The Best Smartwatches For 2025

1 month ago

Smartwatches do much than conscionable way your steps and present telephone alerts to your wrist. The champion smartwatches spell moreover further, giving you nan expertise to salary for a cup of coffee, return calls and link to apps for illustration Spotify each without whipping retired your smartphone.

Chances are, if you’re reference this, you already cognize each of nan benefits of a smartwatch. You’re fresh to invest, aliases upgrade from an aging accessory, but we wouldn’t blasted you if you if you didn’t cognize wherever to start. There are dozens of smartwatches disposable now, including GPS moving watches, fitness trackers that look for illustration smartwatches and multi-purpose devices. Plus, you’ll want to see factors for illustration durability, artillery life and operating strategy earlier you walk a batch of money connected a caller wearable. We’ve tested and reviewed astir awesome smartwatches disposable coming and these are our apical picks.

Best smartwatches for 2025
Stylish smartwatches: Fossil and more
Factors to see earlier buying a smartwatch
Other smartwatches our experts tested
Smartwatch FAQs

Best smartwatches of 2025

Read our afloat Apple Watch Series 10 review

While nan Series 10 is yet different iterative update to nan Apple Watch, this wearable remains astatine nan apical of our database because Apple knows really to adhd mini but useful features complete clip without fixing what isn’t broken. The Series 10 is somewhat thinner and lighter than its predecessor, and it has a marginally larger surface that uses a wide-angle OLED sheet for amended viewing angles. Both of those things, indeed, make it easier to spot and interact pinch matter and graphics connected nan surface from each different positions.

Apple besides accrued nan ratio of nan Watch’s artillery pinch this latest model, truthful astir users should spot a flimsy summation successful artillery life. The Watch is still technically rated for 18 hours of artillery life, but you’ll apt get much juice retired of it moreover pinch a GPS-tracked tally thrown successful during nan day. While we still wish nan Apple Watch had a multi-day artillery life for illustration competitors from Garmin and Fitbit do, immoderate artillery gains are a positive — particularly for those who want to return advantage of nan caller slumber apnea search characteristic that nan Series 10 has successful watchOS 11. This caller characteristic allows nan Watch to way breathing during slumber and statement immoderate disturbances successful a 30-day period. Considering nan Watch has had comparatively basal slumber search features until now, this is simply a welcomed addition.

Otherwise, nan Series 10 does everything correct that nan Series 9 did. It remains an fantabulous fittingness search watch and a awesome measurement to person each of nan astir important alerts from your iPhone successful a much discreet way. Anyone pinch a Series 9 aliases 8 mightiness beryllium disappointed by nan Series 10 because it’s not reinventing nan wheel, and truthful whitethorn not consciousness for illustration a immense upgrade. But those coming from an older Apple Watch model, aliases an wholly different wearable, will announcement a large quality successful performance, features and charging speed.

$329 astatine Amazon

Read our afloat Google Pixel Watch 3 review

It only took 3 iterations, but Google yet sewage it correct pinch nan Pixel Watch 3. It’s nan astir afloat realized Pixel Watch yet, and 1 that immoderate Android instrumentality would get a batch of usage retired of. The latest model, which now comes successful 41mm and 45mm sizes, has a somewhat larger information show that’s brighter than ever and tin scope up to a 60Hz refresh rate. It tin besides driblet down to conscionable 1 nit of brightness erstwhile you're wearing it to sleep, which not only makes for a amended acquisition overall, but besides contributes to its longer artillery life. You’ll get up to 24 hours retired of nan Pixel Watch 3, which is simply a large betterment complete nan erstwhile procreation and much successful statement pinch competing devices from Apple and Samsung.

The Pixel Watch 3 is besides a awesome activity search device, pinch features for illustration car workout discovery and civilization moving plans, positive nan expertise to way metrics for illustration Cardio Load. There’s Fitbit smarts successful here, conscionable for illustration successful erstwhile Pixel Watches, truthful you’re covered erstwhile it comes to regular workouts, steps, slumber and more. The only downside to this is that if you're willing successful much in-depth coaching, those features are hidden down nan Fitbit Premium paywall.

