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So many people have made the switch from traditional analog watches to digital smartwatches. There are many reasons for this jolt in popularity. Not only can the best smartwatch keep you on time, but it can also help keep track of your fitness and health goals. Let us not forget the functionality also to take calls and texts, and navigate your home entertainment systems!
With such a large variety of Android watches to choose from, picking out the right one for you can be a daunting task. You don’t want to make a hasty decision. Your primary reasons for owning an Android watch will help determine which one is best for you. Here we are going to break down the main specs of 7 of the best Android watches in 2021, and how they are best used.
View The Best Android Watch Below
1. Garmin Approach S20
The first watch on our list has been designed specifically for golf enthusiasts. You can never have enough analysis and information on the course, and this watch is like a virtual caddy on your wrist. Along with keeping track of your scores and providing round analysis, this watch has up to date information on frequently played global courses when connected to the Garmin app.
The Garmin Connect Golf Community allows you to upload past round information and compare your stats to previous rounds and other golfers in the community. It is also useful for keeping track of the steps you take in a day, your sleep quality, heart rate, calories burned, and of course, the time of day. It is a sleekly designed, fully-hinged watch that is comfortable and not too bulky on your wrist. It is also sunlight readable and holds the battery for three weeks in watch mode and 8 hours when used as a GPS.
Pros:
+ Free course updates
+ Fitness and health tracker
+ Sleek and lightweight
+ Connects to the Garmin Golf Community
+ 8hrs/3weeks battery life
Why We Like It – This is a useful and convenient Garmin watch for golfers who want to keep track of their scores digitally. If you’re not a golfer, then this watch may not be as useful. But, for golfers, it will give you the information and tracking you need to be more productive on the course.
2. Samsung Galaxy Smartwatch
One of the biggest pluses of the Samsung Galaxy Smartwatch is the long battery life boasted. The simply-named Galaxy Smartwatch can keep on going for up to 4 days when under normal usage pressure, and will play music for up to 16 hours continuously. It is compatible with Android as well as IOS devices, so these watches are not solely for Android users.
It will help you keep track of your rest and your fitness while displaying the time in analog style on the face. It is a pretty stylish watch when compared to some of the competitors, and fits well with urban style. It also has built-in meditation and breathing exercises to help you keep centered and focused on the things that matter most. Put through military-grade testing, this watch is designed with durability in mind and can handle water depths of 50 meters, 5 ft drops, and dust attacks.
Pros:
+ Stylish design
+ Fitness and health tracking
+ Meditation and breathing exercises uploaded
+ Extensively durable
+ Compatible with IOS and Android
Why We Like It – The Samsung Galaxy Smartwatch is one of the better watches for everyday use. If you’re looking for a reliable and durable smartwatch that can keep track of everything you need, then this may be the right one for you.
3. Samsung Gear S2 Smartwatch
Samsung Gear S2 smartwatch has been designed with intuition in mind, and the ability to morph into the style that you are looking for specifically. With a quick turn of the bezel, you can navigate between monitoring your heart rate, to checking the weather, answering texts and calls, and listening to music.
A comfortable black wrist band houses multiple digital watch faces, which you can customize to your liking. From rose gold to sleek silver with analog or digital display, you can choose how you want this watch to look. Having paired up with collaborating artists, Samsung has also made customizable watch faces available for those who want a much more personalized appeal. It is easy to charge simply by placing the watch on the charging port with an easy-to-read display to let you know where you’re at, in terms of battery charge.
Pros:
+ Wide range of fitness and health monitoring systems
+ Interchangeable watch faces
+ Customizable design
+ Comfortable wrist band
+ Easy to charge
Why We Like It – This is a watch for people who want it all. It can keep track of basically everything you want health-wise, and you can match it to your personal preferences. Worth the investment if you’re looking for one of the best overall Android Watches.
4. Ticwatch Pro Premium Smartwatch
The Wear OS watches by google have been designed for comfort and compatibility so users can cross systems easily. The Ticwatch Pro Premium Smartwatch is thoughtfully created with dual display options, which can extend the battery life from 2-30 days.
