After a protracted stretch of slim pickings, the final couple of years have been big for Android smartwatches. Now there are extra good choices than ever.
However the market is fragmented. Put on OS 5 is right here for Samsung’s Galaxy Watches, Google’s Pixel Watch 3, and shortly, the OnePlus Watch 3 when it ships later this month. Nevertheless, the bigger ecosystem is catching up. Some options, like Google Assistant, are usually not but accessible on sure Put on OS 3 smartwatches, and Put on OS 4 nonetheless isn’t broadly accessible. Even so, the Android wearable ecosystem is barreling forward.

$230
The Galaxy Watch 6 Traditional is an iterative however welcome replace, with a rotating bezel, higher battery life, and a bigger show than earlier fashions.
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$350
The Pixel Watch 3 provides a number of latest health options, brighter screens, and nifty Google integrations.
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$140
Mobvoi’s TicWatch Professional 5 has superior battery life, wonderful health monitoring, and a speedy Snapdragon W5 Plus chip.
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$100
The spiffy Amazfit Lively 2 delivers outsized worth for the worth. It has a wide selection of well being monitoring options, built-in GPS, and useful AI chatbots.
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What we’re on the lookout for
How we check smartwatches
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Smartwatches are meant that will help you maintain observe of your notifications, in addition to your well being and exercise. We do a mixture of benchmark testing and experiential, real-life testing. Meaning snoozing with them, taking them out on GPS actions like runs and hikes, working up a sweat in a number of exercises, and evaluating how they do in opposition to long-term management units for coronary heart price, sleep, and GPS accuracy. It additionally means evaluating how straightforward they’re to pair, how annoying are notifications, and within the case of Android watches, checking to see if options are universally accessible throughout completely different telephone makers (i.e., do all of the Galaxy Watch options work when you’ve got a Pixel telephone?) Some components we think about in our rankings are sturdiness, efficiency, accuracy versus consistency in metrics, and naturally, battery life.
Processor
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Android smartwatches have lengthy been foiled by outdated processors. Is the chip underneath the hood highly effective sufficient to run Put on OS or the platform’s personal proprietary working system easily?
Ecosystem
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Does a watch work higher inside one firm’s product ecosystem versus one other? Will it’s a must to purchase a brand new watch in case you change telephones?
Good options
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Lately, most wearables are succesful health trackers. Nevertheless, they’re not all able to controlling your good residence, contactless funds, or interacting with digital assistants.
Assist
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Is that this machine prone to final you some time, or will you have to improve before you’d like? How communicative is the OEM about forthcoming adjustments?
Battery life
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Are you able to get by way of the day with out reaching for a charger? If not, does it assist fast charging?
In the event you’d relatively wait till Put on OS settles down a bit, there are platform-agnostic smartwatches and health watches you should buy within the meantime. In any other case, you’ll need to pay attention to the chip and Put on OS model powering your watch. Mobvoi, as an illustration, has typically been a step behind Google and Samsung in rolling out the newest model of Put on OS. In the meantime, you would possibly need to take note of whether or not a watch is operating the newest Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Plus or the bottom W5 chip. The W5 Plus has some further processing benefits, however for the report, the bottom chip isn’t unhealthy. The Pixel Watch 3 and OnePlus Watch 2 each sport the W5 and have notably improved efficiency and battery life.
As long as you retain the aforementioned caveats in thoughts, Android customers have extra smartwatch choices than ever earlier than. I’ve rounded up my high picks, but when none of those is the fitting match, you possibly can all the time take a look at our health tracker shopping for information.
Finest smartwatch for Samsung telephones


