It’s getting increasingly difficult to say smart rings are just a niche inside the broader world of wearable technology. The raft of celebrities who are seen wearing them, the NBA’s use of Oura rings as an early warning system against COVID-19 and, last year, Samsung’s entry into the market has made them far more prominent in the minds of mainstream consumers. We’ve tested plenty of smart rings, and are likely to test plenty more as the years roll on. To help you better understand the category, we’ve built this guide that explains what they do, what they’re for and which ones are worth your time and money right now.
Oura has arguably done more than anyone else to push the category forward and its rings are category-leading. The Ring 4 is one of the strongest on the market and the company makes a big deal about how much of its work is scientifically validated.
What Oura does better than a lot of its competitors is making a ring and app ecosystem that is accessible to everyone. It turns all of the metrics it generates into a series of easy-to-understand scores that will tell you instantly where you need to improve.
The company’s Symptom Radar, too, has the potential to act as an early warning system for some illnesses. Since it can keep an eye on your temperature and heart rate, it can catch when things start changing long before you start feeling it.
The downsides are, really, that the company charges a monthly subscription ($6 monthly or $70 annually for US users), with some features paywalled behind it. And that while the ring is comfortable to wear, the dimple which marks which way the ring should be worn (with the mark pointing toward your palm) still annoys.
Pros
More comfortable
Better data collection
Gorgeous, clean app
Cons
Requires paid subscription to use basic hardware features
Ultrahuman’s Ring Air is stylish, elegant and sits comfortably on your finger to blend seamlessly in with your style. What sets the Ultrahuman Ring Air apart from its competitors is the sheer volume of data it will throw at you. You can set the ring to bombard you with statistics about every fact of your body from your sleep, recovery, stress, movement through to your caffeine window. Wear it to bed and, midmorning the next day, you’ll get a recap of your night, including being told off when you opted to reach for the snacks too close to bedtime.
If you’re a weekend warrior, or part of the #MarginalGains crowd, then you’ll likely love the sheer volume of extra stuff the Ring Air can do. As well as the regular suite of features, you’ll be able to access “Power Plugs” which unlock additional stat-specific insights. That includes a score on how much Vitamin D you’ve been exposed to, or examining your cardiovascular fitness. Bear in mind that while some of these are free, the ones that charge aren’t just looking for a token fee. To add cycle and ovulation tracking to your ring will cost $40 per year, while AFib analysis will set you back $24.
The company has also broadened its ecosystem to work with continuous glucose monitors (CGMs). These arm-worn sensors, which are primarily worn by people with diabetes but have become popular with the fitness crowd, offers real-time glucose monitoring. Similar to the Power Plugs, however, you’ll be forking out a chunk of change — $299 a month — for the privilege. The company has also built Ultrahuman Home, a sensor styled like an old Mac Mini that can monitor your air quality, light exposure, temperature, noise and humidity. It will set you back $549, although it’s worth adding all of its products are HSA/FSA eligible.
Pros
Stylish design
Tracks an impressive amount of data
Works in tandem with other health devices like glucose monitors
Samsung has beaten the likes of Google, Fitbit, Garmin and even Apple to the category. Its debut offering has been surprisingly capable. While it doesn’t track as many things as some of its rivals, the Galaxy Ring feeds into Samsung’s Health App. If you’re already in Samsung’s ecosystem and own one of its phones, integrating the Galaxy Ring would be fairly seamless.
Managing editor Cherlynn Low found it was responsive and accurate at monitoring sleep and walks. It has a sensor to keep tabs on your body temperature overnight and tracks your heart rate, blood oxygen and sleep stages. It also lasts about a week on a charge. Unfortunately, it doesn’t track workout data beyond walking and running at the moment, so if you’re looking for sophisticated exercise data, look elsewhere.
If there’s one caveat, it’s that Samsung’s patchy track record with battery manufacture may be rearing its head once again. Daniel Rotar, a YouTuber who posts under the name ZoneofTech posted an image of his Galaxy Ring that had swelled on his finger. The swelling was caused by the battery pack, which led him to the ER to have the ring safely removed. Cherlynn said she hasn’t experienced this despite recently re-testing the Galaxy Ring for a week, and notes that other reviewers she’s spoken to have also reported no issues with their units.
Because of its limited feature set, the Galaxy Ring is a lot lighter and smaller than its competitors. And while it does cost around $100 more than the Oura Ring, Samsung’s wearable doesn’t require an additional subscription to unlock some of its features. At least, for now. With its small size, light weight and accurate sleep tracking, the Galaxy Ring is a better buy for those looking for passive data collection.
Smart rings offer an alternative to smartwatches and fitness trackers to keep an eye on your health and daily activity. They can track your movements, heart rate, temperature and monitor how well you’ve been sleeping. Essentially, they take much of the same hardware you’d find in a smartwatch or tracker and shrink it down into a much smaller package.
The trade-offs are, as such, obvious: Rings are smaller and can’t track anywhere near as many things as a wrist-worn device can. You’ll also miss out on any of the added features that are found on those bigger pieces of gear, like a screen on which to see your notifications or real-time readings of your steps count. But they may be more accurate for your heart rate and temperature, and are significantly more discreet.
That discretion is important if you want to keep an eye on your health without looking like you care. Sure, they’re still gadgets, so they’re still noticeably bigger than traditional pieces of jewelry — but not by much. Plus, it’s an alternative for people who don’t like watches, with one statistic saying 68 percent of Americans don’t wear them.
What can smart rings track?
Much like smartwatches and fitness trackers, smart rings are equipped with accelerometers and gyroscopes that can track your movement. That lets them interpret how much you’re moving and, based on whether you toss and turn in the night, how well you’re sleeping.
Many rings have PPG (photoplethysmography) sensors to monitor your heart rate and blood oxygenation, either continuously or at intervals. Plus, they often come with temperature sensors that can be used to track signs of infection, and the data they gather on body heat can be used to predict the wearer’s menstrual cycle.
It’s possible to use this information to draw broader conclusions about how you’re doing more generally. You can get metrics for your stress, resilience and recovery rates, and you’ll even get data on how calm you are during meditation sessions.
I’ve personally been able to look back at stressful days and then compare my vital signs to the baseline. This can be useful to monitor how well, or badly, you’re dealing with stress at any given time and chart progress made.
But not all smart rings are alike. Circular’s Ring 2 is one of a handful to offer its own one-line ECG (electrocardiogram). This, like many fitness watches that now offer the same, will look at your heart’s electrical activity to look for irregularities, such as atrial fibrillation. Evie, meanwhile, markets itself as a smart ring “designed for women” with a focus on reproductive cycle tracking.
Smart rings vs. smartwatches
At the risk of winning this year’s “Yeah, obviously” award, smart rings are not a replacement for smartwatches. Rings do not have built-in displays or vibration motors, so the only way to interact with them is via their companion apps on your phone.
There’s no way for you to get any idea of how you’re doing at any given time unless you’re able to look at your primary device. Even activity alerts — pop-ups telling you to move if you’ve been still for too long — can only be pushed to your phone.
You won’t get any of the added-value stuff you get with most wrist-worn devices either, and not just the ability to tell the time. That means no calls, apps, message responses, GPS, fall detection or mobile payments via NFC. There are a few exceptions: Samsung’s Galaxy Ring can detect pinch gestures to activate the camera trigger or turn off alarms with a compatible phone.
It’s probably worth noting that while no consumer wearable will be as accurate or reliable as a clinical diagnostic tool, the smaller hardware may mean a compromise in accuracy. Rings might also get in the way of certain types of activity, like pull-ups, barbell deadlifts or any other movement that involves gripping onto a handle that might push the accessory into your finger and cause discomfort.
Who should use a smart ring?
Given the broader features available in even the most basic fitness tracker, it’s hard to say smart rings are a “better” choice. A $300 ring will do a lot less than a $50 tracker, and if you’re led by your wallet, a ring will always work out to be the luxury option. What they offer, however, is a far more elegant aesthetic, especially if you’re not likely to wear a tracker, smartwatch or fitness watch. And that’s before we get to people with skin sensitivities or other reasons for preferring a smaller, more unobtrusive tracker.
What to consider before buying a smart ring
What do you want to get out of it?
Are you hoping a smart ring will encourage you to get out and exercise more? Help you keep an eye on your physical health? Manage your mental health? It’s good to go in with a clear picture of what you want because you may find the limited applications frustrating.
Will it fit your finger?
Most reputable smart rings will, during the ordering process, send you a sizing kit so you can find the most comfortable model. You’re asked to find a size that sits snugly on your index finger ensuring the sensors make good contact with your skin.
The companies often suggest you wear this plastic dummy on your hand for a few days before placing your order. After all, our hands can swell and shrink during the day and depending on the ambient temperature.
Normal rings can be sized up or down a bit (by a competent jeweler) if your body shape shifts over time. You can’t do that with most smart rings, so if you do change sizes drastically, you’ll have to go through the process from the start and pay full price again.
There are exceptions to this: If you pay for a coverage plan with Ultrahuman, for example, you’ll get one free ring replacement if you lose weight. Anecdotally, some makers will offer ad-hoc discounts if you speak to them but that’s obviously at the discretion of the name in question.
One thing to bear in mind is wearing your ring while working out, which might be an issue as pointed out earlier. Depending on your activity, you might find a ring uncomfortable compared to a watch. If gripping onto a dumbbell or handlebars is something you do frequently, it might be better to use a smartwatch or wristworn device. But for runners, swimmers or other folks who don’t need to grab onto much while they work out, a ring should be just fine.
What’s the battery life like?
Bigger rings will have bigger batteries, so it’s a lot harder to give a clean figure as to how long each ring will last on a charge. Thankfully most rings sip, rather than slurp, at their batteries and so most of them last at least five days or so on a charge. That’s one big plus over some smartwatches given they often will only last a day or so before needing more power.
What can you do if you lose your smart ring?
Several companies include Find My Ring features in their apps to identify the last location that your ring was connected to your phone. However, if you’re not a fan of minimalism and your home is full, it might be harder to find them. After all, the rings don’t have vibration motors or speakers to offer an audible chirp as and when you’re looking for them.
I once lost an Oura Ring 3 for two days before downloading a third-party app that could locate it within a few feet. Turns out, when I’d made my kids’ bed, the ring had fallen into my daughter’s duvet cover, which I found only once I’d turned the room upside down twice.
Samsung, meanwhile, offers location-tracking in its app and can give you a rough idea of your ring’s last location. You can also, if you’re hunting for it in dark environments, set its lights to blink, which is something its rivals do not offer.
Are there long-term costs?
The nature of the technology world, especially in 2025, is that a lot of hardware companies can’t survive selling users one device every three or four years. So, to supplement that income and to offer users a better value proposition, companies offer additional features at an extra cost.
That can come in the form of a premium subscription to unlock additional features and insights about your body. There are also one-off purchases to unlock specific features that you may want to focus on, as well as extended warranties or insurances.
