In terms of appearance, affordability, and usefulness, the best Android smartwatches are diverse. To put it another way, there’s something here for everyone. You should consider the smartwatches below if you have a Samsung, Google, or OnePlus phone, or any of the best Android phones. Some of these Android smartwatches can only work with certain phones, but they’re all among the best available right now. However, not all of the best Android smartwatches are created equal.
What are the best Android smartwatches?
At Tom’s Guide, we’ve tried hundreds of Android-compatible smartwatches in a variety of forms, sizes, and prices, and our current favorite is the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4. It comes in a variety of styles, including a sporty-looking variant that starts at $249.99 and a more elevated “Classic” model that starts at $349.99. Wear OS 3 is the new, unified version of Wear OS. The Galaxy Watch 4 is the first smartwatch to have this new version. To enjoy all of the functions, you’ll need a Samsung smartphone.
What about smartwatches from Fossil?
This list does not include any Fossil smartwatches. We’re waiting to test the Fossil Gen 6, which is technically available now but will be better in 2022 when it receives the updated Wear OS. The price is $299.95. A close second is the Fitbit Sense, another superb premium wristwatch for Android.
Given that Fitbit is owned by Google, future Fitbit devices should run Wear OS as well, based on what both companies have announced. For the time being, the Senseis is based on Fitbit’s dependable platform, which includes popular applications and speech assistants. Of all the best smartwatches we’ve ever used, the Fitbit Sense delivers the most overall view of your health. Instead, you can purchase the Fitbit Versa 3 for roughly $100 less.
It was released at the same time as the Fitbit Sense, and it has the same 6-day battery life as the Fitbit Sense, as well as a comprehensive set of fitness monitoring functions. There are a few even more budget-friendly smartwatches for Android on our list of the best inexpensive smartwatches, so keep reading for all of our choices.
12 Best Android Smartwatches in 2022
Others are meant to make a bold fashion statement, while others are high-tech fitness trackers. Some of these best Android smartwatches also have LTE, which means you can talk without having to take your phone out of your pocket. See our recommendations for the best Samsung watches, best Fitbit watches, and best Garmin watches for brand-specific buying tips. Otherwise, scroll down to view all of the best Android smartwatches.
1. Samsung Galaxy Watch 4
Among the best android smartwatches, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is our top pick. We appreciate how Samsung dropped the “Active” moniker for its new range, instead emphasizing a sporty-looking Galaxy Watch 4 as the company’s flagship and a “Classic” version that retains luxury features like the actual rotating bezel. The Galaxy Watch 4 can read heart rate, record ECGs, and figure out body composition thanks to a three-in-one health sensor.
As good as the Wear OS features of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 are, it still pays homage to Tizen, which makes it the perfect watch for Samsung’s best phones. If you live in a country where ECG and blood pressure monitoring are available, you can only use Samsung phones to do these things. The one downside to the Galaxy Watch 4 is its variable battery life, but if you don’t mind charging it every day, you’ll get on-board GPS, an always-on display, superb sleep monitoring, and more.
2. Fitbit Sense
Based on our expertise and familiarity with Fitbit products, we believe the Fitbit Sense is the company’s most ambitious best android smartwatches ever. It has more advanced health and wellness features than even the most advanced Android smartwatches, and it doesn’t even run on Android. The Sense can monitor electrodermal activity and skin temperature in addition to having an FDA-approved ECG sensor and blood oxygen readout.
The Sense could respond to and make phone calls when linked to our Android phone, in addition to being a premium health tracking gadget. On-board GPS, a native app store, Alexa, Google Assistant, and other features you’ll find helpful on our wrist are also included. Fitbit, which is owned by Google, is more than simply a step-tracking device; Fitbit gadgets like the Fitbit Sense demonstrate what it means to adopt a holistic approach to our health.
The Garmin Venu 2 was already a fantastic fitness tracker. We think it’s one of the best Android smartwatches since it’s both a great fitness partner and a gorgeous lifestyle accessory. The Garmin Venu 2 Plus, which costs $449, has on-wrist calls and voice assistants. The Venu 2 Plus is now a better sell for people who want their smartwatch to work as an extension of their smartphone while maintaining Garmin’s reputation for complete fitness tracking and reliable GPS. Even though Garmin still doesn’t have a lot of third-party apps and doesn’t support LTE, it’s still a big step toward making the smartwatch experience perfect. The battery life of 9 days is the icing on top.
4. Fitbit Versa 3
For people who want to track their sleep in a more detailed way, the Fitbit Versa 3 is the best Android smartwatches. It’s the next generation of the popular Fitbit Versa 2. On-board GPS is the Versa 3’s most notable improvement. The Versa can track your whereabouts during outdoor exercise, even if you leave your phone at home. Also welcome is a curvier, bigger display. It also comes with Active Zone Minutes, which is a great way to keep yourself motivated when you’re training. Active Zone Minutes, which debuted with the Fitbit Charge 4 and are now a standard feature on all Fitbit devices, track how much time you spend exercising in the fat-burning, cardio, or peak heart-rate zones. Do 150 Active Zone Minutes a week, as recommended by the AHA and WHO, so that you can stay healthy. You may use your Fitbit Versa 3 to make phone calls and ask voice assistant questions once more, but keep in mind that you can only use one voice assistant at a time.
5. Garmin Forerunner 245
The Garmin Forerunner 245 is one of the best sports watches because it has reliable GPS, a long-lasting battery, and the ability to track a wide range of activities, like running and swimming. The Forerunner 245 can send (or reject) emergency notifications at the touch of a button when paired with your Android phone, giving you peace of mind wherever your next exercise takes you.
