The most effective smartwatches for 2025

Smartwatches do extra than simply observe your steps and ship telephone alerts to your wrist. The most effective smartwatches go even additional, providing you with the flexibility to pay for a cup of espresso, take calls and hook up with apps like Spotify all with out whipping out your smartphone.

Chances are high, for those who’re studying this, you already know all the advantages of a smartwatch. You’re prepared to take a position, or improve from an growing older accent, however we wouldn’t blame you for those who for those who didn’t know the place to start out. There are dozens of smartwatches obtainable now, together with GPS running watches, fitness trackers that appear to be smartwatches and multi-purpose gadgets. Plus, you’ll need to take into account components like sturdiness, battery life and working system earlier than you spend some huge cash on a brand new wearable. We’ve examined and reviewed most main smartwatches obtainable at the moment and these are our high picks.

Desk of contents

Greatest smartwatches of 2025

Google / Engadget

Tracks: Sleep, exercise, energy, stress | Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Mobile (optionally available) | GPS: Sure, inbuilt | Waterproof: Sure | Assistant help: Google Assistant | Show: At all times-on Actua touchscreen | Weight: 31 grams | Battery life: 24 hours

Learn our full Google Pixel Watch 3 review

It solely took three iterations, however Google lastly bought it proper with the Pixel Watch 3. It’s probably the most absolutely realized Pixel Watch but, and one which any Android fan would get plenty of use out of. The most recent mannequin, which now is available in 41mm and 45mm sizes, has a barely bigger round show that’s brighter than ever and may attain as much as a 60Hz refresh charge. It could actually additionally drop down to simply 1 nit of brightness while you’re sporting it to sleep, which not solely makes for a greater expertise general, but additionally contributes to its longer battery life. You’ll rise up to 24 hours out of the Pixel Watch 3, which is an enormous enchancment over the earlier era and extra in step with competing gadgets from Apple and Samsung.

The Pixel Watch 3 can be an incredible exercise monitoring gadget, with options like auto exercise detection and customized working plans, plus the flexibility to trace metrics like Cardio Load. There’s Fitbit smarts in right here, similar to in earlier Pixel Watches, so that you’re lined on the subject of each day exercises, steps, sleep and extra. The one draw back to that is that for those who’re excited about extra in-depth teaching, these options are hidden behind the Fitbit Premium paywall.

Whereas Put on OS 5 may use a bit extra polish, the mixing with the Google Assistant on the Pixel Watch 3 is useful so you need to use voice instructions to verify on issues like climate forecasts, calendar alerts, map instructions and extra. We additionally admire the addition of quicker charging on the Pixel Watch 3, so you may go from 0 to 100 in a bit much less time than earlier than. That’ll turn out to be useful for those who’re actually eager on utilizing the watch as a sleep tracker. Total, the enhancements Google made on this version of the Pixel Watch helped push it over the sting as a worthy competitor to the Apple Watch and a high choose for Android customers on the lookout for their subsequent wearable.

$350 at Amazon

Picture by Valentina Palladino / Engadget

Tracks: Sleep, exercise, energy, stress, dozens of exercises | Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, ANT+ | GPS: Sure, inbuilt | Waterproof: Sure | Assistant help: None | Show: 1.2-inch AMOLED with optionally available always-on mode | Weight: 39 grams | Battery life: 11 days in smartwatch mode, 19 hours in GPS mode

Garmin is thought for its prowess on this planet of health watches and the Garmin Forerunner 165 is the watch I examined that I wished to put on probably the most after I went out for a run. The experience of the Forerunner line is within the identify, and Garmin actually excels at making complete but pleasant GPS running watches in flavors that can go well with every kind of athletes, from newbie to professional. The Forerunner 165 stands out with its light-weight design, vibrant AMOLED touchscreen, easy button controls, correct built-in GPS and its capability to trace exercise stats simply in addition to all-day exercise information.