I’d wager most people plan on wearing a smart ring for several years before opting to upgrade, and so it’s important to keep an eye on the total cost of ownership. If your budget will only stretch to the initial payment and no further, keep in mind what features you’ll be missing out on.
This past April marked the 10-year anniversary of the Apple Watch. Those early aluminum, stainless steel, and—yes—18k gold models launched without a clear idea of what they were for. Apple wanted its smartwatch to be a fashionable timepiece, a fitness tracker, a cellphone, a music player, a turn-by-turn navigator, and more. It seemed obvious that the Apple Watch could eventually replace the iPhone. A decade later, that is not only not the case, it’s looking like it may never be, though the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is ever closer (but still a far way off) from that dream.
Starting at $800, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is not cheap. That’s the same price as an iPhone 17—a whole damn computer with great cameras, not an accessory for your phone. The first Apple Watch Ultra targeted adventurers and outdoorsy types like divers, justifying the price and large size as fitting for these groups of people who want a bigger screen, longer battery life, more precise GPS, and a customizable Action button.
Apple Watch Ultra 3
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is the biggest and most feature-packed smartwatch that Apple sells, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to upgrade.
Pros
Big screen
Satellite connectivity is useful for emergencies
Even longer battery life
Rugged and durable
Sleep Score is great
Cons
Too still huge
Still $800
Only two colors
Fast forward three years, and I see people donning Apple Watch Ultras on their wrists even if they’re not going mountain climbing or scuba diving. My sister gifted her husband an Apple Watch Ultra because he’s got a big wrist. I have several friends with dainty wrists, and yet they don’t seem to care that the Apple Watch Ultra looks massive because the screen is large and the battery lasts for 2 to 3 days on a single charge. The Apple Watch Ultra is no longer just for enthusiasts; Ultra just means you get the most features in Apple’s smartwatch lineup.
That pretty much sums up the Apple Watch Ultra 3. It’s still the same design as the first and second-generation Apple Watch Ultra, except now it has some more stuff. Do you need all the new features? Read my helpful little guide here. Otherwise, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is just a better version.
I am not an Apple Watch Ultra user. I understand its appeal and, hell, I even like some chonky watches like G-Shocks, but I find the Apple Watch Ultra just too bulky; the case is too thick and the screen is too big. More power to you if these are things you want. The 49mm titanium case—in natural or black—is rugged, and the display is big by design. The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is better at surviving unpredictable outdoor weather and conditions compared to non-Ultra models, but anybody who simply wants the durability or easier-to-see display could appreciate it. Who am I to tell you that a smartwatch is too big if you want it? For the same reasons some people prefer the tank-like iPhone 17 Pro Max over the super slim iPhone Air and its tradeoffs, I’m more a regular Apple Watch “Series” guy than Ultra.
Invisible to the naked eye is how the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is produced. This time, instead of being CNC’d out of a block of aluminum, Apple is 3D-printing the cases using 100% recycled titanium, which not only wastes less of the metal, but is more environmentally friendly since it doesn’t require new mining. I’m not out here bashing my Apple Watch Ultra 3 review unit against rocks, so I can’t confirm the rigidity of the 3D-printed case, but I did have some startling contact with my kitchen cabinet doors and a pile of 40-pound cat litter boxes, where I thought I might have scuffed or chipped the black case. But nope, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 suffered no damage. Not even a scrape.
On the whole, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is virtually the same smartwatch as the Ultra 2. The screen is so minimally bigger because Apple thinned the black bezel around it that it’s not even measurable with a ruler. Nor does Apple even have an official display size spec for it. All of that’s to say you won’t be seeing more content on the sapphire crystal display. The screen is also equally as bright as the Ultra 2. The Apple Watch Ultra 3 display uses a more advanced LTPO 3 display technology versus LTPO 2, but that’s really more for power efficiency than making the screen any more visible.
There’s a new “Waypoint” watch face with a compass that I like the look of, even though I don’t need to know which direction I’m facing riding on the subway from Queens to Manhattan or Brooklyn. The watch face is also not exclusive to the Ultra 3; Ultra and Ultra 2 owners can get it with the watchOS 26 update.
Inside is a new S10 chip, but nobody is begging for more performance in the Apple Watch Ultra 3. watchOS 26 is as zippy and responsive as on my Apple Watch Series 9. If there’s anything the S10 chip enables, it’s 5G and satellite communications—two firsts for Apple Watches.
If you cannot entertain the idea of a big smartwatch on your wrist, even with the upsides of a larger screen and longer battery life, Apple is happy to sell you an Apple Watch Series 11 or an SE 3. Smartwatch size, after all, is a matter of personal preference. Though, you will only get the highest water-resistance rating (100m) on the Ultra models.
Even though the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is mostly a spec bump update, there are two features—hypertension notifications and Sleep Score—that may sway you if you have a first-gen Ultra or an Apple Watch model that isn’t getting the two features via watchOS 26.
I went into more detail on hypertension notifications and Sleep Score in a previous write-up. I’ve found both features to be very useful. Hypertension notifications work in the background after initial setup and are something you hope to never receive. Essentially, your Apple Watch Ultra 3 will send you a notification if it detects signs that you may have high blood pressure. The smartwatch isn’t measuring your blood pressure (it’s not a medical diagnosis), but merely using data from the optical heart rate sensor to correlate it against a “machine learning-based algorithm” for patterns typical of hypertension. The feature is FDA-cleared, which is different from FDA-approved, and means that Apple has demonstrated that hypertension notifications are safe and effective compared to other similarly marketed devices.
The same way I hope my Apple Watch will never have to call emergency services to alert them that I’ve fallen down, there is no reason not to turn on hypertension notifications. It’s a precautionary feature that could mean the difference between life and death. Since Series 4, Apple has positioned the Apple Watch not as a healthcare provider replacement, but as a health guardian. Hypertension notifications are just another addition to the Apple Watch’s, er, watchful eye.
Sleep Score is also the sleep tracking function that I think everybody has been waiting for. It’s catching up to other wearables and smartwatches, but in typical Apple fashion, presented better in every way. Sleep Score automatically kicks in when you fall asleep while wearing your Apple Watch Ultra 3. It measures duration, bedtime, and interruptions, and then presents them in a donut-shaped sleep ring along with a score. You’ll see your sleep classified as very low, low, OK, high, or excellent. You can scroll to see more detailed sleep data or open up the Health app on your paired iPhone to get even more in-depth metrics. All of this information is presented very clearly and in easy-to-understand charts.
I likened Sleep Score to Activity Rings. Seeing a “low” Sleep Score every morning really did make me want to achieve “OK” or even “high.” I’ll be impressed if I ever see “excellent,” given how erratic my sleep is. But that’s the whole point of Sleep Score—to help you build daily routines that improve your sleep. We commoners may think burning the midnight oil is the way to get ahead, but sleep is health, and health is wealth. Billionaire Bill Gates and multimillionaire Arianna Huffington attribute good, consistent sleep as the secret to living longer and healthier lives. Huffington even wrote a whole book on sleep and its unappreciated powers. (My cats, Lemons and Kiwi, who sleep 12+ hours every day, also corroborate that good sleep is essential to happiness.)
Now, am I saying the Apple Watch Ultra 3 has been successful at bullying me into winding down at my set schedule every night and getting enough shuteye? I wish it were, but I’m only human, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t prone to ignoring my Sleep Score on some days to stay up and rot my brain with Netflix and Switch 2. Maybe you’re more disciplined than I am. I have tons of friends who are addicted to closing their Activity Rings because it’s gamified in a way. If seeing a number and a donut that gets thicker or thinner helps you sleep better, then why the hell not?
You don’t need to buy an Apple Watch Ultra 3 to get hypertension notifications or Sleep Score. Hypertension notifications are free in watchOS 26 for Apple Watch Series 9 and later, or Ultra 2. If you have an Apple Watch Series 6 and later, SE 2, or Ultra and later, the update also adds Sleep Score.
Some half a decade after 5G promised to revolutionize smartphones with wicked fast data speeds and make poor connections a thing of the past, the cellular connection is finally available on all three 2025 Apple Watch models. Unfortunately, that doesn’t really translate to any noticeable real-world benefit. Cellular connectivity on the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is not considerably faster than on my Apple Watch Series 9. Built-in 5G is more for futureproofing. One day, 4G networks will be turned off the same way 2G and 3G networks were sunset. But that’s many years ahead, and who knows if the Ultra 3 will even be functional by then.
However, the new wireless connection exclusive to the Apple Watch Ultra 3 that you might appreciate is satellite connectivity. Like the feature on iPhones, the satellite connection on the Ultra 3 works the same. You can use it to communicate with emergency services (Emergency SOS), send messages to contacts, or share your location via Find My app. How you access satellite services on the Apple Watch Ultra 3 tells you how Apple intends people to use the feature: not often, and likely only when you can’t connect to a 4G or 5G cell tower. There’s no satellite app on the honeycomb “home screen.” Instead, you access satellite services by adding a shortcut button within Control Center.
Using satellite services on the Ultra 3 works just like on a supported iPhone. First, you need to be outside to establish a connection to a satellite in the sky. Then, you move your wrist left and right to connect, which can take a few seconds depending on where you are and what your line of sight to the sky is. Once connected, you can tap through buttons for the three features; you don’t need to keep your wrist aimed at the sky anymore. It works well, and contacts you send messages or your location to will see a label that you communicated via satellite. This is for them to know that you’re out of civilization range and may need aid if you haven’t made it safely back.
Again, the fact that satellite services is an opt-in setting, not an app, that you need to turn on within Control Center tells you it’s for either emergencies or just check-ins. You won’t be using satellite services daily, unless you’re living off the grid all the time. But even then, satellite connections are not as fast as cellular. It’s a nice feature to have for those just-in-case moments, but you have to ask yourself whether it’s worth buying a gadget with reassurance features you’ll hopefully never need to use.
Apple’s biggest and best smartwatch, but it may not necessarily be yours
The same way an iPhone 17 Pro Max is just a newer iPhone with improved features, an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is still just an Apple Watch. You get some new stuff because it’s the shiny new smartwatch, but it’s fundamentally the same device. It’s no longer like the early days of the Apple Watch when new features felt foundational with each generation or two.
Do you really need a big, thick smartwatch with all its features? Could you make do with fewer features to save some money? The Apple Watch Ultra 3, specifically, has everything that Apple could fit into a 49mm case design. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the right fit for your needs and wrist size. If my Apple Watch Series 9 didn’t work just fine (and get hypertension and Sleep Score with watchOS 26), I would consider the Apple Watch Series 11 over the Ultra 3 simply because of its smaller size (I don’t need an Action button or up to 42 hours of battery life). The Apple Watch SE 3 is an incredible value for $250 if you want just the basics, but it’d be a downgrade from my model. Before I picked up a Series 9, I had a Series 4, and before that, the original “Series 0.” That’s the thing about Apple Watches—they last several years until software updates make them too slow or incompatible with iPhones.
