The Apple Watch is due out next month, meaning the tech world’s attention is turning increasingly to smartwatches. Some of them, however, are eyesores that trade style for features. Perhaps that’s why sales so far have been lackluster: According to researcher Canalys, about 720,000 smartwatches with Android Wear were shipped in 2014.
If you’re looking for something smart and svelte but you’re not in the market for Apple’s offering — say, you’re an Android user — here are a few options that stand out for being both beautiful and usable.
Note: Notable mention goes to the Pebble Time, which may not be as pretty as some of the options listed here, but it’s extremely popular regardless. The Pebble Time became the fastest Kickstarter campaign to raise $1 million, a point it hit in less than an hour.
The Huawei Watch
Made by Chinese manufacturer Huawei, this recently announced timepiece should be available mid-2015. The watch functions as a fitness tracker and lets its wearer get text messages, look over email, tap into their calendars and get notifications. It's unclear how much the Huawei Watch will cost.
Moto 360
Motorola's $249.99 Moto 360 sports an elegant round design that’s simple and sleek. It’s powered by Android Wear and available to buy now. Special features include getting the weather, flight alerts, traffic and voice control for texts, setting reminders and getting directions.
Withings Activite
At $450, this French watch is pricier than the Moto 360, but looks more like a traditional timepiece. It tracks movement and monitors sleep patterns, sending the information to your Android smartphone—all without visually betraying the fact that it's smarter than your average watch.
LG G Watch R
One of the cheaper smartwatches on the market at $260, the LG G Watch R is already available and is compatible with Android phones. Like the Moto 360, LG's offering is powered by Android Wear, meaning you can ask it questions like "What's the score of the football game?" and get an answer right away.
MMT watches
This isn’t a single watch for sale, but rather a platform for Swiss watch makers. Brands like Frederique Constant, Alpina and Mondaine have signed on. The MMT watches PC World highlighted appear to be pretty chic, but they do reportedly trade on some of the kitschy features offered by less stellar designs out there. According to PC World, over 10 MMT smartwatch designs are expected to be sold in June. Although pricing isn’t available for all the models, Mondaine already has one out for less than $200.
