Smart accessory on the wrist: TOP 5 low-cost smartwatches under $70

Smartwatches are manufactured by Canyon, which is not yet so well known and popular in our latitudes, but has been successfully producing stylish and inexpensive gadgets. The model is positioned as a female and has a "delicious" internal name - Marzipan. The fact that the device is more suitable for the beautiful half is indicated by its compact size, light weight (36 g), rounded shapes and delicate pink colors, although the assortment also has more classic black and blue colors that will look great on a man's hand. The case is made of durable metal, the screen is protected by tempered glass, and full-fledged water protection according to the IP68 standard allows you to immerse the watch to a depth of more than 1 meter for up to 30 minutes. The small 1.22-inch IPS display takes full control, as there are no additional buttons on the case. And this is for the best: the design adheres to minimalism, accidental pressing is excluded, and the buttons do not cling to clothes and hair. The only thing that disappoints is a modest set of only three dials, with which you can’t go wild.

And now - the cherry on the cake in the form of two straps included in the package. In the box you will find silicone and leather straps of the same color, which will take less than a minute to change. And this is a huge plus of the model, as you can select the material depending on the outfit or tasks. For example, a silicone strap is more suitable for sports and is not afraid of contact with water, while a leather strap looks harmonious with formal clothes and is more comfortable in summer - the skin does not sweat so much.

The manufacturer focuses not only on the design of watches, but also on the possibilities. Of course, you should not expect something supernatural from a low-cost model, but the Canyon CNS-SW75 looks quite advantageous against the background of competitors. Firstly, they perform all the basic functions: they count the distance traveled, the number of steps and calories burned, act as an alarm clock, remind you of inactivity, allow you to remotely control your smartphone's camera and duplicate incoming calls, messages and notifications from applications. True, only three alerts fit on the screen, the previous ones are automatically deleted, so for lively chats and correspondence, the gadget is unlikely to be a good helper for you.

For athletes, or rather people who lead an active lifestyle, there are some of the most popular training regimens, including walking, running, basketball, football, etc. At the same time, a set of sensors monitors the pulse, blood oxygen saturation level and sleep duration, and for women there is also a personal calendar with cycle control. A not too capacious 150 mAh battery is responsible for autonomy. However, one charge will last approximately 5 days of operation.

Amazfit brand low-cost smartwatches claim to be one of the best offers in terms of price and quality ratio. But despite the presence of the Pro prefix in the title, you should not expect any advanced professional features - this is a convenient gadget for undemanding users who try to monitor their health, but without fanaticism. It is also a rather nice accessory that will be primarily appreciated by the female audience: if the black color is universal, then pink and turquoise are unlikely to appeal to men. The case is made of high-quality plastic, the strap is made of silicone that is pleasant to the touch, but it can be replaced at any time. In general, the watch will suit most styles and looks, but not strict business suits - there is a certain lightness and carelessness in their appearance.

The model received a square shape in the style of Apple Watch and a fairly large 1.43-inch IPS display. Some of the usable area is “eaten up” by the lower frame with the Amazfit inscription, but you should not count on frameless screens in the low-cost segment. When connected to a smartphone, it duplicates incoming messages and calls, and all notifications are displayed correctly and arrive on time. The watch is also equipped with a microphone, but not for making calls, but for interacting with the Amazon Alexa voice assistant. And here lies the main nuance: Alexa, unfortunately, does not understand either Russian or Ukrainian, so if you do not speak a foreign language (English, Italian, French, etc.), this function, alas, will be useless.

If the watch for you is not only an addition to style, but also an assistant in matters of sports and health, Xiaomi Amazfit Bip U Pro will also not lose face. The device supports more than 60 sports modes, including curiosities such as belly dancing, zumba, hunting, fishing and sailing, and boasts built-in GPS for more accurate positioning. In addition to 24/7 heart rate measurement, the watch can also measure blood oxygen levels, monitor sleep (deep, light and REM) and stress levels, track periods of menstruation and ovulation in women ( women's calendar), and give a PAI health assessment. By the way, this is a personalized rating system based on unique user data, thanks to which everyone gets their own individual results.

Another important plus is autonomy. The gadget is equipped with a 230 mAh battery, one charge of which will last up to 9 days. Of course, this is in the economical use mode, and with fairly active use, this time is reduced to 5 days, which is also a pretty good result. It will take a couple of hours to fully restore energy.

A smartwatch with a low price tag, which, nevertheless, is not ashamed to be worn both under a sports outfit and under a strict formal suit. For this, thanks to the design in the style of minimalism and quality materials, which the manufacturer did not stint on. The 1.2-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 390x390 pixels has a classic round shape and is dressed in an aluminium case with 5 ATM protection, which allows you to stay in the rain and accidentally dive into the water. For control, there are two buttons on the side, and a silicone strap completes the picture, which, if desired, can be removed and replaced with another one.

