The very best smartwatches for 2025

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

Likelihood is, should you’re studying this, you already know the entire advantages of a smartwatch. You’re prepared to take a position, or improve from an ageing accent, however we wouldn’t blame you should you should you didn’t know the place to begin. There are dozens of smartwatches out there now, together with GPS running watches, fitness trackers that appear like smartwatches and multi-purpose gadgets. Plus, you’ll need to contemplate 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 out there as we speak 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 | Water-proof: 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 acquired it proper with the Pixel Watch 3. It’s essentially the most absolutely realized Pixel Watch but, and one which any Android fan would get a number 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 fee. It may additionally drop down to simply 1 nit of brightness if you’re sporting it to sleep, which not solely makes for a greater expertise general, but in addition contributes to its longer battery life. You’ll rise up to 24 hours out of the Pixel Watch 3, which is a giant enchancment over the earlier era and extra according to competing gadgets from Apple and Samsung.

The Pixel Watch 3 can be an excellent 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 coated in the case of every day exercises, steps, sleep and extra. The one draw back to that is that should you’re desirous about extra in-depth teaching, these options are hidden behind the Fitbit Premium paywall.

Whereas Put on OS 5 might use a bit extra polish, the mixing with the Google Assistant on the Pixel Watch 3 is useful so you should use voice instructions to examine on issues like climate forecasts, calendar alerts, map instructions and extra. We additionally admire the addition of sooner charging on the Pixel Watch 3, so you possibly can go from 0 to 100 in a bit much less time than earlier than. That’ll come in useful should you’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 decide for Android customers in search of their subsequent wearable.

$350 at Amazon

Photograph by Valentina Palladino / Engadget

Tracks: Sleep, exercise, energy, stress, dozens of exercises | Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, ANT+ | GPS: Sure, inbuilt | Water-proof: 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 understood for its prowess on the earth of health watches and the Garmin Forerunner 165 is the watch I examined that I wished to put on essentially 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 may swimsuit every kind of athletes, from newbie to skilled. The Forerunner 165 stands out with its light-weight design, vibrant AMOLED touchscreen, easy button controls, correct built-in GPS and its skill to trace exercise stats simply in addition to all-day exercise knowledge.

Beginning a run with the Forerunner 165 is as straightforward 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 possibly can select the train you need to monitor. Run is the primary choice, however you could have greater than 25 profiles to select from together with monitor run, treadmill, stroll, power, swim and extra. When working exterior, the GPS took a mean 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 significantly from the continual enchancment of the Garmin Join cell app. The beforehand clunky, complicated app has been effectively refined so as to customise its homepage the exercise and exercise stats you care about essentially the most, together with issues like Physique Battery, Sleep Rating, menstrual cycle info and extra. It’s straightforward 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 ought to be sufficient for many runners and athletes competing in long-haul races. It’s also possible to get the 165 with music storage inbuilt or not, with the previous permitting you to retailer music domestically on the watch so you possibly can hear 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 worth spectrum for GPS working watches; you may simply spend $500 or extra should you’re uncertain about what you want and what’s simply further fluff. Whereas Garmin does have a number of cheaper gadgets, the Forerunner 165 strikes the best stability of characteristic set and worth that may enchantment to seasoned runners and those that 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 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 fee monitoring. They continue to be good choices should you choose that look, however fortunately, wearables made by Apple, Samsung, Fitbit and others have gotten rather more engaging over the previous few years.

In the end, the one factor you possibly can’t change after you purchase a smartwatch is its case design. Should you’re not into the Apple Watch’s squared-off corners, all of Samsung’s smartwatches have spherical circumstances that look a bit extra like a conventional watch. Most wearables are provided in a alternative of colours and you’ll pay further for premium supplies like chrome steel for further sturdiness. When you determine on a case, your band choices are countless – 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 vary up your look everytime you please.

Elements 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 appropriate with Android and iOS, however you’ll want to put in a companion app in your smartphone.

