We’ve tested several smartwatches – so here’s our roundup of the best ones running Google’s WearOS.
Buy the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro
Buy the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 (44 mm)
Buy the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 (40 mm)
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Let’s start from the most expensive to the ‘cheapest’. And there’s a good reason for that. First up, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro at around $400.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro
The Watch 5 Pro is one of the chonkiest on the list. Its 45mm diameter watch face isn’t for the faint wristed. You get all the goodness you can come to expect from a Samsung Galaxy WearOS watch. A gorgeous bright and colourful display. Military standard build quality with the casing being made out of titanium and sapphire crystal. That titanium is a Pro exclusive design element and it’s tougher than aluminium. There’s also an official IP68 rating and 50m water resistance, which makes it possible to use for swimming.
The Pro was advertised with a D buckle band which is a silicone strap with a deployant clasp. The reason we like it is because you can make micro adjustments and then set it and forget it. There are no notches, which means you can go real fine-grained. Easy but also secure to take off and put back on. In general, the strap situation is excellent. It’s a standard push pin 20mm, meaning any ordinary watch strap will fit the watch.
Moving on, there are a whole host of health & fitness sensors onboard including a heart rate monitor, ECG, blood pressure, sleep tracking, blood oxygen saturation and body composition. And to top it all off, the app and data is FREE! Unlike some other watch on the list *cough* Pixel Watch *cough*.
In our testing, it was clear that Samsung pulled off accurate step counting and blood pressure measurements. The blood oxygen saturation sensor and heart rate monitor were also reasonably accurate. On top of that there are a couple of fun extra insights to be had like an ECG, a body composition reading so you know how much body fat or muscle you have. And you can also track your sleep and record your snoring at night.
What sets the Watch 5 Pro apart in the workout department is that it features a track back route feature so you can map out points on your hike, run or bike ride. Even though you get some of Samsung’s sauce on top of WearOS, we don’t mind it. It works well and is quite intuitive. And you can still set it up with the core Google apps by downloading them. So you can pay using Google Wallet. You can replace the samsung keyboard with gboard. And the best of all, you can install Assistant and get rid of the Bixby.
A bigger watch carrying the ‘Pro’ moniker also gets you much better battery life. 80 hours is Samsung’s claim which is more than 3 days. In our testing it wasn’t that high, but around 2-3 days which we’re happy with looking at the current state of smartwatches.
And if you plan on leaving home without your phone, you can also get the Watch 5 Pro in an LTE version. There are a couple of downsides to consider though. They may or may not apply to you.
Like we already said, it BIG! Unfortunately, it only comes in one size too. Even though it’s bigger, we were hoping for a better way to scroll through the UI with a bezel or crown of some sort. But nope – you’re still stuck with a digital bezel which nobody uses.
We really liked the D buckle band but one disadvantage is that it’s not easy to use on a Samsung Duo charger, for example, since you’ll need to disassemble the clasp every time. So you’re stuck with the included puck.
What’s also unfortunate is that the ECG and blood pressure sensors only work if you have a Samsung phone. Those aren’t sensors we typically value a lot in our day to day lives, but we thought you’d like to know.
A nice integration if you do have a Samsung phone is that the bedtime and do not disturb toggles will sync across your phone and watch. Very much like Apple products. Oh and speaking of the fruit filled garden, the final turn off is that it does not work with iPhones.
Google Pixel Watch
Even though we’re talking about WearOS smartwatches – Google was late to the game with their own smartwatch. The Pixel Watch ain’t exactly ‘banging for its buck’.
But unlike the Galaxy Watches, you do get the purest Google experience on a smartwatch. Pre-loaded with Gboard for the keyboard, Google Wallet and Assistant. No need to install and configure these separately. Assistant is immediately available with a long press of the top button. And Google Wallet can be summoned by double pressing the crown.
What we also like is that the Pixel Watch is the most minimalistic of the list. An easy, to-the-point UI with limited settings. So it’s hard to get lost in a massive menu structure and not knowing what it is you’re configuring. And the menu isn’t the only simple aspect of the watch, because the general performance is very snappy.
And you can navigate the watch using the touch screen and the rotating crown. That crown with a round watch design makes it a very sleek looking watch. A compact pebble under 41 mm diameter. But because it has no lugs the watch fits smaller than you’d expect. And also fits more comfortably thanks to that lug-less design.
Curiously, Google has gone all in with Fitbit and has chosen to ignore its own Google Fit app. So all your fitness and health data is tracked using Fitbit. And it is extensive! Everything from your water and food intake, to your heart rate, ECG, workout and sleep data to name a few.
The pedometer or step counter on board is quite accurate too. We tracked our steps manually using a clicker. For a walk of 700 steps we saw the Fitbit track 719 steps. Accurate enough in our books.
What wasn’t accurate enough though was the heart rate. We tested it during a squash game compared to our gold standard, the Polar H10 chest strap. And most of the time it was under-measuring the heart rate and sometimes over-measuring it. Unfortunately not too reliable. There are also no extra health measurements like blood pressure, body composition or blood oxygen saturation or SPO2. Interestingly enough there is a SPO2 sensor on the Pixel Watch but it isn’t yet enabled for SPO2 tracking. We’re not sure when and if it’ll come to the watch.