Also, the strengths of the model are the presence of a GPS module and good autonomy. A 230 mAh battery is installed inside, one charge of which will last up to three weeks, but in basic mode. With normal use, the battery will last up to 12 days, and always-on GPS reduces this time to 21 hours.

Otherwise, the watch is a reliable assistant with a basic set of functions. Declared support for 14 sports modes, sensors for counting heart rate and determining the level of blood oxygen saturation, as well as an activity analysis and sleep monitoring system. For the pros, this will not be enough, but for ordinary users who try to lead an active lifestyle and train several times a week, this is more than enough. Other specs are pretty standard too: incoming message and call alerts, finding a lost phone, and music playback controls.

The Realme brand does not yet have much experience in the production of wearable devices - the Watch S has become the second model in the company's range. But neither the first nor the second pancake turned out to be lumpy. Moreover, the developers took into account the mistakes made with the first device and corrected them in the second. Most importantly, the watch is compatible with both Android smartphones and Apple gadgets, although the original Realme Watch did not have the ability to work with iOS.

It should be noted right away that the watch is more suitable for men. No, they do not look too massive and bulky and almost do not feel on the hand due to their low weight (48 g), but the design as a whole suggests that this is a masculine model with an emphasis on sports style. The manufacturer used a classic round shape, a durable metal case and a silicone strap with two grooves in the middle - they are what give the appearance a certain brutality. The 1.3-inch display does not occupy the entire useful area - instead, the screen is framed by an imitation bezel. Frankly, this is a rather strange decision: this supposedly bezel is not responsible for control and does not protect the panel from damage, and most of the dials are not “friends” with it. Rather, it was added simply as an element of decor, although this, of course, is a matter of taste. The second nuance was water protection, corresponding to the degree IP68. Usually this indicator indicates the ability to swim without removing the watch from the wrist, but in this case you can only count on protection from splashes - for example, during rain or when washing your hands. The official website directly states that the IP68 standard does not protect against breakage during swimming and bath procedures.

But the model deserves praise for autonomy. A capacious 390 mAh battery is installed inside, one charge should last up to 15 days of operation. Of course, it all depends on the intensity of use, but, in any case, even with active training and constant monitoring of the state of health, the user will be able to forget about recharging for 10-12 days. A small platform in the form of a puck with magnets is used to replenish energy.

As for the possibilities, the watch has a standard set of functions by modern standards. When connected to a smartphone, incoming messages, calls and notifications from instant messengers and applications will be duplicated on the screen, but you will not be able to answer them. Also, using the gadget, you can find a lost phone and remotely control music playback and the camera. 16 sports modes are supported, and in addition to exercising, the device will count the number of steps taken and calories burned and remind you of the need to move. There is an alarm clock, a timer, a stopwatch and a weather forecast - in general, everything is as it should be.

In addition, the watch can measure the pulse and oxygen levels in the blood, as well as monitor sleep. By the way, the pulse oximeter works quite correctly and accurately, although still do not forget that any such gadget is not medical equipment at all, so all the data obtained are only advisory in nature. In general, the functionality of Realme Watch S is at a decent level (with an eye on the low price tag) and meets the needs of ordinary users.

The Honor brand positions its offspring as a smartwatch, although outwardly they look more like an advanced fitness tracker. All because of the oblong rectangular case, which is more common in smart bracelets. But thanks to this form, it accommodates a large screen with a diagonal of 1.64 inches with a decent resolution of 456x280 pixels. It duplicates incoming calls and messages from a smartphone, due to the large size the text is clearly visible. It also uses an AMOLED matrix, so the brightness is decent and the colors are saturated. By the way, in the settings you can find the auto-adjust brightness mode depending on the ambient light and a la Always On Display - a simple always-on dial that displays only the current time.

In the pluses of the model, you can still record 95 training modes, some of which are determined automatically, without manual settings. The manufacturer also offers 12 animated training programs and 44 exercises with animation - in case you are too lazy to go to the trainer in the gym, but you need to keep fit. At the same time, the watch measures the heart rate around the clock, both during exercise and rest, can determine the level of oxygen in the blood, track sleep phases, monitor stress levels and help you relax with breathing exercises.

By the way, the gadget interacts with the phone through the Huawei Health application, where you can also track your activity and health status and get good advice. The watch connects to both Android and iOS, but in the latter case, the functionality is somewhat limited: for example, the watch face store, TruRelax for monitoring stress levels and controlling music playback are not available.

The device is equipped with a small 180 mAh battery, one charge of which, as stated by the manufacturer, should last up to 10 days of battery life. But this is with very economical use - with a minimum of notifications, without training and with disabled round-the-clock auto-measurement of the pulse. If you are a more active user, the battery life will be 5 - 6 days, or even a week, which is also not bad for such a battery. In addition, there is fast charging: just 30 minutes is enough for a week of battery life. Again, this is true for economical energy consumption.