Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
- Thinner case and bigger screen than the Series 9
- Gorgeous polished aluminum, titanium case options
- Depth app, water temperature sensor
- Supports audio playback
- Sleep apnea notifications
- Blood oxygen sensor is currently inactive
The Apple Watch Series 10 offers a broad suite of lifestyle, fitness, health, and safety tools, plus the best selection of third-party apps for any smartwatch. It features a larger screen and slimmer design than its predecessor, and a new lightweight titanium case option. This model also supports water depth and temperature sensing, music playback, and sleep apnea detection. With these upgrades, the Apple Watch Series 10 remains the best iPhone-compatible smartwatch for most buyers.
If you’re in search of a feature-rich smartwatch to stay connected, keep tabs on your health, and track your fitness, the Series 10 is our Editors’ Choice winner for iPhone users. Just be aware that Apple Watches sold in the US since Jan. 18, 2024 do not allow for blood oxygen saturation monitoring.
Phone OS Compatibility
iOS
Watch OS
watchOS
Processor
Apple S10
Display Size
1.65 inches/1.81 inches
Display Type
OLED
Fitness Features
Accelerometer, Heart Rate Monitor, GPS, Temperature Sensor, Pedometer, Gyroscope, Light Sensor, Barometer, ECG
Battery Life
36 hours (tested)
Learn More
Apple Watch Series 10 Review
- Responsive touch and gesture controls
- Accurate heart rate monitoring
- In-depth sleep metrics
- Detailed exercise tracking
- Measures ECG, SpO2, body fat percentage, and more
- Large app selection
- Small screen with big bezels
- Dated processor
- No AI health insights
The Galaxy Watch FE is the budget choice in Samsung’s smartwatch lineup, but it makes few sacrifices for its reasonable price. It gives you access to all the standard Google apps like Assistant, Maps, Messages, and the Play Store. On the wellness front, the Galaxy Watch FE can automatically or manually track a wide range of workouts and measure heart rate, pace, and VO2 Max, as well as advanced outdoor running metrics like asymmetry and vertical oscillation. It even offers a few advanced health features, including overnight snore tracking and the ability to measure your body composition. It’s surprisingly durable for the price, with an IP68 weather-resistance rating, a 5ATM waterproof rating, and MIL-STD-810H certification.
If you want to save money and still get loads of smart features and health tracking capabilities, the Galaxy Watch FE is the best budget-friendly WearOS smartwatch. It’s compatible with phones running Android with at least 2GB of RAM. It’s only available in one small 40mm size, with just Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, or added LTE connectivity for $50 extra.
Phone OS Compatibility
Android
Watch OS
Wear OS
Processor
Exynos W920 Dual-Core 1.18GHz
Display Size
1.19 inches
Display Type
AMOLED
Fitness Features
Accelerometer, GPS, Heart Rate Monitor, Gyroscope, Pedometer, Light Sensor, Barometer, Blood Oxygen Monitor
Battery Life
27 hours (tested)
Learn More
Samsung Galaxy Watch FE Review
- Large AMOLED touch screen
- Weeklong battery life
- Lightweight design
- Plenty of health metrics
- Contactless payments
- Integrated GPS
- Does not track floors climbed
- Preloaded workouts are not animated
- Limited lifestyle features
In the crowded fitness smartwatch market, Garmin’s Venu Sq 2 stands out for its practicality. It features a large AMOLED color touch screen with a squarish design that offers better text legibility compared with round models. Battery life is also a strong suit: In testing, the Venu Sq 2 ran for up to nine days between charges with light use. The second-generation Sq is a fitness-first wearable with a robust suite of workout- and health-tracking tools, but it also offers some useful lifestyle features, including calendar and weather apps, vibrating alarms, smartphone notifications, and Garmin Pay mobile payment support.
If you’re looking for a reasonably affordable smartwatch with exceptional battery life and a focus on fitness, the Garmin Venu Sq 2 is an Editors’ Choice winner. It pairs with smartphones running at least iOS 15 or Android 7.0 via the Garmin Connect app, so compatibility shouldn’t be an issue.