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is an excellent smartwatch if its size and feature set appeal to you. But you absolutely don’t need to upgrade if you have a model from recent years. Get the Apple Watch size that literally fits your wrist best or has the features you want the most. As for Android users, you’re out of luck again since you still need an iPhone to set up any Apple Watch. Fortunately, there are great Wear OS options like Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 8, Google’s Pixel Watch 4, and the OnePlus Watch 3 series.
Garmin has unveiled the Instinct Crossover AMOLED, a bold refresh of its rugged hybrid smartwatch line. By blending traditional analog hands with a vivid AMOLED display, the new watch delivers a mix of timeless aesthetics and modern smart features. Built to endure harsh environments while keeping style intact, this model caters to adventurers who demand both toughness and clarity.
Classic Analog Meets AMOLED
The defining trait of the Instinct Crossover AMOLED is its combination of mechanical watch hands and a brilliant, colorful screen. The hands dynamically move away when users check detailed data, ensuring uninterrupted visibility of notifications, fitness stats, or maps. Enhanced with Super-LumiNova® coating, the hands remain readable in the dark, while a sapphire lens protects the display from scratches.
Adventure-Ready Design
This hybrid smartwatch is engineered to military-grade standards (MIL-STD-810) for thermal and shock resistance. A dual-layered metal bezel reinforces the watch’s structure, and the built-in dimmable LED flashlight adds practical utility for night use. With RevoDrive™ auto-calibration, the watch maintains accurate time even after impacts during outdoor activities.
Smarter Tracking and Health Insights
The Instinct Crossover AMOLED supports multi-band GPS with SatIQ, giving reliable navigation even in demanding environments. Through the Garmin Connect™ app, users can log lifestyle habits—like caffeine or alcohol consumption—and see how these affect sleep, stress, and heart rate variability. This integration highlights Garmin’s push toward holistic wellness, beyond just performance metrics.
Tactical Edition for Special Operations
For mission-driven users, the Tactical Edition introduces specialized features: stealth mode, night vision goggle compatibility, and an applied ballistics solver. Available in black, it stands as a no-compromise tool for demanding tactical conditions. Meanwhile, standard models come in charcoal or bronze/sunburst finishes, balancing adventure-readiness with urban appeal.
With battery life reaching up to 14 days in smartwatch mode and 18 days in saver mode, the Instinct Crossover AMOLED ensures fewer charges and more action. Pricing starts at $649.99, with the Tactical Edition at $749.99. These models reaffirm Garmin’s reputation for engineering durable yet stylish wearables. Whether hiking rugged trails or navigating city nights, this hybrid smartwatch delivers reliability and sophistication in one package.
Garmin Instinct Crossover AMOLED Technical Specs
Feature
Details
Display
AMOLED with mechanical hands, sapphire lens
Visibility
Super-LumiNova coated hands, dimmable LED flashlight
Durability
MIL-STD-810, dual-layered metal bezel, shock & thermal resistant
Navigation
Multi-band GPS with SatIQ technology
Battery Life
Up to 14 days (smartwatch), 18 days (saver mode)
Health Tracking
Sleep, stress, HRV, lifestyle logging in Garmin Connect
Huawei has taken the stage in Paris with its “Ride the Wind” showcase, unveiling a wave of products that merge style, health, and creativity. From advanced smartwatches to tablets and earbuds, the event highlighted how technology can integrate seamlessly into daily life while empowering users to be healthier and more expressive.
WATCH GT 6 Series: Power Meets Precision
The new WATCH GT 6 Series reflects Huawei’s commitment to professional-grade fitness. Offering up to 21 days of battery life, it introduces the TruSense System for highly accurate health monitoring. Enhanced cycling mode now includes a virtual power meter, while trail running gains altitude trend charts and real-time grade analysis. Golfers can benefit from high-definition course maps, while skiers enjoy precision tracking on every descent.
WATCH Ultimate 2 and WATCH D2: Redefining Health and Exploration
The WATCH Ultimate 2 is the first smartwatch to support 150-meter diving, complete with sonar-based watch-to-watch communication and an underwater SOS function. Meanwhile, the WATCH D2 focuses on blood pressure management, offering advanced reminders, individual and ambulatory monitoring, all within a new striking Blue finish.
nova 14 Series: Portraits with Professional Depth
Mobile photography takes a leap with the nova 14 Series, featuring the Ultra Chroma Camera and XD Portrait Engine. The phone delivers exceptional clarity in low-light scenarios like concerts. A 50MP front camera with autofocus and 5x portrait zoom ensures selfies are equally refined. AI tools such as Best Expression and Remove simplify post-editing, giving users studio-level results straight from their device.
MatePad 12 X and GoPaint: Creative Futures
The MatePad 12 X PaperMatte Edition brings eye-friendly visuals paired with the M-Pencil Pro, offering gesture-based shortcuts like one-pinch menus and twist-to-switch brushes. Alongside the launch, Huawei announced the GoPaint 2025 initiative, expanding categories to include Animation. This global challenge encourages digital creativity and aligns with Huawei’s youth-focused “Now Is Yours” brand message.
Through these launches, Huawei strengthens its position at the intersection of innovation and culture. The lineup will roll out to global markets soon, with pricing and availability varying by region. For more details, visit Huawei.
Technical Specifications
Product
Key Features
WATCH GT 6 Series
21-day battery, TruSense health metrics, cycling virtual power meter, trail running analysis, golf maps, skiing mode
WATCH Ultimate 2
150m dive rating, sonar communication, underwater SOS, professional fitness monitoring
WATCH D2
Comprehensive blood pressure monitoring, reminders, new Blue color finish
nova 14 Series
Ultra Chroma Camera, XD Portrait Engine, 50MP front camera with 5x zoom, AI editing tools
MatePad 12 X
PaperMatte Display, M-Pencil Pro with gesture controls, optimized for creativity and learning
When you buy your Apple Watch, you get to choose which band you get. Skip the rubber bands, which are made from fluoroelastomer. While the company committed to removing PFAS from its products in 2022, we have not gotten confirmation that Apple’s products are PFAS-free.
I find the textile and metal bands to be much more attractive and comfortable than fluoroelastomer bands, which tend to trap sweat and irritate my skin. My favorite of the Apple bands you can choose at checkout this year is the Nike nylon woven Sport Loop. It’s soft, breathable, soaks up sweat, and is infinitely adjustable if your wrists swell when you run. It’s made from recycled polyester, spandex, and nylon, and the yarn is reflective if you’re running at night. It comes in five colors and three sizes, so it’s compatible with the 40-, 44-, and 46-mm watch sizes.
The new Garmin Venu 4 is here, bringing a fresh wave of innovation to the smartwatch world. Garmin, well known for pushing the boundaries of fitness and lifestyle tech, has packed this model with advanced health insights, fitness coaching, and accessibility tools—all wrapped in a stylish metal design. With up to 12 days of battery life, the Venu 4 makes continuous health monitoring more practical than ever.
Smarter Health Tracking
The Venu 4 offers a more complete picture of well-being with features like health status monitoring, advanced sleep metrics, and lifestyle logging. Users can now log custom behaviors such as caffeine or alcohol intake and see how those choices influence sleep, stress, and heart rate variability. Sleep alignment and consistency tools help track circadian rhythm balance, giving users better insight into their body’s natural cycles.
Personalized Fitness with Garmin Coach
With the addition of the new Garmin Fitness Coach, workouts are smarter and more adaptive. Covering over 25 fitness activities—including HIIT, rowing, cycling, and more—these workouts adjust daily based on recovery, sleep quality, and training history. For those who enjoy varied routines, the mixed session profile can track multiple activities in a single workout session, avoiding fragmented logs.
Accessibility and Everyday Convenience
The Venu 4 is designed with inclusivity in mind. Its spoken watch face can announce the time and health stats aloud, while adjustable color filters improve readability for users with color vision deficiencies. Built-in LED flashlight, speaker, and mic bring more everyday utility, allowing quick calls and voice commands directly from the wrist without reaching for the phone.
Design and Premium Features
Garmin’s attention to detail extends to design: the watch is available in two sizes (41mm and 45mm) with swappable leather or silicone bands. Color options like lunar gold, light sand, silver, and citron give a stylish edge. Beyond looks, the smartwatch supports Garmin’s core features such as HRV status, Body Battery, ECG app support, women’s health tracking, Garmin Pay, onboard music storage, and enhanced safety tools. Starting September 22, 2025, the Venu 4 will retail from $549.99. For more details, visit Garmin.
Garmin Venu 4 Technical Specifications
Feature
Details
Sizes
41mm and 45mm
Design
Metal body, interchangeable silicone/leather bands
Battery Life
Up to 12 days in smartwatch mode
Health Tracking
HRV status, Body Battery, advanced sleep metrics, lifestyle logging
Fitness
Garmin Fitness Coach with over 25 activity profiles, mixed session tracking
Accessibility
Spoken watch face, color filter modes, LED flashlight
Connectivity
Speaker and mic for calls, smart notifications, Garmin Pay, onboard music
Special Features
ECG app support, women’s health tracking, safety and tracking features
Price
Starting at $549.99 (available September 22, 2025)
Reviews for the Apple Watch SE 3, Series 11, and Ultra 3 came out today. I’m in the process of reviewing them. I only have two wrists, and there are three Apple Watches to review—so yeah. Besides, I need to collect more health data before I feel comfortable pushing reviews. If you’re reading reviews and asking yourself whether or not you should get any of the new models when they become available this Friday, Sept. 19, maybe I can help you make a decision.
As I said in my hands-on with the Apple Watches after the Awe Jawdropping event last week, Apple’s trio of new smartwatches are a relatively straightforward refresh. All three models are available in GPS-only or GPS + cellular models, come with 5G connectivity (for cellular models), have S10 chipsets, and include 64GB of internal storage.
Get the Apple Watch SE 3 if you don’t need the latest and greatest that Apple has to offer in a wrist computer and only need the basics like excellent health and fitness tracking, an always-on display for telling the time (finally), and you don’t want to pay too much. The Watch SE 3 is a terrific value starting at $250. The SE 3 gets up to 18 hours of battery life with a single charge.
Get the Apple Watch Series 11 if you want some more bells and whistles like slightly larger and brighter displays, a little bit of thinner design, ECG, blood oxygen tracking (via the iPhone app), and a more advanced optical heart rate sensor for more accurate health and fitness tracking. The Series 11 also comes in titanium finishes, whereas the SE 3 is available only with aluminum cases. The Series 11 gets longer battery life compared to the SE 3—up to 24 hours with a single charge.
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is the most feature-packed smartwatch that Apple sells. It’s got everything the Series 11 has, plus an even bigger display, satellite connectivity (emergency SOS and messages), and the longest battery of any Apple Watch at up to 42 hours with a single charge.
