Looking for a great watch to track your steps or sleep? Check out these models from Fitbit, Google, Samsung, and others.
You can find a number of high-performing smartwatches, like the Samsung Galaxy Watch7 shown here, that work well with Android smartphones.
By Courtney Lindwall
If you’re wondering “Which smartwatch should I buy?” that question should lead to another one: “Which smartphone do I own?”
People with iPhones have it relatively easy; if you’re in the Apple ecosystem, the Apple Watch is the way to go. But for Android fans, it’s a little different.
Any number of companies make smartwatches that play well with Android devices, but as with Android smartphones, most watchmakers also customize the operating system, tweaking the user interface and adding exclusive features.
For example, the highly rated Samsung Galaxy Watch7 uses Samsung’s version of Android’s Wear OS, so it’s best for people who use a Samsung phone, such as the latest Galaxy S24, S24+, or S24 Ultra. Google’s Pixel Watch 3 is similarly designed to work optimally with the company’s phones and earbuds, as well as its suite of online services. Fitbit’s smartwatches, which are now owned by Google but run on their own Fitbit OS, work well with both Android phones and iPhones.
Increasingly, Android smartwatches are becoming go-to devices for collecting health and fitness data that can help you and your doctor keep tabs on your well-being. That’s why CR’s ratings are giving additional weight to a watch’s health-related capabilities. These range from overall wellness metrics like sleep tracking and stress monitoring to cardiac metrics. These can include basic measurements like heart rate monitoring, as well as electrocardiogram (ECG) readings and performance indicators like heart rate variability. Any health-related data you get from your watch can be used to begin a discussion with your healthcare provider.
Consumer Reports tests smartwatches in our dedicated labs in Yonkers, N.Y., evaluating them for step count accuracy, ease of use, versatility, the durability of the display, and more. And as with all our lab testing, we purchase all our smartwatches through normal retail channels; no freebies for us.
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra
What it is: The Galaxy Watch Ultra is Samsung’s newest premium smartwatch—and a clear response to the Apple Watch Ultra, both in style and function. It’s compatible with all Android phones but works best with Galaxy devices.
What’s to like: The Galaxy Watch Ultra has all the bells and whistles you’d expect from a top-tier smartwatch. You can tap-to-pay at checkout, use GPS to track your workout routes, and make calls from your wrist, even when your phone isn’t around. It also has a wide range of useful health, fitness, and safety features—like menstrual cycle tracking (using skin temperature), sleep apnea detection, and even the ability to give you a holistic daily Energy Score, which can help you know when it’s time to take a break.
Some of the Ultra’s most heavily promoted features seem less compelling, though, like its purported ability to detect what are known as advanced glycation end-products, which Samsung says can give you insights into your metabolic health. But the watch does all the basics really well, including very accurately measuring step count and heart rate, per our testing.
Unlike the aluminum Galaxy Watch7 (below), the Ultra has a premium-feeling titanium frame. The watch face glass stands up excellently to our scratch-resistance testing, and the bright, colorful display is easily readable in low and bright light. The model is also IP68-rated, surviving our dunk test unscathed in the equivalent of 328 feet of water for 10 minutes, which means you can feel confident wearing it while tackling your next triathlon.
What’s not to like: The Galaxy Watch Ultra might be a bit bulky and conspicuous for everyday wear, but for those who love its larger 1.5-inch display, that could be more than okay. The price tag is also quite a bit steeper than the Galaxy Watch7’s.
Bottom line: Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Ultra may be designed for adventuring, but it’s a fantastic smartwatch in all the ways that count. Its versatile suite of health- and fitness-tracking features and bright, easily readable display will serve both rugged backpackers and office dwellers well, as long as they don’t mind the model’s size.
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra (47mm) LTE
Samsung Galaxy Watch7
What it is: The Samsung Galaxy Watch7 is the latest in Samsung’s standard smartwatch lineup and a solid all-around pick for anyone who owns a Galaxy phone.
What’s to like: Like the Galaxy Watch Ultra, the Watch7 offers some of Samsung’s latest health, fitness, and safety features—including sleep apnea detection, swimming stroke analysis, and daily AI-enabled Sleep and Energy scores, which make it easier to keep tabs on basic health metrics. It also has more standard features, like automatic workout tracking, heart rate and blood oxygen level monitoring, and heart rate variability tracking.
It features a bright and easily readable 1.3-inch AMOLED display with always-on capability. It excels in our scratch-resistance testing and breezes through the immersion check, in which testers confirm the manufacturer’s water-resistance claims—in this case, the equivalent of 164 feet of water for 10 minutes. It also does an excellent job of accurately measuring heart rate and step count, per our testing.
What’s not to like: Even though Samsung says it optimized the Watch7’s battery performance, the company doesn’t specifically state its estimated battery life, which might mean it’s not particularly impressive. (We don’t test the battery life of smartwatches.) An unimpressive battery life can affect your ability to use a smartwatch’s sleep-tracking features.
