What Smartwatch Works With an Android Phone
Best Android smartwatch 2021: what to wear on your wrist if you have an Android
Included in this guide:
By the best Android smartwatch we mean the smartwatches that work best when paired with an Android phone, and there are a lot of them to choose from, which is where this guide comes in.
The options include not just those running Wear OS, like the recent Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, but also options running Tizen, Fitbit OS and more. Indeed, the operating system is one of many things to look for when buying a smartwatch - though at least if you buy something included in this guide you'll know it works well with your phone.
Beyond that, you'll need to consider what great features you want most such as exercise tracking or something more advanced like heart rate monitoring or GPS functionality, but you'll also want to think about what style suits your look the best.
And, of course, you'll need to have a think about what your budget is too. We've tested all the key watch-like wearables on the market to help you decide which devices best meet these criteria, so that you can find the one that works for you.
As noted, not all the devices on this list use Google's Wear OS (like the Fitbit Versa 3) so we have a separate list of the best Wear OS watches if that's what you're looking for, or we have a more general best smartwatches guide as well.
Otherwise, we've ranked the best smartwatches that are compatible with Android phones in this definitive list. Our rankings are based on price, performance, design, and how well the watch integrates with the Android ecosystem of fitness apps.
You're spoiled for choice, so take the time to read through the full reviews too and don't forget - if you're an iPhone owner, most of these will still work with your Apple phone but may lack a few features.
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Best Android smartwatch 2021
The best of the best
Specifications
OS: Wear OS
Compatibility: Android
Display: 1.4-inch 450 x 450 Super AMOLED
Processor: Dual-core 1.18GHz Cortex-A55
Onboard storage: 16GB
Battery duration: Two days
Charging method: Qi wireless charging
IP rating: IP68
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS
Reasons to buy
+Great performance +Premium design
Reasons to avoid
-No rotating bezel -Limited compatibility
The best Android smartwatch as well as one of the best smartwatches overall, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is packed with features. With an improved battery life over its predecessor, and some interesting new software in the form of One UI Watch 3, it's a compelling mixture of features right down to its new body composition tools.
There's limited compatibility if you don't have a Samsung smartphone to pair it with and we miss the rotating bezel (although there is a virtual one), but you can't beat the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 for all-round style and useful features. Its gorgeous display further helps here too with speedy performance keeping up with your plans.
It might not be the most highly-specced fitness watch out there but it's a solid all-rounder for those keen to check on their heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and more while looking good in their downtime too.
Read the full Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 review
The best Tizen-powered smartwatch
Specifications
OS: Tizen OS
Compatibility: Android, iOS
Display: 1.2" or 1.4" 360 x 360 Super AMOLED
Processor: Dual-core 1.15GHz
Onboard storage: 8GB
Battery duration: 3 days on 45mm / less on 41mm
Charging method: Wireless
IP rating: IP68
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, LTE (for extra)
Reasons to buy
+Premium fit and finish +Excellent features
Reasons to avoid
-Battery life not great -Expensive - but worth it
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 is packed with features, and is available in two sizes to suit different sized wrists.
We love the return of the physical rotating bezel that you don't find on the Galaxy Watch Active range. It makes zipping through the circular menus of Samsung's Tizen software a tactile pleasure. The Watch 3 marries excellent, modern design with top tier fitness features like GPS and multisport tracking.
A slight downside is that it's a distinctly one-day battery watch, but then again so is the Apple Watch. But the Watch 3 more than makes up for it with excellent software, all the fitness functions you could want, and a premium feel that justifies the high price.
Read the full Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 review
The best Fitbit
Specifications
OS: Fitbit OS
Compatibility: Android, iOS
Display: 1.58" AMOLED
Processor: N/A
Onboard storage: N/A
Battery duration: Up to 6 days
Charging method: Magnetic connecting pin
IP rating: Water resistant
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, NFC
Reasons to buy
+Built-in GPS +Lightweight and comfortable
Reasons to avoid
-Poor side button -No offline Spotify
The Fitbit Versa 3 is a superb smartwatch, especially if your focus is more on fitness than general smart features.
