The Best Smartwatches for 2026

With everything from app support to smartphone notifications to heart rate monitoring , the best smartwatches do much more than tell time. If you're assessing your options, you've come to the right place. We've been reviewing smartwatches since the days of the original Pebble more than a decade ago, and we test a wide range of models to help you find the best one for your needs and budget. The Apple Watch Series 11 is the best smartwatch for iPhone users thanks to its sleek design, long battery life, unbeatable app selection, and accurate fitness tracking . If you're looking for something less expensive or have an Android phone, we have you covered with our list of the best smartwatches below. Read on for our top picks and buying advice to find the right watch for you.

Best for iPhone Users

Apple Watch Series 11

Score: 4.5

Pros & Cons

• + Nearly two days of battery life in testing

• + Now supports 5G

• + FDA-approved hypertension notifications

• + WatchOS 26 delivers helpful new features

• + Vibrant screen

• + Slim design

• + More durable

• - Nearly two days of battery life in testing

• - Now supports 5G

• - FDA-approved hypertension notifications

• - WatchOS 26 delivers helpful new features

• - Vibrant screen

• - Slim design

• - More durable

Why We Picked It

The Apple Watch Series 11 offers a comprehensive suite of lifestyle, fitness, health, and safety tools, along with the best third-party app selection of any smartwatch. It features a harder, more scratch-resistant screen and longer battery life than its predecessor , while adding 5G connectivity for faster downloads when you're separated from your phone. It otherwise carries forward the Series 10 's sleek design, featuring a bright and colorful 2,000-nit wide-angle OLED display. Thanks to watchOS 26 , the Series 11 has Workout Buddy to offer encouraging words as you exercise, a new Sleep Score metric that encapsulates your overnight data into a single value, and hypertension notifications to let you know if it senses high blood pressure. With these upgrades, the Apple Watch Series 11 remains the best iPhone-compatible smartwatch for most buyers. Apple fans : The Apple Watch Series 11 combines all of the company's best wearable features into an attractive package that helps you stay connected, monitor your health, and track your fitness. Unless you require extra durability for diving adventures, this model will meet all your expectations from an Apple Watch. The Series 11 is the Goldilocks of Apple smartwatches. People who need encouragement : Apple's Workout Buddy is an AI-generated voice that will talk to you as you exercise. Its positive tone will help motivate you to keep moving as it updates you on your stats and milestones. Fashion lovers : The Series 11 offers the widest selection of finishes and compatible bands of any Apple Watch, including some premium Hermes options. With the Series 11, you can tailor your look to fit the occasion, even if that occasion is a fancy night out.

Who It's For

Specs & Configurations

Phone OS Compatibility : iOS Watch OS : watchOS Processor : Apple S10 Display Size : 1.65 inches/1.81 inches Display Type : Always-on LTPO3 OLED Fitness Features : Heart Rate Monitor,ECG,Blood Oxygen Monitor,Temperature Sensor,Pedometer,Gyroscope,Pulse Oximeter,Accelerometer,GPS,Barometer Battery Life : 43 hours (tested) Separate App Store : True Phone Call Capacity : True Compatibility : iOS Heart Rate Monitor : True Sleep Tracker : True

