Best Smartwatch Reviews 2017

The smartwatch market has received a surge of appeal since the original Pebble broke Kickstarter records back in 2012. Fast-forward to today, and you have plenty of choices in the smartwatch arena. Although Apple does lead the way in some aspects, it certainly isn’t the best wearable you can get your hands on. To help you weed through the stack and buy the best smartwatch for your needs, we’ve listed 5 of the best smartwatches available that you can get onto your wrist.

Overview

PROS

CONS

SPECS

Display

Battery Life

Compatibility

System

Memory

Our Top Choice

Samsung Gear S3 Smart Watch

The smartwatch arena is yet another area where Samsung showcases its expertise with the latest Gear S3 is serving as a great example - and is perhaps the best wearable to buy.

Clever rotating bezel. Eye-catching design. Great battery life. Solid health tracking.

Fewer available apps than Apple Watch or Android Wear. Lacks speakerphone.

1.3 inch 360 x 360 pixels

72 hours

Android

Tizen 2.3.2

4 GB, 768 MB RAM

Best Value

Pebble Time Steel Smart Watch

With over a million devices sold since its inception, the Pebble Smartwatch aka Pebble Classic has broken even more records on Kickstarter with its new iteration - Time Steel.

Great delivery of notifications. Solid construction. Great battery life. Water resistant.

No phone call feature.

1.25 inch 144 x 168 Pixels

240 hours

Android/iOS

Pebble OS 3.0

N/A

Apple Watch – Series 2 2016 Edition

The Apple Watch Series 2 brings in significant improvements over its predecessor and is no longer a novel luxury, but a necessity; especially if you’re an avid Apple user.

Powered by the much improved WatchOS 3. Several colors and sizes to choose from. Improved battery life. New robust processor.

Lacks always on display.

1.65 inches 390 x 312 pixels

18 hours

iOS

WatchOS 3

2GB

Huawei Steel Clasp Smart Watch

Huawei is one of the largest and most well respected technology companies in the world, notably owing to their superior product range which includes their Huawei watch.

Looks awesome. Comfortable to wear. Great price.

Battery life could be better

1.4 inches 400 x 400 pixels

48 hours

Android/iOS

Android Wear OS

4GB

SmartWatch 3 SWR50 for Android

Sony, founded over 70 years ago, is one of the most diverse companies in the world with a footprint spanning from the entertainment business to the consumer wearable arena.

Long battery life. Easy to read display. Powered by Android Wear.

Design needs improvement.

1.6 inches 320 x 320 pixels

96 hours

Android

Android Wear OS

4GB

(Updated May 29, 2017)

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How Do I Choose the Best Smartwatch?

A smartwatch is exactly what the name suggests - a watch that is smart. And to elaborate, this means more than just telling time and sounding alarms. This latest pedigree of astute wearables is no longer primarily associated with tech geeks, but the latest crop of smartwatches can display important notifications, track your performance, and even monitor your heart rate and deliver these notifications right to your wrist.

With a smartwatch strapped on your wrist, you no longer have to whip out and unlock your smartphone, but simply glance down to check messages and control your music. And if you’re looking for a GPS watch with integrated maps, a fitness tracker to track specific sports, or a dive watch you can take 100 feet deep into the ocean, we’ve got reviews for them too, so be sure to check them out.

Price

Smartwatches can come with hefty price tags, some even costing much more than $1500. This doesn’t, however, mean that there aren’t cheap smartwatches available. But just like you don’t have to splurge, you shouldn’t go for the cheap end of the scale either, as those devices likely won’t satisfy your needs. If you’re a first time buyer, chances are that you’ll be satisfied with basic features such as smartphone notifications or the ability to check out different watch faces, so you might want to find a happy medium of price and features.

But before you buy the best smartwatch, it’s important that you check if it’s compatible with your smartphone. For example, the Apple Watch is only compatible with the iPhone, so you’ll have to pay a premium price for two devices if you don’t own a phone from the Apple hangar. But Android Wear smartwatches are compatible with Android 4.3 and higher smartphones, and some even work with the iPhone, albeit without a few features such as adding apps.

Features

From big names such as Samsung and Apple, to world-class watchmakers such as Tag Heuer, several companies have now joined the smartwatch bandwagon, each with their unique designs and features.

