When you’re an iPhone proprietor and also you’re looking for a smartwatch, the Apple Watch is probably the most pure alternative.
However for all of the strengths of the SE 2, Collection 8 and Extremely, there are downsides.
Whatever the mannequin you select, the Apple Watch is mostly costlier than its rivals.
Then there’s the single-day battery lifetime of the Apple Watch Collection 8/SE, which is an enormous turn-off for many folks.
Add to this the reservation across the sq. design that many take into account is just not watch-like sufficient, and there are many causes for iPhone customers to search for an Apple Watch various.
We have examined all of them, so learn on for our information to the very best smartwatches for iPhone customers.
> Apple Watch 8 vs SE – the key differences
Fast picks
Finest smartwatch for iOS: Apple Watch Series 8
The undisputed champion for Apple Watch customers, it provides the very best expertise, an enormous app assortment, wrist-based funds, and a killer display. For iOS customers, it’s a simple alternative. However the single-day battery life and price will delay many.
Finest Apple Watch various: Garmin Venu 2
A incredible choice for iOS customers, the Venu 2 brings Garmin’s prowess for health monitoring, with GPS and tons of sports activities profiles. There’s a variety of detailed well being monitoring too, with per week of battery life, AMOLED show, and Garmin Pay.
Finest for runners: Huawei Watch GT3
The Huawei Watch GT3 is an outstanding smartwatch, particularly for runners – and at an awesome worth, too. Nonetheless, the closed ecosystem and lack of apps are irritating. Additionally notice, there is no official US availability.
Key concerns
1. Battery life
The Apple Watch’s Achilles heel is battery life, and Apple solely guarantees 18 hours between expenses (though we often get 36). However you may be shocked to know that it’s a relative outlier. Most smartwatches now provide per week or extra away from the charger, which is a big draw away from Apple’s smartwatch.
2. Value
Apple Watch begins at $269/£299 for the SE (2nd gen) and $399/£419 for the Collection 8. And the brand new Apple Watch Extremely is available in at a whopping $799/£849. Options can be found for lower than $99/£99 albeit with critical sacrifices when it comes to options and display tech. Nonetheless, high quality choices can be found for underneath $200/£200, do you have to wish to hold prices down.
3. Apps and iOS
The Apple Watch is likely one of the few smartwatches with a burgeoning App Retailer, and there’s not a single various that may rival this facet. So by choosing an Apple Watch various you would possibly miss out in your favourite third occasion companies, resembling Spotify, Google Maps, or your favourite workout-tracking app. That additionally extends to options like Apple Pay or LTE, which Apple does higher than its rivals.
Apple Watch Collection 8
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The Apple Watch Collection 8 is the very best smartwatch for iPhone customers – providing the very best mixture of options, design, and worth of the three fashions.
Nonetheless, it is a minor improve over the Collection 7, and the physique temperature sensor and automotive crash detection are the one variations. So if the worth is placing you off, you could wish to search for a Collection 7 deal.
The sting-to-edge OLED, at all times on show does wow right here, and is likely one of the prime causes to select it over the revamped Apple Watch SE. And it’s miles extra comfy and fewer intrusive than the supercharged Apple Watch Extremely.
All the advantages of watchOS 9 are on board with monitoring of sleep phases and wonderful exercise options – and there is the added well being monitoring of ECG, steady Afib, excessive/low HR warnings, and SpO2.
Single-day battery life remains to be the most important draw back. One notable new addition, Low Energy Mode, can double the battery life to round 36 hours – although there are pure compromises right here.
However general it is a superb smartwatch, a real all-rounder, and the very best smartwatch on the market.
For
- Very good, unisex design
- Unimaginable well being monitoring capabilities
- Unmatched app retailer
In opposition to
- Solely works with iPhone
- Some will not require superior well being and security options
- Not an enormous leap ahead from Apple Watch Collection 7
Apple Watch SE (2nd era)
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The Apple Watch SE (second era) is now the reasonably priced Apple Watch choice and changed the getting older Collection 3.
The package deal remains to be pretty complete right here for the asking worth, though the compromises are clear and simple to grasp.
You sacrifice the brand new edge-to-edge display, an always-on show, and you aren’t getting ECG or SpO2.
Nonetheless, you continue to get all of the unimaginable sports activities monitoring and exercise monitoring options of the costlier Apple Watch fashions and all the advantages of the unimaginable App Retailer. This actually helps elevate the gadget above its opponents.
