WATCH and LEARN?

When the first wave of smartwatches hit in 2012 we were intrigued, excited, but ultimately not convinced that we really needed one. Now we’re looking at the second generation, and while the designs are more classy and lessons have been learnt, but ultimately the same question remains: do you really need one?

If the answer to that is yes, your best option is the Pebble Steel. It has its flaws, but works with both iOS and Android, has surprisingly stylish metallic look and an open-source app store with far more on offer than its rivals.

If you’re a confirmed Samsung fan, the Gear 2 is a good alternative. The streamlined design and long feature-list – voice control, camera, shake-to-wake – make it a winner for the Galaxy-owning faithful, though pricey.

After that, options get more limited. The Sony SmartWatch 2 looks pretty good, but no voice control means you’ll still need to get your phone out of your pocket to actually do anything. For shame!

The Martian Passport, meanwhile, is a curious hybrid, with a token OLED strip of smart info beneath a fairly ugly normal watch.

Finally, the Metawatch Frame is barely worth your time until more of its promised apps arrive. Roll on the third-gen, then…