When in essential mode, the watch displays the time and heart rate and then turned to smartwatch mode, you can listen to music, take calls and texts, and much more. This allows you to use the watch as a basic essential watch when necessary, and an overdriven entertainment unit when not.
With tons of smartwatch features such as NFC payments, google play, GPS tracking, google assistant, and thousands of watch faces available on the google store, this watch is as versatile as it is stylish and comfortable.
Pros:
+ Highly versatile
+ Thousands of watch faces
+ Easy to pair
+ Dual display mode
Why We Like It – This watch is excellent for people who are looking for a well thought out watch. If you want a smartwatch that can entertain for hours, or you just want to keep time for a month, then this may be the right one for you.
5. Samsung Galaxy Watch Active
The Samsung Galaxy Active Watch is designed for health-focused people who want style as well. It is loaded with tons of features that help users monitor their vitals and keep things in check. Features include high or low heart rate monitoring, as well as sleep quality and duration. It can, rather impressively, track up to 45 exercises. Along with the health monitoring technology, you can sync your watch up to your phone to have your favorite playlists right on your wrist. You can also receive relevant notifications, so you don’t miss out on anything.
The style of this watch is thin and lightweight, with multiple bands that are interchangeable. It is swim-ready, and the battery life will keep going for a few days without needing to be charged. As with any of the best smartwatches, you can choose your watch face to your liking.
Pros:
+ Interchangeable watch faces
+ Lightweight and thin
+ Swim ready
+ Long battery life
+ Helpful health updates
Why We Like It – For active people who want to be proactive about their health, this may be the right watch for you. Thin, lightweight, and stylish, this watch pretty much covers all your bases.
6. Misfit Vapor 2
The Misfit Vapor 2 watch is your basic all-around smartwatch that can do anything you need it to. It is highly compatible with a wide variety of operating systems, including Android, Google Wear OS, and Apple. It has Bluetooth 4.1 capabilities to hook up to your portable speaker or headphones.
It has an estimated 24-hour battery life, depending on your usage level. It is durable and robust with a black painted stainless steel case attached using a silicone band. It does everything from sending you alerts from your phone to monitoring your heart rate, and playing your favorite music. It is a pretty standard style and fits in well with urban wear, so if you’re looking for a stylish, functional watch, this may be the right one for you.
Pros:
+ 24-hour battery Life
+ Bluetooth 4.1 capabilities
+ Cool, urban style
+ Compatible with a wide variety of operating systems
Why We Like It – Without spending half your mortgage payment on a watch, this will do basically everything you need it to. It is durable, lasts all day long, and is compatible enough to work with most operating systems.
7. YAMAY Smart Watch for Android
As far as an affordable smartwatch goes, the Yamay watch for Android may be the best bang for your buck. It has all of the necessary features you want with comfort and style as well while also being one of the most reasonably priced watches on the market.
It comes with all of the health and fitness tracking features that you want, such as sleep and heart rate monitoring. You get to choose from 4 different watch faces, and the watch is designed to be comfortable. The battery life of 7-10 days is awe-inspiring too. Not needing to charge your watch every day is a huge plus. It has an IPX8 waterproof rating, which makes it great for swimming and will ensure that it will be durable enough to last a long time. It is also specially designed for women to keep track of the body’s natural cycles throughout the month.
Pros:
+ Affordable
+ Long battery life
+ Good for men, women, and kids
+ IPX8 waterproof
+ Comfortable design
Why We Like It – The YAMAY Smart Watch is an excellent watch for an affordable price as just under $50. If you want a watch that can do all of the necessary things but doesn’t cost a ton of cash, the Yamay may be the right one for you. This smartwatch is suitable for kids, as well as adults.
Android Watch Buyer’s Guide
Things to Consider When Buying an Android Watch
What is your main purpose for buying an Android Watch?
Smartwatches offer a wide range of features and designs. Depending on whether you’re looking for a watch geared towards health and fitness, or you want one that focuses mostly on messaging and user-friendliness, you’ve certainly got your pick of the litter.
