If you want to keep track of your sports performance, you can choose between a smartwatch and a fitness tracker. What exactly are the differences?
tracker
A fitness tracker is specifically designed to track your health and exercise sessions. A smartwatch can of course also do this, but it offers many more options and is actually more of an extension of your smartphone.
There can be a lot of overlap between the two types of watches. Some fitness trackers also show notifications from apps, just like a smartwatch, but keep in mind that the functions are a lot more limited and that a tracker is really intended for people who want to monitor their health well and often. The trackers are often designed as a kind of bracelet and are small, thin and light on the wrist. Moreover, they can take a beating, while sweat or water is no problem. The somewhat advanced variants have standard sport profiles, for example hiking, weight training or running and with some trackers you can also go into the water. Trackers are also good for getting an idea of ​​your sleeping pattern.
You can often connect your tracker to your phone via an app to keep track of your goals, but sometimes also to see if you are eating and drinking enough and whether your weight has changed. Although a tracker is actually a somewhat simple version of a smartwatch, you can also measure your heart rate and use GPS with many trackers from brands such as Fitbit, Samsung, Garmin and Polar.
smart watch
Like a tracker, a smartwatch can keep track of how many steps you have taken, how far you have walked or cycled and how many calories you have burned, but you choose a smartwatch mainly to stay connected. Remember that you actually have a smartphone on your wrist. You can receive calls, navigate, respond to messages and emails, as well as get updates about your favorite apps.
Instead of a bracelet, with a smartwatch you just have a watch on your wrist. Often there are even ways to adjust your watch, for example by choosing a different wristband or a different dial.
Just like with a phone, you can opt for a smartwatch that runs on any version of Android or Apple’s operating system. On an Apple Watch you will find the watchOS operating system by default, but the type of operating system can still differ with an Android watch.
You don’t necessarily have to choose an Apple Watch if you have a iPhone but there may be features that will not work. Sometimes, for example, it is not possible to take calls with your watch. Nowadays, many smartwatches also allow you to install apps directly on the watch, so that you no longer have to have your phone nearby to use the functionalities.
sports watch
Between a smartwatch and fitness tracker you will also find a “traditional” sports watch. More than a tracker, these watches are dedicated to tracking sports sessions. You will find specific sports programs and you can clearly see your progress via an app. So if you want a watch purely for sports, a sports watch is a good choice.
Conclusion
A tracker and smartwatch can both keep track of your daily activities, although a tracker is purely designed to keep track of your health and sports sessions, while a smartwatch can do much more. That is why a smartwatch is often more expensive than a tracker. Are you not willing to do that, for example because you really only want to maintain your health a bit? Then you better choose a tracker.
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