Best Smartwatches 2026: 11 Compared (31 Sources)

What are the best smartwatches in 2026?

Summary

Your phone decides first. Apple Watch works only with an iPhone, the Pixel Watch only with Android phones, and Samsung keeps some Galaxy Watch features, including the ECG app and sleep apnea tracking, for Samsung phones [src2]. The OnePlus Watch 3 is Android-only too [src4]. The Garmin Venu 4 and the Amazfit Active 3 Premium work with both iPhone and Android [src1, src5]. Get the platform wrong and nothing else on this card matters.

Apple, Google and Samsung all replaced their main watches between August and September 2026. Samsung's Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 went on sale on 7 August [src14], Tom's Guide published its Pixel Watch 5 review on 19 August [src9], and Apple took orders for the Series 12 and Ultra 4 from 9 September, with deliveries due from 18 September [src7, src8]. Apple's store listed only the Series 12, Ultra 4 and SE 3, plus Hermès editions, when we checked on 2026-10-14 [src21], so the Series 11, this card's previous top pick, and the Ultra 3 leave the card. WIRED and CNN Underscored still rate the Series 11, but WIRED warns against paying anywhere close to its list price, because the Series 12 costs the same [src2, src3].

On Android, the reviews split between this year's Pixel Watch and last year's. WIRED and CNN Underscored pick the Pixel Watch 5, TechRadar's review calls it "the best Android watch yet" for new adopters, and Tom's Guide's review calls it "easily the best Google smartwatch ever" but "a fairly minor upgrade over its predecessor" [src2, src3, src9, src10]. Android Central found that features missing at launch make it hard to recommend over the Pixel Watch 4 [src11], and the guides of Tom's Guide, TechRadar and Android Central still list the Pixel Watch 4 [src1, src4, src6]. Google's store had the Pixel Watch 4 41mm LTE in Champagne Gold at $249.99, $200 off until 18 November, when we checked on 2026-10-14 [src26]. So the Pixel Watch 5 is the Android pick, on the strength of the first four outlets, and the Pixel Watch 4 stays as the cheaper alternative.

For Samsung phone owners, WIRED and Android Central pick the Galaxy Watch 9, and the reviews share one reservation: battery. WIRED averaged about 25 hours with the always-on display, Android Central's review calls the battery life "atrocious", and Tom's Guide says it doesn't have great battery life [src1, src2, src6, src13]. The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is Samsung's rugged option, with a 5,000-nit display, at $699.99 [src3, src6, src28]. Samsung made no Galaxy Watch 9 Classic this year [src14], so the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic and its physical rotating bezel stay on the card: Tom's Guide called it the Galaxy Watch 8 model "most worth buying" [src16].

Past the big three, the OnePlus Watch 3 is TechRadar's and Android Central's pick for battery life: it met its 120-hour claim in TechRadar's testing and lasts four to six days a charge in Android Central's [src4, src6]. The Garmin Venu 4 is NBC Select's best smartwatch for fitness and Android Central's pick for athletes, with Garmin's training tools and no subscription [src5, src6]. And Tom's Guide now names the Amazfit Active 3 Premium its best smartwatch overall: it works with any phone and holds its own against the Apple Watch Series 10 and Pixel Watch 4 for around half their price, and TechRadar's review calls it "outstanding value" [src1, src19].

For more than a day of battery on an iPhone, the Apple Watch Ultra 4 is WIRED's best smartwatch for outdoor adventures: up to 50 hours of normal use against the Ultra 3's 42, satellite messaging and scuba diving to 40 meters, at $799 for the 49mm GPS + Cellular at Apple when we checked on 2026-10-14 [src2, src8, src22]. WIRED's advice is to choose it over the Series 12 only if you need those things, because it shares the Series 12's new health sensors [src2].

Leaving the card: the Galaxy Watch 8 and the Galaxy Watch Ultra (2025), because Samsung replaced both [src14]; the Garmin Fenix 8 and Forerunner 570, because none of the smartwatch guides we read picks them now (our Garmin and running-watch cards cover Garmin's range); and the Withings ScanWatch 2, which TechRadar lists among the watches that did not make its cut and which WIRED says needs "fresh hardware" [src2, src4].

Top 11 Models Compared

Every price in the text is for the exact configuration named in the Model column; case size and connectivity are separate listings at different prices.

The Price column is the last price the daily check saw at the linked listing; today's price and stock are in the picks table at the top. Prices in the text are the makers' own US prices, with the date we checked them.