Best for Android Users

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8

Score: 4.0

Pros & Cons

• + 3,000-nit display

• + AI coaching helps with sleep and fitness

• + Accurate heart rate tracking

• + Measures antioxidant levels

• + Google Gemini built-in

• - 3,000-nit display

• - AI coaching helps with sleep and fitness

• - Accurate heart rate tracking

• - Measures antioxidant levels

• - Google Gemini built-in

Why We Picked It

The Galaxy Watch 8 introduces AI coaching for running workouts and sleep, as well as antioxidant testing and vascular load measurements for arterial health, to Samsung's popular smartwatch line. Its Galaxy AI-powered coaching works well, and Google's Gemini AI assistant is built in to respond to your voice commands. It features a thinner frame than  its predecessor  and offers a slight increase in battery life. Otherwise, it carries forward everything from past models, including the advanced glycation end products (AGEs) index tracking (an indicator of metabolic health), FDA-approved sleep apnea detection, and body composition measurements similar to those of a smart scale . It's also durable with an IP68 resistance rating, MIL-STD-810H certification, and 5ATM of water resistance. Android users : If you're looking for the best Wear OS smartwatch for fitness and sleep tracking, opt for the Galaxy Watch 8. It offers Galaxy AI wellness assessments and has a large, bright screen. It comes in small (40mm) or large (44mm) sizes in silver or graphite with two connectivity options (with or without LTE), accommodating a wide range of buyers. Samsung fans : While the Galaxy Watch 8 is compatible with any Android phone, some of its features are exclusive to Samsung handsets, including the Running Coach, irregular heart rhythm notifications, phone separation alerts, gesture controls, and snoring detection. Running novices : If you want to be a serious runner, but you need some guidance, the Galaxy Watch 8 can help. It's Running Coach is likely unnecessary if you already know what you're doing, but its detailed guidance will be quite handy if you want to develop a routine and work toward a goal, such as a 5K.

Who It's For

Specs & Configurations

Phone OS Compatibility : Android Watch OS : Wear OS Processor : Samsung Exynos W1000 Display Size : 1.34 inches/1.47 inches Display Type : Super AMOLED Fitness Features : Accelerometer,Heart Rate Monitor,GPS,Blood Oxygen Monitor,Pedometer,Barometer,Temperature Sensor,Gyroscope,ECG,Light Sensor Battery Life : 26 hours (tested) Separate App Store : True Phone Call Capacity : True Compatibility : Android Heart Rate Monitor : True Sleep Tracker : True

Best Affordable Android Watch

Samsung Galaxy Watch FE

Score: 4.0

Pros & Cons

• + 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

• - 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

Why We Picked It

The Galaxy Watch FE is the budget choice in Samsung's smartwatch lineup, but it makes few sacrifices for its reasonable price. It provides access to all the standard Google apps, including 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. Budget shoppers : If you want to save money while still enjoying a range of smart features and health tracking capabilities, the Galaxy Watch FE is the best budget-friendly Wear OS smartwatch. It boasts most of the same lifestyle features as the company's flagship smartwatches and is highly capable in tracking activity, exercise, and sleep. Samsung fans : Like other Galaxy Watches, the Galaxy Watch FE reserves some features, such as snore detection, for Samsung phones specifically. That said, it is compatible with other Android phones with at least 2GB of RAM. It's only available in one small 40mm size, with either Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, or with added LTE connectivity for an additional $50.

Who It's For

Specs & Configurations

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) Separate App Store : True Phone Call Capacity : True Compatibility : Android Heart Rate Monitor : True Sleep Tracker : True

Best Affordable Apple Watch

Apple Watch SE 3

Score: 4.0

Pros & Cons

• + Sharp always-on display

• + Same processor as the Series 11

• + Nearly two days of battery life

• + Supports 5G

• + Gesture controls

• - Sharp always-on display

• - Same processor as the Series 11

• - Nearly two days of battery life

• - Supports 5G

• - Gesture controls

Why We Picked It

The Apple Watch SE 3 is the least expensive and smallest watch in Apple's lineup. The third-generation model introduces several significant enhancements to the line, including an always-on display, on-device Siri processing, wrist temperature sensing, and the same S10 chip used in the flagship Series 11. Safety features include Emergency SOS, fall detection, sleep apnea detection, and notifications for irregular heart rate and rhythm. The SE 3 now has 5G for faster downloads when you're away from your phone. The SE 3 launches with watchOS 26, featuring all of Apple's latest software updates, including gesture controls, Workout Buddy, and Sleep Score. Older or younger users : The Apple Watch SE 3 supports Apple's Family Setup feature, which enables you to manage the watch for a family member who doesn't have an iPhone. For school-age children, the watch supports emergency calling and parental location tracking and can serve as a stopgap if you don't want to buy your child a phone yet. First-time buyers : If you're new to smartwatches and have an iPhone, save some money with the Apple Watch SE 3, as it has the same processor and better battery life than the Series 11. Yes, it's missing a couple of features, but unless you know what to look for, you're unlikely to notice their absence. Casual Apple fans : Like other Apple smartwatches, the Apple Watch SE 3 is only compatible with iPhones, and despite the lower price, this value model still gives you access to Apple's latest smartwatch software, watchOS 26.

