2013 Holiday Gift Guide: The 5 Best Smartwatches

Goophone Smart Watch

Price: $250-300
No, this isn’t a Windows Phone smartwatch, though it can certainly pass for one. The Goophone actually runs Android 4.0 and extends functionality to your mobile device, even allowing users to run Google Play apps on a sharp 1.54-inch, 240×240-resolution panel. Sold in two models (2G or 3G), both versions also support Wi-Fi and come in black or white.

Samsung Galaxy Gear

Price: $300
Strong marketing and multi-platform support tied to the Galaxy ecosystem has made the Galaxy Gear a moderate success. Its 1.63-inch, 320 x 320-resolution Super AMOLED display does a good job on the visual end, especially when viewing it in direct sunlight, plus the solid touch feedback is impressive. The 1.9MP camera snaps pretty good photos as well. An accompanying Gear Manager app handles all administration from loading other apps to changing settings, serving as a hub for all of the device’s popular programs and media functions. Compatibility with recent products like the Galaxy Note 3 and Note 10.1 (2014 Edition), plus a recent update for older Galaxy models only solidifies the Gear’s longer-than-predicted shelf life.