Do NOT buy a smartwatch in India before reading this (NO clickbait)
Remember those days when someone would buy a Micromax 3G feature phone in 2014 after seeing a Hugh Jackman advertisement, or a Karbonn, Spice, Lava, Xolo, Gionee. Lemon, Celkon, Alcatel, Intex, Movil or Panasonic phone and think they are getting the latest and best features? That’s what you are getting right now in India in the name of smartwatches.
The things that call themselves smartwatches are in reality just feature-watches. There is no app store for these, no OS (but firmware) and most importantly, other than 3-4 functions which could be done on a fitness band from 2014 (for example, Fitbit Charge 2 HR), these watches offer you zero additional functionalities. You get a round/square/rectangular dial with huge borders and bad colors that can do grossly inaccurate and overestimated step tracking, sleep tracking that is detected from lower heartrate and hand movement, highly unreliable heart rate tracking due to Indian skin tone (https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/does-skin-...), some basic alarms, notifications, and telling you current local time which has to be interrupted every few days for recharging.
A true smartwatch will have a proper OS, an app store that will let you install apps of your choice, an AMOLED screen (because any sane person unconcerned with technological constraints would ideally like to have the time always displayed), NFC and payment functionalities, in-built GPS, in-built Bluetooth music player which means all you need is a pair of TWS when you go for an outdoor run and such.
If you can afford it, buy Google’s Fitbit, Samsung’s Galaxy Watch, or Apple’s apple watch. If you cannot afford these, buy a sub 20 USD (sub-1500 INR) fitness band. Do NOT fall for these “smartwatches”, again, you are buying a “Lemon” or a “Spice” phone and they do NOT come with the best and latest features and they do NOT upgrade over anything. When you’d see watches are advertising the hardware (processor, screen, charging, band), the OS, and their app store, that will be a time to buy these. Until that time, stay put.
Please vote in the poll.
Correction: OPPO smartwatch at 12990 on Flipkart is an absolutely legit smartwatch. Sorry about including OPPO in the poll which I can’t change now.
You can look at the highlights section for a pointer on how real smartwatches would advertise. https://www.flipkart.com/oppo-watch-41-mm-wifi-...
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Their is a guy in youtube who do scientific analysis of various smartwatch (sleep,step,heart rate,spo2) using medical equipments and alsl statical analysis. Very informative, although I will not post his name here because dunno about desidime rule. He is a post doctoral scientist in Biological data analysis
The step detection comes from a very small mechanical sensor first introduced inside a pedometer way back in 1780. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ped...er) Seventeen hundred and eighty. It has a very small spring-loaded pendulum inside and as you move the pendulum swings and connects a circuit and a step is counted. (https://www.explainthatstuff.com/how-pedometers...)
Now, it works on the basis of two crucial assumptions 1) when you take a step, the sensor swings with it. And if you by any chance keep your hand still but move your feet (say a treadmill desk or static cycling), the sensor cannot detect anything 2) the sensor moves only when your feet move. And if you move your hand even when your feet are not moving, the sensor detects a step. So it errs on both sides and thus may overall produce less error as the errors ideally cancel each other (some undercounted steps on treadmill desk, some overcounted steps on cleaning your dishes). This defect is quite difficult to correct using heart rate. However, if you add resistance to the swing of the pendulum and thus swinging at a very small movement during sleep but a large movement during running, you can fix some errors.
This principle has nothing to do with a medical degree, it is pretty common sense. How difficult could it be if it was first designed in 1780?
I have had satisfactory results for steps and sleep tracking with fitness bands and never lured to buy a smartwatch.
I have been using mi band since years and whenever i see any new smartwatch launching in budget category, i just compare what extra it has which my band doesn’t and i end up admiring my band even more as these new smart watches just have round or square dial at the cost of low battery and those with calling facilities wont have enough juice left at day end to track sleep.
Anything more than 2.5k is not actual value for money
True.. don’t have any band with me… was able to buy Real me watch under 2000… it was enough for most of my needs.
