Along with offering impressive smartphones for all budgets, Samsung has also made its mark in the world of smartwatches. The best Samsung smartwatch right now is the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5, leapfrogging its larger, more expensive sibling, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, by offering very similar features in a smaller, cheaper package.
It's a great smartwatch that's hard to turn down, but it's still not for everyone. That's why we've also highlighted a number of great Samsung smartwatches for other purposes, from more rugged offerings to budget-friendly options. To help you choose the best among the popular options, we've rounded up a list of the best Samsung Galaxy watches to check out.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5
Best overall
- Lightweight, comfortable design
- Robust health tracking
- AMOLED screen looks excellent
- Easy access to Google apps
- Very fast charging speeds
- Skin temperature tracking not yet available
- Falls short of battery life claims
Why you should buy this: It's the best smartwatch Samsung has ever made, and it's not even the most expensive one.
Who's this for: Anyone who wants the best Samsung smartwatch.
Why we chose the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5: With a comprehensive suite of health tracking features, a great design, and a large list of WearOS apps to choose from, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 is, hands down, the best smartwatch Samsung has ever made. It's largely an iterative upgrade from the Galaxy Watch 4, but it's still worth spending the extra money to pick it up.
Samsung hasn't made any real changes to the design from the Galaxy Watch 4, but that's fine because nothing really needed to be changed. The Galaxy Watch 5 is a tad heavier, but that's probably down to the new 3-in-1 BioActive Sensor on the bottom, which provides the data for the huge range of health-tracking options. The watch's case is made from aluminum, and it's sleek and lightweight, too. There's a 40mm and 44mm variant, which should work for most people as well. Unfortunately, there's no rotating bezel anymore, and the digital bezel isn't quite as good.
Samsung makes some of the best displays around, so it's no surprise the Galaxy Watch 5's display is just amazing. It's bright and punchy and can be read in even the most direct of sunlight. There's an always-on display, but be advised that it'll take a bite out of your battery life if you turn it on. The battery life is pretty good, though, managing about a day with a good amount of use. Adding more tracking options, like constant stress and heart-rate tracking, will drop that significantly, so make sure to play with it to find the middle ground you like.
Speaking of health tracking, this watch provides one of the largest tracking suites around. There's step, sleep, and automatic workout tracking, to begin with. Then you've also got heart-rate monitoring, stress tracking, Sp02 tracking, an ECG for heart health, body composition, and even a body-temperature sensor. Granted, the temperature sensor isn't working yet, but it's on the way, and it's still an impressive roster without it.
It runs WearOS with Samsung's OneUI Watch software over the top, and it's fairly intuitive to get around. Swipe up to access your app list, right for notifications, and so on. The watch will run you through it all when you set it up, and it's not difficult to get used to. Performance is snappy, and while there were some issues with consistency in some areas, it's a good implementation of WearOS.
So how much will the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 set you back? The 40mm model with Wi-Fi starts at $280, and the most expensive model — the 44mm model with LTE connectivity — starts at $360. That's not a bad price for a smartwatch, and especially one with such a broad range of features.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro
Best for explorers and adventurers
- Luxury materials
- Super sharp screen
- 3-day battery life
- Comprehensive health tracking
- D Buckle strap is excellent
- Niche additional features
- Slightly slow performance after waking up
- Notifications don't always wake the screen
Why you should buy this: It's the result of Samsung's smartwatch expertise with extra toughness and GPX support thrown in.
Who's this for: Anyone who loves to adventure and wants a watch that'll match their enthusiasm.
Why we chose the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro: It's got everything the Galaxy Watch 5 has but tied up in a bigger, tougher, and more adventurous package. While it's not really worth buying over the Galaxy Watch 5 if you're just after a smartwatch, the extra durability, battery life, and navigational features mean this is the watch to buy for adventurers.