That all sounds self-explanatory—options for good, better, and best—but what if you already own an Apple Watch? Should you upgrade beyond getting longer battery life? Because let’s be real, if you’ve had your Apple Watch for even a year and you’re consistently using it to track workouts, the battery is dying at a faster rate than if you’re just using it to tell the time and get notifications. Also, the batteries in Apple Watches aren’t going to last forever; they’ll inevitably go kaput one day or just not hold as long of a charge with time.
If you’re in that boat, you really have to ask yourself this: do you care about hypertension notifications and the new Sleep Score?
Hypertension notifications
Hypertension, also known commonly as chronic high blood pressure, is a life-threatening condition that can oftentimes cause heart attacks or damage your organs. It’s called the “silent killer” because you typically won’t see symptoms. That’s where hypertension notifications come in. The feature received FDA clearance on Monday and will be made available in over 150 countries. The Series 11 and Ultra 3 can send hypertension notifications using data collected from their optical heart sensors, which is then processed through a “machine learning-based algorithm” designed from studies that included over 100,000 participants, according to Apple. “Apple Watch looks at your heart data and searches for patterns associated with hypertension,” reads the hypertension notifications setup screen within the Health app. The Apple Watch is not measuring blood pressure; it’s merely looking for the patterns that may match with hypertension victims.
Setting up hypertension notifications is simple enough, but it’s not something you’ll be able to fire up on command on your Apple Watch. “The algorithm works passively in the background reviewing data over 30-day periods, and will notify users if it detects consistent signs of hypertension,” Apple states in a press release. Basically, if you’re 22 years or older and you’re not pregnant, there’s no reason not to turn it on. Ideally, you’ll never get a hypertension notification, which would indicate you’re a healthy human and have nothing to worry about. But if you do, at the very least you can take some preventive care if it’s not yet serious. The notifications could potentially save your life.
The other big Apple Watch feature that Apple announced last week is Sleep Score. This is a feature for all three of the new Apple Watches, including the SE 3. For me, it’s a big finally moment, as I’ve long found the sleep tracking on Apple Watches to be lacking compared to wearables made by other companies. Similar to the Activity Rings, Sleep Score is a way to measure three sleeping metrics: duration, bedtime, and interruptions. These three pieces of data are represented in a ring or “donut” as Apple told me (see photo at the very top), and they appear thicker or thinner based on how you achieve each one. You’re then assigned a score and one of five classifications (very low, low, OK, high, and excellent). The idea is that, at a glance, you can quickly see how well you slept and potentially make changes to improve any of the three metrics. In a way, it’s almost like gamifying sleep by guilting you into improving your Sleep Score and then maintaining it.
I’ve been an insomniac for the past year and admittedly my Sleep Score has been ranking “low” the past week. Has the Sleep Score made me feel shameful that I have not corrected my sleep? 100%. But I’m also very good at ignoring it even when I know I have sleeping problems. Of course, that’s just me; I also ignore my Activity Rings more than I should and don’t stand when my Apple Watch tells me to. Like just a few minutes ago when I saw the notification and just blew it off! Most people I know who own an Apple Watch are more disciplined than me when it comes to getting nudged by their smartwatch to move or stand up or dosomething. Setting my own bad habits aside, Sleep Score is thoughtfully designed.
Now, back to the question of whether you should buy any of the new Apple Watches for these two features. If you want the latest and greatest Apple Watches, then by all means. But there’s really good news! If you own a Watch Series 6 or later, SE 2, or Ultra and later, you get Sleep Score for free in the just-released watchOS 26. If you have an Apple Watch Series 9 or later, or an Ultra 2 (sorry, OG Ultra owners), you get hypertension notifications for free in the same software update. So check your Apple Watch model and think a little bit about whether these features appeal to you or not. You may be able to save a few hundred bucks just by downloading the new update.
Smartwatches do more than just track your steps and deliver phone alerts to your wrist. The best smartwatches go even further, giving you the ability to pay for a cup of coffee, take calls and connect to apps like Spotify all without whipping out your smartphone.
Chances are, if you’re reading this, you already know all of the benefits of a smartwatch. You’re ready to invest, or upgrade from an aging accessory, but we wouldn’t blame you if you if you didn’t know where to start. There are dozens of smartwatches available now, including GPS running watches, fitness trackers that look like smartwatches and multi-purpose devices. Plus, you’ll want to consider factors like durability, battery life and operating system before you spend a lot of money on a new wearable. We’ve tested and reviewed most major smartwatches available today and these are our top picks.
Table of contents
Best smartwatches of 2025
Cherlynn Low for Engadget
Tracks: Sleep, activity, calories, stress | Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Cellular (optional) | GPS: Yes, built in | Water resistant: Yes | Assistant support: Siri | Display: Always-on, wide-angle OLED touchscreen | Weight: 37.8 grams | Battery life: 24 hours
Apple didn’t add too many new features to the Watch Series 11 that would drastically change your daily experience with it, but it did make one crucial improvement: battery life. The Series 11 lasts longer than its predecessor, meaning you can not only get about one and a half days depending on your use, but also squeeze out more juice in low power mode or for your outdoor runs with GPS enabled.
The Series 11 has basically the same thin and light design as the Series 10, which is comfortable enough to wear out on the streets and between the sheets. Its Sleep Score makes it easier to understand how to improve your rest, while background tools like high blood pressure alerts or blood oxygen measurements help keep tabs on your wellbeing and alert you to anomalies.
Ultimately, for those using an iPhone, there is no better smartwatch. And even without Apple’s walled garden giving it an edge, the Series 11 is still one of the best smartwatches around thanks to its overall package of communications, health and wellness tools.
It only took three iterations, but Google finally got it right with the Pixel Watch 3. It’s the most fully realized Pixel Watch yet, and one that any Android fan would get a lot of use out of. The latest model, which now comes in 41mm and 45mm sizes, has a slightly larger circular display that’s brighter than ever and can reach up to a 60Hz refresh rate. It can also drop down to just 1 nit of brightness when you’re wearing it to sleep, which not only makes for a better experience overall, but also contributes to its longer battery life. You’ll get up to 24 hours out of the Pixel Watch 3, which is a big improvement over the previous generation and more in line with competing devices from Apple and Samsung.
The Pixel Watch 3 is also a great activity tracking device, with features like auto workout detection and custom running plans, plus the ability to track metrics like Cardio Load. There’s Fitbit smarts in here, just like in previous Pixel Watches, so you’re covered when it comes to daily workouts, steps, sleep and more. The only downside to this is that if you’re interested in more in-depth coaching, those features are hidden behind the Fitbit Premium paywall.
While Wear OS 5 could use a bit more polish, the integration with the Google Assistant on the Pixel Watch 3 is handy so you can use voice commands to check on things like weather forecasts, calendar alerts, map directions and more. We also appreciate the addition of faster charging on the Pixel Watch 3, so you can go from 0 to 100 in a bit less time than before. That’ll come in handy if you’re really keen on using the watch as a sleep tracker. Overall, the improvements Google made in this edition of the Pixel Watch helped push it over the edge as a worthy competitor to the Apple Watch and a top pick for Android users looking for their next wearable.
Tracks: Sleep, activity, calories, stress, dozens of workouts | Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, ANT+ | GPS: Yes, built in | Water resistant: Yes | Assistant support: None | Display: 1.2-inch AMOLED with optional always-on mode | Weight: 39 grams | Battery life: 11 days in smartwatch mode, 19 hours in GPS mode
Garmin is known for its prowess in the world of fitness watches and the Garmin Forerunner 165 is the watch I tested that I wanted to wear the most when I went out for a run. The expertise of the Forerunner line is in the name, and Garmin truly excels at making comprehensive yet friendly GPS running watches in flavors that will suit all kinds of athletes, from beginner to expert. The Forerunner 165 stands out with its lightweight design, bright AMOLED touchscreen, straightforward button controls, accurate built-in GPS and its ability to track workout stats just as well as all-day activity data.
Starting a run with the Forerunner 165 is as easy as pressing a single button — the top-right button on the case literally has “run” embossed onto it, and it takes you to the workout profile menu where you can choose the exercise you want to track. Run is the first option, but you have more than 25 profiles to choose from including track run, treadmill, walk, strength, swim and more. When running outside, the GPS took an average of 15-20 seconds to lock onto my location, but you don’t have to wait for it to do so — press the run button again to begin and the GPS will catch up on its own.
The Forerunner experience has benefited greatly from the continuous improvement of the Garmin Connect mobile app. The previously clunky, confusing app has been well refined so that you can customize its homepage the workout and activity stats you care about the most, including things like Body Battery, Sleep Score, menstrual cycle information and more. It’s easy to dive into your most recently tracked activity and get in the weeds with pace, cadence, training effect (aerobic or anaerobic), power and stamina stats.
Garmin puts the battery life of the Forerunner 165 at 11 days in smartwatch mode, and I found that to be mostly accurate even with a handful of GPS-tracked runs thrown in. The company claims you’ll get up to 19 hours of battery life with continuous GPS use, which should be enough for most runners and athletes competing in long-haul races. You can also get the 165 with music storage built in or not, with the former allowing you to store music locally on the watch so you can listen with a pair of Bluetooth headphones.
The Garmin Forerunner 165 will set you back $250 without music storage, or $300 for the model with music storage built in. That’s on the lower end of the price spectrum for GPS running watches; you could easily spend $500 or more if you’re unsure about what you need and what’s just extra fluff. While Garmin does have a few cheaper devices, the Forerunner 165 strikes the right balance of feature set and price that will appeal to seasoned runners and those who are just diving into a more regimented running routine.
Samsung completely redesigned its wearable for 2025. The Galaxy Watch 8 looks cleaner and more sophisticated — but more importantly, it’s far more comfortable. Another hardware improvement bumps up the battery size, fixing one of the Galaxy Watch 7’s biggest flaws. With that watch, the always-on display tanked the battery, but now you can get a full day and then some while wearing it.
With Wear OS 6, the watch gains a new tiles-based interface that makes navigating quick and easy. It also adds the assistance of Gemini, which can help you control functions and complete tasks on your watch just by saying, “Hey Google” (just note that you’ll need a Gemini-compatible phone nearby).
Health and fitness additions include an antioxidant levels metric and vascular load, which may help some people keep better tabs on their health. An AI-fueled running guidance “coach” takes an assessment of your jogging abilities and tailors a program to help you run further and faster. We think this will probably benefit beginner runners the most — those accustomed to coaching may not find it as useful.
Of course, this is only a good choice for Samsung phone users. And another drawback is the raised glass screen, which seems destined for damage. But we will note that you can avoid that risk (and score some serious heritage-watch style points) by going with the Classic variant of the watch. — Amy Skorheim, Senior Reporter
Pros
Remarkably comfortable fit
Tiles interface is snappy
New antioxidant level and vascular load health metrics may help users keep an eye on their health
Yes, there are still companies out there trying to make “fashionable” hybrid smartwatches. Back when wearables were novel and generally ugly, brands like Fossil, Michael Kors and Skagen found their niche in stylish smartwatches that took cues from analog timepieces. You also have the option to pick up a “hybrid” smartwatch from companies like Withings and Garmin – these devices look like classic wrist watches but incorporate some limited functionality like activity tracking and heart rate monitoring. They remain good options if you prefer that look, but thankfully, wearables made by Apple, Samsung, Fitbit and others have gotten much more attractive over the past few years.