Best for Each Use Case

Top pick for iPhone: Apple Watch Series 12 42mm GPS ($399 at Apple) — Check price

Tom's Guide calls the Series 12 "the best Apple Watch on the market for most people", WIRED calls it "the best everyday smartwatch for most iPhone users", and CNN Underscored made it its best Apple smartwatch in place of the Series 11. The change is under the case: a new heart-rate sensor takes a reading every five seconds, 60 times as often as the Series 11 in Tom's Guide's account, and feeds a daily Readiness score from zero to 10 and a new Recovery HRV metric. It keeps the hypertension notifications, ECG app and sleep apnea notifications, and charges faster: 15 minutes gives up to 12 hours of use. The battery is still rated for 24 hours (38 in Low Power Mode); in CNN Underscored's testing it lasted a full day and night, to around noon the next day. The Audio Intelligence features, Live Rewind and Siri Recap, are the open question: Tom's Guide could not try them in testing, CNN Underscored says they roll out later in 2026, and WIRED notes they raise privacy questions about the watch's microphone. The design and display are unchanged. Apple sold the 42mm GPS model for $399, the Series 11's price, when we checked on 2026-10-14; the 46mm GPS is $449 and cellular adds $100, Tom's Guide reports. iPhone only. [src1, src2, src3, src7, src21, src23]

Best value: Apple Watch SE 3 40mm GPS (from $249 at Apple) — Check price

CNN Underscored calls the SE 3 "the best budget smartwatch, by far", and TechRadar names it the best Apple Watch for most people. Apple did not update the SE this year, WIRED notes, and it still runs the S10 chip, with an always-on display, Sleep Score and the Wrist Flick and Double Tap gestures; in CNN Underscored's testing it was hard to tell apart from the Series 11 in daily use. Against the Series 12 you give up the ECG app, hypertension notifications and Blood Oxygen, a 2,000-nit display for a 1,000-nit one, and six hours of rated battery, 18 hours against 24. TechRadar praises its fast charging, which the SE 2 lacked. Apple sold it from $249 when we checked on 2026-10-14. iPhone only. [src2, src3, src4, src21, src23]

Best Android: Google Pixel Watch 5 41mm Wi-Fi (from $399.99 at Google) — Check price

WIRED calls the Pixel Watch 5 "the most polished Wear OS smartwatch" and CNN Underscored "the ideal option for any Android user ready to make an upgrade"; TechRadar's review calls it "the best Android watch yet" for new adopters. It looks exactly like the Pixel Watch 4: Tom's Guide lists the same design, dimensions, 3,000-nit display and 30-to-40-hour battery rating. Inside it is about 20% faster, with 50% more RAM, and TechRadar and Tom's Guide both count its more accurate GPS among its strengths. Its new safety feature, Breathing Emergency Detection, was not offered in the US at launch, and its Blood Pressure Trends and Insulin Resistance Trends also come to the Pixel Watch 4, Tom's Guide reports. CNN Underscored got nearly two full days per charge. It stays repairable, and the cellular model has satellite SOS. The price went up by $50 for the 41mm and $30 for the 45mm, Tom's Guide reports, and Google sold it from $399.99 when we checked on 2026-10-14. Android phones only, with a few features, such as camera control and call screening, reserved for Pixel phones. [src2, src3, src9, src10, src25]

Best for Samsung phones: Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 40mm (from $379.99 at Samsung) — Check price

WIRED names the Galaxy Watch 9 the best smartwatch for Samsung users and Android Central its best Android smartwatch overall. WIRED found its heart-rate readings reliable, its sleep tracking solid, its dual-frequency GPS accurate and its automatic workout detection "among the best"; Android Central credits the move to Qualcomm's Snapdragon Wear Elite chip, the 3,000-nit display and four promised software updates. The trouble is battery: WIRED averaged about 25 hours with the always-on display and a full recharge took about 100 minutes, and Android Central's review calls the battery life "atrocious". Tom's Guide adds that it has basically the same design and display as the Galaxy Watch 8 despite costing more, though WIRED says there is no price increase. It pairs with other Android phones, but the ECG app and sleep apnea tracking need a Samsung phone, and WIRED found the new Heart Health Score needs a separate blood-pressure cuff to calibrate. Samsung launched it at $379.99 for 40mm and $409 for 44mm, Tech Advisor reports, and Samsung's store had it from $379.99 when we checked on 2026-10-14. [src1, src2, src6, src13, src14, src27]

Outdoors and multi-day battery (iPhone): Apple Watch Ultra 4 49mm GPS + Cellular ($799 at Apple) — Check price

WIRED's best smartwatch for outdoor adventures, and one of Tom's Guide's "also consider" picks. It gets the Series 12's new health sensors and Readiness score, with more battery: up to 50 hours of normal use against 42 on the Ultra 3, and 84 hours in Low Power Mode; Tom's Guide was easily getting two days in its review, and 15 minutes of charging adds up to 18 hours. Off the grid it can text and reach emergency services by satellite, it has a siren, and WIRED rates it for scuba diving to 40 meters. Its titanium case and 3,000-nit display are the same as the Ultra 3's, Tom's Guide found, and WIRED warns the 49mm case may look oversized on slimmer wrists. WIRED's advice is to choose it over the Series 12 only if you need the battery, satellite messaging or extra water resistance. When we checked on 2026-10-14, Apple's Ultra 4 page priced the 49mm GPS + Cellular at $799, the Ultra 3's price, and Apple's buy page listed the Ultra 4 from $700. iPhone only. [src1, src2, src8, src21, src22, src24]