True.. don’t have any band with me… was able to buy Real me watch under 2000… it was enough for most of my needs.This realme watch:
https://www.flipkart.com/realme-classic-watch/p...
Couldn’t agree more but at 3k to 4k, which is just around 1500 or so more than a good smartband, the smartwatches are not that bad a deal either.
For all the support you ask, it requires the user to spend 20k or more for a good android compatible smart watch or lot higher for iOS compatible smartwatch.
If you are selling a toy car and making people believe it’s the real deal, no matter how little you charge, it is not morally right. Why don’t you sell really good toy cars by letting people know that they are buying toy cars? A good toy car that will make fantastic noises. blink flashy lights, run at 4 miles per hour beating other toy cars, and so on. That’s what people are buying right now in the name of smartwatches, imagining they bought a Lexus, Cadillac, or a Volvo.
You can also consider Ticwatch by Mobvoi though their indian pricing is kinda high.
Agreed 
These useless smartwatches need to be charged more frequently than good smart bands.
But which is the good band available below 1500?
As per my analysis, MI bands are fairly priced with good quality and features. Waiting so long for mi band 6 release.
Let me know if anyone suggest different one
PS: If anyone has noticed, I have left Huami Amazfit out of this discussion, they are a little unusual among the bunch I was talking about. They do sell feature watches by the definition I used for others. However, it is amazing (pun) that in a few of their offerings (Verge, Stratos, and Pace), you can sideload apps and do some modifications. You need a small tweak to do it which is available here: https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/app-amazmod....
So, Amazfit is the only one in the gray category. And that is why I had to create a third option in the poll.
Please vote in the poll.
Couldn’t agree more with the statements penned down by the OP. Just because the band looks like a watch and has the looks of a true smartwatch, the so called devices are easy to deceive people.
Good one people r crazy nowadays like anything just want to copycat everything of colleague seniors etc… Without even knowing the use requirement of the product they hv purchased just to show off that yeah I am up-to-date with modern lifestyle 🤬
I prefer hybrid watches but they aren’t being released in india.
Apple or nothing watch and phone
lol, a watch is a watch and is definitely worth the 1-1.5k paid over the normal bands… when people are way rich this is what happens… easy to say "if u want a smart watch , buy 20k ones. " lol . Before the smartphones came, there were numerous feature phones and each one had its price and according to you, people were fools to choose the expensive ones then. my bad accidentally voted for the first option .certainly deserves the 4th option.
i dont think anybody leaves their phone at home and want all their social media apps and other things on their teeny tiny screen.
A feature phone is not a smart phone and similarly a feature watch is not a smart watch. If you have happily used Celkon mobile or the likes back in those days, please spend on anything to your heart’s wish. You do sound rich and wasteful.
I agree. I hv bought storm watch in ~1200rs in a deal and returned this “toy watch” with in few days due to inaccurate and highly variable readings. I post in many of dd threads to avoid atleast boat watch. Sometimes people argue that watch is at goo price n all, but I say, effectively its a toy at high price rather than a smartwatch at low price.
+🔥 and ✝️ Karma given! to @sb584012 for wiki post.
Bdw Im no fan of any smart watch… whats the point if it ultimately makes us dumb?!
Its like that stupid tv ad saying “alexa, ac chalaa dena”
Might as well say “alexa, lazyness / calories / data privacy threats badhaa dena” 
Just my viewpt, not interested in any debate
https://www.amazon.in/Riversong-Act-HR-Fitness-...
Riversong Act HR Fitness Tracker
Bought this at 399 for step counter and sleep monitor and for good look. Its worthy.
Watch first 45 seconds of this video.
 for Rs. at ){kind=link}
Nice observation and analysis.Those buying these so called useless smartwatches ( subs 3k -4k) just seeing the customised colorful watch faces without considering its utility are either immature or living in fool’s paradise.Unfortunately most of the Indians specially from suburbs and villages falls into this category and can be easily exploited by those so called smartwatch making foreign companies.Very cheap😁😁