can easily track your run with Runkeeper app on your smartwatch.
4. Uber: If you don’t want to carry your phone with you, you can use this app to order an Uber taxi for you. It is also available for free.
5. Facebook Messenger: You will be able to send messages and do other kinds of stuff that are possible with Facebook messenger, directly from your smartwatch.
6. Google Maps: This is a good option if you want to navigate using GPS on your smartwatch, without carrying any extra device along with it.
7. Evernote: You can easily make notes and reminders on your smartwatch using this app, even when you are away from your phone.
Menstruation Tracker
The menstrual tracker is a new function with a built-in Bluetooth thermometer that can track your ovulation and menstrual cycle. You should consider having it while choosing a smartwatch.
The tracker works by measuring the temperature of your body under the skin, which is an accurate way to track your ovulation.
Founder of Menstruation Tracker, Donghyun Kim, said the idea for the smartwatch came from his personal experience.
“I got married three years ago but I wasn’t able to get pregnant. After consulting with many specialists, we found out that my wife had abnormal menstruation patterns,” he said.
Fitbit has its own period-tracking app called “Fitbit Cycle.” It allows you to manually log your period start date and length of each cycle, as well as associate symptoms like headaches.
NFC Payments
There are also apps that will allow users to make payments with their smartwatches, such as Google Pay or Apple Pay.
In this way, smartwatches can be used as a replacement for wallets or purses when out shopping, with contactless payments (NFC based), made to buy goods and services.
Smartwatches supporting NFC payments are the most recent technology to join the smartwatch market. Several major companies have launched their own models, including Apple and Samsung.
The application of this technology is relatively new, so many consumers are uncertain about how the payment process works on smartwatches.
Here is a brief explanation of how it goes:
NFC stands for Near Field Communications and is an acronym for a set of standards for smart devices to communicate wirelessly via radio frequency identification (RFID).
New smartwatches have near-field communication chips, which allow them to communicate with NFC readers.
They can be linked to your credit card, and then used to pay for things at merchants that accept contactless payments.
It is used in contactless payment systems like credit card chips and some smartphones. A smartwatch with NFC technology allows you to “tap” your watch against a terminal to initiate payment.
This is different from Bluetooth, which isn’t as secure as NFC and can be blocked by walls or other objects, preventing communication between the device and another NFC-enabled device.
Conclusion | How Smartwatch Works
In conclusion, smartwatches are a new market and they will have some growing pains but they have the potential to be the next big thing in mobile technology. As an early adopter and gadget lover, this is something I would definitely consider wearing on my wrist.
All in all, the smartwatch is a great device as long as you understand its limitations. However, most of the functions are very easy to use & understand, that’s why we’re sure you’ll have one for better tracking of your health while following the latest trend.
FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, the smartwatch can work without a phone now. Most smartwatches have a SIM card inside, so you can make calls, SMS & access notifications with your smartwatch without a phone.
However, if you have an older model that does not support SIM cards, it can be difficult to use cellular-related features.
A smartwatch is similar to a smartphone in that it offers the ability to make and receive calls, e-mails and other alerts sent to the watch.
However, unlike a smartphone that has a SIM card, a smartwatch needn’t have. In this regard, the smartwatch is like a Bluetooth device that works with your smartphone.
In order for your smartwatch to work on your phone, you will need to pair it through Bluetooth technology. After pairing the devices, you are ready to start receiving notifications from your smartphone on the watch.
No. But to do anything interesting, they have to connect to a phone. For people who want their smartwatch to do more, the only way you’re going to get there is by tethering it to a smartphone via Bluetooth.
Some are designed to work independently from a phone, although most require a nearby device. If your smartwatch can be used without a phone, it can still operate in passive mode by periodically syncing data when it is within range of another device.
This allows the watch to receive notifications from smartphones and other devices even when it is not being actively worn in some cases, depending on the model.