While Wear OS 5 could usage a spot much polish, nan integration pinch nan Google Assistant connected nan Pixel Watch 3 is useful truthful you tin usage sound commands to cheque connected things for illustration upwind forecasts, almanac alerts, representation directions and more. We besides admit nan summation of faster charging connected nan Pixel Watch 3, truthful you tin spell from 0 to 100 successful a spot little clip than before. That’ll travel successful useful if you’re really keen connected utilizing nan watch arsenic a slumber tracker. Overall, nan improvements Google made successful this version of nan Pixel Watch helped push it complete nan separator arsenic a worthy competitor to nan Apple Watch and a apical prime for Android users looking for their adjacent wearable.

$270 astatine Amazon

Tracks: Sleep, activity, calories, stress, dozens of workouts | Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, ANT+ | GPS: Yes, built successful | Water resistant: Yes | Assistant support: None | Display: 1.2-inch AMOLED pinch optional always-on mode | Weight: 39 grams | Battery life: 11 days successful smartwatch mode, 19 hours successful GPS mode

Garmin is known for its prowess successful nan world of fittingness watches and nan Garmin Forerunner 165 is nan watch I tested that I wanted to deterioration nan astir erstwhile I went retired for a run. The expertise of nan Forerunner statement is successful nan name, and Garmin genuinely excels astatine making broad yet friends GPS moving watches successful flavors that will suit each kinds of athletes, from beginner to expert. The Forerunner 165 stands retired pinch its lightweight design, agleam AMOLED touchscreen, straightforward fastener controls, meticulous built-in GPS and its expertise to way workout stats conscionable arsenic good arsenic all-day activity data.

Starting a tally pinch nan Forerunner 165 is arsenic easy arsenic pressing a azygous fastener — nan top-right fastener connected nan lawsuit virtually has “run” embossed onto it, and it takes you to nan workout floor plan paper wherever you tin take nan workout you want to track. Run is nan first option, but you person much than 25 profiles to take from including way run, treadmill, walk, strength, aquatics and more. When moving outside, nan GPS took an mean of 15-20 seconds to fastener onto my location, but you don’t person to hold for it to do truthful — property nan tally fastener again to statesman and nan GPS will drawback up connected its own.

The Forerunner acquisition has benefited greatly from nan continuous betterment of nan Garmin Connect mobile app. The antecedently clunky, confusing app has been good refined truthful that you tin customize its homepage nan workout and activity stats you attraction astir nan most, including things for illustration Body Battery, Sleep Score, menstrual rhythm accusation and more. It’s easy to dive into your astir precocious tracked activity and get successful nan weeds pinch pace, cadence, training effect (aerobic aliases anaerobic), powerfulness and stamina stats.

Garmin puts nan artillery life of nan Forerunner 165 astatine 11 days successful smartwatch mode, and I recovered that to beryllium mostly meticulous moreover pinch a fistful of GPS-tracked runs thrown in. The institution claims you’ll get up to 19 hours of artillery life pinch continuous GPS use, which should beryllium capable for astir runners and athletes competing successful long-haul races. You tin besides get nan 165 pinch euphony retention built successful aliases not, pinch nan erstwhile allowing you to shop euphony locally connected nan watch truthful you tin perceive pinch a brace of Bluetooth headphones.

The Garmin Forerunner 165 will group you backmost $250 without euphony storage, aliases $300 for nan exemplary pinch euphony retention built in. That’s connected nan little extremity of nan value spectrum for GPS moving watches; you could easy walk $500 aliases much if you’re unsure astir what you request and what’s conscionable other fluff. While Garmin does person a fewer cheaper devices, nan Forerunner 165 strikes nan correct equilibrium of characteristic group and value that will entreaty to seasoned runners and those who are conscionable diving into a much regimented moving routine.

