Top 10 Smartwatches in 2021 to look out for

Introduction 

Top 10 best Smartwatches – Something all decent smartwatches have in common is their ability to do tricks. They can search the web by voice command, use GPS to track your location and monitor your health and fitness using various clever built-in sensors.

The chances are you have a modern smartphone. You’ll need one to pair a smartwatch with, but some of the more advanced ones do have the ability to function without being connected. Which is nice for your own freedom.

We’ve listed the top ten best smartwatches out there. We’ve thought about the features, design, specification and price. 

So, let’s dive in.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 3

This is arguably the most popular smartwatch in the world at this point in 2020.

This watch runs on Tizen OS and is compatible with both iOS and Android. The 3 comes with a 1.2 inch or 1.4 inch 360 x 360 pixel display, lit by AMOLED. 8GB of built-in storage, wireless charging and can go up to 3 days between charges. This new Galaxy watch also offers Wireless and Bluetooth connectivity.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 is the brand’s biggest achievement to date. It follows from the 2018 Galaxy Watch and kept most of the original design features, with additional refinements.

The watch has a rotating bezel, making navigation easy. It’s much easier than a lot of alternatives that require you to tap the display. 

The apps you can use are fairly limited in comparison to iOS or WearOS devices. It has some decent Samsung basics, though. Fitness and sports tracking as well as a lot of functionality.

If you’re an iPhone user, the features are again fairly limited but it is nonetheless compatible. Keep reading and pay attention to the Apple Watch next in this selection of top ten smartwatches article.

The Galaxy Watch 3, is, overall, a great all-rounder. If you need a smartwatch that will monitor your fitness as well as deliver smart features to your wrist, this is a great shout.

Check out our review of the best Samsung Galaxy apps to use on your watch.

Apple Watch Series 6

This runs on iOS, of course. It has 32GB built-in storage and the battery life can last up to 18 hours. The Apple Watch Series 6 charges wirelessly which is cool. 50ATM water-resistance rating which can be used for swimming and light diving. It has Wi-fi, Bluetooth, LTE and NFC connectivity as one might expect.

Apple reins number one on pretty much every list, ever. Especially if you’re already an iPhone user. It works perfectly with iPhones so if you love Apple devices, this is great. 

Being blunt, there’s not a huge jump in features from the Apple Watch 5. The biggest thing is the Always-On display. This is a first. It means you don’t need to tilt your wrist to be shown your stats. Rather, it’ll show the important data perpetually on a dimmed display.

It comes in either 44mm or a smaller 40mm.

Speaking of fitness features, it comes with everything you need. It also has an ECG, accurate GPS, heart rate monitor, blood oxygen levels, always-on altimeter and more. If you want the best on the market; the Apple Watch is it.

Read here where we compare the Series 6 to the new SE.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2

This watch runs on Tizen OS and is compatible with both iOS and Android. It has a 1.2inch 360 x 360 pixel AMOLED display. It carries 4GB storage inside and the battery lasts about 2 full days. You charge it wirelessly and connectivity is via Bluetooth and Wi-fi. It offers 50m of water-resistance.

Samsung shrunk down a lot of the coolest parts of the Galaxy Watch and made it sportier. It’s lighter, slimmer and more comfortable. It also has a digital rotating bezel.

Not a whole bunch of changes have been made. That’s not a criticism. It is a really great watch for the price. It’s got a 1.2 inch 360 x 360 pixel display that’s really bold and bright. It’s quite a beautiful device to have on your wrist. 

It offers you all the higher-end fitness features you’d want from a Samsung watch. It has 39 sports modes, ECG and heart rate monitor. You can use the accompanying app for sleep and stress monitoring, too. You can use it to look over your blood pressure, but Samsung are yet to release the key to how.

It’s more cost-effective than an Apple Watch and the price has gone up a little over time to keep up with the competition. It’s not cheap but if you compare it to the Galaxy 3 you might prefer this version.

Read our review of the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 

Fitbit Versa 3

This runs on the Fitbit OS and is compatible with both iOS and Android.A 300 x 300 pixel AMOLED display. The Fitbit Versa 3 has 4GB onboard storage and a battery life of up to six or more days. It has a proprietary charger. This watch is water-resistant to 5m. It offers Wi-fi, Bluetooth connectivity as well as contactless payments. 

The Fitbit Versa 3 is the most recent offering from Fitbit. The brand itself is one of the most famous for fitness trackers. 

The Versa 3 has a lot of upgrades on the original release, including Alexa and Google Assistant compatibility.

If you didn’t like the original version, then the Versa 3 might not please you either. It’s essentially the same device and doesn’t have the bells and whistles like offline Spotify or GPS.

If you’re into simple and sweet trackers, the Versa 3 will tickle your fancy. It’s certainly cost-effective for what you get.

Read our Fitbit Versa 2 and Fitbit Versa 3 comparison here

Fossil Sport

Running on WearOS and Android and iOS compatible. A 1.2 inch 390 x 390 pixel AMOLED display. 4GB of built-in storage. Two days between charges using a proprietary charger. GPS capability. Wi-fi and Bluetooth connectivity.