Beginning a run with the Forerunner 165 is as simple as urgent a single button — the top-right button on the case actually has “run” embossed onto it, and it takes you to the exercise profile menu the place you may select the train you need to observe. Run is the primary possibility, however you’ve got greater than 25 profiles to select from together with observe run, treadmill, stroll, power, swim and extra. When working outdoors, the GPS took a median of 15-20 seconds to lock onto my location, however you don’t have to attend for it to take action — press the run button once more to start and the GPS will catch up by itself.

The Forerunner expertise has benefited tremendously from the continual enchancment of the Garmin Join cellular app. The beforehand clunky, complicated app has been effectively refined so as to customise its homepage the exercise and exercise stats you care about probably the most, together with issues like Physique Battery, Sleep Rating, menstrual cycle data and extra. It’s simple to dive into your most lately tracked exercise and get within the weeds with tempo, cadence, coaching impact (cardio or anaerobic), energy and stamina stats.

Garmin places the battery lifetime of the Forerunner 165 at 11 days in smartwatch mode, and I discovered that to be principally correct even with a handful of GPS-tracked runs thrown in. The corporate claims you’ll rise up to 19 hours of battery life with steady GPS use, which needs to be sufficient for many runners and athletes competing in long-haul races. You too can get the 165 with music storage inbuilt or not, with the previous permitting you to retailer music domestically on the watch so you may pay attention with a pair of Bluetooth headphones.

The Garmin Forerunner 165 will set you again $250 with out music storage, or $300 for the mannequin with music storage inbuilt. That’s on the decrease finish of the value spectrum for GPS working watches; you would simply spend $500 or extra for those who’re uncertain about what you want and what’s simply additional fluff. Whereas Garmin does have a couple of cheaper gadgets, the Forerunner 165 strikes the best steadiness of characteristic set and value that can enchantment to seasoned runners and people who are simply diving right into a extra regimented working routine.

$250 at Garmin

Trendy smartwatches: Fossil and extra

Sure, there are nonetheless corporations on the market attempting to make “trendy” hybrid smartwatches. Again when wearables had been novel and usually ugly, manufacturers like Fossil, Michael Kors and Skagen discovered their area of interest in trendy smartwatches that took cues from analog timepieces. You even have the choice to select up a “hybrid” smartwatch from corporations like Withings and Garmin – these gadgets appear to be traditional wrist watches however incorporate some restricted performance like exercise monitoring and coronary heart charge monitoring. They continue to be good choices for those who desire that look, however fortunately, wearables made by Apple, Samsung, Fitbit and others have gotten rather more enticing over the previous few years.

Finally, the one factor you may’t change after you purchase a smartwatch is its case design. If you happen to’re not into the Apple Watch’s squared-off corners, all of Samsung’s smartwatches have spherical circumstances that look a bit of extra like a conventional watch. Most wearables are supplied in a alternative of colours and you’ll pay additional for premium supplies like stainless-steel for additional sturdiness. When you determine on a case, your band choices are infinite – there are dozens of first- and third-party watch straps obtainable for many main smartwatches, and for each bigger and smaller wrists, permitting you to alter up your look everytime you please.

Elements to contemplate earlier than shopping for a smartwatch

Compatibility

Apple Watches solely work with iPhones, whereas Put on OS gadgets play good with each iOS and Android telephones. Smartwatches made by Samsung, Garmin, Fitbit and others are additionally suitable with Android and iOS, however you’ll want to put in a companion app in your smartphone.

The smartwatch OS may even dictate the kind and variety of third-party apps you’ll have entry to. Many of those aren’t helpful, although, making this issue a reasonably minor one within the grand scheme of issues.

Worth

The most effective smartwatches typically price between $300 and $400. In comparison with funds smartwatches, which price between $100 and $250, these pricier gadgets have superior working methods, communications, music and health options. Additionally they typically embody perks like onboard GPS monitoring, music storage and NFC, AMOLED shows, and lengthy battery life, issues that funds gadgets typically don’t have.

