LG WATCH SPORT
Google’s Android phone on your wrist
OS: Android Wear 2.0 | Compatibility: Android, iOS | Display: 1.38″ OLED | Processor: Snapdragon Wear 2100 | Band sizes: Fixed large band | Onboard storage: 4GB | Battery: 16 hours | Charging method: Wireless | IP rating: IP68 | Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC
Calls and data without a phone
Excellent strength training
Appealing design despite big size
Battery life falls short
Standalone apps still coming
Phone calls (US only) require a SIM card
LG Watch Sport is the smartwatch to beat right now simply because it’s a full-featured fitness tracker wrapped in a smartwatch running Android Wear 2.0. While other smartwatches can do “fitness tracking” that just amounts to logging runs and calories burned, this watch tracks your all-important strength training, too.
It’s also one of the few smartwatches that supports an LTE connection, meaning, if you pop a SIM card into the back of the watch, it can make and receive calls and data – without your smartwatch nearby.
It doesn’t have the best battery life, despite its bigger-than-normal size, and apps are still being announced for Google’s newly refreshed platform. But it’s a proper step up for Android Wear and smartwatches in general.
APPLE WATCH 2
Fitness takes over the Apple Watch
OS: watchOS 3 | Compatibility: iOS | Display: 1.53″ OLED | Processor: S2 dual-core | Band sizes: Varies drastically per watch size | Onboard storage: 8GB (only 2GB and 75MB allowed for music and photos, respectively) | Battery: 18 hours | Charging method: Wireless | IP rating: IPX7 | Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC;Water-resistant
GPS onboard
Expensive
Lack of useful apps
The Apple Watch 2 is the best smartwatch you can buy right now. It’s water-resistant, which means it’s more durable than most of the other devices on this list and you won’t have to worry about getting it wet in the rain when you’re out for a jog.
There’s GPS onboard to make running that little bit easier plus it comes running the newest watchOS 3 software. Design wise it’s looking very similar to the original Apple Watch. Be warned though, the Apple Watch 2 is expensive.
If you already own an Apple Watch, the Apple Watch 2 may not be worth the upgrade, but there are a few solid improvements that mean it’s worth spending that bit extra if this is your first wearable from Apple
SAMSUNG GEAR S3
Samsung’s latest goes big against Apple – literally
OS: Tizen OS | Compatibility: Android, iOS | Display: 1.3″ 360 x 360 Super AMOLED | Processor: Dual-core 1.0GHz | Band sizes: S (105 x 65mm) L (130 x 70mm) | Onboard storage: 4GB | Battery duration: 3 days | Charging method: Wireless | IP rating: IP68 | Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 4GIntuitive interface
Great activity tracking
Very large on wrist
Severe lack of apps
Despite a serious lack of original apps, the Samsung Gear S3 is one of the best smartwatch options on the market.
The intuitive controls and Super AMOLED screen from the Samsung Gear S2 are back in full form here. Plus, GPS makes its debut on the Gear S3.
While its look is more executive than the Gear S2, it rocks a IP68-protected build and can last up to 3 days of use before needing a charge.
Samsung recently made the Gear S3 (and Gear S2, for that matter) compatible on iOS. So, if you’re looking for a more traditional-looking alternative to the Apple Watch, you may have found your match
LG WATCH STYLE
The thinnest Android Wear smartwatch yet
Compatibility: Android 4.3+, iOS8.2+ | Display: 1.2″ 360 x 360 P-OLED | Processor: Snapdragon Wear 2100 | Onboard storage: 4GB | Battery duration: Up to 24h | Charging method: Conductive USB charger | IP rating: IP67 | Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Devilishly good-looking
Reasonably priced
Disappointing battery life
Lacks NFC and broader connectivity
The LG Watch Style (built in collaboration with Google) offers everything that’s to love from the best Android Wear smartwatches, ditches the dreaded flat tire, then fills in the gap with cool, useful features and a whole lot of… style.
Roll that all up and you’re left with an extremely alluring presentation that makes a mighty strong argument for Google’s wearable platform. But there are some familiar wrinkles here.
Battery life is still a low point, and, as independent as Android Wear 2.0 claims to be, Google is still in the early days of filling the new Play Store with compatible apps that are enticing enough to bother with aside from its own. The Style’s appeal lies more in what it will be soon, rather than what it is at launch.
That said, it’s easy to express why the Style is the only smartwatch we want to put on our wrists. For $249 (£249 / AU$325, but not confirmed for AU), it offers just as much utility as prior smartwatch attempts, but ups the ante with a slim, dashing design and several welcome features, like the voice-activated Google Assistant and a refreshed user interface that’s full of clever tweaks.
SONY SMARTWATCH 3
A powerful, well-equipped wearable and super cheap wearable
OS: Android Wear | Compatibility: Android | Display: 1.6″ LCD | Processor: Quad-core 1.2GHz | Case dimensions: 36mm diameter, 10mm thick | Onboard storage: 4GB | Battery: 2 days | Charging method: via microUSB | IP rating: IP68 | Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, GPSSlick performance
Built-in GPS
Not super-stylish
Counterintuitive charging port
Surprised to see the Sony SmartWatch 3 so close to the top? Well, you shouldn’t be.
The Sony SmartWatch 3 stands out from many of today’s competition, with its impressive performance, a good screen and solid battery life, not to mention the inclusion of GPS, which makes it a better fitness accessory than most smartwatches.
This wearable just about nails the tricky blend of being a smartwatch with competent fitness tracking capabilities and the price keeps on falling, making it a real bargain.
For something a bit more premium, there’s the Sony Smartwatch 3 Steel, which is basically the same, but with a metal body and face, along with a higher price tag.
MOTO 360 (2ND GEN)
Moto’s smartwatch is a thing of beauty
OS: Android Wear | Compatibility: Android, iOS | Display: 1.37″ or 1.56″ LCD | Processor: Quad-core 1.2GHz | Case dimensions: 42mm or 46mm diameter, each 11.4mm thick | Onboard storage: 4GB | Battery: 1.5-2 days depending on size | Charging method: Wireless | IP rating: IP67 | Connectivity: Wi-Fi, BluetoothBeautiful design
Improved performance
Battery life remains iffy
Flat tire bezel is back
The second generation oto 360 certainly gets our vote as the best smartwatch when it comes to look. Plus, it’s also one of the most comfortable wearables around.
The new size options give the Moto 360 the extra reach it needed the first time around. That, and the new-found comfortable fit (along with the added customization to the design), brings it all together as one of the best smartwatches of 2016, and still a strong option in 2017.
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