A smartwatch is a wearable computer with a touchscreen and apps. It pairs with a phone and shows notifications, tracks fitness, monitors heart rate, and runs simple apps. It tells time too. The first modern smartwatch, the Pebble, launched on Kickstarter in 2012. Apple, Samsung, Garmin, and Fitbit followed.

Smartwatches pack sensors: heart rate, accelerometer, gyroscope, GPS, altimeter, and sometimes ECG and blood oxygen. They track steps, sleep, workouts, and stress. Some can make calls. Some can pay for coffee. Some can detect falls and call for help. The wrist has become a health monitoring platform.

Common features

• Notifications: calls, texts, apps
• Fitness: steps, heart rate, sleep
• GPS: route tracking for running and cycling
• Payments: contactless via NFC
• Health: ECG, blood oxygen, fall detection

Smartwatches are not for everyone. They need charging. They can be distracting. They are small. But for athletes, patients, and people who want notifications without pulling out a phone, they are useful. The wrist is a prime location for sensors.