‍The best smartwatches you can buy: Expert tested 

We've tested all of the best smartwatches you can buy right now from Apple, Samsung, Google, and more. Here's how to choose the right smartwatch for you.

With advanced features such as voice assistants, crash detection, call and text support, and long battery lives, modern smartwatches are more than just an accessory. And thanks to powerful sensors and extensive app suites, they've become one of the most popular health and fitness trackers, too.

We at ZDNET have gone hands-on with all of the best smartwatches on the market, testing their battery life, durability, features, and more. We also interviewed athletes, fitness experts, and medical professionals to ask what features they loved most about their smartwatches to help you get a better idea of the top health and fitness tracking features, too.

What is the best smartwatch right now?

Based on both our hands-on testing and insights from experts, we named the Apple Watch Ultra 2 the best smartwatch overall due to its new processor, long battery life, storage capacity, high-quality titanium materials, sleep-tracking capabilities, women's wellness features, and advanced workout metric feature suite. If you're not an Apple user, read on to see how watches from Samsung -- including its newest Galaxy Watch 6 Classic -- Google, Garmin, Withings, and Amazfit compare, to find the best smartwatch for your needs and your wrist. 

The best smartwatches of 2024

Apple Watch Ultra 2

Best smartwatch overall

pros & cons

pros

• Large bright display
• Crash detection contacts first responders when you're in a crash
• 100m water resistance
• Extra button and dual speakers
• Long battery life

cons

• No offline mapping
• May be too large for small wrists

Apple Watch Series 9

Best smartwatch for iPhone users

pros & cons

pros

• Temperature sensing for sleep and ovulation estimates
• Crash detection contacts first responders when you're in a crash
• WR50 water resistance
• New advanced workout metrics

cons

• Less than two-day battery life

Google Pixel Watch 2

Best Google smartwatch

pros & cons

pros

• Fitbit integration
• Advanced safety features
• Small size, extreme comfort
• Improved battery life

cons

• Limited customization of exercise details
• Still only one size

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic

Best Samsung smartwatch

pros & cons

pros

• Brighter, bigger display
• Rotating bezel is unique to Samsung
• Upgraded One UI 5 software update

cons

• Large display is likely to consumer more battery power

Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro

Best Samsung smartwatch for outdoor adventurers

pros & cons

pros

• Lightweight titanium casing
• Sapphire glass AMOLED display
• Large capacity battery
• Google Wear OS 3 app support

cons

• Large size not suitable for smaller wrists
• Blood pressure certification taking much longer than advertised

Apple Watch SE

Best value Apple Watch

pros & cons

pros

• Gorgeous, refined hardware
• Excellent price for a powerful smartwatch
• Broad support for health and fitness features
• Extensive third-party application support

cons

• Less than two days of battery life
• Limited sleep details

Garmin Venu 3S

Best Garmin smartwatch alternative

pros & cons

pros

• Brilliant AMOLED display
• More than week long battery
• Exquisite design, fit, and finish

cons

• Expensive

Amazfit Balance

Best basic, budget smartwatch

pros & cons

pros

• Gorgeous AMOLED display
• Lovely, refined design
• Two week battery life
• Low price
• Extensive health and wellness support

cons

• No Google Assistant support
• Overwhelming smartphone app experience

Withings ScanWatch 2

Best hybrid smartwatch

pros & cons

pros

• Excellent battery life thanks to hybrid design
• Analog hands that adapt to digital display
• Extensive Withings ecosystem

cons

• Some advanced metric require a subscription
• Limited third-party support

What is the best smartwatch?

My pick for the best smartwatch is the Apple Watch Ultra 2. It may be debatable if an iPhone is the best smartphone or not, but it is clear the Apple Watch is the wearable to beat -- especially for Apple users. The Ultra 2 is lauded by athletes and members of the press as the best Apple Watch ever made. 

If you're an Android user, you may prefer a Samsung Galaxy 6 Classic -- the newest of the company's smartwatch lineup. I picked up the LTE model that provides cellular connectivity independently from my phone, but when paired with the Galaxy Z Fold 4 (or the newest Flip 5 model), it's a perfect combination of elegance and power. Plus, the battery life even exceeds that of the standard, and comparably priced, Apple Watch Series 8. 

Which is the right smartwatch for you?

If you're in the Apple ecosystem, we highly recommend the Apple Watch Ultra, Apple Watch SE, or Apple Watch Series 8 due to the easy connectivity and convenience of features like Apple Pay and Apple Music.

The Google Pixel Watch 2 is the prime option for Pixel owners and for those Android smartphone users who want the best available from Google. It doesn't have the battery life of a Samsung Galaxy Watch, but there are other compelling features that stand out.   

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Classic and Watch 5 Pro are great smartwatches built to last with stellar sensors and the ability to work with Android and iPhone devices. 

However, finding the best smartwatch for you can be more complicated, especially if you're looking for one that fits a specific use case. 

Sourced from SDNet‍