The best smartwatches for Android range greatly in terms of style, price and functionality. In other words, there’s something for everyone.
We tested popular models from Fitbit, Garmin, Google, Samsung and OnePlus assessing core features, wearability, build quality, battery, connectivity, compatibility and value to determine which are truly the best smartwatches for Android smartphone users.
After trying dozens of models while sleeping, working, exercising and running daily errands, we've settled on the Google Pixel Watch 3 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 as our favorite full-featured Android smartwatches, and the Fitbit Versa 4 as the best budget-friendly option.
The quick list
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is the best Android smartwatch we've tested. It has first-rate communication, fitness, health and safety features, making it the best smartwatch for most people.
The Fitbit Versa 4 is a more wallet-friendly alternative to the flagship Fitbit Sense 2. And though it doesn't have as advanced wellness tech, it still packs plenty of features for a smartwatch under $200 including basic fitness, stress and sleep tracking.
The 46mm Google Pixel Watch 3 is the Android battery life king, matching only the premium and pricier Galaxy Watch Ultra in longevity. It's also a darn well-rounded smartwatch.
The Fitbit Sense 2 is one the most intuitive smartwatches thanks to a proactive stress-detection feature. It has robust fitness tracking and a handful of Google apps, even if it's not a true Wear OS watch.
The Garmin Venu 3 is a versatile Garmin watch with a bright AMOLED display, thorough fitness tracking and accurate GPS. It has a long-lasting battery life and Garmin Coach for custom training plans, too.
If you’re looking for a perfect companion to your OnePlus smartphone, the OnePlus Watch 2 is your best pick. It has a sharp design and solid fitness tracking.
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The Garmin Forerunner 265 is the best overall Garmin for most people. It has a bright AMOLED screen, comes in two different screen sizes, has accurate GPS, and advanced training metrics.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is a sporty and rugged GPS watch with up to 48 hours of battery life and more health and fitness tracking tech than any other option here, except for the Galaxy Watch 7.
The Garmin Instinct 2 is an adventure-ready sports watch for the right price. With solar charging for ongoing battery life and waterproofing up to 100m, it's up for the outdoors.
My name is Kate and I oversee our guides to the best smartwatches, best Android smartwatches, best Apple Watches, best Samsung watches and more. This means I usually walk around like a cyborg with multiple devices on my wrists. I've been testing wearable tech for Tom's Guide for more than 5 years, documenting my experience on the site, on our YouTube channel and on my Instagram.
The best Android smartwatches you can buy today
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The best Android smartwatch overall
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is the best smartwatch for Android users thanks to its focus on AI-backed health and fitness insights. Lightweight and comfortable, you can choose from two sizes, each with up to 40 hours of battery life when using the power-saving mode and 24 hours with the always-on screen.
While the Galaxy Watch 7 looks nearly identical to its predecessor, the Galaxy Watch 6, an updated processor, GPS antenna and new BioActive health sensor make it a much more capable device. You also get double the storage capacity.
The most impressive feature, though, is the Galaxy Watch 7's advanced sleep analysis which is available after your first night wearing it. You also get Samsung's new, daily Energy Score to help plan your day, along with accurate fitness tracking and monitoring for health anomalies including sleep apnea and irregular heartbeats.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 review.
The best Android smartwatch under $200
The Fitbit Versa 4 is the brand's midrange fitness-tracking smartwatch sporting the same basic design as the higher-end Fitbit Sense 2 including a large bright touch display and slim, comfortable-wearing case, but with less sophisticated wellness tracking tech.
Still, the Versa 4 keeps tabs on the basics like workouts, steps, sleep quality and stress. It even monitors for serious conditions like irregular heart rhythms. An onboard GPS allows you to track outdoor activities without carrying your phone, though there's no storage for offline music listening like on the previous-gen Versa 3.
The Versa 4 also features Amazon's Alexa voice assistant built-in, which lets you do such things as control smart home devices, look up the weather and news, and a lot more. Third-party apps are limited but the device does support Google Maps and Google Wallet for contactless payments. You also get mirrored smartphone notifications and up to six days of battery life, all for under $200.
