Best smartwatches in Australia 2024: Top picks for every budget

Apple Watch Series 10
(Image credit: Future)

The best smartwatches in Australia are arguably becoming more advanced (and stylish) as the years roll on. The first Apple Watch debuted in 2015, meaning it hasn't been a decade since smartwatches have taken over — with some progressing faster than some smartphone models.

Watches are now everything in one: a comprehensive health and fitness tracker, digital wallet, and an extension of your smartphone, especially if your smartphone is nowhere nearby. We've tested dozens of the best smartwatches to find the ones that will be best for all types of users, so check out our top picks below.

Leading the pack is the Apple Watch 10, our top smartwatch for iPhone users. While it only sports a minor upgrade to the Series 9 with a larger display and thinner design, it's the most feature-packed, easy-to-use smartwatch worth purchasing right now.

If you're an Android user, the best smartwatch is the Google Pixel Watch 3, which houses more of Fitbit's tracking features, including improved rest and recovery insights.

Today's best smartwatches can measure your heart rate, detect elevations, and automatically connect you to emergency services if you have a fall. Electrocardiogram (ECG) and blood oxygen (SpO2) readings are also perks of certain models.

You can also refer to our smartwatch buying guide for more tips on finding the ultimate wearable for your lifestyle. And be sure to look at the best cheap smartwatches if you want to save some cash. Here are the best smartwatches to buy right now in Australia.

The best smartwatches in Australia you can buy today

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1. Apple Watch Series 10

The best smartwatch for iPhone

Specifications

Sizes: 42mm, 46mm
Battery Life (Rated): 18 hours
GPS: Yes
Swim-Proof: Yes
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
LTE: Optional
Mobile Payments: Apple Pay
Compatibility: iOS

Reasons to buy

+
Wide-angle OLED displays
+
10% lighter design than predecessor
+
Sleep apnea detection
+
Ships with watchOS 11
+
Faster charging

Reasons to avoid

-
Same 18-hour battery life
-
Blood Oxygen app disabled

The Apple Watch 10 is the best Apple Watch yet. It’s not a major upgrade over the Apple Watch Series 9 but there are some noteworthy changes. The case is now 10% thinner and the screen is 10% larger compared to the Series 9. It's also easier to view at odd angles thanks to Apple's use of wide-angle OLED display technology.

Gone are the 41mm and 45mm case sizes, replaced by new 42mm and 46mm cases. By the way, the larger of the two models boasts even more screen real estate than the Ultra series. There are also new case finishes and materials, too, including lightweight titanium options.

Throughout testing, we found the Apple Watch 10's design changes led to significant usability improvements. From tracking workouts to messaging friends to navigating cities and monitoring sleep, the Series 10 can do it all. Speaking of sleep, this is the first Apple Watch with sleep apnea detection.

The device ships running watchOS 11. This new software delivers a new Vitals app, the ability to translate languages on your wrist, and — finally — the option to disable your Apple Watch rings when you need a rest day.

The Series 10 also boasts faster charging and the ability to play audio through the watch's speaker, not just phone calls. It also inherits the Ultra's water Depth app for swimmers and snorkelers, along with a new water temperature sensor. All of this adds up to the best Apple Watch for most people, and also the best smartwatch for iPhone users overall.

Read our full Apple Watch 10 review.

2. Samsung Galaxy Watch 7

The best budget smartwatch for Android

Specifications

Sizes: 40mm, 44mm
Battery Life (Rated): 40 hours
GPS: Yes
Swim-Proof: Yes
LTE: Optional
Mobile Payments: Samsung Pay

Reasons to buy

+
Accurate and detailed sleep insights
+
Useful AI-powered wellness features
+
Comfortable design and responsive user interface
+
Double the storage capacity of its predecessor

Reasons to avoid

-
One day of battery life
-
Health-monitoring features like sleep apnea detection require a Galaxy phone

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is the best smartwatch for Android users thanks to impressive AI-underpinned holistic insights, a lightweight and comfortable design, practical health monitoring tech and useful apps.

Available in 40 and 44mm, the design of the device remains unchanged from its predecessor. However, under the hood, the Watch 7 boasts an upgraded GPS antenna with outstanding accuracy, double the storage capacity of its predecessor, and a faster, more power-efficient processor.

Battery life is good for roughly 24 hours using the always-on display and 40 hours in power-save mode, which is par for the course.

Sleep insights are provided after only one night of use, unlike the competition, and are detailed yet highly digestible. However, the best feature on the Galaxy Watch 7 has to be Samsung's near Energy Score metric, which is updated daily and takes into account sleep quality, recent workouts and more to help keep you motivated.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 review.

