The Best Android Watch for 2022 - PCMag

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Not funny successful an Apple Watch? No problem. These are the top-rated Android-compatible smartwatches we've tested.

By Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Senior Analyst, Fitness and Smart Home


My Experience

I'm PCMag's adept connected fittingness and astute location technology, and I've written much than 6,000 articles and reviews successful the 10-plus years I've been here. I unbox, acceptable up, test, and reappraisal a wide scope of user tech products from my location successful Florida, often with the assistance of my pitbull Bradley. I'm besides a yoga instructor, and person been actively teaching radical and backstage classes for astir a decade. 

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OUR TOP TESTED PRODUCTS

Best Apple Watch Alternative

Samsung Galaxy Watch 5

Best Apple Watch Alternative

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Most Rugged Design

Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro

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Best for Pixel Phone Users

Google Pixel Watch

Best for Pixel Phone Users

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Best Stress Management Features

Fitbit Sense 2

Best Stress Management Features

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Best for Fans of the Rotating Bezel

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic

Best for a Rotating Bezel

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Best for Small Wrists

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Best Fitness-Focused Smartwatch

Garmin Venu 2

Best Fitness-Focused Smartwatch

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Best Sports Training Companion

Polar Ignite 2

Best Sports Training Companion

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Best for Extreme Temperatures

Amazfit T-Rex

Best for Extreme Temperatures

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Best Budget-Friendly Model

Fitbit Versa 3

Best Budget-Friendly Model

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You Can Trust Our Reviews

The enactment of Android-compatible smartwatches has ne'er been better. Hot connected the heels of Samsung's latest launches, the Galaxy Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro, Google entered the marketplace this autumn with its first-ever smartwatch, the Pixel Watch.

Similar to however the Apple Watch lone works with iPhones, caller Samsung and Google models are exclusive to Android phones. They tally Wear OS and diagnostic preinstalled Google apps similar Maps and the Play Store, though each exemplary offers a unsocial plan and features.

In summation to these models, appealing options abound from fitness-focused brands specified arsenic Fitbit, Garmin, and Polar. Wearables from these companies typically past aggregate days connected a complaint and enactment with some Android and iOS. 

Needless to say, with each this prime comes confusion. If you request immoderate assistance narrowing down your options, work connected for the champion Android smartwatches we've tested.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 5

Samsung Galaxy Watch 5

Best Apple Watch Alternative

With a sleek design, an ample app selection, and a competitory price, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 is the champion smartwatch for astir Android users. It builds upon its fantabulous predecessor with a bigger artillery that lasted for 30 hours with the always-on show enabled successful investigating (6 hours longer than the Watch 4) and a much durable sapphire crystal solid display. It besides adds an infrared sensor that's susceptible of measuring your assemblage temperature, but we're inactive waiting for bundle enactment connected that front. Starting astatine $279.99, the Watch 5 comes successful tiny (40mm) and ample (44mm) sizes, 4 antithetic aluminum lawsuit colors (black, silver, blue, oregon pink), and 2 connectivity options (with oregon without LTE), frankincense accommodating a wide scope of buyers.

PROS

  • Competitive price
  • Sleek design
  • Bright, durable display
  • Good app selection
  • Slight artillery beingness betterment implicit erstwhile generation
  • Digital bezel for speedy scrolling

CONS

  • Temperature information unavailable astatine launch
  • Lacks outdoor-specific features of Pro model
  • Questionable SpO2 measurements
  • No bosom complaint variability oregon respiration data

Read Our Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Review

Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro

Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro

Most Rugged Design

The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is the rugged exemplary successful Samsung's existent lineup. Meant for adventurers, it offers each the features of the modular model, arsenic good arsenic a importantly amended artillery (it ran for 57 hours with the always-on show enabled successful testing), a much durable titanium case, and an adjacent harder sapphire crystal solid display. It besides boasts respective exclusive outdoor-specific features, including the quality to import cycling and hiking routes for turn-by-turn directions. The Pro exemplary is disposable lone successful a 45mm lawsuit size, which is simply a shame for radical with slim wrists. At $449.99 (or $170 much than the modular model), it's a bully prime for upland bikers, way runners, hikers, and those who enactment outdoors, arsenic good arsenic anyone who wants a afloat featured Android-compatible smartwatch that lasts much than a time connected a charge.