There’s sadly enough no official IP rating, meaning no certified dust resistance. Google does however say it can resist water up to 5 ATM pressure. Which is equivalent to around 50 metres underwater.
That crazy extensive Fitbit app we talked about – unfortunately most of the fun ends after the 6 months trial period because you’ll be paying a hefty $10 monthly subscription fee after that.
If you thought the $350 you paid for the watch was a lot – make sure you factor in this cost as well. And when you take calls on the watch you’ll not believe that it cost you $350. The volume is low and voices sound tinny.
There are a couple of shortcomings in the design department too. The watch is only available in a single size. For someone like Kevin, who prefers smaller phones and watches he likes it- because he’s small like that. But those of you with generously endowed wrists, might find it on the smaller side. The larger bezels and effectively smaller screen size doesn’t help either.
And talking about the screen – it’s got a nice domed shaped glass but it’s unfortunately not sapphire crystal. Which one should expect at this price point. But instead it’s Gorilla Glass 5. Not as scratch resistant as sapphire.
Let’s stop scratching around the bush. Because we already made a video on this topic: the battery life.
It struggles to survive for 24 hours and there are a few ways to extend the battery life. So check out that video too.
You’d think Google would compensate by offering cool charging tech like allowing the watch to be reverse charged on the back of a smartphone. But nope – you have to use its proprietary charging puck. And since WearOS and Android belong to the same family, they would have some common understanding like Samsung and Apple. But nope.
For example, toggling the Do Not Disturb mode on either the watch or your phone doesn’t sync to the other device. An alarm set on one doesn’t ring on both. And it doesn’t matter whether you have a Pixel phone or not.
Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 3 Ultra
Let’s step back into big watch territory. This is the biggest. On this list at least. 47mm! The killer feature for this particular watch has got to be the battery life. In ‘smart’ mode it’s advertised to last 3 days but in our testing it was more like 2 days.
But that’s not the killer feature. It’s what Mobvoi calls ‘Essential’ mode. It’s essentially in between a time only and smart mode. You can see the basics like the time and date. But you can also see a step counter, heart rate and battery level. In this mode, the watch could last you up to 45 days of battery! It’s perfect for lazy folks like BIG Rohan over here who forgets to charge his devices.
Going back into smart mode, you get workout tracking. You can use the default mobvoi apps for this or you can install Google Fit too. It’s IP68 rated and can be submerged in up to 1.5 meters of water for 30 mins. Along with its military standard build quality, the TicWatch feels like it can take a beating. The glass is only Corning Gorilla Glass and not sapphire crystal. But we haven’t seen any scratches on it yet. The raised bezel definitely helps protect the screen. And bonus: you get a standard push pin system so you can use other watch straps on here too.
The UI is very close to stock WearOS and we like that. And if you’re on the iPhone and want an alternative to the Apple Watch, then the TicWatch Pro 3 Ultra works! For now. That might change if it gets upgraded to WearOS 3. Beyond the standard heart rate sensor for workouts there’s also a blood oxygen sensor and sleep tracking.
And that brings us to the negatives. All the sensors are there for ‘spek and bonen’ (Dutch term for “Just for show”) and none of them really score well in terms of accuracy. Even the basics like step counting and heart rate monitoring are not accurate. I guess we didn’t feel bad that it didn’t have other sensors like an ECG or a blood pressure monitor.
The name of the watch and the somewhat high price compete with the likes of Samsung and Apple but don’t live up to it. On the topic of Apples, since the TicWatch Pro 3 Ultra is still running WearOS 2 it is compatible with the iPhone. Obviously with limited functionality where notifications are only mirrored, way worse than with an Android phone. But don’t worry everyone in your 100 meter radius will also be notified since the vibration motor is loud enough for that.
Mobvoi has promised WearOS 3 a long time ago – but no sign of it yet. Like we said though, the UI feels very stock and that’s fine for us. But the performance is definitely lacking – it’s not as snappy as the others on this list. There is also a lot of bloatware installed when you set it up first. Luckily you can uninstall many of the Tic-apps if you prefer to use something like Google Fit instead. You know – the app that Google doesn’t care about anymore.
The build quality is decent, and although it feels very plasticky; it’s actually made from high-strength nylon and stainless steel. The two pushers are only pushers, rotating them doesn’t do anything. Since the watch is big and the pushers are too, it can feel like the pushers dig into your wrist, if you’re wearing it on your left wrist.
Like the previous two watches, this too comes in a single size. And what’s worse, only one color. It’s got a very utilitarian look to it, so good luck trying to dress it up.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5
However, the Galaxy Watch 5 can be for the fashion conscious. With its multiple case colours, million strap options in various colours as well as the fact that you can choose the 40 or 44mm option. We have the 40mm here.
We’re going to keep this section on the Watch 5 short because you almost get everything that the Watch 5 Pro gets. So skip back to that part in this video to refresh your memory.
A few advantages over the Pro variant though. First off, the price. It’s around 100-200 dollars cheaper depending on which Watch 5 size you go for. So those extra features on the Pro better be worth it.
