Rank | Watch | Rating / shop |
|---|---|---|
1 |
Apple Watch Series 5 | 80% |
2 |
Samsung Galaxy Watch Active | 82% |
3 |
TicWatch Pro 4G LTE Cellular Smartwatch | 75% |
4 |
Huawei Watch 2 Sport Smartwatch | 77.5% |
5 |
Motorola Moto 360 Sport | 75% |
Smartwatch | Price | Phone Supported | Battery Life | Shopping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Apple Watch Series 5
| Price not available | iOS 6 + | 18 hours | |
Samsung Galaxy Watch Active
| $53.97 | Android OS 5.0 +, iOS 9.0 +, iPhone 5 + | Up to 4 days | |
TicWatch Pro 4G LTE Cellular Smartwatch
| Price not available | Android OS 4.4 + & iOS 10 + | up to 5 days | |
Huawei Watch 2 Sport Smartwatch
| $98.49 | Android OS 4.4 + & iOS 8.0 + | More than 2 days | |
Motorola Moto 360 Sport
| Price not available | Android OS 4.4 + & iOS 8.0 + | 24 hour + |
In Depth Individual Reviews
1. Best Standalone Smartwatch with Sim Cards - Apple Watch Series 5 (Price not available)
- Built-in cellular lets you receive calls, send texts, and check your email — even without your phone.
- You don’t have to raise your wrist or tap to see the time or important information. With the Always-On Retina display, your watch face is always visible.
- The viewing area stretches deep into the curved corners and is over 30% larger than the Apple Watch Series 3 display.
- Made for all the ways you exercise, Apple Watch Series 5 has built-in GPS and is swimproof.
- With the ECG app, you can take an ECG similar to a single-lead electrocardiogram right from your wrist.
Amazon collected a total of with an average rating of ()
Price:Price not available
Why we chose this one:
The Apple Watch 5 is one of the best smartwatches on the market right now, perhaps even the best. Just about everything here is a step up on previous iterations of the Apple watch. The on-board storage has been doubled from 16GB to 32GB, the processor has been upgraded, and the Series 5 finally integrates with the Apple App Store. The display is crisp and clear and the always-on feature means that you can easily check the time at a glance.
Every flagship smartwatch has an always-on display, but Apple’s take on the feature is way better than anything else we have seen. Instead of just displaying the time, the Series 5 always-on display shows all the same information as the watch face. You can still access your most-used apps.
Aesthetically, the Series 5 looks and feels like the Series 4. Exactly like it in fact. Not that that’s a bad thing. The only new addition is a titanium finish, which doesn’t affect the watch’s weight too dramatically.
The Apple Watch’s main drawback is that it is an Apple watch. If you’re on Android, it will sort of work but the experience is obviously sub-par. You don’t necessarily need to be all-in on Apple to make the Apple watch work but, in practice, if you don’t have an iPhone then there’s no point paying the premium price for the watch.
Specifications
- Operating system: watchOS 6
- Capacity: 32 GB
- Swimproof
- Heart sensor
- Compass
Pros
Cons
2. Runner-up Best Standalone Smartwatch with Sim Cards - Samsung Galaxy Watch Smartwatch ($53.97)
- Live a stronger, smarter life with Galaxy Watch at your wrist. Rest well and stay active with built-in health tracking and a Bluetooth connection that keeps everything at your wrist. Plus, go for days without charging.
- Go nonstop for days on a single charge. The wireless charger lets you power up without slowing down. (Average expected performance based on typical use. Results may vary.)
- Available in two sizes and three colors, the Galaxy Watch offers stylish watch faces so realistic they hardly look digital. Plus, choose from a collection of interchangeable bands.
- Pairs with both Android and iOS smartphones via Bluetooth connection.
- Included in box: Galaxy Watch, Additional Strap (Large and Small included), Wireless charging Dock, Travel Adaptor, Quick Start Guide, User Manual (Warranty: 1 Year Standard Parts and Labor)
Amazon collected a total of with an average rating of ()
Price:$53.97
Why we chose this one:
It has taken Samsung a while to find its feet in the smartwatch world, but it seems that they are finally there. The latest iteration of the Galaxy Watch boasts an impressive multi-day battery life and an intuitive rotating bezel control that makes navigation and use a breeze. It’s somewhat reminiscent of the scroll wheel on the original iPod. This is slightly ironic, given that this is probably the first Galaxy Watch that presents a serious threat to Apple’s market dominance.
Aside from the excellent navigation, the Galaxy Watch is now underpinned by Samsung’s most mature operating system yet. Samsung has finally ditched Wear OS in favor of its own Tizen OS. Version 4 is the best version yet and is one of the best OS Samsung has produced in years.
Unfortunately, there are a number of key apps missing and still no app store like the Apple Watch 5. Samsung has also chosen to use a proprietary wireless charging system, which is much less convenient than having an open standard. Also, Bixby is included but it’s still terrible and awkward to use. Sooner or later,
Samsung will surely come up with a smartwatch capable of competing with the Apple Watch. However, while they’re not quite there yet, this is by far their best effort. The lack of an app store remains a problem and integrating Google’s Play Store onto smartwatches in the way that Apple has with its app store seems like it might be a way off yet.
Specifications
- Operating system: Tizen OS 4.0
- Compatible with Android and iOS
- Swim ready
Pros
Cons
3. Third Best Standalone Smartwatch with Sim Cards - TicWatch Pro 4G LTE Cellular Smartwatch (Price not available)
- Upgraded Premium Design- Stylish and functional design with knurled stainless-steel bezel, Corning? Gorilla? 3 anti-finger print cover glass and water resistant speaker. US Military Standard 810G certified durability. Lightweight Silicone strap.
