The best smartwatches you can buy (March 2020)

Smartwatches are still a very new thing to a lot of people. You don’t absolutely need one to get through the day, and some of the best smartwatches are much too expensive for many folks out there. With that said, they are good for a lot of things. They can provide you with an easy way to get information, allow you to dismiss or reply to new messages without having to pull out your phone, and much more.

With so many smartwatches on the market, choosing the right one can be a bit daunting. We’re here to help! Here are the best smartwatches you can buy right now.

Best smartwatches:

Best smartwatches update: March 1, 2020, 12:00 am

This month, we added the Skagen Falster 3 and Suunto 7 to our list.

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Best overall smartwatch: Apple Watch Series 5

Available in aluminum, stainless steel, titanium, and ceramic, the Apple Watch Series 5 is the first Apple smartwatch to feature an always-on display. Couple in the small display bezels, fitness-friendly features like the ECG, and excellent performance, and you have a fantastic choice for iPhone owners.

Also read: The best Apple Watch bands

Unfortunately, that’s the rub — the Series 5 only works with iPhones. That’s great for those in Apple’s ecosystem, but that leaves everyone else hanging out to dry. It’s also not cheap — pricing starts at $399 for the 40mm version and $429 for the 44mm version. Add in the casing options, straps, and LTE, you could end up paying up to $1,399.

Check pricing

Apple Watch Series 5 specs:

• Display: 40mm: 1.57-inch, 394 x 324/44mm: 1.78-inch, 448 x 368


• SoC: Apple S5


• RAM: N/A


• Storage: 32GB

• Battery: Up to 18 hours


• Software: watchOS 6

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Best Wear OS smartwatch: Fossil Gen 5

Wear OS is arguably in need of a revamp, but the Fossil Gen 5 Smartwatch makes the best of a strange software situation with excellent hardware and performance. It’s one of a few smartwatches to feature 1GB of RAM instead of 512MB. Coupled with the Snapdragon 3100, the Gen 5 doesn’t lack in performance.

Also read: 10 best Wear OS watch faces | The essential Google Fit guide

Even the software is a positive. Google hasn’t prioritized Wear OS as it should, but it’s nice to have quick access to Google Assistant, Calendar, and other Google apps. The new Tiles feature also impresses and makes navigation a bit easier.

Fossil Gen 5 specs:

• Display: 1.3-inch AMOLED


• SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 3100


• RAM: 1GB


• Storage: 8GB

• Battery: At least 24 hours


• Software: Wear OS

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Skagen Falster 3

The Skagen Falster 3 fixes all the performance and battery issues that plagued the first two Falster smartwatches. It has essentially the same specs as the Fossil Gen 5 (above), as well as its fantastic custom battery modes that really help it eke out as much battery as possible. There’s also a built-in speaker, so you can hear Google Assistant talk to you and answer phone calls directly on the watch through Bluetooth.

If I had one complaint, it’d be that this watch is too expensive. Don’t get me wrong, I like the Falster 3. A lot. But $300 is a lot of money for a smartwatch running on a platform that rarely gets an update. However, I think the Falster 3 makes the best of a bad Wear OS situation.

Skagen Falster 3 specs:

• Display: 1.3-inch OLED


• SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100


• Storage: 8GB

• Battery: At least 24 hours


• IP rating: 3ATM


• Sensors: Accelerometer, altimeter, ambient light, gyroscope, heart rate, microphone, NFC, GPS

More posts about fitness trackers

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Suunto 7

Suunto is new to the smartwatch space, and its first offering, the Suunto 7, is a solid first try.

For starters, it’s the best smartwatch you can buy from Suunto, and it’s absolutely the best Wear OS watch for fitness. You get access to Suunto’s wonderful Heatmaps feature, a super cool Heatmaps watch face, and the watch syncs with Suunto’s smartphone app.

However, fitness and health stats are split up between the Suunto app and Google Fit, which is frankly a big misstep. The heart rate sensor is also not up to par with some other GPS fitness watches. This might not be the watch for diehard Suunto users.

Even with its caveats, the Suunto 7 is a solid Wear OS smartwatch, and definitely one of the best you can buy today.

