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Discover the ultimate guide to the best smartwatches for 2024, tailored for iOS and Android users. Explore top picks like the Apple Watch Series 9, Garmin Venu Sq 2, and Samsung Galaxy Watch 6, comparing features, prices, and ratings. Dive into a detailed comparison including fitness, health, and lifestyle functionalities. Plus, uncover insights on the groundbreaking Google Pixel Watch designed specifically for Android phones. Stay ahead with the latest in wearable technology!
A smart watch is a wearable device offering a suite of features like notifications, apps, and fitness tracking, bridging the gap between technology and convenience. When it comes to fitness, smart watches have evolved to become essential tools for health monitoring and workout tracking, with some models specifically designed to enhance your fitness regime.
But what sets a smart watch apart from a fitness watch? While both track health metrics, smart watches offer broader functionality, including connectivity and notifications, making them versatile companions for daily use. Discover which smartwatch is best for fitness and how these devices can support your health goals, providing not just connectivity but also a robust suite of fitness tracking features to keep you active and informed.
Which smartwatch is best for fitness?
There isn’t a single ‘best’ for everyone. Here’s why, and some great options:
Runners: Garmin’s Forerunner series is the gold standard. Super detailed running stats and long battery life for those marathon training sessions.
iPhone all the way: Apple Watch Ultra is the obvious choice, but it gets expensive!
Balance of features: Garmin’s Venu series or Samsung’s Galaxy Watch line have tons of fitness tracking, plus cool smartwatch stuff like music and notifications.
Are smartwatches good for fitness?
Definitely! Think of them as your wrist-based fitness coach. They track:
Heart rate: Helps you train in the right zones for your goals.
Steps, workouts, calories: Great for seeing your day-to-day progress.
Sleep: Getting enough rest is crucial for recovery.
What’s the difference between a smartwatch and a fitness watch?
Think of it like squares and rectangles:
Fitness trackers: All about exercise. Steps, workouts, maybe basic heart rate stuff.
Smartwatches: Do all the fitness stuff plus have apps, phone notifications, maybe even let you make calls from your wrist.
The Apple Watch Series 9 is a remarkable innovation in wearable technology, featuring the new S9 chip for enhanced performance. It introduces a double tap gesture for ease of use, a brighter display for better outdoor visibility, and on-device Siri processing for faster, more secure interactions. With watchOS 10, it offers redesigned apps and insights for mental and vision health.
The Garmin Venu 3S is a stylish and compact smartwatch designed for those who lead an active lifestyle. It features a bright AMOLED display and offers advanced health and fitness insights. With up to 10 days of battery life, it’s equipped with GPS, the ability to send texts, and make calls directly from your wrist. The Venu 3S also provides unique health tracking capabilities, including sleep coaching and wheelchair mode, making it a versatile choice for a wide range of users.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 stands out with its sleek design and larger, brighter screen, offering a more immersive user experience. It boasts an 18% faster processor and up to 40 hours of battery life, making it both powerful and efficient. Health features are a highlight, with Advanced Sleep Coaching and heart rate notifications for irregular rhythms. It also includes a BIA sensor for comprehensive body composition analysis. The watch is durable, with an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, and includes Fall Detection for added safety.
The Garmin Venu SQ is a budget-friendly smartwatch that combines style with practical health and fitness features. It offers a bright touchscreen display, music storage, and up to 6 days of battery life. Key features include onboard GPS, heart-rate monitoring, activity/sleep/stress tracking, blood oxygen monitoring, and 5 ATM water resistance. It’s designed for those who want a reliable fitness companion without sacrificing daily style.
The Fitbit Versa 4 Fitness Smartwatch is a sleek and lightweight device designed for fitness enthusiasts. It features a bright AMOLED display, a physical button for ease of navigation, and a water-resistant build. With the ability to track over 40 different sports, monitor heart rate, oxygen saturation, sleep, and stress, it’s a comprehensive fitness tool.
It includes built-in GPS, supports notifications and calls, and offers Fitbit Pay for convenient transactions. However, it lacks some advanced sensors and features found in other models, like the Fitbit Sense 2, and maintains similar performance to its predecessors.
The Google Pixel Watch 2 elevates the smartwatch experience with its sleek design and advanced features. It boasts a new quad-core CPU for smoother performance, and its housing is made from 100% recycled aluminum, making it lighter and more comfortable for all-day wear. The watch offers all-day battery life, even with an always-on display, and charges to 50% in just 30 minutes.