Read our full Fitbit Versa 4 review.
The best Android smartwatch for battery life
For the first time ever, the Google Pixel Watch comes in two sizes, 41mm and 45mm. However, it's the larger model that's a battery life beast, easily lasting for up to 48 hours in our testing, putting it up there with the pricier and higher-end Galaxy Watch Ultra.
The Pixel Watch 3 also features a thinner bezel than its predecessor and twice the maximum screen brightness, 2,000 nits vs. 1,000 nits, making it a match with the Galaxy Watch 7. Google's flagship smartwatch is a little heavier and thicker than its Samsung counterpart but I still found it comfortable to wear day and night, regardless of whether you rock the 41mm or 45mm.
Like the latest Galaxy Watches, the new Pixel Watch 3 offers loads of tools centered around exercise and wellness. Google also unveiled a first-of-its-kind loss of pulse detection feature that works similarly to fall/crash detection, alerting help when triggered. However, it won't be available at launch in the U.S. but will be for folks in the UK and Europe.
The Pixel Watch 3 additionally inherits many of Fitbit's best training metrics, including a daily Readiness score, Cardio Load metric and Target Load score. There are also new metrics for hardcore runners to help improve form and a handy new Build a Run tool.
Read our full Google Pixel Watch 3 review.
The best Android smartwatch for wellness
Compared to the original Fitbit Sense, the Sense 2 features an upgraded design, interface and EDA sensor, making for Fitbit's most holistic smartwatch yet. Thanks to advanced health analysis and deep integration with Fitbit Premium, the Sense 2 also sustains an edge in fitness-tracking over many of the best smartwatches for Android on this list.
An update to the stress-detecting EDA (electrodermal activity) sensor plays a large role in the device’s success: now called cEDA ('c' for continuous,) the sensor monitors stress levels or heightened responses throughout the day, prompting the user to take action on mood monitoring with Body Response notifications. However, added support for Google Wallet and Google Maps, while useful upgrades, won’t be available for the Fitbit Sense 2 at launch. There’s oddly no third-party app support, either. Still, for a smartwatch that helps you get in touch with how you feel, the Sense 2 succeeds.
Read our full Fitbit Sense 2 review.
The best Android smartwatch for fitness
The Garmin Venu 3 is one of the best Garmin watches that’s both a capable workout companion and stylish lifestyle device. The $449 Garmin Venu 3 maintains Garmin’s reputation for thorough fitness tracking and accurate GPS, while having the smarts of mirrored notifications and an on-wrist voice assistant.
Though Garmin still lacks a large third-party app store and continues to steer clear of LTE support, nap-tracking and a new sleep coach work on tracking your rest while daily summaries offer behavioral insights. An abundance of sport profiles, added Recovery Time suggestions, and on-watch interval creation keep you tuned into your activity, too. What's more with a 14-hour battery life, you rarely need to stress about keeping the Garmin Venu 3 charged.
Read our full Garmin Venu 3 review.
The best Android smartwatch for OnePlus
The OnePlus Watch 2 is the ultimate accessory for those with OnePlus smartphones, although it is compatible with any Android smartphone. The combination of elegant design and durability rivals pricier alternatives. OnePlus has also integrated its RTOS (real-time operating system) with Wear OS 4, the software powering popular flagships you'll find on this list of the best Android smartwatches.
Loaded with a thorough suite of accurate health sensors, the OnePlus Watch 2 makes a strong pitch as a fitness tracker, too. In addition to sleep- and stress-tracking, the watch supports activity tracking for dozens of sports types. Plus there are perks for select sports modes such as running. The dual-frequency GPS makes sure your movement is monitored precisely all the while. The only things to note is that it lacks some modern smartwatch features like LTE support and fall detection, so keep that in mind while shopping.
Read our full OnePlus Watch 2 review.
The best Android smartwatch for running
The Garmin Forerunner 265 is the best smartwatch for runners. Lightweight and comfortable, the 265 offers everything you’d want in a running watch, including a wealth of accurate tracking metrics, music controls, customizable workouts and more. You also get access to Garmin’s wide range of training insights, which can help you plan workouts and periods of recovery.
