Credit: Jaye / Casio / FutureToday's best smartwatches are ultra-capable, feature-packed powerhouses.
Casio recently made headlines with its delightfully retro F-B100W, which takes your classic, rubbery, blocky Casio watch and adds in step-counting features.
That sent me off on a hunt for other smartwatches and fitness trackers that do something a bit different, and I was not disappointed with the results.
Such a lengthy runtime is achieved by adding solar charging, swapping your average vibrant AMOLED display for a low-energy, monochrome e-ink one, and stripping the smart features right, right back.
Scroll down for a closer look at these weird and wonderful smart trackers — hit the View details button to learn more about each one.
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Credit: Jaye / Casio / Future
Today's best smartwatches are ultra-capable, feature-packed powerhouses. But is it just me, or are they all starting to feel kinda samey? Casio recently made headlines with its delightfully retro F-B100W, which takes your classic, rubbery, blocky Casio watch and adds in step-counting features. That sent me off on a hunt for other smartwatches and fitness trackers that do something a bit different, and I was not disappointed with the results. I've rounded up my favorites below.
There's the new-out Huawei Watch D3, which looks like your standard, modern smartwatch, but has a secret, in-built blood pressure cuff. For those who prefer a traditional watch aesthetic, there are the Garmin Instinct Crossover and Withings Scanwatch 2, both of which have smartwatch features but also mechanical hands. Neither is especially new, but both have maintained popularity by their seamless blending of digital and analog.
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Finally, a couple of especially intriguing options from outside the big watch brands. The Jaye band is an ultra-minimalist smartwatch that displays only the most important notifications on its tiny screen to minimize distractions. And then there's the LightInk, which can run for an absurd 400 days on a single charge. Such a lengthy runtime is achieved by adding solar charging, swapping your average vibrant AMOLED display for a low-energy, monochrome e-ink one, and stripping the smart features right, right back. It's open source, so with the aid of a 3D printer and a few basic components, anyone could own one.
Scroll down for a closer look at these weird and wonderful smart trackers — hit the View details button to learn more about each one.
Weird watches
F-B100W
Read more: 'A watch I'd actually buy': Casio's latest retro take on a smartwatch is the F-B100W, with step counting included
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Watch D3
Read more: Huawei launches its Watch D3 — its latest iteration of its mechanized blood pressure cuff watch — that aims to outstrip Apple and Google's achievements with LED tech
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Instinct Crossover
Read more: Garmin Instinct Crossover review: The smart Casio G-Shock of my dreams
ScanWatch 2
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Read more: Withings ScanWatch 2 review: Probably the best-looking hybrid smartwatch
Band [pre-sale]
Read more: The Jaye Band is 'the world's most discreet minimalist smartwatch' and wants to save you from your smartphone addiction
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Watch [open source project]
Read more: This E Ink smartwatch offers 400 days of juice to obliterate its battery rivals
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