On the hunt for a new smartwatch? Read our rundown of the best models available in Australia
The best smartwatches available in 2024
Smartwatches still aren’t a must-have accessory, but the growing range of available choices and certainly makes them highly desirable gadgets in their own right, especially if you like the style and feel of a wristwatch in the first place.
What we have seen of late is a serious split between smartwatches that work only with a single smartphone platform, which means that many watches are either Android-only or iPhone only. That’s a pity, because it lessens your flexibility if you did want to switch smartphone OS platforms, but it does highlight the need to make the right choice for your budget, style and needs.
What to consider when buying a smartwatch
Price
Price of course is one - but if you're just after a simple fitness tracker, you don't need to shell out loads.
Function
Ask yourself what you want your smartwatch for. If you want it to replace your wallet when you go to the beach (or anywhere, really) it'll need to be equipped with contactless payment software - and that'll drive up the price. Likewise, if you want it to track your pool laps, it'll need decent water resistance; not just splash resistance.
Battery life
Battery life is important too - if you're someone who likes to set and forget, you probably won't want to be charging your smartwatch each night - especially if you also want to track your sleep. However, the more you want your smartwatch to do, the more it will likely drain your battery. Any watches that have a bright OLED screen are going to drain your battery faster than say, a fitbit.
Style
And finally - matching your style. If making a fashion statement is important to you, then you'll probably want to avoid a chunky bit of wrist-candy.
Battery life: Up to 7 days
Water resistance: 50m
Compatible with: Android and iOS
If you’re after an all-rounder device that covers the smartwatch basics well enough while providing solid battery life, the Fitbit Charge 6 should be your go-to option, especially if you’re buying on a budget.
It isn’t the fanciest of devices, and you do have to put up with a smartwatch that straddles the line between smartwatch and fitness tracker – but in return you get a wearable that works across both iOS and Android, a rarity these days. It’s also Fitbit compatible, of course, and highly comfortable to wear even for the most sweat-prone workout warrior. Battery life puts nearly every other proper smartwatch to shame, too.
There are some drawbacks to be aware of. The custom charger is a little fiddly to use, and if you want the full suite of Fitbit features, once your initial trial period expires some features are hidden behind a subscription paywall. If you want your wearable to handle music too, it’s a YouTube music-only device, no sign of either Apple Music or Spotify to be seen.
Best for iPhone users
- Hannah Geremia
Battery life: Up to 18 hours
Water resistance: 50m
Compatible with: iOS
If you’re in the iPhone camp, then the Apple Watch is your most obvious smartwatch companion. But which one to choose? The Apple Watch SE is a fine device for those on a budget, but realistically a smartwatch is a bit of a luxury buy – and if we’re buying, the Apple Watch Series 9 is currently your best bet.
It very much follows the Apple playbook for many of its devices, offering processor speed upgrades and just a handful of new features over its predecessor, so if you’re currently sporting a Series 8 on your wrist the reasons to upgrade are somewhat minimal. Older Apple Watch owners, or first time smartwatch buyers will appreciate its speedy performance, the slick way that Apple Watch apps integrate with your iPhone and the way you can make Double Tap gestures work for you to enable contactless application control.
Best sports smart watch
Battery life: Up to 36 hours
Water resistance: 100m
Compatible with: iOS
Apple’s second generation Ultra watch was something of a surprise, replacing the company’s first rugged watch less than 12 months after its own debut. It’s an expensive option, but that money does buy you a super-rugged watch that’s just as home scuba diving as it is mountain trekking, with the longest battery life of any Apple Watch. The larger display lets you set more onscreen widgets – Apple calls them “Complications” if you care – and the side-mounted action button makes it very easy to quickly launch into whatever style of exercise you prefer most.
The larger style won’t suit everyone, and neither will the high asking price, but if your wallet can bear the strain, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is Apple’s best smartwatch; we’re only not picking it as the best for iOS users thanks to the fact that you can score the Series 9 for half the asking price.
Best smartwatch for Android users
Battery life: Up to 40 hours
Water resistance: 50m
Compatible with: Android
Samsung’s Galaxy Watch line has seen a lot variance over the years – one of the earliest models even had a slightly creepy inbuilt camera! – but where the South Korean manufacturer got it right first time was with its iconic spinning physical dial control. You can get a facsimile of it with the cheaper Galaxy Watch6, but there’s just something so satisfying about an actual dial that you spin to adjust volume, move between screens and more.
The Galaxy Watch6 is also nicely set up for battery life, especially given its asking price, and it looks the part of a properly “sports” watch to boot. The flip side there is that the larger style might not suit every wrist, and having such a large chunk of metal and glass on your wrist isn’t the easiest weight to bear if you also want to use it for sleep tracking.
Runner up for best smartwatch for Android users
-Adam Smith
Battery life: Up to 24 hours
Water resistance: 50m
Compatible with: Android
Google sure took its time to release its first Pixel Watch, but the sequel came through relatively quickly afterwards, dealing with many of the issues we had with its debut wearable. The Pixel Watch 2 is faster than its predecessor while retaining its elegant design style; so many smartwatches seem to simply want to serve the sports market rather than those who want a wearable that’s as home in the ballroom as it is on the running track.
Battery life on the Pixel Watch 2 is also quite decent, with up to 24 hours of battery endurance with its always-on display enabled, nicely up from the original Pixel Watch. Fitbit is integrated – not a shock, given Google owns Fitbit outright – though like the Fitbit Charge 6, if you want the full suite of Fitbit features you’ll have to pay for a subscription to get them.