The 7 best Android smartwatches to buy in 2023

Best overall: Samsung Galaxy Watch5 Pro

Pros: WearOS is intuitive and easy to navigate, accurate health and fitness tracking, multi-day battery life, unique body composition and sleep tracking insights

Cons: Experience differs on non-Samsung Android phones, digital breadcrumb feature is only available for hiking and cycling

Samsung's Galaxy Watch lineup has been among the best Android watches for years, and its latest release, the Watch5 Pro, situates it at the top of the industry. With multi-day battery life, accurate activity tracking, and unique insights such as body composition data and sleep analysis, it's the perfect combination of smartwatch and health and fitness tracker for the Android user.

Design-wise, the Watch5 Pro has a round watch face and a 1.36-inch touchscreen display that displays tons of data. With the right watch face, you could have everything from the week's upcoming weather forecast and the sunrise/sunset schedule to your daily steps, burned calories, and workout shortcuts displayed. Everything on the face is fully customizable, too.

As a smartwatch, the Watch5 Pro is excellent. It uses Google's WearOS operating system which functions seamlessly. It gets app notifications, text alerts, emails, and phone calls, and is easy to navigate, even for first-time users.

Fitness-focused folks will appreciate the sheer number of activities it tracks, including common things like running and cycling, as well as advanced sports like snowboarding, hiking, or trail running. It even has a useful track-back option that works like a digital breadcrumb feature that shows your exact route through, say, a forested area. However, this only works with hiking and cycling, which is a bit of a disappointment as it'd be great for runners, too.

One of the Watch5 Pro's best features is its wide offering of health tracking. It has everything from in-depth sleep tracking, which monitors sleep patterns and habits, to a body composition app that's able to chart things like body fat percentage and muscle mass.

There is one minor caveat, however: the watch's overall experience is far better on a Samsung phone than on something like the Google Pixel. It's not a dealbreaker but some features, like the ECG app that tracks heart rhythms, aren't compatible with anything other than a Samsung phone.

Despite those issues, Samsung's Galaxy Watch5 Pro is the best all-around Android smartwatch for almost any user. It excels as a smartwatch, has robust fitness-tracking capability, and offers unique health insights. This is as good as it gets for Android users.

Read our full review of the Samsung Galaxy Watch5 Pro.

Best fitness tracker: Fitbit Sense 2

Pros: Lightweight, comfortable design, six days of battery life on a single charge, robust health and fitness tracking

Cons: No music storage or playback, no third-party app support

Fitbit's Sense 2 is everything you want in a dependable fitness tracker. It's compatible with tons of trackable activities, provides unique insights into your fitness habits, monitors your sleep, stress, and menstrual cycles, and has built-in GPS. It even has a battery that lasts upward of five to six days.

During our testing of the watch, we found it to be one of the most accurate fitness trackers we've worn. Not only did its GPS sync well before activities, but it didn't take several minutes like some fitness trackers tend to. Within a matter of seconds, the watch found a GPS signal and we were ready to start the activity. It also has an interface that's easy to navigate, which is especially helpful for first-time Fitbit wearers or those new to fitness trackers.

The Sense 2 also has a number of helpful health and wellness tools. This includes a skin temperature sensor, heart rhythm (ECG) readings, and Fitbit's new real-time stress tracker. Stress tracking was especially interesting during our tests as we liked how well it charted our stress levels while offering useful feedback on ways to lower them.

One area where the Sense 2 doesn't quite impress regards its smartwatch capability. It's technically one of Fitbit's "smartwatches" but it doesn't exactly live up to that billing. For instance, there's no third-party app support available, which is a frustrating decision by Fitbit, nor does it allow access to tools like Google Assistant (despite Google being the parent company). It also won't store or play music.

Although some may find these to be major drawbacks, we don't see them as a reason not to buy the Sense 2. It's an adequate smartwatch that still gets notifications like calls, texts, and emails, but its strengths lie in its health and fitness tracking. For Android users looking for a fitness-first smartwatch, the Sense 2 is it.