Phone OS Compatibility
Android, iOS
Watch OS
Proprietary
Processor
N/A
Display Size
1.41 inches
Display Type
AMOLED
Fitness Features
Accelerometer, GPS, Heart Rate Monitor, Blood Oxygen Monitor, Temperature Sensor
Battery Life
9 days
Learn More
Garmin Venu Sq 2 Review
- Activity-focused games
- Location tracking
- Supports texting and calling trusted contacts
- Robust parental controls
- Works with Android or iOS
- Expensive
- Occasionally sluggish
- No music app, sleep tracking, or selfie camera
- Bloated rewards systems
The Fitbit Ace LTE has fitness, gaming, and safety features tailored for kids ages 7 to 11. A built-in arcade forms a central part of the watch’s experience, and each game is meant to limit screen time and encourage activity between short rounds of play. The watch tracks floors climbed, light activity, moderate activity, and steps as the child goes about their day, and offers daily quests and a customizable avatar to encourage active play. Even simple features like the activity ring is a customizable animal that celebrates reaching the daily goal with a variety of animations.
For parents, the watch has built-in location tracking through GPS and Google Maps, included as part of the monthly subscription that also unlocks LTE service. Kids can use the watch to send texts and make calls, but only to trusted contacts added by the parent through a Google Family Link account.
The Ace LTE is worth the splurge for parents who want to give themselves peace of mind while keeping their child engaged. Keep in mind that it requires a monthly subscription, and it doesn’t have a camera or track sleep.
Phone OS Compatibility
Android and iOS
Watch OS
Wear OS
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1
Display Size
1.6 inches/1.8 inches
Display Type
OLED
Fitness Features
Accelerometer, GPS, Heart Rate Monitor, Gyroscope, Light Sensor, Pedometer
Learn More
Fitbit Ace LTE Review
- Accurate heart rate measurements
- In-depth sleep monitoring
- AI health insights
- Responsive touch and gesture controls
- One-day battery life
- Slightly inaccurate running distance and sleep time measurements
The Galaxy Watch 7 brings some advanced wellness features to the line, including advanced glycation end products index tracking (AGEs, an indicator of metabolic health), FDA-approved sleep apnea detection, and holistic health insights courtesy of Galaxy AI. It also has an upgraded dual-frequency GPS and support for gestures that let you tap your fingers or turn your wrist to launch an app, take a picture, or silence an alarm. It features a touch bezel for quick scrolling and an aluminum case. It’s also durable with an IP68 resistance rating, MIL-STD-810H certification, and 5ATM of water resistance.
If you want the best Wear OS smartwatch for fitness and sleep tracking, go with the Galaxy Watch 7. It offers Galaxy AI wellness assessments and has a large screen with thin bezels. It comes in small (40mm) or large (44mm) sizes, with two color options for each (green or cream for the small version and green or silver for the bigger one) and two connectivity options (with or without LTE), thus accommodating a wide range of buyers.
The Galaxy Watch 7 series is exclusive to Android phones. Some of its features only work with Samsung handsets, including irregular heart rhythm notifications, phone separation alerts, gesture controls, and snoring detection.
Phone OS Compatibility
Android
Watch OS
Wear OS
Processor
Samsung Exynos W1000
Display Size
1.3 inches/1.5 inches
Display Type
Super AMOLED
Fitness Features
Accelerometer, GPS, Heart Rate Monitor, Blood Oxygen Monitor, Pedometer, Barometer, Temperature Sensor, Gyroscope
Battery Life
22 hours (tested)
Learn More
Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 Review
- Upgraded processor from previous model
- Supports Crash Detection
- Improved real-world battery life
- Lightweight
- Excellent app selection and safety features
- Lower price than first-generation model
- No always-on display
- Lacks sensors for ECG, SpO2, and body temperature
- No rating for dust resistance
The Watch SE is the least expensive and smallest smartwatch in Apple’s lineup. The second-generation model isn’t a massive update to the original, but Apple has lowered the price by $30, upgraded the processor, added a new motion sensor for Crash Detection, and changed to a more environmentally friendly back cover. Safety features include Emergency SOS, fall detection, and irregular heart rate and rhythm notifications. Cellular SE models also support international emergency calling, so you can reach emergency services in more than 120 countries and regions without your phone while traveling. On the health front, we especially like the automatic 20-second handwashing timer.
The Apple Watch SE is a solid option for its target audience of first-time smartwatch buyers, children/teens, and older adults. It even supports Apple’s Family Setup feature, which enables you to manage the watch for a family member who doesn’t have an iPhone. In all, the Apple Watch SE is an excellent budget-friendly pick. Just keep in mind this model does not have an always-on display option or ECG and wrist temperature sensors.
