Best Apple Watch options | Android Central

Finding the perfect Apple Watch different means various things to totally different folks. Some of you might be iPhone homeowners who need a smartwatch that is higher for health or battery life. Others are switching from iPhone to Android however need a related expertise since Apple Watches do not work on Android. 

We’re right here to assist discover the subsequent most suitable choice for should you’re switching to Android and searching for a comparable expertise or nonetheless utilizing iPhone and wish one thing that may work with it (notice: not all of those choices do). The Apple Watch Series 10 is a dependable and polished gadget, however after 9 sq. iterations, you may discover the entire expertise stale. You can all the time purchase the Apple Watch Ultra 2 for its upgrades to battery life, show dimension, and health instruments, however the monster price ticket could have loads of folks trying elsewhere.

We’ll say upfront that Apple purposefully designed iOS in order that solely the Apple Watch will get official apps, iMessage, and different instruments. So our advisable smartwatches can solely present surface-level smarts…until you turn from iOS to Android.

That being mentioned, now we have loads of Apple Watch substitutes that we love, with or with out that patented sq. look. Based on our opinions and experiences with these wearables, these are the perfect Apple Watch options for Android or iPhone (some with restricted capabilities), together with each common and Android-only choices.

At a look

Best total

It’s primarily the Apple Watch of Android, and our Pixel 3 Watch reviewer praises the smartwatch for offering an identical stage of high quality by way of efficiency, design, and UI. So, in fact, it tops our listing of the perfect Apple Watch options, offered you could have an Android telephone.

Not most of the greatest Android watches have a practical rotating crown, so should you’re switching from an Apple Watch, you will recognize the familiarity. The two sizes could have much less house to view data, particularly in comparison with the newest Apple Watch Series 10. But it is nonetheless rather more display screen than the previous-gen Pixel Watch 2, which our reviewer certainly known as the “Apple Watch for Android.”

It has a a lot totally different type with a rounded face, so it feels extra like a style assertion in your wrist. 

You’ll take pleasure in six free months of Fitbit Premium, with each day coaching suggestions and a Daily Readiness Score that Apple cannot supply — a good trade-off to Apple Fitness Plus. (Though Apple has lately added options like Training Load, which works equally). You do additionally get guided exercise movies, although admittedly with out the music and manufacturing worth Apple affords. 

More necessary is that the Pixel Watch 3 has all of the sensors of a Fitbit Sense 2, with all of the stress, pores and skin temperature, sleep, and AFib information you are used to, plus blood oxygen information that Apple not affords because the Massimo swimsuit. Generally talking, you’ll be able to anticipate correct information and a comfortably mild match at evening. 

On the software program aspect, Wear OS apps should not be too totally different from the watchOS apps you are accustomed to, and on-device Google Assistant ought to offer you a greater expertise than you are used to with Siri. Google’s Wear OS polish and Material You contact ought to make the transition straightforward and enjoyable, and you’ll rely on three years of software program help. That’s wanting Apple’s typical promise, however higher than any non-Samsung options.

Best price range

Moving onto iPhone 15 Pro or new iPhone 16 Pro homeowners (or these with older fashions) searching for low-cost Apple Watch options, we should always look intently at Amazfit watches. One of the extra dependable price range manufacturers, Amazfit crams a ton of helpful options into its watches. So lengthy as you do not want messaging or apps, you must severely think about the GTS 4.

If you are a fan of the squircle look, the GTS 4 design will attraction to you. Its 1.75-inch show is sort of related in dimension and backbone to the Series 9 41mm (1.69 inches), and the case itself is lighter and thinner, making it extra snug to put on. You additionally get the rotating crown, helpful for skimming by way of the watch’s built-in apps.