$230
The Good
Higher battery lifeBezels are 30 % slimmerComes with Put on OS 4Everything is barely improved from final 12 months
The Unhealthy
Not a lot has changedYou nonetheless get a greater expertise when paired with Samsung phonesSlightly costlier
Sizes: 43mm, 47mm / Weight: 77g, 85g / Battery life: As much as 30 hours with AOD, 40 with out AOD / Show kind: All the time-on OLED / GPS: Constructed-in GPS / Connectivity: LTE (non-obligatory), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi / Water resistance: As much as 50 meters, IP68 / Music storage: 16GB
You probably have a Samsung telephone, you’ll get essentially the most mileage out of a Samsung smartwatch. And of the 4 watches Samsung has in its present lineup, I like to recommend the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Traditional. Though Samsung launched the Galaxy Watch 7 in August, there wasn’t a refresh for the Traditional. Meaning you should be seeing some good offers for the Traditional quickly, if not already. It’s not typically that I like to recommend a last-gen machine, however such is my deep love for the bodily rotating bezel.
If you’d like the newest and best, the Galaxy Watch 7 provides an upgraded 3nm Exynos W1000 chip and a brand new 3-in-1 BioActive Sensor. It’s a marginal enchancment over the 2023 fashions, however I don’t really feel like Samsung launched something final 12 months that requires having them. It additionally has Put on OS 5 and One UI 6 Watch, although Samsung is rolling out the newer OS to older watches (together with the Galaxy Watch 6). Principally, I like to recommend the 7 in case you favor a smaller dimension, don’t care concerning the rotating bezel, and need one thing a smidge extra futureproof.
The Traditional’s rotating bezel is 15 % thinner than the Galaxy Watch 4 Traditional. The up to date design is sleeker than its predecessor, and the bigger show is simpler on the eyes and is barely barely larger at 43mm and 47mm. I’ve small wrists, however the 47mm was nonetheless fairly snug for on a regular basis put on. It’s launching with Put on OS 4, which provides prolonged battery life, and — lastly — cloud backups. One UI 5 Watch additionally provides some minor well being and sleep monitoring enhancements, however this can ultimately make its option to older fashions. Whereas I favor the Traditional, the bottom Watch 6 mannequin could be the higher possibility in order for you a smaller, lighter, sleeker, and cheaper smartwatch.

For extra outdoorsy of us, the $649.99 Galaxy Watch Extremely may be the extra good choice. Of all Samsung’s watches, it has the most effective battery life, lasting round three days in our testing. (Although, we by no means bought the complete 100-hour estimated battery life.) It’s bought dual-frequency GPS, a brand new multisport exercise, an emergency siren, elevated sturdiness, 10ATM of water resistance, and a Fast Button, which acts as a customizable shortcut button. It’s principally an Apple Watch Extremely for Android.
In the meantime, in case you’re on a price range, there’s the brand new $199.99 Galaxy Watch FE, which is basically a rebadged Galaxy Watch 4.


$379
The Good
Longer battery life than the common Galaxy WatchDouble pinch is usefulAdds dual-frequency GPS and sleep apnea detectionCheaper than the Apple Watch Extremely
The Unhealthy
The place is Samsung on this? The squircle chonk doesn’t match small wristsSleep apnea characteristic is restricted to Galaxy phonesAGEs metric is baffling
The Samsung Well being app additionally delivers a very good total health monitoring expertise, particularly since you possibly can allow turn-by-turn navigation for mountain climbing and biking actions. We weren’t too impressed with nightly SpO2 readings, however Samsung’s total sleep monitoring continues to enhance. You additionally get built-in GPS, physique composition evaluation, irregular coronary heart price notifications, fall detection, emergency SOS options, and EKGs. Most just lately, Samsung added a brand new Vitality rating, AI-powered wellness insights, FDA-cleared sleep apnea detection, and a complicated AGEs Index metric for metabolic well being. Whereas the Vitality rating is broadly correct, I discovered the AI-generated options to be hit and miss and the AGEs Index to be extra gimmicky than helpful. The latter characteristic can be restricted to the Galaxy Watch 7 and Extremely.
We don’t essentially advocate the Galaxy Watches in case you don’t have a Samsung telephone. EKGs and sleep apnea detection require the Samsung Well being Monitor app, which is restricted to Samsung telephones. You possibly can work round it, however all Samsung watches work finest with different Samsung units.
Finest Android smartwatch for non-Samsung customers


