The best smartwatches for 2025

Smartwatches do extra than simply observe your steps and ship telephone alerts to your wrist. One of the best smartwatches go even additional, supplying you with the power to pay for a cup of espresso, take calls and connect with apps like Spotify all with out whipping out your smartphone.

Likelihood is, when you’re studying this, you already know all the advantages of a smartwatch. You’re prepared to speculate, or improve from an growing old accent, however we wouldn’t blame you when you when you didn’t know the place to start out. There are dozens of smartwatches out there now, together with GPS operating watches, health trackers that appear like smartwatches and multi-purpose gadgets. Plus, you’ll wish to think about elements 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 out there at present and these are our high picks.

Desk of contents

Greatest smartwatches of 2025

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 customarily 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 choose up a “hybrid” smartwatch from corporations like Withings and Garmin – these gadgets appear like basic wrist watches however incorporate some restricted performance like exercise monitoring and coronary heart price monitoring. They continue to be good choices when you desire that look, however fortunately, wearables made by Apple, Samsung, Fitbit and others have gotten way more enticing over the previous few years.

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

Components to think about 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 will 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

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

Some corporations make specialised health watches: These can simply run north of $500, and we’d solely advocate them to severe athletes. Luxurious smartwatches from manufacturers like TAG Heuer and Hublot may also 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 title and a few needlessly unique number 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 count on two full days from Apple Watches and most Put on OS gadgets. Watches utilizing the Snapdragon Put on 3100 processor assist prolonged battery modes that promise as much as 5 days of battery life on a cost — when you’re keen to close off most options other than, you realize, 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 trying out 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 rather a lot to you, think about 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 right down to the watch face and see when you completely must examine your telephone proper now.

Health monitoring

Exercise monitoring is a giant motive why folks flip to smartwatches. An all-purpose timepiece ought to operate as a health tracker, logging your steps, energy and exercises, and most of at present’s wearables have a coronary heart price 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 face up to at the very least a dunk within the pool. Some smartwatches from corporations like Garmin are extra health targeted 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 doubtless it’s that it has these sorts of superior well being monitoring options; if accumulating these sorts of wellness metrics is vital to you, you’ll must pay for the privilege.

Music

Your watch can’t solely observe your morning runs but additionally play music whilst you’re exercising. Many smartwatches allow you to save your music domestically, so you’ll be able to join wi-fi earbuds through Bluetooth and take heed to tunes with out bringing your telephone. Those who don’t have onboard storage for music often have on-watch music controls, so you’ll be able to 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 straight from the watch to your paired earbuds.

Shows

Most wearables have touchscreens and we advocate 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 sooner response instances and are extra energy environment friendly, leading to a smoother expertise when one interacts with the touchscreen and, in some instances, longer battery lives.

You gained’t see important features 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 present. Some smartwatches have this function on by default whereas others allow you to allow it through tweaked settings. This good function lets you look down at your watch to examine the time, well being stats or another data you’ve set it to indicate on its watchface with out lifting your wrist. This may little doubt have an effect on your gadget’s battery life, however fortunately most always-on modes dim the show’s brightness so it’s not operating at its peak unnecessarily. Cheaper gadgets gained’t have this function; as a substitute, their touchscreens will routinely flip off to preserve battery life and also you’ll must deliberately examine 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’ll be able to maintain your smartwatch as much as an NFC reader to pay for a cup of espresso in your method dwelling from a run. Remember the fact that totally different watches use totally different cost techniques: Apple Watches use Apple Pay, Put on OS gadgets use Google Pay, Samsung gadgets use Samsung Pay and so forth.

Apple Pay is likely one of the hottest NFC cost techniques, with assist for a number of banks and bank cards in 72 totally different international locations, whereas Samsung and Google Pay work in fewer areas. It’s additionally vital to notice that each NFC cost assist varies by gadget as effectively for each Samsung and Google’s techniques.

Different smartwatches our consultants examined

Apple Watch Extremely 2

The Apple Watch Extremely 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 up to now. Apple designed it for essentially the most rugged amongst us, however in your common individual, it doubtless has extra options than they’d ever want. When you’re notably clumsy, nonetheless, its excessive stage of sturdiness could possibly be an excellent motive to think about the Apple Watch Extremely 2.

Apple Watch SE

The Apple Watch SE is much less feature-rich than the flagship mannequin, however it’s going to most likely suffice for most individuals. We really regard the Watch SE as one of the best smartwatch possibility for first-time patrons, or folks 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 typically might be nice choices for essentially the most lively amongst us. The Garmin Forerunner 745 is a superb GPS operating look ahead to severe athletes or those that prize battery life above all else. After 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 assist 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 respectable, 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 price and blood oxygen sensors, collects an excellent quantity of knowledge to create correct footage of your exertion ranges, cadence and tempo. It’s remarkably light-weight however doesn’t really feel low cost and the AMOLED display is vivid 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 every 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 — just like what Pixel Watches, Fitbit gadgets and Garmin watches provide. And because the watch battery lasts for over every week on a cost, chances are you’ll be much more apt to put on it to mattress than a watch it’s important to cost every day.

We weren’t anticipating an $80 gadget to be a severe Apple Watch challenger, however the Bip 6’s glitches and overly sophisticated interface (each on the app and on the watch itself) had been disappointing. Throughout every week of testing, I obtained a number of repeated notifications, even after they had been deleted, together with ideas to face once I was actively doing chores round the home. The watch faces aren’t customizable, so it was arduous to get the information I wanted at a look (the Zepp app has numerous paid watch faces that will have what I needed, however I didn’t wish to pay $3 for one thing that’s free elsewhere).