Bottom line: Samsung’s Galaxy Watch7 is a sleek-looking and high-performing pick, particularly if you own a Galaxy phone. It likely has all the features you need to keep close tabs on your health and fitness. Plus, the stylish design means you can feel comfortable wearing it just about anywhere.
Samsung Galaxy Watch7 (40mm)
Google Pixel Watch 3
What it is: The Google Pixel Watch 3 is the third generation of Google’s sleek-looking smartwatch.
What’s to like: The Pixel Watch 3 has many of the same pros as its predecessor—an elegant design, as well as seamless compatibility with the Pixel phone and full Google ecosystem. In our testing, the model barely beats out the original, thanks to a slightly more robust suite of health features, like automatic workout detection and heart rate variability tracking. It also can give you a more holistic look at your health, with daily Readiness and Sleep scores. The Pixel Watch is also catching up to other high-end smartwatches with strong scores for ease of use, readability in bright and low light, and heart rate accuracy, though its performance in our scratch resistance testing was not quite as impressive as that of other models. It also comes with six months of Fitbit Premium, which otherwise costs $10 per month and offers a library of trainer-led workouts.
What’s not to like: The battery lasts 24 hours with the always-on display or 36 hours in Battery Saver mode, according to the manufacturer. Still, needing to charge it daily may prevent you from making the most of features like sleep tracking or battery-draining GPS tracking. And although the Fitbit-driven health features are more versatile than before, they still lag a bit behind those of Apple and Samsung models.
Bottom line: The Google Pixel Watch is a stylish, high-performing model that’s a good fit for people with Google Pixel phones or lovers of the Google ecosystem.
Google Pixel Watch 3 (41mm)
Garmin Vivoactive 5
What it is: The Vivoactive 5 is a smartwatch from a company known for its performance-oriented fitness trackers.
What’s to like: The Garmin Vivoactive 5 is more stylish for everyday wear than some of Garmin’s previous offerings, which looked and felt like fitness trackers, and it’s compatible with both Android phones and iPhones.
The Vivoactive 5 isn’t quite as decked out as some of the highest-tier smartwatches on the market, but it manages to pack in an impressive amount of functionality at a fairly budget-friendly price. You can use GPS to track your workout routes and NFC technology to tap-to-pay at checkout. You can track your sleep and then improve your zzz’s with data-driven sleep coaching. The Vivoactive 5 also features a long claimed battery life of up to 11 days and earns a top score in our ratings for health features as well as versatility, ease of use, and readability in low and bright light.
What’s not to like: The Vivoactive 5 performs well in our tests, but it doesn’t quite reach the top scores in our ratings in step count and heart rate accuracy, or on our scratch test.
Bottom line: If you’re more interested in beating your personal best than emptying your inbox, the fitness-oriented Garmin Vivoactive 5 could be a smart choice.
Garmin Vivoactive 5
Fitbit Versa 4
What it is: The Fitbit Versa 4 is a sleek, fitness-oriented smartwatch likely to please Fitbit fans.
What’s to like: If you already enjoy the Fitbit ecosystem, you’ll probably feel at home with the Fitbit Versa 4, especially if you see the benefit of the watch’s large display. The model works with both Android phones and iPhones, although it’s probably a better option for the Android user.
The Versa 4 has built-in GPS, which allows you to go for a run or a ride without hauling your smartphone along, plus a blood oxygen sensor, which enhances its sleep-tracking capabilities, as well as sensors for stress monitoring. Like the Google Pixel Watch, the Versa 4 offers you a Daily Readiness Score, which can help you decide whether to ramp up activity or take a break. Our testers find the watch easy to use and a solid performer when it comes to step counting. Its health features score is also above average. The Versa 4’s claimed six-day battery life is better than that of most smartwatches, including popular Apple and Samsung models. It also comes with six months of access to Fitbit Premium.
What’s not to like: The Versa 4 has a limited array of available apps, and our testers report that its heart rate accuracy is only average.
Bottom line: The Versa 4 is a stylish, fitness-oriented smartwatch that’s a good pick for fans of the Fitbit ecosystem. At $200, it’s also a bit cheaper than other popular models, like the Apple Watch SE or the Samsung Galaxy Watch7.
Fitbit Versa 4
Amazfit GTR 3
What it is: The Amazfit GTR 3 is an attractive smartwatch that won’t break the bank.
What’s to like: Compatible with both Android and iPhone models, the GTR 3 has two big things going for it—the price is very low and the battery life is really good, at a claimed 21 days. (The newer GTR 4 model also performed well in our tests but got a significant price bump.) The GTR 3’s case design is sleek, channeling some higher-end analog watches, and the touchscreen display is bright and easy to read. The model also features stand-alone GPS, which is useful when you’re out running without your smartphone. Our testers give the watch solid marks across the board, except for its heart rate monitoring, where the Amazfit’s performance is just average.
What’s not to like: As you might expect for the price, the fitness features of the GTR 3 are pretty basic. The model also lacks connectivity with third-party apps like Spotify.
Bottom line: The Amazfit GTR 3 is legitimately cheap but doesn’t look it and, despite the price, is a solid performer.
Amazfit GTR 3
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