Are you considering adding a smartwatch to your Android phone? There are plenty of choices. From lifestyle watches running Wear OS, to fitness watches with numerous health functions, there’s something for everyone.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is one of the most advanced Android smartwatches available, providing users with a host of health features including ECG functionality, sleep tracking and body composition monitoring. This smartwatch offers one of the most complete selections available today on the market today.
1. Fitbit Versa 3
Fitbit’s Versa 3 smartwatch is their newest offering and designed as a health monitoring device with an emphasis on fitness tracking. Featuring a 1.58-inch OLED touchscreen display, this model works with both Android and iOS devices.
Fitbit offers a host of features to monitor your health and fitness, such as 24/7 activity tracking, guided breathing exercises, women’s health information, sleep tracking capabilities and a blood oxygen monitor that can detect conditions like allergies or asthma. However, in order to take advantage of all these features you will need a Fitbit Premium subscription; unfortunately this subscription is required in order to unlock their full potential.
Fitbit has always delivered on its promise of fitness tracking with accuracy; measuring steps, distance, calories burned and heart rate. As we’ve come to expect from them, Fitbit does an excellent job covering the essentials.
There’s automatic workout detection for running, cycling and swimming as well as a heart rate zone guide to make selecting the ideal exercise easier. Furthermore, you can use this device to measure your resting heart rate and sleep quality with hourly reminders and the capability of setting goals.
On both watches and apps, you can track your mindfulness progress and listen to meditation tracks. This feature is partly accessible with the Premium subscription; however, paying a monthly fee for this extra layer of information is well worth it.
The Versa 3 features an integrated speaker and microphone, enabling you to receive and answer phone calls on-the-go. Plus, it supports Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant so you can ask about things like the weather or how much sleep you’ve gotten.
Onboard music storage is limited to playlists from Pandora and Deezer, though you can download them onto your watch through the app for playback from your phone. Spotify is included and allows for direct control of playlists on the watch; however, unfortunately there’s no support for listening to songs from within your own collection.
The Versa 3’s battery life is impressive, lasting up to six days on a single charge. Unfortunately, it drains rapidly if you leave the screen always-on; although you can keep it on for 30 minutes at a time, that uses significantly more power than simply turning off the display.
2. Garmin Venu 2 Plus
If you’re searching for a smartwatch that can track fitness, the Venu 2 Plus is an ideal option. It boasts impressive workout tracking features as well as voice controls and calling capabilities, making it an attractive purchase for anyone who regularly works out.
The Garmin Venu 2 Plus is a high-end watch with an expensive price tag, but it offers more than most in its class. Featuring an AMOLED display and various sports apps and accessories to help you train, this sleek device comes complete with plenty of features.
It also provides a comprehensive set of exercise-focused health features and an accurate heart rate monitor, making it stand out among other smartwatches. Although not as feature rich as dedicated cycling computers or GPS distance measurement (although both can be broadcast), this device does provide good all-round tracking of fitness activities.
Though not ideal for serious athletes, the Venu 2 Plus is an ideal option for casual cyclists who want to stay motivated during training and keep track of their fitness level. It could even be worth considering if you are thinking of purchasing an Apple Watch but would prefer having a smartwatch that doesn’t rely on your phone for most functions.
Another novel feature on the Venu 2 Plus is voice control, allowing you to speak commands directly to Siri or Google Assistant on your wrist. This enables calls, notes and safety alerts – an impressive step in technology for a device this size.
One potential drawback of this feature is that you must press a button to speak to your assistant. For heavy users, this could become an inconvenience. Furthermore, audio responses from your assistant are played through the watch’s speaker, so if you prefer not speaking directly to your smartwatch with voice commands, opt for more traditional smartphone options instead.
It’s worth noting the Venu 2 Plus has impressive battery life compared to many other Garmins, especially when considering how often it gets used. While you shouldn’t expect it to go for weeks without charging, expect at least a couple days before replacing the device.
