Studies show that we forget up to 90% of new information within one week. In other words, one week from now, you will have forgotten 90% of everything you hear and say today. Writing it down is good. But people talk faster than you can write. A smartwatch with a voice recording can help you transcribe real-time conversations and commit them to memory.
Yes. Smartwatch has a Voice Recording system. But in order to voice record, you need to Install Voice Memos in iOS or Voice Recorder HD in your WearOS.Smartwatches are “smart” because they have many features, including voice recording. However, you won’t find it on all smartwatches but in those with microphones. If your smartwatch has a microphone, the answer to “does the smartwatch have a voice recording,” is a matter of software.
Several smartwatches can make voice recordings. Examples include the Apple Watch, Samsung Gear S3, and FossilQ Explorist HR. We will talk about them shortly. However, note that the higher the audio quality of the voice recorders, the costlier a smartwatch can get. You might also consider the smartwatch’s storage capacity and battery life.
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How can I record audio on my smartwatch?
If you already have a smartwatch, ensure it has a microphone. You will know that your smartwatch has a microphone if it can make and receive calls or if it allows you to use any voice-based virtual assistant technology. For instance, the Apple Watch has Siri, and Samsung Gear S has Bixby. That’s the first step to recording voices on your smartwatch.
Secondly, you need to install an audio recording app on your smartwatch. There are many voice recording apps in the App Store and Google Store. Use apps like Voice Recorder HD, Recorder, or RecForge II for Android smartwatches. Remember that the apps vary in audio quality and settings. So, not all are free. You may need to pay for some of the apps.
For iOS smartwatches, use the Voice Memos app. Once you’ve installed the app, open it. If you open the voice recording app for the first time, you will receive a prompt to allow microphone access. Tap allow or accept. Most smartwatch voice recording apps have straightforward user interfaces. Setting them up only requires you to define the storage location.
The OS will save the recorded files to your smartwatch. I recommend recording audio in AAC and AMR codecs. These audio formats produce high-quality audio and take very little memory space. For instance, a 30-minute voice recording in the AAR codec is only about three megabytes. Some voice recording apps will also allow you to transfer and edit files.
Smartwatches with voice recording
Now let’s take a look at some of the best smartwatches that allow voice recording:
Apple Watch Series 7
It is no debate that Apple Watch Series 7 is the hottest wearable in town. Apart from the smartwatch’s aesthetics and accurate health and fitness sensors, it has a microphone. Like its iOS predecessors, the Series 7 can make voice recordings. You just need to ask Siri to open Voice Memos. Tap the red icon on the screen to record and stop when done.
FossilQ Explorist HR
Fossil Explorist HR gives you call and text notifications like other fossil smartwatches. The smartwatch can have its own contact number. Otherwise, you can pair the Fossil Venture HR to your phone to receive phone calls from your primary phone book.
The smartwatch is made for fitness enthusiasts, but it can also record voice files. Venture HR is highly customizable and versatile.
Samsung Gear S3 Frontier
Unlike the Apple Watch, Samsung Gear S3 is compatible with Android and iOS wearables. If you have used Bixby in your Samsung Gear, it means it has a microphone. You can install any voice recording app from the Samsung Galaxy Store. You will get free and paid apps. You must read the app descriptions to weigh what they offer.
For instance, some apps would allow you to edit and add effects to audio recordings.
Skagen Falster 2
Skagen boasts high-quality smartwatches that can last for a very long time. Skagen Falster 2 runs on Wear OS and offers significant benefits to users. You can install several apps on the smartwatch, including voice recording. It is known for being a magnet. Generally, it picks up anything with iron. However, its battery life can be annoying at times.
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Importance of Smartwatch with Voice Recording
Why would anyone want a smartwatch with voice recording? Whenever we think about the importance of a voice recorder, the first thing that comes to mind is security. However, there is more to voice recording than just strengthening a legal argument.
Here are some benefits of smartwatches with voice recording:
Strengthens legal argument
Although one can use smartwatches with a voice recording in various settings, we associate it more with evidence. Audio recordings are essential for dispute resolution and accountability. Some people use a smartwatch with voice recording to take secret recordings for security reasons, for example, when facing harassment or racist remarks from coworkers.
However, consult with the head of the department or HR before recording a workmate because you might violate employment policies. It is important to note that recording people without their consent could be a criminal offense in some countries. You could get arrested or fired from your job.
Most U.S states, including California, Florida, and Pennsylvania, have laws requiring consent from the parties involved before making a voice recording.
Smartwatch with voice recording can record hundreds of minutes of audio
The memory storage of smartwatches varies widely depending on cost and features. Some, like the Apple Watch Series 7, have 32GB of internal storage. If that memory is dedicated to voice recording alone, that would be over 5000 hours of audio recordings.
That could be beneficial to interviewers and journalists. A smartwatch with voice recording would help journalists and interviewers stay in the moment and take notes carefully without fear of forgetting critical information.
A smartwatch with voice recording is a virtual aid to memory
We will forget 70% of anything we learn today within 24 hours. Forgetting crucial details can sometimes be very costly, let alone time-consuming.
A smartwatch with a voice recording can be particularly helpful in aiding our memories, especially if you are a student or professional. The smartwatch can record lectures or meeting proceedings for you because you cannot write at the rate people speak. Otherwise, you might miss crucial class notes that your lecturer will examine in the future.
Having a smartwatch with voice recording makes revisions and consolidation of information pretty easy. You have a wearable to return to for clarification. That would have a significant positive impact on a student’s grade.
Create podcasts using a smartwatch with a voice recorder
Podcasts are on the rise. According to Statista, there are about 120 million podcast listeners in the United States alone. By 2023, they estimate that podcast consumption will surpass 160 million people. The most important things to creating a podcast are a recording device and software. You can start recording your podcast episodes with a smartwatch.
Podcasts are easy to create, and the industry is taking off. It might be challenging to get used to your smartwatch for recording podcasts. But it can be essential for capturing an idea when it strikes.
“For memories sake.”
Just like we take pictures and look back to what and where we were, you can record and listen to your ideas in the future. This serves to monitor your voice and personality changes and for remembrance. Instead of reading your thoughts, you’d be listening to them in your voice.
That’s how I use Voice Memos in my new Apple Watch Series 6. I use it to record random thoughts and ideas when I cannot write. Besides, you can monitor your child’s language skill development using a voice recording smartwatch. Most of the smartwatches will allow the transfer of audio files to the cloud and on computers.
A smartwatch that has voice recording can keep your memories for several generations.
Recommended reading: How to Use Smartwatch Without Phone
Conclusion
Wearable technology is advanced enough for smartwatches to have voice recording. However, some smartwatches do not have microphones to support this feature. You can use Apple Watch Series 7, Samsung Gear S3, or the Fossil Explorist HR to record voices for your lectures, podcasts, or dispute resolution.