Ultimately, the only thing you can’t change after you buy a smartwatch is its case design. If you’re not into the Apple Watch’s squared-off corners, all of Samsung’s smartwatches have round cases that look a little more like a traditional watch. Most wearables are offered in a choice of colors and you can pay extra for premium materials like stainless steel for extra durability. Once you decide on a case, your band options are endless – there are dozens of first- and third-party watch straps available for most major smartwatches, and for both larger and smaller wrists, allowing you to change up your look whenever you please.
Factors to consider before buying a smartwatch
Compatibility
Apple Watches only work with iPhones, while Wear OS devices play nice with both iOS and Android phones. Smartwatches made by Samsung, Garmin, Fitbit and others are also compatible with Android and iOS, but you’ll need to install a companion app on your smartphone.
The smartwatch OS will also dictate the type and number of third-party apps you’ll have access to. Many of these aren’t useful, though, making this factor a fairly minor one in the grand scheme of things.
Price
The best smartwatches generally cost between $300 and $400. Compared to budget smartwatches, which cost between $100 and $250, these pricier devices have advanced operating systems, communications, music and fitness features. They also often include perks like onboard GPS tracking, music storage and NFC, AMOLED displays, and long battery life, things that budget devices generally don’t have.
Some companies make specialized fitness watches: Those can easily run north of $500, and we’d only recommend them to serious athletes. Luxury smartwatches from brands like TAG Heuer and Hublot can also reach sky-high prices, but we wouldn’t endorse any of them. These devices can cost more than $1,000, and you’re usually paying for little more than a brand name and some needlessly exotic selection of build materials.
Battery life
Battery life remains one of our biggest complaints about smartwatches, but there’s hope as of late. You can expect two full days from Apple Watches and most Wear OS devices. Watches using the Snapdragon Wear 3100 processor support extended battery modes that promise up to five days of battery life on a charge — if you’re willing to shut off most features aside from, you know, displaying the time. Other models can last five to seven days, but they usually have fewer features and lower-quality displays. Meanwhile, some fitness watches can last weeks on a single charge. If long battery life is a priority for you, it’s worth checking out the watch’s specs beforehand to see what the manufacturer estimates.
Communication
Any smartwatch worth considering delivers call, text and app notifications to your wrist. Call and text alerts are self explanatory, but if those mean a lot to you, consider a watch with LTE. They’re more expensive than their WiFi-only counterparts, but cellular connectivity allows the smartwatch to take and receive phone calls, and do the same with text messages, without your device nearby. As far as app alerts go, getting them delivered to your wrist will let you glance down to the watch face and see if you absolutely need to check your phone right now.
Fitness tracking
Activity tracking is a big reason why people turn to smartwatches. An all-purpose timepiece should function as a fitness tracker, logging your steps, calories and workouts, and most of today’s wearables have a heart rate monitor as well.
Many smartwatches’ fitness features include a built-in GPS, which is useful for tracking distance for runs and bike rides. Swimmers will want something water resistant, and thankfully most all-purpose devices now can withstand at least a dunk in the pool. Some smartwatches from companies like Garmin are more fitness focused than others and tend to offer more advanced features like heart-rate-variance tracking, recovery time estimation, onboard maps and more.
Health tracking on smartwatches has also seen advances over the years. Both Apple and Fitbit devices can estimate blood oxygen levels and measure ECGs. But the more affordable the smartwatch, the less likely it is that it has these kinds of advanced health tracking features; if collecting those kinds of wellness metrics is important to you, you’ll have to pay for the privilege.
Music
Your watch can not only track your morning runs but also play music while you’re exercising. Many smartwatches let you save your music locally, so you can connect wireless earbuds via Bluetooth and listen to tunes without bringing your phone. Those that don’t have onboard storage for music usually have on-watch music controls, so you can control playback without whipping out your phone. And if your watch has LTE, local saving isn’t required — you’ll be able to stream music directly from the watch to your paired earbuds.
Displays
Most wearables have touchscreens and we recommend getting one that has a full-color touchscreen. Some flagships like the Apple Watch have LTPO displays, which stands for low-temperature polycrystalline oxide. These panels have faster response times and are more power efficient, resulting in a smoother experience when one interacts with the touchscreen and, in some cases, longer battery lives.
You won’t see significant gains with the latter, though, because the extra battery essentially gets used up when these devices have always-on displays, as most flagship wearables do today. Some smartwatches have this feature on by default while others let you enable it via tweaked settings. This smart feature allows you to glance down at your watch to check the time, health stats or any other information you’ve set it to show on its watchface without lifting your wrist. This will no doubt affect your device’s battery life, but thankfully most always-on modes dim the display’s brightness so it’s not running at its peak unnecessarily. Cheaper devices won’t have this feature; instead, their touchscreens will automatically turn off to conserve battery life and you’ll have to intentionally check your watch to turn on the display again.
NFC
Many new smartwatches have NFC, letting you pay for things without your wallet using contactless payments. After saving your credit or debit card information, you can hold your smartwatch up to an NFC reader to pay for a cup of coffee on your way home from a run. Keep in mind that different watches use different payment systems: Apple Watches use Apple Pay, Wear OS devices use Google Pay, Samsung devices use Samsung Pay and so forth.
Apple Pay is one of the most popular NFC payment systems, with support for multiple banks and credit cards in 72 different countries, while Samsung and Google Pay work in fewer regions. It’s also important to note that both NFC payment support varies by device as well for both Samsung and Google’s systems.
Other smartwatches our experts tested
Apple Watch Ultra 3
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is probably overkill for most people, but it has a ton of extra features like extra waterproofing to track diving, an even more accurate GPS and the biggest battery of any Apple Watch to date. Apple designed it for the most rugged among us, but for your average person, it likely has more features than they’d ever need. If you’re particularly clumsy, however, its high level of durability could be a great reason to consider the Apple Watch Ultra 3.
Apple Watch SE 3
The Apple Watch SE 3 is less feature-rich than the flagship model, but it will probably suffice for most people. We actually regard the Watch SE as the best smartwatch option for first-time buyers, or people on stricter budgets. The gap has narrowed between the SE 3 and Apple’s main flagship smartwatch, too, so you won’t have to make as many compromises.
Garmin Forerunner 745
Garmin watches in general can be great options for the most active among us. The Garmin Forerunner 745 is an excellent GPS running watch for serious athletes or those who prize battery life above all else. When we tested it, we found it to provide accurate distance tracking, a killer 16-hour battery life with GPS turned on (up to seven days without it) and support for onboard music storage and Garmin Pay.
Amazfit Bip 6
The Amazfit Bip 6, an $80 smartwatch from Zepp Health, didn’t quite make the cut. As a fitness tracker, it’s decent, but it’s a frustrating smartwatch. For workouts, the built-in GPS tracks runs and rides without your phone and, combined with the heart rate and blood oxygen sensors, collects a good amount of data to create accurate pictures of your exertion levels, cadence and pace. It’s remarkably lightweight but doesn’t feel cheap and the AMOLED screen is bright and sharp. It’s not an always-on display, but lifting your wrist wakes it reliably.
The sleep tracking data is on par with what we measured on other smartwatches and there’s even a daily readiness score that compares your sleep quality and the previous day’s exertion to estimate how physically prepared you are for the day ahead — similar to what Pixel Watches, Fitbit devices and Garmin watches offer. And since the watch battery lasts for over a week on a charge, you may be a lot more apt to wear it to bed than a watch you have to charge daily.
We weren’t expecting an $80 device to be a serious Apple Watch challenger, but the Bip 6’s glitches and overly complicated interface (both on the app and on the watch itself) were disappointing. During a week of testing, I got multiple repeated notifications, even after they were deleted, along with suggestions to stand when I was actively doing chores around the house. The watch faces are not customizable, so it was hard to get the info I needed at a glance (the Zepp app has lots of paid watch faces that may have what I wanted, but I didn’t want to pay $3 for something that’s free elsewhere).
Marketing details state that the Bip 6 can auto-detect workouts, including walking and bike riding. During testing, I walked once or twice per day for over one mile and went on two bike rides, but no workout was ever detected. The watch integrates with Apple Health, so I was able to see how it compares to the data my Apple Watch gathers. After a week of wearing the Bip 6, with no changes to my daily routine, I averaged 400 fewer calories burned and 2.4 fewer miles tracked each day. That was possibly the biggest disappointment of all. — Amy Skorheim, Senior Reporter
Smartwatch FAQs
Is there a difference between a smartwatch and a fitness tracker?
While smartwatches and fitness trackers share some similarities, they’re designed for slightly different purposes.
A fitness tracker is primarily focused on health and activity tracking. It keeps tabs on your steps, heart rate, sleep and workouts, and some even offer advanced metrics like blood oxygen levels and stress tracking. Fitness trackers are generally more compact, have longer battery life and are built with activity in mind.
A smartwatch, on the other hand, is like a mini smartphone on your wrist. It offers fitness tracking features, but also lets you do things like reply to texts, take calls, use apps and control smart home devices. Many smartwatches support voice assistants, mobile payments and even LTE connectivity, so you can leave your phone behind in some cases.
If you mainly want health and activity tracking with long battery life, a fitness tracker is the way to go. If you want a more connected experience with extra features, a smartwatch is the better choice.
How long do smartwatches last?
How long a smartwatch lasts mostly depends on two things: battery life and overall durability.
Smartwatch battery life varies a lot depending on the brand, features and how you use it. Basic models with e-ink displays or monochrome screens can last a week or more, while full-featured smartwatches like the Apple Watch or Samsung Galaxy Watch usually need a charge every day or two. If you’re using features like always-on display, GPS tracking or LTE connectivity, expect the battery to drain faster.
Physically, a good smartwatch should last several years before you need to upgrade. Premium models with scratch-resistant glass, water resistance and strong build materials tend to hold up well over time. However, software support matters too — brands like Apple and Samsung typically provide updates for at least a few years, while some budget smartwatches may not get long-term software support.
You can expect to charge most smartwatches daily or every few days, and if you take care of them, they should last 3-5 years before an upgrade is necessary.
How much should you spend on a smartwatch?
How much you should spend on a smartwatch depends on what features you need and how often you plan to use it.
If you just want the basics — step tracking, notifications, heart rate monitoring and basic fitness tracking — you can find some solid budget-friendly options from brands like Amazfit, Fitbit and some Wear OS models. These usually have decent battery life but may lack premium features like LTE, advanced health tracking or third-party apps.