$350
The Good
We lastly get an even bigger dimension!Average battery improvementsLots of neat Google integrationsGood operating updatesReadiness and Cardio Load scores not locked behind paywall
The Unhealthy
It’s finest with a Pixel telephone
Sizes: 41mm, 45mm / Weight: 31g for 41mm, 37g for 45mm / Battery life: Roughly 24 hours with AOD enabled / Show kind: All the time-on OLED / GPS: Constructed-in GPS / Connectivity: LTE (non-obligatory), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Security Sign with Fitbit Premium / Water resistance: 5ATM / Music storage: 32GB
The $349.99 Google Pixel Watch 3 is completed enjoying catch-up. It’s an annoying reality that when you’ve got a Samsung telephone, a Samsung smartwatch might be your best option for you. Nevertheless, for everybody else, I extremely advocate the Pixel Watch 3.
There are a number of updates to the Pixel Watch 3, however the gist is that it’s a extra refined watch that additionally expands into new territory. One main replace is that there are actually two sizes: 41mm and 45mm. You get further display actual property on the bigger watch, however the bezels are additionally smaller on the 41mm mannequin. (In the event you’re making an attempt to choose between sizes, I favor the 45mm.) The shows are brighter as nicely, starting from a minimal of 1 nit to a most of two,000 nits.

Well being and health additionally get a number of updates, particularly for runners. There’s a brand new Cardio Load metric that gauges the cardiovascular depth of the workout routines you’ve been doing over a set time period. It’s just like Garmin’s Coaching Load metric. You’re additionally given a Cardio Load goal primarily based in your health targets, readiness, and present exercise. Runners additionally get a brand new dashboard stuffed with kind evaluation metrics in addition to the power to program customized exercises. As well as, you will get AI-generated advised exercises. And in case you’re in Europe or the US, the Pixel Watch 3 can now detect in case you now not have a pulse and name emergency companies.
The Pixel Watch 3 additionally provides a bunch of nifty Google integrations. It’s wonderful when you’ve got a Google-powered good residence as a result of now you can straight view and work together along with your Nest Doorbell or digital camera feeds. It’s also possible to use the watch as a distant on your Google TV, and there are new Google Dwelling Tile / issues that make controlling your own home out of your wrist a breeze. Additionally new are offline Google Maps, the power to unlock Pixel telephones, and a Name Help characteristic that lets a caller know you want an additional minute to choose up your telephone.
That stated, whereas the Pixel Watch was initially framed as a look ahead to any Android telephone, a number of updates this time round imply you’ll get the most effective expertise with a Pixel telephone. However in comparison with Samsung, there isn’t fairly as a lot lock-in. Well being options, for instance, can be found to everybody as long as you’ve a Fitbit account. Further excellent news: Google eliminated sure metrics, just like the Each day Readiness Rating, from the Fitbit Premium paywall. Principally, the options locked to Pixel telephones are the Recorder app and issues like the power to unlock your telephone with the watch.
One factor to be aware of is sturdiness. Whereas the domed show is gorgeous, we cracked the display on the unique Pixel Watch and bought deep scratches on the Pixel Watch 2. (Fortunately, we haven’t tousled the Pixel Watch 3.) Google doesn’t provide any restore choices, however you will get the Most well-liked Care prolonged guarantee if you wish to be ready ought to one thing occur. It’s not ultimate because it’s restricted to the US and Canada, nevertheless it’s a step in the fitting course.
Finest different to Google and Samsung smartwatches