During testing, we found the Garmin Forerunner 265's beautiful AMOLED screen easy to view in direct sunlight. Users can navigate the watch's interface via touchscreen or physical buttons; I prefer the latter when I'm sweaty. Battery life is ample enough for marathons, even while listening to music.
The 265 supports tracking complex multisport training sessions using the triathlon mode. Plus, users have access to advanced features usually reserved for Garmin’s more expensive running watches, like Training Readiness Score and Morning Report.
Ultimately, the Forerunner 265 is a fantastic improvement on an already fantastic watch and a great buy for all levels of runner. However, for something nearly as competent but a little more wallet-friendly, check out the Garmin Forerunner 165.
Read our full Garmin Forerunner 265 review.
The best Android smartwatch for adventures
The Galaxy Watch Ultra is the best Android smartwatch for adventures thanks to a tough-built, lightweight titanium case, ultra-bright 3,000 nit screen, accurate GPS tracking, offline maps and Samsung's latest BioActive health monitoring tech. It also has a Track Back feature to help you find your way home, a customizable Action button that can be set up as a flashlight and up to 48 hours of battery life.
Sleep analysis and insights are industry-leading (and a match with the Galaxy Watch 7). You also get AI-powered tips and suggestions for improving your health along with monitoring for conditions including sleep apnea and irregular heartbeats.
Water resistance is 100 meters, though Samsung advises against wearing it while diving or during other high-pressure water activities. Still, the thing is built to take a beating with its screen protected by the metal bezel and side buttons guarded by bumpers.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra review.
The best Android smartwatch for outdoors
The Garmin Instinct 2 boasts an infinite battery life — yep, it has the power to last forever, charging with the sunlight. There are a few catches, from which features work on solar power, to which versions of the Garmin Instinct 2 even pack a solar panel, to how many hours a day the watch needs to be exposed to sunlight. But beyond that, the Instinct 2 is better than the first Garmin Instinct in almost every way.
It retains it's rugged feel, while borrowing features from some of Garmin's more expensive watches. It also now comes in a smaller 40mm size — the 2S, designed for smaller wrists. Unlike the new Garmin Fenix 7 range, there's no touchscreen, but the five-button functionality is easy to figure out, and use on the move.
Read our full Garmin Instinct 2 review.
How to choose the best smartwatch for Android for you
When looking at the best smartwatches for Android, you have plenty of options, no matter the connected smartphone brand (as long it’s not an iPhone, obviously.) That said, if you have a Samsung smartphone, you’ll probably enjoy the ecosystem experience of a Samsung-made Galaxy Watch more than a smartwatch from Fitbit or other third-party maker. But if fitness tracking or working out is your priority, a Fitbit or Garmin wearable might be better for reaching your goals.
After that, when picking any smartwatch, you want to get one that fits your wrist comfortably. Those with smaller wrists may find larger smartwatches — ones with case sizes larger than 44mm — bulky and cumbersome. Many of the watches listed above are large, which might make them awkward to wear overnight. On the other hand, the larger displays make whatever is on your screen easier to read.
Lastly, consider style. Some of the best smartwatches for Android look like high-tech fitness trackers while others look like traditional timepieces. If you want something sporty, stick to sleek materials with fewer embellishments. If you want something you can wear on nicer occasions, look for bezels or other eye-catching accents.
How we test the best smartwatches for Android
Whenever an attractive, Android-compatible smartwatch is released, we fully charge it up, then strap it on our wrist for about a week or so to test out all the features.
We gauge how it feels on our wrist throughout our day-to-day, as well as how easy (or not) the interface is to navigate when we need to read notifications, set timers or change other settings. Next, we look at its fitness features, such as heart rate readings, blood oxygen readings, step counts and, when applicable, GPS. How accurate are all these readings?
Finally we consider battery life claims and compare it to our actual use. Some features like continuous GPS use, playing music or enabling an always-on display chew up juice faster than others. We understand that not all smartwatches last two weeks — we just want our experience to match up with the expectations put forth by the company.