PROS

  • Up to 3 days of artillery life
  • Exclusive outdoor features
  • Bright, durable display
  • Titanium case
  • Good app selection
  • Excellent outdoor moving insights

CONS

  • Only comes successful 1 size
  • Touch bezel doesn't ever work
  • D-Buckle Sport set tin easy travel undone
  • Temperature information unavailable astatine launch
  • Thicker than stated

Read Our Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro Review

Google Pixel Watch

Google Pixel Watch

Best for Pixel Phone Users

The Pixel Watch is the archetypal smartwatch with Google hardware and software. Aesthetically, it's a enactment of caller air, with a domed look that looks similar a puddle of h2o connected your wrist. On the bundle side, it augments Wear OS with a dense dose of Fitbit features (remember, Google owns Fitbit). It besides includes each the preinstalled manner and fittingness options you would expect from a premium smartwatch. And with entree to the Play Store, you tin customize the acquisition with tons of third-party apps. We faced immoderate insignificant syncing issues and iffy telephone prime successful testing, but the Pixel Watch different performed good and lived up to Google's assertion of 24-hour artillery life. The Galaxy Watch 5 retains our Editors' Choice grant due to the fact that it costs $70 less, offers akin functionality and performance, and has a much durable design, but the Pixel Watch is simply a compelling alternate for Pixel telephone owners.

PROS

  • Attractive plan with stainless alloy case
  • Bright, responsive display
  • Good app selection
  • Secure set attachment system
  • Fitbit fittingness tracking
  • ECG app

CONS

  • Some syncing difficulties successful testing
  • Only comes successful 1 size
  • No dust-resistance rating
  • Doesn't way tegument somesthesia oregon SpO2
  • Lacks precocious moving metrics

Read Our Google Pixel Watch Review

Fitbit Sense 2

Fitbit Sense 2

Best Stress Management Features

The Sense 2, Fitbit's top-of-the-line wearable, makes it casual to show your wellness and negociate your stress. Its caller sensors show for carnal signs of accent each time and assistance you way your moods to enactment mindful. Fitbit lowered the terms this procreation and removed respective manner apps, steering it much toward wellness to differentiate it from Google's Pixel Watch. We don't similar the look of the caller transparent show borderline for the bosom bushed sensor, but the second-generation Sense offers immoderate usability improvements implicit the original, including a much responsive interaction screen, a carnal (vs. haptic) button, and somewhat amended artillery beingness (around 5 days connected a complaint successful our testing). The much affordable Fitbit Versa 4, which besides tracks cardinal wellness metrics similar breathing rate, bosom complaint variability, and tegument somesthesia variation, is the amended prime for astir people, but if you privation each the wellness-focused bells and whistles, including an ECG sensor and a much robust accent absorption experience, the Sense 2 is superior.

PROS

  • Slim, lightweight, comfy design
  • Improved touch-screen responsiveness
  • 5-day artillery life
  • Large, agleam display
  • Excellent accent absorption features
  • Accurate assemblage somesthesia data

CONS

  • Aesthetic downgrade from archetypal model
  • No third-party app support
  • Some manner apps from past procreation removed
  • Band merchandise latch tin beryllium accidentally triggered

Read Our Fitbit Sense 2 Review

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic

Best for a Rotating Bezel

Fans of Samsung's smartwatches mightiness beryllium bummed that some the Watch 5 and the Watch 5 Pro deficiency a carnal rotating bezel, a diagnostic disposable connected galore of the company's older wearables. Fortunately, the Watch 4 Classic from 2021 remains connected merchantability for those who privation this feature. The rotating bezel is simply a pleasance to use, allows for speedy scrolling, and gives the wearable a rugged look. Like its newer siblings, the Watch 4 Classic runs Wear OS, truthful it has entree to Google Maps, the Play Store, and a amended enactment of third-party apps than immoderate of Samsung's erstwhile Tizen watches.