Some corporations make specialised health watches: These can simply run north of $500, and we’d solely suggest them to critical athletes. Luxurious smartwatches from manufacturers like TAG Heuer and Hublot can even attain sky-high costs, however we wouldn’t endorse any of them. These gadgets can price greater than $1,000, and also you’re often paying for little greater than a model identify and a few needlessly unique choice of construct supplies.

Battery life

Battery life stays one in all our greatest complaints about smartwatches, however there’s hope as of late. You’ll be able to anticipate two full days from Apple Watches and most Put on OS gadgets. Watches utilizing the Snapdragon Put on 3100 processor help prolonged battery modes that promise as much as 5 days of battery life on a cost — for those who’re keen to close off most options apart from, , displaying the time. Different fashions can final 5 to seven days, however they often have fewer options and lower-quality shows. In the meantime, some health watches can final weeks on a single cost. If lengthy battery life is a precedence for you, it’s value testing the watch’s specs beforehand to see what the producer estimates.

Communication

Any smartwatch value contemplating delivers name, textual content and app notifications to your wrist. Name and textual content alerts are self explanatory, but when these imply loads to you, take into account a watch with LTE. They’re dearer than their WiFi-only counterparts, however mobile connectivity permits the smartwatch to take and obtain telephone calls, and do the identical with textual content messages, with out your gadget close by. So far as app alerts go, getting them delivered to your wrist will allow you to look all the way down to the watch face and see for those who completely have to verify your telephone proper now.

Health monitoring

Exercise monitoring is an enormous motive why individuals flip to smartwatches. An all-purpose timepiece ought to operate as a health tracker, logging your steps, energy and exercises, and most of at the moment’s wearables have a coronary heart charge monitor as effectively.

Many smartwatches’ health options embody a built-in GPS, which is beneficial for monitoring distance for runs and bike rides. Swimmers will need one thing waterproof, and fortunately most all-purpose gadgets now can stand up to a minimum of a dunk within the pool. Some smartwatches from corporations like Garmin are more fitness focused than others and have a tendency to supply extra superior options like heart-rate-variance monitoring, restoration time estimation, onboard maps and extra.

Well being monitoring on smartwatches has additionally seen advances through the years. Each Apple and Fitbit gadgets can estimate blood oxygen ranges and measure ECGs. However the extra reasonably priced the smartwatch, the much less seemingly it’s that it has these sorts of superior well being monitoring options; if accumulating these sorts of wellness metrics is necessary to you, you’ll must pay for the privilege.

Music

Your watch cannot solely observe your morning runs but additionally play music when you’re exercising. Many smartwatches allow you to save your music domestically, so you may join wi-fi earbuds by way of Bluetooth and hearken to tunes with out bringing your telephone. Those who don’t have onboard storage for music often have on-watch music controls, so you may management playback with out whipping out your telephone. And in case your watch has LTE, native saving isn’t required — you’ll be capable to stream music instantly from the watch to your paired earbuds.

Shows

Most wearables have touchscreens and we suggest getting one which has a full-color touchscreen. Some flagships just like the Apple Watch have LTPO shows, which stands for low-temperature polycrystalline oxide. These panels have quicker response instances and are extra energy environment friendly, leading to a smoother expertise when one interacts with the touchscreen and, in some circumstances, longer battery lives.

You received’t see vital good points with the latter, although, as a result of the additional battery basically will get used up when these gadgets have always-on shows, as most flagship wearables do at the moment. Some smartwatches have this characteristic on by default whereas others allow you to allow it by way of tweaked settings. This good characteristic means that you can look down at your watch to verify the time, well being stats or every other data you’ve set it to point out on its watchface with out lifting your wrist. This may little question have an effect on your gadget’s battery life, however fortunately most always-on modes dim the show’s brightness so it’s not working at its peak unnecessarily. Cheaper gadgets received’t have this characteristic; as a substitute, their touchscreens will robotically flip off to preserve battery life and also you’ll must deliberately verify your watch to activate the show once more.