Health insights are more accurate thanks to three new sensors, including an improved heart rate sensor and a continuous electrodermal activity (cEDA) sensor for stress detection. With these enhancements, the Pixel Watch 2 is a significant upgrade, offering users a sophisticated blend of style, health tracking, and environmental consciousness.
The Google Pixel Watch is Google’s premier smartwatch, featuring a vibrant AMOLED display and a modern, circular design. It runs on Wear OS and integrates deeply with Fitbit services for comprehensive health and fitness tracking.
Users can enjoy features like heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, and Google Assistant right on their wrist. The watch also supports contactless payments and offers a selection of apps through the Play Store, making it a versatile choice for Android users.
The ONEPLUS Watch 2 is a flagship smartwatch that stands out with its Dual-Engine Architecture, combining the Snapdragon W5 and BES 2700 chipsets for optimal performance and battery life. It boasts up to 100 hours of battery life in Smart Mode, a 1.43” AMOLED display, and dual-frequency GPS for unparalleled precision.
The watch is designed for durability and elegance, featuring a stainless-steel chassis and sapphire crystal cover. It’s also equipped with 32GB ROM and 2GB RAM for ample storage, and it undergoes military-grade testing to ensure reliability in any environment.
The Ticwatch Pro 5 Smartwatch is a powerhouse of functionality and efficiency. It runs on Wear OS 3 and is powered by the Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 chipset, ensuring smooth performance. The smartwatch boasts a dual-layer OLED and FSTN display, offering up to 80 hours of battery life on a single charge.
It’s water-resistant with 5ATM protection and supports over 100 professional workout modes, including open water swimming tracking. With NFC for contactless payments and dual-screen technology that extends battery life, the Ticwatch Pro 5 is a strong contender in the smartwatch market.
The Rival Smart Watch is a versatile device that offers the combined benefits of a fitness band, digital watch, and health tracker. It’s known for tracking 11 health parameters, including sleep and heart rate monitoring, steps, and calories burned. The watch uses Pulse Transit Time (PTT) to estimate blood pressure and also measures SpO2 levels.
It’s compatible with Android 5.0+ and iOS9.0+ devices and works with the DaFit app. While it’s an affordable option, users should consult with a physician for serious health conditions. The watch also features multisport capabilities, perfect for those who engage in various types of workouts.
The Apple Watch Series 9 might not seem like a major leap forward at first glance. It carries the same design as its predecessors, and the headline features aren’t exactly groundbreaking. However, dig a little deeper, and you’ll find some seriously welcome enhancements that make this the most refined Apple Watch yet.
Design & Display: Tried and True
Let’s get the obvious stuff out of the way. The Series 9 looks nearly identical to the Series 8 and Series 7. You have the same rounded-corner rectangular display and those familiar size options. The always-on screen is brighter than ever, making it super easy to read even in direct sunlight. It’s durable too, so the occasional bump or scrape won’t be an issue.
Performance & Features: The Subtle Magic
The true improvements come under the hood. The new S9 chip is noticeably faster, making apps snappier and navigation smoother. New features like retrospective ovulation estimation in the Cycle Tracking app and the super-handy “double-tap” gesture (lets you perform actions by simply tapping twice on the screen) enhance the day-to-day experience.
Of course, core features like heart rate monitoring, ECG, blood oxygen tracking, and the new Crash Detection remain top-notch. Sleep tracking still needs a bit of refinement, but it’s functional enough for most people.
Battery Life: The Same Old Story
Sadly, battery life hasn’t seen a major improvement with the Series 9. You’ll still get around 18 hours on a single charge with typical use. If you’re a sleep tracker, you’ll definitely need to juice it up daily. It’s not a deal breaker, but it’s a clear area for Apple to work on.
Here’s a chart summarizing the pros and cons based on the review:
Pros
Cons
Enhanced interaction with Double Tap gesture
Limited functionality of Double Tap in some OS areas
On-device Siri processing for faster and offline requests
Inconsistent performance of “Raise to Speak” feature.
Improved precision finding with UWB chip.
Display may be too dim at lowest brightness setting for some users.
Brighter display suitable for outdoor use
Battery life remains at up to 18 hours, shorter compared to competitors.
Technical Specifications
Display: LTPO OLED Retina, Up to 1000 nits brightness
Connectivity: GPS, Cellular (on select models), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Water Resistance: WR50
Battery Life: Up to 18 hours
Should You Buy It?
