Other Smartwatches to Consider
The number of smartwatches on the market is staggering. Here are a few other options I like.
TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E5 for $1,950: I’ve spent close to a month with TAG Heuer’s new luxury smartwatch. It’s a nice alternative for anyone tired of Google’s Wear OS or the Apple Watch, but design and brand are the top reasons to buy this smartwatch. You’re not getting the rich smartwatch experience with third-party apps and the ability to reply to messages; heck, it still doesn’t even have sleep tracking. (That’s supposedly coming in a software update.) But you can track heart rate, steps, calories, and a handful of workouts. My data was generally aligned with the Pixel Watch 4, though the Calibre E5’s heart rate data during intensive workouts is slightly off. I do appreciate that Tag offers a battery replacement service for the smartwatch, but again, this is for someone with multiple Tag watches in their collection. Most people will be better served by one of our picks above.
Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
Withings ScanWatch 2 for $370: The ScanWatch 2 has been on the market for several years now—one of the few analog smartwatches that discreetly offers a robust suite of health-tracking features. While Withings has introduced new versions of it in fresh styles (like the Nova), the hardware is largely the same. Thankfully, the software recently got a major revamp. In the fall of 2025, Withings released a new operating system called HealthSense 4, and you don’t need to buy a new ScanWatch 2 to receive it. The health-tracking algorithms are more accurate, there are more predictive features, and you even get longer battery life (35 days!). I retested the ScanWatch 2, and overall, I enjoyed my time with it; the data is laid out nicely in the Withings app. The tiny display is still a problem, but I can get the gist of incoming-message notifications, and it’s easy to scroll with the crown to quickly glance at heart rate, steps, sleep data, and even start a workout. What is frustrating is that any semblance of insight into your data is paywalled behind the Withings+ subscription ($8 per month or $99 a year). My sleep data was more accurate on the Apple Watch and Pixel Watch 4, though the other metrics are on point. If you want a nice-looking analog watch to track basic health data, the ScanWatch 2 is solid, but I think it’s time for fresh hardware.
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Apple Watch Series 10 for $329: Thanks to watchOS 26, the 2024 Series 10 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) has many of the same features as the new Series 11, like hypertension notifications and Sleep Score. It has a thinner and lighter design with a larger screen than prior models, and it even got blood oxygen sensing back via a software update in August 2025. It’s too bad this one still has the 18-hour battery life. Avoid paying anywhere close to MSRP for this watch. If you can find it for under $300, snag it.
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Google Pixel Watch 3 for $219: The Pixel Watch 3 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is seeing some steep discounts now that the Pixel Watch 4 is here. It’s a great smartwatch, with the caveat that it’s not repairable. (The newer model addresses that.) It features loss-of-pulse detection—cleared by the FDA for use in the US—which can be critical in saving someone’s life. Google also focused its fitness updates on running, enabling users to create custom runs and follow AI-powered run recommendations while getting feedback on cardio load—how hard your heart is working and whether it’s appropriate for your body. I strongly recommend you go with the 45-mm model, which doesn’t even feel that big. It simply delivers better battery life—just about 24 hours with the always-on display or a little more if you have it turned off.
Apple Watch Ultra 2 for $549: The Watch Ultra 2 is still worth considering, just don’t pay anywhere near MSRP; otherwise, you may as well buy the new Watch Ultra 3. It can last several days of use, and has many of the same great features as the latest model, including better mics to pick up your voice, an 86-decibel siren to alert your position to anyone nearby, and precise GPS to better track your hikes (plus help you find your way back with the Backtrack feature). The screen can display topographic maps, but you cannot view offline maps without an iPhone.
Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Ultra 2025 for $530: The 47-mm Galaxy Watch Ultra (7/10, WIRED Review) is the company’s Apple Watch Ultra and Garmin competitor, and it’s a solid first entry into the world of pricey, feature-rich, and powerful smartwatches designed for professional athletes. This is technically the 2025 model, which is identical to the 2024 version but comes with 64 GB of storage and in a new blue color. It lasts a little over two days on a charge because it’s a big 47-mm watch and can pack a beefy battery. There’s a titanium case and sapphire glass face, plus it’s rated to 10 atm and IP68, so you can submerge it underwater to 100 meters. The heart rate tracker is remarkably consistent with the Apple Watch Ultra 2, and the dual-band GPS delivers accurate mapping. The software isn’t as intuitive, and a few features are lacking when compared to other performance smartwatches, but this is a good start if you’re in the world of Android. If you don’t care for the blue or the extra storage, you could save some money with the 2024 model.
Samsung Galaxy Watch7 44 mm for $210: Samsung’s Galaxy Watch7 from 2024 is a little plain. This model debuted Samsung’s Energy Score and added updated sleep tracking capabilities. You also get FDA-cleared sleep apnea detection, though this isn’t a feature you’ll turn on all the time—it takes two nights to track, and afterward, you’ll get a note saying whether or not you show symptoms. This feature, along with the electrocardiogram and irregular heart rhythm notifications, is only available when paired with a Samsung phone. Otherwise, this watch functions well with any other Android. You can choose from two sizes, plus Bluetooth-only or LTE. I tested both sizes and found battery life frustrating compared to its predecessors. With the always-on display, I struggled to hit 24 hours with two tracked activities and sleep tracking overnight. With it turned off, things fared a little better, but I was still barely hitting a full day. You’ll have to baby the battery and utilize the power-saving modes. If you don’t care for the latest and greatest, you can save a lot of dough with the Watch7.
Casio G-Shock Master of G Rangeman GPR-H1000 for $525: It’s not for every event, but the Master of G-Land Rangeman (GPRH1000RY1A) looks great on my wrist, and I love that I only need to charge it about once a week. This is a G-Shock first and foremost. It has a durable, thick case and a comfortable strap. It’s a big watch. It also has six sensors and a built-in GPS. Connect the watch to your smartphone via Casio’s app, and you can get simple notification alerts, heart-rate tracking, activity tracking, and sleep tracking. That’s without mentioning other features like blood oxygen monitoring, compass, world time, altimeter, and barometer. I’ve compared the results to an Apple Watch Series 10, and for the most part, core metrics like heart rate, step tracking, and sleep are similar. I have had some data not show up in the Casio app for a few days, and many of these functions are slow to load on the watch. This would not be my first choice if I wanted a fitness-focused wearable—get a Garmin instead—but I like the ability to look at and track some of these metrics whenever I want. More importantly, I like having a G-Shock around my wrist.
Samsung Galaxy Watch FE for $176: The Galaxy Watch FE is a fine budget Wear OS smartwatch. The 40-mm Galaxy Watch FE has a smaller screen that doesn’t get as bright and sports a slower processor and a smaller battery compared to the Watch7 series. The health sensors are almost the same, and I got accurate results with heart rate and sleep tracking. The battery lasts just about a day, if not a little less.
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OnePlus Watch 2 for $240: This is last year’s OnePlus smartwatch, but it’s still available. The 46-mm OnePlus Watch 2 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) runs Wear OS and lasts roughly three days on a single charge, a little more if you enable some power-saving settings. The health capabilities are lacking—there’s no fall detection or electrocardiogram—but there’s sleep tracking, and it’s pretty accurate. Some features, like heart-rate tracking, distance traveled, and steps, have mixed accuracy in my testing, which means you shouldn’t buy this smartwatch if you’re primarily using it for those functions. Also, consider the OnePlus Watch 2R, which you can snag for less cash. The differences are mostly around build quality. The screen doesn’t get as bright, it has an aluminum case instead of stainless steel, and there’s no sapphire crystal protecting the screen, so it’s less durable. However, this makes it lighter and more comfortable to wear.
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