$210
The Good
Reward be, the watch worksLong battery lifeLaunches with Google AssistantCompetitively priced
The Unhealthy
No LTE optionAndroid onlyMissing EKGs, fall detectionOnly one dimension
Sizes: 47mm with 22mm straps / Weight: 49g case, 80g with strap / Battery life: As much as 100 hours in good mode, 48 with AOD on, and 12 days in power-saving mode / Show kind: OLED touchscreen / GPS: Twin-frequency GPS, Beidou, GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, QZSS / Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi / Water resistance: 5ATM / Music storage: 32GB
The $299.99 OnePlus Watch 2 is what a glow-up appears to be like like. Whereas the unique OnePlus Watch was horrible, this watch helps fill the void that Fossil left when it stated it was pulling out of Android smartwatches — particularly, a viable different to Google and Samsung.
The 47mm case is huge for petite wrists, and sadly, it solely is available in one dimension, nevertheless it’s manufactured from sturdy stainless-steel and sapphire crystal. Plus, it homes a 500mAh battery. That, plus a dual-chip structure and novel twin OS system, ends in tremendous lengthy battery life. How lengthy a smartwatch lasts will, in fact, rely in your particular person utilization, however I bought almost 4 days with regular use. That’s unbelievable for a flagship.

It additionally has Put on OS 4, making it the one third-party Put on OS watch operating the newest software program (Watch 2 customers can even anticipate to obtain OS 5 updates in Q3). It has Google Assistant from the get-go — an enormous achievement since that’s been an issue with different third-party Android watches. Plus, you get entry to the Google Play Retailer for a sturdy app ecosystem. On the health aspect of issues, OnePlus added dual-frequency GPS. That’s a plus in case you’re outdoorsy and frequent difficult GPS environments like dense forests or crowded cities.
The primary stuff you’re giving up are LTE connectivity and a few options like EKGs, atrial fibrillation detection, native interval monitoring, and fall detection. The shortage of mobile is a bummer, because it means you actually ought to maintain your telephone on you once you’re out and about. Nonetheless, the $300 price ticket is a aggressive one and could also be definitely worth the trade-off given battery life.
That stated, OnePlus additionally just lately introduced the OnePlus Watch 3, which can have Put on OS 5, a rotating crown that truly scrolls, higher battery life, an improved GPS antenna, and a bunch of latest well being options. I’m nonetheless within the means of testing it, so keep tuned for that assessment. (Within the meantime, right here’s my hands-on.) You may want to remember, nonetheless, that the Watch 3 is $30 costlier. On the brilliant aspect, this additionally means we’ll most likely see reductions on the remaining OnePlus Watch 2 stock within the coming weeks.
Finest health smartwatch for Android


$140
The Good
Really multiday battery lifeW5 Plus chip helps to futureproofGood well being monitoring updatesThe ULP show has an ingenious manner of displaying coronary heart price zonesDigital crown!
The Unhealthy
Why so many apps??W5 Plus doesn’t get you an enormous efficiency bumpNo digital assistant
Sizes: 50mm with 24mm straps / Weight: 44.3g / Battery life: As much as 80 hours / Show kind: OLED touchscreen and secondary ultra-low energy show / GPS: GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, Beidou / Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi / Water resistance: 5ATM / Music storage: 32GB
Mobvoi’s TicWatch lineup has its devoted followers for a motive: tremendous lengthy battery life. The $249.99 TicWatch Professional 5 is not any exception. It’s bought an estimated 80 hours of battery life with commonplace use, a secondary ultra-low energy show, and an enormous (for a smartwatch you put on in your wrist, at the least) 628mAh battery. I didn’t fairly get 80 hours in my testing, however I did get a stable 48-60 hours with heavy GPS use. That outclasses many of the watches on this class (besides the OnePlus Watch 2) and is beneficial for backpackers and endurance athletes. It won’t maintain a candle to a top-of-the-line Garmin, nevertheless it’s additionally a wiser look ahead to a fraction of the worth.
Battery life apart, the Professional 5 is an efficient possibility for fitness-focused individuals who aren’t eager on giving up good capabilities for a Garmin or Polar. It’s additionally extra sturdy. This time round, Mobvoi has additionally added a digital crown so that you don’t have to fret about scrolling by way of menus with sweaty fingers. The flatter aspect button additionally reduces the danger of unintentional presses.