The smartwatch OS may also 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 very best smartwatches typically price between $300 and $400. In comparison with price range smartwatches, which price between $100 and $250, these pricier gadgets have superior working programs, communications, music and health options. In addition they usually embrace perks like onboard GPS monitoring, music storage and NFC, AMOLED shows, and lengthy battery life, issues that price range 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 every of 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 help prolonged battery modes that promise as much as 5 days of battery life on a cost — should you’re keen to close off most options apart from, 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 price testing the watch’s specs beforehand to see what the producer estimates.

Communication

Any smartwatch price 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, contemplate a watch with LTE. They’re costlier than their WiFi-only counterparts, however mobile connectivity permits the smartwatch to take and obtain cellphone 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 should you completely have to examine your cellphone proper now.

Health monitoring

Exercise monitoring is a giant purpose 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 as we speak’s wearables have a coronary heart fee monitor as effectively.

Many smartwatches’ health options embrace a built-in GPS, which is beneficial for monitoring distance for runs and bike rides. Swimmers will need one thing water-resistant, and fortunately most all-purpose gadgets now can stand up to not less than 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 doubtless it’s that it has these sorts of superior well being monitoring options; if accumulating these sorts of wellness metrics is essential to you, you’ll need to pay for the privilege.

Music

Your watch cannot solely monitor your morning runs but in addition play music when you’re exercising. Many smartwatches allow you to save your music domestically, so you possibly can join wi-fi earbuds by way of Bluetooth and hearken to tunes with out bringing your cellphone. People who don’t have onboard storage for music often have on-watch music controls, so you possibly can management playback with out whipping out your cellphone. And in case your watch has LTE, native saving isn’t required — you’ll be capable to stream music immediately 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 sooner 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 gained’t see important 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 as we speak. Some smartwatches have this characteristic on by default whereas others allow you to allow it by way of tweaked settings. This sensible characteristic lets you look down at your watch to examine the time, well being stats or some other info you’ve set it to indicate on its watchface with out lifting your wrist. It will 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 working at its peak unnecessarily. Cheaper gadgets gained’t have this characteristic; as an alternative, their touchscreens will robotically flip off to preserve battery life and also you’ll need to 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 info, you possibly can maintain your smartwatch as much as an NFC reader to pay for a cup of espresso in your method house from a run. Remember that totally different watches use totally different cost programs: 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 programs, with help for multiple banks and credit cards in 72 totally different international locations, whereas Samsung and Google Pay work in fewer areas. It’s additionally essential to notice that each NFC cost help varies by gadget as effectively for each Samsung and Google’s programs.

Different smartwatches our specialists examined

Apple Watch Extremely 2

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 might be overkill for most individuals, nevertheless it has a ton of additional options like further waterproofing to trace diving, an much more correct GPS and the largest battery of any Apple Watch up to now. Apple designed it for essentially the most rugged amongst us, however to your common individual, it doubtless has extra options than they’d ever want. Should you’re significantly clumsy, nevertheless, its excessive stage of sturdiness could possibly be an excellent purpose 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 the perfect smartwatch choice 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 need to 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 might be nice choices for essentially the most lively 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 reduce. As a health tracker, it’s first rate, nevertheless it’s a irritating smartwatch. For exercises, the built-in GPS tracks runs and rides with out your cellphone and, mixed with the center fee and blood oxygen sensors, collects quantity of information 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 vibrant and sharp. It’s not an always-on show, however lifting your wrist wakes it reliably.

The sleep monitoring knowledge 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 prior to this’s exertion to estimate how bodily ready you might be for the day forward — much like what Pixel Watches, Fitbit gadgets and Garmin watches supply. And because the watch battery lasts for over per week on a cost, you could 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 critical 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 per week of testing, I acquired a number of repeated notifications, even after they had been deleted, together with ideas to face after I was actively doing chores round the home. The watch faces usually are not customizable, so it was arduous to get the information I wanted at a look (the Zepp app has plenty of paid watch faces which will have what I wished, however I didn’t need 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 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 capable of see the way it compares to the information my Apple Watch gathers. After per week of sporting the Bip 6, with no adjustments to my every day routine, I averaged 400 fewer energy burned and a pair of.4 fewer miles tracked every day. That was probably the largest 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 centered on well being and exercise monitoring. It retains tabs in your steps, coronary heart fee, 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 in addition helps you to do issues like reply to texts, take calls, use apps and management sensible house gadgets. Many smartwatches help voice assistants, cell funds and even LTE connectivity, so you possibly can go away your cellphone behind in some circumstances.

