Sportspeople and those who wish to get in better physical shape have grown to rely on connected watches as well as activity trackers as their “indispensable” companions. These advanced devices gather a lot of information about our movements, activities, and vital signs (age, weight, sex, sleep cycle, heart rate, etc.).
Based on our activity, they could be linked to a variety of external sensors that add extra information. Smartwatches are typically connected to a platform for data storage that enables users to see, analyze, as well as share their actions. The security of these items is a major problem given the type of data they connect.
What Does a Smartwatch Mean?
A wearable computer that strongly matches a wristwatch and other timepiece devices is called a smartwatch. Several smartwatches are known to be bluetooth-capable and can tell the time. The watch transforms into a bluetooth adaptor that may bring the features of the smartphone towards the timepiece.
The interface of the watch can be used by the wearer to make and take phone calls via their mobile device, read text and email messages, obtain weather information, play music, compose text and email messages, and communicate with a digital assistant.
Some smartwatches are separate gadgets that provide a particular function. For instance, certain smartwatches gather information regarding the user’s health, such as tracking the user’s heart rate. Others give the wearer driving or walking directions using GPS information.
What Functionalities are available on Smartwatches?
Smartwatches come with a lot of functions. These include the following:
- Healthcare informatics like level of blood oxygen, temperature and blood pressure monitoring, and heart rate
- Calling and messaging capabilities akin to those found on the smartphone
- For emergency calls if the wearer falls
- Social media as well as other notifications gotten from synchronized mobile apps
- Games, photos, music, as well as other entertainment alternatives
- Location capabilities like maps, compass, and an altimeter
- GPS tracking
In most cases, smartwatches connect to the user’s smartphone. The watch has many of similar functions and software programs as the phone and can sync with it. Users of Apple Watch must also own any Apple iPhone.
Smartwatch Types
There are several all-purpose smartwatches available on the marketplace which offers a range of capabilities. Some examples of this are as follows:
- Apple’s all-purpose smartwatch is the Apple Watch
- There are numerous companies that create and market timepieces using the Wear OS of Google.
- Samsung’s exclusive smartwatch OS is used by Tizen watches.
Smartwatch IoT Use Cases
If you always keep your smartphone nearby when you’re out as well as about, you’ve certainly encountered a circumstance where you only glanced away briefly before realizing that you had missed a very important message or call.
You can receive notifications right away by using a connected watch or smartwatch to connect to the smartphone. You should be conscious of the smartphone even if it is only close and examine it occasionally. Instead, you wouldn’t have to be concerned about missing any of these important detail because you will be informed just by wearing one.
Get top-notch health management features
These watches come with features that make it simple for users to maintain their health. Apps that assess the heart rate as well as those which record the path you take when exercising are common examples. Health-conscious folks who regularly cycle or run find these features to be quite appealing.
Similarly, some apps allow you to track your sleep, which is seen as a wonderful feature for people who are concerned about the biological clock.
Easily assess the weather
There are definitely instances when you do not really feel like unlocking your smartphone only to assess the weather using an app because mornings are typically busy.
You can effortlessly check the weather with connected watches and smartwatch IoT coupled with performing your morning tasks.
Serves as mobile wallet
Every year, the number of people adopting a wearable payment device increases. You can leave the house with no credit card or cash and make purchases with your wristwatch by downloading the app for mobile payments. It makes using public transportation simple and enables you to stop by any store while out for quick run or stroll even though your wallet isn’t with you.
Playing music
You may stream as well as play music if you own a connected watch or smartwatch. You can do it with some devices even if you don’t have a smartphone. When you wish to run while listening to music but are unable to bring your smartphone along, they are useful.
Easily set an alarm on your wristwatch with your smartphone
One feature that makes people utilize these watches is the alarm feature. By linking it to a smartphone, you may quickly set up an alarm. When using a smartphone and paying attention to something, you could miss the alarm going off. Yet with these watches’ vibrating alarms, you wouldn’t have to stress about it anymore. When you’re concentrating on work or catching a nap, this popular feature is helpful.
Experience effortless time conversion when traveling overseas
While traveling abroad, changing the time on your device might be a hassle. Immediately you get there, you ought to verify the time and manually change it.
Even when you’re traveling abroad, you won’t need to worry about connected watches and smartwatch IoT because all you need to do is set the location, then the watch would automatically change to the local time.
What are the Advantages of the Smartwatch IoT?
Below are a few key aspects of wearable IoT
Better management of health
When smart wearables first came out, the only health-related features were step counts and the heart rate monitor. A smartphone or other portable device would receive the data gathered by a smart wearable and organize your fitness regimen based on your BMI.
With the convergence of smartwatches and the internet of things, a variety of useful applications are feasible:
- Monitoring a baby’s crib continuously to provide prompt attention to a toddler;
- Enhancing patient-centric healthcare through data streaming in real time of vital signs.
- Make emergency care for the elderly easier.
- Depending on the person’s health, the smartphone app may even provide reminders to drink water.
Navigation and communication
Certain smartwatches have built-in communication features, and you can add a SIM card to connect them straight to the Web. The feature is ideal for using a GPS or SatNav while traveling. Pets could be fitted with smart wearables to help in tracking them. A smartphone is not necessary thanks to the built-in calling and texting capabilities of some smartwatches.
The smartwatch already established itself as a helpful covert tool thanks to its built-in cameras. Some smartwatches offer elderly patients emergency treatment. They can summon the help of their caregivers or some emergency services such as hospitals by simply tapping or clicking the screen. Certain smart devices can also monitor babies; they can let you know if the child is weeping or doing fine.
Device management
Also, the IoT ecosystem is accessible through the smartwatch. Your smartphone as well as a number of other gadgets are connected to it. You might receive a vibrating or sound alarm if you leave your cell phone behind and move beyond a certain range. Certain smart devices even allow you to locate a missing phone. Some devices additionally include a remote control feature, which helps in deleting or encrypting data or lock your phone permanently.
What is the Future of the Smartwatch IoT?
In the past 50 years, smartwatches have seen many changes. Complex data regarding the wearer can now be tracked, stored, and transmitted by them.
Biometric data is one area on which several smartwatch manufacturers have been concentrating. Smartwatches can track fitness data such as daily steps as well as body composition. Also, they can keep an eye out for prospective medical issues. The goal of manufacturers is to increase the number of health-related technologies that can be incorporated into smartwatches.
The increased prevalence of chronic diseases that demand ongoing monitoring is one factor contributing to the focus of healthcare. In this regard, smartwatches are beneficial. In addition, the smartwatches are helpful for recognizing COVID-19 exposure as well as contact tracking thanks to their integrated GPS, health, as well as mobility characteristics.
With better real-time access to the health data of a patient, medical professionals may offer more individualized care and spot ailments before they worsen.
Conclusion
As we learnt, A wearable computer that strongly matches a wristwatch and other timepiece devices is called a smartwatch. You can track your GPS locations, keep an eye on your fitness levels, and read text messages faster thanks to smartwatch IoT. The best part is that the majority of the gadgets that let us accomplish this are portable and hands free, so you don’t need to pull them out of your pockets.
Several of the aforementioned pieces of information could be acquired prior to wearables, but doing so sometimes needed hassles and inconvenient technologies.