Android smartwatches have come a long way and are more capable than ever. They offer longer software support, like thebest Android smartphones, more features, wider capability, and tighter integration. Staying on top of your health has also become more important, and upcoming smartwatches such as the Google Pixel Watch 4 and the next-generation Galaxy Watch series will likely further enhance these key features.
We compiled a list of the best smartwatches money can buy, including some of the latest Samsung, OnePlus, Google, and other smartwatches. Most high-end offerings come with GPS, accuratefitness and health tracking, and WearOS, making things run smoothly and efficiently.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 7
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra
OnePlus Watch 2R
Google Pixel Watch 3
Garmin Venu 3
OnePlus Watch 2
Mobvoi TicWatch Atlas
Garmin Enduro 3
CMF Watch Pro 2
Polar Grit X2 Pro
Must-have smartwatches for an Android phone
All-around excellence
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 retains its complete feature set driven by accurate sensors and a convenient user experience. It may not be quite as premium as others out there, but it’s a better value, overall, making it the best smartwatch for most people today.
The standard Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 takes about everything that made its predecessors good and adds the right tweaks to nudge it forward. It maintains the same solid performance, display, battery life, and software, adding improved GPS and a BioActive sensor to help the watch feel like a more refined wearable. While Wear OS 4 doesn’t bring any grand differences, the software and tracking accuracy make the Watch 7 easier to appreciate and trust when you’re on the move or getting a good night’s sleep.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is still the best ecosystem smartwatch on Android
Iterative? Only compared to the last Galaxy Watch
While so much of the Watch 7 is similar to the previous-generation Galaxy Watch 6, dig a little deeper, and you’ll find extra customization. Beyond new watch faces, it includes custom workout routines to give you more control over how you want to work out. The downsides largely remain the same. Battery life isn’t great, lasting about 19 hours with heavier tracking. On average, you’re looking at 24 hours. you’re able to still do ECG (electrocardiogram) readings from the watch, though the Blood Pressure Monitor (BPM) still doesn’t work in the US (it does in other regions). Even so, this is the best smartwatch for Android.
A more durable alternative
The Galaxy Watch Ultra is Samsung’s take on a more ruggedized and durable smartwatch. Made for outdoor athletes, it offers quicker access to exercise tracking and a bigger battery.
The Galaxy Watch Ultra is Samsung’s attempt to build a durable watch to take on the likes of the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Garmin’s lineup of rugged wearables. Hence, it only comes in a 47mm size and is the most expensive in Samsung’s lineup. Its toughness comes from the titanium body, sapphire glass, IP68 dust and water resistance, and MIL-STD-810H durability. It can also work in temperatures ranging from 131° Fahrenheit (55° Celsius) to 4° F (–20 Celsius).
Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Ultra is great, but it’s not for everyone
A great watch, but you might prefer the Galaxy Watch 7
It uses Samsung’s excellent tracking capabilities and melds them with physical features like the Quick button. It can launch the exercise tracking by default but can also trigger an alarm and turn on the built-in flashlight, stopwatch, or water-locking feature. There are some caveats to consider. Despite having 10ATM waterproofing, you can only swim with the watch rather than use it for water sports. Smaller wrists will also have a problem, given the Ultra’s size, which explains why only medium/large bands are available.
Inexpensive with great battery life
The OnePlus Watch 2R bears many similarities to the OnePlus Watch 2 for less money. It’s lighter and easier to manage without losing the main features and functions, also retaining the outstanding battery life for a Wear OS watch.
It’s hard not to like a smartwatch that borrows heavily from its more expensive sibling yet cuts the price. That’s the OnePlus Watch 2R in a nutshell, which is a slightly pared-down version of the OnePlus Watch 2. The big win here is battery life, thanks to two processors working together. A Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 chip does the heavy lifting while the BES 2700 processor handles the background activities. This unique performance setup means you can expect to go up to three days before charging again.