However, in order to avoid getting lost in the crowd, here are a few common features to look for.

Device compatibility – owing to the fact that smartwatches are deigned to be paired with your smartphone, it’s highly important that it’s compatible with your device.
Operating system – there are several choices here, with the most common being Android Wear and watchOS.
Display – most smartwatches today are appointed with an LCD or AMOLED display.
Battery life – smartwatches with color screens tend to last at least 1- 2 days between charges, but this also depends on your usage.
Interface – here you can choose between button vs. touch, where of course the latter would make the most sense as it’s easier to navigate.
Design and personalization – most, if not all, smartwatches offer the ability to switch straps and have face color options.
Notifications and alerts – you want a smartwatch that will do more than tell time (FYI-they all do) such as alert you to incoming messages, calls, etc., with a quick buzz on your wrist.
Apps and watch faces – since smartwatches are more mainstream, most offer dozens of apps, with the Apple Watch taking home the gold with more than 20,000 options.
Special features – this boils down to what you’re looking to do with your smartwatch. For example, if it’s activity tracking, then look for a smartwatch that has an integrated pedometer.

Construction and Design

Let’s not forget: you’re going to be wearing this thing, so the last thing you want is a doorknob-style object on your wrist. Although, when all is said and done, smartwatches are still gadgets. This category of wearables is constantly evolving, with new iterations becoming even more appealing and sleeker.

To give you a rough idea, smartwatches measure between 1.67 by 1.43 by 0.44 inches and 1.93 by 1.49 by 0.56 inches, and weigh between 1.2 ounces and just over 2 ounces, and some are even waterproof to a certain degree. And just like your smartphone, you’re going to have to put it on a charger at some point, which can either be a traditional USB (more convenient) or proprietary port.

Performance and Ease of Use

Most smartwatches are designed to offer some level of fitness tracking, but some are better than others. Top-of-the-line wearables are even compatible with third-party apps such as Shazam, Uber, and CNN. With regards to water resistance, look for a smartwatch that you can wash your hands with, or is otherwise waterproof.

Although not the best, there are a few smartwatches that can be used as standalone devices to make calls and receive alerts, without having to haul your smartphone around. Further, newer models –especially those coming from Samsung and Apple - do offer the ability to pay with your watch. And lastly worth mentioning, is that most smartwatches turn off after a few seconds in an effort to preserve battery life, but triggering them is fairly easy with a physical button or a gesture.

What is the Best Smartwatch?

Buying a smartwatch isn’t easy, given the sheer breadth of choices available to you. Apart from buying a wearable that works effortlessly with your mobile phone, you need to consider the features of the specific device and those you’d like to have - or rather, ones you’ll actually use. Furthermore, there are certain smartwatches geared towards specific user needs, so let us give you a rundown of 5 of the best smartwatches you can bank on.

Our Top Choice

The Gear S3 is the latest addition to the Samsung wearable range and offers a plethora of new features compared to its predecessor, including a larger display. Needless to say, the Gear S2 is still a great contender in the smartwatch market considering its innovative features - including rotating bezels - and 2-3 days of battery life.

Samsung Gear S3 Smart Watch - Available in 2 Designs

Samsung Smartwatch SM-R760NDAAXAR

Features

Headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, Samsung was founded way back in 1938 as a trading company but today comprises of several different affiliate businesses and subsidiaries. Samsung electronics ranked at #1 in the World’s Best Technology Companies in 2012, mostly due to their ability to product superior and innovative products, such as the Gear range of smartwatches.

The Gear S3 is Samsung’s latest product in the wearable space and this iteration comes in with a plethora of new features compared to its predesccor – the Gear S2. Although both old and new versions of the Samsung Gear smartwatch are powered by the same process, you will love the new 2016 release both for what its designed to do and the design itself.

Samsung released the Gear S3 in two versions – Classic and Frontier, and while they both measure the same and have onsite GPS, the latter is a tad bit heavier owing to its rugged design, larger textured buttons, and LTE/3G for on-the-go connectivity.

The Samsung Gear S3 Frontier arrives with a plethora of features, but here are a few that make it a great contender in the smartwatch segment.

