Apple recently unveiled its Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2. But if you don’t have an iPhone or don’t necessarily have the budget, you might be looking for a smartwatch. Here’s our pick of alternatives.
The Apple Watch dominates the smartwatch market, although it only works with iPhones. There are many alternatives for Android users, and even for those who have an Apple smartphone and are looking for a different design or proposition.
The BFMTV editorial team made this selection independently. BFMTV may still receive compensation when one of our readers makes a purchase via the links included in this article.
Samsung Galaxy Watch6
The South Korean has never given up on the idea of ​​having its own watch and has been refining its copy for many years. The Galaxy Watch6 opts for a round chassis available with a very bright 40 or 44 mm Amoled screen and thin edges to leave more space for reading information.
Here we have a watch with a modern look that is customizable (multiple bracelets offered), which runs on Wear OS 4, offers access to the Play Store to load multiple applications and does everything a connected watch should offer thanks to its multiple sensors. Health monitoring is improved (monitoring of sleep, cycle, heart rate, blood oxygenation, etc.). Battery life is slightly increased, but will not exceed a day and a half to two days.
If you prefer a slightly larger model, Samsung also has the Watch6 Classic in its catalog with a 47 mm screen and a design that leans more towards classic watchmaking watches.
Google Pixel Watch 2
Google knows how to use its assets. The Pixel Watch 2 combines the strength of Android and its applications for use, the talents of Fitbit for health and fitness monitoring. It is a rather light and simple round connected watch, but also small with its 41 mm diameter always-on screen. It is waterproof (up to 50 m), IP 68 certified against dust and immersion (30 min up to 1.50 m).
All information is displayed on the screen thanks to multiple customizable backgrounds. The Pixel Watch 2 runs on Wear OS 4, with a very powerful processor that makes its use very fluid and fast. It takes advantage of the integration of Android to allow the management of applications like Gmail, Calendar or Google Assistant by voice at your fingertips.
The Pixel Watch 2 does not shine with its autonomy (a day and a half) and this will tend to drop quickly in activity. But it relies on fast charging and can recover 50% of autonomy in 30 minutes. If you are looking for an Android watch for good, precise monitoring of your health, it will be a very good companion with monitoring of stress levels, sleep, fitness, all while taking your body temperature to adjust its analyses and send back responses.
Huawei GT 4: elegance and performance
While it is discreet on the smartphone market, on the wearablesthe Chinese manufacturer remains a safe bet. Its range of smartwatches remains wide and for all needs.
The GT 4 is for those who want to combine performance and design. It is a watch available in two Amoled screen sizes and two versions, rather massive masculine with steel bracelet (46 mm), more slender and thinner intended more for feminine wrists (41 mm). Other leather or elastomer bracelets also exist. The Huawei GT 4 has many sensors for precise daily monitoring (heart rate monitor, oximeter, sleep apnea and respiratory failure monitoring, barometer, GPS, etc.). It will be a perfect and precise ally in health and fitness thanks to the Stay Fit app and more than a hundred tracked sports activities.
While it takes up the main functions of cutting-edge smartwatches in a premium design, the GT 4 adds to this a very long battery life (up to 14 days for the 46 mm model). All at a very reasonable price. Note that if you have a Huawei smartphone, you can take full advantage of all its (many) high-flying features. If you are on iOS, some options will be missing, including music storage.
Garmin Vivoactive 5: the body assistant
The Vivoactive range combines sport and health, two values ​​dear to Garmin, in a slightly more contained price. The Vivoactive 5 boasts a very bright Amoled screen to read all the information and notifications in all circumstances, but above all many options to help you have a healthier and more active life. This will involve sports goals to achieve, but also advice as soon as you wake up.
Thanks to its various sensors, the watch can thus draw up a daily assessment of your health, taking into account your sleep, your stress score, your Body Battery energy level. Personalized recommendations are given to you to improve the quality of your nights and even track your restorative naps. The Vivoactive 5 even manages to define the best times for a nap during the day.
More than thirty sports are taken into account, workouts can be created. The watch also offers a Wheelchair mode like on the Apple Watch which adapts all the operation, workouts and assessments to the pushes. And to perfect it all, the Vivoactive 5 displays up to 11 days of autonomy, allows you to download your music on Deezer, Spotify and Amazon Music, and also includes Garmin Pay for contactless payment.
Withings ScanWatch 2: discretion and precision
The French manufacturer continues its prowess in the market of smartwatches that take care of your health. The ScanWatch 2 looks like a traditional watch, with its hands and two inner dials to track your progress towards your goals at the bottom (steps, distance, etc.). At the top, notifications will be displayed in a minimalist format, but with the essentials in view. This can range from messages received to your heart rate displayed or other metrics and information.
This new version of the ScanWatch also includes a real temperature sensor that is not only used to refine the monitoring of your menstrual cycle, but also to monitor multiple parameters (heart rate, respiratory rate, etc.). But it is not a thermometer for all that. It ensures a long-lasting autonomy of one month.
The ScanWatch 2 is available in two sizes (38 or 42 mm diameter oled screen), with different types of chassis and dial colors, but also strap. Note that there is a lightweight version of the watch, the ScanWatch Light, which does away with the second dial and the temperature sensor. It is displayed at 250 euros instead of 350 euros.
Honor Watch 4: basic and nothing but basic
Now out of the Huawei fold, Honor is back with its new watch model, abandoning the round and chic format of the Watch GS 3. Make way for the square format — like the Apple Watch — and the rubber strap, with a clear ambition: to please the athlete. For an affordable price, this watch offers the basics (Bluetooth calls, sleep monitoring, heart rate, etc.) with a major advantage over the competition: a battery life that approaches 15 days.
On the other hand, you shouldn’t expect a lot of possibilities with this Watch 4 which doesn’t accept external applications like Deezer or Spotify. For those looking for a simple, no-frills watch, without having to take out the charging cable every night, the Honor Watch 4 is a relevant choice.