As technology continues to move forward, companies known for producing up-to-date gadgets try to outsmart each other by coming out with more innovations. Let us take a look at the "smart watches" from these three big companies: Sony, Motorola and Samsung.

Sony Smartwatch 2

The Sony Smartwatch 2, released globally in September 2013 during the Mobile Asia Expo in Shanghai, runs on Android 4+ and features notifications and mobile remote control functionalities. Sony Smartwatch 2 is priced at $199 and has the following specifications:

  • 1.6-inch touchscreen display with 220 x 176 pixel resolution
  • 58.6 mm case diameter and 9 mm case thickness
  • 24 mm wristband width
  • weighs 123 g
  • aluminum case material
  • wrist band materials available in stainless steel and flexible rubber
  • battery life is 4 hours (average)
  • Bluetooth 3.0, micro USB and automatic adjust to smartphone time

Sony Smartwatch 2 Android notifications are excellent and it has plenty of apps. On the downside, battery life is limited and it has a somewhat confusing setup.

Moto 360

The Moto 360, according to Motorola, has a spherical design and is powered by Android. Its target release date is this summer. Motorola has not divulged any hardware details of their smartwatch. However, the company said that the Moto 360 will have an excellent battery life, featuring a magnetic induction wireless charging technology. It will have an OLED display with a Sapphire glass protecting the display. Moto 360 is available in steel, brown leather and other color leather bands. Motorola has not yet announced the price of the 360, but it is assumed to be sold at $299 or as much as $399.

Samsung Gear

Samsung announced the Gear 2 during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. To be released on April 11, it is priced at $399.99 with the following specs:

  • AMOLED display type
  • 1.63-inch screen with 321 x 320 pixel resolution
  • 56.6 x 36.8 x 11.1 mm dimension
  • 1.9 mp camera, BSI Sensor
  • Weighs 73.8 g
  • Battery life: 150 hours standup time and up to 25 hours normal usage time
  • Bluetooth 4.0
  • Voice memo, pedometer, SmartRelay, Memograher, S Voice, Voice Memo, Find my Device, Timer, Media Controller, Safety Assistance, Stopwatch, Auto Lock

Samsung Gear has superb voice command ideal for those with a Note 3 phone. Texts and emails are easily read. It would be better, however, if there was a T9 function or a keyboard for typing and texting. It does not have the Google Music and Pandora apps.