The best smart watches

Expect much hype early next year when the Apple Watch joins a number of other smart watches already on the market.

Apple Watch

After months of hints and mystery, Apple has finally launched its version of the smart watch, says Will Dunn in Stuff. It is typically Apple in that, in one sense, it does nothing new, and yet it still does it better than everyone else. It will also effortlessly take the lead in terms of available apps. "For that reason, the Apple Watch may be the device that brings the smart watch to the masses and gets the wearable revolution revolving."

Available early 2015, from £215, www.apple.com/uk/watch

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LG-Watch-200

LG is a name to be reckoned with in the smart watch space, says David Court in PC Pro magazine. With its round face, thick bezel and traditional-looking watch face, it looks the part, and "everything else about this watch seems to work We're expecting it to be one of the leading smart watches this year. It has everything its rivals have in terms of features and specs, looks great and has a slightly larger battery as well."

Available later this year, price to be announced, www.lg.com/uk

713-Moto-Watch

The Moto 360, the first Android Wear icon, was the first smart watch to actually look like a watch, says Charara; the first you'd actually want to wear and show off rather than hide under your sleeve. It's made from quality materials and looks classy; it's just let down by poor battery life.

£200, Moto360.motorola.com

713-Steel_Watch

When it was launched earlier this year in the US, the Pebble Steel quickly became the smart watch to beat. It was the "best, prettiest smart watch for your money", says Eric Limer on Gizmodo.com. However, in this fast moving market space, it is now in danger of "falling quickly behind the curve".

Available soon, £179, Getpebble.com/steel

713-Samsung

Samsung has been trying to crack the wearables market for some time now, says Sophie Charara in Stuff magazine, and with this watch comes closer to success than Samsung has ever managed before. It was an impressive world's first for the smart watch, and the watch of choice for "early-adopters", but it is now probably superseded by the stiff competition.

£170, www.samsung.com