In the mid-range smartwatch price bracket, you’ll find popular models like the Apple Watch SE and Fitbit Versa series. These offer a good mix of fitness tracking, smart features and design quality. You’ll get better build materials, more accurate sensors and app support, but battery life might still be limited to a day or two.
High-end smartwatches like the Apple Watch Ultra, Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra and Garmin Fenix/Epix series offer advanced health tracking, rugged designs, LTE connectivity and longer software support. These are great for serious athletes, outdoor adventurers, or anyone who wants the latest and greatest features.
If you just want a simple smartwatch for notifications and fitness tracking, a budget or mid-range model will do the job. But if you want a premium feel, advanced health tracking or LTE connectivity, it’s worth spending a bit more. For most people, $200 – $350 hits the best balance of features and value.
Do all smartwatches have GPS?
Not all smartwatches have built-in GPS. Some rely on your phone’s GPS, while others have it built-in for independent tracking.
High-end and fitness-focused smartwatches, like the Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch and Garmin models have their own built-in GPS. This means they can track your runs, walks, bike rides and hikes without needing to be connected to your phone. It’s a must-have for serious athletes or anyone who wants accurate location tracking without carrying a phone.
Some budget and mid-range smartwatches (like some Fitbit and Amazfit models) don’t have built-in GPS but can use your phone’s GPS when connected via Bluetooth. This works fine if you usually carry your phone while working out, but it’s less convenient if you prefer to leave it behind.
Some very basic or budget smartwatches skip GPS entirely and rely solely on step tracking or motion sensors. These are fine for casual users who don’t need location tracking.
Can you leave your phone at home and still use a smartwatch?
Yes, but it depends on the smartwatch and what you want to do without your phone.
If your smartwatch has LTE or cellular connectivity , you can make calls, send texts, stream music, use maps and even access apps without your phone nearby. However, you’ll need a separate data plan from your carrier, which usually comes with an extra monthly cost.
Even without LTE, some smartwatches can still do plenty on their own, including track workouts and GPS routes (if they have built-in GPS), play music offline (if they support downloads from Spotify or Apple Music), may contactless payments with features like Apple Pay and Google Wallet and control smart home devices.
If going phone-free is important to you, look for a smartwatch with LTE and built-in GPS for the best experience.
Can a smartwatch make calls without a phone?
Yes, a smartwatch can make calls without a phone — but only if it has the right features.
Some smartwatches have built-in LTE connectivity, meaning they can work independently from your phone. You can make and receive calls, send texts, stream music and use apps as long as you have a mobile data plan for the watch. However, you’ll need to pay for a separate cellular plan and battery life drains faster when using LTE.
If your smartwatch doesn’t have LTE, it can still make calls, but only when connected to your phone via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. It essentially acts as a remote speaker and microphone for your phone’s calls. Watches like the standard Apple Watch or Samsung Galaxy Watch (Wi-Fi versions) can do this. However, if your phone isn’t nearby or connected to Wi-Fi, calling won’t work.
Some fitness-focused smartwatches (like certain Garmin, Fitbit and Amazfit models) don’t have a built-in speaker or microphone, so they can’t make or receive calls at all — only show notifications.
If calling without a phone is a must, make sure to choose an LTE model with a built-in mic and speaker.
What’s the difference between an Android and Apple smartwatch?
The biggest difference between Android and Apple smartwatches comes down to compatibility, features and ecosystem integration.
Apple smartwatches (Apple Watch) only work with iPhones. If you have an Android phone, you can’t use an Apple Watch at all. Android smartwatches (Wear OS, Samsung Galaxy, Garmin etc.) mostly work with Android phones, but some also support iPhones with limited features. If you have an iPhone, the Apple Watch is the best choice. If you have an Android phone, go for a Wear OS or Samsung Galaxy Watch.
Apple Watch (watchOS) has the best app support with seamless integration into Apple’s ecosystem (iMessage, FaceTime, Apple Pay, Apple Fitness+, Siri etc.). Android smartwatches offer more variety, with access to Google services (Google Assistant, Google Wallet and Google Maps), and some support Amazon Alexa or Samsung’s Bixby.
In terms of design, Apple Watch has a single design but comes in different sizes and materials. It’s sleek, but your only real customization comes from bands and watch faces. Android smartwatches, on the other hand, come in tons of styles and brands (Samsung, Google Pixel Watch, Garmin, Fossil etc.), meaning you can pick a round watch, a rugged design or a luxury-looking model.
If battery life is important to you, the Apple Watch lasts about a day or two per charge, depending on usage and model. Many Android smartwatches (especially Garmin, Amazfit or Mobvoi TicWatch) last multiple days or even weeks on a single charge.
For years, Apple has tried to extend the battery life of the Apple Watch. For as many years, the company has only succeeded by half measures. Features like Low Power mode or faster charging help you keep the watch on your wrist for longer, but Apple has not significantly improved the watch’s 18-hour battery life—even at last year’s much-hyped decade-versary of the Apple Watch.
I say this to give the context of why such a little thing was so shocking. After wearing the new Apple Watch Series 11 for a full afternoon and wearing it to sleep, I woke up in the morning and discovered that I still had 58 percent battery left. 58 percent! I can wear the watch to sleep, get up, get my kids to school, and charge the watch when I’m at my desk! Constantly fussing over battery life was a major pain of the Apple Watch, and it’s been fixed.
Longer battery life also makes it significantly easier to use Apple’s newest health features as well. If you have a Series 3 or 4 and have been waiting to upgrade, this is the year to do it. Too bad Apple couldn’t pull this off last year.
In a Heartbeat
Photograph: Adrienne So
First things first: The new Series 11 comes in 42- and 46-millimeter case sizes with aluminum and titanium finishes in a variety of colors—Gold, Natural, and Slate for titanium, Rose Gold, Silver, Space Gray, and Jet Black for aluminum). It has the same slim case as last year’s Series 10, along with features like fast charging and a new, more scratch-resistant glass.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has long contended that the Apple Watch is meant to save your life. In accordance with this, the newest features on the watch (or more accurately, the watchOS 26 update that applies to all Apple Watches, Series 6 or later) are health-related. First, the watch now offers hypertension, or high blood pressure, notifications.
Undiagnosed high blood pressure now affects as many as one in three people worldwide and can lead to heart attacks, stroke, or other long-term health conditions. The optical heart rate monitor on the watch purports to check how your blood vessels respond to your heartbeats; Apple says that the feature was developed with data from a series of studies that totaled over 100,000 participants.
Withings, which is best known for its smart scales and similar devices, also makes a smartwatch series, the latest of which is the ScanWatch 2. At IFA 2025, the company announced a new blue and silver version of the 42mm model. It also unveiled HealthSense 4, an AI-laden software update that leverages the tech to handle a set of new health- and sleep-tracking features.
I grabbed a picture of the ScanWatch 2 while I was there, and now I get the appeal of this watch. If you’re not familiar, the ScanWatch’s big deal is that they’re like smartwatches disguised as regular old analog watches, complete with mechanical time-telling hands and a more standard overall watch face. The screen itself is just a watch face complication—a tiny circle embedded in the upper part of the screen. The ScanWatch 2 looks nice, and the blue-banded, silver model is no different. In fact, I’m a fan of the blue, if only because it reminds me of the blue suit Adam Sandler wears throughout the movie Punch Drunk Love. (If you haven’t seen it and you’re scoffing at an Adam Sandler mention in this Very Serious Smartwatch Article, cut it out, and go watch the movie.)
This version of the ScanWatch 2 is available now on Withings’s website, Amazon, Target, and Best Buy, and costs $369.95. Buyers will get a month of Withings Plus for free. (After that, it’s $9.95 a month, or $99.50 per year.)
Under the hood, the ScanWatch 2 does a lot of what other, more conspicuous smartwatches do. It takes measurements of things like heart rate and blood oxygen level, or carries out ECG readings to power atrial fibrillation detection.
With HealthSense 4, the ScanWatch 2 (and ScanWatch Nova and Nova Brilliant, but not the original ScanWatch or ScanWatch Light) can now track REM sleep and take more accurate measurements of your breathing rhythm while you sleep. Withings says its new algorithms, using data gathered by the smartwatch—such as heart rate variability, physical activity, body temperature, and respiratory rhythm—can find possible causes of fatigue, and provide AI-powered recommendations telling users what they might be able to do to feel less tired all the time. These recommendations are collected under what Withings calls the Vitality Indicator, which you need a Withings Plus subscription to access on your phone.
Withings product manager Etienne Tregaro walked me through some of the new app features at IFA 2025. The Vitality Indicator screen gives you an overview of your “vitality,” which I took to be a sort of shorthand for Withings’ AI system’s impression of your overall readiness to face a given day. Days of the week at the top of the screen are filled with circles with green outlines that can be anywhere from nonexistent to a complete ring—the fuller the ring, the less fatigued you are. At the bottom, various boxes tell you where you are for the day in categories like Recovery and Effort.
The Withings app also features Withings Intelligence—a chatbot you can talk to about your health metrics. It can take note of patterns; another Withings representative I spoke with showed me a screen where the chatbot noted he had just lost a little weight, speculated about the causes, and asked if he’d been intentionally trying to lose weight. In theory, it would give him helpful guidance, depending on his answer.
The subscription also gives access to AI-powered notifications letting users know when their menstrual cycle is beginning or when the ScanWatch 2 has picked up signs of an infection. The Withings Plus service also comes with Cardio Check-Up, an option to have your cardiovascular data checked by a professional cardiologist, who returns a basic summary of what they saw and recommendations for dealing with issues that may have cropped up.
It’s a staggering update that leapfrogs over Apple’s more passive presentation of health information and more closely mirrors efforts by companies like Samsung to deploy AI, informed by smart wearables data, as a health coach. I worry it could draw certain people further into unhealthy obsessions with constantly tracking and micromanaging their health? I’m not an expert in this; for that, I’d encourage you to read the manyarticleson the subject. We’re riding into a new frontier with generative AI now becoming more deeply enmeshed in smart wearables, and only time will tell.
One thing you won’t need a subscription for is the battery life improvement that comes with the new HealthSense4 software. Now, the ScanWatch 2 gets 35 days on a charge, which is up from 30 days before, already way more battery life than most standard smartwatches. Although to get there, you’ll probably need to turn off a number of the ScanWatch 1’s features, like its always-on display or blood oxygen sensor.
Tregaro told me Withings managed to add those days by identifying areas it could optimize its code. I asked what your settings would have to look like to actually reach 35 days on a charge, because obviously you can’t expect that while using every single feature the ScanWatch 2 offers. He said you’d need to turn off a number of features, including some of the overnight tracking or notifications. Withings, to its credit, has a chart that can tell you which features incur the biggest battery life penalty. Nice to have a guide.
Garmin has redefined the smartwatch category with the launch of the fenix 8 Pro series. For the first time, inReach satellite and cellular connectivity is built directly into a watch, letting explorers leave their phone behind while staying in touch. To top it off, the fenix 8 Pro – MicroLED variant introduces the brightest smartwatch display ever made, pushing outdoor readability to a whole new level.