Apple has included the S8 chip on this second-gen model of the SE, too, and it ensures the expertise is simply as zippy (and can seemingly proceed to be) as with the Collection 8. This can even future-proof the SE so that it’ll comfortably run loads of watchOS upgrades to come back.
For
- Similar S8 chip as Apple Watch Collection 8
- Very good worth – and now an excellent lower cost
- Complete options and monitoring
In opposition to
- Solely works with iPhone
- No All the time-On show
- Not an enormous leap ahead from the unique Apple Watch SE
Apple Watch Extremely
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The model new Apple Watch Extremely is a supercharged (and super-sized) Apple Watch, made for the outside.
It brings an outdoorsy look to the Apple Watch, and it has devoted options for navigation, diving, and operating by way of the multi-band GPS on board – and it will increase battery life to 36 hours. Throughout testing, it lasted 2-3 days between expenses.
What we love concerning the Apple Watch Extremely is, lastly, it provides some actual character – away from the unisex, one-size-fits-all design of the usual Apple Watch. Nonetheless, at 49mm it is fairly cumbersome, and a really masculine watch, and it actually will not be everybody’s cup of tea. And the worth tag additionally will not assist.
It is also not fairly on the ranges of Garmin when it comes to battery life and navigation capabilities. You will must in all probability search out some third-party apps to really attain the ceiling of this expertise. We discovered the native software program wants some work, but it surely’s a incredible smartwatch for energetic individuals who demand extra from the Apple Watch.
Let’s simply hope the battery life continues to enhance over the following couple of generations, as, with solely round two days of intensive use, that is presently the Extremely’s obtrusive weak spot.
For
- Improved sports activities monitoring over normal fashions
- The show is a factor of magnificence
- Nonetheless a slick smartwatch expertise
In opposition to
- Wants some native software program tweaks
- Battery life nonetheless is not superb
- Not the prettiest case design
Garmin Venu 2
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The Venu 2 is Garmin’s most smartwatch-like gadget in its in depth assortment of wearables. The follow-up to the unique Venu provides an improved display, new exercise modes, and higher battery life in comparison with the Apple Watch.
You will get a 416 x 416 decision display AMOLED display on the 45mm model, or a 360 x 360 decision on the smaller 42mm Venu 2S.
It is water-resistant as much as 50 meters making it secure for swimming and consists of Garmin’s newest era Elevate coronary heart charge sensor expertise and may monitor blood oxygen ranges all day and through sleep.
Unsurprisingly, there are sports activities aplenty, together with Garmin staples for operating, biking, golf, and indoor exercises like rowing. There’s additionally a brand new devoted HIIT mode that covers devoted modes for EMOM and AMRAP periods. There are not any ECG or temperature sensors right here, however you get well being options like stress monitoring and improved sleep monitoring.
As a smartwatch, it handles notifications with aplomb, there is a music participant with Spotify compatibility, Garmin Pay, and entry to Garmin’s Join IQ retailer, though this pales compared to Apple’s App Retailer for big-name apps.
Battery life on the Venu 2 will go to 10 days with regular use (based mostly on our testing) and you will nonetheless get round 3-4 days when the always-on show mode is enabled. Garmin additionally features a fast charging function to provide you a day’s play from a 20-minute cost.
If you’d like extra in the way in which of smartwatch options, there’s now the Garmin Venu 2 Plus, which provides in a speaker and microphone, which helps you to entry your telephone’s voice assistant and make calls by way of Bluetooth. It reduces the case right down to 43mm and swaps a plastic again for metallic – though we questioned the worth of those additions for the additional value.
The Venu 2 actually is not as slick as an Apple Watch to make use of, however you get a superb mixture of sport and smartwatch options, and battery life that surpasses Apple with the display on 24/7 or not.
For
- Nice sports activities monitoring
- Loads of well being metrics
In opposition to
- Costly
- No-where close to as slick as Apple Watch
Fitbit Sense 2
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A highly effective well being watch (however a mean smartwatch), the Fitbit Sense 2 is likely one of the solely smartwatches that matches up with the Apple Watch Collection 8 as a medical gadget.
It excels as a sleep tracker and coronary heart charge monitor, and it boasts ECG for the detection of Afib, and SpO2, which is linked to sleep monitoring for the detection of sleep problems.
Add in an electrodermal exercise sensor (EDA) for stress detection, and even a temperature sensor to place you in tune along with your physique and well being, and there is a lot to love.
And it is no slouch relating to health both, with GPS and assist for Strava.
Few units put you answerable for this a lot knowledge about your physique, however there are caveats.
