Top Smartwatches Available This Year

If 2014 is supposed to be the 'year of the smartwatch,' then September should be dubbed the month of the smartwatch. Manufacturers of all sorts plan to unveil or unleash their vision for what the wearable future should look like today. Most of these new smartwatches will be unveiled at the IFA tech show in Germany this week, although Apple will reportedly debut its own smartwatch stateside on Sept. 9 when it announces the iPhone 6. All that said, we've made a list of the best upcoming smartwatches that are launching or have launched this year.

#1 Apple iWatch

Let's face it, when Apple takes its time developing a product, they usually deliver something amazing. Apple fans are hoping that the tech company's first wearable is no exception. While most are calling this device the 'iWatch,' there's still no confirmation on what Apple itself will call it. But whatever the name, look for the 'iWatch' to have heavy integration with Apple's new HealthKit platform that is part of iOS 8. Expect Apple's smartwatch to collect real-time health and fitness stats and data from users and then feed them to your iPhone, iPad or Mac computer for you to view and track. Rumors also indicate the smartwatch could also include a responsive watch band that can receive commands or track health stats, and the bands might also be interchangeable.

#2 MOTO 360

The MOTO 360 is one of the year's most anticipated gadgets--period. Ever since Motorola announced it back in March, the MOTO 360 made techies everywhere swoon because for the first time a smart watch looked like, well, a watch--and an attractive one at that. The MOTO 360 is set apart from essentially any other smartwatch because of both its round watchface and its high-end build quality. Boasting a stainless steel housing and premium leather or metal watchband, the 360 looks like an elegant watch, forget the fact that it's running Google's Android Wear mobile OS. This thing is sexy, no matter how you slice it.

#3 LG G Watch R

LG's G Watch was one of the first Android Wear watches to launch in July, in fact, it's currently only one of two Android Wear devices available. And when it did launch, most experts were underwhelmed by it's lack of design. Well, LG has announced it will launch its second Android Wear smartwatch this month, the LG G Watch R. This time around LG seems to have taken all of that criticism and used it to help them design a smartwatch that looks like a regular rugged round-faced smartwatch.

The G Watch R is the second round Android Wear smartwatch announced (though, it could potentially be the first one to launch as the MOTO 360 still doesn't have a launch date), and it looks great. If the pictures are anything like how the watches display will perform in a real-world setting, the G Watch R just might be the watchiest smartwatch to date.

#4 Samsung Gear S

Like LG, Samsung is rushing to get its next smartwatch to market. After two uninspired attempts with the Galaxy Gear and Galaxy Gear 2, Samsung is looking to finally get the smartwatch formula right this time around with the Galaxy Gear S, and it looks like they might have actually made an interesting device.

The Gear S is unique among this recent crop of smartwatches in that it can operate alone without the need of a smartphone. With 3G connectivity, the Gear S can use apps and the internet all on its own. You can also make and receive calls from the watch, as well as receive and reply to texts. The Gear S sports a 2-inch "curved Super AMOLED" screen that looks like it would actually fit on your wrist nicely.

#5 ASUS ZenWatch

Not much is known about ASUS' first smartwatch, but it is expected to be officially announced this week during IFA. Some have speculated that the watch will be available for purchase sometime in October. As far as the design, some reports claim the display will be curved, though the teaser video by ASUS seems to show a flat screen. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.