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Smartwatch Buying Guide

Packed full of useful features and functions, a smartwatch is a must-have accessory for the digital ages. This guide will take you through what each of our smartwatches has to offer, to help you find the perfect one for you.

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What is a smartwatch and
how do they work?

A smartwatch is basically what it says on the tin. With everything you need at the flick of a wrist including notifications, apps, media, voice control, fitness tracking or GPS (the list goes on), smartwatches are a portable device otherwise known as wearable technology.

They can be designed or intended for daily use or specific purposes, like fitness tracking, the choice is yours.

What do smartwatches do?

We’ve put together a table of features and functions for each of our watches so you can compare and find the right one for you.

TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 Garmin Tacix 7 Garmin Fenix 7 Garmin Epix Garmin Venu 2/2S Garmin MAR Garmin Lily Tissot T-Touch Connect Solar Hublot Big Bang e
TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 Garmin Tactix 7 Garmin Fenix 7 Garmin Epix Garmin Venu 2/2S Garmin MARQ Garmin Lily Tissot T-Touch Connect Solar Hublot Big Bang e
Download Apps ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✕ ✕ ✓
Music Management ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✕ ✓
Voice Command ✓ ✕ ✕ ✕ ✕ ✕ ✕ ✕ ✓
Translate ✓ ✕ ✕ ✕ ✕ ✕ ✕ ✓ ✓
Maps ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✕ ✓ ✕ ✕ ✓
Notifications ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Pay from your Wrist ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✕ ✕ ✓
Fitness Tracking ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Heart Rate Monitor ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✕ ✕
Built in GPS ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✕ ✓ ✕
Touchscreen ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✕ ✓ ✓ ✓
Customisable Dials ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✕ ✕
Personalise with straps ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✕ ✕
Water Resistant 50m 100m 100m 100m 50m 100m 50m 100m 30m
Compatibility Android 6.0+ and above / iOS 10.0+ and above Android 7.0+ and above / iOS 13.0+ and above Android 7.0+ and above / iOS 12.0+ and above Android 6.0+ and above / iOS 12.0+ and above
Battery All-day battery life Up to 18 days Up to 28 days Up to 16 days Up to 10 days Up to 12 days Up to 5 days Up to 6 months All-day battery life
TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4
TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4
Download Apps ✓
Music Management ✓
Voice Command ✓
Translate ✓
Maps ✓
Notifications ✓
Pay from your Wrist ✓
Fitness Tracking ✓
Heart Rate Monitor ✓
Built in GPS ✓
Touchscreen ✓
Customisable Dials ✓
Personalise with straps ✓
Water Resistant 50m
Compatibility Android 6.0+ and above / iOS 10.0+ and above
Battery All-day battery life
Garmin Tactix 7
Garmin Tactix 7
Download Apps ✓
Music Management ✓
Voice Command ✕
Translate ✕
Maps ✓
Notifications ✓
Pay from your Wrist ✓
Fitness Tracking ✓
Heart Rate Monitor ✓
Built in GPS ✓
Touchscreen ✓
Customisable Dials ✓
Personalise with straps ✓
Water Resistant 100m
Compatibility Android 7.0+ and above / iOS 13.0+ and above
Battery Up to 28 days
Garmin Fenix 7
Garmin Fenix 7
Download Apps ✓
Music Management ✓
Voice Command ✕
Translate ✕
Maps ✓
Notifications ✓
Pay from your Wrist ✓
Fitness Tracking ✓
Heart Rate Monitor ✓
Built in GPS ✓
Touchscreen ✓
Customisable Dials ✓
Personalise with straps ✓
Water Resistant 100m
Compatibility Android 7.0+ and above / iOS 13.0+ and above
Battery Up to 18 days
Garmin Epix
Garmin Epix
Download Apps ✓
Music Management ✓
Voice Command ✕
Translate ✕
Maps ✓
Notifications ✓
Pay from your Wrist ✓
Fitness Tracking ✓
Heart Rate Monitor ✓
Built in GPS ✓
Touchscreen ✓
Customisable Dials ✓
Personalise with straps ✓
Water Resistant 100m
Compatibility Android 7.0+ and above / iOS 13.0+ and above
Battery Up to 16 days
Garmin Venu 2/2S
Garmin Venu 2/2S
Download Apps ✓
Music Management ✓
Voice Command ✕
Translate ✕
Maps ✕
Notifications ✓
Pay from your Wrist ✓
Fitness Tracking ✓
Heart Rate Monitor ✓
Built in GPS ✓
Touchscreen ✓
Customisable Dials ✓
Personalise with straps ✓
Water Resistant 50m
Compatibility Android 7.0+ and above / iOS 13.0+ and above
Battery Up to 10 days
Garmin MARQ
Garmin MARQ
Download Apps ✓
Music Management ✓
Voice Command ✕
Translate ✕
Maps ✓
Notifications ✓
Pay from your Wrist ✓
Fitness Tracking ✓
Heart Rate Monitor ✓
Built in GPS ✓
Touchscreen ✓
Customisable Dials ✓
Personalise with straps ✓
Water Resistant 100m
Compatibility Android 7.0+ and above / iOS 13.0+ and above
Battery Up to 12 days
Garmin Lily
Garmin Lily
Download Apps ✕
Music Management ✓
Voice Command ✕
Translate ✕
Maps ✕
Notifications ✓
Pay from your Wrist ✕
Fitness Tracking ✓
Heart Rate Monitor ✓
Built in GPS ✕
Touchscreen ✓
Customisable Dials ✓
Personalise with straps ✓
Water Resistant 50m
Compatibility Android 7.0+ and above / iOS 13.0+ and above
Battery Up to 5 days
Tissot T-Touch Connect Solar
Tissot T-Touch Connect Solar
Download Apps ✕
Music Management ✕
Voice Command ✕
Translate ✓
Maps ✕
Notifications ✓
Pay from your Wrist ✕
Fitness Tracking ✓
Heart Rate Monitor ✕
Built in GPS ✓
Touchscreen ✓
Customisable Dials ✕
Personalise with straps ✕
Water Resistant 100m
Compatibility Android 7.0+ and above / iOS 12.0+ and above
Battery Up to 6 months
Hublot Big Bang e
Hublot Big Bang e
Download Apps ✓
Music Management ✓
Voice Command ✓
Translate ✓
Maps ✓
Notifications ✓
Pay from your Wrist ✓
Fitness Tracking ✓
Heart Rate Monitor ✕
Built in GPS ✕
Touchscreen ✓
Customisable Dials ✕
Personalise with straps ✕
Water Resistant 30m
Compatibility Android 6.0+ and above / iOS 12.0+ and above
Battery All day battery life

