Last week , a handful of British tech fanatics took delivery of the first highly sought-after Apple watches . But it ’ s only one example of a new generation of watches designed to do far more than just tell the time . And while these smartwatches might sound as if they ’ re just for tech-savvy geeks , whether you ’ re a fitness fanatic , want to track your sleep and calorie intake or simply like the idea of checking your emails on your wrist , there ’ s a watch that could make your life easier . Life & Style investigates . . . BEST FOR BEGINNERS . Pebble watch , from £99 , getpebble.com . The Pebble was one of the earliest smartwatches , and since it launched in 2013 , more than a million have been sold . It ’ s easy to see why . It keeps things basic — there are no buttons or whizzy features and you can ’ t make calls or browse the internet ( you have a phone and computer for that ) . Instead , once connected wirelessly to your phone , you can see who is calling , texting or emailing , without having to get your phone out — though you will need your phone to reply . The battery charge lasts longer than other smartwatches — up to seven days — partly because it uses a low-energy screen ( similar to a Kindle ) that is readable in daylight ) . BEST FOR EASY READING . Neptune Pine , £67.95 , amazon.co.uk . If you don ’ t want to squint to see the screen , this smartwatch is the one for you . It has a mammoth 2.4 in face , making it about twice the size of most smartwatch screens and roughly half the size of an iPhone 4 screen . This high-resolution option doesn ’ t just make reading messages easier , it also means you get a full keyboard , which makes typing easier , too . The device pops out of its strap so you can take advantage of the two cameras . There ’ s one on the back and , for video calls or selfies , there ’ s a front-facing camera . Both have a flash . With GPS , pedometer and compass , it can also track your activity and calories burned . BEST FOR RETRO FANS . Withings Activité , £319.99 , selfridges.com . Designed in Paris and made in Switzerland , this claims to combine cutting-edge technology with traditional European styling . With ticking hands protected by a scratch-proof glass and a French fine calf leather strap , it looks every inch an elegant , conventional timepiece . But underneath , clever sensors track your sleep patterns and monitor every step you take , communicating wirelessly with your phone . Wear it at night and it can act as the most discreet of alarm clocks via a silent vibration alert . Replaceable battery . BEST FOR FITNESS FANATICS . Basis Peak , £169 , amazon.co.uk . Marketed as the ‘ ultimate fitness and sleep tracker ’ , the Basis Peak incorporates what you ’ d expect of a fitness watch — water resistance , up to four days battery charge life and a movement sensor — but it has much more besides . It tracks your heart rate and has sensors for skin temperature and sweat levels . It can log sleep duration and quality , and communicates wirelessly with your mobile so you can see a full breakdown of how many calories you ’ ve burned . It adjusts weekly goals based on your performance . BEST PHONE-FREE SOLUTION . Samsung Gear S , £329 , samsung.com . This is the watch that is so smart you can ditch your phone . It comes with a slot for a SIM card so it doesn ’ t need to piggy-back off another device and — like the Apple watch — has a choice of straps and a face that can be customised . Bluetooth connectivity means you can hook it up to a wireless headset with a microphone and make a phone call without having to shout into your wrist . You can listen to music — with 4GB of memory , there ’ s space for 1,000 songs . It also lets you browse maps and websites and the 2 in curved screen even has space for a tiny keyboard , though you can use voice commands instead . BEST FOR FAMILIARITY . Kairos T-Band HD , £165 , kairoswatches.com . Many of us have watches that are treasured family heirlooms or expensive gifts that we don ’ t want to jettison just because new technology has rendered them obsolete . This clever invention means you can have the best of both worlds . Rather than being a smartwatch , it ’ s a smartstrap that can be ordered to fit almost any watch . It looks like a simple black band when it ’ s switched off , but when it ’ s activated , the LED panels embedded in it light up to display notifications , such as heart rate , alerts of incoming calls and messages .
Last : the # ##book went on sale to British tech fanatics . But it 's not the only book of its kind on the market , there are many more . Now there 's a watch for everyone and we ' ve had a look at what 's on display .