With the Amazfit GTS 4, you get built-in dual-band Location Services for correct monitoring, a mic and speaker for Bluetooth calling and Alexa voice instructions, and PPG and SpO2 sensors for monitoring your well being. Amazfit takes your well being and exercise information and calculates information like coaching load, post-workout restoration time, and VO2 Max. That, together with computerized exercise detection for indoor power coaching and outside exercises, makes it helpful for health followers.

Unlike lots of our different picks, the Amazfit ecosystem does not have third-party apps, which extends the battery life however leaves you with a fairly restricted OS. It’s primarily meant for studying notifications, not responding to them. Plus, you will not discover a tap-to-pay choice right here. If you’ll be able to stay with these compromises, you’ll save a very good chunk of cash in comparison with an Apple Watch!

Best health

The Garmin Venu 3 has a lot of the similar perks because the Amazfit GTS 4 above, solely in a way more polished type and with a a lot increased value, on par with what you’d usually pay for an Apple Watch. It tops our listing of the perfect health watches, however it additionally has the identical drawbacks by way of lack of third-party apps and normal “smarts.”

Unlike most Garmin watches with their thick, plastic-heavy designs, the Venu 3 is comfortably skinny, steel-bezeled, and has a stunning AMOLED show. It packs a mic and speaker for Bluetooth calling and your telephone’s voice assistant; the latter function passes by way of your telephone’s assistant relatively than providing its personal, which limits a few of its performance however continues to be helpful. 

With its latest-gen Elevate sensor, the Garmin Venu 3 can take ECG and pores and skin temperature readings, together with coronary heart fee, blood oxygen, and stress. It has a brand new Sleep Coach that makes use of your information to advocate higher sleeping habits, and an enhanced Body Battery graph that tells you the way a lot particular actions like naps, exercises, or consuming have an effect on your each day vitality.

In phrases of health, you get Garmin’s patented multi-satellite system for very correct location information, dozens of sports activities modes, customized indoor exercises with animations and muscle maps exhibiting how one can do workout routines and their influence, and a restoration widget telling you the way lengthy to relaxation after an exercise. 

Our Garmin Venu 3 reviewer praised it for its consolation, high quality, and accuracy. He famous that Garmin improved the UI to make it extra useable, however in reality, it is nonetheless a quite simple and restricted interface in comparison with an Apple Watch. You can technically ship quick-reply messages to texts on the Venu 3, however solely with an Android telephone. Aside from a number of suitable music apps like Spotify and Amazon Music, you will not discover third-party apps, both. 

Best Ultra 2 different

Although we’re huge followers of the Apple Watch Ultra 2, we all know that most individuals aren’t prepared to drop $800 on a watch simply to get higher battery life. If you are searching for an Android smartwatch with lengthy battery life, we might advocate the OnePlus Watch 2R or TicWatch Pro 5. But for a real premium expertise, look to the newest Galaxy Watch Ultra.

To be blunt, the Galaxy Watch Ultra is a near-clone of the Apple Watch Ultra. It has the identical MIL-STD-810H-quality titanium, 3,000-nit show, 85db siren, three sporty band choices, dual-band Location Services, and doubled battery capability over the baseline Galaxy Watch 7. It does have a round show like different Galaxy Watches, however the design itself has that sq. look Apple followers are conversant in.

Our Galaxy Watch Ultra reviewer praised it as a “incredible smartwatch” with “a lot stronger” well being and health efficiency and “undoubtedly quicker” efficiency than the Galaxy Watch 6. It additionally constantly delivered robust sufficient battery life to final two days with the always-on show (AOD) lively or 100 hours in Power Saver, beating the Apple Watch Ultra 2 with its 36-hour life with out AOD or 72 hours in greatest situations.

Our largest knock towards the Ultra will disappoint former Apple Watch customers: the third button appears to be like like a crown however does not operate like one, so that you’re caught counting on contact controls when navigating the UI. Also, once you evaluate the Galaxy Watch Ultra vs. Apple Watch Ultra 2, Apple’s squircle show provides you extra app house. Still, the Galaxy Watch Ultra is without doubt one of the greatest Apple Watch options we might discover.