The Apple Watch Series 9 is an excellent smartwatch, especially if you’re deeply invested in the Apple ecosystem. If you own an older Apple Watch (Series 6 or earlier), you’ll definitely appreciate the refinements. However, if you already have a Series 7 or 8, the upgrade might not be substantial enough to justify the cost.
Garmin’s Venu series is known for balancing smartwatch features with serious fitness and health tracking. The Venu 3S takes that idea and hones it to near perfection. It’s a fantastic option for those who want the polish of a smartwatch without sacrificing in-depth fitness data.
Looks That Impress
The moment you put the Venu 3S on your wrist, you’ll notice its stylish design. It’s smaller than other Garmin fitness watches, making it a great choice for those with smaller wrists. The gorgeous AMOLED display is vibrant and easy to read, even outdoors. Garmin truly stepped up their game on aesthetics with this one.
Health Features Galore
Garmin is renowned for its fitness smarts, and the Venu 3S doesn’t disappoint. You’ll get continuous heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, stress tracking, respiration monitoring, and Garmin’s signature Body Battery metric. The new Health Snapshot feature is fantastic, letting you record key health metrics in a quick two-minute session. These insights are invaluable for identifying trends and keeping tabs on your overall well-being.
Workout Companion
The Venu 3S excels as a workout partner. It packs in tons of sports profiles, built-in GPS, and the ability to create custom workouts or download them from Garmin Connect. The accuracy of the data is superb, making it a reliable tool even for serious athletes.
Smartwatch with Smarts
While not as app-filled as a full-fledged smartwatch like the Apple Watch, the Venu 3S has enough smart features to feel convenient. You’ll get reliable notifications, contactless payments, and onboard music storage, so you can leave your phone behind during workouts.
Battery That Lasts (and Lasts)
One of the Venu 3S’s biggest strengths is its battery life. It can easily last a week, sometimes even more, on a single charge. Sleep tracking without worrying about battery anxiety is a huge win!
Battery Life: Up to 14 days (smartwatch mode), up to 30 hours (GPS mode)
The Verdict
The Garmin Venu 3S is a remarkably well-balanced smartwatch. It’s an excellent choice for people focused on health and fitness, but who also want those convenient smartwatch perks. If you’re looking for a true Apple Watch competitor, this might not be it, but if a beautifully-designed, long-lasting fitness companion sounds good, the Venu 3S is hard to beat.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 builds on the solid foundation of its predecessors, offering subtle yet meaningful improvements. It’s a refined smartwatch that excels in everyday use, health tracking, and pairs perfectly with Samsung phones.
Design & Display: Familiarity with a Twist
The Galaxy Watch 6 retains the sleek circular design we’ve seen on previous models. You get a vibrant Super AMOLED display that’s super responsive and easy to read even in bright sunlight. What’s new is a slight size increase, giving you even more screen real estate to work with.
Features: The Everyday Champ
One of the Watch 6’s strengths is its well-rounded feature set. All the usual health and fitness tracking bases are covered: heart rate, sleep, ECG, blood oxygen. New additions like temperature sensing and fall detection flesh out the overall package. And of course, the Wear OS experience offers smart features like notifications, contactless payments, and access to apps.
The Galaxy Watch 6 really shines when paired with a Samsung phone. You’ll get extra goodies like the ability to reply to texts using a full keyboard and seamless call handling. It’s still a great all-arounder even with other Android phones, but that Samsung synergy is something special.
Battery: Still Could Be Better
Battery life gets a slight boost compared to its predecessor. You can expect it to last about a day and a half with typical use, including sleep tracking. While not bad, it’s not groundbreaking, especially compared to some competitors. Fast charging helps, but it’s still an area where Samsung could improve.
Pros & Cons
Let’s break things down:
Pros
Sleek, timeless design
Vibrant and larger display
Comprehensive health and fitness tracking
Smooth Wear OS experience, especially with Samsung phones
New features like temperature sensing
Cons
Battery life could be better
Limited features if you don’t have a Samsung phone
Connectivity: GPS, LTE (on select models), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC
Water Resistance: 5ATM + IP68
Battery Life: Up to 40 hours (estimated)
The Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 is a great choice for Android users, and it’s the absolute best if you have a Samsung phone. It’s a solid all-around smartwatch that offers a bit of everything: great looks, solid health tracking, and smart conveniences. If you own a Galaxy Watch 5, the upgrade may not be super compelling, but if you’re coming from an older model or new to smartwatches, it’s an easy recommendation.
