Selecting the best smartwatch in 2026 is about more than what phone you have. Sure, if you want a watch that seamlessly pairs with your iPhone and allows you to use third-party apps, you’ll probably be looking for an Apple Watch. Likewise, if you have a Samsung phone, a Galaxy Watch will be your first port of call.
That means if you prioritize a seamless experience with your phone, pick a watchOS or Wear OS smartwatch. However, if you’re a real fitness enthusiast, you might also want to consider the extensive ranges of best running watches and best Garmin watches, which tend to eschew some communications features and third-party apps in favor of battery life and more dedicated fitness features.
Matt Evans
Matt is TechRadar’s Senior Fitness and Wearables Editor, which means he’s an expert on workouts, smartwatches, and all things fitness tech. Matt tests smartwatches comprehensively, against competitor devices and industry-standard heart rate monitors, among other testing methodologies. Matt’s spent years covering the health and fitness beat: a former staffer at Men’s Health magazine, he’s also written for publications like Runner’s World, Women’s Health, Men’s Fitness, LiveScience and Fit&Well.
|
Component |
Apple Watch Ultra 3 |
Apple Watch SE 3 (40mm) |
Samsung Galaxy Watch8 (41mm) |
Google Pixel Watch 4 (41mm) |
OnePlus Watch 3 |
Amazfit Active 2 |
|
Price |
$799 / £749 / AU$1,399 |
$249 / £259 / AU$399 |
From $349.99 / £319 / AU$649 |
$399 / £349 / AU$579 |
$329.99 / £319.99 / AU$TBC |
$99/£99/AU(tbc) |
|
Dimensions |
49 x 41 x 14 (mm) |
40 x 34 x 10.7 (mm) |
42.7 x 40.4 x 8.6mm |
41 x 41 x 12.3 (mm) |
46.6mm x 47.6mm x 11mm |
43.9 x 43.9x 9.9mm (W x H x D) |
|
Weight |
61g |
27.8 grams (cellular) |
30g |
31g |
81g (including strap) |
Premium version: 31.65g Standard version: 29.5g |
|
Case/bezel |
Titanium |
Aluminum / nylon |
Armor Aluminum |
Recycled aluminum |
Titanium / Stainless steel |
Stainless steel bezel Polymer middle frame |
|
Display |
Always-on OLED Retina Display |
Retina OLED display |
1.3-in Super AMOLED |
Always-on AMOLED |
AMOLED |
AMOLED |
|
GPS |
Yes (unspecified) |
Yes (unspecified) |
GPS, Glonass, Beidou, Galileo |
Yes, 5 networks |
Yes, 5 networks |
Yes |
|
Battery life |
42 hours |
18 hours |
30 hours |
36 hours |
120 hours |
Up to 10 days |
|
Connection |
Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi, LTE |
Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi, LTE |
Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi |
Bluetooth, WiFi, 4G LTE |
Bluetooth 5.2 |
Bluetooth 5.3 |
|
Water resistant |
Yes, 100 meters |
Yes, 50 meters |
Yes, 50 meters |
Yes, 50 meters |
Yes, 50 meters |
Yes, waterproof for up to 30 minutes |
Table of Contents
The best watch overall
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The Apple Watch Ultra 3 inherits its crown from the Apple Watch Ultra 2 as the ultimate smartwatch. First up, the biggest changes are the satellite connectivity and 5G, the boosted battery life at 42 hours, and the new Wrist Flick gesture joining the Double Tap.
Its sumptuous LTPO3 OLED display commands up to 3,000 nits of brightness, now with smaller bezels for a larger surface area. It’s bigger and bulkier than the standard Apple Watch and has the S10 processor, enabling those gestures in addition to the new Find My features with Dual Ultra Wideband. The titanium body is now 3D-printed, in a process which is allegedly better for the environment.
It could still offer better battery life (despite surpassing the regular Apple Watch Series 11’s 24 hours) but the powerful and accurate GPS is great for exploring, especially with watchOS 26’s new Waypoint face.
During testing, we easily found this to be the most capable wearable that the brand has ever made. Unfortunately, it is limited for some by its reliance on the iPhone and its high price, but it is the best smartwatch from a technical standpoint. As you can see in the specs table, it’s got the biggest, brightest screen, it can dive the deepest underwater, and its case is comprised of ultra-hard titanium.