Read our full review of the Fitbit Sense 2.

Best smartwatch: Google Pixel Watch

Pros: Intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface, WearOS works really well, lightweight design and clean aesthetic

Cons: Poor activity tracking and GPS syncing

The Google Pixel Watch experience is interesting. On the one hand, it's the best pure smartwatch for Android users with an intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface, wide compatibility with tons of apps, and the ability to answer texts, emails, and phone calls right on the watch.

But as a fitness tracker, it falls flat on its face. This is an especially confusing aspect since Google is now the parent company of the fitness wearable brand, Fitbit. Regardless of that partnership, the Pixel Watch is plagued by connectivity issues, syncing problems, and awful GPS tracking.

Despite those drawbacks (which may be dealbreakers for fitness-focused folks), it's still an incredibly impressive smartwatch. Its operating system, WearOS, delivers a seamless experience between the available apps you can access, whatever notifications you might receive, and its smart features like Google Assistant, Google Maps, and Google Wallet.

Because of that, it satisfies the one major need of a smartwatch: to be an effective extension of your smartphone. With the Google Pixel Watch, anything you want to do on your phone, you can do on your wrist.

Not everyone shopping for a wearable needs it for going on runs or bike rides and instead wants something that serves as their phone away from their phone. The Google Pixel Watch is exactly that, and for Android users, it's the best pure smartwatch they can buy.

Read our full review of the Google Pixel Watch.

Best budget: Samsung Galaxy Watch4

Pros: Battery life lasts a day and a half, first Galaxy Watch with WearOS, unique body composition scanner, useful notifications for apps, emails, texts, and phone calls

Cons: Experience is slightly watered-down when used with a non-Samsung Android phone

When we first reviewed the Samsung Galaxy Watch4, we couldn't help but notice that it was the closest thing to an Apple Watch for Android users. A year later, that sentiment goes to the next generation Watch5 Pro but the Watch4 is still an impressive wearable — only now, it costs far less than when it was released.

The release of the Galaxy Watch4 was Samsung's first go with utilizing WearOS as the watch's operating system, as it decided to go away from the in-house interface, Tizen OS. The switch paid off in spades as WearOS pairs perfectly with the Watch4. Navigation is fluid, notifications can be fully customized, and there's a far wider selection of downloadable apps than ever before (thanks to Google Play Store access).

Other highlights of the watch include its extensive health and fitness capability. It tracks a wide variety of activities, like running, cycling, and hiking, and we found the syncing and tracking capability to be on par with some of the best fitness trackers.

We especially like its in-depth sleep tracking which monitors sleep patterns and can help turn bad habits into good ones. Its body measurement features are also quite unique as it analyzes things like your body weight, muscle mass, and water weight to give you an idea of your overall body composition.

All of this equates to the Watch4 being one of the finest wearables for Android users. Of course, there are still a few drawbacks, most notable of which is its watered-down experience on anything other than a Samsung phone as some features, like the ECG app, aren't available. We don't see this as a total deal breaker but users of other phones, like the Google Pixel, should consider this before purchasing.

At less than $170 via Amazon, the Watch4 isn't just at its lowest price since it was released, but it's the cheapest we've seen a smartwatch of this quality. It's rare you're able to find a premium full-featured wearable like this for $200; the fact that it's less than that easily makes it the best budget Android smartwatch on the market.

Read our full review of the Samsung Galaxy Watch4.

Best budget fitness tracker: Fitbit Inspire 3

Pros: Long, nearly week-long battery life, costs less than $100, comfortable to wear, even over long workout sessions, advanced health and fitness tracking

Cons: No built-in GPS, small screen may not be preferable to some users

Fitbit's Inspire 3 is one of the brand's most basic wearables but it's still an impressive activity tracker for Android users. It offers a range of health and fitness tracking insights, a no-frills interface, and advanced features like skin temperature sensing and in-depth sleep tracking.