$250 astatine Garmin

Tracks: Sleep, activity, calories, dozens of workouts, antioxidant levels, vascular load | Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, LTE (optional) | GPS: Yes, built successful | Water resistant: Yes, 5 ATM + IP68 | Display: Always-on, 3000 nits highest brightness | Battery life: 30+ hours

Read our afloat Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 review

Samsung wholly redesigned its wearable for 2025. The Galaxy Watch 8 looks cleaner and much blase — but much importantly, it’s acold much comfortable. Another hardware betterment bumps up nan artillery size, fixing 1 of nan Galaxy Watch 7’s biggest flaws. With that watch, nan always-on show tanked nan battery, but now you tin get a afloat time and past immoderate while wearing it.

With Wear OS 6, nan watch gains a caller tiles-based interface that makes navigating speedy and easy. It besides adds nan assistance of Gemini, which tin thief you power functions and complete tasks connected your watch conscionable by saying, “Hey Google” (just statement that you’ll request a Gemini-compatible telephone nearby).

Health and fittingness additions see an antioxidant levels metric and vascular load, which whitethorn thief immoderate group support amended tabs connected their health. An AI-fueled moving guidance “coach” takes an appraisal of your jogging abilities and tailors a programme to thief you tally further and faster. We deliberation this will astir apt use beginner runners nan astir — those accustomed to coaching whitethorn not find it arsenic useful.

Of course, this is only a bully prime for Samsung telephone users. And different drawback is nan raised solid screen, which seems destined for damage. But we will statement that you tin debar that consequence (and people immoderate superior heritage-watch style points) by going pinch nan Classic version of nan watch. — Amy Skorheim, Senior Reporter

Pros

Remarkably comfortable fit
Tiles interface is snappy
New antioxidant level and vascular load wellness metrics whitethorn thief users support an oculus connected their health
The moving coach tin beryllium inspiring for beginners
Good Gemini integration
Improved artillery makes nan AOD much viable

Cons

The raised solid surface tin beryllium easy damaged
AI-running coach could beryllium much personalized
Notifications are easy to miss

$350 astatine Amazon

Stylish smartwatches: Fossil and more

Michael Kors Access Gen 5e MKGO astatine CES 2021

Yes, location are still companies retired location trying to make “fashionable” hybrid smartwatches. Back erstwhile wearables were caller and mostly ugly, brands for illustration Fossil, Michael Kors and Skagen recovered their niche successful stylish smartwatches that took cues from analog timepieces. You besides person nan action to prime up a “hybrid” smartwatch from companies for illustration Withings and Garmin – these devices look for illustration classical wrist watches but incorporated immoderate constricted functionality for illustration activity search and bosom complaint monitoring. They stay bully options if you for illustration that look, but thankfully, wearables made by Apple, Samsung, Fitbit and others person gotten overmuch much charismatic complete nan past fewer years.

Ultimately, nan only point you can’t alteration aft you bargain a smartwatch is its lawsuit design. If you’re not into nan Apple Watch’s squared-off corners, each of Samsung’s smartwatches person information cases that look a small much for illustration a accepted watch. Most wearables are offered successful a prime of colors and you tin salary other for premium materials for illustration stainless alloy for other durability. Once you determine connected a case, your set options are endless – location are dozens of first- and third-party watch straps disposable for astir awesome smartwatches, and for some larger and smaller wrists, allowing you to alteration up your look whenever you please.

Factors to see earlier buying a smartwatch

Compatibility

Apple Watches only activity pinch iPhones, while Wear OS devices play bully pinch some iOS and Android phones. Smartwatches made by Samsung, Garmin, Fitbit and others are besides compatible pinch Android and iOS, but you’ll request to instal a companion app connected your smartphone.

The smartwatch OS will besides dictate nan type and number of third-party apps you’ll person entree to. Many of these aren’t useful, though, making this facet a reasonably insignificant 1 successful nan expansive strategy of things.

Price

The champion smartwatches mostly costs betwixt $300 and $400. Compared to fund smartwatches, which costs betwixt $100 and $250, these pricier devices person precocious operating systems, communications, euphony and fittingness features. They besides often see perks for illustration onboard GPS tracking, euphony retention and NFC, AMOLED displays, and agelong artillery life, things that fund devices mostly don’t have.

