With so many Android smartwatches on the market, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming. The good news? You can be incredibly selective about the details that matter most; whether it’s design, size, health features or fitness tools. The not-so-good news: you’ll have to sift through a lot of options to find the perfect match. To make your search easier, we’ve compiled a list of the best Android watches for every budget and use case. The common denominator is that they’ll all work well with your Android phone and will be a worthy companion regardless of brand.
SMARTWATCH DEALS OF THE WEEK
Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article.
- Best Android Smartwatch for 2025
- What's the best Android smartwatch right now?
- Best Android smartwatches
- Best overall Android smartwatch
- Best battery life
- Best for Samsung users (Ultra)
- Best fitness watch for fitness tracking
- Best Android Smartwatches Compared
- Recent updates
- Other watches we tested
- Factors to consider when buying an Android watch
- How we test Android watches
- FAQs
What's the best Android smartwatch right now?
It was a tight race between the Pixel Watch 3 and the OnePlus Watch 3, but in the end, Google's watch took the crown thanks to its inclusive sizing options (41mm and 45mm), optional LTE connectivity (the OnePlus Watch 3 is currently Wi-Fi only) and seamless integration with Google’s Wear OS ecosystem.
Because Google owns Fitbit, the Pixel Watch 3 benefits from full access to Fitbit’s health and fitness tracking, including its intuitive app interface and in-depth metrics, especially useful for runners. It also has additional safety features like loss of pulse detection, along with fall and crash detection, and an SOS emergency feature.
Best Android smartwatches
Pros
- Attractive design
- Larger screen means you can see more
- Faster charging
- Readiness score no longer requires Fitbit Premium
- Plenty of tools for runners
Cons
- No Gemini AI support
- Only 3 years of software updates
- Workout builder is just for outdoor running
- Faster charging only for smaller model
Google's Pixel Watch 3 offers one of the most elegant round-screen designs you'll see on a smartwatch and now comes in two size options to suit more wrists. It also comes with a range of new tools, including AI-generated running workouts, the Morning Brief digest, and more applications for the Daily Readiness Score.
But the Pixel Watch 3 is still missing some features you might expect on a Google-branded smartwatch, including Gemini support. Overall, if you're a runner and want a more robust smartwatch features than on a traditional running watch, the Pixel Watch 3 won't disappoint.
Why we like it
The Pixel Watch 3 stands out with its minimalist design, and seamless Wear OS experience. While it may lack some of the advanced health features found in other flagship smartwatches, like sleep apnea detection, it makes up for it with more intuitive and actionable fitness tracking via the Fitbit app and its loss of pulse detection feature.
Who it’s best for
Google and Fitbit fans who want a polished Wear OS watch with smart features and sleek design. It’s ideal for anyone looking for solid fitness tracking without the guesswork, plus the option to understand their metrics further with coaching via the Fitbit app (with a Premium subscription). Anyone heavily invested in the Google ecosystem, will also appreciate the seamless integration with devices like Nest Cam or Google TV.
Pros
- 5-day battery life
- Sleek comfortable design
- Customizable shortcut buttons
- Advanced metrics for select sports modes
Cons
- One size does not fit all
- Three years of software and security updates
- Lacks menstrual cycle tracking
- ECG is not available in the US or Canada
- Lacks LTE version or iOS compatibility
The $350 OnePlus Watch 3 is a standout smartwatch that outshines other Wear OS contenders with its five-day battery life, sleek design and solid health features. It covers all the essential smartwatch functions while improving on health and fitness tracking by adding more metrics, boosting accuracy, and offering deeper workout analysis. Its one-stop wellness check feature measures blood oxygen levels, sleep quality, cardiovascular health and stress levels.
The OnePlus Watch 3 is a great choice if your main priority is battery life and durability, but it’s not without a few drawbacks. While its bulky stainless steel design makes it look premium and polished, the 1.5-inch AMOLED screen can easily overpower smaller wrists, and there’s no smaller size available. It also lacks an LTE option, and the ECG feature is currently disabled in the US and Canada. Read our OnePlus Watch 3 review.
