The best smartwatches for Android you can buy today [Update: February 2021]
Finding the right smartwatch can be very difficult on Android, especially with so many options out there. If you’ve been trying to find the right smartwatch for your wrist, these are the best Android smartwatches you can buy today.
BEST ANDROID SMARTWATCHES – February 2021
New this month:
Fossil Gen 5 LTE
Montblanc Summit Lite
Samsung Galaxy Watch 3/Galaxy Watch Active 2
The closest you can get to the Apple Watch
The somewhat sad truth about smartwatches on Android is that, no matter how hard all of them have worked, they aren’t as good as the Apple Watch. However, Samsung’s current crop of watches gets you about as close as possible with the Galaxy Watch Active2 and Galaxy Watch
3.Why these are the best smartwatches for Android:
Samsung’s Galaxy Watch series doesn’t actually run an Android-based OS. Rather, Samsung’s Tizen runs the show. It’s a slick operating system that’s designed with the hardware in mind, meaning the two feel cohesive together.
The two watches differ greatly in looks, though. The Galaxy Watch 3 comes in 41mm and 45mm variants, one using 20mm bands and the other 22mm. There are also two sizes for the Galaxy Watch Active2 with 40mm and 44mm options. Both use 20mm bands.
For all of these watches, you’ll find almost the same set of features. Both charge wirelessly, offer more expensive LTE variants and can manage around two days on a charge. Health features include the classics such as heart rate, step counting, and workout detection, but there’s also fall detection, blood oxygen readings, and ECG support is coming.
The two watches differ greatly in looks, though. The Watch 3 has more of a classic, rugged aesthetic where the Watch Active 2 is a bit sportier. Functionally, they’re nearly identical outside of the physical bezel on the Watch 3 which gives some extra tactile input when you’re scrolling around the UI.
If you have a Samsung smartphone, these watches are pretty much no-brainers. They pair easily with Galaxy phones and bring a ton of genuinely useful features too. On other Android phones, you’ll lose out on a couple of features and the pairing process is a bit more complicated, but overall it’s still stellar. If health is your priority but you’re not willing to give up on the classic smartwatch experience, Galaxy Watch Active 2 and Galaxy Watch 3 are easily some of the best smartwatches for Android.
Where to buy Samsung’s watches:
Being some of the best smartwatches for Android users, Samsung’s Galaxy Watch series isn’t particularly cheap. The Galaxy Watch Active 2 isn’t a bad deal with the smaller 40mm Bluetooth variant starting at $249. The larger 44mm Bluetooth option is just $269. You can get either option from Samsung.com, Best Buy, Amazon, or B&H Photo.
On the other hand, the Galaxy Watch 3 is a pretty big ask starting with the 41mm model starting at $399. The 45mm version then jumps up to $429. Like the Active, you can buy from Samsung.com, Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H Photo. Also, some good news: Samsung doesn’t charge exorbitant prices for the LTE models. For Galaxy Watch 3, prices start at $449 and for Watch Active 2, $379.
TicWatch Pro 3
Wear OS finally has great performance
The biggest name in affordable Wear OS for a while has been Mobvoi, but the brand’s latest smartwatch is important for a different reason. It’s the first Wear OS device with a Snapdragon Wear 4100 chipset
Why this is the best smartwatch for Android users
Wear OS may be lacking when it comes to health features, but the platform is an excellent extension of any Android phone. It delivers notifications reliably and can access the Play Store for watchfaces or apps. The Google Assistant is also on board.
Now, too, you can do all of that in a package that performs well. As we detail in our review, the Snapdragon 4100 combined with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage makes for an experience that runs smoothly from apps to Assistant and more.
The design of the TicWatch Pro 3 isn’t particularly good-looking, but its utilitarian design is something many may like. The overall footprint isn’t small at 47x48x12.2mm, but it’s not overbearing. This is the slimmest TicWatch Pro to date. Despite that, it has a bigger battery that lasts up to three days on a charge. The dual-layer display also manages to extend that battery life by up to 45 days while retaining step counting and other health data.
