The holidays are approaching and there are some killer deals out there for a smartwatch to go along with your new Android phone. If you’re having trouble narrowing down your choices, we’ve selected the top 5 best Android smartwatches you can pick up this holiday season.
THE BEST ANDROID SMARTWATCHES
Fossil Sport
Late 2018 is a turbulent time for the best Android smartwatches, and that’s because things are changing under the hood. Qualcomm just launched the Snapdragon Wear 3100 chipset with new capabilities for Wear OS watches, and the Fossil Sport is one of the first options to take advantage of that.
The Fossil Sport comes in two sizes at 41mm and 43mm. On either model you’ll find an OLED touchscreen, Snapdragon Wear 3100 chipset under the hood, 5ATM water/dust resistance which can handle a swim, NFC, GPS, a heart rate monitor, and, of course, Wear OS as well.
Why is the Fossil Sport one of the best Android smartwatches? Simply put, it’s a killer all-in-one package. You’re getting a design which looks pretty great for all occasions and a lightweight body which supports 18mm or 22mm bands. Several colors are also available. All of that also comes in a reasonably affordable package at $255, and we’ve even seen that drop lower for Black Friday.
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Samsung Galaxy Watch (and Gear Sport)
Wear OS has continually improved, but for the past few years, Samsung has been beating Google at its own game with its Tizen-powered smartwatches. Currently, the Samsung Galaxy Watch models are some of the best smartwatches you can pair with an Android device – here’s why.
In terms of hardware, the Samsung Galaxy Watch brings quite a lot to the table. It’s got a metal design in a few colors, a bright and sharp OLED display, a Samsung-made processor, optional LTE, 5ATM water resistance, NFC for Samsung Pay, GPS, durable Corning DX+ glass, and a heart rate monitor too. These watches also charge wirelessly and feature a rotating bezel for navigation which, personally, is my favorite way to interact with a smartwatch.
Sweetening the deal even further is Samsung’s excellent suite of health apps for tracking runs, swims, and even your sleep. Best of all, the Galaxy Watch offers between 4 days and 6 days of battery life depending on size (42mm or 46mm respectively).
Pricing for the Samsung Galaxy Watch starts at $329, but if you want to save some money, the Gear Sport is another great option. It offers many of the same advantages as the Galaxy Watch with mostly identical software, but this time priced at $179 for Black Friday.
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 42mm (Bluetooth): Amazon – Best Buy
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 46mm (Bluetooth): Amazon – Best Buy
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 42mm (LTE): Best Buy – T-Mobile
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 46mm (LTE): Best Buy – T-Mobile
- Samsung Gear Sport: Amazon – Best Buy
Mobvoi Ticwatch Pro
To get the best battery life on Wear OS, you’ll need to look beyond even the new Snapdragon Wear 3100 chipset. Thanks to a clever display solution, Mobvoi’s Ticwatch Pro offers excellent battery life that’s mostly unmatched on Wear OS, and it has an affordable price tag to boot.
Under the hood, the Mobvoi Ticwatch Pro is a pretty typical device. It uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Wear 2100 chipset, Wear OS, and has a standard 46mm case size. That case is primarily made from plastic with bits of metal up top and a leather/silicone band. It’s also compatible with any standard 22mm band.
What enables the killer 2-day battery life, though, is a dual-display solution. Mobvoi uses a standard OLED display for all of the typical Wear OS tasks. However, that shuts down when in standby or the 30-day “Essential Mode” in exchange for a low-power display which only shows the time and your steps/heart rate. Pricing lands at $249 and it will be discounted around Black Friday to as low as $175 depending on when you buy.
Skagen Falster 2
Unfortunately, for those with smaller wrists, most of the best Android smartwatches also come with the caveat of a bigger overall size. The Skagen Falster 2 is one of the few smartwatches that works just as well on a small wrist as it does a bigger one, and it’s a great watch overall.
While it is powered by the older Snapdragon Wear 2100 chipset, the Skagen Falster 2 has a gorgeous 40mm stainless steel casing which fits well on pretty much anyone. The watch comes in a few different colors with leather or metal bands and supports any standard 20mm band as well.
Battery life lasts about a day and you’ll have Fossil’s 4th gen charging pins for filling up that battery. There’s also NFC, GPS, 3ATM water/dust resistance, and a rotating button for improved navigation.
Pricing for the Skagen Falter 2 starts at $275 and jumps up to $295 for the metal band options. In my personal use, I’ve quite enjoyed the Skagen Falster 2, and for those with small wrists, it may be one of the best options out there.
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Mobvoi Ticwatch E (and Ticwatch S)
If you hadn’t noticed, most smartwatches today are fairly expensive. Most watches cost upwards of $250, and understandably, that’s a lot to spend on an accessory. Thankfully, there are some affordable options that still perform well. One of the best of those is the Mobvoi Ticwatch E.
The Ticwatch E debuted a little over a year ago, but it’s still one of the best Android smartwatches on the market today thanks to a lower price tag of $159. The watch is built entirely from plastic, but it’s certainly not a bad-looking wearable in any of its 3 colors — black, white, or yellow. On your wrist, the E has a 44mm diameter, but it still looks pretty good on smaller wrists.
As for specs, you’ve got a 1.4-inch 400×400 OLED display, MTK MT2601 dual-core processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of storage, and IP67 dust/water resistance. That runs Wear OS and with a 300mAh battery, you’re getting a day of battery life no problem. There’s also the Ticwatch S, a more sporty version of the E which retails for $199.
- Ticwatch E at Amazon (Currently $129)
- Ticwatch S at Amazon
For Thanksgiving, Mobvoi is also offering some killer deals on the Ticwatch E and the Ticwatch S. For 24-hours starting at midnight on Thanksgiving Day, Mobvoi will offer the Ticwatch E for just $90.99 on its online store. The Ticwatch S, on the other hand, will be $119. Those are huge discounts absolutely worth picking up.
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