Read our full Apple Watch Ultra 3 review
The best cheap Apple Watch
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The Apple Watch SE 3 is the best Apple Watch for most people, as it’s a lot more affordable than the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3. It has most of the core features for those models, and even the same chipset, in the body of a slightly older Apple Watch model.
Unlike the SE 2, it does have always-on display, but it’s missing the ECG and blood oxygen tracking capabilities (although the Apple Watch Series 9 and 10 are now being sold without blood oxygen tracking). WatchOS 26 means this watch is full of neat tricks, like an AI-powered Workout Buddy when paired with an Apple Intelligence-capable iPhone, and the Liquid Glass design language looks great.
It also has impressive fast charging, which its predecessor didn’t have, and is very light and comfortable to wear. So it strikes a superb balance between price and performance and is a great, relatively affordable pick. As long as you’re an iPhone user.
Read our full Apple Watch SE 3 review
The best Samsung watch
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The Samsung Galaxy Watch8 isn’t Samsung’s biggest and best watch from a technical standpoint (that goes to the Galaxy Watch Ultra) but it benefits from being a better-looking, logical evolution of the Ultra design while using some of its best features.
That conspicuous titanium cushion has been slimmed down, and its battery isn’t as long-lasting, but it has all the Ultra’s powerful outdoor-focused features. Its super AMOLED display is sharp, clear, and able to handle very bright outdoor scenes. Performance-wise, it’s fast although you’ll reap the most benefits when paired with a Samsung smartphone. There’s no iPhone support here either.
Besides SmartThings integration, the highlights here are the updated chipset, the Exynos W1000, its durability, accurate GPS features, run coaching, and Samsung’s cool ability to monitor your body’s muscle and fat composition, now with added antioxidant measurements.
Extensive sleep tracking and automatic workout detection helps you get the most from yourself every day, and best of all, it’s comfortable to wear at all hours, even during the night.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy Watch8 review
The best Google watch
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The Google Pixel Watch 4 is the best overall Wear OS watch, and well worth your time if you’re a Pixel phone user. It’s a great watch with substantial improvements made over the Pixel Watch 3, like the new domed display and repairability. The battery and screen can be replaced at home, in a first for watertight smartwatches – a great way to reduce e-waste.
The Pixel Watch 4 retains the sleek, modern, circular form factor that made the first three great, and comes with an added 45mm size option, but for the first time, it comes with a domed display, providing more surface area and a unique shape to that teardrop aesthetic. There are some fantastic optimizations built into Wear OS for the larger display, too, with the new Material 3 Expressive design language of Wear OS 6.
The charger even makes the watch into a little clock, positioning the crown where the snooze button would be. It’s the perfect companion to the Pixel smartphone, and will even work well with other non-Samsung Android devices.
Read our full Google Pixel Watch 4 review
The best Android smartwatch
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New for 2025, the OnePlus Watch 3 is an absolutely fantastic new Wear OS smartwatch. It builds on the very successful formula of our previous pick, the OnePlus Watch 2, with its bold, chunky design, impressive AMOLED display, and leading battery life.
In our testing we found the OnePlus Watch 3 is definitely good for its 120 hour battery life claims, and loved its impressive suite of health and communications features.
The classic, round look stands out from other Wear OS options, but you’ll still get Google’s entire suite of apps and everything else you’d expect from a Wear OS smartwatch. It’s cheaper than the Pixel Watch 3 (at least at list price), and comes with a rotating crown and a screen we described as “sumptuous.”
There’s good news too, a smaller version and LTE support is on the way later this year.
Read our full OnePlus Watch 3 review
Take a look at our OnePlus discount codes for the best OnePlus offers and savings.
The best cheap smartwatch
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The Amazfit Active 2 is an unbelievable smartwatch considering its $99 price tag.
We loved its classic, stainless steel design that stands out against other wearables on the market and really punches above the weight of its price point. Our reviewer loved that it’s light and comfortable to wear, and the screen quality is excellent with solid brightness.
It comes with an impressive feature set of 164 sport modes, AI coaching, and extensive health tracking including daily Readiness Score and all the usual health metrics you’d expect to find in a smartwatch.
There are a couple of quirks in the strength training feature, but the battery life is exceptional and we found it easily offers its rated 5 days of normal use, if not more.
We also like the AI assistant, and the fitness and health tracking can easily keep up with our top smartwatch, the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Plus, it works with both iOS and Android. You can score NFC and a more premium display for an extra $30 too.