Phone OS Compatibility
iOS
Watch OS
watchOS
Processor
Apple S8
Display Size
1.5 inches/1.7 inches
Display Type
OLED
Fitness Features
GPS, Heart Rate Monitor, Accelerometer
Battery Life
18 hours
Learn More
Apple Watch SE Review
- 3,000-nit display
- Powerful processor
- Expanded operating altitude
- Carbon-neutral build options
- Excellent connectivity features
- Expensive
- Inactive blood oxygen sensor
The Ultra 2 is the most rugged and battery-rich Apple Watch, offering exclusive outdoor adventuring features that can help you stay safe when you veer off the beaten path. That includes a bright orange customizable Action button, a nubby Digital Crown you can operate with gloved hands, and a durable titanium case. It also boasts a diving-friendly EN13319 certification, a built-in 86dB emergency siren that is audible from up to 600 feet away, and a dual-frequency GPS for tracking your location in cities and the woods. The Ultra 2 comes with cellular support and offers excellent call quality thanks to a dual-speaker system and three-microphone array. It’s powered by Apple’s S9 SiC chip, which enables features like on-device Siri processing, precise directional device tracking with compatible iPhones, and double-tap gestures.
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is best for endurance athletes, ocean enthusiasts, and anyone else who spends a lot of time in the great outdoors. With a WR100 water-resistance rating, the Ultra 2 is the only Apple Watch suitable for high-speed water sports and recreational diving. It works for recreational dives at depths of up to 40 meters and can function as a dive computer with the Oceanic+ app. It’s pricey, though, and people with smaller wrists might not like its bulky design.
Phone OS Compatibility
iOS
Watch OS
watchOS
Processor
Apple S9
Display Size
1.9 inches
Display Type
OLED
Fitness Features
Accelerometer, GPS, Heart Rate Monitor, Blood Oxygen Monitor, Temperature Sensor
Battery Life
36 hours
Learn More
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Review
- Attractive, comfortable design
- Better touch-screen responsiveness than predecessor
- Physical button improves usability
- 40 exercise modes (up from 20)
- Long battery life
- Lots of watch faces
- Tracks overnight skin temperature variation
- No third-party app support
- Some lifestyle apps from previous generation removed
- Lacks ECG, stress sensors
The Fitbit Versa 4 is an excellent fitness-focused smartwatch. With 40 exercise modes, it covers everything from kayaking and golf to strength training, skiing, and yoga. We appreciate its attractive yet comfortable design, responsive touch screen, and long battery life. In testing, it lasted four days between charges with the always-on display enabled and the screen brightness set to max. In addition to its robust fitness and health capabilities, it has a small but useful selection of lifestyle features, including Amazon Alexa, Google Maps, and Google Pay. On the downside, the Versa 4 doesn’t support third-party app downloads, with the exception of watch faces.
If you’re looking for a smartwatch with support for cellular calling and third-party apps, this isn’t it. Instead, the Versa 4 is a strong option for anyone in search of a simple, attractive, budget-minded smartwatch for monitoring their health and fitness. For activation and setup, it requires a smartphone running at least Android 11 or iOS 16.4 or higher. Keep in mind that you will need a Google account to log into the Fitbit app. Legacy Fitbit users will need to migrate their account over to Google’s platform to log in, a fairly painless process we detail in our Versa 4 review.
Phone OS Compatibility
Android, iOS
Watch OS
Fitbit OS
Processor
N/A
Display Size
1.58 inches
Display Type
AMOLED
Fitness Features
Accelerometer, GPS, Heart Rate Monitor, Blood Oxygen Monitor
Battery Life
6 days
Learn More
Fitbit Versa 4 Review
- Useful holistic health metrics
- Detailed running guidance
- Accurate heart rate monitoring
- Excellent sleep tracking
- Expensive
- No new sensors
- Some metrics take weeks to calibrate
With a striking design and two size options, the Google Pixel Watch 3 supports key lifestyle features such as calling, texting, mobile payments, and smart home controls, and you can customize the watch with a wide range of third-party apps. For fitness and health tracking, we appreciate its Readiness Score, Cardio Load, and Target Load metrics that together paint a picture of your overall well-being and indicate whether you’re heading toward fitness progress or potential burnout.