PROS

  • Attractive classical ticker design
  • Rotating carnal bezel for casual navigation
  • Bright, crisp display
  • Fast processor
  • Body abdominous and creation measurements
  • Tracks snoring
  • More third-party apps than erstwhile Samsung watches

CONS

  • Short artillery life
  • Third-party app enactment inactive trails Apple's watchOS

Read Our Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic Review

Garmin Lily

Garmin Lily

Best for Small Wrists

The Garmin Lily is simply a fitness-focused smartwatch with a dainty, jewelry-inspired design. More than conscionable attractive, the Lily tin way your humor oxygen saturation, breathing, bosom rate, stress, and more, positive tally for astir 4 days connected a charge. Although it is chiefly a wellness wearable, it offers immoderate utile manner features specified arsenic telephone notifications, euphony playback controls, and calendar and upwind widgets. It's not rather arsenic value-rich arsenic the likewise priced Fitbit Versa 3, which has an always-on show and a built-in GPS, but the Lily is simply a apical prime if you privation a smartwatch with style. 

PROS

  • Stylish classical ticker design
  • Measures breathing, vigor level, and stress
  • SpO2 sensor
  • Lots of utile widgets
  • Excellent companion app

CONS

  • No built-in GPS
  • Lacks a colour display

Read Our Garmin Lily Review

Garmin Venu 2

Garmin Venu 2

Best Fitness-Focused Smartwatch

If you similar the look of the Lily, but privation a much feature-rich smartwatch, cheque retired the Garmin Venu 2. On the fittingness front, it boasts a built-in GPS, much than 2 twelve sports profiles, preloaded workouts with on-screen signifier animations, and moving and cycling grooming plans. It offers retention for up to 650 songs, makes it casual to download Spotify playlists, and connects seamlessly to Bluetooth headphones, truthful you tin way a tally and perceive to euphony astatine the aforesaid time, each without your phone. It comes successful 2 sizes and respective colour options, uses a gorgeous always-on AMOLED display, and sports a classy stainless alloy bezel. It's 1 of the astir fashionable wearables we've tested, and its artillery runs for six days connected a charge. 

PROS

  • Attractive classical ticker plan successful 2 sizes and aggregate colors
  • Bright, responsive AMOLED interaction screen
  • Measures humor oxygen saturation (SpO2), respiration, stress, and vigor levels
  • New HIIT and updated spot grooming apps
  • Preloaded workouts with animations
  • Onboard euphony storage
  • Supports Bluetooth accessories and contactless payments

CONS

  • Expensive
  • Limited third-party app selection
  • No dependable adjunct support

Read Our Garmin Venu 2 Review

Polar Ignite 2

Polar Ignite 2

Best Sports Training Companion

Polar's products basal retired for their accuracy, but the Ignite 2 besides has style. On the plan side, this GPS fittingness ticker features a agleam colour interaction screen, an engraved metallic bezel, and Swarovski crystal-embellished accessory bands (sold separately) for those who similar a spot of bling. It supports up to 20 sports profiles astatine a clip from a database of 100—everything from shot to rollerskating—and besides offers smartwatch features similar euphony controls and upwind forecasts.

