Top 5 compared
The best smartwatches for Android
Messages, workouts and sleep tracking on your wrist, from a watch that works properly with an Android phone.
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The top 5 at a glance
A smartwatch pairs with a phone and brings its notifications, calls, music and maps to the wrist, while it counts steps and tracks sleep, heart rate and workouts in the background. Wear OS watches from Google and Samsung run apps from Google Play and need charging every day or so; fitness-led watches do less on the wrist and run a week or more between charges.
Google launched the software as Android Wear in 2014 and renamed it Wear OS in 2018. A watch from a phone maker can keep a few features for that maker’s own phones; most others work the same with any Android phone. iPhone owners have a list of their own: the best smartwatches for iPhone.
What matters
- Daily charging, or a week or more between charges.
- Tap-to-pay, through Google Wallet or the maker’s own.
- 5 ATM or more of water resistance, if it’s coming swimming.
#1Garmin vívoactive 6 GPS Smartwatch (42mm, Black)
£269.99 RRP
Works the same with any Android phone, whoever made it, and goes a week and a half between charges, with its own GPS, Garmin Pay and room for music. Huawei has replaced the GT 5 below, rated above it but now stocked only by other sellers; this is a current watch.
What owners say: Owners report a watch that’s straightforward day to day and comfortable on the wrist, with battery life they call fantastic; how accurate the heart-rate readings are, and how well it lasts, divide opinion.
A closer look: Calls and texts pop up on the wrist, and with an Android phone a call can be turned away with a quick text reply, though with no speaker or microphone the call itself is taken on the phone. The free Garmin Connect app keeps the sleep, step and workout history.
- Stores music on the watch
- Quick text replies on Android
- Texts show on the wrist
Best for: Fitness and long battery on any Android
- Works with
- Android and iPhone
- Battery (maker’s ‘up to’ figure)
- Up to 264 hours (11 days)
- Built-in GPS
- Yes
- Contactless payments
- Garmin Pay
- Calls on the watch
- No
- Water resistance
- 50 m (5 ATM)
#2Huawei Watch GT 5 (46mm, Black)
£100–£150
A round watch with a classic look that runs up to 14 days between charges, with built-in GPS, a speaker and mic for calls, and Curve Pay for tapping to pay. It scores highest here, but Huawei has replaced it and it’s now sold only by other sellers, so the Garmin above takes first place.
What owners say: Owners call it well made and easy to use, get about ten days between charges and trust its sleep and step counts; whether it does everything they want is where views part.
Heads up: Huawei has since brought out the Watch GT 6; this model is still sold new by other sellers.
A closer look: On an Android phone, the Huawei Health app comes from Huawei’s AppGallery rather than Google Play, so allow a few extra minutes at set-up. It’s fine for the pool, but not for hot showers or saunas.
- Round AMOLED screen
Best for: Wearers who forget to charge
- Works with
- Android and iPhone
- Battery (maker’s ‘up to’ figure)
- Up to 336 hours (14 days)
- Built-in GPS
- Yes
- Contactless payments
- Curve Pay
- Calls on the watch
- Yes
- Water resistance
- 50 m (5 ATM), IP69K
#3aeac AR-01 Smart Watch with Calls (Black)
£50–£75
Calls through a built-in speaker and mic, a round AMOLED face, and step, heart-rate and sleep tracking, with up to a week between charges. It suits anyone who wants the basics of a smartwatch without paying for apps they won’t use.
What owners say: Easy to get going and comfortable, say owners, who like its solid feel, a battery that outlasts a week and the long menu of sports modes.
A closer look: With no GPS of its own, it borrows the phone’s to log walks and runs, so the phone goes too. The free VeryFit app takes care of set-up, watch faces and the sleep and step history, and a full charge takes about two hours.
