Android Authority's Paul Jones argues that despite the $350 Moto Watch Ultra's strong feature set—LTE eSIM, Wear OS 6, a 1.5-inch pOLED screen and Polar health tracking—its weaker processor and limited two-generation OS upgrade path make it a risky buy. Instead, he recommends five alternatives including the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra (2025), Google Pixel Watch 4, Samsung Galaxy Watch 9, Garmin Venu 4 and Amazfit Balance 2. The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2025, now around $330 on Amazon, is highlighted as the top pick for Samsung phone owners thanks to its rugged sapphire-glass build, 64GB storage, multi-day battery and four years of promised software updates.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-19
Retailers are discounting the Pixel Watch 5 LTE model by roughly 20%, or about $100 off, just weeks after its launch. The smartwatch includes heart-rate tracking, over 50 workout modes, cellular connectivity, and fast charging.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-16
Google is rolling out its Smart Wake alarm function, first introduced on the Pixel Watch 5, to earlier generations of its smartwatch lineup. The feature uses sleep-tracking data to adjust when an alarm sounds, aiming to wake users during lighter sleep phases rather than at a fixed time.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-16
Apple published a detailed study comparing the heart rate sensing of its new Health Sensing System in Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 against rivals like Garmin, Google Pixel Watch, Huawei, Samsung, WHOOP, and Oura Ring. The test involved over 1,400 participants across five sites in the US and Malaysia, using a Polar H10 chest strap as the accuracy benchmark during activities like running, cycling, HIIT, and daily tasks.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-09-11
Google's My Pixel app, previously called Pixel Tips, has been sending push notifications to owners of older Pixel phones promoting the new Pixel 11 series and Pixel Watch 5, often without users opting in. Android Authority polled over 9,600 readers on whether smartphone advertising has gone too far, and 93.9% said yes.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-02
WIRED's latest sleep tracker roundup highlights the Google Pixel Watch 4 as a budget-friendly option when discounted, the screenless Whoop MG for detailed sleep coaching, the Apple Watch Series 11 for those already in Apple's ecosystem, and Garmin's pricier Epix Pro for advanced biometric sleep data. Each device varies in accuracy and price, with testers noting some trackers overestimate actual sleep duration.
wired.com
· 2026-09-01
Smartwatches from Apple, Google and Samsung all include a basic flashlight feature that simply maxes out the display's brightness and turns it white. Despite mockery of the feature compared to a phone's dedicated camera flash, it proves genuinely useful for quick tasks like finding a dropped pill, precisely because the watch is already on your wrist rather than buried in a pocket or bag.
engadget.com
· 2026-08-31
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