The best smartwatches that we’ve reviewed

Smartwatches have come a long way from the days of the Pebble watch, Samsung Galaxy Gear and early Fitbits. In less than a decade, manufacturers have managed to squeeze stunning displays, incredible connectivity, voice assistants, contactless payments and days-long battery life (just to name a few) into increasingly attractive and affordable packages.

Of course, this also means there’s more selection than ever before, and as features are added and improved, choosing between models becomes even more difficult. To help you find your perfect device, we’ve done all the hard work and rounded up the best smartwatches currently available in Australia.

• RRP: $399
• Battery life: 6+ days
• Water resistance: 50m
• Compatible with: Android and iOS

Fitbit puts the competition to shame with the Versa 3’s incredible battery life. Lasting up to (and sometimes in excess of) six days, one charge is enough to get you through day after day of work, exercise and sleep. It’s also home to some of the best health tracking tech in the biz, with unrivalled sleep analysis and a massive range of workout types - many of which can be automatically detected without user input.

Though the Versa 3 is compatible with both Android and iOS, iPhone users will notice a few limitations - namely, the lack of ability to quick-reply to texts and take phone calls from your watch. There’s also no cellular option, so you’ll need your phone with you at all times if you still want to receive notifications. Limitations aside, it still plays quite well with iPhones, and for Android users, it’s an even smoother and more feature-rich experience. Read our full review here.

• RRP: From $599
• Battery life: Up to two days
• Water resistance: 50m
• Compatible with: iOS

Surprise, surprise, the best smartwatch for iPhone users is an Apple Watch - specifically, the Apple Watch Series 6. Released in November back in 2020, the Series 6 wasn't a complete overhaul of its predecessor, but the tech giant isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel, and the Apple Watch 6 has got more than a few welcome features. We’re talking a great processor, brighter display, SpO2 (blood oxygen saturation) monitoring and a whole bunch of new watch bands.

As you’d probably expect, the Apple Watch pairs flawlessly with the iPhone. In fact, if you get the cellular variant, it can feasibly replace your phone in all those situations (like at the beach or swimming pool) when you don’t want to have to worry about valuables. Battery life isn’t fantastic, but at around two days, it’s certainly not bad, either - it also doesn’t hurt that it fully charges in 90 minutes. It’s so feature-packed, you’ll need to read our review for the full load down, but suffice to say, it’s hands-down the best smartwatch for iPhone users.

• RRP: From $429
• Battery life: Up to two days
• Water resistance: 50m
• Compatible with: iOS

Let’s face it, the Apple Watch Series 6 isn’t the cheapest smartwatch in the world, but thankfully, iOverlord Tim Cook has blessed us with a more budget-friendly alternative: the Apple Watch SE. It looks pretty much identical to the Series 6 from the front, but under the hood, there are a few compromises. There’s no always-on display, no ECG (if it even gets approved down under), no SpO2 sensor, last gen’s processor and a less advanced optical heart sensor. That said, it’s also $170 cheaper, so you may find the sacrifices well worth it.

• RRP: From $499
• Battery life: Up to 1.5 days
• Water resistance: 50m
• Compatible with: Android and iOS

If you’ve got a compatible Samsung smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is a fully featured wearable with a gorgeous display that’s mainly held back by average battery life.

For any other Android user, there are key features missing, which may make you reconsider the $449 entry point. However, it's a snazzy smartwatch out of the Samsung Galaxy universe.

Whether you prefer to flick or roll your wrist to see the screen, either action will result in the screen lighting up every time. The welcome handholding during the initial configuration has a great mix of on-screen guidance for the basic gestures that help you resist the urge to constantly touch the screen and leave your dirty fingerprints all over it. When you do need to touch the screen—whether it’s tweaking settings, interacting with apps or clearing notifications—the Galaxy Watch 4 is a speedy performer that keeps up with you. You can even viably respond to text messages from the smartwatch screen, too (install Gboard for even easier watch-screen typing).

