Q: Could you provide some guidance for buying a smartwatch to go with my Android smartphone? There are just too many choices!
A: Smartwatches can be a great companion to your Android phone, but narrowing down your options starts with identifying what you want to get out of it.
Are you looking for an extension of your phone — to view alerts, respond to texts, or take calls from your wrist? Or is it more about health and fitness tracking, navigation, or contactless payments?
The Apple Watch gets a lot of attention in this space, but it’s not compatible with your Android smartphone. Here’s a look at your best options:
Wear OS devices
Google’s operating system for smartwatches is called Wear OS, and watches that run it offer the best integration with Android phones.
The two leading Wear OS options are the Samsung Galaxy Watch series and the Google Pixel Watch series.
- Samsung Galaxy Watches work best with Samsung phones. They use Samsung Health for fitness tracking and Bixby as its voice assistant. If you’re using a non-Samsung Android phone, you may lose some integration with their proprietary tech or require redundant apps to be installed.
- Pixel Watches are more universal — they run Fitbit for fitness tracking and integrate tightly with Google services like Maps, Assistant, and Wallet across all Android devices.
There are other Wear OS options out there — some cheaper and lower in functionality, others luxury-focused and pricey — but for most users, Samsung or Pixel will offer the best blend of features and value.
Samsung vs. Pixel watches
Here are a few differences that might help you decide:
- Battery life: Samsung tends to outperform Pixel with 1.5 to 3 days per charge, compared to about 24 hours for Pixel Watches.
- Watch sizes: Pixel comes in 41 mm and 45mm. Samsung offers 40 mm, 44 mm, and 47 mm versions.
- Display: Both use AMOLED screens, but Samsung’s Super AMOLED is a bit brighter and easier to see in sunlight.
- Charging: Samsung uses a WPC-based wireless charger (Qi-compatible), while Pixel uses a proprietary magnetic charger.
Garmin for outdoor enthusiasts
If your priorities lean more toward fitness, ruggedness, or extended battery life, Garmin might be a better fit, even for iPhone users.
Garmin smartwatches focus on advanced health and fitness tracking, with metrics designed to help athletes and outdoor adventurers optimize performance. They also offer multiband Global Navigation Satellite System GPS, which is more accurate than what you’ll find on Samsung or Pixel models.
Just note that Garmin runs its own operating system, so there is no integration with Google Assistant, Maps, or Play Store apps. You’ll still get notifications and basic replies (on Android phones), and some models support voice input for texts and calls — but the smartwatch experience is more functional than flashy.
If you spend a lot of time off the grid — or don’t want to charge your watch every day, Garmin’s long battery life and rugged build quality are hard to beat.
Ken Colburn is founder and CEO of Data Doctors Computer Services. Ask any tech question on Facebook or X.
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