But what makes the Inspire 3 such a great tracker is how anyone from beginners to expert users can get a satisfying experience from it. Navigating the watch is intuitive enough for first-time wearers while the wide variety of trackable activities and useful health metrics give it appeal to those familiar with fitness trackers.

At less than $100, it's a hell of a bargain, too. And what's especially great about its low price is that the Inspire 3 is the latest generation of the Inspire line, meaning it's the most current and updated version yet.

The watch does come with a few drawbacks, though. Absent is built-in GPS, as well as the ability to download additional apps. Although the lack of apps isn't a huge downside, not having GPS is, especially for hardcore athletes who want exact timing and tracking for activities. During our tests, we did find that when you sync GPS via a companion phone, the tracking worked well. But that means you do have to tote your phone along.

Those cons aside, the Inspire 3 is still a powerful activity tracker in a small, budget-friendly form factor. For Android users looking for something basic, trying out a fitness tracker for the first time, or who just want something straightforward and easy to use, the Inspire 3 is what you seek.

Read our full review of the Fitbit Inspire 3.

Best for runners: Garmin Forerunner 745

Pros: Unique adaptive workout recommendations, helpful rest and recovery insights, wide range of trackable activities

Cons: Interface can be difficult to navigate for first-time users, basic smartwatch features

The Garmin Forerunner 745 isn't just the best running watch for Android users, it also happens to be one of the best running watches, period. It's that good. Garmin's made its name on manufacturing powerful sport wearables, and the 745 is the latest in a long line of triumphs from the brand.

What makes the 745 so good is not just its accurate tracking capabilities and easy-to-navigate interface (but, those are excellent). What truly makes it stand out from the competition is its unique approach to workout recommendations and focus on rest and recovery, two vital aspects of an effective workout routine.

For the workout recommendations, the watch requires a 10-day monitoring period where it assesses your day-to-day activity and performance. Once those 10 days are up, it's then able to adapt its recommendations to your specific activity needs. One day it might have you pump up the mileage and go for a several-mile long run while another day it may see that you need more rest and dial the day's workout down to a recovery jog.

Whatever it recommends, it does so in lockstep with its rest and recovery insights. In other words, the watch isn't just going to run you into the ground but rather, it takes a thoughtful approach to giving your body the time to properly recover between strenuous workouts.

The 745 feels like having a personal trainer right on your wrist with all these features active. Of course, you don't have to do the daily workouts but they do prove worthwhile for anyone stumped about what to do on a certain day, or those who want to take the guesswork out of how to train for a race or event.

Other highlights of the 745 include a comfortable, lightweight design that won't weigh heavy on your wrist, even during long runs, as well as a large, colorful display. The big display does have the tendency to look rather large on folks with smaller wrists, but it's especially useful in the middle of a run to easily see your training stats without having to squint or stop running.

Then there's the battery life, which Garmin claims lasts up to six days on a single charge. We found this to be mostly true during our tests, as it would last both a little longer and a little shorter than that estimation depending on how heavily we used it each day.

For Android users that are consistent runners, the Garmin Forerunner 745 is the best running watch you can wear.

Read our full review of the Garmin Forerunner 745.

Best for outdoor adventures: Garmin Forerunner 935

Pros: Offers advanced running insights and feedback, highly accurate activity tracking, fully customizable to show whatever data you need while working out

Cons: Intended mainly for hardcore athletes

Similar to the Forerunner 745 above, the Forerunner 935 is one of Garmin's best wearables. And for the outdoorsy Android user, it's the best.

The 935 is compatible with a wide range of trackable outdoor activities such as hiking, trail running, skiing, and snowboarding, to name a few, and can even track your trips via its built-in GPS (which is a must-have for those venturing into the backcountry). It's also highly accurate, both in terms of tracking and GPS syncing.

Although the watch itself is on the medium to large end of the wearable spectrum, it's incredibly lightweight and comes with a comfortable rubber band that feels good against the skin. The watch's face features tempered, scratch-resistant glass, as well as a durable, stainless steel bezel.

