Best Smartwatches to buy for 2023

The justification for purchasing a smartwatch wasn't evident just a few years ago. Features were more constrained and the market wasn't as saturated as it is now. A few prominent players, such as the Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch, and Fitbit Versa, have pushed themselves to the front of the pack with their smart features in today's wearable sector, which is full of a variety of high-quality options. If you're reading this guide, you've probably already made the decision that it's time to replace whatever is on your wrist, whether it be a dated smartwatch or a conventional watch.

Before you buy.

While Apple Watch is only compatible with iPhones, Wear OS devices generally work with both iOS and Android. Although you'll need to install companion software, smartwatches made by Garmin, Fitbit, and other manufacturers are also compatible with Android and iOS. Whereas, Samsung’s smartwatches are only compatible with Android smartphones.

The kind and quantity of on-watch apps you can use will also depend on the smartwatch OS. However, most of these aren't particularly helpful, making this aspect somewhat insignificant.

Why buy a smartwatch?

A significant factor in why people choose smartwatches is activity tracking. With the ability to track your exercises, steps, calories burned, and heart rate, an all-purpose watch should also serve as a fitness tracker.

Onboard GPS is a common component of smartwatch fitness features and is handy for measuring the length of runs and bike rides. Swimmers will need something waterproof, and fortunately, the majority of multipurpose gadgets can now endure at least a little dip in the pool. More advanced functions, including heart-rate-variance tracking, recovery time prediction, integrated maps, and other features, are typically available on some smartwatches from manufacturers like Garmin that are more fitness-focused than others.

Your watch can play music as you exercise in addition to keeping track of your morning runs. With the ability to keep music locally on many smartwatches, you can pair wireless earbuds and listen to music without carrying your phone. Those without built-in music storage typically offer on-watch music controls, allowing you to manage playback without pulling out your phone. Additionally, if your watch supports LTE, you can stream music to your associated headphones directly from the watch without the need for local storage.

Here are the best smartwatches for most people

Apple Watch Series 8: Best Overall

Since its release in 2015, the Apple Watch has developed into the most desirable smartwatch. It's an obvious choice for iPhone owners, and we wouldn't hold it against you if you got an iPhone only to use an Apple Watch. The most recent model, Apple Watch Series 8, boasts reliable fitness-tracking capabilities that will meet the needs of both novice and competitive athletes. Additionally, it can perform ECG checks, determine whether you've been in a car accident, and check your blood oxygen levels. Additionally, this Apple smartwatch features NFC, inbuilt audio storage, a wealth of practical apps, and many message reply options.

There are currently two other alternatives, each on the extreme ends of the spectrum. The new Apple Watch Ultra boasts a tonne of extra functions, including more waterproofing to track diving, an even more precise GPS, and the largest battery of any Apple Watch to date. However, it is definitely overkill for the majority of consumers. Although Apple made it for those of us who love the outdoors, the average individual is probably not going to use all of its capabilities.

On the other hand, the Apple Watch SE has fewer features than the Series 8, but most consumers will undoubtedly find it adequate. In fact, we think the Watch SE is the best choice for folks just starting out with smartwatches or those on a tighter budget. You’ll receive all the essential Apple Watch capabilities as well as things like fall and crash detection, noise monitoring and emergency SOS, but you’ll have to do without more advanced hardware perks like an always-on display, a blood oxygen sensor, an ECG monitor and a skin temperature sensor.

Apple Watch Series 8 price in India starts from Rs 45900 Apple Watch Ultra price in India starts from Rs 89900 Apple Watch SE price in India starts from Rs 29900

Fitbit Versa 2: Best smartwatch at a budget

Since not everyone can afford to spend a lot on a smartwatch, we suggest the Fitbit Versa 2 as the top sub-Rs 20000 choices. It has a tonne of features at a fantastic price, making it our favourite budget watch. Fitbit's reliable activity tracking features (including auto-workout recognition) sleep tracking, water resistance, linked GPS, blood oxygen tracking, and six-day battery life are all included. Additionally, it has built-in Amazon Alexa for voice commands and supports Fitbit Pay via NFC.

Fitbit Versa 2 price in India starts from Rs 11200

Samsung Galaxy Watch 5: The best smartwatch for Android users

The most recent iteration of Samsung's well-liked Galaxy Watch may not have seen many improvements, but that doesn't change the fact that the Watch 5 is still the greatest smartwatch for Android users. While improvements like a more resilient screen and improved curvature may not sound thrilling, they actually increase the Watch 5's dependability and resilience. Additionally, the firm included a sleep coaching feature this year that is intended to assist direct you toward getting better sleep, and the Galaxy Watch offers the most thorough health and fitness tracking on Wear OS.

Consider the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro if you don't mind big timepieces. It costs more, but it has a larger 45mm titanium case, a tougher screen, and a bigger battery. Even though Samsung markets this Android smartwatch as an outdoor device, it's preferable to think of it as a large watch with a longer battery life. With the exception of supporting the GPX route format for workouts, it has all the same capabilities as the 40mm and 44mm versions and allows you to receive turn-by-turn directions while biking and hiking.

Each of the three watches is also water-resistant, allowing them to track swims or withstand an unexpected downpour while lasting longer than a day (without the Always On Display enabled). They also run Wear OS 3.5, which is so similar to Samsung's prior Tizen OS that users who have been wearing them for a while won't have to worry about learning a new operating system. In the end, the Galaxy Watch 5 series is a competent, well-rounded collection of smartwatches that will be beneficial to the majority of Android users.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 price in India starts from Rs 30999 Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro price in India starts from Rs 44999