The Pixel Watch is a top smartwatch if you have a Pixel phone or you want a watch that leverages the latest Fitbit health features. Its best features work on Android phones of any brand, but it offers some cool exclusives when paired with Pixel handsets, such as camera controls and phone call screening.
Phone OS Compatibility
Android
Watch OS
Wear OS
Processor
Qualcomm 5100
Display Size
1.27 inches/1.46 inches
Display Type
AMOLED
Fitness Features
Accelerometer, Heart Rate Monitor, GPS, Blood Oxygen Monitor, Temperature Sensor, Pedometer, Gyroscope, Barometer, ECG
Battery Life
34 hours/46.5 hours (tested)
Learn More
Google Pixel Watch 3 Review
- Five-day battery life
- Accurate exercise and sleep tracking
- Dynamic AI health insights
- Fall detection
- Wrist temperature sensor
- One size only
- No cellular option
- ECG disabled in the US
The third-generation OnePlus Watch features a classy design, standout battery life, and useful safety and wellness features, including fall detection, wrist temperature sensing, and AI-powered health insights. In our testing, it lasted an impressive 98 hours on a charge with its always-on AMOLED display enabled, outperforming its Wear OS and watchOS peers. The OnePlus Watch 3 achieves its impressive battery run time by employing two different operating systems to save power. It uses Wear OS 5 to run third-party apps and other battery-intensive tasks alongside a proprietary real-time operating system (RTOS) for low-power operations like sending notifications or running background tasks.
This is a top Wear OS pick if battery life is a primary concern. Like other Wear OS devices, you need an Android phone to use the OnePlus Watch 3. If you have a OnePlus phone, you can use the watch to take pictures or hit play on a YouTube video on your phone, but it otherwise functions the same on any handset running Android 9.0 or later. The OnePlus Watch 3 only comes in one large 47mm size and has no LTE option, but it has all the apps you’d expect from a Wear OS smartwatch and it doubles as a capable fitness and sleep tracker.
Phone OS Compatibility
Android
Watch OS
Wear OS
Processor
Snapdragon W5 + BES2800
Display Size
1.5 inches
Display Type
AMOLED
Fitness Features
Accelerometer, Heart Rate Monitor, GPS, Blood Oxygen Monitor, Temperature Sensor, Gyroscope, Light Sensor, Pulse Oximeter, Barometer
Battery Life
98 hours
Learn More
OnePlus Watch 3 Review
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The Best Smartwatches for 2025
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Buying Guide: The Best Smartwatches for 2025
Pick a Watch That Works With Your Phone
Naturally, the first thing you should consider before you buy a smartwatch is compatibility. We include these details in our reviews of each product.
All Apple Watch models run watchOS, Apple’s smartwatch operating system, and work only with iOS devices. Apple’s latest wearables—the Series 10, the Ultra 2, and the Watch SE— require an iPhone XS or later with iOS 18 or later and do not work with Android handsets.
The Galaxy Watch 7 and the Galaxy Watch Ultra run Wear OS 5 with Samsung’s One UI 6 interface. They require a smartphone running Android 11 or later. Note that although you can pair the Watch 7 with non-Samsung Android phones, some features work only with Samsung handsets, including the AI-generated Energy Score, irregular heart rhythm notifications, phone separation alerts, gesture controls, and the Camera Controller app.
Google’s Pixel Watch 3 runs Wear OS 5 and works with most phones running Android 10.0 or newer via the Google Pixel Watch app, which requires a Google Account to log in. It’s not exclusive to Pixel phones and should pair just fine with devices from any other Android phone maker, including Samsung. Like Samsung’s watches, Google does save some features for Pixel phones like snapping pictures from your watch, setting up automatic call screening, and having your watch hold a call for you while you find a quiet place to pick up.
Most of the other smartwatches on this list are compatible with both Android and iOS smartphones.
Which Platform Offers the Best Smartwatch Apps?
What separates a smartwatch from a dumb watch? Lots of things, but as smartphones have taught us, apps might be the most important.
Most of the watches we like feature full-fledged app stores that bring everything from Spotify, Yelp, and Strava to your wrist. Much like smartphones, app availability is a good way to determine which product to get, so make sure to check out the app selection for each watch before you make a final decision.
If you’re looking for apps, Apple is your best bet. The App Store lets you browse and download third-party watchOS apps directly on the watch, including popular favorites like AllTrails, Calm, Pandora, Peloton, Shazam, Spotify, Starbucks, and Strava.
