The Best Smartwatch for Android Phones

Smartwatches let you see who’s calling, read a text, or review any of the other dozens of kinds of notifications you might get every day without pulling out your phone. The Apple Watch has set the standard for what a smartwatch can do, but it only works with Apple’s iPhones. Android users have a plethora of other wearable options, but most of them have been too heavy, slow, or poorly supported, or some combination of those, to recommend. The past few years have seen improvements, though. After researching and testing dozens of Android-compatible smartwatches, we recommend the Samsung Galaxy Watch5 . It’s one of the fastest and most helpful wearables we’ve tested, with robust support for voice commands, mobile payments, and fitness tracking.

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch5, available in 40 mm and 44 mm sizes, is the best smartwatch for Android phones because it has Google’s latest Wear OS 3 software paired with the best of Google and Samsung features. It uses Samsung’s One UI interface, but you also get access to all the apps and watch faces in the Google Play Store. The Galaxy Watch5 offers impressive health tracking with automatic workout detection, ECG, SpO2, and stress analysis. However, the Watch5 lacks the rotating bezel of the older Watch4 Classic, and it comes in just one, minimalist style that may or may not match your aesthetic preferences. You can always swap out the bands to customize the Watch5’s look, but that’s it.

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch5 Pro has the same specs and features as the Watch5, but it comes in a larger 45 mm size. It has a durable stainless steel case (the Watch5 is aluminum), but this makes it a bit heavy for a smartwatch. If you don’t mind the added bulk, the Pro will track your exercise, sleep, and vital stats just as well as the Watch5, and its larger battery can last for up to three or four days—much longer than the Watch5 or Pixel Watch.

Android smartwatches have existed for almost a decade, but Google never made its own—until now. The Google Pixel Watch, Google’s first wearable, has a stainless steel case like Samsung’s more expensive Galaxy Watch5 Pro, but it’s more compact and attractive. It’s the best-feeling smartwatch that isn’t made by Apple. But its smaller size means it has a smaller battery, and as a result it will die hours before either of Samsung’s watches. The Pixel Watch runs Wear OS like Samsung’s watches, but the interface is simpler and easier to use for quick interactions and managing notifications. It connects to the Fitbit app for health tracking, but the Pixel Watch doesn’t have as many sensors or features as the Watch5 and Watch5 Pro. We also don’t love Google’s proprietary band connector, because Google’s accessory support hasn’t been good in the past.