3. ScanWatch
If you’re searching for a smartwatch that can monitor health, exercise, daily steps, sleep, heart rate and blood oxygen levels, the ScanWatch is an ideal option. It boasts an impressive 30-day battery life as well as Health Mate’s user-friendly app with accurate health sensors.
The ScanWatch stands out among other smartwatches with its hybrid analog-digital design that makes it less bulky on your wrist. Furthermore, it offers a more comprehensive selection of features than most others, such as continuous heart scanning and medical-grade ECG with irregular beat alerts.
ScanWatch not only can detect ECG and blood oxygen monitoring, but it can also detect atrial fibrillation (Afib) and overnight breathing disturbances – which could be especially useful for patients at risk for heart problems. If a symptom is identified, ScanWatch will prompt you to record an ECG for more precise measurement than what a spot reading can provide; then log that result into Health Mate for further review.
At night, it can also perform respiratory scans that are useful for diagnosing sleep apnea. This is done automatically over the course of a night and can be set to always on, off, or on a schedule such as once every three nights.
The ScanWatch offers numerous fitness capabilities, such as activity monitoring that tracks 30 types of exercises. Plus, its built-in GPS and altimeter enable it to track your walks, runs, and stair-climbing sessions.
The ScanWatch’s battery is impressive, with Withings claiming it can last 30 days between charges. That should be enough for most users; however, if you use its SpO2 and ECG functions frequently, that may deplete the battery more quickly.
Another feature worth noting is Breathe mode, which allows you to focus on your breath for one minute. This can be especially helpful for those suffering from stress, insomnia or other ailments that make it difficult to relax.
Data can be collected and logged in the Withings Health Mate app, offering you a helpful view of your progress over time. Furthermore, it integrates with all of your Withings devices so you can get everything consolidated in one place so you can compare it to previous days or weeks.
4. Google Pixel Watch
Google Pixel Watch has finally arrived after years of anticipation, and it looks set to revolutionize the smartwatch market by integrating Fitbit health-tracking tech. For Android users who desire a more polished, stylish option than Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 or Fitbit Sense 2, this powerful smartwatch offers more style than its competitors – Google Pixel Watch!
The Pixel Watch looks to be a winner with its stainless steel body and rounded glass edges, creating an elegant pebble-like design. Not only that, but it is also water-resistant and scratch-resistant – meaning you can count on this watch lasting long on your wrist!
Performance-wise, the Google Pixel Watch boasts a Samsung Exynos 9110 chip and Cortex M33 coprocessor. This combination optimizes battery life by cutting back on power consumption for tasks such as Always On Display or heart rate monitoring.
In addition to its increased processing power, the Pixel Watch offers 2GB of RAM and 32GB storage for apps and music. It also supports Google Wallet for contactless payments, turn-by-turn navigation with Google Maps, as well as notifications from Google Calendar and Gmail.
The touch crown on the Pixel Watch allows you to quickly scroll through on-screen information and access shortcuts. A side button located just above it opens your most recently used apps, providing instant access to what you need most.
In addition to its round, high-res curved touchscreen display, the Pixel Watch also boasts an easy-to-hold tactile crown and soft-touch face on its face that responds when touched. Furthermore, the band is made with flexible material which feels gentle against skin while providing comfort when sleeping in.
The Pixel Watch is ideal for outdoor activities. It tracks steps, floors, calories burned and heart rate so that you can monitor your workouts and set goals. Furthermore, it monitors sleep stages and offers reminders to go to bed earlier.
However, while the Pixel Watch offers great functionality and an attractive design, it cannot quite measure up to other smartwatches on the market, particularly the Apple Watch. Furthermore, it doesn’t work with most Android phones and it isn’t as robust or durable as some of its rivals – particularly Garmin Vivoactive 3 or Galaxy Watch 5. If you want something more than just a fitness tracker though, there are plenty of great options out there for purchase.