The Professional 5 additionally has an ingenious methodology of displaying coronary heart price. Whenever you raise up your arm, the backlight adjustments colour relying on which coronary heart price zone you’re in. Meaning you possibly can immediately gauge whether or not to up the depth or gradual your roll. The Professional 5 additionally provides new coaching metrics, like VO2 Max and restoration time.
The TicWatch helps stress monitoring, all-day blood oxygen monitoring, fatigue assessments, in addition to atrial fibrillation and irregular heartbeat detection. For outdoorsy varieties, it additionally has entry to a number of GNSS programs, and there’s a brand new barometer and compass app, in addition to a one-tap measurement app that offers you a fast have a look at 5 metrics (coronary heart price, blood oxygen, stress, respiratory price, and total coronary heart well being).
It’s additionally fairly succesful on the productiveness entrance. You get contactless funds, entry to the Play Retailer, notifications, and the power to take calls. It’s additionally the one Android smartwatch accessible within the US with the newest Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Plus chip, which is a plus by way of futureproofing. The one main considerations are the 50mm case that won’t go well with smaller wrists and the dearth of a digital assistant.
And excellent news! Mobvoi introduced the rollout of Put on OS 4 in September, that means all Professional 5 units must be operating the newer working system at this level.


$219
The Good
Lengthy battery lifeAlso will get you plenty of complimentsComfortable to wearGreat priceAdds interval monitoring
The Unhealthy
Has fewer sensors than the ScanWatch 2Again, the OLED show is tiny
Sizes: 37mm with 18mm straps / Weight: 45g / Battery life: As much as 39 days / Show kind: OLED show / GPS: Tethered GPS / Connectivity: Bluetooth / Water resistance: 5ATM / Music storage: N/A
Hybrid smartwatches are a wonderful option to maintain issues easy and refined. The $249.95 Withings ScanWatch Mild will get you the fundamentals like push notifications, timers, and alarms. On the well being entrance, you possibly can observe steps, sleep, menstrual cycles, and GPS exercises. (That stated, GPS is tethered out of your telephone, not inbuilt.) The design jogs my memory of a classier Swatch, notably in case you get the extra colourful choices in a minty inexperienced or pale blue. However the huge motive the Mild has dethroned our earlier choose, the Garmin Vivomove Sport, is its extra-long battery life. Withings estimates it lasts as much as 30 days on a single cost, and I bought fairly near that in testing with 25 days. Regardless of the Vivomove’s extra interesting $180 price ticket, it solely lasts about 5 days.

If you’d like a bit extra out of a hybrid, it’s also possible to go for the ScanWatch 2. It’s an additional $100, however you get EKGs and atrial fibrillation detection, temperature sensors, SpO2 readings, and an altimeter for measuring elevation. It additionally appears to be like a bit extra elegant on the wrist, partly due to a secondary dial that tracks your day by day step progress.
If neither matches your fashion, the Vivomove Sport continues to be a very good possibility that will get you entry to Garmin’s in-depth platform. Its Vivomove Development is a barely extra upscale possibility that additionally helps Qi charging.
Finest platform-agnostic health smartwatch


$398
The Good
Good battery lifeBetter sleep monitoring and nap detectionEKG and AFib featuresCan take calls and use your telephone’s voice assistantAudio meditation periods completed nicely
The Unhealthy
Dear in comparison with different way of life smartwatchesLimited third-party app ecosystemNo LTE functionality
Sizes: 41mm with 18mm straps; 45mm with 22mm straps / Weight: 40g for the 3S; 47g for the three / Battery life: As much as 10 days for 3S; 14 days for 3 / Show kind: OLED touchscreen / GPS: GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO / Connectivity: Bluetooth, Ant Plus, Wi-Fi / Water resistance: 5ATM / Music storage: 8GB
Garmin is finest recognized for making rugged GPS watches which have wonderful health options however aren’t so good in any other case. However the $449.99 Venu 3 caters to individuals who need top-notch health monitoring with out sacrificing productiveness options.
It’s bought a colourful and vibrant always-on OLED show and is available in two sizes: 41mm and 45mm. Like its predecessor, the Venu 2 Plus, it additionally has a microphone and speaker so you possibly can take and make calls straight from the wrist. It additionally has a intelligent workaround for digital assistants — it makes use of Bluetooth to work with no matter assistant is already in your telephone. You’d suppose extra health trackers would do that, however they don’t. It labored nicely in testing, although digital assistants aren’t all the time the neatest at understanding instructions.

