Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 and 6 Classic
Best overall watch for Android
Google Pixel Watch 2
Best Android smartwatch for heart rate accuracy
Garmin Venu 2 Plus
Best fitness watch for Android and iOS
Polar Grit X Pro
Rugged adventure watch with great battery
If you’re looking for the best smartwatch 2024 has to offer, read on. We’ve rounded up the top smartwatches you can buy right now based on function, price and compatibility. It’s also worth considering the best time of year to buy a smartwatch. Apple and Samsung typically release new models in late summer and fall. You can also usually find compelling deals around shopping events like Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day.
What is the best smartwatch right now?
That depends on whether you have an iPhone or Android phone. For most iPhone users, that’s the $399 Apple Watch Series 9. It has a bright display, two sizes and the option to buy an LTE version so you can leave your phone at home and still be able to take calls and messages on the watch. The $516 Apple Watch Ultra 2 is the best choice if you need a tougher watch with dedicated sports and safety features for athletes, plus an even brighter screen than the Series 9.
For Android users, the best smartwatch is the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6. It is the first watch to run the newest version of Wear OS that promises closer integration with Google apps like Gmail, improvements to overall battery life and two size options.
This list is updated periodically with new reviews of the best smartwatch options. For more buying advice, check out our guide to how to buy a smartwatch.
Read more: Best Budget Smartwatches Under $100
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is Apple’s best smartwatch, with a tough titanium construction and an Action button to quickly start workouts or launch apps. It has the brightest screen of any Apple Watch at a maximum of 3,000 nits which makes it incredibly easy to see when adventuring in the great outdoors. For adventurers and athletes, it also has a built-in siren for safety and a dual-band GPS for accurately tracking your route. LTE is also onboard so you can venture out without a phone and still stay connected.
Though it’s designed to be an outdoor watch, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is still a fantastic all-around smartwatch. Inside is the same S9 chip as found on the Apple Watch Series 9 which supports gestures like Double Tap and allows the watch to process Siri commands on-device. This means you can use Siri without being online and later in the year you’ll be able to ask the voice assistant for health data. Like earlier Apple Watches, the Ultra 2 also comes with a blood oxygen sensor, electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) app, fall detection and emergency SOS. The battery also lasts at least twice as long as all other Apple Watch models. It’s only compatible with the iPhone, so if you have an Android phone, you’ll want to look at another option on this list.
Read our Apple Watch Ultra 2 review.
The Apple Watch Series 9 might not be as adventure-focused as the Apple Watch Ultra 2, but it still features a dust- and crack-resistant design, a temperature, blood oxygen and ECG sensor and comes in 41 and 45mm sizes. You can also choose a cellular or LTE model that lets you take calls and answer messages from your wrist without your phone, although that does cost extra.
It has the S9 chip to support the Double Tap gesture so you can pinch your thumb and forefinger together to control the watch when you can’t reach it with the other hand. Like the Ultra 2, the Series 9 also has on-device Siri and faster processing times than earlier Apple Watches. Battery life generally lasts 18 hours with typical use, less than many of its competitors.
Read our Apple Watch Series 9 review.
Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 6 is the best Android watch for most people. Both the Galaxy Watch 6 and 6 Classic have incredibly bright screens that hit a maximum 2,000 nits, so seeing your watch in all lighting conditions is easy.
All the flagship features you would expect are included: an ECG, blood oxygen, body composition and temperature sensors. Note you do need a Galaxy phone to use the ECG, but all the other features work seamlessly with other Android phones. Like the Apple Watch Series 9, you’ll need to charge the Galaxy Watch 6 every day, especially if you want to track sleep.
Last year’s Galaxy Watch 5 Pro remains in the lineup if you need the best battery life of any Galaxy Watch, lasting up to three days on a charge.
Read our Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 review.
The Pixel Watch 2 is a beautiful-looking Android smartwatch with accurate heart rate tracking and health sensors like an ECG. It fills the gaps with many of the features we wanted in the first Pixel Watch, such as automatic workout detection. If you’re familiar with Fitbit, the Pixel Watch 2 has a similar interface for logging workouts and viewing your health data. For runners, the watch can give you pace guidance and heart rate zone notifications.
Beware that the battery isn’t as strong as some other options on this list, and you will likely find yourself charging this watch every day, especially if you like to do outdoor GPS workouts and track your sleep. It does charge faster than the first Pixel Watch. It’s also still available only in one 41mm size.
Read our Google Pixel Watch 2 review.
Garmin makes plenty of great smartwatches for fitness enthusiasts, but they don’t always have that many smart features. The Venu 2 hybrid smartwatch offers the best of both worlds. You can respond to notifications from the watch with quick replies, use contactless payments with Garmin Pay and store music from apps like Spotify. The bright AMOLED circular screen is easy to see outdoors and the battery lasts for 5 days or more.
The Venu 2 Plus offers all the same features but includes a speaker and microphone for taking quick calls from your wrist when your phone is in range, or talking to your voice assistant. Garmin has recently announced the Venu 3 which we will review soon and update this list accordingly.
Read our Garmin Venu 2 Plus review.
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