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Buying your first Android wearable carrier? Here’s what you need to know

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Apple Watch is ubiquitous among iPhone owners: it is suitable for iOS devices. Android, on the other hand, doesn’t have a unique smartwatch that’s easy to recommend – we have all sorts of options from many different manufacturers. Here’s a quick guide to some of your top picks by category.

Wear OS

Wear OS is the de facto wearable platform for Android phones. The operating system, formerly known as Android Wear, is built by Google, which means the watch running it has access to a relatively healthy selection of third-party apps via the Play Store, as well as Google Assistant. It is known to go by for long periods of time without any meaningful development, and all the clocks that use it are very similar. But they are not identical! Here are a couple of your best choices.

Mobile TicWatch Pro 3

The Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 3 is currently the high point for Wear OS devices. It is powered by a Qualcomm Wear 4100 chip and a full gigabyte of RAM, which means it has the best performance currently found in any Wear OS watch. It also has excellent battery life thanks to its dual screen design: when the LED display is off, the low power LCD shows the time. It doesn’t have a rotating crown for navigating menus like many smartwatches do, but it’s a worthy concession to get a Wear OS watch that never gets frustrating. However, you pay a lot for this privilege: the TicWatch Pro 3 starts at $ 300. Check out our full review to find out more.

Where to buy Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 3:

Skagen Falster 3

The Skagen Falster 3 still runs on the older Wear 3100 chipset, but unlike many Wear OS devices, it has the full gigabyte of RAM that Google’s wearable platform needs to run smoothly. It’s now over a year old, but when it was released our review called it “one of the best options available” in the Wear OS space. It is still relevant today and is significantly cheaper than the aforementioned Mobvoi – you can find it quite often for $ 200 or less lately.

Where to buy Skagen Falster 3:

Fitbit

Fitbit is one of the most famous players in the wearable space, launching its first device back in 2009. Google entered into an agreement to buy Fitbit in 2019 and began selling Fitbit products through its own store this year. The acquisition still faces legal hurdles, however, and so far, Fitbit devices haven’t changed much from how they were before the company became part of Google.

Fitbit Sense

Sense is Fitbit’s best smartwatch. It tracks all kinds of health metrics: steps, sleep, heart rate, oxygen saturation, and even stress (presumably). He can even take ECG scans. It has a very beautiful stainless steel body, its battery can last up to a week on a single charge (anyway, if you don’t use the always-on display), and it has Google Assistant and Alexa integration. In our review, we noted it with a high price tag, with its MSRP of $ 330. However, it is often available for a lower price, and if you can find it for $ 250 or so, you are getting a very fair deal.

Where to buy Fitbit Sense:

Fitbit Versa 3

Fitbit Versa 3 is very similar to Fitbit Sense: same shape, same display, same battery life. The only difference is that the Versa 3 cannot take ECG scans or voltage readings, and the case is made of aluminum, not steel. If these things don’t matter to you, you can save a significant chunk of the change by choosing a smaller watch – the Versa 3 retails for $ 230 and can often be found for less. Read our full review to find out more.

Where to buy Fitbit Versa 3:

Fitbit Charge 4

The Charge 4 is a simpler tracker from Fitbit. It controls most of the same things as Sense and Versa 3 – steps, heart rate, sleep, SpO2 – but unlike this smartwatch, the Charge 4 lacks access to a voice assistant. However, it is smaller and cheaper, with a suggested retail price of $ 150 (and the retail price is often lower). In our review, Manuel called it “a robust full-featured fitness tracker that also offers some advanced smartwatch features like robust notification management and NFC payments.”

Where to buy Fitbit Charge 4:

Samsung

Samsung makes excellent smartwatches and fitness trackers that are compatible not only with its own phones, but also with any Android device. Compared to Wear OS, the user experience on Tizen-powered Samsung devices is generally smoother, but Galaxy wearables don’t have access to the Play Store and Google Assistant. However, if these aren’t the features you’d expect from a smartwatch, this is a great way to go.

Galaxy Watch3

The Samsung Galaxy Watch3 is currently the best wearable device. In our review, Corbin praised the Watch3’s hardware design and software elegance: in addition to the touchscreen, the watch has a rotating bezel used for navigation, which is both fun and intuitive. Its MSRP starts at an astronomical $ 400, but as of late, you can get it for as little as $ 250.

Where to buy Galaxy Watch3

Galaxy Watch Active2

The Watch Active2 shares most of the advantages of the Watch3, with the exception of a more refined design (Active2, if you couldn’t guess, is positioned as a sportier device) and a rotating bezel. However, by giving up these pleasures, you will save a lot of money. The Active2’s MSRP starts at $ 270, and more often than not, you can find them closer to $ 200. For more information, read our full review here.

Where to buy Galaxy Watch Active2:

Galaxy Fit2

As a fitness tracker, the Galaxy Fit2 is smaller and lighter than any of the smartwatches above, but it still delivers notifications and tracks fitness metrics like steps and sleep. it’s the same cheap, The manufacturer’s MSRP is $ 60, and the retail price is often even lower.

Where to buy Samsung Galaxy Fit2:

Other

But wait, that’s not all! Some wearable devices have special software that we did not talk about above. These devices are sometimes more niche and often less expensive than options like Wear OS watches and Fitbits. Here are a few of our favorites.

Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR

The Jorn Hybrid HR is a traditional analog clock with a low power consumption display driven by electronic ink. The result is a simpler, less customizable smartwatch that still delivers notifications and tracks fitness metrics, but with battery life measured in weeks rather than hours. In our review, they were called “a great non-smartwatch,” perfect for people who want a smart experience without too much hassle. Plus, it’s a beautiful sucker. You can get it for about $ 200.

Where to buy Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR:

Xiaomi Mi Band 5

Xiaomi’s Mi Band 5 is very cheap – you can often see it on sale for less than $ 30. In our review, Manuel noted that while he “lacks elaborate automatic exercise tracking options, mobile payment options, voice commands, and built-in GPS,” he is “good enough to give you a broad overview of how you are doing on a given day or during your workout. ”If you want to plunge into wearable water at a minimal cost, you can’t do better than this.

Where to buy Xiaomi Mi Band 5:

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