Some companies make specialized fittingness watches: Those tin easy tally northbound of $500, and we’d only urge them to superior athletes. Luxury smartwatches from brands for illustration TAG Heuer and Hublot tin besides scope sky-high prices, but we wouldn’t endorse immoderate of them. These devices tin costs much than $1,000, and you’re usually paying for small much than a marque sanction and immoderate needlessly exotic action of build materials.

Battery life

Battery life remains 1 of our biggest complaints astir smartwatches, but there’s dream arsenic of late. You tin expect 2 afloat days from Apple Watches and astir Wear OS devices. Watches utilizing nan Snapdragon Wear 3100 processor support extended artillery modes that committedness up to 5 days of artillery life connected a complaint — if you’re consenting to unopen disconnected astir features speech from, you know, displaying nan time. Other models tin past 5 to 7 days, but they usually person less features and lower-quality displays. Meanwhile, immoderate fittingness watches tin past weeks connected a azygous charge. If agelong artillery life is simply a privilege for you, it’s worthy checking retired nan watch’s specs beforehand to spot what nan shaper estimates.

Communication

Any smartwatch worthy considering delivers call, matter and app notifications to your wrist. Call and matter alerts are aforesaid explanatory, but if those mean a batch to you, see a watch pinch LTE. They’re much costly than their WiFi-only counterparts, but cellular connectivity allows nan smartwatch to return and person telephone calls, and do nan aforesaid pinch matter messages, without your instrumentality nearby. As acold arsenic app alerts go, getting them delivered to your wrist will fto you glimpse down to nan watch look and spot if you perfectly request to cheque your telephone correct now.

Fitness tracking

Activity search is simply a large logic why group move to smartwatches. An all-purpose timepiece should usability arsenic a fittingness tracker, logging your steps, calories and workouts, and astir of today’s wearables person a bosom complaint show arsenic well.

Many smartwatches' fittingness features see a built-in GPS, which is useful for search region for runs and motorcycle rides. Swimmers will want thing h2o resistant, and thankfully astir all-purpose devices now tin withstand astatine slightest a dunk successful nan pool. Some smartwatches from companies for illustration Garmin are more fittingness focused than others and thin to connection much precocious features for illustration heart-rate-variance tracking, betterment clip estimation, onboard maps and more.

Health search connected smartwatches has besides seen advances complete nan years. Both Apple and Fitbit devices tin estimate humor oxygen levels and measurement ECGs. But nan much affordable nan smartwatch, nan little apt it is that it has these kinds of precocious wellness search features; if collecting those kinds of wellness metrics is important to you, you’ll person to salary for nan privilege.

Music

Your watch tin not only way your greeting runs but besides play euphony while you’re exercising. Many smartwatches fto you prevention your euphony locally, truthful you tin link wireless earbuds via Bluetooth and perceive to tunes without bringing your phone. Those that don’t person onboard retention for euphony usually person on-watch euphony controls, truthful you tin power playback without whipping retired your phone. And if your watch has LTE, section redeeming isn’t required — you’ll beryllium capable to watercourse euphony straight from nan watch to your paired earbuds.

Displays

Most wearables person touchscreens and we urge getting 1 that has a full-color touchscreen. Some flagships for illustration nan Apple Watch person LTPO displays, which stands for low-temperature polycrystalline oxide. These panels person faster consequence times and are much powerfulness efficient, resulting successful a smoother acquisition erstwhile 1 interacts pinch nan touchscreen and, successful immoderate cases, longer artillery lives.

You won’t spot important gains pinch nan latter, though, because nan other artillery fundamentally gets utilized up erstwhile these devices person always-on displays, arsenic astir flagship wearables do today. Some smartwatches person this characteristic connected by default while others fto you alteration it via tweaked settings. This smart characteristic allows you to glimpse down astatine your watch to cheque nan time, wellness stats aliases immoderate different accusation you’ve group it to show connected its watchface without lifting your wrist. This will nary uncertainty impact your device’s artillery life, but thankfully astir always-on modes dim nan display’s brightness truthful it’s not moving astatine its highest unnecessarily. Cheaper devices won’t person this feature; instead, their touchscreens will automatically move disconnected to conserve artillery life and you’ll person to intentionally cheque your watch to move connected nan show again.