Who It's For

Specs & Configurations

Phone OS Compatibility : iOS Watch OS : watchOS Processor : Apple S10 Display Size : 1.5 inches/1.7 inches Display Type : Always-On LTPO OLED Fitness Features : Heart Rate Monitor,Pedometer,Gyroscope,Accelerometer,GPS,Barometer Battery Life : 46 hours (tested) Separate App Store : True Phone Call Capacity : True Compatibility : iOS Heart Rate Monitor : True Sleep Tracker : True

Best for Outdoor Adventurers

Apple Watch Ultra 3

Score: 4.0

Pros & Cons

• + Supports satellite connectivity for off-grid communication

• + 5G comes standard

• + Longest battery life of any Apple Watch

• + Vibrant, wide-angle OLED display

• + FDA-approved hypertension notifications

• - Supports satellite connectivity for off-grid communication

• - 5G comes standard

• - Longest battery life of any Apple Watch

• - Vibrant, wide-angle OLED display

• - FDA-approved hypertension notifications

Why We Picked It

The Ultra 3 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 the ability to send a text or Emergency SOS message via satellite when out of cell signal range, as well as a bright orange customizable Action button, a nubby crown that can be operated 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 3 comes with 5G cellular support and offers excellent call quality, thanks to its dual-speaker system and three-microphone array. Powered by Apple's S10 chip, the Ultra 3 has enough battery life to power through a weekend and offers all the features of watchOS 26, including hypertension notifications and Workout Buddy. Outdoor adventurers : The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is best for endurance athletes, ocean enthusiasts, and anyone else who spends a lot of time in the great outdoors. The emergency satellite connectivity will offer extra peace of mind if you are blazing a trail off the beaten path and out of the range of normal cell service. Divers : While other watches can keep up to a certain extent on mountain biking adventures and other harsh land activities, the Ultra models are the only smartwatches we've tested that are suitable for high-speed water sports and recreational diving. Like its predecessors, the third-generation Ultra has a WR100 water-resistance rating and is suitable for recreational diving at depths of up to 40 meters. It can even function as a dive computer with the Oceanic+ app. On-the-go Apple fans : Even if you don't need a watch for a rugged, outdoor excursion, if you're looking for the Apple Watch with the best battery life, this is it. In testing, the Ultra 3 lasted for 63 hours on a single charge with the always-on display enabled, outlasting the other Apple Watches by almost a full day. Like the rest, the Ultra 3 is only compatible with Apple's iPhones.

Who It's For

Specs & Configurations

Phone OS Compatibility : iOS Watch OS : watchOS Processor : Apple S10 Display Size : 1.9 inches Display Type : Always-on LTPO3 OLED Fitness Features : Blood Oxygen Monitor,ECG,Heart Rate Monitor,Accelerometer,GPS,Temperature Sensor,Pedometer,Gyroscope,Light Sensor,Barometer Battery Life : 63 hours (tested) Separate App Store : True Phone Call Capacity : True

Best Fitbit Smartwatch

Fitbit Versa 4

Score: 4.0

Pros & Cons

• + 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

• - 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

Why We Picked It

The Fitbit Versa 4 is an excellent fitness-focused smartwatch. With 40 exercise modes, it covers a wide range of activities, including kayaking, golf, 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, except for watch faces. Fitbit fans : The Versa 4 gives you access to Fitbit's reliable fitness and health tracking at an affordable price. It can monitor up to 40 different types of activities and supports customizable goals, such as calories burned, distance, or time. The Versa 4 will also automatically record several types of exercises, accurately measuring heart rate and tracking your location using GPS. Budget shoppers : The Versa 4 costs less than most other smartwatches on this list, and you can readily find it on sale now for a fraction of its launch price. If you're looking for a capable tracker with Fitbit credentials that doubles as a stylish smartwatch, the Versa 4 is your most affordable option. People who prioritize long battery life : The Versa 4 lasted for six days in our testing on a single charge, surpassing the battery capacity of smartwatches from smartphone makers. Go with the Versa 4 if you only want to think about plugging in your watch once a week. Android and Apple phone users : If you like Fitbit's health tracking, the Versa 4 is compatible with both iPhones and Android phones.