But where the watch truly shines is how Garmin's interface functions with the activities it tracks. The tracking screens show everything from heart rate and distance traveled, to training status, heart rate variability, and total training load. In other words, you have everything you'd ever need right there on your wrist.

We did have one nitpick with the watch: its battery doesn't last much longer than a single day, especially if you're relying on GPS and heart rate tracking for long periods of time. This isn't an issue for those who return home each night but this could pose a problem for anyone out on a backpacking trip or who forgot their charger.

Still, the Forerunner 935 is a full-featured watch that's the best outdoor wearable for Android users.

Read our full review of the Garmin Forerunner 935.

How we test Android smartwatches

To compile this guide, we put the best Android watches currently available through a series of tests comparing how well they stacked up across a variety of categories. These include things like fit & comfort, features, battery life, ease of use, accuracy, and compatibility.

Here's how each category specifically factored into which watches ultimately made the cut:

Fit & comfort: Testing this was a straightforward assessment of how well the watch felt on wrist while wearing it normally throughout the day, as well as during workouts. We also looked at how easy it was to dial in the right fit with whatever the clasp system was.

Features: Simply put, what are all the features native to a certain Android smartwatch? We looked at what kinds of apps were natively available right out of the box, as well as what was accessible via an app store like Google Play. We also assessed how well these features elevated the overall experience.

Battery life: Battery life is one of the most important aspects of a smartwatch and can dictate which watch is best for a certain user. If a fitness-focused watch has a hard time getting through just one day on a single charge, then that watch won't be good for something constantly using GPS or the heart rate monitor. Charging a watch every day isn't exactly a dealbreaker but it's useful to know what a watch offers and how it will affect the overall experience.

Ease of use: Smartwatches should ideally not have a steep learning curve, and should be easy to navigate right out of the box. Of course, not all operating systems are the same, so there will be some differences from watch to watch. If a wearable is hard to navigate, you're less likely to use it.

Accuracy: Tracking accuracy can make or break a smartwatch, especially for folks who use them as a training tool. Some are inherently better than others but even small discrepancies in tracking capability can make a big impact. We tested this by running a mile with each watch and comparing the differences in time and distance.

Compatibility: Testing compatibility for Android smartwatches consisted of using each watch with several different Android smartphones. No single Android watch is fully compatible with every single Android phone, but some do function better on a competitor's device without much change to the overall experience. For instance, our top pick, the Samsung Galaxy Watch5 Pro, functions best on a Samsung phone while the experience on something like the Google Pixel is a bit watered-down.

FAQs

Do all Android smartwatches work on any Android smartphone?

Yes and no. While most Android smartwatches are compatible with all types of Android smartphones, some deliver a different overall experience.

For instance, the Samsung Galaxy Watch5 Pro functions more seamlessly on a Samsung smartphone than it does on something like a Google Pixel. Some app access is limited while the companion apps used to customize the watch also differ. However, a watch like the Google Pixel Watch functions nearly similarly on the Google Pixel Phone as it does on a Samsung phone.

Whether a certain Android smartwatch works with any Android smartphone comes down to a case-by-case basis.

Can you use an Apple Watch with an Android smartphone?

No, the Apple Watch is only compatible with an iPhone. Unlike wearables from brands like Garmin or Fitbit, which work with both an iPhone and an Android phone, the Apple Watch only functions on a device with iOS.

Similarly, Android smartwatches won't work on an iPhone and are only compatible with smartphones running an Android operating system.

Do you need an Android smartphone to use these watches?

Yes. Although you don't technically need a smartphone to power up a smartwatch, you won't be able to unlock its full functionality without syncing it to a smartphone via Bluetooth.

Without a phone, a smartwatch would only be able to tell the time and perform a few of its basic functions, like counting steps and burned calories. However, you'd have no way of accessing any of the amassed data without a device like a smartphone (or tablet).