Smartwatches have slowly but steadily become an essential accessory for smartphones. They have an estimated market revenue of $43.4 billion with over 173 million shipments worldwide. But although a lot of hype surrounds the smart wearable device, not everyone is aware of its full potential. The traditional watch replacement can do much more than tell you the time. Here are five innovative ways to make the best of your smartwatch.

Use it as a convenient fitness tracker
Most smartwatches can track daily activity, including counting the number of steps and distances covered in a day. This is made possible with the help of an embedded GPS system. The GPS tracks the route taken for running or walking and displays the miles covered on the screen. If your smartwatch does not have a GPS built-in, you can use the signal from a smartphone to track distances during exercise. Some advanced watches also help monitor calorie consumption and sleeping patterns.

Turn it into your task manager
Remember how we moved on from using paper to write down grocery lists to typing them on our smartphones? Today, many have gone a step further, using watches instead of their iPhones or mobile devices for the same. If your hands are occupied with bags at a grocery store, a simple glance at your wrist can help you view your notes, so you do not have to struggle to pull out your phone. Using third-party task management apps, you can also check reminders for meetings or events. This makes everyday tasks a lot easier and improves productivity.

Use it for entertainment and infotainment
With software becoming more advanced each year, manufacturers offer many downloadable applications on smartwatches. These include apps to check social media, listen to music, watch the news, play games, and more. The benefit of doing this on a watch is that you no longer have to carry your smartphone all the time. You can check airplane timings and weather forecasts directly from the wearable. But ensure to pick a watch from popular brands, such as the Apple Watch, which has a curated third-party app store for that specific watch.

Explore it for communication
Smartwatches work as excellent tools for communication. You can use them to check when the next office meeting is scheduled, read and reply to messages with pre-programmed phrases, and send emojis from a curated library. Some models have a T9-style keyboard. While typing on them might take longer, it is a great way to send custom messages via the watch. These tiny devices can also be utilized to accept or reject calls. Some advanced options have a speaker and microphone to communicate with the caller without requiring you to pull out the phone from your pocket.

Use it as a wearable mobile wallet
Digital payments have made life much easier for many. They help track expenses, even if it were a couple of dollars. Instead of smartphones, many have started using smartwatches as mobile wallets. With third-party apps on select wearables, you can use them to pay for public transportation, store purchases, and other expenses with ease.

Not all smartwatch manufacturers offer the benefits mentioned above. So, to get the best out of the wearable, we recommend buying from the top brands in the market. One renowned manufacturer is Apple. The brand launched the Apple Watch Series 8 on September 7, 2022, which was available in stores from September 16, 2022. It is equipped with advanced sensors that can analyze specific health patterns, such as body temperature and REM, and offer insights to improve overall well-being. Furthermore, a new crash detection feature can contact emergency services on detecting a crash or hard fall. The Apple Watch Series 8 starts at $399 for the GPS model and $499 for the GPS + Cellular variant.