The OnePlus Watch 2R sets a new bar for affordable Android watches
More than enough for most people
To cut costs, the Watch 2R has an aluminum body and Panda Glass screen, though it sticks with the IP68 and 5ATM protection its pricier sibling has. However, there isn’t a rotating digital crown, so you’ll need to swipe on the AMOLED display to get around. The OHealth app is a decent steward of your tracking data, but it doesn’t integrate with as many third-party apps as others.
It finally comes in large
The Google Pixel Watch 3 is a fine-tuned smartwatch that’s better in nearly ever way compared to its predecessor. It’s a worthy upgrade, featuring a more accurate and reliable tracking mechanism, and even better battery life, and a new 45mm design that fits on larger wrists.
The Google Pixel Watch 3 comes in 41mm and 45mm sizes. Google upped the refresh rate from 30Hz to 60Hz, and they peak at 2,000 nits of brightness, making them smooth and easily viewable outdoors, even in direct sunlight. The watch received several notable improvements related to tracking, and the battery can last about a full day on a single charge.
The bezels are smaller than on the Pixel 2 series, and we found that the tracking received a few enhancements, making it more reliable and accurate for everyday health tracking. The third generation is a solid improvement over the previous Pixel Watch 2. If you’re in the market for a reliable smartwatch that works with your Pixel phone, this is the one to consider.
Google’s Pixel Watch 3 is big, beautiful, and brainy
The 45mm version is large and easy to love
It’s bold, has a bright display, accurate tracking, and two comfortable sizes to fit all wrists. We rated the Pixel Watch 3 a solid 8.5/10 during our review, and we’re happy to report that Google got the right formula that looks beautiful and lasts a full day, even for those who work out a lot.
A balanced approach
This Garmin smartwatch has a vibrant 1.4-inch AMOLED display, and with the slew of tracking features, the Venu 3 checks off a lot of boxes. With superb app support, outstanding battery life, and satellite connectivity, there is a lot to work with when it’s time to work out.
Garmin’s smartwatches aren’t known for being flashy, but they have a well-earned reputation for keeping you honest as an athlete. This isn’t a focused running watch like a Forerunner, nor a super rugged model like a Fenix. It feels more like a smartwatch that’s easier for first-time Garmin users.
A large 1.4-inch AMOLED display gives the Venu 3 a more visual presence, even if the crown doesn’t do anything to augment the touchscreen. There’s no Wear OS here, limiting third-party app support, but you may expect Garmin Pay to work and to take phone calls using the onboard speaker and microphone.
The Venu 3 shines in the amount of health and fitness tracking available. A key one is Body Battery, which takes activity, sleep, and stress metrics to come up with a score to help you gauge how ready you are for the next run or workout. There are women’s health features to track menstrual cycles, as well as the ability to take on workout plans and training regimens through Garmin Coach and the Garmin Connect app.
You can also track over 30 sports and activities that range in focus, be it major sports or workouts, like cardio, yoga, HIIT, and Pilates, among others. However, the built-in GPS doesn’t mean you get built-in maps. You can track distance but not necessarily see the route you took on the watch.
Garmin Venu 3 smartwatch: The best Venu yet
Garmin added an onboard speaker and third side button, but the real superstar is the Venu 3’s battery
The built-in heart rate monitor stays accurate, while the SpO2 sensor keeps tabs on blood oxygen saturation levels. Intuitive sleep tracking can tell when you’re sleeping well or not well at all, influencing your score to determine the right time to break a sweat again.
When you’re ready, you can download music from Spotify, Amazon Music, and Deezer to keep your phone away during any run or workout. With all this going on, battery life holds up well at 7 to 14 days per charge, depending on how much you use GPS tracking and the always-on display. Try to avoid losing the proprietary charger.
Wear more, charge less
This is OnePlus' second watch, but first foray into Wear OS, and it largely works out with a solid mix of hardware and software. Outstanding battery life underpins the entire experience, though some updates will be necessary to iron out some kinks.