The Garmin Venu Sq offers a compelling mix of fitness tracking features and smartwatch essentials, packaged in a surprisingly stylish design. It’s a great choice for those looking for a fitness tracker that won’t look out of place in everyday life.
Design: Where Sport Meets Chic
The Venu Sq avoids the overly sporty look of many Garmin watches. The rectangular design and sleek lines make it a smartwatch you’ll actually want to wear all day long. The bright LCD display is easily readable, even in direct sunlight, although it’s not quite as vibrant as some AMOLED screen competitors.
Features: Serious About Your Health
Where the Venu Sq truly shines is in its fitness features. You’ll find staples like heart-rate monitoring, blood oxygen tracking, sleep tracking, stress tracking, and Garmin’s helpful Body Battery energy metric. It also includes a good selection of pre-loaded workouts with animated exercise guidance right on your wrist.
The GPS is accurate, making it great for tracking those outdoor runs or cycling sessions. While it doesn’t have an altimeter to count floors climbed, it’s surprisingly comprehensive for its price point.
Smartwatch Essentials and a Bit More
Don’t expect the full bells and whistles of a high-end smartwatch. The Venu Sq gets the basics right – notifications, contactless payments (Garmin Pay), and basic music controls. The Venu Sq Music edition offers onboard music storage, so you can leave your phone behind while working out.
Battery Life: A Solid Performer
The battery life of the Venu Sq is one of its strengths. Depending on your use, you can expect around 5-6 days on a single charge with normal use, and it drops only slightly with GPS tracking.
Pros & Cons
Let’s break things down into what works and what could be better:
Pros
Stylish design that looks good on and off the track
Comprehensive health and fitness tracking
Excellent battery life
Bright and clear LCD display
Built-in GPS
Onboard music storage (Venu Sq Music edition)
Cons
Lacks advanced features like an altimeter
Music playback rather than full onboard storage (standard Venu Sq)
Can feel a bit basic in terms of smartwatch capabilities
The Garmin Venu Sq is a great choice for active people who want a well-rounded fitness tracker that also doubles as a stylish smartwatch. If you’re looking for a dedicated running watch, there might be more feature-heavy Garmin watches to suit your needs. However, at its price point, the Venu Sq is a surprisingly well-rounded and capable fitness companion for the average person.
The Fitbit Versa 4 is a return to basics for Fitbit. It focuses wholeheartedly on health and fitness essentials and ditches some bells and whistles seen on previous models. If streamlined fitness tracking is what you’re after, there’s a lot to like here.
Design: Slim and Familiar
The Versa 4 retains the familiar Fitbit design – a rounded square face and comfortable silicone bands. It’s slimmed down slightly and now sports a physical button, making it easier to navigate. The display is bright and vibrant, perfect for checking your stats on the go.
Features: All About Fitness
The star of the show with the Versa 4 is Fitbit’s health tracking. You’ll get continuous heart rate monitoring, in-depth sleep tracking (including Sleep Stages and a Sleep Score), Active Zone Minutes, SpO2 readings, and a whole host of exercise modes (over 40 now!). New to the mix is a Daily Readiness Score, helping you understand if your body is primed for a workout or needs rest.
Fitbit Premium is where you get most of the advanced insights, but the core functions are great even without the subscription.
Smartwatch Stuff? Not So Much
The Versa 4 is weaker on the smartwatch side of things. You’ll get basic notifications and contactless payments, but there’s no onboard music storage, third-party apps, or voice assistant support. If you want those features, you’ll need to consider something like the Fitbit Sense 2.
Battery: A Dependable Companion
Battery life is one of the Versa 4’s strengths. It easily lasts around 6 days, even with sleep tracking and regular workout monitoring. You won’t have to worry about charging it every night.
Pros & Cons
Let’s break things down:
Pros
Slim, comfortable design
Bright, colorful display
Fantastic health and fitness tracking with new Daily Readiness Score
The Fitbit Versa 4 is best for people who want a no-fuss fitness tracker. If you need a full-fledged smartwatch, this might feel too limited. But if your primary focus is nailing down your workouts, understanding your sleep, and keeping tabs on overall health, the Versa 4 shines bright.
