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Watches have come a long way since the popularity of the Casio and Swatch watches of the 80s when telling the time and looking funky was all they were required to do. 

Fast-forward to the modern day and watches have been transformed into tiny wrist computers. The capabilities of smartwatches are astounding, with new features evolving all the time. 

Not having a smartwatch means missing out; and here’s why.

Stay Connected

It can be difficult juggling everything, especially if you enjoy activities where you can’t easily access your phone. Participating in sports such as running, swimming and cycling means you may miss essential notifications or calls. 

A smartwatch means you don’t have to choose between your activities and staying connected. Smartwatches are designed to be used while you’re active and there are many models which are sufficiently waterproof for swimming too.

You can receive all notifications via your watch, including calls and messages too. Some watches allow you to respond directly using your watch while other models just alert you to the information, so make sure you check the features carefully if this is a priority for you.

Fantastic Choice

When smartwatches first started to appear, their appearance was rather umm….unique… and wouldn’t have appealed to everyone. As better technology has developed, there are now many different styles, colours and designs so there’s something to suit everyone. 

Some of the options at Makro are available on special at a great price, but also offer stylish functions. 

For example, the Huawei Watch Fit is ideal for those with a focus on health, a slimline design that won’t get in the way and is available for just R2999. In contrast, the Garmin Instinct is more rugged and chunky, ideal for the outdoors enthusiast at R5999. 

Choose your smartwatch to fit in with your own personal style and needs from the vast array that’s now available. 

Subtle Notifications

It’s not only sports and leisure activities that prevent you from being able to check your phone. There’s nothing worse than being in a work meeting and feeling your phone silently vibrate, but being unable to get it out to check the alert.

There’s a stigma about checking your phone at work, but if you wear a smartwatch it’s simple to subtly glance down to see what you’ve missed. Your colleagues will be none the wiser, and you’ll be able to continue with the meeting without the distraction of wondering what you missed. 

Of course, this applies to any occasion when it would cause friction to be checking your phone. Wearing a smartwatch instead could prevent arguments while letting you stay up to date and connected. 

Extensive Battery Life

One of the biggest gripes about smartphones is that they gobble up battery life very quickly. Even the best smartphones need to be charged every day or two if you are going to use them regularly. 

That’s not the case with smartwatches as the battery life lasts much longer. You will need to charge them regularly, but many models can go two weeks or more without needing to be topped up. If you’re going on holiday or a business trip, this means you probably won’t need to lug your charger along to stay connected for the full duration of your stay.