Wearables

The wrist band gesture control is really good, working about 97% of the time with no accidental triggers.

The first face-worn tech that convinced him, with a bright private display and useful apps, but at $800 and with limited software he would…

Interesting autopilot reading mode, but low resolution, a fiddly remote and clunky AI mean it makes little sense for most people.

A clumsy plastic add-on that covered a luxury watch with a tiny, non-touch display and sold almost nothing.

A very minor update that makes little sense now that the Watch 8 and 8 Classic have improved so much.

Same as the Watch 8 in a heavier metal case, with a rotating bezel he finds addictively satisfying.

The squared-off design looks odd to him, but it is the most impressed he has been by a Galaxy Watch thanks to real upgrades and useful heal…

Mostly a design update with underwhelming features, and Workout Buddy was cringeworthy, so 4 out of 10.

A surprisingly polished budget smartwatch with a great screen and 7-day battery, which he thinks beats Fitbit and Xiaomi bands.

Nicely designed hardware, but the health tracking is wildly inaccurate and the software is rough, so not this time.

Used as the benchmark for durability; its back shattered while the case-protected watch survived better.

Clever cheap material, but the display is hard to read and it has no 24-hour mode.

A $2 plastic case that gave some protection in tests but was only average, so trash.

Just open-ear speakers in a glasses frame that leak sound, so he says to buy earphones instead.

Overheated and burned users, and Fitbit was slow to recall it, ending in a $12.25 million fine.

Used as the reference for sleep data, and its readings matched his experience.

A smartwatch that depends on a server that appears to be down, so it barely works.

Tough and feature-packed, but he dislikes how closely it copies the Apple Watch Ultra, especially the circular screen on a squarer body.

A well-built, long-lasting ring that is essentially a smartwatch without half the features, suited to set-and-forget users.

A minor update with a new chip, AI replies and a sleep apnea feature, seemingly kept modest to make room for the Ultra.

A slick, clean-looking watch with an appropriately restrained design.

A simple but well-made, premium-feeling watch that cleverly ties the game into the real world.

Won over a lifelong smartwatch sceptic with its fitness tracking and convenience, though it is plain looking and locks him to the iPhone.

A polished but pointless wearable that does nothing a phone can't, costs as much as a high-end phone, and is slow.