As you might expect, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is quite similar to its (cheaper) sibling, the Galaxy Watch 5, but there are some differences between the two. The Pro model has a titanium body, and it's slightly larger as well. It's not a particularly rugged-looking watch, despite the adventuring brief, and it definitely has a heft and a tallness that can make it hard to wear at all times, especially at night.
But while it's not great at sleep tracking, it excels at workouts. You have the option to upload GPX files, which can then be used to guide you around on your travels. It's a relatively niche feature, but if it's one you'll use, you'll probably love it. The Track Back feature will bring you back to your starting point, which can be useful if you've spent your time getting lost on the trail.
Battery life is going to be important on a watch like this, so we're happy to report the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is a solid performer. Most smartwatches last just over a day, so it's nice to see the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro lasting up to three days (if you turn it off overnight). However, it doesn't have an ultra-long battery life mode like other rugged smartwatches or a week-long battery life in standard use like some fitness trackers. Still, it's very much on the upper end for smartwatches of this ilk, and that means a lot.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro does exist in a bit of an odd space. It has much the same feature set as the Galaxy Watch 5, but the few rugged features it does have aren't really enough to elevate it to a proper rugged smartwatch. Still, it's definitely Samsung's most rugged smartwatch, and the best buy if you're wanting your smartwatch for adventures. It's expensive, though — prices start at $449 for the Wi-Fi version.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4
Best value for money
- Comfortable fit and size
- Excellent fitness and health-tracking features
- Seamless pairing with Samsung devices
- Two-day battery life
- Finicky digital bezel
- Automatic workout tracking can be inconsistent
Why you should buy this: It has a feature-rich package and comes in a variety of sizes.
Who's this for: Anyone with an Android phone who wants a great-value Samsung smartwatch.
Why we chose the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4: It's a generation old, but it's still an incredible smartwatch, with a lot to offer someone looking for a great deal.
It might have been succeeded by the Galaxy Watch 5 line, but the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is still one of the best smartwatches on the market. It's the first device from the company to run Google's WearOS 3, and it was co-designed by Samsung and Google to work perfectly on the Galaxy Watch range. The smartwatch features a round design suited for both women and men, but no rotating bezel, so if you want the joy of the rotating bezel, you can opt for the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic — but you will have to pay a little bit more. The smaller size does make the Galaxy Watch 4 another of the best Android smartwatches for people with narrower wrists, too.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 comes with features like ECG and heart-rate tracking, as well as a wide range of fitness features. It offers amazing performance packed in a lightweight and minimalistic design and comes in 40mm and 44mm models. You get 5ATM, IP68, and MIL-STD-810G durability ratings for your swimming, lifting, and running needs as well.
The Galaxy Watch 4 runs WearOS 3, so you get a complete set of Google Play store apps, including Spotify, YouTube Music, Google Maps, Samsung Pay, and more. It is available in several color options, including black, silver, green, and pink gold. Notably, the base variant is 12 grams lighter than the 52-gram Watch 4 Classic. It fits comfortably on the wrist with the included silicone strap.
The Galaxy Watch 4 screen sits flush with the aluminum body, but there is a black bezel ringing it along with two lug buttons. The physical buttons can be used to go back to the home screen or reopen a previously opened app. You can also run your finger along the bezel on the Watch 4, and it should replicate the same effect as rotating the physical bezel, complete with haptics.
As for the smarts, you get Bixby or Google Assistant if you want to use voice commands. Apps like Spotify and YouTube Music support offline listening mode, which means you can leave your phone at home when you go for a jog. You get media controls for most apps, including Audible, Netflix, and Pocket Casts.
The Watch 4 can measure an impressive set of stats, including Body Mass Index (BMI), Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), weight, muscle, fat mass, and body fat. Unfortunately, the resulting numbers are provided without much in the way of a breakdown or explanation of what it all actually means, so it can be a little confusing. By contrast, stress tracking doesn’t throw quite so many numbers at you but simply plots your stress level on a chart.