Satellite and Cellular Connectivity on the Wrist
With built-in inReach technology, adventurers can exchange text messages, share location check-ins, and even place phone calls. The cellular connectivity opens up options like voice calls, 30-second voice messages, LiveTrack links, and real-time weather forecasts. This is a leap forward for athletes and outdoor enthusiasts who want freedom from carrying a phone but still need to stay connected.
Safety Powered by Garmin Response
When the unexpected strikes, the fenix 8 Pro supports SOS activation via satellite or LTE. This alert connects to the dedicated Garmin Response center, which coordinates with emergency contacts and rescue teams worldwide. With experience managing over 17,000 incidents in more than 150 countries, Garmin Response brings peace of mind to every adventure.
Next-Gen MicroLED Display
The fenix 8 Pro – MicroLED is a breakthrough in wearable displays. With over 400,000 LEDs producing up to 4,500 nits of brightness, it’s the brightest smartwatch display to date. The result is sharp detail, vivid colors, and flawless readability—even in direct sunlight—making maps and metrics clearer than ever.
Rugged Design Meets Advanced Features
True to Garmin’s DNA, the fenix 8 Pro is dive-rated, crafted with leakproof metal buttons, titanium bezels, and features like an integrated LED flashlight. The watch also packs Garmin’s full suite of performance and health tools: endurance score, hill score, ECG app, sleep coach, Garmin Pay, preloaded TopoActive maps, safety tracking, and more. Whether training for an ultra or navigating remote trails, it’s engineered for the toughest challenges.
Both AMOLED and MicroLED editions will be available starting September 8, 2025. The AMOLED model offers up to 27 days of battery life, while the MicroLED version balances stunning brightness with up to 10 days of usage. Pricing starts at $1,199.99 for AMOLED and $1,999.99 for MicroLED.
Garmin fenix 8 Pro Technical Specs
Feature
fenix 8 Pro – AMOLED
fenix 8 Pro – MicroLED
Display
AMOLED touchscreen
MicroLED touchscreen
Sizes
47mm, 51mm
51mm
Brightness
High visibility AMOLED
Up to 4,500 nits
Connectivity
inReach satellite + LTE
inReach satellite + LTE
Battery Life (Smartwatch mode)
Up to 27 days
Up to 10 days
Safety
SOS via Garmin Response
SOS via Garmin Response
Materials
Titanium bezel, metal sensor guard
Titanium bezel, metal sensor guard
Extras
LED flashlight, TopoActive maps, ECG app, Garmin Pay
LED flashlight, TopoActive maps, ECG app, Garmin Pay
Rokid has officially unveiled its latest breakthrough at IFA 2025 in Berlin with the debut of the brand-new Rokid Glasses. Positioned as more than just a wearable gadget, these ultra-light AR glasses combine artificial intelligence, immersive augmented reality, and practical productivity features into a single 49-gram frame designed for everyday use.
Blending AI, AR, and First-Person Capture
The new Rokid Glasses integrate a sleek design with a smart 12MP first-person camera that enables users to capture their world from their own perspective. Paired with AR overlays and real-time AI analysis, these glasses redefine how users interact with their surroundings, making complex tasks like translation, navigation, and object recognition smooth and intuitive.
Hands-Free Smart Assistant
Functioning as a true AI-driven assistant, Rokid Glasses deliver a wide range of capabilities without requiring users to pull out their phones. Whether it’s real-time multi-language translation to eliminate communication barriers or AI-powered problem solving to handle everyday challenges, these glasses are built for productivity and convenience.
Immersive Audio and Seamless Connectivity
Integrated premium audio technology ensures that users can listen to music, take calls, and stay up to date with notifications while remaining fully engaged in the moment. The combination of spatial sound and lightweight design provides comfort and functionality, supporting both lifestyle and work scenarios.
Future-Ready Design for Everyone
With a frame that supports customizable lenses for myopia or astigmatism, Rokid Glasses are accessible to a wide range of users. A rechargeable case provides up to ten full charges, ensuring long-lasting performance on the go. This makes the glasses ideal for travelers, professionals, and tech enthusiasts who demand uninterrupted use. With the launch at IFA 2025, Rokid reinforces its role as a leader in AR innovation, making advanced technology both meaningful and practical. Pricing and global availability are expected to be announced soon, with units showcased at Booth H6.2-169 from September 5–9.
Rokid Glasses Technical Specifications
Specification
Details
Weight
49 grams
Camera
12MP first-person POV
Core Features
AI assistant, AR integration, real-time translation, object recognition
Audio
Integrated premium sound, hands-free calls and notifications
Samsung launched the Galaxy Watch8 smartwatch today at its Unpacked July 2025 event, along with the Galaxy Watch8 Classic version with a rotating bezel, which made a comeback after a year’s gap. Both watches have undergone a design overhaul and now resemble the Galaxy Watch Ultra, launched last year, which had a squarish case around a circular bezel.
The Galaxy Watch8 gets a screen upgrade with a brighter display that can have a peak brightness of 3,000 nits as compared to 2,000 nits on the Watch7. This allows you to use the smartwatch better in brighter conditions.
The Watch retains the Exynos W1000 chip and a BioActive Sensor, which measures heart rate, EKGs, and body composition analysis.
The smartwatch comes with other features Samsung rolled out last month, including Bedtime Guidance, which gives you suggestions for the best time for you to sleep based on previous sleep-tracking data; Vascular Load, which measures stress on your vascular system while you are sleeping and gives you lifestyle tweak suggestions; a Running Coach, which lays out the optimum pace for your runs; and Antioxidant index, which measures carotenoids — a type of antioxidant found in vegetables and fruits. Most of these features assume a lot of factors about a user’s health and use calculations to provide a score and suggestions, which might not be very useful in real life.
Image Credits:Samsung
Both the watches run One UI 8 Watch based on Wear OS 6. With this software release, Google is making Gemini available on watches, so you can ask questions without typing. Gemini is integrated with Samsung Health, Calendar, Reminder, and Clock apps.
While Samsung is not making any changes to the Galaxy Watch Ultra, it is releasing a new Titanium Blue colorway at $650.
The Galaxy Watch8 starts at $350 for the Bluetooth model, $50 more than the previous-gen watch, and is $400 for the LTE model. The new Watch comes in 40mm and 44mm sizes in graphite and silver colors. The Galaxy Watch8 Classic is priced at $500 for the Bluetooth version and $550 for the LTE version, and it comes in a 46mm size.
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Preorders for all the watches start today, and the devices will become generally available in the U.S. on July 25.
The Garmin Lily 2 Active, recently unveiled as Garmin’s smallest smartwatch with GPS, combines sophisticated design with a range of fitness and health-focused features. Offering a stylish metal casing and seamless connectivity, it’s crafted to suit active lifestyles without compromising on aesthetics. Here’s a closer look at what makes the Lily 2 Active a noteworthy addition to the world of wearable tech.
Fashion-Forward Design with Practical Features
Designed for those who want their smartwatch to reflect personal style, the Lily 2 Active features a petite, circular metal watch case that offers a classic, polished look. Two new side buttons allow users to navigate the interface more intuitively, whether starting a workout or switching between screens. The watch also includes a unique patterned lens that hides a touchscreen display, which activates with a tap or a twist of the wrist. Available in two colorways—Lunar Gold with Bone and Silver with Purple Jasmine—the Lily 2 Active aligns with fashion-forward preferences while remaining functional.
Health and Wellness Monitoring, Anytime
For users mindful of their health metrics, the Lily 2 Active offers extensive monitoring features. With Garmin’s Body Battery™ energy tracking, users can gauge their energy levels throughout the day to better plan periods of activity and rest. Additionally, the watch provides insights into sleep quality with a dedicated sleep score feature, helping wearers understand how well they’re resting each night. Sleep tracking extends to measure heart rate variability, stress, respiration, and Pulse Ox levels, allowing for a more comprehensive picture of health.
Furthermore, women’s health tracking is a standout feature on the Lily 2 Active, allowing users to log menstrual cycle or pregnancy details, alongside tailored advice on exercise and nutrition. For quick health check-ins, the Health Snapshot feature logs key health stats in a 2-minute session, covering heart rate, oxygen levels, and respiration.
Stay Active with Built-in GPS and Workouts
Designed to complement an active lifestyle, the Lily 2 Active features built-in GPS for accurately tracking outdoor activities such as running, walking, and more. For those looking to diversify their exercise routines, Garmin has included new sports apps for activities like pickleball, tennis, indoor cycling, and golf. Garmin Coach, another welcome feature, offers adaptive training plans for users preparing for upcoming races, providing personalized guidance from expert coaches.
The smartwatch also has on-screen workouts, covering activities like strength training, yoga, and HIIT. These workouts, accessible right from the watch screen, make it easy for users to stay on top of their fitness goals without needing extra equipment or screens.
Connectivity on the Go
Compatible with both iPhone® and Android™ devices, the Lily 2 Active keeps users connected through email, text message, and alert notifications directly on the watch. Garmin also equips the Lily 2 Active with its safety and tracking features—Assistance and Incident Detection—useful for peace of mind during outdoor activities. If the watch detects an incident, or if a user needs help, it can send their live location to designated contacts.
Additionally, Garmin Pay™ contactless payment support adds convenience for those looking to make quick purchases or navigate transit systems without needing their phone or wallet. The Garmin Connect™ app further expands connectivity, allowing users to view health and fitness data, connect with friends, and participate in challenges.
Final Thoughts
With its sleek design, robust health monitoring, and connectivity options, the Garmin Lily 2 Active is geared toward users who want a smartwatch that can seamlessly transition between daily life and fitness tracking. The watch’s stylish design, paired with practical features like built-in GPS, makes it versatile for various lifestyles. Available now, the Garmin Lily 2 Active retails for $299.99, offering an appealing choice for those looking to combine fashion with functional fitness tracking in a compact smartwatch.
For outdoor enthusiasts and fitness buffs, having the right gear can make all the difference in your adventures. Mibro has recently launched the Watch GS Explorer, a smartwatch designed to withstand the rigors of nature while providing essential features for navigation and fitness tracking. With its rugged design and advanced capabilities, this watch is worth a closer look.
Built to Last: Military-Grade Durability
The Mibro Watch GS Explorer boasts impressive durability, having passed 15 military standard tests in compliance with MIL-STD-810H-2019. This means it’s built to handle extreme conditions, whether you’re scaling rocky cliffs, hiking through dense forests, or braving harsh weather. The watch is designed to endure freezing temperatures, intense heat, sandstorms, and torrential rain, making it a reliable companion for any adventure seeker.
Mibro has taken great care in constructing the GS Explorer to ensure it meets the needs of active users. Its rugged body is not only tough but also designed for comfort during prolonged wear. This makes it suitable for both intense outdoor activities and everyday use.