Rugged Android: Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 47mm LTE ($699.99 at Samsung) — Check price

Android Central's best premium Android smartwatch and, for CNN Underscored, "a fantastic premium pick for Samsung phone owners". It shares the Galaxy Watch 9's Snapdragon Wear Elite chip and adds an 800mAh battery and a 5,000-nit display, up from 3,000 nits on the first Galaxy Watch Ultra, in a titanium case. The testers disagree on its battery: CNN Underscored got three days before recharging, while Android Central's reviewer could barely get through two and needed around two hours to recharge it. Android Central also found Samsung restricts too many features on non-Samsung phones, and CNN Underscored found its sleep and heart-rate data inconsistent at times. It costs $50 more than the model it replaces, and Samsung's store had it at $699.99 when we checked on 2026-10-14. [src3, src6, src14, src15, src28]

Last year's Pixel, cheaper: Google Pixel Watch 4 45mm Wi-Fi — Check price

Three guides still list the Pixel Watch 4: it is Tom's Guide's best smartwatch for Android, TechRadar's best Google watch and Android Central's best for Wear OS, and Android Central says its Pixel Watch 5 review "reinforces that it isn't worth buying over the Pixel Watch 4, at least for now", because most of the new features reach the older watch through updates. It has the same domed 3,000-nit display, a replaceable battery and display, and dual-band GPS. Google rates the 45mm for 40 hours; Tom's Guide found it came closer to 60. TechRadar found its heart rate less accurate than rivals', and it needs a new charger. WIRED would buy it only on sale. When we checked on 2026-10-14, Google's store had the 41mm LTE in Champagne Gold at $249.99, $200 off until 18 November; our link is the 45mm Wi-Fi model, a different configuration. Android phones only. [src1, src2, src4, src6, src26]

Rotating bezel: Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic 46mm Bluetooth ($499.99 at Samsung) — Check price

Samsung made no Galaxy Watch 9 Classic this year, and Tech Advisor expects the Classic to stay on a two-year cycle, so the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic remains Samsung's current model with a physical rotating bezel. Tom's Guide's review called it the Galaxy Watch 8 model "most worth buying": the bezel lets you navigate without touching the screen, a third button handles shortcuts, and it lasted 40 hours or more per charge, against about 30 hours for the standard Galaxy Watch 8. The cost is bulk: about 63 grams and around 13.5mm thick in Tom's Guide's testing. WIRED's senior editor got close to two full days on the Classic and recommends it if you catch it on sale. Samsung's store had it at $499.99 when we checked on 2026-10-14. [src2, src14, src16, src29]

Longest Wear OS battery: OnePlus Watch 3 47mm ($349.99 at OnePlus) — Check price

TechRadar's best smartwatch for battery life and Android Central's pick for battery life on Wear OS: TechRadar found it "definitely good for its 120 hour battery life claims", and Android Central gets four to six days a charge and a recharge in 30 to 40 minutes. It runs Wear OS with Google's apps, and Android Central praises its working rotating crown and 2,200-nit display. The trade-offs: it is big and heavy and has no LTE, TechRadar says; its ECG is not offered in the US, Android Central says; and it lacks the collision and fall alerts of the Pixel and Apple watches, Tom's Guide notes. OnePlus is also at least a year slower than Google and Samsung to add updates, in Android Central's view. OnePlus's US store listed it at $349.99 when we checked on 2026-10-14. Android phones only. [src1, src4, src6, src17, src30]

Fitness training: Garmin Venu 4 45mm ($549 at launch, per Android Central) — Check price

NBC Select's best smartwatch for fitness and Android Central's pick for athletes; Android Central's reviewer calls it "the ideal fitness watch for everyone". You get nearly the full set of Garmin's training tools, including training readiness, a Fitness Coach with suggested workouts and a Health Status widget, with no subscription, plus an ECG app, a built-in flashlight, and a mic and speaker. Garmin rates the 45mm for 12 days in smartwatch mode; Android Central averaged about eight days. It works with iPhone and Android, but it has no offline maps and only basic message replies, and Android Central found it heavy to sleep in. It starts at $549, $100 more than the Venu 3, Android Central reports. [src5, src6, src18]

Any phone, low price: Amazfit Active 3 Premium ($169.99 at Amazfit) — Check price