3. Google Pixel Watch 3

The best Android smartwatch overall

Specifications

Sizes: 41 and 45mm
Battery Life (Tested): 24 hours (41mm); 48 hours (45mm)
GPS: Yes
Swim-Proof: Yes
LTE: Optional
Mobile Payments: Google Wallet

Reasons to buy

+
Two days of battery life (45mm model)
+
Useful sleep, wellness and training insights
+
Twice the screen brightness of the Pixel Watch 2
+
Advanced running form metrics

Reasons to avoid

-
One day of battery life (41mm model)
-
Lengthy multi-week calibration period for metrics like Target Load

The newly launched Google Pixel Watch 3 comes in both 41mm and 45mm models. You'll want to opt for the larger model to get the most out of this easy-wearing and fairly sleek-looking device. It's not quite as thin as the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 nor is it as light, but the 45mm Pixel Watch 3 offers nearly double the battery life of its Samsung rival.

The 41mm Pixel Watch 3 on the other hand, lasts for closer to 24 hours (like the Galaxy Watch 7). However, both models benefit from a thinner bezel compared to the Pixel Watch 2, and an upgraded screen that's easier to see in bright sunlight.

Google's health and fitness tools are largely on par with Samsung's with details into sleep quality and exercise, insights into workout recovery, menstrual health tracking and more. 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 wasn't available at launch in Australia or the U.S., but consumers in the UK and Europe can access the feature.

The Pixel Watch 3 additionally inherits some of Fitbit's best training metrics to help users better understand their day-to-day wellness and heart health, while avoiding overtraining. These include Fitbit's Readiness score, Cardio Load metric and Target Load score. There are also new metrics for hardcore runners into form.

Read our full Google Pixel Watch 3.

4. Apple Watch SE (2022)

The best affordable smartwatch for iPhone users

Specifications

Sizes: 40mm, 44mm
Battery Life (Rated): 18 hours
GPS: Yes
Swim-Proof: Yes
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
LTE: Optional
Mobile Payments: Apple Pay
Compatibility: iOS

Reasons to buy

+
Lower price than previous Apple Watch SE
+
Color-matched bottom case
+
Same chipset as Apple Watch Series 8

Reasons to avoid

-
No always-on display

The Apple Watch SE is kind of a hybrid device, pairing an older Apple Watch design with the Apple Watch Series 8's chipset. The AU$399 smartwatch doesn't have all the Series 8's features, but still stands out for its great fitness tracking and safety features. It also offers an LTE option, making it a good choice for those interested in trying out Family Setup.

When choosing between the Apple Watch Series 8 vs. Apple Watch SE (2022), your ultimate decision will be if you want to spend an extra AU$230 for a bigger, brighter display with an always-on option, an ECG monitor and skin-temperature sensor. If those tools aren't deal-breakers for you, the SE is a highly capable option for iPhone users. It even gets watchOS 9, the most up-to-date Apple Watch software with low power mode, fresh new watch faces, an upgraded workout interface, a redesigned compass tool and the new Medications app.

Read our full Apple Watch SE (2022) review.

5. Garmin Venu 3

The best fitness-tracking smartwatch

Specifications

Sizes: 41mm, 45mm
Battery Life (Rated): 14 days
GPS: Yes
Swim-Proof: Yes
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
LTE: No
Mobile Payments: Garmin Pay
Compatibility: iOS, Android

Reasons to buy

+
Intuitive sleep and workout advice
+
Borrows features from high-end Garmin watches
+
Up to 14 days of battery life

Reasons to avoid

-
Not enough third-party apps

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.

6. Apple Watch Ultra 2

The best smartwatch for safety and sports

Specifications

Sizes: 49mm
Heart Rate: Yes
GPS: Yes
LTE: Optional
Battery Life: 36 hours
Swim-Proof: Yes
Mobile Payments: Apple Pay

Reasons to buy

+
Best battery life of any Apple Watch
+
Action Button
+
Emergency siren

Reasons to avoid

-
Battery life doesn’t compare with competitors

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is the best smartwatch to buy if you're a serious athlete or prioritize safety features on your wrist. In addition to new watchOS running features, the Ultra has an extra third button — the Action Button, which comes in handy for workouts but also serves as a quick way to access safety features, such as Emergency SOS and the Apple Watch Ultra's Siren.

Its 49mm screen is huge while the entire watch built for adventure. The bezel is made from titanium, with a lip around the screen to add more protection. The display is made from sapphire glass, and the watch has an increased water resistance of 100m. With up to 60 hours of battery life (in low power mode), it also has the stamina to keep up. It's still not the best battery life option compared to Garmin's sports watches, but it's better than any other Apple Watch.

The Apple Watch Ultra is a serious smartwatch. We found it's not for everyone, but depending on your needs, it could strike the right balance.

Read our full Apple Watch Ultra 2 review.