If there’s a class of consumer technology that truly came into its own in 2015, it’s the smartwatch.
Wrist-based computing existed prior to this year with companies such as Samsung and Sony already several generations deep into their model lines. But Apple’s April 24 entrance into the smartwatch market was anticipated by many analysts as the technology’s coming of age.
Mobile industry researcher CCS Insight predicted in a February report that Apple’s smartwatch would account for a quarter of the market in 2015. But Apple’s device swamped those expectations and currently accounts for 80 percent of the market with sales of 21 million units estimated for its first year.
Like all Apple products, however, the Apple Watch exists in a closed-garden ecosystem. Most of its features and its app library are dependent on being paired to an iPhone, which is used by less than half (44 percent) of smartphone users, according to the latest statistics from comScore.
So what’s the best option for your wrist, if you’re one of the majority of smartphone users whose device is powered by Google’s Android operating system? The options are numerous, but in the still-early days of the market many smartwatch makers have yet to strike a balance between smart function and wearable elegance.