How does a touchscreen work?
A touchscreen is made up of a touch panel and displays. And the former sits on top of the display. The system is usually an LCD or OLED screen. By touching the screen with a finger, a user may provide input or operate the system using basic gestures. The touchscreen allows direct interaction on the screen.
Why do you need a touchscreen watch?
Touchscreen watches have revolutionized the wristwatch industry. If you have a touchscreen wristwatch, you’ll probably find yourself checking your watch for notifications or reply to one. There will be a considerable increase in the ease of use. Touchscreen watches almost have an unlimited number of benefits thanks to the innumerable number of apps and features available.
Now you know what they are, let’s check out some of the best touchscreen watches in 2021.
Table of Contents
- How does a touchscreen work?
- Why do you need a touchscreen watch?
- Apple Watch 8
- Garmin Vivoactive 4
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 5
- Fitbit Versa 3
- Garmin Venu 2
- Virmee VT3 Plus
- Fossil Gen 5 Carlyle
- Fossil Gen 6
- HCHLQL Smartwatch
- Garmin Fenix 7
- Checking Out a Touchscreen Watch
Apple Watch 8
![Apple Watch Series 8 [GPS + Cellular 45mm] Smart Watch w/Starlight Aluminum Case with Starlight...](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51K+3KXaUKL._SL160_.jpg)
The Apple Watch 8 is the company’s most recent watch. It debuted about a year after the Apple Watch 7 and Apple Watch SE. Needless to say this is a great touchscreen watch in all it’s forms.
Apple Watches are insanely popular. To the point where most people are aware that they are basically smaller iPhones on your wrist. And you might wonder whether the device offers anything particularly compelling; if you’re considering modernizing from an older model, you’ll be especially interested to learn what’s new here.
Apple’s new Watch features a blood oxygen sensor within, new colors. Plus a more efficient S6/S7 processor at its core. It’s also touted to have a better display in bright light. With new features like Temperature sensing, crash detection, and a battery-saving mode that gives us up to 36 hours, the new series brings us up-to-date technologies.
The remainder of the watch’s new functions includes sleep monitoring, hand-washing tracking, and a new strap design.
The Apple Watch 8 maintains the same exterior design as previous versions. However, it has a rounded metal shell and a square display that gracefully bends into the watch itself. Get it directly from Apple here.
The Series 8 new blue and red options are intriguing. In particular, the aluminum casing combines well with the brighter hues. Series 8 offers a bigger screen which is more edge-to-edge and 1mm bigger than its predecessor.
You can find some great Apple Watch deals here.
The display, which uses OLED tech, is as bright and crisp as ever. Due to the rich colors and excellent contrast ratios, you’ll never struggle to see the display.
Fitness is a major emphasis of this version, and it’s more visible than ever. A new sensor enables you to see how saturated your blood is with oxygen.
Note: WatchOS 8 was introduced at WWDC 2021, and when it officially releases later this year, it will offer more software and features.
Compare prices and choose your favorite merchant to buy the Apple Watch
| Product | Supplier | |
| Apple Watch 8 | Amazon | Check Price |
| Apple Watch 7 | Amazon | Check Price |
| Apple Watch 7 | eBay | Check Price |
| Watch Ultra | Amazon | Check Price |
| Apple Watch 7 | Apple | View offer |
| Apple Watch 7 | Target | View offer |
| Apple Watch SE 2 | Amazon | View offer |
Garmin Vivoactive 4
The Garmin Vivoactive 4 is a touchscreen running watch that is part of Garmin’s rapidly growing range of similar running watches. The price sits in the middle of this lineup and offers a variety of functions.
The Vivoactive 4 is still a lot less expensive than the company’s flagships, the Fenix and Forerunner. And clever tweaks to the controls mean you’re less likely to inadvertently halt and stop activity tracking with touchscreen taps and swipes.
It’s an excellent fitness tracker if you don’t mind missing out on some of Garmin’s more sophisticated devices’ month-to-month tracking data.