NFC

Many new smartwatches have NFC, letting you pay for issues with out your pockets utilizing contactless funds. After saving your credit score or debit card data, you may maintain your smartwatch as much as an NFC reader to pay for a cup of espresso in your approach residence from a run. Remember that completely different watches use completely different cost methods: Apple Watches use Apple Pay, Put on OS gadgets use Google Pay, Samsung gadgets use Samsung Pay and so forth.

Apple Pay is among the hottest NFC cost methods, with help for multiple banks and credit cards in 72 completely different nations, whereas Samsung and Google Pay work in fewer areas. It’s additionally necessary to notice that each NFC cost help varies by gadget as effectively for each Samsung and Google’s methods.

Different smartwatches our specialists examined

Apple Watch Extremely 2

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 might be overkill for most individuals, however it has a ton of additional options like additional waterproofing to trace diving, an much more correct GPS and the most important battery of any Apple Watch so far. Apple designed it for probably the most rugged amongst us, however in your common particular person, it seemingly has extra options than they’d ever want. If you happen to’re notably clumsy, nevertheless, its excessive stage of sturdiness might be an incredible motive to contemplate the Apple Watch Extremely 2.

Apple Watch SE

The Apple Watch SE is much less feature-rich than the flagship mannequin, however it is going to in all probability suffice for most individuals. We truly regard the Watch SE as one of the best smartwatch possibility for first-time patrons, or individuals on stricter budgets. You’ll get all of the core Apple Watch options in addition to issues like fall and crash detection, noise monitoring and Emergency SOS, however you’ll must do with out extra superior {hardware} perks like an always-on show, a blood oxygen sensor, an ECG monitor and a pores and skin temperature sensor.

Garmin Forerunner 745

Garmin watches on the whole will be nice choices for probably the most energetic amongst us. The Garmin Forerunner 745 is a wonderful GPS running watch for critical athletes or those that prize battery life above all else. Once we examined it, we discovered it to supply correct distance monitoring, a killer 16-hour battery life with GPS turned on (as much as seven days with out it) and help for onboard music storage and Garmin Pay.

Amazfit Bip 6

The Amazfit Bip 6, an $80 smartwatch from Zepp Well being, didn’t fairly make the lower. As a health tracker, it’s first rate, however it’s a irritating smartwatch. For exercises, the built-in GPS tracks runs and rides with out your telephone and, mixed with the guts charge and blood oxygen sensors, collects quantity of knowledge to create correct photos of your exertion ranges, cadence and tempo. It’s remarkably light-weight however doesn’t really feel low cost and the AMOLED display is vibrant and sharp. It’s not an always-on show, however lifting your wrist wakes it reliably.

The sleep monitoring information is on par with what we measured on different smartwatches and there’s even a each day readiness rating that compares your sleep high quality and the day past’s exertion to estimate how bodily ready you’re for the day forward — much like what Pixel Watches, Fitbit gadgets and Garmin watches supply. And for the reason that watch battery lasts for over per week on a cost, chances are you’ll be much more apt to put on it to mattress than a watch you must cost each day.

We weren’t anticipating an $80 gadget to be a critical Apple Watch challenger, however the Bip 6’s glitches and overly difficult interface (each on the app and on the watch itself) had been disappointing. Throughout per week of testing, I bought a number of repeated notifications, even after they had been deleted, together with strategies to face after I was actively doing chores round the home. The watch faces will not be customizable, so it was exhausting to get the data I wanted at a look (the Zepp app has a number of paid watch faces that will have what I wished, however I didn’t need to pay $3 for one thing that’s free elsewhere).

Advertising and marketing particulars state that the Bip 6 can auto-detect exercises, together with strolling and bike driving. Throughout testing, I walked a few times per day for over one mile and went on two bike rides, however no exercise was ever detected. The watch integrates with Apple Well being, so I used to be in a position to see the way it compares to the info my Apple Watch gathers. After per week of sporting the Bip 6, with no modifications to my each day routine, I averaged 400 fewer energy burned and a couple of.4 fewer miles tracked every day. That was presumably the most important disappointment of all. — Amy Skorheim, Senior Reporter

Smartwatch FAQs

Is there a distinction between a smartwatch and a health tracker?