The Garmin Forerunner 245 is compact and light, so it won’t suffocate your wrist during runs or cause discomfort when you’re wearing it every day or sleeping. It also has the same fitness features as Garmin’s other high-end GPS watches, like Training Status to keep track of progress, Training Load to see how many sessions you did over a seven-day period, and Training Effect to see how well you did anaerobically and aerobically. Sleep, stress, blood oxygen saturation, and menstrual cycle tracking are also supported. If you want to listen to music, Garmin also makes a Forerunner 245 Music edition that has 500 songs stored on the device and can connect to Spotify and Deezer.
6. Samsung Galaxy Watch 3
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 is still for sale and is still one of the most fashionable smartwatches on the market, even though it has been replaced by the Galaxy Watch 4. It comes in two sizes and LTE versions, allowing you to leave your Android smartphone at home. The rotating bezel of the Galaxy Watch 3 makes it easy to navigate the watch’s interface, and having access to thousands of watch faces lets you change the look of the screen.
In spite of the fact that the Galaxy Watch 3 has only two-day battery life, it has more storage space for music as well as an FDA-approved ECG tracker and trip detection. You’ll get Samsung Pay for contactless purchases, as well as some useful fitness features. The Galaxy Watch 3’s major flaw, like the previous Galaxy Watch, is that Samsung’s app store is restricted, but Tizen is excellent. If you’re not sure whether to acquire this or the newer model, check out our Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 vs. Galaxy Watch 3 comparison.
7. Amazfit GTR 3 Pro
We’re frequently asked if an Amazfit Watch is worth buying, and the answer is definitely, especially the Amazfit GTR 3 Pro. While we wish it was a little more full-featured given the price (there’s no NFC, for example), there are plenty of health and exercise functions on board.
The GTR 3 Pro provides an outstanding one-stop measuring tool for your heart rate, blood oxygen levels, stress levels, and more in a single reading, with enhanced accuracy over the previous-generation Amazfit GTR 2. The watch’s built-in applications, hands-free voice commands, and menu layouts may be customized to fit your needs when you’re not checking on your body or working out with the 150+ workout categories. With up to 12 days of battery life, this is one of the best Android smartwatches that aren’t from one of the top-shelf connected wearable brands.
8. TicWatch Pro 3
While Mobvoi is best known for its low-cost smartwatches, it has expanded its product line to include higher-end devices like the TicWatch Pro 3, which we loved during our testing. It runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Wear 4100 processor, which makes it compatible with the new Wear OS platform and faster than older TicWatch models.
The TicWatch Pro 3 is a smartwatch that does a good job, with simple Wear OS integration and notifications that are both timely and discreet. Although the activity tracking functions appear to be lacking in comparison to some of the other best Android smartwatches on this list, they will do for simple step counting and sleep monitoring. The TicWatch Pro 3 looks and feels like a classic watch. The TicWatch Pro 3 has a huge 1.4-inch display that is crisp and simple to read at a glance. With the latest Wear OS upgrade, it’ll be much better.
9. Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2
As our Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 vs. Galaxy Watch Active 2 comparison shows, the Watch Active 2 is still worth buying, especially when it’s on sale. Any Android phone can connect to Samsung’s smartwatch. It has GPS, a heart rate monitor, and the ability to turn on LTE. It can also track your exercise and sleep automatically. The circular form of the Galaxy Watch Active 2 is visually appealing, whether you purchase the 40mm or 44mm variant. This Galaxy Watch, which runs on Samsung’s Tizen operating system, has a number of handy features, including Samsung Pay, Spotify onboard music, and heart health monitoring. This one contains an ECG function, which is often only seen in higher-end models.
10. Fitbit Versa 2
The Fitbit Versa 2, another previous-generation device on this list, is a competent smartwatch. It has Amazon’s assistant, which allows you to operate smart home devices, check the weather and news, and much more. When you use it with the Versa 2’s ability to measure blood oxygen saturation levels, you can see if you have sleep apnea. You can also download up to 300 songs to the Versa 2 from Pandora and Deezer, allowing you to leave your phone at home while listening to music. Unfortunately, the Versa 2 lacks onboard GPS, so you’ll have to carry your phone with you if you want to use it.
11. Garmin Instinct 2
The Garmin Instinct 2 has endless battery life. Yup, it can charge itself in the sun and live forever. There are a few caveats, ranging from whether functions operate on solar power, to which variants of the Garmin Instinct 2 include one, to how many hours each day the watch must be exposed to sunshine. But, aside from that, the Instinct 2 outperforms the original Garmin Instinct in nearly every regard. It preserves its robust appearance while including features from Garmin’s higher-end watches. The 2S, which is meant for smaller wrists, is now available in a smaller 40mm size. There is no touchscreen, unlike the new Garmin Fenix 7 line, but the five-button mechanism is simple to figure out and use on the go.
12. OnePlus Watch
The $159 OnePlus Watch finally provides OnePlus consumers with a smartphone-optimized wearable accessory. On paper, it seems excellent, with fitness tracking and blood oxygen monitoring, as well as the 14-day battery life that we’ve come to anticipate from many of the best Android smartwatches. It may also be used to answer phone calls if your smartphone is close by. The OnePlus Watch’s low price makes it an unusual choice when compared to smartwatches made by OnePlus’ smartphone competitors. Because a Fitbit is better, why not finish off your environment with one of the best OnePlus phones?
Of course, there are certain limitations to purchasing the OnePlus Watch. Despite seeming similar to Google’s platform, the proprietary Real TIme Operating System (RTOS) performs inconsistently, and the proprietary Real TIme Operating System (RTOS) lacks in comparison to Wear OS.