Why we like it
While the five-day battery life may have been what wowed us most, its stainless steel and aluminum exterior, combined with solid fitness features, sealed the deal making it a well-rounded option for Android users.
Who it’s best for
Android users looking for a premium smartwatch beyond Samsung and Pixel options, or anyone tired of having to charge their Wear OS watch every day. With its oversized frame and 46mm screen (and no smaller size option yet), it’s best suited for people with larger wrists (likely male) as it also lacks period tracking.
Pros
- Heart rate accuracy improved over older Galaxy Watches
- Sleep apnea detection is easy to use
- Energy score is helpful
- Bright screen on the Ultra is great
- Quick button is handy
Cons
- Cycling FTP test is very limited
- AGEs index is confusing
- No diving features
- Limited recovery metrics
- Battery life could be better
Samsung's Galaxy Watch 7 is the best Android watch for most people, but if you need a rugged design with better battery life and a few extra fitness tools, try the Galaxy Watch Ultra. Both the Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch Ultra are essentially the same watch under the hood, with the same sensors, dual-frequency GPS and health features. The Galaxy Watch Ultra has a brighter screen at 3,000 nits versus 2,000 on the Galaxy Watch 7, plus a few more fitness tools, including a multisport mode and a cycling functional threshold power test.
All the flagship health tools you would expect are included: an ECG, blood oxygen, body composition and temperature sensors. Note you need a Galaxy phone to use the ECG, sleep apnea monitor and get the energy score, but all the other features work seamlessly with other Android phones. Read our Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 and Ultra review.
Why we like it
The Galaxy Watch 7 is one of the best Wear OS watches for the price (starting at $300). It has a polished design, with a bright screen that’s easy to read even in direct sunlight, and robust health features like sleep apnea detection, and body composition analysis. Plus, a few other perks like one-handed gesture control, and music playback directly from your wrist (like the Apple Watch Series 10).
Who it’s best for
Who it’s best for: Samsung users who want the best smartwatch experience within the Galaxy ecosystem –there's a tight integration between phone and watch and even features that are exclusive to Galaxy phone users. The Watch 7 should also appeal to Android phone users looking for robust sleep tracking.
Pros
- Comprehensive health and sleep metrics
- Helpful reports and insights like Body Battery and Morning Report
- Large screen
- No subscription for health metrics and reports
Cons
- Design doesn't feel as premium as similarly priced watches
- Small app ecosystem
- Slow app downloads
- Need separate apps for managing health insights and watch faces
- No home button
The Garmin Venu 3’s stellar battery life, wide selection of health tracking features and workout types and comprehensive wellness metrics make it a top choice. According to CNET's review, the battery life alone is enough to make the Garmin Venu 3 stand out, with it lasting for about a week on a single charge.
But it isn’t perfect. It doesn’t feel as premium as other watches of the same price, it doesn’t have as many apps as the Apple Watch, and the software may not feel as intuitive as alternative watches from Google, Samsung or Apple. But the Garmin Venu 3 makes up for that with useful wellness tools like the Body Battery, which tells you how “recharged” you are based on activity, sleep and other factors. And best of all, Garmin doesn’t require a subscription to access such features.
Why we like it
The Venu 3 is one of our favorite Garmin watches thanks to its broad appeal and compatibility with both Android and iOS devices. It delivers on all the features we like about Garmin’s sport watches; durable design, physical action buttons, and advanced fitness metrics, minus the added bulk and higher price tag of other models like the Fenix or Tactix. Best of all, it’ll outlast most other smartwatches with a battery that can go up to a week on a charge.
Who it’s best for
Serious athletes or anyone seeking a fitness-first smartwatch that offers deeper insights and actionable coaching features, like Body Battery and Morning Report that can help you optimize your workouts. Its sleeker design and smaller 41mm option also make it a strong fit for women athletes.