Tom's Guide's best smartwatch overall, and the one it recommends for most people, "not just because it works with whichever phone you have". Tom's Guide says it holds its own against the Apple Watch Series 10 and Pixel Watch 4 for fitness tracking at around half their price, with built-in GPS, offline maps, more than 170 activity types and no subscription for its features; its review calls it "ridiculously good value", and TechRadar's review calls it "a good-looking, fully-featured fitness tracker that can hang with entries from the major names in the industry". Amazfit rates it for 12 days; Tom's Guide got just over a week, about eight days. What it lacks is on the smart side: no emergency or health alerts (Tom's Guide) and no third-party apps (TechRadar), and Tom's Guide lists its Zepp Pay contactless payments as Europe-only. Amazfit's US store had it at $169.99 when we checked on 2026-10-14. [src1, src19, src20, src31]

Key Market Trends (2026)

• Apple, Google and Samsung all replaced their main watches between August and September: Samsung's Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 went on sale on 7 August, Tom's Guide published its Pixel Watch 5 review on 19 August, and the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 were due to buyers from 18 September. [src7, src8, src9, src14]
• Google and Samsung raised prices; Apple did not: the Pixel Watch 5 costs $50 more than the Pixel Watch 4 at 41mm and $30 more at 45mm, the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is $50 more than the model it replaces, and the Galaxy Watch 9 costs more than last year's model by Android Central's account, though WIRED says there is no price increase; the Series 12 and Ultra 4 kept last year's $399 and $799. [src2, src6, src7, src8, src9]
• This year's upgrades are small, and much of the new software reaches last year's watches: Tom's Guide found the Pixel Watch 5 has the Pixel Watch 4's design, display and battery rating and the Series 12 the Series 11's design, display and battery life, and WIRED reports that the Pixel Watch 4 and Series 11 get many of the new software features. [src2, src7, src9]
• Health scores and trends spread: the Series 12 and Ultra 4 add a daily Readiness score, Samsung adds Vitals, Daily Cardio Load and a Heart Health Score to the Galaxy Watch 9, and Google adds Blood Pressure Trends and Insulin Resistance Trends to the Pixel Watch 5 and Pixel Watch 4. [src2, src7, src9]
• Battery still splits the field: the Apple Watch Ultra 4 is rated for 50 hours and the OnePlus Watch 3 for 120, while the Series 12 is still rated for 24 hours and WIRED got about 25 from the Galaxy Watch 9. [src2, src4, src7]
• Some features arrive after the watch: the Pixel Watch 5's Breathing Emergency Detection was not offered in the US at launch, Android Central found other Pixel Watch 5 features missing at launch, and Apple's Audio Intelligence features roll out to the Series 12 and Ultra 4 later in 2026. [src3, src9, src11]

Important Caveats

• Configuration is the price. Case size and connectivity are separate listings at different prices: the Apple Watch Series 12 is $399 for 42mm GPS, $449 for 46mm GPS and $499 for 42mm GPS + Cellular, and the 45mm Pixel Watch 5 costs $30 more than the 41mm. Cellular smartwatches generally cost about $100 more than their GPS counterparts, CNN Underscored notes. [src3, src7, src9]
• Phone-specific features. Samsung reserves the Galaxy Watch 9's ECG app and sleep apnea tracking for Samsung phones; a few Pixel Watch 5 features, such as camera control and call screening, need a Pixel phone; the OnePlus Watch 3's ECG is not offered in the US. [src2, src6]
• Not every advertised feature was available at launch. The Pixel Watch 5's Breathing Emergency Detection was not offered in the US at launch, and Apple's Audio Intelligence features on the Series 12 and Ultra 4 roll out later in 2026. [src3, src9]
• Read battery figures with their mode and source. Rated and tested figures differ: the 45mm Pixel Watch 4 is rated for 40 hours and came closer to 60 in Tom's Guide's testing, while the Garmin Venu 4 and Amazfit Active 3 Premium are rated for 12 days and lasted about eight in testing. [src1, src18]
• Health alerts are not diagnoses. Tom's Guide notes that reviewers cannot practically test safety features such as sleep apnea and hypertension alerts, and advises against buying any watch specifically for them; in the US these features are regulated by the FDA, it adds, but it cannot verify them itself. [src1]
• Subscriptions. Gemini-built personal coaching on the Pixel Watch 4 needs a Google Health Premium membership, Google's store says, and TechRadar lists Google Health's reliance on its premium AI service among the Pixel Watch 5's drawbacks. The Amazfit Active 3 Premium's features are free apart from the optional Zepp Aura app, and Android Central notes the Venu 4's health tools need no subscription. [src1, src6, src10, src26]
• Prices. Prices in the text are the makers' own US prices with the date we checked them; the live price and stock of each linked listing are in the picks table at the top.