A new Vivoactive 5 may well come out in the following months, with upgraded hardware and the same start pricing. Alternatively, Garmin may follow the Instinct’s footsteps and offer a slightly upgraded version with solar charging to maintain battery power for longer periods of time. It’s available on the Garmin website.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 is a little improvement over the previous version, which debuted in December 2021 and lacked the famous rotating bezel that made its bulkier sibling, the original Samsung Galaxy Watch, wildly popular. This successor adds many additional features to make it the brand’s strongest wearable.
The Watch 5 resemblance to the Active 2 version is arguably for the best. It maintains the smaller, more basic, and contemporary appearance from before. It’s a more universally attractive design than the Galaxy Watch’s bulky body, which is considered to be more “masculine”.
It’s small enough to wear on a run yet has enough capabilities to compete with the Apple Watch 8. However, the Watch 5’s added capabilities come at a price. It’s marginally more expensive than its predecessor, reducing the watch’s affordability advantage against Apple’s devices.
Still, for customers looking for a smartwatch to wear on runs and in the workplace, the Galaxy Watch 5 is a good option, particularly for Android lovers outside of the iOS environment. Yes, it works with an iPhone, but only to a limited extent, and for the same money, you could have the new Apple Watch SE or Series 3.
| Product | Supplier | |
| Galaxy Watch 5 | Amazon | Check Price |
| Galaxy Watch 5 | eBay | Check Price |
| Watch 4 Classic | eBay | Check Price |
| Galaxy Watch 4 | Target | Check Price |
Fitbit Versa 3
Fitbit devices are hugely popular with people that want to focus on their fitness and get into the best shape possible. The Fitbit Versa 3 is a great touchscreen smartwatch that comes with a number of features. These include 7-day battery life, heart rate monitor, sleep tracker, fitness tracker, and music playback so that you can access everything you need.
The watch is square in design and comes in a range of color choices. The straps are changeable, and you can find both Fitbit and third-party straps for reasonable prices to help you personalize your watch.
Garmin Venu 2
Garmin is a world-renowned brand that makes fantastic smartwatches and running watches for anyone that loves to pound the pavements. The Garmin Venu offers a responsive touchscreen and provides several great tracking features to keep you in great shape. From body energy monitoring to music playback and Sp02 levels to animated workouts, you will have no excuse to get moving when you invest in one of these.
The watch has a rounded face and a simple design that is attractive and works for all genders. It has a five-day battery life and a crisp and clear AMOLED display so that you can read it with ease no matter what you are doing. You can buy the Venu 2 directly from Garmin.
Virmee VT3 Plus
If you want a touchscreen smartwatch that looks like an Apple Watch but has a smaller price tag, then the Virmee VT3 Plus may be a great choice. The battery life claims to offer seven full days of use, but this is more likely to be around three days when you use all the internal features. However, it charges fully in just two hours so that you don’t miss out on any important tracking.
The watch comes with a step counter, Sp02 monitor, heart rate monitor, and sleep tracker to help you get to grips with your health. It also comes with various activities to track, eighteen different sports modes, and notifications from your smartwatch.
Fossil Gen 5 Carlyle
Fossil is one of the biggest watch-making companies globally. If you’re looking for a reliable smartwatch, packed with features, then you’ll want to look at the Fossil Gen 5 Carlyle.
You can look forward to heart rate monitoring, speakers for music playback, GPS, and activity tracking when you want to get moving. Plus, you can also get your phone notifications and make contactless payments directly from your wrist.
The device comes in a sleek black option and has a round face with three dials on the right-hand side. If you are keen to make use of all the features, then you can expect the battery to last around 24 hours in total, but there is also the option of using the battery saver mode when you are near to running out of power and don’t have a charger to hand. It’s a quality device that is sure to impress any smartwatch fan. You can buy it directly from Fossil here.