Suunto 7 specs:

• Display: 1.39-inch OLED
  
  • 454 x 454 resolution
  
  


• SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100


• Storage: 8GB

• Battery: Two-day battery life


• IP rating: 5ATM


• Sensors: Accelerometer, altimeter, ambient light, gyroscope, microphone, heart rate, NFC, GPS

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Best Wear OS alternative: Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2

Yes, Samsung released the Galaxy Watch Active 2 in the same year it released the original Galaxy Watch Active. Yes, the Galaxy Watch Active 2 is a great sequel that makes several key improvements over the original.

Also read: Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 review: Solid smartwatch, but a fitness letdown

For starters, the watch now comes in 40 and 44mm case sizes. You also have the choice of stainless steel or aluminum for the exterior. Regardless of the material choice, the Galaxy Watch Active 2 features a speaker for phone calls and more. There’s even an LTE model for those who don’t want to exercise with a smartphone in their pockets.

As good of a smartwatch the Galaxy Watch Active 2 is, make sure you buy it for the right reasons. Fitness tracking and blood pressure monitoring were wonky in our testing. Also, Samsung’s smartwatch app ecosystem is lacking compared to the competition. So long as you keep your expectations in check, you’ll get plenty of mileage from Samsung’s offering.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 specs:

• Display: 40mm: 1.2-inch, 360 x 360/44mm: 1.4-inch, 360 x 360


• SoC: Samsung Exynos 9110


• RAM: 768MB


• Storage: 4GB

• Battery: 40mm: 247mAh/44mm: 340mAh


• Software: Tizen

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Moto 360 (2019)

The Moto 360 (2019) is one of the better Wear OS watches you can buy. It delivers on the basics, which is something not many other Wear OS watches can say.

Those basics come at a price though: the Moto 360 (2019) is $350. If you have money to spend, you won’t be disappointed with this watch. However, $350 is a high price to pay for something running Google’s oft-neglected Wear OS platform.

Moto 360 (2019) specs:

• Display: 1.2-inch AMOLED
  
  • 390 x 390 resolution
  
  


• SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100


• Storage: 8GB


• RAM: 1GB

• Battery: 355mAh


• IP rating: 3ATM

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Best hybrid smartwatch: Fossil Hybrid HR

Fossil nailed the look of the Hybrid HR. It’s a beautiful hybrid watch with a useful e-ink display, wrapped up in an affordable package. The heart rate sensor and sleep tracking proved to be unreliable, though. If you’re interested in buying the Fossil Hybrid HR, do so for the looks, not for the fitness or health tracking.

Fossil Hybrid HR specs:

• Display: 1.06-inch always-on  e-ink
  
  • Non-touchscreen
  
  


• Case size: 42 x 13mm

• Battery: 2+ week battery life


• IP rating: 3ATM

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Best cheap smartwatch: Fitbit Versa 2

If you prioritize fitness tracking above smartwatch features, the Fitbit Versa 2 is for you. The Versa 2 includes an extensive list of fitness features, such as tracking your steps taken, distance traveled, weight lifting, swimming, biking, and much more. There are also goal-based exercises, with over 15 workout modes compatible with goal-based exercises.

Also read: Fitbit Versa 2 review: Inching towards greatness

Even though the fitness side of the Versa 2 is excellent, the smartwatch side still needs some time. There’s support for Amazon Alexa, notifications, and NFC, but Fitbit’s third-party app ecosystem is still lacking. Also, it’s much harder than it should be to discover watch faces.

That said, the Versa 2 is a much smarter smartwatch than its predecessor. Couple that with the robust fitness features, and you have a smartwatch that provides a great smartwatch experience and costs much less than the competition.

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Fitbit Versa 2 specs:

• Display: 1.4-inch OLED, 300 x 300


• SoC: N/A


• RAM: N/A


• Storage: 4GB

• Battery: 165mAh


• Software: Fitbit OS

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There you have it, our list of the best smartwatches you can buy. Do you have any suggestions for us? What do you think is the best smartwatch out there? Be sure to sound off in the comments below!

More posts about Smartwatches

Android, Apple, Apple Watch, Fitbit, Gadget, Google Wear OS, Motorola, Samsung, Technology, The Best

Android, Apple, Apple Watch, Fitbit, Gadget, Google Wear OS, Motorola, Samsung, Technology, The Best

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