NFC

Many caller smartwatches person NFC, letting you salary for things without your wallet utilizing contactless payments. After redeeming your in installments aliases debit paper information, you tin clasp your smartwatch up to an NFC scholar to salary for a cup of java connected your measurement location from a run. Keep successful mind that different watches usage different costs systems: Apple Watches usage Apple Pay, Wear OS devices usage Google Pay, Samsung devices usage Samsung Pay and truthful forth.

Apple Pay is 1 of nan astir celebrated NFC costs systems, pinch support for multiple banks and in installments cards successful 72 different countries, while Samsung and Google Pay activity successful less regions. It’s besides important to statement that some NFC costs support varies by instrumentality arsenic good for some Samsung and Google’s systems.

Other smartwatches our experts tested

Apple Watch Ultra 2

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is astir apt overkill for astir people, but it has a ton of other features for illustration other waterproofing to way diving, an moreover much meticulous GPS and nan biggest artillery of immoderate Apple Watch to date. Apple designed it for nan astir rugged among us, but for your mean person, it apt has much features than they'd ever need. If you’re peculiarly clumsy, however, its precocious level of durability could beryllium a awesome logic to see nan Apple Watch Ultra 2.

Apple Watch SE

The Apple Watch SE is little feature-rich than nan flagship model, but it will astir apt suffice for astir people. We really respect nan Watch SE arsenic nan champion smartwatch action for first-time buyers, aliases group connected stricter budgets. You’ll get each nan halfway Apple Watch features arsenic good arsenic things for illustration autumn and clang detection, sound monitoring and Emergency SOS, but you’ll person to do without much precocious hardware perks for illustration an always-on display, a humor oxygen sensor, an ECG show and a tegument somesthesia sensor.

Garmin Forerunner 745

Garmin watches successful wide tin beryllium awesome options for nan astir progressive among us. The Garmin Forerunner 745 is an fantabulous GPS moving watch for superior athletes aliases those who prize artillery life supra each else. When we tested it, we recovered it to supply meticulous region tracking, a slayer 16-hour artillery life pinch GPS turned connected (up to 7 days without it) and support for onboard euphony retention and Garmin Pay.

Amazfit Bip 6

The Amazfit Bip 6, an $80 smartwatch from Zepp Health, didn’t rather make nan cut. As a fittingness tracker, it’s decent, but it’s a frustrating smartwatch. For workouts, nan built-in GPS tracks runs and rides without your telephone and, mixed pinch nan bosom complaint and humor oxygen sensors, collects a bully magnitude of information to create meticulous pictures of your exertion levels, cadence and pace. It’s remarkably lightweight but doesn’t consciousness inexpensive and nan AMOLED surface is agleam and sharp. It’s not an always-on display, but lifting your wrist wakes it reliably.

The slumber search information is connected par pinch what we measured connected different smartwatches and there’s moreover a regular readiness people that compares your slumber value and nan erstwhile day’s exertion to estimate really physically prepared you are for nan time up — akin to what Pixel Watches, Fitbit devices and Garmin watches offer. And since nan watch artillery lasts for complete a week connected a charge, you whitethorn beryllium a batch much apt to deterioration it to furniture than a watch you person to complaint daily.

We weren’t expecting an $80 instrumentality to beryllium a superior Apple Watch challenger, but nan Bip 6’s glitches and overly analyzable interface (both connected nan app and connected nan watch itself) were disappointing. During a week of testing, I sewage aggregate repeated notifications, moreover aft they were deleted, on pinch suggestions to guidelines erstwhile I was actively doing chores astir nan house. The watch faces are not customizable, truthful it was difficult to get nan info I needed astatine a glimpse (the Zepp app has tons of paid watch faces that whitethorn person what I wanted, but I didn’t want to salary $3 for thing that’s free elsewhere).

Marketing specifications authorities that nan Bip 6 tin auto-detect workouts, including stepping and motorcycle riding. During testing, I walked erstwhile aliases doubly per time for complete 1 mile and went connected 2 motorcycle rides, but nary workout was ever detected. The watch integrates pinch Apple Health, truthful I was capable to spot really it compares to nan information my Apple Watch gathers. After a week of wearing nan Bip 6, pinch nary changes to my regular routine, I averaged 400 less calories burned and 2.4 less miles tracked each day. That was perchance nan biggest disappointment of all. — Amy Skorheim, Senior Reporter

Smartwatch FAQs

Is location a quality betwixt a smartwatch and a fittingness tracker?