If you own a compatible Samsung handset and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is your first smartwatch, it’s likely you’ll very quickly fall in love.

• RRP: From $449
• Battery life: 24 hours (41mm) and 36 hours (44mm)
• Water resistance: 30m (41mm) and 50m (44mm)
• Compatible with: Android and iOS

The first time you see the OPPO Watch, you’ll be struck by how similar it looks to an Apple Watch, but despite the familiar appearance, OPPO’s first wearable is its own beast - and a beautiful one at that. It’s stylish, smart and snappy, fully charges in 90 minutes and boasts a gorgeous display. On the downside, sleep tracking is a bit iffy and the 41mm will barely get you through a full day of use. That’s not ideal, but it’s also somewhat forgivable thanks to its fast charging ability. To learn more, read our full review.

• RRP: From $599
• Battery life: Up to 9 days (Fenix 6S), up to 14 days (Fenix 6) and up to 21 days (Fenix 6X), plus more with solar variants
• Water resistance: 100m
• Compatible with: Android and iOS

Whether you’re a decathlete or simply an avid runner, Garmin is the market leader for all things multisports tracking. Designed for those who want a watch that’ll take them through weeks of workouts, runs, swims, rides and more, the Fenix 6 series doesn’t come cheap, with the base model 6S starting at $599 and the top-of-the-range 6X Solar model priced at a whopping $1,249 (and that’s on sale).

Eye-watering price aside, the Garmin Fenix 6 doesn’t claim to be anything other than what it is: a rugged, feature-packed, exercise-focused beast. It’s not the kind of thing you’d want to wear to a cocktail party, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a more high-tech companion for your sport of choice. It’s also home to all the usual smartwatch features you’d expect - NFC, an unbelievably accurate GPS, phone notifications, calls and text replies on Android, music, safety detection and more.

• RRP: $999
• Battery life: Up to a full week
• Water resistance: 50m
• Compatible with: Android and iOS

Garmin and Suunto have battled it out for multisport watch supremacy for years now, but Garmin just took the edge in our comparison. Even so, Suunto’s offerings are still great options.

In fact, if it weren’t for the eye-watering price tag, we’d give the Suunto 9 Peak a much higher score. It’s stylish, comfortable and packs some of the best fitness tracking tech around - and don’t get us started on the seriously impressive battery life. However, with prices starting at $999, it’s more geared towards serious fitness buffs than everyday users.

• RRP: $139.99
• Battery life: Up to 10 days
• Water resistance: 5ATM
• Compatible with: Android and iOS

If you’re looking for an affordable wearable that apes the aesthetics and functionality of the Apple Watch at a discount, the Ticwatch GTH Pro will you get most of the way there. It’s not as good as the real thing, but if you're looking at buying this particular piece of tech, I suspect that maybe that isn't what you're after anyway.

The Ticwatch GTH Pro looks to carve out a new niche for itself. It isn't trying to have it all. Instead, Mobvoi are trying to focus on the things that their target audience actually care about at the expense of everything else. If that's a trade-off you're willing to make, you'll probably be plenty happy with what the Ticwatch GTH Pro has to offer.

• RRP: $169
• Battery life: Up to 15 days
• Water resistance: IP68
• Compatible with: Android and iOS

There’s no denying it - smartwatches are expensive. Like most other tech, you might be under the assumption that you need to fork out hundreds to get something half decent. But the Realme Watch S is surprisingly feature-rich for something that retails for less than $200.

No, it’s not the most stylish watch in the world, but with 15 days of regular usage on one charge, it’ll keep you going for a long time. It’s got an SpO2 sensor, heart rate monitor, can track sleep and exercise, receive notifications, control your music and camera, and it has more than 100 different watch faces to choose from. Of course, there are a few compromises, too. No NFC means you can’t pay with your watch, there’s no voice assistant, limited exercise modes, and the watch runs on a proprietary OS, meaning no ability to download third-party apps. Still, for just shy of $170, it’s a great deal. Want to learn more? Read our full review of the Realme Watch S.