OnePlus returned to wearables after a few years on the sidelines by releasing the OnePlus Watch 2 at an MSRP of $300, its first Wear OS device. Its unique design combines Wear OS with RTOS, an older interface running in tandem to handle background tasks, like monitoring health sensors and communicating with your phone, to let Wear OS focus on everything else.
While the AMOLED display is large and responsive to touch, the digital crown rotates without doing anything, not even scrolling, which is a surprising twist (pun intended) for this watch. The software and health tracking experiences are mixed bags but also open to improvement with proper software updates, so we’ll see how OnePlus approaches any shortcomings going forward.
OnePlus Watch 2: Worth it for the battery alone
With two chipsets and two operating systems, the OnePlus Watch 2 offers revelatory battery life — but not much more
The OnePlus Watch 2 only comes in one 47mm size, and without an LTE variant to consider, you will need your phone handy to take advantage of connected features. The big win for this watch is in battery life. It outlasts other Wear OS models before a recharge is necessary. There is plenty of internal storage, with most of the 32GB available out of the box, leaving space for apps and music to save.
Unique display opportunity
The Mobvoi TicWatch Atlas takes much of what worked on previous models and finds ways to make it more refined and reliable. Running on Wear OS, and with a unique dual-layer display, it offers snappy performance and excellent battery life.
The Mobvoi TicWatch Atlas is largely based on the design and functionality of theTicWatch Pro 5 Enduro, so there isn’t a great departure between them at first glance. That includes sapphire crystal to protect the display, a unique dual-layer panel made up of an OLED screen, and a low-power sublayer. Since the latter uses minimal battery to show details like step count and heart rate, you can stretch out overall battery life further than most other Wear OS watches.
It’s not the best for smaller wrists, given it hasn’t slimmed down compared to the Pro 5 Enduro (it got a tad thicker), but if you are looking for something with some heft, the Atlas won’t disappoint. This watch retains the water resistance and general durability the Enduro offers, so you can expect it to hold up in much the same way.
That also goes for how the TicWatch Atlas tracks activity, which is to say that it does it with fairly good consistency. This time, Wear OS 4 is installed out of the box rather than waiting for an update like the other models. Mobvoi adds Fall Detection to contact emergency response if the watch detects a fall, plus Emergency SOS to alert an emergency contact when you need it.
The Mobvoi TicWatch Atlas is one of the best Wear OS smartwatches yet
Hopefully Wear OS 5 support doesn’t take a year
Some new updates include more metrics for exercise tracking and additional details in the Mobvoi Health app. The watch’s interface will also be in line with all the other Wear OS 4 watches. The problem is that you’ll live without Google Assistant on your wrist. The saving grace is battery life, which keeps it going at least a day longer than big-name competitors.
Getting some sun
The Garmin Enduro 3 is a great alternative to Garmin’s other rugged smartwatches, thanks to its lighter weight and excellent feature set. It supports GPS, GLONASS, and GALILEO, plus a number of sensors to track your health and fitness activity.
The Garmin Enduro 3 isn’t only better than the previous Enduro 2. It’s as competitive as the high-endGarmin Fenix 8. The main reasons are that the Enduro 3 is lighter, has more battery, a larger solar surface area, and overlapping features. It’s bulky enough, given its 51mm size (the only size), but you won’t feel like you’re wearing something cumbersome throughout the day.
Garmin equipped the Enduro 3 with a ton of sensors, including its newer Elevate Gen5 optical heart rate sensor for ECG and temperature readings. Better maps and navigation are partly due to extensive GPS access that adds GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS, BEIDOU, and SatIQ. On top of the SpO2 sensor for blood oxygen, you get the basics, like a barometric altimeter, compass, gyroscope, accelerometer, and ambient light sensor. The way Garmin lays all this out in the Garmin Connect app makes the array feel immersive and insightful.