Certain watches are designed to track health and fitness a little bit better than others. If you want to start monitoring things like your heart rate, sleep cycles, and recovery, then many watches will be able to do this. However, some have more in-depth features that will be able to provide you the more detailed information. The Samsung Galaxy Active is designed to give accurate and up to date information on all of the health cycles, you are trying to keep track of. It is quite possibly the best option for health and fitness purposes. Otherwise, if you want a watch for swimming, then the Yamay Smart Watch is an excellent choice. But if you are more interested in an all-around watch that can handle multiple facets, then a model like the Samsung Gear S2, or the Misfit Vapor 2 may fit the bill.
Budget for Android Watches
Smartwatches these days can start to run a pretty penny. If you’re looking for the latest technology with massive versatility, style, and comfort, then you can find it, and you’ll likely need to pay for it. Sometimes the price tag of a smartwatch is tied mainly to the name that is on it. This is for good reason because companies with good reputations generally offer some of the best products on the market and can back up their watches with rock-solid guarantees and warranties.
On the contrary, some lesser-known brands have created watches that can perform tasks to a similar quality of more expensive ones without costing too much. If you’re not tied to any specific watch, then you’ll benefit from having the option to go with a more affordable watch that can still get the job done. Some of the more niche-specific watches are quite affordable. If you know the exact features you’re looking for, you can afford to focus on what is most important to you and forget about the extras that maybe don’t matter as much. In short, don’t feel like you need to overspend and get the best smartwatch on the market when there are plenty of affordable options.
Durability
Durability is critical when it comes to a watch that is attached to an active person’s wrist. If you’re looking for an Android watch that can be submerged in water, handle a highly active lifestyle, and still work efficiently, then you need to pay attention to the durability of the watch. Smartwatches are continually being taken off the wrist and put back on. If you’re playing sports while wearing your watch, which, if you’re looking to monitor your health, you may want to, then try to get a watch that is made of durable materials like stainless steel and silicone, so it doesn’t fall apart if it happens to take a little bit of impact.
Style
Along a plethora of technological features, you want your watch to look good. If it doesn’t fit with your style, you won’t feel as comfortable wearing your watch in everyday situations. That sort of defeats the purpose since when you buy a smartwatch, you’re usually planning on wearing it all day and night to help you monitor and track everything. The best Android watches will allow you to change the watch face, will come with interchangeable bands, and have a visually appealing display. Luckily, companies have designed their watches to incorporate style as well as capability. You don’t have to worry about having a watch that looks out of place with your everyday style.
What is the battery life like on Android watches?
Battery life equals convenience. The longer your battery will last, the less often you’ll have to worry about it dying on you when you’re out, and the less often you’ll need to take it off to charge it. This is specifically important on watches that you want to have to monitor your health systems and sleep cycles. It won’t be much use to you in tracking your sleep if you have to charge it every night while you drift off. The best smartwatches will be able to charge up within a couple of hours and last at least for a few days. With longer battery life, you may lose a few features, but you will gain the convenience of having a watch that is pretty much always on when you need it to be.
What kind of warranty does your watch come with?
A warranty is super important when you’re looking at a smartwatch. The level of technology and features that smartwatches come with creates a huge possibility of malfunction. Whether it is with the physical design of the watch or the technical workings like monitoring systems and messaging, you’ll need everything to be working so you can accomplish the things you need to.
A good warranty will protect you from any unwanted and unexpected problems that may arise. This will make your investment more worth it and will allow you to get any issues fixed with ease, which saves a lot of headaches and money in the long run. This is where more of an upfront investment can pay off in helping you avoid later expenses.
Conclusion
Now you should have all the information you need to pick out the best Android watch for you. The range of capabilities is vast, and so is the price range. Hopefully, we have been able to shed enough light on the subject for you to make an informed buying decision.
Expert Tip
When it comes to buying a smartwatch, having a ton of extra but unnecessary features can be enticing and fun to play with. Just keep in mind the actual purpose you have for buying a smartwatch. This will help you avoid making an unnecessarily significant investment and will get you the exact features you need.
Did you know?
The first watch to be considered a smartwatch was created way back in 1982. A company called Seiko produced it, and the watch was able to store 24 digits of memory, most likely making it the first every programmable watch.