- Long Battery Life- Dual-layered ALOMED/LCD screens and two display mode options, Smart Mode will get you 2 days battery life, up to 5 days if Auto Switch to Essential Mode (LCD display only) is turned on. Up to 18 hours of battery life on cellular usage.
- Cellular Connectivity for Verizon Phone Plan Users- Instant calls and texts, cloud sync notifications, music streaming, remote smart home controls, emergency SOS auto-dial. Customers can activate the 4G/LTE feature via My Verizon app and Verizon website.
- Swim-ready Fitness Companion- IP68 waterproof and pool swimming suitable, 6 smart sports modes, GPS built-in. TicPulse technology empowers 24hr heart rate monitoring with abnormal heart rate warning. TicMotion technology proactively detects your motion and tracks running, fast walking and swimming activities.
- Smart Sleep Tracking- Download TicSleep app on the watch and check your sleep progress via Mobvoi App on the phone.
Amazon collected a total of with an average rating of ()
Price:Price not available
Why we chose this one:
If you’re committed to Wear OS, then this is definitely the best Wear OS option on the market right now. If you can live with all the drawbacks that come with that operating system, this is a very cool watch. The dual display uses an LCD always-on display to show the time, while a main OLED display displays the OS.
The battery life is also very good, you will easily get a full day out of the TicWatch. The most power-hungry of power users might bump up against a 24-hour battery life, but most people will be able to go for days without charging.
The battery life is very good for a Wear OS watch and eliminates one of the most common complaints with the operating system. The performance is pretty good for a watch in this price range. However, the processor is last-gen and the system does slow down sometimes. This isn’t a concern for everyone, however. Casual users will probably barely notice it - if they ever see it. Just don’t compare it to an Apple Watch.
Specifications
- Operating system: Wear OS
- Interchangeable watch face
- Swim ready
- Military-grade durability
Pros
Cons
4. Forth Best Standalone Smartwatch with Sim Cards - Huawei Watch 2 Sport Smartwatch ($98.49)
- Built-in GPS and continuous heart rate: monitor your heart rate and track your workout routes without your phone
- Scientific sleep tracking: HUAWEI TruSleep keeps track of light, deep and REM sleep stages to make your sleep truly restful
- Workout Coach: get real-time guidance and workout data such as recovery time and Vo2 Max. Bluetooth: 2.4 GHz Bluetooth 4.1 BLE + BR/EDR
- NFC and Google assistant: make payments and have a personal voice assistant from your wrist. More than 2 days’ usage* and get even longer battery life with Watch Mode in which the watch still counts your steps.
- Music and power: download and listen to music with Google Play Music on your watch. You can optimize power consumption settings to get the most out of your device
Amazon collected a total of with an average rating of ()
Price:$98.49
Why we chose this one:
Huawei has packed this smartwatch with features. You can’t install any third-party apps, but with this many features included as standard, you don’t really need to. There are some holes in the software because it’s built on Wear OS. However, Huawei has done a good job of making up for some of the shortcomings the operating system has.
The watch supports both GPS and NFC. Coupled with the 4G option, this is a useful smartphone companion for anyone who regularly uses those features and finds themselves getting their phones out every couple of minutes.
Unfortunately, the display is quite small, which makes it hard to read sometimes. However, if you are looking for a smartwatch that looks and feels like a regular digital sports watch, this is a great one to choose. It would be much better if the bezel rotated as a form of control, but this feature is sadly lacking.
Specifications
- Operating system: Wear OS
- Built-in GPS
- Heart rate monitor
- Offline music storage
- Sports mode
Pros
Cons
5. Fifth Best Standalone Smartwatch with Sim Cards - Motorola Moto 360 Sport (Price not available)
- Displays Notifications, Cards, and More, LCD Touchscreen with Gorilla Glass 3
- Button-Free Voice Control, Turn-by-Turn Navigation
- Heart Rate & Activity Monitoring, GPS, Customizable Watch Faces
- Water Resistant to 3-ft, Wireless Charging with Included Dock, Just tell your Moto 360 Sport where you want to go, then let the step-by-step navigation instructions in the watch display guide you to your destination. Navigation instructions that you set up on your phone will also appear in your watch display.
- Compatible with Android and iOS. Android Wear requires a phone running Android 4.3+ or iOS 9+. Android Wear for iOS is available for iPhone 5 and later.
Amazon collected a total of with an average rating of ()
Price:Price not available
Why we chose this one:
The Moto 360 Sport edition is one of the best sports smartwatches on the market. Despite a relatively short battery life, the Moto 360 Sport is built extremely well and feels robust. This requires a minor sacrifice in terms of comfort, but overall this is a comfortable smartwatch to wear, even when you are active. If a heart rate monitor is important to you then you might be disappointed, e found the Moto 360 to be quite unreliable in this regard.
Motorolla has implemented a special technology for the display on the 360 Sport. The AnyLight display works like a normal LCD screen when you are using the watch in normal light. But when the watch detects bright sunlight, it switches to a second transflective display reminiscent of that on the Pebble. It also defaults to this mode when idling and just displaying the time.
Specifications
- Operating system: Android Wear
- Water-resistant to 3-ft
- Compatible with Android and iOS
- AnyLight display
Pros
Cons
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