Who It's For

Specs & Configurations

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 Separate App Store : False Phone Call Capacity : False Compatibility : Android,iOS Heart Rate Monitor : True Sleep Tracker : True

Best Fitness-Focused Smartwatch

Garmin Venu Sq 2

Score: 4.0

Pros & Cons

• + Large AMOLED touch screen

• + Weeklong battery life

• + Lightweight design

• + Plenty of health metrics

• + Contactless payments

• + Integrated GPS

• - Large AMOLED touch screen

• - Weeklong battery life

• - Lightweight design

• - Plenty of health metrics

• - Contactless payments

• - Integrated GPS

Why We Picked It

In the crowded fitness smartwatch market, Garmin's Venu Sq 2 stands out for its practicality and user-friendly features. 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.  Fitness fanatics : The Garmin Venu Sq 2 offers a comprehensive list of activity profiles for tracking exercise. If you need help getting started, it comes with preloaded workout guidance for cardio, strength training, yoga, HIIT, and Pilates. For longer-term planning, you can use it to prepare for running or biking events. Travelers and endurance athletes : The Garmin Venu Sq 2 lasted 9 days on a single charge in our testing, exceeding the battery life of most other smartwatches on this list. It can track your activity, exercise, and sleep, and you don't have to take it off to plug it in very often.

Who It's For

Specs & Configurations

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,Light Sensor Battery Life : 8 days Separate App Store : True Phone Call Capacity : False Compatibility : Android,iOS Heart Rate Monitor : True Sleep Tracker : True

Best Design

Google Pixel Watch 4

Score: 4.0

Pros & Cons

• + Stunning curved display

• + More than two days of battery life

• + Built-in Gemini for voice control

• + Accurate exercise, sleep tracking

• + Emergency satellite communication

• - Stunning curved display

• - More than two days of battery life

• - Built-in Gemini for voice control

• - Accurate exercise, sleep tracking

• - Emergency satellite communication

Why We Picked It

The Google Pixel Watch 4 has a striking design, featuring a curved display housed under a domed glass enclosure. It supports key lifestyle features, including calling, texting, mobile payments, and smart home controls, and you can customize the watch with a wide range of third-party apps. You can also control the watch with voice commands and ask a variety of questions through Google's Gemini AI. 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. Plus, the Pixel Watch 4 lasted an impressive 56 hours in our battery rundown test with the always-on display enabled. Style gurus : The Pixel Watch 4's eye-catching curved screen makes it a top smartwatch if design is your top priority. It boasts a striking design that sets it apart from other smartwatches. Fitbit fans : The Pixel Watch 4 offers Fitbit's latest features. Its Readiness Score, Cardio Load, and Target Load metrics provide a comprehensive picture of your health, along with tangible workout targets to help you train effectively. It also has access to a preview of Google's AI-powered Personal Health Coach , which provides a personalized fitness plan tailored to individual needs. Pixel fans : While its best features work on Android phones of any brand, the Pixel Watch 4 does offer some useful exclusives when paired with Pixel handsets, such as camera controls and phone call screening. It also has access to Google's Gemini AI for conversational assistance when searching the web or controlling your device.

Who It's For

Specs & Configurations

Phone OS Compatibility : Android Watch OS : Wear OS Processor : Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 processor with a Cortex-M55 co-processor 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,Light Sensor Battery Life : 56 hours (tested) Separate App Store : True Phone Call Capacity : True

Best Battery Life

OnePlus Watch 3

Score: 4.0

Pros & Cons

• + Five-day battery life

• + Accurate exercise and sleep tracking

• + Dynamic AI health insights

• + Fall detection

• + Wrist temperature sensor

• - Five-day battery life

• - Accurate exercise and sleep tracking

• - Dynamic AI health insights

• - Fall detection

• - Wrist temperature sensor

Why We Picked It

The third-generation OnePlus Watch features a classy design, standout battery life, and useful safety and wellness features, including AI-powered health insights, fall detection, and wrist temperature sensing. 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 life by utilizing two distinct operating systems to conserve power. It uses Wear OS 5 to run third-party apps and other battery-intensive tasks, while a proprietary real-time operating system (RTOS) handles low-power operations, such as sending notifications and running background tasks. People who want long battery life : While the OnePlus Watch 3 doesn't offer the same battery life as fitness-focused smartwatches, it boasts the longest battery life of any smartwatch, with all the lifestyle features of a major operating system. The OnePlus Watch 3 runs Wear OS, complete with many third-party apps, and has 98 hours of battery life. Android fans : Like other Wear OS devices, the OnePlus Watch 3 requires an Android phone for use. 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.