Fitted with a 380mAh capacity battery, it’s good for 3-4 days of use
Both versions shun Android Wear and are powered by the Samsung’s exclusive Tizen 2.3.2 operating system, 4 GB, 768 MB RAM, Exynos 7270 chipset and dual-core 1.0 GHz CPU
Can be controlled by a combination of twin buttons, touchscreen and rotating bezel
Both the Samsung Gear S3 Classic and Frontier feature an always on screen, meaning the watch face is visible even when the watch is inactive
Both Gear S3 models are water resistant (1.5 meter and 30 minutes), IP68 dust proof, and are equipped with a barometer, accelerometer, gyro, optical heart rate monitor and GPS, making them a great choice for fitness and tracking
Compatible with many Android phones - not just Samsung’s
Ability to make speakerphone calls and use Samsung Pay at any credit card terminal
Coated with 1.3 inch 360 x 360 pixels Corning Gorilla Glass protected always on display
Measures 49 x 46 x 12.9 mm and weighs 63 grams

Want to order the other variant? Check out the Samsung Gear S3 range on Amazon today.

Best Value

The Time Steel Smartwatch by Pebble is a great choice for those looking for a great wearable at an inexpensive price. But fitness fanatics looking to up their up the fitness game should consider the Pebble 2 with Heart Rate Monitor, which comes with an integrated heart rate sensor for more detailed metrics.

Pebble Time Steel Smartwatch for Apple/Android Devices – Available in Black, Gold and Silver

Pebble Time Steel Smartwatch 511-00024

Features

The Pebble Technology Corporation created headlines when it received over $10 million in funding from a Kickstarter campaign, the highest for any product at the time. With over a million smartwatches sold as of December 1st 2014 and with over $20 million raised for their new launches – the Time and Time Steel - Pebble is a serious contender in the smartwatch arena.

The Pebble Time Steel ups the ante when it comes to smartwatches both in terms of features and design. Not only does it deliver superior battery life at 10 days on a single charge, both the Pebble Time and Time Steel are compatible with both iOS and Android devices.

For a smartwatch that costs under $100, the Pebble Time surprisingly rings in with a myriad features. Here are a few that make it worth a second look.

1.25-inch 144x168 Led backlit color ePaper display
Astounding battery life up to 10 days
Water resistant up to 50 meters
Navigating the Pebble time can be done with the button on the left of the display and three on the right
Software for the watch makes it easy to use
Appointed with compass, mic, Bluetooth 4.0, ambient light sensor and 3D accelerometer

Want this Smartwatch but in a different design? Explore the comprehensive Pebble smartwatch lineup on Amazon today.

The Apple Series 2 Watch or simply Apple Watch 2 is both worth the upgrade from its predecessor or the purchase if buying your first smartwatch, owing to its class leading features. And if you love the Series 2 Apple Watch, but don’t need a GPS chip to track your runs, the Apple Watch Series 1 2016 is your best bet.

Apple Watch Series 2 with Gold Aluminum Case and Coca Cola Sport Band

Apple Smartwatch Series 2 - Coca Cola Sport Band

Features

Founded by the late Steve Jobs, Ronald Wayne and Steve Wozniak in 1975 in a bid to initially develop personal computers, Apple - with its headquarters in Cupertino, California - is regardless one of the world’s most valuable brands. Today, its footprint is in several diverse technology markets, including computer software and consumer electronics such as the Apple Smartwatch lineup.

The Apple Watch, now into its second generation, is all about refinement. It rings in with an assortment of tech upgrades compared to the original Apple Watch. It has a much faster processor, a GPS chip for more detailed running metrics, and a new water resistant design. Furthermore, it is powered by Apple’s latest WatchOS right out of the box. It can be ordered in several different sizes and color variants.

The Apple Watch 2 is the current poster child of the company’s smartwatch department, and here are a few notable features that make it an unmatched investment.

