Smartwatches are quietly becoming one of the must-have personal devices for every modern person. Being a wearable device is an easy way to enter a person’s life, become part of their routine and ultimately get under their skin. Many people are used to wearing a watch (or band) during the day, and with ever-better sleep and health tracking on watches nowadays, we continue to wear them at night, too.
Everyone makes a smartwatch, and they’re all pretty good these days. But some are better than others: here’s our list of the best released this year.
Apple Watch series 9
It’s no surprise that the ubiquitous Apple Watch is first on the list. The latest version, the Series 9, added the faster S9 SiC, which allows the double-tap gesture, and Siri to the device. The display is brightest at 2,000 nits.
The Apple Watch Series 9 is simply the best watch for most iPhone users: simple.
Apple Watch Ultra 2
But if you want the absolute best watch for iPhone users, period, you should get the Apple Watch Ultra 2. The latest model has a customizable Action button, the rotating crown is more tactile for easier use with gloves, the same faster S9 SiC with double tap gesture, on-device Siri, and precise device directional tracking with an iPhone 15.
Samsung Galaxy Watch6
Samsung consistently makes some of the best Android smartwatches, and the Galaxy Watch6 is its latest and greatest. The latest model has a 0.1-inch larger display (and 0.1-inch smaller bezels) in the same body. The rest is practically taken from the Watch5: sapphire glass that protects the display, a 5 nm SoC (even if it is 930 against 920), Google’s Wear OS 4 with One UI Watch 5.
Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Classic
The Samsung Galax Watch6 Classic triumphantly brought back the rotating bezel after a year’s absence, stretched the display further into the dial, and called it a day. It’s Samsung’s best watch of 2023, but we can’t help but complain that Samsung didn’t make a Watch6 Pro: rotating bezel aside, the Galaxy Watch5 Pro is a better watch than the Watch6 Classic.
Huawei Watch GT4
All of the watches mentioned above have one thing in common: they only last a few days on a charge, or just one in Apple’s case. This is where the Huawei Watch GT 4 comes in. Huawei boasts two weeks of battery life – we got almost a week in our review, which isn’t bad at all. The Huawei Watch GT 4 is well-equipped, looks great, and costs just €269. You’re losing some smarts compared to Samsung’s Google Wear OS watches, but for sleep, health, and workout tracking, the Huawei watch is excellent.
Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro
The Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro is an exceptional smartwatch. It’s among the few with dual-band GPS, and in our review we found it to be great for tracking. We’ve had two full days out of the Google Wear OS 4 watch and there’s nothing to frown about. The best thing about the Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro is the price: €270 gets you a stellar watch. At the moment, however, it is difficult to find one in stores.
Google Pixel Watch2
The Google Pixel Watch 2 is a unique offering thanks to its pebble-like design and smaller-than-usual size. It’s beautiful to look at and easy to use. Fitbit faithful will appreciate the full Fitbit integration. The Pixel Watch 2 has the fast Qualcomm SW5100 processor and lasts longer than its predecessor and was sold bundled with a Pixel 8 Pro purchased in Europe and the US, which probably put it in a lot of people’s pockets.
Garmin Venu 3S
Garmin has a place on any list of best smartwatches, and the Venu 3S is its latest competitor to the conventional smartwatch. It has an AMOLED display, Garmin’s powerful suite of features and tracking options, and can last more than a week. But it’s expensive at €440.
Amazfit GTR4
The Amazfit GTR 4 is an easy recommendation at only €215. It has a 1.43-inch curved AMOLED screen, a stainless steel casing, and up to 14 days on a single charge – solid!
Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 5
The Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 5 is expensive ($360), but the three-day battery life is impressive for a Wear OS 4 watch. It has Qualcomm’s fastest Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 processor and one of the best watch face selections.
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