Water-Ready for Aquatic Adventures
Water activities are a big part of many outdoor excursions, and the Watch GS Explorer is up to the task. With a 10 ATM water resistance rating, this smartwatch can handle depths of up to 100 meters. Whether you’re jet skiing, snorkeling, or just enjoying a day at the beach, the GS Explorer is equipped to keep up.
This level of water resistance makes it an excellent choice for those who enjoy aquatic sports or simply want a watch that can survive accidental splashes or rain showers. The peace of mind that comes with knowing your watch can handle water exposure adds to the overall experience of outdoor adventures.
Navigation Made Easy with Roadbook Features
One of the standout features of the Mibro Watch GS Explorer is its Roadbook Navigation capability. This allows users to customize and share track routes with ease. By importing GPX, KML, and TCX files into the MibroFit App’s route library, you can push these routes directly to the watch for precise navigation.
This feature is particularly useful for those who enjoy exploring new trails or waterways. Whether you’re hiking in a national park or biking through unfamiliar territory, having the ability to navigate with pre-planned routes can enhance your experience and keep you on track.
The Perfect Companion for Adventurers
In summary, the Mibro Watch GS Explorer is designed for those who live for adventure. With its military-grade durability, impressive water resistance, and smart navigation features, it caters to a wide range of outdoor activities. The watch’s rugged construction ensures it can withstand the elements, while its technological capabilities help users navigate and stay connected during their explorations.
For those interested in incorporating the GS Explorer into their outdoor gear, the watch is now available for purchase. Whether you’re an avid hiker, a water sports lover, or simply someone who enjoys spending time in nature, Mibro’s latest offering aims to provide a reliable companion for all your adventures.
There’s some good news though. At a Climate Week NYC panel, focused on repairable technology—hosted by Back Market and moderated by One5c—Nicole Azores, a manager of Government Affairs and Public Policy at Google, said on Tuesday that the company is thinking through the design of the Pixel Watch to make it more repairable.
“Watches and wearables are still fairly nascent, and we are thinking through how to make this repairable,” Azores said on the panel. “We’re thinking about repairability on a broader scale, not just on phones and tablets, and we want to make sure that all of our products eventually become repairable. I think watches being so new as a category, there are some design elements that need to be considered on how we make them repairable.”
When Can You Fix It?
Azores did not provide any additional information, including a timeline. Consumer tech products typically have a two- to three-year development time. But it’s unclear whether this more-repairable framework will show up in the Pixel Watch 4 next year or even later than that. Google has stuck with the same design for its Pixel Watch over the past three generations, though the Pixel Watch 3 launched in two sizes for the first time.
This is the first time the company has publicly commented on the irreparability of its smartwatch. Until now, Google representatives have typically said the company has nothing to share when repairability concerns are brought up.
The Pixel Watch is a latecomer in the world of smartwatches, but the software it runs—Wear OS—has been around for a decade (formerly called Android Wear). Google managed the operating system, as manufacturers like Fossil and LG made the smartwatches themselves. That changed in 2022, when Google released its very own smartwatch, following its effort to jumpstart the waning platform alongside Samsung and Fitbit.
Google reportedly captured 8 percent of the wearable band market share in the fourth quarter of 2022, the timeframe of when the first Pixel Watch launched. Research group Canalys says the company shipped 880,000 Pixel Watches in that period (the rest are Fitbit devices).
Just the Starting Point
Lack of repairability will doom many of these watches as electronic waste to the landfill, which according to a recent UN climate report has already reached a crisis point. In 2022, there were around 137 billion pounds of e-waste, and less than a quarter was recycled. By 2030, e-waste is expected to grow by 33 percent, outpacing the recycling rate.
There are ongoing efforts to enforce repairability in tech. Last year, the European Union passed regulations requiring smartphones and tablets to have longer-lasting batteries or easier methods for users to replace batteries using common tools beginning in June 2025. While it doesn’t have to comply with this legislation, Apple’s new iPhone 16 debuted a new adhesive that makes the battery inside easier to remove,
Whether it’s in the Pixel Watch 4 or Pixel Watch 5, this design change is a win for consumers. Now Google needs to focus on improving the repairability of Fitbit’s wearables. Despite the prevalence of its trackers, the company doesn’t have any repair centers to send your device in for fixes.
Withings is announcing the ScanWatch Nova Brilliant, a 39mm version of its smartwatch. It comes in titanium silver and a two-tone silver and gold. For those with smaller wrists, this watch should be a more comfortable fit than the standard 42mm option.
The elegant timepiece mixes analog features with modern digital ones. A small OLED screen on the top half of the watch helps you tell the time quickly and can also display health metrics, but there are mechanical hands for a classic look. It’s also water resistant up to 50 meters (5 ATM) and has a five-link stainless steel bracelet for improved outdoor durability. The battery lasts for 30 days but there’s no info about the charging time.
Withings outfitted this smartwatch with a medical-grade electrocardiogram to check your heartbeat for irregularities. The watch can also detect temperature fluctuations, blood oxygen levels, breathing disturbances overnight and measure sleep quality. By pairing the watch with the app, it can also count your steps, calories burned, elevation and workout routes via the app.
The Withings ScanWatch Nova Brilliant will be available starting in early November. Those who want to purchase the watch in person can do so in the US, EU and UK at selected retailers. The new watch is priced at $600, €600 and £550, respectively, an identical price to the ScanWatch Nova.
To test the Galaxy Watch Ultra, I had to take off the Apple Watch Ultra 2 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) with a mere two days left to go before completing my 28-day preliminary Training Load analysis. Training Load is a new feature in watchOS 11 that takes cumulative, calorimetric data like heart rate, pace, effort, and age to gauge whether your efforts are improving your fitness performance or not. It was annoying to be so close and not finish. However, it was not as annoying as it might have been, since I’ve tried this feature before. Garmin has had a Training Load feature for years.
In the race to create the most fully-featured outdoor smartwatch that works well with your phone, Apple is clearly winning. The Apple Watch Ultra’s design is more visually distinctive. The software is better, with more sports like diving, better algorithms like Training Load, and a better UI. It’s also hilarious how closely the Galaxy Watch Ultra’s design mimics Apple’s, with a safety orange band that looks exactly like Apple’s Ocean Band ($99) and a Quick Button on the side where you can assign a function, like Apple’s Action button. There’s even a gesture-based feature very similar to Double Tap, which is called (still laughing) Double Pinch.
With all that said, Samsung has the resources to catch up quickly, and I found no major flaws. If you’re pretty happy as an Android user and would like the experience of wearing an Apple Watch Ultra, this is a decent start. It can only get better.
Add It Up
The Galaxy Watch Ultra is very pretty. It’s not as visually distinctive as the Apple Watch Ultra, but its design does echo the look of a high-end Garmin or Coros watch. It’s a 47-mm smartwatch, which makes it slightly smaller than the Watch Ultra’s 49-mm case, but it feels bigger because it’s square instead of rectangular.
It has a titanium case with a sapphire glass face that is rated to 10 ATM (which means it can withstand the pressure exerted by 100 meters of water) and IP68, and can withstand elevations as high as 9,000 meters and temperatures as high as 131 degrees Fahrenheit. I didn’t have the opportunity to bag a Colorado 14er while testing, but I did stupidly go biking to run errands with temperatures well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit in a heat wave, and the watch operated well (I did not).
Photograph: Adrienne So
Battery life is my main issue with these smartwatches turned extreme fitness trackers. The Watch Ultra can last a little longer than two days, which is great for a smartwatch but far below what you’d need for your average weekend camping trip. Every other morning, it took three hours to charge the watch back up from 10 or 15 percent. With Power Saving mode on, the watch could last up to three to five days. I like being able to tinker with the settings to figure out what to turn off or keep on to extend the battery life.
Samsung notes that the watch has a new enhanced BioActive sensor, which increases the accuracy of the heart rate sensor and other new health metrics. It’s remarkably consistent with what I track on my Oura ring—for example, if the Oura said my heart rate was 69, the live reading on the Galaxy Watch Ultra was 70.
The other new feature is the AGEs index. According to Samsung, the Galaxy Watch 7 and Watch Ultra can measure your advanced glycation end products (AGEs). (Diagnoptics is the company that powers the tool, which takes readings via a light source that excites specific fluorescent moieties, or molecule parts, on your skin). Your AGEs index is important because it can help predict the risk of diabetes and stroke; the way most people do this now is by taking a test called an A1C, which is a more invasive blood test.
The tech world for kids is about to get more exciting with the introduction of the Nickelodeon Smartwatch, also known as NickWatch, to the US market. This innovative device, brought to us by Watchinu under a licensing agreement with Nickelodeon, merges fun and safety, offering an engaging experience for children aged 5-10.
Fun Meets Functionality
The NickWatch is packed with entertaining content that leverages popular Nickelodeon franchises. Kids can enjoy motion-based games and role-playing activities featuring beloved characters like SpongeBob SquarePants and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Imagine running through sewer tunnels with the Turtles or learning Morse code with Lincoln Loud from The Loud House. These engaging activities are designed to keep kids entertained while also offering educational benefits.
But it’s not all about play. The watch includes features that promote physical activity, such as balance games with SpongeBob, ensuring kids stay active and engaged. The content is regularly updated with new games, stickers, watch face designs, sound effects, and more, keeping the experience fresh and exciting.
Safety First for Peace of Mind
While the NickWatch is fun for kids, it’s designed with robust safety features that give parents peace of mind. The companion NickWatch app for parents includes live GPS tracking, allowing them to monitor their child’s location in real-time. Parents can set up geo-fences around frequented locations like schools or friends’ houses and receive notifications when their child leaves these areas.
The app also facilitates communication, enabling parents to send messages and make calls to the watch. During school hours, the device can be muted to prevent distractions. Additionally, internet and social media access are restricted, ensuring a safe digital environment for kids. These features make the NickWatch a practical tool for parents who want to balance their child’s independence with safety.
Easy-to-Use Tech
The NickWatch is designed to be user-friendly, with a “plug and play” setup that includes an embedded IoT SIM. This means there’s no hassle for parents or kids in getting the device up and running. The watch offers a battery life of up to 36 hours, significantly longer than many other smartwatches on the market. It also automatically connects to available networks, including when roaming abroad, at no extra cost, making it a versatile device for families on the go.
The watch comes with two straps, one simple and one featuring famous Nickelodeon characters, along with a USB charger known as the Connect-O-Cable. Additional accessories, such as new strap designs, headphones, and a night-light charger, will be available later, allowing for further customization and personalization.
Conclusion: A Balanced Tech Tool for Kids
The NickWatch, available on Walmart.com starting July 13 and in Walmart stores from October, is an exciting addition to the children’s tech market. Priced at $119 USD, it offers a blend of fun, safety, and educational content tailored for young users. With subscription tiers ranging from $7.95 to $12.95 per month, parents can choose the plan that best fits their needs.