Then there’s the materials, the watch case on the Watch 5 is made out of aluminium as opposed to titanium on the Watch 5 Pro. And finally there’s the size.
If you’re not as well endowed in the wrist department or you like a watch that you can easily dress up and slide under a shirt cuff, then the Watch 5 is your pick. It looks very much like a normal watch, sleek and round. With the right strap, for which there are plenty of options, you can make it happen.
Just like Kevin’s smaller uuhh.. wrists… this watch has a shorter battery life. You get shorter battery life. We said this in our review as well – most watches are 1 day watches. The Watch 5 can last around 24-30 hours on a single charge. Which means you need to charge it every day. The 44mm can get you some more hours because of the bigger size, but not up to the level of the Pro.
And although you get all the health and fitness features like on the Pro, you will miss the route feature for creating your own route for a hike or bike ride with waypoints and track back.
Skagen Falster Gen 6
This next one is our most stylish one on the list. The Falster Gen 6 by Skagen was interesting when it first came out. Expensive and in our comparisons didn’t make the recommendation for the price. But now almost a year later, the price has dropped. So what do we like about it? Like we just said, the design. The rounded slab of stainless steel with chronograph styled pushers and unique looking lugs make for a nice piece on the wrist. We got the black version, but it comes in silver, rose gold and charcoal. There are also a bunch of strap options apart from the silicone one that we have.
And just like the Samsung and Ticwatch, Skagen made the right choice to use push pin style straps. This means you can swap them out for any old watch strap. Those three pushers function as buttons and the middle one is also a rotating crown to navigate around the UI.
It is still running WearOS 2.0 and you know what that means. That’s right, you can connect it to an iPhone if you like. The functionality will be limited, but it is possible and most of the basics will work. Wear OS 2.0 is as stock as it gets, with limited bloatware. Far fewer third party apps than on the TicWatch for example.
There is the Alexa voice assistant though if Google ain’t your thing. You can use Google Fit to track your health and fitness as well Fossil’s own Wellness app. Which is also free.
Apart from tracking workouts and your sleep, you can also measure your blood oxygen saturation. Do note that the SPO2 only works in the Wellness app.
In our comparison video against the Galaxy Watch 4, we noted that the SPO2 sensor did relatively well. The step counter, GPS distance and heart rate monitor on the other hand weren’t anything to write home about. They did worse in that same comparison. There’s no blood pressure, ECG or body composition sensors on board either. Overall, not our favourite for health and fitness.
The WearOS 2.0 is generally ok, but not the smoothest on the list. But smoother than the TicWatch in our experience. WearOS 3.0 was promised to come around mid-2022, but you know… it’s WearOS. It’ll come when it’ll come. Some other Fossil watches have started getting them – but it’s still nowhere to be seen for the Skagen Falster Gen 6!
Battery life is also average at 1 day so you’ll need to keep that charger handy. And unlike the other watches on this list, there is unfortunately no LTE variant available.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4
Now, the best for last? We did say at the start that we would leave the cheapest for the end. And for good reason. At this price point of a little over $100 it’s so so hard not to recommend this to anyone in the market for a smartwatch. Why do we like it so much? Well you can go back and look at what we said about the Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro.
And the Watch 4? It isn’t really much different. It’s got pretty much the same internals as far as the chipset, memory and GPU go. The only difference from our testing has been that the battery life was a few hours less than the Watch 5, putting it more in the league of the Pixel Watch. But if you don’t mind popping it on the charger every day consistently, then you’re not going to have issues with it.
Another change you’ll notice is that the Watch 4 comes with a charging puck with a USB Type A connector as opposed to Type C on the Watch 5. The charging speeds also differ. 30 mins charge gets you to around 33%. And overall it takes 1 hour 40 mins to charge from zero to full, whereas the Watch 5 is 30 mins quicker.
The glass is also different. Not sapphire crystal but Corning Gorilla Glass. Of course, it won’t be as tough as Sapphire crystal against scratches. But in our opinion, it’s held up very well with minor scratches but no cracks or deep scratches. And we’ve had it for longer than a year now.
Although the step counting and blood pressure were reasonably accurate the blood oxygen Saturation and Heart Rate monitor weren’t great. It overshot many heart rate readings in our testing.
The Watch 5 did improve a great deal in its Heart Rate monitor as we mentioned in this video. Other than those differences, and for around half the price of the Watch 5 you’re getting a lot! The same sleek design, gorgeous display, all the smart features including access to the extensive Samsung Health and Google apps like Wallet and Assistant.
Conclusion
Even though we might’ve been overly enthusiastic about the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, all the other smartwatches on this list have their own unique thing going for it.
The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro with flagship smart features and long lasting battery life. The Pixel Watch with a comfortable design and a pure, snappy Google user experience. The TicWatch Pro 3 Ultra with a tough design, up to 45 days battery life and its ability to work with an iPhone. The Galaxy Watch 5 with extensive smart features in a sleek looking design. And finally the Skagen Falster Gen 6 with a premium looking and feeling design which also works with an iPhone.