- Round AMOLED screen
- 100+ sports modes
- Tracks steps, heart rate, sleep
Best for: Smartwatch basics, calls included
- Works with
- Android and iPhone
- Battery (maker’s ‘up to’ figure)
- Up to 168 hours (7 days)
- Built-in GPS
- No
- Contactless payments
- No
- Calls on the watch
- Yes
- Water resistance
- 30 m (3 ATM)
#4Google Pixel Watch 5 (41mm, Wi-Fi, Black Case, Obsidian Band)
£369 RRP
Google’s own watch for Android: a bright round screen, Google Wallet, Gemini and calls on the wrist, with dual-frequency GPS for mapping runs. It pairs with most phones on Android 12 or newer, not only Google’s own Pixels, and its apps come from Google Play.
What owners say: Owners like how well it all works, especially beside a Pixel phone, and are happy with the battery and how fast it charges.
A closer look: Most days it’ll want a charge: around 15 minutes on the dock takes it to half, so a top-up over breakfast keeps it going through the night for sleep tracking. The 41mm case suits most wrists, and a 45mm version has a bigger screen and a longer battery.
- Gemini on the wrist
- Apps from Google Play
- Needs Android 12 or newer
Best for: Google Wallet and Gemini users
- Works with
- Android only
- Battery (maker’s ‘up to’ figure)
- Up to 30 hours
- Built-in GPS
- Yes
- Contactless payments
- Google Wallet
- Calls on the watch
- Yes
- Water resistance
- 50 m (5 ATM), IP68
#5Samsung Galaxy Watch8 (40mm, Bluetooth, Graphite)
£200–£300
Samsung’s Wear OS watch gets the most from a Galaxy phone, which unlocks Samsung Wallet and some Samsung Health features. With another maker’s Android phone it still runs apps from Google Play, pays through Google Wallet and takes calls on the wrist.
What owners say: Owners like its looks, the range of apps and its health and exercise tracking; battery life and value split them, with some charging it more often than they’d like.
Heads up: Samsung has since brought out the Galaxy Watch9; the Watch8 is still sold new by other sellers.
A closer look: Expect to charge it every day or so: pick a regular slot, such as while getting ready in the morning, and it’ll be on the wrist overnight for sleep coaching. The 40mm Graphite sits neatly on a slimmer wrist, and a 44mm size is sold too.
- Apps from Google Play
- Sleep coaching
- 44mm size also sold
Best for: Samsung Galaxy phone owners
- Works with
- Android only
- Battery (maker’s ‘up to’ figure)
- Up to 40 hours
- Built-in GPS
- Yes
- Contactless payments
- Google Wallet, Samsung Wallet
- Calls on the watch
- Yes
- Water resistance
- 50 m (5 ATM), IP68
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1Garmin vívoactive 6 | #2Huawei Watch GT 5 | #3aeac AR-01 | #4Google Pixel Watch 5 | #5Samsung Galaxy Watch8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Longest battery | Best budget | Best Wear OS watch | Best for Galaxy phones | |
| Picked Rating | 9.0 | 9.2 | 8.9 | 8.9 | 8.7 |
| Price | £269.99 RRP | £100–£150 | £50–£75 | £369 RRP | £200–£300 |
| Works with | Android and iPhone | Android and iPhone | Android and iPhone | Android only | Android only |
| Battery (maker’s ‘up to’ figure) | Up to 264 hours (11 days) | Up to 336 hours (14 days) | Up to 168 hours (7 days) | Up to 30 hours | Up to 40 hours |
| Built-in GPS | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Contactless payments | Garmin Pay | Curve Pay | No | Google Wallet | Google Wallet, Samsung Wallet |
| Calls on the watch | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Water resistance | 50 m (5 ATM) | 50 m (5 ATM), IP69K | 30 m (3 ATM) | 50 m (5 ATM), IP68 | 50 m (5 ATM), IP68 |
| Best for | Fitness and long battery on any Android | Wearers who forget to charge | Smartwatch basics, calls included | Google Wallet and Gemini users | Samsung Galaxy phone owners |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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