The Fitbit Sense 2 is not a tremendous smartwatch. Although Google Pockets has now arrived on the gadget, third-party apps are nearly non-existent and the watch face gallery is clunky and stuffed with paid-for choices with a weird cost course of.
There aren’t that many on-watch options, both, making it a really fundamental smartwatch to make use of outdoors of exercise monitoring options. However you do get round six days of battery life, and a critically fast quick cost.
When you’re trying to get the utmost quantity of well being knowledge out of your smartwatch, the Fitbit Sense 2 is an effective alternative.
For
- ECG and nice well being options
- The aspect button design is way improved
- Week of battery life
In opposition to
- Clunky working system
- Costly asking worth
- Stress monitoring is barely okay
Fitbit Versa 4
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The Versa 4 technically performs second fiddle to the Fitbit Sense 2 well being watch, but it surely’s truly our favourite Fitbit watch at current – and a substitute for the Apple Watch SE 2.
You aren’t getting ECG or cEDA stress sensors that you will discover on the Fitbit Sense 2 – however for our cash that does not matter. It nonetheless appears to be like for irregular coronary heart rhythms by way of the PPG, and the EDA knowledge is not actually that helpful, in our expertise.
The Versa 4 has GPS for the correct monitoring of out of doors exercises. It additionally will get quick charging, which might add a day’s value of battery life in simply 10 minutes.
And battery life is likely one of the greatest success tales, with six days on provide, which is really wonderful in comparison with the only day promised on the core Apple Watch fashions.
After all, a Fitbit smartwatch is at all times going to be a fitness-tracking powerhouse. Meaning top-notch sleep monitoring with a single sleep rating, exercise detection, and heaps of sports activities profiles. That’s on prime of the usual step, elevation, and Energetic Zone Minutes.
And there’s nonetheless a SpO2 sensor on board that can hold tabs on blood oxygen as you sleep and provide further insights by Fitbit’s Premium subscription service.
As a smartwatch, it delivers notifications with aplomb, however there are zero third occasion apps, and Fitbit additionally killed any music management performance. So there are not one of the bells and whistles you may discover on an Apple Watch.
However there’s Google Pockets, and you may select to make use of Alexa from the wrist to reply queries or handle your sensible house. We didn’t discover the expertise that helpful, however, if you happen to’re a daily Alexa consumer, it’d enchantment.
For
- Wonderful battery life
- Fitbit app is great for the fundamentals
- Sleep monitoring is among the many finest
In opposition to
- No music options
- Barely any apps
- Various HR accuracy
Huawei Watch GT 3
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The Huawei Watch GT3 sits across the worth of the Apple Watch SE and shares lots of the options discovered on the costlier Huawei Watch 3.
There are 46mm and 42mm spherical design choices, with crisp AMOLED screens, and always-on modes, and it inherits the crown dial from the Huawei Watch 3.
Options-wise, there’s an improved coronary heart charge monitor in comparison with the Huawei Watch 3, and it is grabbed the dual-band five-system GNSS expertise from the Huawei Watch 3 Professional to enhance outside monitoring accuracy.
If GPS is your bag then the running-focused coaching and training modes are value a glance – and the two weeks of battery life is 2 fingers as much as the Apple Watch. It additionally syncs to Strava.
It runs on Concord OS and there’s an app retailer, though there are slim pickings to obtain.
As a smartwatch, you possibly can view notifications (however not reply to them), there’s entry a wholesome watch face library, and deal with calls by way of Bluetooth. iOS customers miss out on the flexibility to sync over music and obtain paid watch faces. So you are not getting the identical smartwatch expertise as you’ll with an Android telephone.
Placing that apart, the GT 3 is a sexy smartwatch for the worth, with strong sports activities monitoring, good core smartwatch options, and weeks versus days of battery life.
When you can dwell with out the apps and the music participant, the Watch GT 3 is a strong choice.
For
- 10 days of real-world battery life
- Nice operating and health options
In opposition to
- Virtually no entry to third-party platforms
Garmin Epix Gen 2 / Fenix 7
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The Garmin Epix burst into the sports activities watch vary in 2022 – as a Fenix 7 with out compromises. The headline function is that touchscreen 1.3-inch, 416 x 416-pixel decision AMOLED show, providing the very best of Garmin’s sports activities watch vary, with a extra pleasing, high-end expertise.
We’re additionally bigging up the Fenix 7 right here too, though its transflective show pales (actually) compared to full AMOLED rivals such because the Apple Watch.