The Venu 3 doesn’t have the most effective third-party app ecosystem, nevertheless it has Spotify, Deezer, and Amazon Music for offline playback. Android customers can even ship fast responses for texts, and the watch works with both iOS or Android for folk who need to maintain their choices open. It additionally has fall detection, reside monitoring, and contactless funds.
As for well being options, it has Garmin’s newest coronary heart price sensor, which permits its FDA-cleared EKG app to detect atrial fibrillation. In any other case, you get built-in GPS, steady coronary heart price monitoring, the entire superior teaching options within the Garmin Join app, and Garmin’s well-known in-depth well being information. The Venu 3 additionally improves sleep monitoring with nap detection and provides audio-guided meditation periods. There’s additionally a brand new wheelchair mode.
This isn’t essentially the most hardcore Garmin that cash can purchase, nevertheless it’s undoubtedly the neatest. The value is a bit excessive in comparison with most smartwatches, however by Garmin requirements, it’s middle-of-the-pack.
Finest price range Android smartwatch


$100
The Good
Stacked characteristic set for the priceLooks spiffyGood battery life
The Unhealthy
Touchscreen and voice instructions are finickyCan’t edit workoutsAI chatbots are meh
Dimension: 43mm w/ 20mm straps / Weight: 29.5g for traditional, 31.7g for premium / Battery life: As much as 10 days / Show kind: OLED touchscreen / GPS: 5 GNSS programs / Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi / Water resistance: 5ATM / Music storage: N/A
Amazfit’s made a reputation for itself making price range wearables that punch far above their weight. The $99.99 Amazfit Lively 2 is not any exception.
The Lively 2 is a surprisingly spiffy watch contemplating its worth. The usual model has a stainless-steel case with tempered glass, and in case you shell out $30 further, you will get the premium mannequin with sapphire crystal and an additional leather-based strap. Usually, I don’t get compliments whereas sporting price range smartwatches, however I bought a number of whereas sporting this one.
Whereas it doesn’t run Put on OS, its proprietary Zepp OS makes for a platform-agnostic smartwatch. Characteristic-wise, you get all of the fundamentals after which some. That features issues like steady coronary heart price monitoring, blood oxygen price, coronary heart price variability, stress monitoring, alerts for abnormally excessive and low coronary heart price, and pores and skin temperature monitoring. You additionally get offline maps with turn-by-turn navigation, 160 completely different sport exercise profiles, and a brand new power coaching exercise that mechanically tracks reps. The Lively 2 doesn’t have dual-frequency GPS, nevertheless it has the following smartest thing: entry to all 5 of the foremost GNSS satellite tv for pc programs. So far as well being monitoring goes, it additionally emphasizes fashionable metrics like a readiness rating and has a revamped sleep monitoring algorithm. Battery life is estimated at about 10 days, although as a heavy person, I bought round eight to 9 in my testing.

One thing that units the Lively 2 aside at this worth vary is entry to an AI assistant on wrist and AI chatbots inside the Zepp app. The Zepp Stream assistant (on wrist) is slightly finicky, however you should use it to regulate your watch’s on-device settings and primary queries like asking for the climate. The Zepp Aura AI bot prices an additional $77 yearly, and you’ll ask it to ship insights into your readiness and sleep scores. I discovered it hit and miss, however at the least it’s well-integrated into the app, snappy, and most significantly, non-obligatory. Extra helpful is the Zepp Coach, which you should use to generate customized coaching plans.
All in all, I don’t have a lot to gripe about this watch, which is wild given how inexpensive it’s. It actually delivers an outsized bang on your buck. Simply ensure you wipe off any sweaty fingers, since its touchscreen doesn’t deal with them nicely.
Replace, April sixth: Adjusted pricing/availability, added a number of associated hyperlinks, and up to date the copy to replicate that Google’s Lack of Pulse Detection characteristic is now accessible within the US, in addition to Europe.