Whereas smartwatches and health trackers share some similarities, they’re designed for barely completely different functions.

A health tracker is primarily targeted on well being and exercise monitoring. It retains tabs in your steps, coronary heart charge, sleep and exercises, and a few even supply superior metrics like blood oxygen ranges and stress monitoring. Health trackers are typically extra compact, have longer battery life and are constructed with exercise in thoughts.

A smartwatch, then again, is sort of a mini smartphone in your wrist. It gives health monitoring options, but additionally allows you to do issues like reply to texts, take calls, use apps and management good residence gadgets. Many smartwatches help voice assistants, cellular funds and even LTE connectivity, so you may depart your telephone behind in some circumstances.

If you happen to primarily need well being and exercise monitoring with lengthy battery life, a health tracker is the way in which to go. In order for you a extra linked expertise with additional options, a smartwatch is the higher alternative.

How lengthy do smartwatches final?

How lengthy a smartwatch lasts principally depends upon two issues: battery life and general sturdiness.

Smartwatch battery life varies loads relying on the model, options and the way you utilize it. Primary fashions with e-ink shows or monochrome screens can final per week or extra, whereas full-featured smartwatches just like the Apple Watch or Samsung Galaxy Watch often want a cost every single day or two. If you happen to’re utilizing options like always-on show, GPS monitoring or LTE connectivity, anticipate the battery to empty quicker.

Bodily, smartwatch ought to final a number of years earlier than you want to improve. Premium fashions with scratch-resistant glass, water resistance and robust construct supplies have a tendency to carry up effectively over time. Nonetheless, software program help issues too — manufacturers like Apple and Samsung sometimes present updates for a minimum of a couple of years, whereas some funds smartwatches could not get long-term software program help.

You’ll be able to anticipate to cost most smartwatches each day or each few days, and for those who care for them, they need to final 3-5 years earlier than an improve is important.

How a lot do you have to spend on a smartwatch?

How a lot it is best to spend on a smartwatch depends upon what options you want and the way typically you propose to make use of it.

If you happen to simply need the fundamentals — step monitoring, notifications, coronary heart charge monitoring and fundamental health monitoring — you will discover some strong budget-friendly choices from manufacturers like Amazfit, Fitbit and a few Put on OS fashions. These often have first rate battery life however could lack premium options like LTE, superior well being monitoring or third-party apps.

Within the mid-range smartwatch value bracket, you’ll discover well-liked fashions just like the Apple Watch SE and Fitbit Versa sequence. These supply mixture of health monitoring, good options and design high quality. You’ll get higher construct supplies, extra correct sensors and app help, however battery life may nonetheless be restricted to a day or two.

Excessive-end smartwatches just like the Apple Watch Extremely, Samsung Galaxy Watch Extremely and Garmin Fenix/Epix sequence supply superior well being monitoring, rugged designs, LTE connectivity and longer software program help. These are nice for critical athletes, outside adventurers, or anybody who desires the most recent and best options.

If you happen to simply desire a easy smartwatch for notifications and health monitoring, a funds or mid-range mannequin will do the job. However if you would like a premium really feel, superior well being monitoring or LTE connectivity, it’s value spending a bit extra. For most individuals, $200 – $350 hits one of the best steadiness of options and worth.

Do all smartwatches have GPS?

Not all smartwatches have built-in GPS. Some depend on your telephone’s GPS, whereas others have it built-in for unbiased monitoring.

Excessive-end and fitness-focused smartwatches, just like the Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch and Garmin fashions have their very own built-in GPS. This implies they will observe your runs, walks, bike rides and hikes without having to be linked to your telephone. It’s essential for critical athletes or anybody who desires correct location monitoring with out carrying a telephone.