The 47mm case will likely be too huge for some, and there’s no Epix S 42mm dimension but – so it’s not notably unisex. You probably have skinny wrists, it’s a little bit of bulk to hold, with a 22mm strap and tipping the scales at 78g. Nevertheless it’s 2mm smaller than the Apple Watch Extremely, and delivers critical sports activities monitoring energy.
There’s an insane array of sports activities monitoring modes, top-notch analytics, mapping on the wrist, Firstbeat VO2 Max and coaching insights, and the brand new Stamina monitoring. Nonetheless, in testing, we discovered that enhancements might be made to sleep monitoring and the usefulness of components resembling stress monitoring and Physique Battery.
The Epix nonetheless musters a surprisingly lengthy interval away from the charger. Garmin says it is best to rise up to 16 days of battery life in smartwatch mode, with 6 days if you happen to use the display in always-on mode.
You get to 42 hours in GPS mode (30 hours in always-on mode) and 21 days in battery-saver mode.
So it’s in a unique league in comparison with the Apple Watch.
Briefly, the Garmin Epix is the closest we’ve seen to a no-compromise Garmin sports activities watch – however with a price ticket that eclipses most rivals.
For
- Large battery life
- Sports activities monitoring powerhouse
In opposition to
- So costly
- Large on the wrist
Amazfit GTS 4
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The Amazfit GTS 4 is actually one thing of an Apple Watch clone – however delivers a strong efficiency at a considerably lower cost level.
The battery life is an actual triumph, too, supplying you with round 4-5 days with that shiny, stunning AMOLED show set to always-on. And you’ll double that and extra, if you happen to flip that off.
There are superior metrics for exercise, with additional give attention to operating type and efficiency evaluation – and that is abetted by dual-band GPS that managed to match our premium Garmin sports activities watch throughout testing.
As you’ll anticipate, it isn’t all good, although. We discovered some pretty inconsistent coronary heart charge monitoring within the larger zones, and the third-party app expertise is non-existent. So it could possibly compete with an Apple Watch on a fundamental degree, however but once more, it comes unstuck due to the ecosystem and apps.
There are many different normal smartwatch options lacking, as properly, like music streaming and contactless funds.
Nonetheless, you possibly can’t have all of it at this worth, and we expect the GTS 4 does a superb at discovering the center level.
For
- Excellent battery life
- Engaging and comfy design
- Stable sports activities monitoring
In opposition to
- Blended coronary heart charge accuracy
- Not an enormous improve on GTS 3
- No third-party apps
Amazfit Bip 3 Professional
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If value is the rationale stopping you from going for an Apple Watch, there are few higher funds choices than the Bip 3.
Visually, it is in a league beneath, because of a low-power, low-resolution LCD show that pales compared to any Apple Watch mannequin. And once more, there are not any apps, contactless funds, or music playback options,
Nevertheless it covers the fundamentals. Health monitoring, sports activities modes, GPS, and it syncs with Strava. It is an completed smartwatch, and performs properly with iOS to ship notifications, too.
The Large 3 Professional, like all cheaper smartwatches, does require a little bit of forgiveness, because the monitoring accuracy simply merely is not as correct or insightful.
Nonetheless, we nonetheless assume this can be a helpful choice for many who wish to get began with a smartwatch and observe the odd little bit of train – with a price ticket that gives a real various to expensive smartwatches.
For
- A full week of battery life
- Stable GPS accuracy
- Slim and light-weight to put on
In opposition to
- Some monitoring inaccuracies
- Not as fairly as different smartwatches
- Not an enormous improve on different funds smartwatches
Withings ScanWatch
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When you’re on the lookout for a real Apple Watch various, the ScanWatch ticks all of the packing containers.
You continue to get wonderful health monitoring, 24/7 coronary heart charge, evaluation of core coronary heart and well being metrics, 50m water resistance, and even ECG – however inside an analog watch.
There’s a small OLED display that can show metrics resembling steps and coronary heart charge, in addition to ping for messages, and notifications and provide you with a warning to calls – and you may set alarms and timers.
The design means the ScanWatch can’t lengthen to issues like wealthy apps, and there are not any wrist-based funds or GPS – though you possibly can observe runs with related GPS. Nonetheless, there’s zero suggestions on the watch as you run, so that you would possibly as properly simply use a smartphone app.
However for these irked by the Apple Watch battery life, the ScanWatch provides 30 days of battery life with all of the sensors and monitoring turned on – making it a superb various.
For
- 30 days battery life
- ECG
- Smooth design
In opposition to
- Only a few sensible options