Who It's For

Specs & Configurations

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 Separate App Store : True Phone Call Capacity : True

Best Smartwatch for Kids

Fitbit Ace LTE

Score: 4.0

Pros & Cons

• + Activity-focused games

• + Location tracking

• + Supports texting and calling trusted contacts

• + Robust parental controls

• + Works with Android or iOS

• - Activity-focused games

• - Location tracking

• - Supports texting and calling trusted contacts

• - Robust parental controls

• - Works with Android or iOS

Why We Picked It

The Fitbit Ace LTE features fitness, gaming, and safety options tailored for kids aged 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 the number of 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 features built-in location tracking through GPS and Google Maps, which is 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. Parents : The Fitbit Ace LTE offers enough fun features for kids to want to wear it, and features built-in tracking with GPS and Google Maps, allowing parents to check their child's location. The Ace LTE offers excellent safety features. Parents have to add trusted contacts their child is allowed to text and call, and can also set up hours where games are disabled so kids can focus at school. Children between the ages of 7 and 11 : The games and characters on this watch are specifically designed for children within this age range. We were entertained testing it as adults, but it's best suited for those particular ages. Easily bored kids : In addition to its safety features, everything else about the Ace LTE is designed to keep kids engaged. It features games designed to encourage movement and a character called an Eejie, which kids can dress up with digital prizes they earn.

Who It's For

Specs & Configurations

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 Separate App Store : False Phone Call Capacity : True

Pick a Watch That Works With Your Phone

Naturally, the first thing to consider before purchasing a smartwatch is its 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 11, Ultra 3, and Watch SE 3—require an iPhone 11 or later with  iOS 16 or later and do not work with Android handsets.

The Galaxy Watch 8, Galaxy Watch 8 Classic , and  Galaxy Watch Ultra  run Wear OS 6 with Samsung's One UI 4 interface. They require a smartphone running Android 12 or later. Although you can pair the Watch 8 with non-Samsung Android phones, some features are only compatible with Samsung handsets, including AI coaching features, irregular heart rhythm notifications, phone separation alerts, gesture controls, and the Camera Controller app.

Google's Pixel Watch 4 runs Wear OS 6 and is compatible with most phones running Android 11 or later, via the Google Pixel Watch app, which requires a Google Account for login. It's not exclusive to Pixel phones and should pair just fine with devices from any other Android phone maker, including Samsung. That said, some Pixel Watch features are only available when paired with a Pixel phone, like Ask to Hold for calls, automatic call screening, and the camera controller.

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? Many things, but as  smartphones  have taught us, apps may 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 choose, so be sure to check out the app selection for each watch before making a final decision.

If you're looking for apps, Apple is your best bet. The App Store allows you to browse and download third-party watchOS apps directly on your watch, including popular favorites such as 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, such as Maps and the Play Store, alongside Samsung's 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 wrists (not the best look), you should choose a smartwatch that also functions as a fitness tracker . Most smartwatches are capable of tracking basic activity, such as steps, but you need to pay close attention to their additional features.

Most of the smartwatches on our list feature GPS connectivity, allowing them to record your runs without the need for 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 reasonably affordable and track a wide range 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 11 carries a $100 premium over the base model (Bluetooth and Wi-Fi only), but now works with 5G signals for faster downloads. Still, 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 8, and Google Pixel Watch 4 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, such as the Apple Watch and Wear OS watches, typically last only about a day on a charge.

There are a few exceptions, including the OnePlus Watch 3 and the Apple Watch Ultra 3, 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?

All the models on this list are compatible with  Android phones, except for the Apple Watch. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 is our current favorite thanks to its in-depth AI coaching and robust wellness features. The Samsung Galaxy Watch FE is the best affordable Android smartwatch thanks to its streamlined design, excellent health and safety features, useful calling and texting capabilities, and overall value for the money.

What's the Best-Looking Smartwatch?

Let's not forget: You'll also be wearing this thing. And unlike your Timex, it's unlikely 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 heating up quickly. That's good news for consumers, as this pace of innovation is likely to result in more capable—and 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 .

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