It has GPS, SpO2 monitoring, 24/7 activity and heart rate tracking, guided breathing exercises, and numerous workout modes. Shell out for the Fitbit Premium subscription service and you'll also get access to a Health Metrics dashboard, which lets you dive even deeper into your health and fitness stats.
There are other highlights beyond the fitness side though, with the Fitbit Versa 3 sporting a bright, crisp, and clear AMOLED screen, and up to six days of battery life in our tests. It's not a huge upgrade on the Versa 2, its smartwatch features are slightly limited, and to make the most of its fitness tools you need a subscription on top of the already pricey hardware, but quality rarely comes cheap.
Read the full Fitbit Versa 3 review
The best sporty Tizen watch
Specifications
OS: Tizen OS
Compatibility: Android, iOS
Display: 1.2" or 1.4" 360 x 360 Super AMOLED
Processor: Dual-core 1.15GHz
Onboard storage: 4GB
Battery duration: Around 2 days
Charging method: Wireless
IP rating: 50m
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Reasons to buy
+Great performance +Two-day battery life
Reasons to avoid
-More expensive than previous gen -Limited third party apps
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 is sold alongside the original Watch Active but we prefer this newer model thanks to an updated design, great battery life and a digital touch bezel which was sorely missing before.
The 'Active' branding means this is a smartwatch more suitable for workouts and fitness tracking compared to the regular Galaxy Watch, reflected in the great on-board coaching suggestions and reminders to move to reach your set goals.
It's waterproof, suitable for running, swimming and cycling among other activities, handles notifications well, and you only have to charge it every other day.
Read the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 review
The best affordable Fitbit
Specifications
OS: Fitbit OS
Compatibility: Android, iOS
Display: 300 x 300 LCD
Processor: N/A
Onboard storage: N/A
Battery duration: Up to 4 days
Charging method: Magnetic connecting pin
IP rating: Water resistance to 50m
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Reasons to buy
+One of cheaper Fitbits +Multi-day battery
Reasons to avoid
-No GPS or NFC -No on-screen workouts
Fitbit makes several smartwatches but the cheapest of the bunch is the Versa Lite. Despite its price though it's still a great Android watch pick thanks to a raft of features.
While it lacks built-in GPS, you can connect it to your phone to record run routes and there's all the sport tracking features you'll find on the Versa 2 or Ionic.
The battery life is first class in our experience and will last around five days even with steady use, and the unit itself is slim and light so it's easy to wear it to bed for the sleep tracking features.
It lacks NFC so you can't use Fitbit Pay but if you want the Fitbit experience in a watch for less then it's a no brainer.
Read the full Fitbit Versa Lite review
The best older Wear OS watch
Specifications
OS: Wear OS
Display: 1.2-inch 390 x 390 AMOLED
Processor: Quad-core 1.2GHz
Onboard storage: 4GB
Battery duration: Two days
Charging method: Proprietary
IP rating: IP68
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS
Reasons to buy
+Lightweight design +Powerful watch
Reasons to avoid
-Lacks high-end features -GPS can be slow
The Fossil Sport is arguably one of the first watches from the company that can keep pace with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Watch and Apple Watch.
It's lightweight, so it's comfortable for a variety of exercises, and it's built with fitness in mind with GPS and an accurate heart rate monitor included.
Despite its sporty focus the design still feels premium, and it's one of the more powerful Wear OS devices as it comes with the Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100 chipset inside, and we found it noticeably slicker than some other choices.
Read the full Fossil Sport review
The best smartwatch for battery life
Specifications
OS: LiteOS
Compatibility: Android , iOS
Display: 1.2-inch / 1.39-inch 454 x 454 AMOLED
Processor: N/A
Onboard storage: 4GB
Battery duration: 7 days / 14 days
Charging method: Magnetic connecting pin
IP rating: Water resistant
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC
Reasons to buy
+Incredible battery life +Top fitness features
Reasons to avoid
-Dust magnet -Non-fitness features limited
The Honor Magic Watch 2 is great if you want a ton of high-end fitness features in a smartwatch that can masquerade as a dressier, circular watch. It's not a full-on sports watch but packs in GPS, tons of different workout modes with detailed info, and the software can give feedback on some activities.
