the contenders

Samsung Gear S3

Classic design meets future smarts with Samsung’s newest, TizenOS-powered timepiece. The S3’s 1.3-inch AMOLED touchscreen is sharp and bright, while the interactive bezel makes light work of answering calls, reading messages and navigating apps. The battery can also deliver four days’ usage on one charge.

TAG Heuer Modular 45

This Swiss-made smartwatch is customisable to your tastes, however outlandish they are. Whether you opt for diamonds, titanium or calfskin, each Modular 45 is built around an Android Wear 2.0 watch with a tasty 400x400 pixel, 1.39-inch AMOLED display. Built-in GPS and Wi-Fi mean it works without your smartphone.

Huawei Watch 2

You don’t need to carry a smartphone with the 4G, GPS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth-toting Watch 2 strapped to your wrist – just pop in a micro-SIM and you’re ready to rock. Heart rate and motion sensors are aimed squarely at fitness fans, making the Watch 2 perfect for monitoring running, cycling, swimming and more.

Fossil Q Marshall

The Marshall’s classic design hides a bevvy of modern tech under its shiny, water-resistant bezel. Android Wear 2.0 and a high-performance Snapdragon 2100 processor take care of notifications, activity tracking and music, and customisable straps, and watch faces make the Marshall your own.

Nixon Mission

If you live life to the extreme you need a smartwatch to match. The double-hard Android Wear Mission features a custommoulded polycarbonate case, with 316L surgical-grade stainless steel bezel and tough Corning Gorilla Glass. Plus it will survive up to 100 metres underwater. The question is, will you?