I never thought I would become a “wearables” person, and that’s because I’ve been into Android for so long. For years, Android users have waited in vain for manufacturers to make smartwatches that fit well and don’t die after just eight hours without a charger. Only in the last few years after Samsung brought this to market Galaxy Watch 4 that Android-based wearables offered feature parity with one of the most popular wearables, the Apple Watch.
Luckily, there is a lot more choice when it comes to wearables, not just between Apple and Android. Although some companies have given up on the connected wearables game – RIP Fossil and you are adorable Hybrid watches– there are many more left, including key players from the fitness industry. Here’s a look at some of the latest smartwatches we’ve reviewed and which ones are worth buying if you’re looking to buy one. iPhone users already know which one we will recommend.
Best smartwatch for iPhone users
Apple Watch Series 9$400
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: If you use an iPhone, you should have an Apple Watch. Other smartwatches work with the iPhone, especially for those of you who want a workout device rather than a remote control accessory for your smartphone. But for everyone else who owns an iPhone, the Apple Watch is just the thing.
The Apple Watch has maintained a consistent price throughout its lifespan. The Apple Watch Series 9 currently costs $400 for the 40mm size and $430 for the 45mm size. There’s also the Apple Watch SE, a slimmed-down version of the flagship Apple Watch, and the Apple Watch Ultra 2, which is aimed at rugged people who spend a lot of time outdoors or who don’t mind a larger watch for battery life reasons carry.
The battery life of Apple Watches and the best watches for Android users are about the same. You’ll get almost two full days of notifications and timings, especially when you use power saving modes. Apple has also made some changes between generations of the Apple Watch. Siri’s common commands are available offline on the Series 9 – something Google is still working on with Wear OS.
Best Smartwatch for Android Users
Google Pixel Watch 2$350
It took two generations, but Google finally did it Smartwatch promises with the Pixel Watch 2. The watch is comfortable for most wrists and pairs well with any of the dozens of Android devices available. Google also offers different watch bands and styles. The only downside is that the bracelet has proprietary connection mechanisms. It’s not that easy to find quality third-party watch bands, and some offerings on the Google Store are too quite expensive.
The Fitbit app is what makes the Pixel Watch 2 a worthy piece of clothing. Extensive offerings include a daily readiness score, overnight body temperature monitoring, sleep coaching and stress monitoring. (Some features require a Fitbit Premium subscription, but this may be the case bundled with Google One if you are an all in android user.) The only downside is that even with HealthConnectFitbit doesn’t sync with many popular third-party wellness suites without the help of a few other additional apps. I’m still trying to figure out how to count mine Peloton Workouts to my weekly stats on Fitbit without manually entering the data.
Battery life is pretty average for most smartwatches currently available. Most of today’s Android-compatible smartwatches last just as long as the Apple Watch – about a day and a half with the always-on display turned off. You can put the watch in a power saving mode to spend more time with it. But in general, smartwatches the size of the Pixel Watch 2 won’t last two full days without a charger.
Best Smartwatch for Samsung Users
Samsung Galaxy Watch 6$300
I used one Galaxy Watch 4 with a Pixel smartphone and the OnePlus 8, which was fine. However, the latest Galaxy Watch 6 has exclusive features only available to Samsung smartphone users, including blood pressure and ECG monitoring, supported by apps only available through the Galaxy App Store.
Like the Pixel Watch 2, the Galaxy Watch 6 can detect irregular heartbeats, track your sleep, measure your skin temperature while you sleep, and track your sleep patterns. It offers a larger display than the Pixel Watch 2 – 1.3 inches for the Galaxy Watch 6 versus 1.2 inches for the Pixel Watch 2 – and fewer bezels. The Galaxy Watch 6 also features a universal clasp mechanism, so you can buy watch bands anywhere.
My favorite part of Samsung Health is the new medication reminder offering, which simultaneously charges the phone and smartwatch to keep me accountable for my pill. It’s louder than Apple Health and the quieter Apple Watch medication notifications. It works like an alarm, and if you don’t take a second to mark whether you’ve taken your medication, it will torment you until you reject it altogether.
Best battery life
OnePlus Watch 2$300
The OnePlus Watch 2 is a significantly better smartwatch than the first generation OnePlus Watch. But it’s a big watch and only comes in one size. If it seems too big to you in the picture shown here, that’s because it is. However, if you think you might wear this honking type of wearable after all, let me tell you the best thing about the OnePlus Watch 2: It has the best battery life I’ve seen on a Wear OS watch in a long time .
With the always-on display switched off, the OnePlus Watch 2 lasts up to 100 hours without a charger. OnePlus uses two processors: one for the smartwatch’s lighter loads, like step counting and touch input, and one for the heavier loads, like apps and exercise tracking. OnePlus’ health suite isn’t as robust as a Pixel Watch 2 with Fitbit or the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 with Samsung Health. But at least it syncs with HealthConnect.