Have smartwatches finally had the injection of style they need?

Smartwatches are still a technology niche loved by a few early adopters, but considered ugly, expensive and pointless by the majority of people.

Early editions from Samsung and Pebble were considered chunky and ugly even by many technology enthusiasts, but designs improved a little with Google’s first wave of Android Wear watches, with the round Motorola Moto 360 being a highlight.

Compared to traditional watches, which smartwatches are attempting to replace, the chunky profiles and lack of premium fit and finish of last years’ models made them a significant downgrade in personal style.

For something worn on you wrist, what it looks like (and thus what it says about you) is more important than most technology enthusiasts appreciate.

Apple launched its smartwatch in April. It met with mixed reviews, but its industrial design – the look and feel, manufacturing and finish – was a cut above the competition.

Now the rest of the market is catching up, as Motorola, Huawei and Samsung all launch smartwatches with design and style front and centre.

Motorola Moto 360

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Motorola has launched not one, but three new Moto 360 smartwatches. They have round screens, come in two sizes and a Sport variant ditches metal for silicone.

Ian Fogg, director of mobile analysis at IHS Technology said: “The new Moto 360 smartwatch offers female and sport-focused models to increase appeal, plus user changeable watch straps and extensive ‘mass customisation’ options similar to the company’s Moto X smartphones.”

The round screen still has the flat tyre shape with a piece at the bottom housing the watch’s sensors, which was criticised in last year’s model. But having two different sizes will appeal to more users, while the all-metal and screen design is certainly attractive.

Huawei Watch

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Huawei’s Watch also has a premium look and feel to it that is more reminiscent of a man’s metal watch, and a €300 and up price tag to match. It, like all the new Android Wear watches, can connect to both Android smartphones and Apple’s iPhone.

It’s large circular display is more pixel dense than its rivals, so will appear sharper, while its fit and finish is approaching traditional watchmaker standards.

Samsung Gear S2

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Apple’s chief rival Samsung has also improved its smartwatch considerably. Gone is the chunky curved oblong that resembled a prisoner ankle bracelet and instead Samsung has produced its first round smartwatch, with a premium design and innovation in the form of a rotating bezel.

Ben Wood, head of research at CCS Insight said: “The Gear S2 is a breath of fresh air compared to Samsung’s previous smartwatches. It follows the trend set by the Moto 360 for a circular display, and at a glance it looks much more like a traditional watch than the geek-ware that has characterised most other smartwatches to date.”

After having tried out the watch at its launch at the IFA trade show in Berlin, Wood described the rotating bezel as “really addictive” and found it “reminiscent of how consumers used to idly fiddle with flip and slider phones back in the day”.

Samsung has also ditched its requirement of connecting the Gear S2 to a Samsung-branded smartphone. Despite running Samsung’s Tizen operating system, it will work with any Android smartphone.

Now Android Wear works with the iPhone, the Apple Watch has some direct competition.

While the case for using a smartwatch has yet to be proven, for most consumers, at least now the design of the devices is approaching something closer to that of watches worn as jewellery.

Pebble boss: ‘one day, people will not be able to live without their smartwatch’