PROS

  • Stylish plan with engraved metallic bezel
  • Large colour interaction screen
  • New play summary dashboard
  • Connects with Bluetooth gym instrumentality and cycling computers
  • Features euphony controls and upwind reports

CONS

  • Lacks an always-on display
  • Occasional telephone syncing issues
  • No downloadable apps, mobile payments support, oregon onboard euphony storage

Read Our Polar Ignite 2 Review

Amazfit T-Rex

Amazfit T-Rex

Best for Extreme Temperatures

Although astir wearables tin grip immoderate sweat, peculiarly harsh conditions mightiness origin them immoderate issues. The Amazfit T-Rex, connected the different hand, has military-grade certifications that should support it from adjacent accident-prone individuals. Amazfit calls it a smartwatch and it does connection smartphone app notifications and basal euphony controls, but it lacks features similar mobile payments and downloadable apps. The trade-off is astonishing artillery life: It promises up to 20 days of powerfulness connected a complaint oregon 40 hours with the GPS active. It's much of a fittingness tracker successful our book, however, and, from that angle, it's a coagulated enactment for the price.

PROS

  • Rugged
  • Offers accelerated bosom complaint warnings
  • Tracks sleep
  • Features casual euphony controls
  • Good artillery life

CONS

  • Glitchy app successful testing
  • Doesn’t assistance you recognize your metrics

Read Our Amazfit T-Rex Review

Fitbit Versa 3

Fitbit Versa 3

Best Budget-Friendly Model

If you're successful the marketplace for a budget-friendly smartwatch, the third-generation Versa from precocious 2020 is inactive a beardown contender. On the manner front, it supports Amazon Alexa, app notifications, Fitbit Pay mobile payments, Deezer and Pandora euphony and podcast storage, and Spotify euphony controls. It besides offers each the fantabulous fittingness and wellness features that person made the Versa enactment a favourite of ours, including 24/7 bosom complaint monitoring, guided breathing exercises, and automatic workout recognition. You besides get a GPS for pace, distance, and way tracking without your phone, arsenic good arsenic an SpO2 sensor to measurement humor oxygen saturation portion you sleep. With six-day artillery beingness and an always-on colour display, it's the champion Android-compatible smartwatch successful the sub-$200 range. 

PROS

  • Attractive plan with large, always-on colour display
  • Integrated GPS
  • Battery charges rapidly and lasts for days
  • Measures humor oxygen level portion sleeping
  • Supports Amazon Alexa, Fitbit Pay, and Spotify

CONS

  • Laggy interaction screen
  • No accent tracking, tegument temperature, oregon ECG sensors
  • Doesn't supply precocious and debased bosom complaint notifications

Read Our Fitbit Versa 3 Review

Buying Guide: The Best Android Watch for 2022


Google Pixel Watch

Google Pixel Watch (Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)

Check Your Phone's Compatibility

Before purchasing immoderate smartwatch, beryllium definite to cheque whether it's compatible with your phone.

Samsung's Galaxy Watch 5 lineup and the Pixel Watch necessitate a smartphone moving astatine slightest Android 8.0. Keep successful caput that portion you tin brace the Watch 5 with Android phones of a antithetic brand, immoderate features, including ECG measurements, enactment lone with Samsung handsets. The Pixel Watch, meanwhile, doesn't person immoderate limitations erstwhile you brace it with non-Pixel handsets. Check retired our in-depth smartwatch reviews for telephone compatibility details.

Also support successful caput that the coming twelvemonth is definite to bring caller iterations of beauteous overmuch each ticker connected this list, not to notation wholly caller ones. But if you're looking for the finest Android smartwatch disposable today, you can't spell incorrect with immoderate of our picks above.

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About Angela Moscaritolo

Senior Analyst, Fitness and Smart Home

Angela Moscaritolo

I'm PCMag's adept connected fittingness and astute location technology, and I've written much than 6,000 articles and reviews successful the 10-plus years I've been here. I unbox, acceptable up, test, and reappraisal a wide scope of user tech products from my location successful Florida, often with the assistance of my pitbull Bradley. I'm besides a yoga instructor, and person been actively teaching radical and backstage classes for astir a decade. 

Before becoming an expert successful 2020, I spent 8 years arsenic a newsman covering user tech news. Prior to joining PCMag, I was a newsman for SC Magazine, focusing connected hackers and machine security. I earned a BS successful journalism from West Virginia University, and started my vocation penning for newspapers successful New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

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