Fossil has done a lot in the wearable world in the past few years. The Fossil Sport is the best offering they have made to date.

This is a great watch with an even better price tag. It’s lightweight, has GPS and feels premium in its design. It also offers around 2 days of battery life. 

Fossil has squeezed in a lot of functionality thanks to the Snapdragon chipset. This is the latest tech from Qualcomm that means you get a smooth user experience compared to more dated Wear OS devices.

Full discloser, it doesn’t offer anything unique. Overall, though, the Fossil Sport is a great watch. Especially so if you’re looking for something that will monitor your fitness but will fit in with most of your day-to-day clothes.

See more about what we think of the Fossil Sport

Fitbit Versa Lite

Another Fitbit OS, Android and iOS-compatible device. This watch has a 300 x 300 pixel LCD display. It doesn’t offer onboard memory but the battery life does go 4 days between charges. It has a water-resistance of 50m and will connect via Wi-fi and Bluetooth.

This is the second-best in the Fitbit range. Essentially a more price-accessible version of the Versa with a few features trimmed.

The Versa Lite has some decent fitness tracking and a battery that won’t drive you nuts. The case is lightweight and dainty. You can use it for working out and not worry about changing it; it’s subtle enough to fit in with most outfits.

The features you may miss if you’re comparing it to the Versa (or Versa 2) are a lack of Fitbit Pay, GPS and the screen isn’t quite as good. If you’re in the market for a budget fitness tracker with some handy smart features, these things might not bother you.

We love the Fitbit brand. Read our review of the devices you can get your hands on, here.

TicWatch E2

Here is a WearOS device compatible with iOS and Android. It boasts a 400 x 400 pixel OLED display. Inside is 4GB memory and the battery will last around 48 hours between charges. It offers Wi-fi and Bluetooth connectivity.

The TicWatch E2 is one of the more affordable watches we’re discussing. It comes from Mobvoi; a relatively small brand. But, that doesn’t mean this watch hasn’t made ripples.

The E2 has a long battery life, is water-resistant and comes at a cost-effective price. You might not be besotted with the look, it doesn’t scream luxury. You have to consider what you get for what you pay.

Amazingly, it has GPS as well as sleep tracking and a heart rate monitor. The usual fitness features are there, too. You can’t make contactless payments.

Read more about what we think of the TicWatch E2

Honor Magic Watch 2

Runs on LiteOS and is compatible with both Android and iOS. Either 1.2 inch or 1.39 inch 454 by 454 pixel AMOLED display. 4GB of memory. An impressive 7 day battery life and water-resistance. Wi-fi and Bluetooth connectivity.

If you’re an avid fitness enthusiast but you don’t want a full-on sportswatch then the Honor Magic Watch 2 might be for you. It has a hybrid of fitness and smartwatch features.

It’ll give you detailed data and training advice for some activities. It’s perfect for beginners or those with a casual interest in fitness.

It lasts about a week or even two between charges depending on the version you pick. Some have reported disappointment with the lack of features. But it’s important to be realistic about the price and what you expect.

Apple Watch SE

Running on WatchOS with iOS only compatibility. It has a huge 1.78 inch OLED display. A minimum of 32GB onboard storage and the battery will last up to 18 hours. Wireless charging and water-resistantance to 50m. The Apple Watch 4SE connects via Wi-fi and Bluetooth and offers contactless payments.

There’s not a lot of difference between the SE and 6. The SE has a bigger display than most smartwatches and comes in either 44mm or a smaller 40mm. 

The SE doesn’t come with an ECG or Sp02 reading like the Series 6. It’ll keep an eye on your heart and tell you if there are any irregularities, though. This could be potentially life-saving in the long run.

There is a plethora of health and fitness feature and you can use most of your favourite apps. The only drawback is that it can’t be used with Android smartphones.

Check out our review of the Apple Watch SE here

TicWatch Pro 3

A final Wear OS offering. Compatible with Android iOS. It has a 1.4 inch 454 x 454 pixel display with LCD screen. There is 8GB built-in memory. The battery will last around 3 days. If you use it in Essential mode you’ll get 45 days out of it. It connects via Bluetooth and Wi-fi.

This is a favourite Wear OS offering. You can use it whether you’re on Android or iOS. It boasts a cool dual-screen feature.

The two displays are layered. The one on top has a transparent LCD display and that’ll show you the time, heart rate and when your battery is dying. 

Beneath that is a full-colour OLED screen. This bit gives you all the Wear OS coolness.

Feature-wise, there’s Google Pay and NFC.  You can use the Bluetooth connection to listen to music, too. The price is the best part, offering all these features for a very happy price.

A few others that didn’t quite make it to our top 10 smartwatches but are still worth mentioning are the new Suunto 7, of course the Garmin Fenix 6 and the long awaited Apple Watch 6. All of which come with a slightly higher price tag than most smartwatches in this list.

---

Follow Us

Last Updated on January 18, 2021