Fitness Trackers vs. Smartwatches
You'll want a wristwatch that can double as a fitness tracker unless you want a device on both wrists (not the best appearance). Most smartwatches can measure basic activity, such as steps, but any extra functionality should be carefully considered.
All of the smartwatches on our list, with the exception of the Garmin Lily, include GPS, allowing them to monitor your runs without the use of a companion smartphone. Most smartwatches now have an optical heart rate sensor, which allows both continuous and on-demand heart rate monitoring.
The Apple Watch Series 7 and Samsung Galaxy Watch4 both include advanced health-tracking capabilities, including the ability to take an electrocardiogram (ECG) and measure blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) levels. They are, of course, among the most costly items on the list.
The Fitbit Versa 3 is less expensive and records more fitness and sleep metrics, but it offers fewer third-party apps, so there is a trade-off. Look for a watch that can track the activities and health data you wish to keep track of.
Does Your Smartwatch Need Cellular Connectivity?
A cellular connection allows you to make calls, send texts, stream music, download apps, and do anything else that requires an internet connection, without actually needing to be connected to your phone. The cellular Apple Watch Series 7 carries a $100 premium over the standard version, and you also have to pay to add it to your phone plan—most carriers charge an additional $10 per month.
Whether or whether this convenience is worthwhile depends on how you intend to use your watch. A cellular connection might come in useful if you want to listen to music while exercising but don't want to leave your phone in the locker room or at home. You can certainly save money and skip it if you always have your phone with you.
How Long Do Smartwatches Last?
Isn't it true that you don't desire a wristwatch with long battery life? You're not going to receive it, so that's good. The Apple Watch and Wear OS watches, which have full-color, smartphone-like screens, only last roughly a day on a single battery. While features like an always-on display and GPS monitoring are convenient, they quickly deplete battery life.
The Series 7 has a battery life of roughly 18 hours, so if you want to utilize the sleep monitoring feature, you'll need to charge it throughout the day. This may need foregoing some activity tracking during the day.
In general, one of the Fitbit watches will provide the longest battery life. They usually last six days before needing to be recharged. This means you can wear them to bed to track your sleep, which you couldn't do with a watch that requires charging every night.
Apple is your best choice if you're seeking applications. By far, the Apple Watch has the most high-quality apps and big-name developers.
Wear OS has its fair share as well, although third-party developers appear to prefer developing for Apple wearables. Wear OS may attract greater developer attention now that it is available on Samsung's newest smartwatches.
Any. do, AccuWeather, Citymapper, Google Fit, Google Keep, Google Play, Google Slides, IFTTT, iHeartRadio, Lifesum, Nike Run Club, Kampot, Pandora, Shazam, Telegram, and Todoist are already available in the Google Play Store for the Galaxy Watch4 series. Additionally, Samsung and Google have announced that updated versions of Spotify, Calm, Strava, Adidas Running, Swim.com, and Flo Period Tracker would be coming to their unified Wear OS platform.
Audible, CNN, Facebook Messenger, ESPN, Runkeeper, Starbucks, The Weather Channel, and Uber are among the popular Apple Watch applications that are not accessible on Wear OS.
How Much Should You Spend on a Smartwatch?
Smartwatches might be costly, but that doesn't mean you have to spend a lot of cash to acquire a nice one. Yes, the $1,229 Apple Watch Hermès will get a lot of attention, but you could get five Fitbits for that amount.
If you're buying a smartwatch for the first time, you might want to consider opting for a less expensive option in case you don't use it very often. The $20 Wyze Watch and the $159 OnePlus Watch are two inexpensive choices, but before you invest your money in them, read our evaluations to understand their limits.
With the exception of the Apple Watch, all of the devices on this list are Android-compatible.
Because of its sleek appearance, outstanding health and safety features, and helpful calling and texting functions, the Samsung Galaxy Watch4 is our current pick. Standard watch straps are supported by the Galaxy Watch4 and many other Android-compatible watches, giving you nearly endless aesthetic alternatives.
Another nice choice is the Fitbit Versa 3. The Versa 3 is one of the most feature-rich Android-compatible smartwatches in its price range, with support for smartphone alerts, Amazon Alexa, Fitbit Pay mobile payments, Deezer and Pandora music and podcast storage, and Spotify audio controls.
Buy It for Looks, Don't Buy It for Life
Don't forget that you'll be wearing this as well. And, unlike your Timex, it is unlikely to be fashionable for many years. The design of smartwatches is continuously evolving, so wait until you discover one that you genuinely like to wear. Remember that smartwatches are still electronic devices. New revisions of almost every watch on this list, as well as many totally new ones, are expected in the next year.
The competition for wrist real estate is heating up. This is wonderful news for customers because it means better—and better-looking—devices are on the way. I wouldn't be shocked if the next time you see this list, it looks entirely different. However, if you're searching for the best smartwatch on the market right now, the selections shown below are the best we've seen.