The best part is the one to two week battery life, stamina that is very rare to find on other large-screen smartwatches. This really impressed us.
Bear in mind that this is pretty much a fitness tracker that looks like a watch as its few smartwatch features are very rudimentary and the notification system is not the best. It's also best to use on Android as there are features missing if you connect to an iPhone, but for Android fitness fans this is a good shout.
Read the full Honor Magic Watch 2 review
The best for innovative display tech
Specifications
Compatibility: Android, iOS
Display: 1.4" 454 x 454 OLED paired with LCD screen
Processor: Snapdragon Wear 4100
Onboard storage: 8GB
Battery duration: Up to 72h, 45 extra days in Essential mode
Charging method: Magnetic connecting pin
IP rating: IP68
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, NFC
Reasons to buy
+Big battery lasts 3 days +Fast chipset
Reasons to avoid
-Sometimes poor interface -Sleep tracking isn't the best
The TicWatch Pro 3 is a good all-rounder that doesn't necessarily excel in any one area. But it doesn't need to because it's also cheaper than top-end rivals.
And it does have a lot going for it. For one thing, it was the first smartwatch to use the top-end Snapdragon 4100 chipset, so performance is good in our tests. It also offers two to three days of battery life, or – if you switch it to Essential mode – it can keep going for up to 45 days.
The TicWatch Pro 3 also has a good screen - 1.4-inch 454 x 454 one that's crisp, bright, and responsive, plus the watch has all the typical health and fitness features you'd expect from a smartwatch. Just don't buy this for sleep tracking, as we found that wasn't very accurate.
Read the full TicWatch Pro 3 review
The best super-cheap Wear OS watch
Specifications
OS: Wear OS
Display: 1.39" 400 x 400 OLED
Processor: Snapdragon Wear 2100
Onboard storage: 4GB
Battery duration: Around 48h
Charging method: Magnetic connecting pin
IP rating: IP67
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1
Reasons to buy
+A cheaper alternative +Easily two-day battery life
Reasons to avoid
-No NFC for payments -Bland design
Now it's time for one of the cheapest devices on this list, and it comes from Chinese manufacturer Mobvoi. The TicWatch E2 isn't a huge improvement on the first-gen watch, but it offers some fantastic features considering its price.
We really like the two-day battery life and the fact you can get all of the features of Wear OS on a watch for this low a price. It's quite an impressive feat, and that's why it makes our best Android watch list.
There's no NFC (so no Google Pay) but we can forgive that at this price, especially as you do get GPS and a heart rate monitor.
Not sure on the design? Why not take a look at the TicWatch S2? It's a remarkably similar watch, but it comes with a slightly different look.
Read the full TicWatch E2 review
How we tested
We've fully reviewed every smartwatch that we've ranked in this guide, so we're confident of how they compare to each other and the rest of the competition.
To create our ranking we considered our review score, the specs, features, performance, price, and how they stack up to alternatives.
What to look for when buying a smartwatch for use with Android
First off, don't buy an Apple Watch, as they don't work with Android. Beyond that it's a case of picking one with the features you need. Do you care about being able to take an ECG or is basic heart rate monitoring enough? Are you into health and fitness or do you mostly just want notifications? Consider all that, along with what prices and styles suit you.
Do these smartwatches also work with an iPhone?
Most smartwatches that work with Android will also work with an iPhone. However, you might lose out on some functionality, and there are a few that won't work at all, such as the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4. For the best results with an iPhone, stick to an Apple Watch.
- Not limited to an Android phone? Try our best smartwatch ranking
James is Phones Editor for TechRadar, and he has covered smartphones for the best part of a decade bringing you news on all the big announcements from top manufacturers making mobile phones. James is often testing out and reviewing the latest and greatest mobile phones, smartwatches, tablets, virtual reality headsets, fitness trackers and more. He has also worked on other leading tech brands, such as T3 and Gizmodo UK, as well as appearing as an expert on TV and radio for the BBC and other publications. Be sure to follow him on Twitter for all the latest smartphone news.
What Smartwatch Works With an Android Phone
Source: https://www.techradar.com/news/best-android-smartwatch