What can you do with a smartwatch?

1. Benefits of Built-in GPS

The built-in GPS module makes it possible to log your location at any time. With GPS you can view your walked or cycled route afterwards (via a compatible app). GPS unlocks several handy features on a smartwatch:

View your route

Pair your smartwatch with a tracker app and head out (optionally without your phone). The watch records your route and later syncs it to the cloud or to your smartphone via Bluetooth.

Navigation on your smartwatch

Personally, I’m a big fan of turn-by-turn navigation on the wrist. Both the Apple Watch Series 7 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch4 handle this really well. As soon as you start a route in Google Maps on your phone, the guidance mirrors to the watch—ideal for cycling without pulling out your phone every few minutes.

Prefer a compass?

If you’d rather orient with a compass, many watches include one—e.g., Galaxy Watch4 (Classic), Apple Watch and Garmin Venu/Vivoactive. Smartwatches also use GPS data to help calibrate the compass for accuracy.

Find a lost smartwatch

Watches with built-in GPS often support “find my” features from a computer or phone. For Apple Watch there’s Apple’s familiar Find My service, which stores the last known locations of devices so you can track them if lost or stolen.

You can locate a Samsung smartwatch via the Galaxy Wearable app. Tap the “Find My Watch” option (shown on the app’s home screen).

Fitbit doesn’t (yet) offer a full “find my” network, but you can try a Bluetooth finder app to see signal strength and walk around to pinpoint your tracker—this works only when you’re already nearby.

2. See notifications at a glance

One of the biggest perks is wrist notifications. You’ll spot messages even faster than on your phone—just raise your arm.

On Apple Watch or Samsung Galaxy Watch you can usually reply to WhatsApp messages with a quick reply or by using the (admittedly small) on-screen keyboard.

Common notification types you can receive on a smartwatch:

• WhatsApp
• Telegram
• SMS
• Email from Gmail or Outlook

3. Track your sports and workouts

With a smartwatch you can leave your phone at home and still log detailed workout data. Measurement quality varies by brand/model, but the core features are widely supported.

Heart-rate tracking

Popular models with 24/7 and workout HR include:

• Apple Watch Series 3–7 and SE
• Samsung Galaxy Watch4 and Watch4 Classic
• Samsung Galaxy Fit series
• Fitbit Charge 1–5
• Garmin watches such as Venu/Vivoactive 4(s)
• Polar Ignite, Unite, Vantage M(2), Vantage V(2), Grit X (Pro)
• Xiaomi Mi Band 1–6, Amazfit series

Calories burned

After a long ride or run it’s motivating to see calories burned—great for beating yesterday’s score and staying consistent.

Average pace/speed automatically

When you’ve walked, run or cycled, the watch calculates average speed and distance via GPS.

Skin/Body temperature

Body temperature can fluctuate during exercise. Apple has been working on body-temperature capabilities for newer models, while Fitbit Sense already records nightly skin-temperature variation and can flag unusual highs/lows.

Step counter

Almost every smartwatch counts your steps from the moment you strap it on. You can customise your daily step goal in most health apps.

4. Sleep tracking

Apple Watch (with watchOS sleep features) and many Wear OS/other brands can track your sleep. Using heart-rate and motion, your watch estimates sleep stages so you can see periods of light sleep and REM.

5. Weather on your wrist

On Apple Watch, Wear OS and Tizen devices you can install weather apps to check rain and temperature before heading out.

Or just ask Siri or Google Assistant for the latest forecast directly from your watch.

6. Hydration reminders

Many fitness-focused watches can nudge you to drink water at regular intervals—handy if you’re aiming for ~2 litres per day.

7. Listen to music from your watch

Pair Bluetooth earbuds or headphones directly to your watch for phone-free workouts.

Offline Spotify playback works on supported models (Spotify Premium required). You can then play downloaded playlists without an internet connection.

Always check that your chosen watch supports Spotify (or your preferred service) to avoid surprises.

8. Wireless charging

For better water-resistance there’s no open charging port—smartwatches charge wirelessly.

Use the original smartwatch charger or a wireless multi-device dock to top up your watch (and phone) together.

9. Set alarms on your watch

Want a quick reminder or a silent wake-up without your phone nearby? Set an alarm on your Apple Watch or Galaxy Watch.

On other brands, setting an alarm on your phone will usually mirror to the watch when connected via Bluetooth.

10. Automatic time zone updates

A small but useful perk versus traditional watches: the time updates automatically. Frequent travellers don’t need to adjust the clock when landing in a new time zone.

11. Apps on your wrist

Beyond health and weather, Wear OS and other ecosystems offer plenty of third-party apps.

Five super-handy Wear OS apps to try:

• Bring! (shared shopping lists)
• Shazam (identify music)
• Calendar (quick agenda on your wrist)
• Wear Audio Recorder (voice notes)
• Todoist (to-do lists)

12. Contactless payments

Apple Watch supports Apple Pay in the UK. Google Pay support depends on your bank and watch—availability continues to improve on Wear OS models.

13. Yes, there are games…

Believe it or not, there are simple watch games too—try Snake on Wear OS or Pong on Apple Watch. Most are free.

14. Match your outfit

A smartwatch is also a style piece. Swap straps in seconds to match your look. Explore 5,000+ Apple Watch straps, Samsung straps and Fitbit straps.

15. A mini media viewer

Your watch is like a tiny smartphone—you can browse synced photos and set them as your watch face.

On Apple Watch, open the Photos app to view your synced albums or set a photo watch face.

On Wear OS, you can set a custom watch face background from a photo on your phone while connected via Bluetooth.

FAQs

Are smartwatches useful?
They extend your smartphone: track fitness, show notifications instantly and add handy tools to your daily routine.

Can you make calls on a smartwatch?
Most watches with a speaker and mic support calling (either via your paired phone or, on LTE models, directly from the watch).

How long does a smartwatch last?
Expect a similar lifespan to a smartphone. With care, hardware can last years; software support varies by brand.

Do you need a SIM card?
Many models are Bluetooth-only (no SIM needed). LTE versions typically use an eSIM. Some cheaper, no-name watches still use a physical SIM.