Best Android Smartwatches Compared
See how these Android smartwatches measure up when it comes to the specs.
| Google Pixel Watch 3 | OnePlus Watch 3 | Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 | Garmin Venu 3 |
| Round | Round | Round | Round |
| 41mm, 45mm | 47mm | 40mm, 44mm | 41mm, 45mm |
| Aluminium | Titanium bezel, stainless steel case, sapphire crystal glass | Aluminum | Stainless steel |
| 41mm: 1.61-inch 320 ppi, AMOLED; 45mm: 1.77-inch 320ppi AMOLED | 47mm: 1.50-inch LTPO AMOLED, 466 x 466 pixels | 40mm: 1.3-inch Super AMOLED 432 x 432; 44mm: 1.5-inch Super AMOLED 480 x 480 | 1.4-inch, 454 x 454-pixel AMOLED |
| 41mm: 41 x 41 x 12.3 mm; 45mm: 45 x 45 x 12.3 mm | 46.6mm(excluding lugs)*47.6mm*11.75mm(excluding sensor area) | 40mm: 40.4 x 40.4 x 9.7; 44mm: 44.4 x 44.4 x 9.7 mm | 45mm: 45 x 45 x 12 mm |
| 41mm: 31g; 45mm: 37g | ~80g with strap | 40mm: 28.8g; 44mm: 33.8g | 30g |
| Matte black, polished silver, matte hazel, Champagne gold | Obsidian Titanium, Emerald Titanium | Green, cream | Whitestone/silver, black/slate |
| Yes | Yes (LTPO enables low-power AOD) | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes (22mm standard) | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes (Dual-band L1 + L5) | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Water resistant up to 50m (5ATM), IP6X (dust) | Water resistant up to 50m (5ATM), IP6X (dust) | Water resistant up to 50m (5ATM), IP6X (dust) | 5ATM |
| Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Yes (Google Assistant) | Yes (Google Assistant) | Yes (Google Assistant, Bixby) | Yes |
| Yes (Google Wallet) | Yes (Google Wallet) | Yes (Samsung Wallet, Google Wallet) | Yes (Garmin Pay) |
| Yes | Yes (with advanced metrics and breathing rate) | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SpO2, ECG, accelerometer, gyro, ambient light sensor, skin temperature sensor, barometer, magnetometer | Optical heart rate, SpO2, skin temperature, accelerometer, gyroscope, barometer, compass, ECG, BIA | Accelerometer, barometer, bioelectrical impedance analysis sensor, electrical heart sensor, gyro sensor, geomagnetic sensor, infrared temperature sensor, light sensor, optical heart rate sensor | |
| Safety Signal, Safety Check | Fall detection, emergency SOS | Fall detection, emergency SOS | Incident detection, live track |
| Android 10 and newer | Android only | Android 11 and newer | iOS and Android |
| WearOS 5 | Wear OS 5 | WearOS 5 | Not disclosed |
| Qualcomm SW5100 | Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 + BES2800BP (dual chip architecture) | Exynos W1000 | Not disclosed |
| Bluetooth 5.0, ultrawideband | Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi, NFC, GPS | Bluetooth 5.3, NFC | Bluetooth, ANT+, Wi-Fi |
| 2GB memory + 32GB storage | 2GB memory / 32GB storage | 2GB memory + 32GB storage | 8GB |
| USB-C fast charging cable | USB-C Fast wired (up to 7.5W) | USB-C fast charging cable | Garmin proprietary plug charger |
| 24 hours with always-on display | 3+ days (always on and heavy use), Up to 5 days (raise to wake/smart mode), 16 days (power saver mode) | Up to 30 hours (AOD on); up to 40 hours (AOD off) | Up to 14 days |
| 41mm: 306 mAh; 45mm: 420 mAh | 631 mAh | 40mm: 300 mAh; 44mm: 425mAh | |
| $350 (Wi-Fi, 41mm), $400 (Wi-Fi, 45mm), $450 (Wi-Fi + LTE, 41mm), $500 (Wi-Fi + LTE, 45mm) | ~$299 (TBC) | 40mm: $299 (Wi-Fi/Bluetooth) 40mm: $349 (LTE) 44mm: $329 (Wi-Fi/Bluetooth) 44mm: $379 (LTE) | $450 |
| £349 (Wi-Fi, 41mm), £399 (Wi-Fi, 45mm), £449 (Wi-Fi + LTE, 41mm), £499 (Wi-Fi + LTE, 45mm) | ~£269 (estimated) | £450 | |
| AU$579 (Wi-Fi, 41mm), AU$669 (Wi-Fi, 45mm), AU$749 (Wi-Fi + LTE, 41mm), AU$839 (Wi-Fi + LTE, 45mm) | ~AU$499 (estimated) | AU$749 |
In April 2025, we added the OnePlus Watch 3 to our list. The Watch 3 impressed in many ways, but its five-day battery life is the best on any smartwatch we've ever tested.
