Smartwatch Longevity: How to Make Your Smartwatch Go the Distance

It may seem counterintuitive that increasingly high-tech devices (with increasingly expensive price tags to match) can have a comparatively limited lifespan. By contrast, traditional watches are well known for their longevity. However, there are a range of factors that need to be taken into account when assessing what will provide you value.

In the following guide, we look at what smartwatches are and typical smartwatch functions, along with manufacturer release cycles, features that can impact longevity and whether buying a smartwatch is ultimately worth it.

Smartwatch features: from health and fitness to contactless payments

Smartwatches are wearable computing devices that sport the same designs as traditional watches and offer many of the same features as a smartphone. In fact, many smartwatches will pair with your smartphone via Bluetooth, paving the way for a range of additional applications.

For instance, when paired with a smartphone, a smartwatch can be used to make and receive calls, as well as send and receive text messages and emails. Many smartwatches also have wi-fi, allowing you to directly access information such as news and weather updates.

New smartwatch models sport eSIMS (an embedded SIM), enabling increasingly standalone usage. The eSIM allows a user to share their smartphone’s mobile number across the two devices, meaning they can use the smartwatch without the smartphone close by.

Other typical smartwatch features include:

• Health and fitness – many smartwatches can help monitor your health and track your workouts. Features such as heart-rate and sleep monitors are being harnessed to provide increasingly personalised health and fitness information.
• GPS – helps to track your location and assist with navigation.
• Music – pairing a smartwatch with Bluetooth headphones allows you to access music streaming services while on the go.
• Digital assistant – a voice-controlled assistant can carry out a range of tasks, from setting a reminder to controlling other smart devices
• Payment – allows for contactless in-store payments.

In short, smartwatches offer a broad range of features above and beyond simply telling the time. Smartwatches and traditional watches are in this respect very different devices. However, it’s still certainly worthwhile considering longevity.

With this in mind, you need to not only weigh up the full scope of features you require and how this matches with your budget, but also whether you are prepared to upgrade your smartwatch within a set timeframe.

→Related article: Work it Out: A Guide to Free Fitness Apps

Smartwatch release cycles: new models are regularly being released

Smartwatches have been arriving to market apace over the last decade. To put the speed of tech development into context, the Apple Watch, Apple’s first foray into the market, was released in 2015. Fast forward seven years and Apple has recently unveiled its Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Apple Watch Nike.

Other manufacturers, such as Samsung, have also been extremely active in the smartwatch segment. Having launched the Galaxy Gear smartwatch in 2013, Samsung has since released numerous models, and recently introduced its Galaxy Watch6 and Galaxy Watch6 Classic.

All of this effectively means that consumers now have an increasingly diverse range of choices. There are all types of smartwatches being regularly released, sporting varied features and catering for specific market segments (such as health and fitness), from budget through to premium models.

Notably, many major manufacturers have settled into a cycle of releasing at least one new smartwatch (and often a variety of models) per year. In this respect, smartwatches are constantly being superseded, in a similar manner to the smartphone market.

So, you’re probably wondering, how many years of use will you get out of a smartwatch, and will the initial investment be worth it? Will its hardware stand the test of time and will it continue to receive software support?

Smartwatch longevity: Features to keep in mind

Of course, like any device, you need to take care of your smartwatch to ensure you continue to derive value from it over the longer term. Beyond this, however, there are a range of additional factors that will play a role in its lifespan.

You may well get two to five years of use out of a smartwatch, or even more, depending on the manufacturer and model. But, ultimately, longevity needs to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Factors worthwhile considering include:

• Battery – is probably the first feature that will come to mind for many. Batteries progressively degrade over the course of charge cycles, reducing their capacity to hold a charge. Keep in mind the expected battery lifespan of a smartwatch and the process for battery replacement. For instance, will replacement batteries be readily available? Will you be able to replace the battery yourself, or will this need to be done by a specialist?
• Hardware – from touchscreen displays to processors, smartwatches are made up of a range of interconnected hardware components. If one of these components encounters problems, it can impact your overall experience. While the hardware may be sophisticated, more components can potentially mean a greater range of issues over the longer term.
• GPS tracking – if your smartwatch doesn’t have GPS, it can only track basic things like heart rate and blood pressure. If it has GPS, it can track things like steps and distance. And GPS is necessary to accurately track a wider range of fitness features.
• Software – for how long will a manufacturer provide software support? This may span from being able to update a smartwatch with a new OS version, to general software and security update support. Manufacturers generally enable updates to new OS versions and provide software support for a set period of time. Once a device is no longer supported it can pose a security risk.
• Durability – are you going to be taking your smartwatch hiking or swimming, or wearing it on a construction site? Or is just to keep you company in the office? While durability is always important, you might also want to consider things such as the level of water and dust proofing.

Meanwhile, if you’re planning on using your smartwatch with other devices, from your smartphone to smart home devices (such as lights and security devices), keep in mind potential compatibility issues. As your smartwatch ages, it may no longer be able to connect with other devices.

So, is a smartwatch worth it?

As outlined above, you’ll need to weigh up a range of factors in deciding whether a smartwatch will provide you value, and longevity should, of course, be a key consideration. In this respect, as a starting point, most smartwatches should be viewed in the context of having a limited lifespan.

From here, you’ll need to consider whether you’ll get good value over the course of a smartwatch’s lifespan. Your budget will be closely linked to this, and the more you pay, the greater your expectations should be with regard to longevity.

Questions worthwhile asking include:

• What do you want from a smartwatch? Do you really require smart features? What features do you specifically require? How much use will you realistically get from these features?
• How much are you prepared to pay? There’s obviously a significant difference between paying $100, $400 or $1000+ for a smartwatch. In line with your budget, what represents good value?
• What lifespan seems reasonable? Will two years be enough? What about five? Or are you keen for something that will last longer? As advised above, this should also be viewed in the context of your budget.
• Are you prepared to upgrade? Once your smartwatch starts becoming dated (from both a hardware and software perspective), will you be willing to hand over more cash for an upgraded model?

In addition, it’s worthwhile noting that many of the smart features offered by a smartwatch may already be available on your smartphone, and you could simply be doubling up. When smartwatch shopping, be sure to identify the specific smartwatch features that appeal to you.

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About the author of this page

This report was written by Canstar Content Producer, Caitlin Bingham. Caitlin is an experienced writer whose passion for creativity led her to study communication and journalism. She began her career freelancing as a content writer, before joining the Canstar team.