The smartwatch revolution has well and truly begun, with Apple set to release the highly anticipated Apple Watch in a few short weeks.
Apple isn't the only company with a smartwatch, however. One company that has also recently unveiled a smartwatch is Alcatel with its OneTouch Watch, which debuted at CES this year. How does it stack up against the Apple Watch?
Design
The Alcatel OneTouch Watch looks like a watch. It has a circular design that is very similar to the Motorola Moto 360. Its brushed metal look is very classy and offers a sleek, thin design.
Apple took a totally different route with the Apple Watch, moving away from the tried and tested design of the watch to try and offer something new. It's rectangular and seems to be quite thick.
Overall, the watches cater to completely different markets in terms of design. It's classic vs. modern.
One thing the Apple Watch does have over almost any other smartwatch on the market is customizability. It comes in three different color options as far as the body goes and offers a larger number of options in regard to the strap. It also comes in two different sizes and either a "sport" edition, the standard Apple Watch, or the "Apple Watch Edition", which is made from gold and costs $10,000 or more. The OneTouch Watch, in comparison, only comes in one size, shape and color despite the fact that this size, shape and color looks great.
Sensors and Fitness
Both devices come with an accelerometer, compass, heart rate monitor and a gyrometer. The Apple Watch, however, has a few more features than that, offering GPS through the iPhone, NFC and a pedometer.
Because of this, the Apple Watch is perhaps the better option for the fitness-minded, as it also allows for fitness tracking through HealthKit and the Health app.
Software
The Apple Watch features Apple's Watch OS, offering seamless connectivity between the device and the iPhone.
The OneTouch Watch takes a different route. Rather than running Google's Android Wear, Alcatel developed its own software, which is compatible with both Android- and iOS-based phones. While this expands compatibility, it also means that functions are a little more limited than other devices.
Despite this, the device is able to display notifications and control music.
Other
The Apple Watch has been highly criticized for its battery life, which lasts only around a day. Alcatel takes this a step further, saying that its software will enable the device to last two days on a charge.
The OneTouch Watch also features a USB 2.0 connector, which is a little strange for a wearable device. Despite this, the connector is somewhat hidden in the watch strap.
Conclusions
The Apple Watch is clearly the better device as far as specs go, but that is reflected in the price. At $150, for those simply looking for a device to display the time, notifications and track basic fitness features, the OneTouch Watch seems to be a great choice. The Apple Watch starts at $350 and offers more features, but it is only compatible with iPhones.