While smartwatches and fittingness trackers stock immoderate similarities, they’re designed for somewhat different purposes.

A fittingness locator is chiefly focused connected wellness and activity tracking. It keeps tabs connected your steps, bosom rate, slumber and workouts, and immoderate moreover connection precocious metrics for illustration humor oxygen levels and accent tracking. Fitness trackers are mostly much compact, person longer artillery life and are built pinch activity successful mind.

A smartwatch, connected nan different hand, is for illustration a mini smartphone connected your wrist. It offers fittingness search features, but besides lets you do things for illustration reply to texts, return calls, usage apps and power smart location devices. Many smartwatches support sound assistants, mobile payments and moreover LTE connectivity, truthful you tin time off your telephone down successful immoderate cases.

If you chiefly want wellness and activity search pinch agelong artillery life, a fittingness locator is nan measurement to go. If you want a much connected acquisition pinch other features, a smartwatch is nan amended choice.

How agelong do smartwatches last?

How agelong a smartwatch lasts mostly depends connected 2 things: artillery life and wide durability.

Smartwatch artillery life varies a batch depending connected nan brand, features and really you usage it. Basic models pinch e-ink displays aliases monochrome screens tin past a week aliases more, while full-featured smartwatches for illustration nan Apple Watch aliases Samsung Galaxy Watch usually request a complaint each time aliases two. If you're utilizing features for illustration always-on display, GPS search aliases LTE connectivity, expect nan artillery to drain faster.

Physically, a bully smartwatch should past respective years earlier you request to upgrade. Premium models pinch scratch-resistant glass, h2o guidance and beardown build materials thin to clasp up good complete time. However, package support matters excessively — brands for illustration Apple and Samsung typically supply updates for astatine slightest a fewer years, while immoderate fund smartwatches whitethorn not get semipermanent package support.

You tin expect to complaint astir smartwatches regular aliases each fewer days, and if you return attraction of them, they should past 3-5 years earlier an upgrade is necessary.

How overmuch should you walk connected a smartwatch?

How overmuch you should walk connected a smartwatch depends connected what features you request and really often you scheme to usage it.

If you conscionable want nan basics — measurement tracking, notifications, bosom complaint monitoring and basal fittingness search — you tin find immoderate coagulated budget-friendly options from brands for illustration Amazfit, Fitbit and immoderate Wear OS models. These usually person decent artillery life but whitethorn deficiency premium features for illustration LTE, precocious wellness search aliases third-party apps.

In nan mid-range smartwatch value bracket, you’ll find celebrated models for illustration nan Apple Watch SE and Fitbit Versa series. These connection a bully operation of fittingness tracking, smart features and creation quality. You’ll get amended build materials, much meticulous sensors and app support, but artillery life mightiness still beryllium constricted to a time aliases two.

High-end smartwatches for illustration nan Apple Watch Ultra, Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra and Garmin Fenix/Epix bid connection precocious wellness tracking, rugged designs, LTE connectivity and longer package support. These are awesome for superior athletes, outdoor adventurers, aliases anyone who wants nan latest and top features.

If you conscionable want a elemental smartwatch for notifications and fittingness tracking, a fund aliases mid-range exemplary will do nan job. But if you want a premium feel, precocious wellness search aliases LTE connectivity, it’s worthy spending a spot more. For astir people, $200 - $350 hits nan champion equilibrium of features and value.

Do each smartwatches person GPS?

Not each smartwatches person built-in GPS. Some trust connected your phone’s GPS, while others person it built-in for independent tracking.

High-end and fitness-focused smartwatches, for illustration nan Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch and Garmin models person their ain built-in GPS. This intends they tin way your runs, walks, motorcycle rides and hikes without needing to beryllium connected to your phone. It’s a must-have for superior athletes aliases anyone who wants meticulous location search without carrying a phone.

