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Nowadays, it seems like just about everyone has a smartwatch. Whether it’s to boost their fitness and health tracking, to see notifications easier or maybe to just tell the time, there are a lot of advantages to using a smartwatch. The problem is that there are so many different smartwatch options in Australia, with every review claiming a different model is the best.
Here at Lifehacker Australia, we’ve tested out a few different smartwatches in our time so while it’s difficult to pick the best of the bunch, we thought we’d try and give you a rundown of all the smartwatches the team has reviewed.
The best of our Real Life Reviews: Smartwatches
Our team has tested the latest products from Apple and Samsung, as well as a fancy smartwatch that looks just like any ordinary watch, to see how they hold up.
Here’s what we thought.
Apple Watch Series 8
Image credit: Lifehacker Australia/Stephanie Nuzzo
Apple Watches are probably the most notable of all the smartwatches, and some of the best.
For the Apple Watch Series 8, there was a lot for us to love. We were especially big fans of all the new fitness and health updates that came with the smartwatch.
There are also some really great features like menstrual tracking, heart rate zones and customised workouts as well as a medication app.
We weren’t sure if the smartwatch justified its price point, but we’ll let you be the judge of that.
Samsung Galaxy Watch4
Image: Samsung
Apple’s main competitor, Samsung, came knocking down its smartwatch door with the Galaxy Watch4.
We were pretty impressed with this smartwatch, especially with its upgraded health and fitness features like the BioActive sensor that put it on par with the Apple Watch Series 7.
It’s also considerably cheaper, which we always enjoy. Starting at $399, the Samsung Galaxy Watch4 is definitely one of the best smartwatches on the market.
Suunto 5 Peak
Image: Lifehacker Australia
We really enjoyed our time with the Suunto 5 Peak smartwatch. This one is probably the best fit for those who are looking to enhance their exercise and fitness tracking.
From heat map GPS tracking to a really sleek design, the Suunto 5 Peak is a strong competitor for the Fitbit.
One thing we weren’t totally obsessed with was the price, which sat just under $500. However, you do get a decent amount out of it, with 80 different sports modes and adaptative training guidance that not many other watches offer.
Withings Scanwatch
Image: Lifehacker Australia
Now this smartwatch was a little different from all the others we reviewed. Mostly because this one looked nothing like the others.
If you’re not into the super-tech look, this analogue-focused one might be the perfect watch for you.
You can still do all the things you want to with the Withings Scanwatch like using an inbuilt GPS, sleep and step tracker, workout features and breathing exercises, but it looks like an unassuming watch.
Apple Watch Series 7
Image: Lauren Rouse/Lifehacker Australia
There’s obviously no shortage of Apple smartwatches in Australia, with the Series 7 finding the middle ground in our reviews.
It’s not the worst smartwatch, but it’s also not the best.
We really loved the bigger and better display, as well as the super-fast charging capabilities.
What fell short for us was that it didn’t really make any significant strides from previous models.
Oh, and there are some fun colours to choose from if that’s your thing.
Laser V-Fitness Smart Watch
Workout options. Image: Lifehacker Australia
Laser entered the smartwatch health tracker game to bring a more affordable watch to users.
With that, there’s a lot of sacrifice in terms of design and efficiency, especially in fitness tracking.
However, this watch is perfect if you’re not looking for anything high-tech and has all the basic features of a smartwatch at an affordable price.
While we haven’t reviewed it, here’s how to get started with the Google Pixel Watch.