The Apple Watch still has the largest number of high-quality apps and big-name developers, but Google’s Wear OS platform is catching up.
Samsung’s latest smartwatches feature popular Google apps like Assistant, Maps, and the Play Store, alongside Samsung’s Bixby, Buds Controller, Pay, and more. The Pixel Watch features all the Google standbys, including Assistant, Gmail, Home, Maps, the Play Store, and Wallet.
Other popular apps available for download via the Google Play Store on Wear OS smartwatches include Amazon Music, Calm, Deezer, Easy Voice Recorder, KakaoTalk, Samsung Internet Browser, SmartThings, Spotify, Stocard, Todoist, and WhatsApp.
How Are Smartwatches and Fitness Trackers Different?
Unless you want a gadget on both of your wrists (not the best look), you should pick a smartwatch that also works as a fitness tracker. Most smartwatches are capable of tracking basic activity, like steps, but you need to pay close attention to additional features.
Most of the smartwatches on our list feature GPS connectivity, which means they can record your runs without the help of a companion device. Most modern smartwatches also have an optical heart rate sensor that can take continuous and on-demand heart rate measurements.
Fitbit Versa devices are fairly affordable and track plenty of fitness and sleep metrics. However, they have fewer third-party apps, so there are some trade-offs. Look closely and choose a watch that tracks the activities and health metrics you want to monitor. Some smartwatches offer advanced health-tracking features, including the ability to take an ECG and measure your SpO2 level.
Which Smartwatches Have Cellular and Are They Worth the Money?
A cellular connection allows you to make calls, send texts, stream music, download apps, and do anything else that requires an internet connection—all without your phone. The cellular Apple Watch Series 10 carries a $100 premium over the base model (Bluetooth and Wi-Fi only). Then, you also have to pay for a separate data plan—most carriers charge an additional $10 per month per smartwatch. The Galaxy Watch FE, Galaxy Watch 7, and Google Pixel Watch 3 are also available with cellular connectivity.
Whether this convenience is worth it for you depends on how you plan to use your watch. If you want to stream music while you exercise and leave your phone at home or in the locker room, a cellular connection can certainly come in handy. If you always have your phone on you, however, you can probably save money and skip it.
How Long Do Smartwatches Last?
You don’t want a smartwatch with good battery life, right? Good, because you’re not going to get it. Features like an always-on display and GPS tracking are nice, but they drain battery life quickly. Watches with full-color, smartphone-like displays, like the Apple Watch and Wear OS watches, generally only last about a day on a charge.
Recommended by Our Editors
There are a few exceptions, including the OnePlus Watch 3 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2, which offer multi-day battery life. In general, you get much better battery life with a Fitbit or Garmin watch. They typically last around six days on a single charge.
How Much Should You Spend on a Smartwatch?
Smartwatches can be very expensive, but that doesn’t mean you need to spend a lot of money to get a good one. Yes, the $1,000+ Apple Watch Hermès is sure to draw a lot of attention, but for that price, you could buy five Fitbits. If you’re a first-time smartwatch buyer, consider the less-expensive route first in case you wind up not wearing it all that much.
What’s the Best Android Watch?
As mentioned, all of the models on this list work with Android phones except for the Apple Watch.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch FE is our current favorite for its streamlined design, excellent health and safety features, useful calling and texting capabilities, and overall value for the money. The Galaxy Watch 7 offers additional size options and AI-powered wellness insights. Outdoor adventurers might prefer the Galaxy Watch Ultra, which offers a more durable titanium case, an even stronger sapphire crystal glass display, longer battery life, and a few outdoor-specific navigation features.
What’s the Best-Looking Smartwatch?
Let’s not forget: You’re also going to wear this thing. And unlike your Timex, it’s probably not going to remain in style for years. Smartwatch design is rapidly changing, so hold out until you find something you actually want to wear. And keep in mind that smartwatches are still gadgets. The coming year is sure to bring new iterations of pretty much every watch on this list, not to mention completely new ones.
The battle for wrist real estate is quickly heating up. That’s good news for consumers because this pace of innovation is likely to result in more capable—and more stylish—devices. I wouldn’t be surprised if this list reads completely differently the next time you see it. But if you’re looking for the best smartwatch available today, the options here are the finest we’ve tested.
For more, check out our roundups of the best Android watches and the best Samsung watches.
