When looking for the best Android smartwatch, there’s a lot to think about. You’ll need to consider what great features you want most such as exercise tracking or something more advanced like heart rate monitoring or GPS functionality, but you’ll also want to think about what style suits your look the best. And, of course, you’ll need to have a think about what your budget is too. We’ve tested all the key watch-like wearables on the market to help you decide which devices best meet these criteria so that you can find the one that works for you.
Over the last 12 months, we’ve seen a lot of new wearables come out, including the Fitbit Versa 3 and TicWatch Pro 3, which are the most recent additions to the list. Notably, not all the devices on this list use Google’s Wear OS (like the Fitbit Versa 3) so we have a separate list of the best Wear OS watches if that’s what you’re looking for.
Otherwise, we’ve ranked the eight best smartwatches that are compatible with Android phones in this definitive list. Our rankings are based on price, performance, design, and how well the watch integrates with the Android ecosystem of fitness apps. You’re spoiled for choice so take the time to read through the full reviews too and don’t forget — if you’re an iPhone owner, these will still work with your Apple phone but may lack a few features.
If you can hold on until Amazon Prime Day 2021 we’re expecting to see some chunky discounts on a variety of different Android smartwatches. Amazon has a good reputation for cutting the prices on a lot of technology during Prime Day and we expect that to be the case for Android smartwatches. Expect to see price cuts for all things Samsung and Fitbit with a focus on the Fitbit Versa 3 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 extremely likely.
Not only is the Galaxy Watch 3 the best Android smartwatch, it’s the best smartwatch you can buy full stop. It’s packed with features, and is available in two sizes to suit different sized wrists.
We love the return of the physical rotating bezel that you don’t find on the Galaxy Watch Active range. It makes zipping through the circular menus of Samsung’s Tizen software a tactile pleasure. The Watch 3 marries excellent, modern design with top tier fitness features like GPS and multisport tracking.
A slight downside is that it’s a distinctly one-day battery watch, but then again so is the Apple Watch Series 5. But the Watch 3 more than makes up for it with excellent software, all the fitness functions you could want, and a premium feel that justifies the high price.
Read the full Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 review
The Fitbit Versa 3 is a superb smartwatch, especially if your focus is more on fitness than general smart features.
It has GPS, SpO2 monitoring, 24/7 activity and heart rate tracking, guided breathing exercises, and numerous workout modes. Shell out for the Fitbit Premium subscription service and you’ll also get access to a Health Metrics dashboard, which lets you dive even deeper into your health and fitness stats.
There are other highlights beyond the fitness side though, with the Fitbit Versa 3 sporting a bright, crisp, and clear AMOLED screen, plus up to six days of battery life. It’s not a huge upgrade on the Versa 2, its smartwatch features are slightly limited, and to make the most of its fitness tools you need a subscription on top of the already pricey hardware, but quality rarely comes cheap.
Read the full Fitbit Versa 3 review
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 is sold alongside the original Watch Active but we prefer this newer model thanks to an updated design, great battery life and a digital touch bezel which was sorely missing before.
The ‘Active’ branding means this is a smartwatch more suitable for workouts and fitness tracking compared to the regular Galaxy Watch, reflected in the great on-board coaching suggestions and reminders to move to reach your set goals.
It’s waterproof, suitable for running, swimming and cycling among other activities, handles notifications well, and you only have to charge it every other day.
Read the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 review
Fitbit makes several smartwatches but the cheapest of the bunch is the Versa Lite. Despite its price though it’s still a great Android watch pick thanks to a raft of features.
While it lacks built-in GPS, you can connect it to your phone to record run routes and there’s all the sport tracking features you’ll find on the Versa 2 or Ionic.
The battery life is first class and will last around five days even with steady use, and the unit itself is slim and light so it’s easy to wear it to bed for the sleep tracking features.
It lacks NFC so you can’t use Fitbit Pay but if you want the Fitbit experience in a watch for less then it’s a no brainer.
Read the full Fitbit Versa Lite review
This is the first watch – of many – in this list that comes with Wear OS software on board. It’s the Fossil Sport, and it’s arguably one of the first watches from the company that can keep pace with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Watch and Apple Watch.
It’s lightweight, so it’s comfortable for a variety of exercises, and it’s built with fitness in mind with GPS and an accurate heart rate monitor included.
Despite its sporty focus the design still feels premium, and it’s one of the most powerful devices on this list as it comes with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100 chipset inside. That’s not in a lot of other Wear OS watches yet, and we found it noticeably slicker than some other choices.
Read the full Fossil Sport review
The Honor Magic Watch 2 is great if you want a ton of high-end fitness features in a smartwatch that can masquerade as a dressier, circular watch. It’s not a full-on sports watch but packs in GPS, tons of different workout modes with detailed info, and the software can give feedback on some activities.
The best part is the one to two week battery life, stamina that is very rare to find on other large-screen smartwatches.
Bear in mind that this is pretty much a fitness tracker that looks like a watch as its few smartwatch features are very rudimentary and the notification system is not the best. It’s also best to use on Android as there are features missing if you connect to an iPhone, but for Android fitness fans this is a good shout.
Read the full Honor Magic Watch 2 review
The TicWatch Pro 3 is a good all-rounder that doesn’t necessarily excel in any one area. But it doesn’t need to because it’s also cheaper than top-end rivals.
And it does have a lot going for it. For one thing, it was the first smartwatch to use the top-end Snapdragon 4100 chipset, so performance is good. It also offers two to three days of battery life, or – if you switch it to Essential mode – it can keep going for up to 45 days.
The TicWatch Pro 3 also has a good screen – 1.4-inch 454 x 454 one that’s crisp, bright, and responsive, plus the watch has all the typical health and fitness features you’d expect from a smartwatch. Just don’t buy this for sleep tracking, as we found that wasn’t very accurate.
Read the full TicWatch Pro 3 review
Now it’s time for one of the cheapest devices on this list, and it comes from Chinese manufacturer Mobvoi. The TicWatch E2 isn’t a huge improvement on the first-gen watch, but it offers some fantastic features considering its price.
We really like the two-day battery life and the fact you can get all of the features of Wear OS on a watch for this low a price. It’s quite an impressive feat, and that’s why it ranks so highly in our best Android watch list.
There’s no NFC (so no Google Pay) but we can forgive that at this price, especially as you do get GPS and a heart rate monitor.
Read the full TicWatch E2 review
Not sure on the design? Why not take a look at the TicWatch S2? It’s a remarkably similar watch, but it comes with a slightly different look.