The Galaxy Watch 6 Classic may be last year's model, but it’s still one of the best-looking Galaxy Watches available thanks to its stainless steel frame and rotating aluminum bezel. Its now discounted price almost made us choose it over its newer siblings for our list, but the newer processor and longer battery life of the Watch 7 and Ultra edged this one out.
Samsung users on a tighter budget may also want to check out the Galaxy Watch FE. It’s a solid entry-level option, with a few compromises in style and health features. It only comes in a 40mm size and lacks sleep apnea notifications and skin temperature tracking.
We also considered the $100 Amazfit Active 2 as a budget friendly Wear OS alternative (running its own Zepp OS) with slightly fewer apps and premium health feature options.
Here are a few key factors to consider to help you filter out the noise and narrow down your search.
Budget: If you're looking to score a deal, it might be worth waiting for major discount days like Black Friday or Labor Day in the US when most retailers, including the original manufacturers, offer sales or cash-back incentives. You can also save by waiting for the next update cycle and considering the previous-generation model, which often goes on sale once a newer version is released. While newer models typically bring modest improvements in battery life, processing power, and design, the updates are often iterative. Previous models still hold up well in terms of performance and features. You should still consider all the other factors—especially software and operating system updates -- when making your final decision.
Battery: Most Android smartwatches on this list offer between 24 to 72 hours of battery life on a single charge, depending on how often you use power-hungry features like GPS or the always-on display. But a few stand out from the pack. If battery life is your top priority, the OnePlus Watch 3 is your best bet; it can last up to five days on a charge with raise-to-wake enabled, or about three days with the always-on display active. For Samsung phone users, the Galaxy Watch Ultra is worth the splurge, offering at least a full day more than other Galaxy models (though still no match the OnePlus). The Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 5 and Enduro models are also solid alternatives if you're looking for longer battery life at a lower price.
Wear OS updates: One of the caveats with Android smartwatches is that most manufacturers aren’t in control of the operating system’s update cycle. Google manages Wear OS updates, and there’s no guarantee that every watch will receive them. That's why it's important to research how many updates a watch is expected to get. This information is often listed on the manufacturer’s website or in our reviews. Without this research you might wait a year for an update or find your model isn't eligible. Samsung leads the pack, promising at least four years of updates for its Galaxy Watch models with the Pixel Watch 3 and OnePlus Watch 3 following closely behind with up to three years of support. Others, like Mobvoi, have been notoriously slow in rolling out updates, and while these older models may save you money upfront, they may not be as future-proofed and may end up spending more on a replacement in the long run.
The Watch 3 is far too big for my wrist.
Vanessa Hand Orellana/CNETDesign: The upside of having so many android watches is the sheer breadth of design options available to you; different screen shapes, cover materials, sizing options, etc. You can choose a more traditional watch design with a stainless steel finish and a bulkier frame, like the OnePlus Watch, or opt for the sleek, minimalist design of the Pixel Watch 3 with its barely there bezels. Sizing is another important factor to consider. If you have smaller wrists and prefer a watch that won’t overpower your arm, you must avoid the Galaxy Watch Ultra and the OnePlus Watch 3, as they only come in one size -- giant and massive, respectively.
