Other Smartwatches to Consider
The number of smartwatches on the market is staggering. I’ve tested models from Tag Heuer, Citizen, Montblanc, and many other fashion brands, but most of them are simply too expensive for what you get. Here are a few options I like.
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
Samsung's Galaxy Watch Ultra for $650: The 47-mm Galaxy Watch Ultra (7/10, WIRED Review) is the company's Apple Watch Ultra and Garmin competitor, and it's a solid first entry into the world of pricey, feature-rich, and powerful smartwatches designed for professional athletes. It lasts a little over two days on a charge because it's a big 47-mm watch and can pack a beefy battery. There's a titanium case and sapphire glass face, plus it's rated to 10 ATM and IP68, so you can submerge it up to 100 meters underwater. The heart rate tracker is remarkably consistent with the Apple Watch Ultra 2, and the dual-band GPS delivers accurate mapping. The software isn't as intuitive, and a few features are lacking when compared to other performance smartwatches, but this is a good start if you're in the world of Android.
Samsung Galaxy Watch FE for $200: The Galaxy Watch FE is a fine budget Wear OS smartwatch, but I think it's more sensible to buy the Galaxy Watch6 series if you're trying not to spend much because you can find them on sale for roughly the same price. The 40-mm Galaxy Watch FE has a smaller screen that doesn't get as bright, and sports a slower processor and a smaller battery, so you'll have a richer experience by spending just a little more. The health sensors are almost the same, and I got accurate results with heart rate and sleep tracking. The battery also lasts just about a day if not a little less.
OnePlus Watch 2 Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
OnePlus Watch 2 for $300: This is last year's OnePlus smartwatch, and it's currently listed for nearly the same price as the new OnePlus Watch 3. Avoid paying $300 for it (it's frequently $250 on Amazon, though I'd argue waiting for an even better sale). The 46-mm OnePlus Watch 2 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) runs Wear OS and lasts roughly three days on a single charge, a little more if you enable some power-saving settings. The health capabilities are lacking—there's no fall detection or electrocardiogram—but there's sleep tracking and it's pretty accurate. Some features, like heart-rate tracking, distance traveled, and steps, have mixed accuracy in my testing, which means you shouldn't buy this smartwatch if you're primarily using it for those functions. Also, consider the OnePlus Watch 2R, which you can snag for less cash. The differences are mostly around build quality. The screen doesn’t get as bright, it has an aluminum case instead of stainless steel, and there’s no sapphire crystal protecting the screen, so it’s less durable. However, this makes it lighter and comfier to wear.
Apple Watch Series 9 for $399: The Series 9 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is a great smartwatch but avoid buying it at its MSRP. Try to wait for a sale and spend less than $300 on it. It has all the usual health and fitness features, and extras like Double Tap. (You can tap two fingers on your watch hand to accept or reject calls, reply to messages, start or end timers, and more. It's super handy.)
CMF Watch Pro 2 Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
CMF Watch Pro 2 for $69: CMF is a sub-brand by Nothing, and its Watch Pro 2 is shockingly good value. It looks attractive (very minimalist!), and you can swap out the strap or even the bezel shape if you'd like. This is one of the rare sub-$100 smartwatches I like wearing that feels great on the wrist. So many of them look so bland and lack personality. It runs a proprietary operating system but works with both iPhones and Android devices via Bluetooth. I've been able to view notifications from my phone (you can only respond to some with canned responses), and the heart rate and sleep tracking have been accurate for a budget device, even if it takes a little longer to process and show you the results. My step count, however, was off compared to higher-end smartwatches. You can track exercises with it, and it even has GPS to provide mapping data, though the details are pretty basic and there's no additional context to the numbers. You can control music playback, change watch faces (they're all very pretty on the AMOLED display), and check the weather. The app is slick, though I have noticed the watch tends to get disconnected, so some notifications don't come through all the time. Sometimes, the screen on the watch gets stuck on one screen and I have to press the crown to go back to the home screen. These are fairly minor quibbles, especially considering the excellent 10-day battery life I was able to hit. I went to Paris for a few days and came back, and I didn't even bring the charger. It's rare to find this kind of value for $69.
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