How much will it cost? Prices vary across retailers, but Amazon has dropped the price for the , while you can get it when renewed.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 3
Best budget
- Stylish, traditional watch looks
- Attractive, reliable software
- Brilliant rotating bezel aces the control system
- Comprehensive health-tracking features
- Solid battery life
- Questionable fitness-tracking accuracy
- Slow battery charging
Why you should buy this: It looks great and can be found at a bargain price.
Who's this for: Anyone wanting a great smartwatch at an even better price.
Why we chose the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3: It offers a stylish design without compromising on features and durability, and it can now be grabbed at a low price.
If you want a Samsung smartwatch for less, the Galaxy Watch 3 is the one to go for. Fret not, as price doesn't mean a compromise on durability. It comes with an IP68 water-resistance rating and MIL-STD-810G certification against drops, plus Gorilla Glass DX over the screen. It features a traditional strap, and if you buy the leather one, it will wear well.
It's made of stainless steel and has two buttons separated by a guard piece on the right of the case. It's feature-packed as well — there's SpO2 and VO2 Max monitoring, sleep tracking, and a plethora of other fitness features. It has an ECG monitor but misses out on blood pressure monitoring.
The 45mm Galaxy Watch 3 has a chronograph style and is slightly more masculine than the 41mm model. It has a sporty look, weighs 53 grams, and is 11mm thick. It comes equipped with a 1.4-inch Super AMOLED screen that has a 360 by 360 pixel resolution, making it sharp and colorful. There are two buttons on the right edge. A long press of the top button activates Samsung Pay, and a long press of the lower button summons the Bixby voice assistant. The navigation is convenient and intuitive, with a hyper-fast response from the sensor, so you can spin it this way and that without the watch getting bogged down.
It runs Tizen, which is Samsung's in-house operating system for its wearables. The OS is refined and mature and is considerably closer in usability to WatchOS than to Wear OS. You can rotate the bezel to the left to see your notifications and rotate to the right to see fitness data, workouts, weather, quick-access buttons, and more.
The small screen displays large and clear text with good sunlight legibility. Moreover, the widget array can be personalized, so you rarely need to visit the main app menu. Haptics are strong and noticeable as well. Furthermore, the notifications can be interacted with using canned replies, emoji, voice, or a little alphanumeric keyboard.
You might be hard-pressed to find this one new these days, but it can be found new, even if the price isn't that low. Where the real gold is, though, is in renewed stock. A renewed Galaxy Watch 3 can come to less than $100, which makes it a serious bargain and well worth checking out.
Which is the best Samsung smartwatch in 2022?
While these are the best options for each category and price, if we are forced to choose, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 is the best smartwatch from the company on the market right now. It's sleek, stylish, and beautifully designed while also offering a slew of fitness features alongside durability. Plus, it ranges from 40mm to 44mm, so it appeals to a wide variety of consumers.
The Galaxy Watch 5's fit is comfortable, and it is especially good for smaller wrists. Both variants have an IP68 water-resistance rating, plus a MIL-STD-810 G-rated case for toughness. You get to measure your heart rate, electrocardiogram (ECG), body mass index (BMI), basel metabolic rate (BMR), stress levels, and more. In terms of specs, the watch is powered by the Exynos W920 processor and comes with 1.5GB of RAM and 16GB of storage.
The abundance of features, smooth and responsive operating system, comfortable design, and ergonomic controls make the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 series the best on the market for Android smartphone users.
Tizen or WearOS 3: which is the best?
Google and Samsung collaborated to bring Tizen OS features over to the Google side of things with Wear OS 3. While Tizen Samsung smartwatches are still good for the price, Google's Wear OS 3 is the latest OS for wearables, and the devices running it might last longer than the Tizen OS-running wearables. Both are simple to use and navigate, have great fitness tracking systems and mobile payment options, and will run apps available from their individual app stores.
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