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The best smartwatch is a very complicated topic. These gadgets have now morphed from a peculiarity to a useful accessory you see on pretty much everyone's wrist daily. But there are different features that have different weight for different people.
Thankfully, in 2026 there are so many options on the smartwatch scene that you will most definitely find one to suit your specific needs. Samsung and Google have been exchanging blows for the past couple of years, and there are also other brands offering their own take on the perfect smartwatch, such as Huawei, Xiaomi, Fitbit, Garmin, Fossil, and even OnePlus.
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So, let's take a look at the best smartwatches to pair with your Android phone.
Lacks signature Samsung features like the rotating bezel
Heartrate inconsistencies and anomalies
You still need a Galaxy phone if you want to use some features
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Why I Picked it
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is no doubt a controversial device. Some people say it's a blatant copy of the Apple Watch Ultra, others that it's plain ugly. I won't engage in such subjective discussions but what I can say is that the Galaxy Watch Ultra is the best rugged Wear OS smartwatch you can get at the moment.
It features a new titanium design with 47mm size and a circular display capable of going up to 3,000 nits in brightness. Inside the Galaxy Watch Ultra you will find a brand-new Exynos W1000 SiP built on 3nm technology, and a hefty 590mAh battery to power it.
There's also a customizable button and a whole slew of adventure-tailored features to make your time outside worthwhile and exciting. The sheer amount of sensors inside this thing is amazing, and it's military-grade certified for impact and also water resistant up to 100 meters or 10ATM.
The only downside is the price, but there are some definitive Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra deals to help you soften that blow.
Who it's For
People who like to go on adventures, out in the open, hikers, mountain lovers, all kinds of athletes, sporty people in general. The Galaxy Watch Ultra is great for normal use as well, but you will miss some of the core features that shine only out in the wild, and the bulk might put off some people for everyday use.
Galaxy Watch Ultra Key Specs:
Processor: 3nm Exynos W1000 (5-core) for high efficiency
Battery: Up to 100 hours in Power Saving; ~2–3 days normal use
Storage/RAM: 64GB storage and 2GB RAM
Display: 3,000-nit Super AMOLED with Sapphire Crystal
Design: 47mm Titanium "squircle" case with customizable Quick Button
Durability: 10ATM (100m) water resistance and MIL-STD-810H ruggedness
GPS: Dual-frequency (L1+L5) for precision tracking
Health: ECG, Blood Pressure, Sleep Apnea detection, and AI Energy Score
The Galaxy Watch 8 series is a refreshment of the original lineup to go along with the new Ultra model colorway. For people who prefer the sleek and stylish regular watch design, the Galaxy Watch 8 is the perfect choice.
This model might look very similar to its predecessor, and most of the things have remained unchanged, but it's not a bad thing. The chipset is last year's Exynos W1000 and the internal storage stayed at 32GB.
There are, however, some changes. There's a new BioActive sensor that takes care of health monitoring for you with one new metric as well (AGE). The abbreviation stands for advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which measure biological aging based on dietary habits and lifestyle.
Of course, we have all the bells and whistles from the previous generations too: the optical heart rate sensor, the ability to measure body composition through skin impedance, and the GPS is dual band now.
Who's it For?
Samsung has kept the two sizes, and you can get cellular connectivity on both if you like, so there's enough flexibility, unlike the case with the Ultra model, which comes in just one variant. The asking price for the base Watch 8 model is also pretty decent at $299, so if you don't need the ruggedness of the Ultra, this can be the perfect smartwatch for you.
Made by Google 2025 is now over, and the event brought us the fourth iteration of the Google Pixel Watch. The first model was plagued by some early first-gen bugs, and the second model ironed out some of those, and Google further polished the experience with the Pixel Watch 3, bringing two sizes to the smartwatch table.
Now, the Pixel Watch 4 cements the place of the company on the smartwatch scene, polishing and refining the idea of a Pixel Watch. It's the definitive Wear OS journey and a match made in heaven for any Android smartphone out there (but it's best with a Pixel phone, of course).
The Pixel Watch 4 comes with a slew of improvements. The screen is now brighter at 3,000 nits, there's satellite connectivity on the LTE model, and the battery life is improved to the point the watch now can do two full days on a single charge with no problems.
The dual-chip architecture further helps with battery life, using the faster silicon for critical features, and the slower one when the watch is idle and using only its sensors. There's better integration with Gemini and some clever features onboard - you can use your watch as a TV remote, see who's on your door, unlock your car, and many more.
In terms of sports, Google offer a Fitbit integration with a special plan for all Pixel Watch 4 owners.
Who's it For?
It seems that Google has finally mastered the smartwatch and offered a decent contender in its ecosystem. This watch will be perfect addition to your Pixel phone and it is best suited for Pixel users. However, you can take advantage of most functionalities with any Android phone out there.
Pixel Watch 4 Key Specs:
Processor: Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 (25% faster)
Battery: 30 hours (41mm) to 40 hours (45mm) with Always-on Display
When Carl Pei left OnePlus and started his own brand called Nothing, many people thought this crazy venture was doomed. And here we are a couple of years later with a smartwatch that's one of a kind. The CMF Watch Pro 2 is a minimalistic take on the smartwatch with amazing battery life, some cool design solutions, and a pretty affordable price tag.
For just $69 you get rudimentary smartwatch functionality such as mirrored phone notifications, customizable watch faces, music controls, timers, stopwatches, alarms, weather, find phone, flashlight, camera remote, reminders, workouts, sleep tracking, heart-rate monitoring, and that's pretty much it.