Some fund and mid-range smartwatches (like immoderate Fitbit and Amazfit models) don’t person built-in GPS but tin usage your phone’s GPS erstwhile connected via Bluetooth. This useful good if you usually transportation your telephone while moving out, but it’s little convenient if you for illustration to time off it behind.

Some very basal aliases fund smartwatches skip GPS wholly and trust solely connected measurement search aliases mobility sensors. These are good for casual users who don’t request location tracking.

Can you time off your telephone astatine location and still usage a smartwatch?

Yes, but it depends connected nan smartwatch and what you want to do without your phone.

If your smartwatch has LTE aliases cellular connectivity , you tin make calls, nonstop texts, watercourse music, usage maps and moreover entree apps without your telephone nearby. However, you’ll request a abstracted information scheme from your carrier, which usually comes pinch an other monthly cost.

Even without LTE, immoderate smartwatches tin still do plentifulness connected their own, including way workouts and GPS routes (if they person built-in GPS), play euphony offline (if they support downloads from Spotify aliases Apple Music), whitethorn contactless payments pinch features for illustration Apple Pay and Google Wallet and power smart location devices.

If going phone-free is important to you, look for a smartwatch pinch LTE and built-in GPS for nan champion experience.

Can a smartwatch make calls without a phone?

Yes, a smartwatch tin make calls without a telephone — but only if it has nan correct features.

Some smartwatches person built-in LTE connectivity, meaning they tin activity independently from your phone. You tin make and person calls, nonstop texts, watercourse euphony and usage apps arsenic agelong arsenic you person a mobile information scheme for nan watch. However, you’ll request to salary for a abstracted cellular scheme and artillery life drains faster erstwhile utilizing LTE.

If your smartwatch doesn’t person LTE, it tin still make calls, but only erstwhile connected to your telephone via Bluetooth aliases Wi-Fi. It fundamentally acts arsenic a distant speaker and microphone for your phone’s calls. Watches for illustration nan modular Apple Watch aliases Samsung Galaxy Watch (Wi-Fi versions) tin do this. However, if your telephone isn’t adjacent aliases connected to Wi-Fi, calling won’t work.

Some fitness-focused smartwatches (like definite Garmin, Fitbit and Amazfit models) don’t person a built-in speaker aliases microphone, truthful they can’t make aliases person calls astatine each — only show notifications.

If calling without a telephone is simply a must, make judge to take an LTE exemplary pinch a built-in mic and speaker.

What's nan quality betwixt an Android and Apple smartwatch?

The biggest quality betwixt Android and Apple smartwatches comes down to compatibility, features and ecosystem integration.

Apple smartwatches (Apple Watch) only activity pinch iPhones. If you person an Android phone, you can’t usage an Apple Watch astatine all. Android smartwatches (Wear OS, Samsung Galaxy, Garmin etc.) mostly activity pinch Android phones, but immoderate besides support iPhones pinch constricted features. If you person an iPhone, nan Apple Watch is nan champion choice. If you person an Android phone, spell for a Wear OS aliases Samsung Galaxy Watch.

Apple Watch (watchOS) has nan champion app support pinch seamless integration into Apple’s ecosystem (iMessage, FaceTime, Apple Pay, Apple Fitness+, Siri etc.). Android smartwatches connection much variety, pinch entree to Google services (Google Assistant, Google Wallet and Google Maps), and immoderate support Amazon Alexa aliases Samsung’s Bixby.

In position of design, Apple Watch has a azygous creation but comes successful different sizes and materials. It’s sleek, but your only existent customization comes from bands and watch faces. Android smartwatches, connected nan different hand, travel successful tons of styles and brands (Samsung, Google Pixel Watch, Garmin, Fossil etc.), meaning you tin prime a information watch, a rugged creation aliases a luxury-looking model.

If artillery life is important to you, nan Apple Watch lasts astir a time aliases 2 per charge, depending connected usage and model. Many Android smartwatches (especially Garmin, Amazfit aliases Mobvoi TicWatch) past aggregate days aliases moreover weeks connected a azygous charge.

Georgie Peru contributed to this report.