This is the season of the Watch, and I've had the opportunity to review at least five SmartWatches lately, from Pebble, Martian, Phosphor, i'mWatch and now Cogito ($129.95). Each brings something different to the table, in terms of apps, screen, battery life, style, and functionality. Cogito's Pop may have just enough "smart" to go with plenty of style and battery life to be your primary watch.
The Cogito Pop doesn't try to be too technical. At first glance, it's a traditional and stylish analog watch, almost like a more rugged Swatch. With two buttons on the side and a crown to adjust the watch hands, there aren't any clues that this watch has a brain. But when paired with the free Connected Watch app, four different icon LEDs can be lit up when email, text messages, phones calls, or even social messages come in. There's no indication of who sent the message, or what it's about, so it's not as if the watch replaces your phone. But if you just want a convenient way to know a text came in, it's great, especially if your phone is in a purse or pocket.
The app can also help you to find your iPhone (it also works with Android devices.) In the future, I'd like to see a more powerful app that lets the user customize when an alert is shown, for example only if I get an email or text from my wife, or other family members. I would also like to turn off the audible beep that plays (only once) as that isn't always welcome.
The best part is, because the Cogito Pop isn't trying to be a super smart watch, the battery lasts a year and the price is under $130. Many color combinations are available, and unlike several smart watches, you can use regular watch bands if desired.