The 305mAh battery will last you 11 days of typical use and 40 days in battery-saving mode. This interesting minimalistic take on the smartwatch might be perfect for people who don't use their smartwatches too often but value battery life and need all the basic smartwatch functionality.
Why It's For
This minimalistic Android smartwatch is perfect for people who like to stand out but it a stylish way. If you want to get a smartwatch that has a distinctive design, won't break the bank, and also has some neat features, the CMF Watch Pro 2 is for you.
Great 1.5-inch LTPO2 AMOLED with 3,500 nits brightness
Premium build and exotic materials
150-meter water resistance
Comprehensive fitness, sleep, and health tracking
eSIM and Wi-Fi connectivity
Good battery life
Wireless charging
Good GPS accuracy
Cons
Expensive
Size might be too big for some people
Sonar-based communication is a pretty niche feature
Harmony ecosystem of apps still limited outside China
Why I Picked it
Huawei is having a hard time after the US ban, but the Chinese company has still been able to put out a couple of decent smartwatches. The Huawei Watch Ultimate 2 is one of them and certainly deserves your attention.
The Watch Ultimate 2 is the second iteration of the super-premium diving watch the company launched two years ago, and comes with some refinements. The exotic materials are still there - such as ceramic (slow-baked at thousands of degrees for days), sapphire glass and Zirconium-based alloy for the body (Liquid Metal) but this time around there's a hard coating to further protect the body from scratches.
You get a great AMOLED display, the brighter in the industry with its 3500 nits peak brightness, long battery life thanks to the huge silicon-carbon battery, and the ever growing Harmony OS ecosystem. The watch also has cellular connectivity, a brand-new X-TAP health sensor system, and sonar-based underwater communication for divers.
Who it's For
Of course, the Watch Ultimate 2 shines in extreme scenarios - free diving, mountain climbing, etc. If you find yourself in harsh nature environments often, this is the watch for you. It's an amazing watch, albeit a bit niche, but you don't need to be a diver to enjoy the Huawei Watch Ultimate 2. Normal people can enjoy it too, just beware the big size and the big price as well.
Garmin's Forerunner 945 has a clear target in mind: serious athletes. The latest smartwatch from Garmin has an advanced GPS that's specifically built with runners and triathletes in mind. It offers detailed training data, on-device workouts, and other similar pro-level features. Seriously, the level of detail and the sheer amount of features that Garmin managed to bake in this watch are simply amazing. Here goes.
The Forerunner 945 comes in two variants - there's the vanilla version and an LTE model. Not that impressive, other watches have this features. What others don't have is the Garmin IERCC support feature. This watch can automatically send your name and location to the Garmin IERCC, a 24/7 staffed professional emergency response coordination center.
You also get daily suggested workouts, a dedicated coach, a sophisticated training app that can measure the effects of your workouts plus the recovery time needed. The VO2 Max reading will show your progress, and there are tons of metrics to lose yourself in and feed your healthy sports obsession.
The only downside is the price. If you go for the LTE model, you should expect to cough up north of $600. Of course, you can always get the Forerunner 55 for less than a third of that, and it will give you all the basics. It all depends on how serious you are with your workouts!
Who it's For?
Runners! As the name suggests, the Forerunner family is best suited for active runners of all kinds - 5K, half-marathon, full or ultra, this is the watch!
Get your Garmin Forerunner 945 (or 55) here:
Garmin Forerunner 55
GPS Running Watch with Daily Suggested Workouts, Up to 2 Weeks of Battery Life, White
How we pick the best smartwatches for Android phones
We've always thought that when testing devices for our reviews we should dig deep, be fair and unbiased. We are testing the screen of the smartwatch in detail. We measure how bright it gets, is it easy to read in direct sunlight, is it color accurate, is its resolution enough. We test the performance of each smartwatch by comparing it to its rivals and taking into consideration how much time it takes to execute different tasks.
User interface is also very important, we always note when a device isn't as smooth as we would like it to be or has any other software hiccups. Battery life is a very important area when it comes to smartwatches, that's why we test it extensively too, most commonly by using the device for longer periods of time and compare our findings with the data we've previously gathered when reviewing its rivals.
Are there any Android smartwatches that are compatible with Apple phones?
Actually, yes. Most smartwatch brands are compatible with both Android and iOS phones, these include smartwatches from Garmin, Fitbit, Fossil, and many more. The only exceptions being late Galaxy Watch devices and the Google Pixel watch.
Technically speaking some of these watches could pair with an iPhone but they will have very limited functionality. It all depends on whether the developers have made a dedicated iOS version of the app, able to communicate with iOS (generally speaking - wear OS watches do tend to have troubles communicating with iOS).
Conclusion
That concludes our current compilation of the best smartwatches available in 2025. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 has already showed its hand, surpassing its predecessor and challenging the Apple Watch, especially with the Ultra model. However, the dynamic nature of the market means new models are emerging fast.
The Huawei Watch Ultimate, though on the pricier side, has secured its place on our list, featuring sci-fi-sounding Liquid Metal construction. Then we have the latest Google Pixel Watch 4, now matured to challenge all the big boys and offering some AI tricks onboard. So, the competition is as fierce as ever!
Mariyan, a tech enthusiast with a background in Nuclear Physics and Journalism, brings a unique perspective to PhoneArena. His childhood curiosity for gadgets evolved into a professional passion for technology, leading him to the role of Editor-in-Chief at PCWorld Bulgaria before joining PhoneArena. Mariyan's interests range from mainstream Android and iPhone debates to fringe technologies like graphene batteries and nanotechnology. Off-duty, he enjoys playing his electric guitar, practicing Japanese, and revisiting his love for video games and Haruki Murakami's works.
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