Fossil Gen 6
If you like the sound of the Fossil Gen 5, but want a more up-to-date generation you’re in luck! The Fossil Gen 6 smartwatch was released on September 27th, 2021 and this watch serves as a new and improved option from the brand. Not only that, but this stylish watch features an impressive touchscreen for easy usage too.
While the design and layouts of the Gen 5 & 6 watches are similar, the Fossil Gen 6 now features crown buttons, a bezel ridge, and a significant pusher. Both have elegant designs and a range of color options to suit all personal tastes.
When it comes to features, the Fossil Gen 6 watch includes SpO2 sensors, an improved heart rate sensor, and it can connect to Google Fit apps too. If you want an on-trend smartwatch companion that will help you stay in shape, this is a great option.
The Fossil Gen 6 also boasts some impressive internal updates. Compared to the Gen 5, this new smartwatch has a 30% faster performance as it has 8GB storage and 1GB RAM. The watch also features a Snapdragon Wear 4100 Plus processor, an AMOLED display, and more.
HCHLQL Smartwatch
The HCHLQL smartwatch is a budget smartwatch that comes back with great features and is compatible with both Android and iOS devices. It is modeled on the Apple Watch and is very similar to using a simple touchscreen, digital crown, and side button.
It comes with a heart rate monitor, step counter, and activity tracker to help you achieve your fitness goals and can be paired to your phone to get notifications, take calls and send and receive notifications. The battery needs to be charged daily when you want to make use of all the features, but charging doesn’t take long, so you can fit it in when you are sitting at your desk or having some downtime.
Garmin Fenix 7
Despite the fact this exciting new watch isn’t released yet, it’s set to be one of the most popular touchscreen smartwatches of 2022. The long-awaited Garmin Fenix 7 watch is set to be released during 2022, however, we’re not sure when yet. Though the brand didn’t release it at the CES 2022, it should still appear by the end of the year.
While we have no confirmed news, from leaked pictures we can estimate that the watch may combine a 5-button design and a touchscreen. The Garmin Venu watch line proves that the brand knows how to design a color touchscreen, so perhaps this new launch will mix two mediums.
Other rumors about this new watch include:
- It will feature solar power charging.
- A possible AMOLED screen.
- A slimmer and lighter design.
- An optical heart rate sensor.
- Geocaching updates.
- More health and fitness features (e.g. ECGs and a noise monitor)
If you want to explore the previous Fenix watch, find our review of the Garmin Fenix 6 here.
| Garmin Product | Supplier | |
| Fenix 7 | Amazon | View Offer |
| Fenix 7 | eBay | View Offer |
| Fenix 7 | Garmin | View Offer |
| Fenix 7 | Target | View Offer |
Do Touchscreen Watches Offer Incident Detection?
Features like touchscreens are expected on many smartwatches now, but do these smartwatches also offer incident detection? This handy feature (sometimes also called fall detection) can determine if the user has fallen over and if needed will alert emergency contacts or the authorities. This is a popular feature for a touchscreen watch as users can easily tap to turn the alerts off.
This is an ideal feature for anyone that wants an extra level of safety when out and about. This feature is very popular for those that enjoy outdoor sports, hiking, or adventure sports as it keeps them safe in emergency scenarios. It’s also a great feature for any senior citizens too, making sure they get assistance when needed.
Want to understand this feature in-depth? Find out more about incident detection here.
Checking Out a Touchscreen Watch
As there are so many different touchscreen watches on the market, it can be easy to get confused about what to choose and when. Rather than opting for the cheapest or most expensive option, take the time to work out what you mainly want to use it for and then pick a device that is strong in that area. Whether it is battery life, fitness capabilities, or connectivity, there really is a touchscreen smartwatch for everyone!
If you’re looking for something, you can wear anywhere at any time, check out these great everyday watches.
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Last Updated on January 22, 2023
Emma brings over a decade of freelance copy and content writing experience and is our Editor, Social Media Manager, and regular contributor. Specializing in long-form content such as blogs, articles, lead magnets, and white papers, Emma also provides businesses with email marketing, website copy, and landing pages.