Wi-Fi Only vs. Cellular: Your choice of smartwatch may depend on whether it even offers the option of LTE or Wi-Fi only, so it’s worth researching early on to avoid going too far down the wrong path. The OnePlus Watch 3, for example, is only available in a Wi-Fi model, while the Galaxy Watch Ultra is cellular-only. Most users will find Wi-Fi models sufficient to track workouts and make mobile payments without the phone nearby. However, features like notifications, messaging, and calls still require your phone to be in range, and if you're planning on leaving your phone behind from time to time and want full smartwatch functionality on the go, it may be worth splurging on an LTE version, which can add anywhere from $50 to $100 to the price tag and may require a monthly carrier fee.
We conduct testing across several key categories, including performance (how fast and seamless it is to navigate), accuracy of its health/fitness features, design, durability and battery life.
The Basics: In real-world testing, we focus on how well the smartwatch handles essential features like notifications, texting, and phone pairing. We also evaluate the companion apps as most Android watches require two: one for Wear OS and one proprietary app from the manufacturer to access additional stats like health metrics.
Durability and Design: Since smartwatches are worn daily, we assess comfort and fit, testing them on a range of wrist sizes. We also examine how the watch holds up to wear and tear from everyday use. Some models, like the Galaxy Watch Ultra, offer increased dust and water resistance, making them better suited for extreme sports and outdoor activities. We test these features in various conditions including submerging them into bodies of water when necessary.
I took over five days for me to see this pop up on my OnePlus Watch 3.
Vanessa Hand Orellana/CNETBattery: We approach battery testing from two angles. First, we assess how long the watch lasts on a single charge during normal use, enabling certain features like the always-on display, tracking sleep, and doing at least one 30-minute outdoor workout that requires GPS. Second, we run a diagnostic test to measure how long it takes to charge the watch from 0% to 100%.
Fitness and Health Sensor Accuracy: For heart rate, we compare the watch’s readings to a chest strap–the gold standard for heart rate tracking, during cardio-based workouts like running or cycling. For SPO2 (blood oxygen), we compare it against a traditional pulse oximeter that goes on your fingertip. We also test how quickly the watch acquires a GPS signal during outdoor workouts and assess accuracy by comparing it to other devices like the GPS on our phone while on the same route.
Can you use an Android smartwatch with an iPhone?
Some Wear OS phones can be paired with iPhone (with workarounds and third party apps, but just because you can doesn’t mean you should. You’ll end up losing a lot of the functionality that got them on this best list in the future. If you’re looking for an Apple Watch alternative that works with iPhone your best bet is to go for hybrid options like Garmin watches that are designed to work well with both Android and iOS devices.
What are the best brands for Android smartwatches?
Brands like Samsung and Garmin (for sports enthusiasts) continue to be safe, dependable bets with over a decade of experience in the smartwatch space. But relative newcomers like the OnePlus and Google, which debuted their flagship watches years later, have quickly proven themselves as strong contenders, learning fast and iterating on pain points from customers to become worthy competitors to these established veterans.
Which android smartwatches are waterproof?
Most smartwatches (including all the ones on this list) offer at least some level of water resistance. But that doesn't necessarily mean they're all fit for free diving in the Great Barrier Reef as there are varying degrees of water resistance, and you should always check the manufacturer’s guidelines to understand what your watch can handle. Water resistance is measured in IP (Ingress Protection) and ATM (atmospheres) ratings, which indicate how well a device can withstand water exposure, depth, and even different types of water. For example, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra sits at the high end of the spectrum with a 10 ATM and IP68 rating—meaning it can be submerged in water up to 100 meters, including saltwater. However, it should always be rinsed with fresh water to prevent corrosion or damage. It's also important to note that water resistance can diminish over time due to wear and tear and you should always aim to dry your smartwatch thoroughly after water exposure to keep it in good condition.
English (US) ·