The Garmin Enduro 3 is cheaper, lighter, and might be a Fenix 8 killer
The month-long battery life is a bonus
Battery life can reach 36 days on Garmin’s estimate, but it can last as long as 90 days with regular solar charging. The screen is durable with sapphire glass protection, but it is also reflective and not the brightest, but at least you may see it outdoors.
Skimp on price, not features
The CMF Watch Pro 2 costs much less than other smartwatches without feeling like a big sacrifice. It offers a set of features, including tracking 120 different types of workouts.
A good smartwatch doesn’t have to cost a small fortune, especially if you’re on a tight budget or looking for your first model. Nothing does a fine job balancing the trade-offs that come with a more affordable wearable like the CMF Watch Pro 2 and offering a useful device that does a lot right. It can track activity, exercise, health, and sleep metrics, including heart rate and blood oxygen, providing a fairly comprehensive toolset. It tracks 120 sports modes, and everything you do with the watch is clear and user-friendly on the CMF Watch app.
Nothing tries to fit everything into the CMF Watch Pro 2, for better or worse
Ambitious, but not without flaws
A $70 smartwatch means you won’t get the most premium build, but this one feels lightweight and cheap. The swappable aluminum bezel is hardly impressive, while the rotating digital crown doesn’t engender much confidence in its durability. Bluetooth connectivity is also finicky, though Nothing may fix that with subsequent software updates.
It’s built to last
The Polar Grit X2 Pro is an excellent fitness tracker with some smartwatch functionality. It lets you track your heart rate, do ECG and skin temperature measurements, workouts, and more. It has a large 1.39-inch AMOLED display, and it’s built to last with its rugged and tough design that works in all environments.
The Polar Grit X2 Pro features a large 1.39-inch AMOLED display with a bright and vibrant panel. It’s protected by Gorilla Glass, and it’s a tough-looking smartwatch. It has GPS and a compass for accurate tracking, allowing you to track all your workouts reliably.
The Grit X2 Pro’s main strengths are related to tracking, which is what you want in a fitness-oriented smartwatch. However, it comes in a single size, and it’s not cheap. With its $750 price tag, it’s up there alongside the Ultra series of smartwatches from well-known companies, and it competes against the higher-end of other fitness trackers.
The Polar Grit X2 Pro is a smartwatch built for the elements and not much else
A tank against the elements
We found the Grit X2 Pro invaluable for hiking and exercises when running outdoors, and it’s as accurate as you can expect. The 3D speed function was another important tool that helped us track our speed and ascent. If you’re looking for a reliable smartwatch and have the budget, consider this over other competing products, especially if you want to sync your measurements with Strava.
What’s the best Android watch you can buy?
Two smartwatches sit at the top of the Android lineup: the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 and Watch Ultra. Both are iterative in their own ways, but they integrate cutting-edge software with top-of-the-line hardware when you consider their bright displays, excellent health-tracking features, and app integration.
Do you prefer a unique design? The Google Pixel Watch 3 is a good choice. A sleek design and speedy internals guarantee a slick user experience. Oversized bezels take away some of the immersion when interacting with the screen, but the watch guarantees a clean and updated user experience.
Do you prefer long battery life over aesthetics with Wear OS? OnePlus’s Watch 2 or Watch 2R will last awhile because of how either runs a nifty combination of Wear OS with RTOS to help the battery last an extra couple of days.
The Garmin Venu 3 and Enduro 3 trounce most competitors by several days in battery life and offer some of the most comprehensive fitness tracking features. Even though they run on a different OS, you’ll have a hard time finding another watch that can go for over a week before it needs a recharge.
You could also save some cash by going for the CMF Watch Pro 2. It offers solid features. Still, make that move because it may be a bridge to a better device down the line.
The right choice, if you don’t care about the bezel
With excellent software and hardware, Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 7 remains the top choice among Android smartwatches. It’s also more affordable than the company’s other premium choices.