Built in GPs and water resistant up to 50 meters - good for a brief dunk in the bath but not scuba diving
Built with an industry leading dual core processor, a display that’s twice as bright as before, and an optical heart rate sensor
Screen protected by sapphire crystal glass
Can be ordered in a wide range of colors including rose gold, gold, silver, space grey and even a sports band
Powered by latest S2 processor, to make it more snappy, and WatchOS 3
2GB storage for music equates to roughly 400 songs and 75MB for photos
Health features of the watch allow you to share your activity and compare your performance with your friends, receives alerts to remind you to breathe and stand
Inbuilt GPS allows you to track your runs without having to lug around your phone
Battery life clocks in at 18 hours

Interested in another color or size of the watch? Check out the entire Apple Watch range on Amazon.

The Huawei Watch is possibly the only Android Wear smartwatch that can be ordered in a wide range of styles, one of which is with a Stainless Steel bezel with Black Suture Leather Strap. This variant offers the exact same features as the stainless steel model, except that it is more fitting for professional environments such as the office.

Huawei Smart Watch with U.S. Warranty - Available in 10 Desings

Huawei Smartwatch 55020538 - Stainless Steel/Stainless Steel

Features

Founded in 1987 by a former engineer in the People’s Liberation Army - Ren Zhengfei, Huawei started out with manufacturing phone switches, but today has branched into several other areas, including providing consulting services, building telecommunication networks, and manufacturing great communication devices such as the Huawei Smartwatch for the consumer market.

When it comes to luxury, Huawei (pronounced "wah-way" ) is perhaps the last name that comes to mind, but your perception will change the moment you lay eyes on the Huawei Watch. Simply put, this smartwatch is not only beautiful, it delivers some serious performance under the hood.

The Huawei Watch showcases an elegant design and packs great features that make it stand out in the crowded smartwatch market including:

Watch face has a 1.4 inches 400 x 400 pixels, is round, coated with scratch resistant sapphire crystal glass for protection, and is always on display
Can be ordered in 10 or more style variants
Measures 42 x 42 x 11.3 mm and is dust and water resistant up to 1 meter and 30 minutes
Can be paired with standard 18mm straps
Powered by Android Wear OS, Snapdragon 400 Quad-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A7 processor, 512MB RAM with 4GB internal storage
Integrated sensors include gyro, accelerometer, barometer and heart rate
When fully charged, battery lasts for rough 2 days depending on use
Compatible with both Android and iOS devices

The Huawei Watch can be ordered in a wide range of colors, so get the best fit on Amazon today.

The Sony SWR50 is a great smartwatch for runner and athletes or those who simply don’t want to splurge on a device, but still would like to enjoy great features. If you’d like to step it down a few notches and still enjoy smartwatch like features such as notifications on your wrist, the SmartBand Talk SWR30 is a worthy choice.

Sony SWR50 1.6-Inch Transflective Display SmartWatch 3

Sony Smartwatch 1289-3697

Features

Founded in 1946, the Sony Corporation is a combination of 4 major components - namely music, motion pictures, financial services and electronics. After Samsung Electronics, LG and TCL, Sony grabs the #4 position as the largest television manufacturer in the world, and today is into its 3rd Generation of smartwatches.

First announced at the IFA 2014, the Smartwatch 3 is Sony’s first Android Wear debutant, and even though it might not come across as the hottest Android Wear device on paper, it boasts a great design. It’s packed with great features under the hood, including GPS technology.

For a rather inexpensive wearable, the Smartwatch 3 by Sony sure does offer a wide range of features; here are a few that make it worthy of note:

Measures 51 x 36 x 10 mm and is fitted with a 1.6 inches, 320 x 320 pixels display
Battery life clocks in at an astounding 96 hours
Powered by Android Wear, Quad-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A7 processor and 512MB RAM
Can be ordered in several different colors including leather black, leather brown and stainless steel
Built in GPS makes it an ideal choice for runners and athletes
Sensors include Accelerometer, gyro and compass

Want a different color or model? Head to the Sony store on Amazon today for more buying options.

Get the Best Smartwatch of 2017!

A smartwatch is a must-have device if you like the idea of being connected to your smartphone, without having to pull it out each time you to want to switch through your music library or read a message. With our diligent research, we hope that you were able to find the right wearable for your lifestyle.

Our Top Choice

Samsung Gear S3 Smart Watch

Best Value

Pebble Time Steel Smart Watch

Apple Watch – Series 2 2016 Edition

Huawei Steel Clasp Smart Watch

SmartWatch 3 SWR50 for Android