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

How lengthy do smartwatches final?

How lengthy a smartwatch lasts principally is determined by two issues: battery life and general sturdiness.

Smartwatch battery life varies rather a lot relying on the model, options and the way you employ it. Fundamental 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 on daily basis or two. Should you’re utilizing options like always-on show, GPS monitoring or LTE connectivity, count on the battery to empty sooner.

Bodily, smartwatch ought to final a number of years earlier than you want to improve. Premium fashions with scratch-resistant glass, water resistance and powerful 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 not less than a number of years, whereas some price range smartwatches might not get long-term software program help.

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

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

How a lot you need to spend on a smartwatch is determined by what options you want and the way usually you intend to make use of it.

Should you simply need the fundamentals — step monitoring, notifications, coronary heart fee monitoring and primary 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 might lack premium options like LTE, superior well being monitoring or third-party apps.

Within the mid-range smartwatch worth bracket, you’ll discover well-liked fashions just like the Apple Watch SE and Fitbit Versa collection. These supply mixture of health monitoring, sensible 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 collection supply superior well being monitoring, rugged designs, LTE connectivity and longer software program help. These are nice for critical athletes, out of doors adventurers, or anybody who desires the most recent and best options.

Should you simply desire a easy smartwatch for notifications and health monitoring, a price range or mid-range mannequin will do the job. However if you need a premium really feel, superior well being monitoring or LTE connectivity, it’s price spending a bit extra. For most individuals, $200 – $350 hits the perfect stability of options and worth.

Do all smartwatches have GPS?

Not all smartwatches have built-in GPS. Some depend on your cellphone’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’ll monitor your runs, walks, bike rides and hikes while not having to be linked to your cellphone. It’s a must have for critical athletes or anybody who desires correct location monitoring with out carrying a cellphone.

Some price range and mid-range smartwatches (like some Fitbit and Amazfit fashions) don’t have built-in GPS however can use your cellphone’s GPS when linked by way of Bluetooth. This works superb should you often carry your cellphone whereas figuring out, nevertheless it’s much less handy should you choose to depart it behind.

Some very primary or price range smartwatches skip GPS fully and rely solely on step monitoring or movement sensors. These are superb for informal customers who don’t want location monitoring.

Can you permit your cellphone at house and nonetheless use a smartwatch?

Sure, nevertheless it is determined by the smartwatch and what you need to do with out your cellphone.

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 cellphone close by. Nonetheless, you’ll want a separate knowledge 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 monitor 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), might contactless funds with options like Apple Pay and Google Pockets and management sensible house gadgets.

If going phone-free is essential to you, search for a smartwatch with LTE and built-in GPS for the perfect expertise.

Can a smartwatch make calls with out a cellphone?

Sure, a smartwatch could make calls with out a cellphone — however provided that it has the best options.

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

In case your smartwatch doesn’t have LTE, it may well nonetheless make calls, however solely when linked to your cellphone by way of Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. It basically acts as a distant speaker and microphone to your cellphone’s calls. Watches like the usual Apple Watch or Samsung Galaxy Watch (Wi-Fi variations) can do that. Nonetheless, in case your cellphone 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 out a cellphone 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 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 cellphone, you possibly can’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 help iPhones with restricted options. If in case you have an iPhone, the Apple Watch is your best option. If in case you have an Android cellphone, go for a Put on OS or Samsung Galaxy Watch.

Apple Watch (watchOS) has the perfect app help with seamless integration into Apple’s ecosystem (iMessage, FaceTime, Apple Pay, Apple Health+, Siri and so forth.). 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 totally different sizes and supplies. It’s smooth, however your solely actual customization comes from bands and watch faces. Android smartwatches, then again, are available tons of kinds and types (Samsung, Google Pixel Watch, Garmin, Fossil and so forth.), that means you possibly can decide a spherical watch, a rugged design or a luxury-looking mannequin.

If battery life is essential 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.