Key Features

Understanding the key terms to smartwatches and how they work can help you make a better-informed decision on which one to go for. We’ve taken some top features from each of our smartwatches and explained what they mean.

Heart rate

Smartwatches vs Fitness trackers

What’s the difference? Most smartwatches depend on your smartphone for activity tracking whereas a fitness tracker does all of that for you anyway. If you plan to use a smartwatch primarily for working out, you may want to consider a fitness tracker with smartwatch-like features, such as the Garmin Fenix. This lets you customise the watch face and read notifications alongside all the usual fitness tracking features.

Display

Types of display

Most smartwatches use a backlit LCD or an OLED display which require battery power to generate their light. LCD uses a backlight to illuminate their pixels, allowing content to be viewed in richer colours and tends to be brighter. OLED pixels produce their own light and are known for their great image quality and low power consumption. The TAG Heuer Connected boasts an OLED screen.

iOS

OS compatibility

OS stands for ‘operating system’. This means that in order for your smartwatch to fully function, it must be compatible with another device. Each smartwatch will vary in OS compatibility, this can be found in your manual. All of our smartwatches operate with Wear OS which includes smartphones running the latest version of Android or iOS – the features on your watch may vary between platforms.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth

The Bluetooth function connects your smartwatch to your phone so you can receive smart notifications. Smartwatches can work without Bluetooth connectivity using the Internet instead. However, if you have no connectivity you’ll only be able to use basic functions, and features such as voice actions will not work.

Cellular

Cellular carrier support

Some smartwatches allow you to send and make calls via your wrist, this is called ‘cellular carrier support’. The new Garmin Venu2 allows you to take and place calls, so you can leave your phone at home whilst out on a run!

iOS

NFC contactless payment

Short for ‘near field communications’, NFC smartwatches make it convenient for you to pay at the flick of a wrist – just like your smartphone can. In order for this to work, you must be connected via Bluetooth or Internet to your phone and check that your bank is compatible with this feature. Wear OS devices such as Garmin smartwatches use Garmin Pay.

How much is a smartwatch?

The prices of smartwatches vary depending on the functions, features and brand you go for. If you’re looking for Swiss avant-garde technology, then TAG Heuer and Hublot are for you whilst Garmin and Tissot watches will help you with specific sporting needs. Our range of smartwatches start at £230 to £4,800.

At a glance:

With two different case sizes in 42mm and 45mm, as well as an array of different bracelet options, the TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 echoes the distinct design, luxurious materials and refined finishes that’s iconic of all TAG Heuer chronographs.

What's the price tag?

Prices for TAG Heuer Connected start at £1,500 or £62.50 per month Interest Free Credit.

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At a glance:

Designed for people who want to get the best out of their active lifestyle, you can be certain that Garmin’s compelling designs and innovative features will go the distance. Choose between the Tactix, Fenix, MARQ, Epix, Lily and Venu2 collections to find a Garmin to suit your fitness needs.

What's the price tag?

Prices for Garmin smartwatches start at £230 or as little as £14.07 per month Interest Free Credit.

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Spread The Cost

Make buying a new smartwatch even easier. Pay with Klarna on smartwatches up to £500 or choose 4 years 9.9% APR finance, available on smartwatches £750 and over.

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At a glance:

A fusion between tradition, innovation and cutting-edge materials, the Hublot Big Bang e boasts an extremely high level of technological sophistication, whilst adopting all the aesthetic values of the Big Bang collection.

What's the price tag?

The Hublot Big Bang e starts at £4,300 or from £89.58 per month with Interest Free Credit.

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At a glance:

Embodying the brand’s philosophy ‘innovators by tradition’, the Tissot T-Touch Connected Solar is neither a gadget nor a device, but simply a fitness watch with all the smart features you need to stay connected.

What's the price tag?

Prices for Garmin smartwatches start at £230 or as little as £14.07 per month Interest Free Credit.

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