The Google Pixel Watch 2 builds upon the foundation of the original with some much-needed improvements. Now, it’s a highly polished smartwatch that’s a real contender in an already crowded market, especially if you’re deeply ingrained in the Google and Fitbit ecosystems.
Design & Display: Timeless Elegance
The Pixel Watch 2 sports the same beautiful, domed design that made the original so eye-catching. It’s available in a selection of stylish colors and band choices, so you can customize it to your liking. The AMOLED display is stunning – bright, vibrant, and with deep blacks, making everything pop.
Features: The Best of Google & Fitbit
This is where the Pixel Watch 2 really shines. It seamlessly integrates all your favorite Google apps like Maps, Assistant, and Wallet. You can get turn-by-turn directions, summon the Assistant with a simple “Hey Google” command, and even control your smart home devices right from your wrist.
The Fitbit integration is even better. You get all the health and fitness tracking goodness that Fitbit is known for, with advanced heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, ECG, and fall detection. The redesigned interface is more fluid, making it easier to get to your health metrics quickly.
Battery: Finally Gets A Boost
One of the biggest criticisms of the original Pixel Watch was its mediocre battery life. The Pixel Watch 2 does better, lasting about a full day on a single charge with regular use. That’s still not amazing, but it’s a welcome step in the right direction. Fast charging helps too, so you can get a decent amount of juice with just a quick top-up.
Pros & Cons
Let’s sum things up for easy reference:
Pros
Beautiful, minimalist design
Stunning AMOLED display
Top-notch Fitbit integration for health and fitness
Seamless Google experience with apps and Assistant
Improved battery life
Fall detection and other safety features.
Cons
Battery life still lags behind some competitors.
Some features require Fitbit Premium subscription.
Only works with Android phones.
Technical Specifications
Display: AMOLED, up to 1000 nits brightness
Processor: Exynos 9110 with a dedicated coprocessor
Connectivity: GPS, LTE (on select models), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC
Water Resistance: 5ATM
Battery Life: Up to 24 hours
The Verdict
The Google Pixel Watch 2 is the best Android smartwatch on the market right now, especially if you value both fitness tracking and a seamless Google experience. It’s stylish, packed with useful features, and the Fitbit integration is truly excellent. If you’re an iPhone user, you’re out of luck, but Android users seeking the ultimate smartwatch companion should definitely have it on their radar.
The Google Pixel Watch is the company’s first true foray into the smartwatch market. It’s a beautiful piece of hardware with a unique design and the promise of seamless integration with Google’s services and the Fitbit ecosystem. However, it’s not without its quirks and limitations.
Design & Display: Minimalist and Eye-Catching
The Pixel Watch stands apart with its circular, domed design. It’s minimalist and sleek, fitting comfortably on most wrists. The AMOLED display is a stunner: bright, colorful, and with the always-on option, it’s incredibly easy to glance at.
Features: Google and Fitbit, Hand in Hand
The Pixel Watch runs on Wear OS 3, bringing the familiar Google experience to your wrist. Apps like Maps, Gmail, and Google Assistant are right there, and the redesigned interface is snappy and intuitive.
Fitbit integration is the other highlight. You get detailed heart rate tracking, sleep tracking, Active Zone Minutes, and even the new Daily Readiness Score. While some deeper analytics are locked behind a Fitbit Premium subscription, the core features are solid.
Battery Life: The Biggest Drawback
Unfortunately, battery life is the Pixel Watch’s Achilles heel. Getting through a full day is doable with light use, but sleep tracking will almost guarantee a recharge the next morning. This is where the watch falls short of competitors.
Pros & Cons
Let’s break things down for a quick overview:
Pros
Unique and beautiful design
Bright, vibrant AMOLED display
Fluid Wear OS 3 experience
Excellent Fitbit integration for health tracking
Google Assistant on your wrist
Cons
Disappointing battery life
Some features require Fitbit Premium
No iPhone compatibility
Limited third-party app support
Technical Specifications
Display: AMOLED, up to 1000 nits brightness
Processor: Exynos 9110 with a dedicated coprocessor
Connectivity: GPS, LTE (on select models), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC
Water Resistance: 5ATM
Battery Life: Up to 24 hours
The Verdict
The Google Pixel Watch is a promising first effort, especially for people heavily invested in Google services and who love Fitbit’s health tracking. It’s stylish and functional, but that poor battery life seriously hampers the overall experience. If you can live with the daily charge, it’s worth considering. Otherwise, it might be wise to wait for future iterations.
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