Some funds and mid-range smartwatches (like some Fitbit and Amazfit fashions) don’t have built-in GPS however can use your telephone’s GPS when linked by way of Bluetooth. This works advantageous for those who often carry your telephone whereas understanding, however it’s much less handy for those who desire to go away it behind.

Some very fundamental or funds smartwatches skip GPS totally and rely solely on step monitoring or movement sensors. These are advantageous for informal customers who don’t want location monitoring.

Can you permit your telephone at residence and nonetheless use a smartwatch?

Sure, however it depends upon the smartwatch and what you need to do with out your telephone.

In case your smartwatch has LTE or mobile connectivity , you may make calls, ship texts, stream music, use maps and even entry apps with out your telephone close by. Nonetheless, you’ll want a separate information plan out of your provider, which often comes with an additional month-to-month price.

Even with out LTE, some smartwatches can nonetheless do lots on their very own, together with observe exercises and GPS routes (if they’ve built-in GPS), play music offline (in the event that they help downloads from Spotify or Apple Music), could contactless funds with options like Apple Pay and Google Pockets and management good residence gadgets.

If going phone-free is necessary to you, search for a smartwatch with LTE and built-in GPS for one of the best expertise.

Can a smartwatch make calls and not using a telephone?

Sure, a smartwatch could make calls and not using a telephone — however provided that it has the best options.

Some smartwatches have built-in LTE connectivity, which means they will work independently out of your telephone. You may make and obtain calls, ship texts, stream music and use apps so long as you’ve got a cellular information plan for the watch. Nonetheless, you’ll have to pay for a separate mobile plan and battery life drains quicker when utilizing LTE.

In case your smartwatch doesn’t have LTE, it will probably nonetheless make calls, however solely when linked to your telephone by way of Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. It basically acts as a distant speaker and microphone in your telephone’s calls. Watches like the usual Apple Watch or Samsung Galaxy Watch (Wi-Fi variations) can do that. Nonetheless, in case your telephone isn’t close by or linked to Wi-Fi, calling received’t work.

Some fitness-focused smartwatches (like sure Garmin, Fitbit and Amazfit fashions) don’t have a built-in speaker or microphone, to allow them to’t make or obtain calls in any respect — solely present notifications.

If calling and not using a telephone is a should, ensure to decide on an LTE mannequin with a built-in mic and speaker.

What is the distinction between an Android and Apple smartwatch?

The most important distinction between Android and Apple smartwatches comes all the way down to compatibility, options and ecosystem integration.

Apple smartwatches (Apple Watch) solely work with iPhones. If in case you have an Android telephone, you may’t use an Apple Watch in any respect. Android smartwatches (Put on OS, Samsung Galaxy, Garmin and many others.) principally work with Android telephones, however some additionally help iPhones with restricted options. If in case you have an iPhone, the Apple Watch is the only option. If in case you have an Android telephone, go for a Put on OS or Samsung Galaxy Watch.

Apple Watch (watchOS) has one of the best app help with seamless integration into Apple’s ecosystem (iMessage, FaceTime, Apple Pay, Apple Health+, Siri and many others.). Android smartwatches supply extra selection, with entry to Google providers (Google Assistant, Google Pockets and Google Maps), and a few help Amazon Alexa or Samsung’s Bixby.

By way of design, Apple Watch has a single design however is available in completely different sizes and supplies. It’s glossy, however your solely actual customization comes from bands and watch faces. Android smartwatches, then again, are available tons of types and types (Samsung, Google Pixel Watch, Garmin, Fossil and many others.), which means you may choose a spherical watch, a rugged design or a luxury-looking mannequin.

If battery life is necessary to you, the Apple Watch lasts a few day or two per cost, relying on utilization and mannequin. Many Android smartwatches (particularly Garmin, Amazfit or Mobvoi TicWatch) final a number of days and even weeks on a single cost.

Georgie Peru contributed to this report.