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The Mobile World Congress (MWC) is over, but the show definitely brought a lot to the table. We’ve seen all sorts of smartphones, smartwatches, tablets and all sorts of other gadgets being showcased in Barcelona this year. One of the main surprises this year was Huawei’s first Android Wear-powered smartwatch, the Huawei Watch. It managed to turn a lot of heads during the show because of its beautiful design, and I believe we’ll all agree that the Huawei Watch screams “premium”, no matter which way you look at it, and it will definitely be able to compete with the other three metallic circular smartwatches out in the market, the Motorola Moto 360, LG G Watch R and LG Watch Urbane. The Asus’ Zenwatch and Sony’s Smartwatch 3 are also in the competition here, they’re not circular, but are beautifully designed as well.
Smartwacthes are still not as popular as their manufacturers would like them to be, the sales are not exactly the best and they’re far from being mainstream, that’s for sure. They are becoming more and more popular though, and the launch of Apple’s very own Apple Watch will certainly help smartwatches to become even more popular. We already have a bunch of great smartwatch offerings out in the market, Android Wear-powered devices, Samsung’s Tizen-powered smartwatches, Pebble’s offering and the Apple Watch will arrive shortly. I’m sure that smartwatch sales will increase this year, we’ll see. Anyhow, let’s focus on the currently (or soon to be available) Android Wear offerings, shall we.
The Android Wear OS is pretty much the same on all of the currently available (or soon to be available) Android Wear smartwatches, aside from some pre-installed watchfaces that is, though there are a ton of third-party watchfaces available, so you can mix it up any way you want to. Hardware is almost the same as well, sure, there are some differences when it comes to screen technology and manufacturers of internal specs, but they’re quite similar none the less. So, what differentiates these devices at the moment? Well, their design. Whether you’d like to admit it or not, watches have become a fashion accessory for many people, and the design plays a huge part in many people’s choice when buying a smartwatch. Well, I’ll go as far as saying that it plays a role in everyone’s choice, but it’s more important to some of us I guess.
As a disclaimer, I’m currently rocking LG’s G Watch, have been for quite some time, and the watch is really great. As far as the design goes however, this watch is definitely not the one to show off. I like to say that the G Watch sports an industrial build, it’s not flashy in any way and it really doesn’t look like a regular watch. This watch is a combination of metal and plastic, but it’s really not in the competition for the best-designed smartwatch out there. Which brings out a question, which currently available Android Wear-powered watch is the best looking one? Well, it’s all a matter of taste really, some people really dig this understated, plain looking watches like the G Watch, while others really need something made entirely from premium material and matching their outfits and what not.
Huawei certainly did raise some eyebrows when they announced the Huawei Watch. This smartwatch definitely belongs among the best looking smatwatches out there, but is it the best looking thus far? Well, in my case, it’s not, I still think Moto 360 sports a better look. Why? Well, because it’s whole body is round, it doesn’t have the steel part sticking out and attaching to the strap. That’s just my personal opinion, of course, I’m sure that the vast majority of people actually prefers that because it makes the watch look like a regular, and yet premium watch. Other people simply don’t prefer the circular smartwatch time, and they’re looking for something square, which is fine as well, the ZenWatch and Sony Smartwatch 3 are great offerings, and there are always the Gear Live and the G Watch available if that’s what you prefer. What are your thoughts here? Which currently announced / available smartwatch do you think looks the best, which one would you purchase or have already purchased?