Advertising particulars state that the Bip 6 can auto-detect exercises, together with strolling and bike using. Throughout testing, I walked a couple of 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 capable of see the way it compares to the info my Apple Watch gathers. After every week of sporting the Bip 6, with no modifications to my every day routine, I averaged 400 fewer energy burned and a couple of.4 fewer miles tracked every day. That was probably 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 totally different functions.

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

A smartwatch, however, is sort of a mini smartphone in your wrist. It affords health monitoring options, but additionally allows you to do issues like reply to texts, take calls, use apps and management good dwelling gadgets. Many smartwatches assist voice assistants, cell funds and even LTE connectivity, so you’ll be able to depart your telephone behind in some instances.

When you primarily need well being and exercise monitoring with lengthy battery life, a health tracker is the best way to go. If you would like a extra linked expertise with additional options, a smartwatch is the higher alternative.

How lengthy do smartwatches final?

How lengthy a smartwatch lasts principally will depend on two issues: battery life and total sturdiness.

Smartwatch battery life varies rather a lot relying on the model, options and the way you utilize it. Primary fashions with e-ink shows or monochrome screens can final every week or extra, whereas full-featured smartwatches just like the Apple Watch or Samsung Galaxy Watch often want a cost on daily basis or two. When you’re utilizing options like always-on show, GPS monitoring or LTE connectivity, count on the battery to empty sooner.

Bodily, an excellent smartwatch ought to final a number of years earlier than it is advisable improve. Premium fashions with scratch-resistant glass, water resistance and powerful construct supplies have a tendency to carry up effectively over time. Nevertheless, software program assist issues too — manufacturers like Apple and Samsung usually present updates for at the very least a number of years, whereas some funds smartwatches might not get long-term software program assist.

You’ll be able to count on to cost most smartwatches every day or each few days, and when you care for them, they need to final 3-5 years earlier than an improve is critical.

How a lot must you spend on a smartwatch?

How a lot you must spend on a smartwatch will depend on what options you want and the way usually you propose to make use of it.

When you simply need the fundamentals — step monitoring, notifications, coronary heart price monitoring and fundamental health monitoring — you’ll find some stable budget-friendly choices from manufacturers like Amazfit, Fitbit and a few Put on OS fashions. These often have respectable battery life however might lack premium options like LTE, superior well being monitoring or third-party apps.

Within the mid-range smartwatch worth bracket, you’ll discover widespread fashions just like the Apple Watch SE and Fitbit Versa sequence. These provide an excellent mixture of health monitoring, good options and design high quality. You’ll get higher construct supplies, extra correct sensors and app assist, 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 provide superior well being monitoring, rugged designs, LTE connectivity and longer software program assist. These are nice for severe athletes, outside adventurers, or anybody who desires the most recent and biggest options.

When you simply need a easy smartwatch for notifications and health monitoring, a funds or mid-range mannequin will do the job. However in order for you 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 stability 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 impartial 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’ll observe your runs, walks, bike rides and hikes without having to be linked to your telephone. It’s a must have for severe 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 through Bluetooth. This works nice when you often carry your telephone whereas figuring out, however it’s much less handy when you 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 nice for informal customers who don’t want location monitoring.

Can you allow your telephone at dwelling and nonetheless use a smartwatch?

Sure, however it will depend on the smartwatch and what you wish to do with out your telephone.

In case your smartwatch has LTE or mobile connectivity , you can also make calls, ship texts, stream music, use maps and even entry apps with out your telephone close by. Nevertheless, 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 a lot 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 assist downloads from Spotify or Apple Music), might contactless funds with options like Apple Pay and Google Pockets and management good dwelling gadgets.

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

Can a smartwatch make calls with no telephone?

Sure, a smartwatch could make calls with no telephone — however provided that it has the appropriate options.

Some smartwatches have built-in LTE connectivity, that means they’ll work independently out of your telephone. You can also make and obtain calls, ship texts, stream music and use apps so long as you may have a cell information plan for the watch. Nevertheless, you’ll must pay for a separate mobile plan and battery life drains sooner when utilizing LTE.

In case your smartwatch doesn’t have LTE, it may possibly nonetheless make calls, however solely when linked to your telephone through 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. Nevertheless, in case your telephone isn’t close by or linked to Wi-Fi, calling gained’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 with no telephone is a should, be certain that 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 right down to compatibility, options and ecosystem integration.

Apple smartwatches (Apple Watch) solely work with iPhones. In case you have an Android telephone, you’ll be able to’t use an Apple Watch in any respect. Android smartwatches (Put on OS, Samsung Galaxy, Garmin and so forth.) principally work with Android telephones, however some additionally assist iPhones with restricted options. In case you have an iPhone, the Apple Watch is your best option. 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 assist with seamless integration into Apple’s ecosystem (iMessage, FaceTime, Apple Pay, Apple Health+, Siri and so forth.). Android smartwatches provide extra selection, with entry to Google providers (Google Assistant, Google Pockets and Google Maps), and a few assist Amazon Alexa or Samsung’s Bixby.

When it comes to design, Apple Watch has a single design however is available in totally different sizes and supplies. It’s smooth, however your solely actual customization comes from bands and watch faces. Android smartwatches, however, are available in tons of kinds and types (Samsung, Google Pixel Watch, Garmin, Fossil and so forth.), that means you’ll be able to decide a spherical watch, a rugged design or a luxury-looking mannequin.

If battery life is vital to you, the Apple Watch lasts a couple of 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.