Best hybrid design

We’ve targeted on smartwatches that may match the Apple Watch for app smarts or health monitoring. But some folks need an Apple Watch different that’ll assist them escape from “smarts” and easily present well being information and elegance. In that case, you must look intently on the Withings ScanWatch 2.

Seriously, simply look at it. Aside from the round portion of the display screen devoted to notifications and well being information, it’s going to look to on a regular basis people like a traditional, high-end watch with a stainless-steel end. If you are sick of that squircle look, the ScanWatch 2 will really feel like a serious type improve. 

You’ll nonetheless get a digital crown to rotate by way of information, however the small grayscale display screen does not match a lot information on it. You’re largely going to make use of it to examine when to tug out your telephone, however that won’t matter should you do not use Apple Watch apps that usually. 

As for what the ScanWatch 2 tracks, you will get coronary heart fee, blood oxygen, HRV for stress, ECG for AFib detection, excessive and low coronary heart fee warnings, and pores and skin temperature information, as you’d anticipate. What’s distinctive to Withings is that it takes 24/7 temperature readings, not simply at evening, supplying you with extra perception into exercise temperature variation, doable sicknesses, and different insights. 

Keep in thoughts that this watch does not have tap-to-pay, calling, or a voice assistant packed in. That could or might not be a deal-breaker, however a lot of the greatest hybrid watches have these types of limitations. With its 30-day battery life, the Withings ScanWatch 2 is all about mixing in and solely offering minimal data once you want it.

Best well being monitoring

The Fitbit Sense 2 primarily had its well being sensors and software program stolen by father or mother firm Google for the Pixel Watch 2. While that took the highest spot with its improved “smarts” and apps, many individuals will favor the Fitbit Sense 2 as an Apple Watch different as a result of it lasts six days as a substitute of 1, prices much less, works with each iOS and Android, and has that skinny squircle search for Apple followers.

We initially gave the Fitbit Sense 2 a blended overview as a result of it launched with disabled options and with none Google apps, however we later acquired Google Maps and Google Wallet in post-launch updates, lessening the sting a bit. Still, it is a well being and health watch at the start, counting on Fitbit Premium information that will help you enhance as an athlete (or just shed pounds) over time.

If you’ll be able to settle for its limitations, this watch will provide you with all of the well being information and notifications you could possibly need, plus Bluetooth calling, Alexa voice assistant instructions, Google Pay, and turn-by-turn navigation. 

You can even flip to the Fitbit Versa 4 if you would like the identical design however a extra inexpensive value; you do miss out on a lot of the well being sensors like pores and skin temperature and blood oxygen, however it does at the very least offer you coronary heart fee and health instruments. The Fitbit Charge 6 is another choice with virtually the entire similar sensors and an additional day of battery life, however you will miss out on the mic and speaker and must get used to a a lot smaller show. 

How to decide on

Best Apple Watch options: How to decide on your new favourite smartwatch

As we mentioned from the outset, your seek for an Apple Watch substitute will fluctuate primarily based on what sort of smartphone you could have. We tried to select a number of health watches that work regardless, however these (by necessity) have restricted smarts as a result of longer smartwatch battery life requires compromises. 

If you continue to have an iPhone however you are sick of Apple Watches, it relies on why you are switching. For higher health instruments, you’ll be able to take a look at Garmin, Fitbit, or different operating watch manufacturers, for instance. But there is not an Apple Watch different with the identical high quality of apps and integration with an iPhone, since Apple retains different manufacturers from accessing them. 

If you are a brand new or potential Android telephone proprietor, you must take a look at Wear OS watches at the start as a result of they replicate the apps and smarts that you just’re used to. Unfortunately, your choice is fairly restricted. Although OnePlus and Xiaomi have lately joined the Android watch ecosystem, Google and Samsung are your predominant choices.