Where to buy:
TicWatch Pro 3 costs $299, a pretty average cost for a smartwatch in 2020. If it’s got your interest, you can buy now from Amazon or Mobvoi’s own site.
Fitbit Sense and Versa 3
If health is your priority, there’s nothing better
Fitbit probably isn’t the first name you think of for a smartwatch, but the now-owned-by-Google company has a pretty killer health-focused pair of smartwatches. The Fitbit Sense and Fitbit Versa 3 are unquestionably the best smartwatches to buy if health is your priority.
Why these are the best smartwatches for health-focused Android users:
Both the Sense and Versa 3 run on top of Fitbit’s own lightweight operating system, meaning they’ll feel a bit behind Google’s Wear OS and Samsung’s Tizen when it comes to speed and fluidity. Still, the software offers some useful apps, easy navigation, and reliable notifications too. Both offer Google Assistant integration as well, a useful tool for any Android user. The less power-hungry OS also keeps both watches running for 6 days or more.
The Fitbit Sense is the more powerful of the two, immediately evident by its higher price tag. On both watches, you’ll get OLED displays, heart rate monitoring, blood oxygen tracking, step counting, and workout monitoring. However, Fitbit Sense adds ECG, skin temperature, and several other sensors too. You can’t get hardly any of those advanced health features on other smartwatches, and paired with the Fitbit app and programs like Health Coaching, Fitbit just has the complete package here for your health.
Where to buy:
Fitbit Sense is a $329 smartwatch, a hefty price but one that’s worthwhile considering all of the health features available. Meanwhile, Fitbit Versa 3 is a more reasonable $229. Both watches also come with 6 months of Fitbit Premium for no additional charge.
Fossil Gen 5 Smartwatch
Great designs with a basic package
Fossil is the biggest name in Wear OS, and its latest generation of smartwatches has started hitting the market with the Gen 5 Carlyle HR and Julianna HR. Put simply, these are some of the best offerings Wear OS has when it comes to Android smartwatches right now.
Why it’s one of the best smartwatches for Android:
What makes the Fossil Gen 5 lineup so good? For one thing, Fossil’s iconic design is here and looking as great as ever on both of these watches. Further, the Fossil Gen 5 finally updates the spec sheet in some big ways. Both the Carlyle and Julianna offer a Snapdragon Wear 3100 chipset and 1 GB of RAM. That leads to better performance in everything from apps to Google Assistant.
Beyond that, there’s also 3ATM water resistance, a 1.28-inch OLED display, 44 mm casings at 12 mm thick, Fossil’s magnetic charger, and a speaker for taking phone calls and hearing Assistant replies. Fossil has also developed some clever new battery saving modes that extend the roughly two-day battery you’ll get by default. Of course, NFC, GPS, and a heart rate monitor are all on board as well.
If you’re willing to part with a few features, Fossil now offers the Fossil Gen 5E series. It offers up some new designs including a smaller women’s variant for $249. It’s based on the same chip and platform too, so performance should be essentially identical.
NEW: Finally, if you want to add some flexibility to your offering, you can get a Fossil Gen 5 smartwatch with LTE support added on. Fossil’s latest offering brings a design tweak and Verizon LTE to last year’s release for an extra $50. At $349, it’s not a bad buy if you want a watch that can operate outside of Bluetooth range.
Where to buy Fossil Gen 5:
The Fossil Gen 5 costs $295 for its base model. That price will vary depending on the band you select, but that price is a good middle-ground for Wear OS right now. If you’re looking to pick up the watch, it’s currently sold through Fossil’s online store and the company’s brick-and-mortar stores around the US, too. Amazon also carries both the Carlyle and Julianna and will probably be your best bet for sales.
If you’re going for the lower-end Fossil Gen 5E, the various models are available on Amazon and Fossil.com. Fossil Gen 5 LTE is available from Verizon.
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OTHER EXCELLENT ANDROID SMARTWATCHES
Moto 360
Google started its smartwatch ambitions with Android Wear and the Moto 360 was one of the first designs to really get attention. Now, the Moto 360 has been revived with an updated but familiar design as well as a new spec pack.
