Armani Exchange Connected smartwatch review: Smart as steel

It sports the metal link band that I have refused to wear since childhood. The metallic watch bands have always given me the feeling of being fettered and I prefer something organic or just plain plastic. Also, something this big can come in the way a bit if you are, like me, stuck to putting 12 hours every day in front of a computer.

The watch charges on a small dock, very similar to that of the Apple Watch, but with a magnetic base. This is good because the watch cannot rest on its face because of the strap.

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The Armani Exchange Connected watch is based on Google Wear OS. So it is like the other Android watches out there, except for the custom faces. The watch sets up with help from the Google Wear app and the entire process is easy, especially if like me you already have an account which knows you’re vitals.

You can select watch faces that go with the bold style of the watch and there are quite a few to select. If you are looking for something more subtle, then that could be a problem. But I finally found a red digits on black background face that I liked. This watch face gave me everything I wanted to see — from steps to date, weather, day and battery status — in one screen.

The watch charges on a small dock, very similar to that of the Apple Watch, but with a magnetic base.

You can click on the crown to access the apps and roll the crown to scroll through the list. It is good that Wear OS now lets you download apps directly from Play Store to the watch without a smartphone in between. But there aren’t enough apps to keep you from going to an Android smartwatch more than needed.

This is where the notifications will come in handy. The watch can show most of the notifications that appear on your phone. And you can mute them if needed as they can get annoying after a point, and also drain your battery faster than you expected.

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While the watch is fully integrated with Google Fit, I doubt you would want to wear these shackles for your morning jog or to the gym. It is best for the watch to count your steps passively as you are at work, or to help you catch a breathing exercise when you feel stressed out.

The battery can last over a day, given that you will not be wearing this to sleep or to places where you are likely to be more active. Still, it is recommended that you charge it daily when you sleep.

While the watch is fully integrated with Google Fit, I doubt you would want to wear these shackles for your morning jog or to the gym.

It might not be my taste and a bit contradictory to my concept of a smartwatch, but the Armani Exchange Connected is functional and certain to find takers among those who like these kinds of timepieces.