Read our full Amazfit Active 2 review
Also tested
Here are some of the other smartwatches we’ve reviewed that don’t make the cut:
More smartwatches coming in 2025
Most of 2025’s big releases have now happened, but we’ve still got the Google Pixel Watch 4 to arrive in October, at which point it’ll be subject to a full review.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best smartwatch for Android?
We have a separate guide to the best Android smartwatches, but in general the answer will depend on which phone you use. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 is our top choice for Android users overall, but it really comes into its own if you pair it with a Samsung Galaxy phone.
Likewise, the Google Pixel Watch 3 is the best choice for Pixel users, although we’ll be reviewing the Pixel Watch 4 soon, and that model will probably take its place in the rankings.
Elsewhere, the OnePlus Watch 3 is also highly rated (by TechRadar and in general).
What is the best smartwatch for iPhone?
Though you can use third-party smartwatches with an iPhone, most users will prefer to pair their mobile with an Apple Watch.
Our top pick for iPhone users is the Apple Watch Ultra 3. The Apple Watch Series 11 comes highly recommended if you don’t need the Ultra’s rugged features, while the SE 3 is the best option for those on a tighter budget. You can also check out our standalone best Apple Watch guide for a more in-depth look at the different models.
What’s the best health-monitoring smartwatch?
For general use, the Apple Watch Series 11, SE 3 and Ultra 3 are the standouts for health, thanks to features such as atrial fibrillation detection, sleep apnoea detection, and now blood-pressure monitoring, which is available on Series 9 onwards from September 15, 2025.
However, if you’re buying a smartwatch specifically for its health-monitoring features, and particularly if you use an Android phone rather than iOS, you will want to check the details for the models you’re considering, as they can vary widely in this regard.
What’s the best inexpensive smartwatch?
The Amazfit Active 2 is our top choice for the best inexpensive smartwatch, and it’s not even close.
The Active 2, released this year, is available for just $99 / £99 and works with both iPhone and Android.
With up to 10 days of battery life and a ton of features including a huge number of exercise-tracking options, blood oxygen, stress, temperature, and heart-rate monitoring and GPS. We loved it so much we gave it a full five stars in our Amazfit Active 2 review.
What’s the best smartwatch for seniors?
As with many things, deciding what the best smartwatch for seniors is will depend on the individual.
If you’re an active person, whatever your age, then you may well be looking for a smartwatch with lots of exercise-tracking features; most of the options in our list of the overall best smartwatch would work here, and your choice may come down more to what phone you use so you can pick between the likes of the Apple Watch Ultra 2/3 or Samsung Galaxy Watch 8.
If health-tracking is of more interest to you, then again the options in this list would be a good place to start. Apple Watches all have fall detection and atrial fibrillation alerts, for instance, as do all recent models of the Samsung Galaxy Watch.
What’s the best smartwatch for women?
We’ve got a more detailed entry on this topic below, but in short: for the most part there are no major differences between smartwatches for women and men.
That said, size may be a favtor here, so you may prefer to look for a model that’s designed for smaller wrists, such as Garmin’s Lily range.
Some smartwatches also provide features specific to women’s health, although in other cases these are options available within the platform you’re using and are not restricted to particular models; all Apple Watches from Series 8 on, for instance, including menstrual cycle tracking.
How do you charge a smartwatch?
Unlike smartphones, most smartwatches tend to use a proprietary charger, often a magnetic one. Though they are always included with the watch, this can be frustrating if you lose yours or it breaks.
Some chargers will work for multiple models – for instance many Garmins and most Apple Watches are capable of using the same charger, although some older chargers may not be as fast as newer ones. Some can also be charged wirelessly either using Wireless PowerShare from a phone or the Qi standard; check your specific model for details.
Which model you use, you should generally remove it from the charger once it’s full; though most devices will have built-in safety features to prevent overcharging, leaving your watch on charge for too long could still degrade the device’s lithium-ion battery over time.
How to set the time on a smartwatch
Unlike with a non-smart watch, setting the time on a smartwatch is simply a matter of syncing the device to your phone via Bluetooth, using the relevant app. The smartwatch will then take the time from the phone.
What’s the best military smartwatch?
Several of the best rugged smartwatches are also good choices for military use, and you can also buy plenty of non-smart watches from the likes of Casio that have many useful features for the military including top-notch weatherproofing, long battery life, night-vision backlighting and more.
Focusing solely on smart models, Garmin offers a range of ‘Tactical Edition’ watches with ‘stealth’ mode, ballistics information (like a compass/golf watch, that takes wind and weapon range into account) and a quick-wipe ‘kill switch’.
How does a smartwatch measure sleep?
Smartwatches are a great way to track the duration and quality of your sleep. Whatever the model, a smartwatch will use heart-rate variability information and motion detection to estimate sleep stages and quality – with varying degrees of accuracy.
Some smartwatches, such as the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 and the latest Apple Watch models (9/10/11 and Ultra 2/3) even have advanced features such as sleep apnea detection.
How do you set up a smartwatch?
How you set up your smartwatch will depend on which model you have, but all will follow a roughly similar process.
In almost all cases you’ll follow instructions to sync the smartwatch to your phone – either by scanning the watch with your phone’s camera if using an Apple Watch, or by downloading an app – and will then follow instructions from there.
Every smartwatch will have its own app, whether Garmin, Pixel, Apple, Polar, Amazfit or any others.
How to choose the best smartwatch for you
Unfortunately, your choice of smartwatch often depends on your choice of phone, as not all wearables are compatible with competitor devices. Apple Watch only works with Apple iPhones. Samsung and Google watches, and other Wear OS devices, only work with Android devices, but you can use a Samsung watch with a Google phone and vice versa.
Fitness tracking wearables from Fitbit will work with any device and synchronize with the Fitbit app, but those devices tend to focus more sharply on fitness features and don’t offer all of the robust apps and services you’ll find on other smartwatches.
Most wearables will get about a day of battery life, which will be disappointing if you’re converting from a Garmin watch that lasts weeks. You can find a few watches that last longer on this list.
Finally, smartwatches can be expensive, and frankly ,they don’t offer much value for what you pay. Before you spring for an Apple Watch Ultra, you might ask if you are really going Scuba diving this year, or if you’re just going to check your text messages without disturbing your dinner mates.
The best smartwatch for women vs men: Is there a difference?
There are no specific differences when it comes to smartwatches for women or men, but it’s largely down to personal preference. One of your main considerations will be making sure the size of the watch fits your wrist; many smartwatches nowadays are far too large for slender wrists, and you won’t want a device that disproportionate to your wrist size. To help you decide, take a look at the watch size options before buying, as many come in multiple sizes. When this is the case, we’ve listed the size options in our full reviews.
Some smartwatches do provide features specific to women’s health, such as menstrual cycle tracking based on heart health and skin temperature. This isn’t to say those watches can only be worn by women, nor that women have to use these features: most are opt-in, and easily disabled or simply not set up in the first place unless you choose to do so.
If you are going to use those features, it’s always advisable to read the privacy policy of the watch you’ve just bought to get a better understanding of where your health information is stored, and who has access to it.
Can you use Apple Watch with an Android phone?
The first thing to check is whether your phone is compatible with the smartwatch you want. You can’t use an Apple Watch with an Android phone, as all the functions of watchOS require iOS to interface with.
You can use a Fitbit or Google Pixel Watch with an iPhone, but without Android or Google accounts, your experience will be sorely diminished. Samsung and Huawei also require handset-watch synergy to operate at their best.
However, many devices like Garmin watches and the CMF Watch Pro by Nothing require nothing more than their own apps to work, meaning you can use them with either handset just fine.
Which is the best smartwatch?
The best smartwatch in 2025 is the Apple Watch Ultra 2, but it requires an iPhone to use. If you have an Android device, the best alternative is the Galaxy Watch Ultra.
How we test smartwatches
Every smartwatch on this list has been fully and extensively reviewed by the expert team at TechRadar, so we know exactly what makes them tick.
Our review process involves using the devices as if they were our own personal wearables, ensuring every smartwatch gets fully tested in the real world. A comprehensive sweep of features takes place, and usage is varied over a week to give us a clear idea of how battery life performs.
When testing in-house, we generally look at how accurate the GPS is on each smartwatch by testing it against an industry leader such as the Garmin Epix Pro. Likewise for workout metrics. We also rank how usable the watch’s operating system is, whether it supports third-party apps, and where it sits in the market. For example, a cheap watch with fewer features is more likely to get four stars than a feature-stuffed premium watch that isn’t worth the expensive price.
Using that knowledge we’ve then ranked them, factoring in their value, design, features, and performance to get an overall star verdict.
View the original article here.