The best smartwatches to improve your life

June 08, 2022

Smartwatches do more than just notify you when you receive a call or text message on your wrist. They're all in one: a fitness tracker to count your steps, a digital wallet, and in some cases, they can act as a phone even when your smartphone isn't nearby.

These days, smartwatches have health features that could save your life. Many of the best smartwatches can detect elevated heart rate alerts and automatically connect you to emergency services. Electrocardiogram (ECG) and blood oxygen (SpO2) readings are also a plus on some models. The former can detect signs of atrial fibrillation, while the latter is a good indicator of respiratory health.

But the best smartwatches do all of these things better than others. Some have a huge number of apps you can download, some have batteries that barely last a day, and some can last almost a week on a charge.

Apple Watch Series 7

The Apple Watch 7 is the best Apple Watch yet. It's not a major upgrade over the Apple Watch 6 in terms of features, but it does have a larger screen in the new Apple Watch 7 size. For the first time, the Apple Watch comes in 41mm and 45mm versions, complementing the larger screen. The seventh-generation Apple Watch has a few exclusive watch faces and a full QWERTY keyboard.

While we wish the Apple Watch would improve on its 18-hour battery life, the Series 7 benefits from faster charging. You can fully charge it in about an hour, allowing it to spend less time with the new USB-C magnetic cable and more time with you. If you want a smartwatch for working out, taking calls, or using the best Apple Watch apps, this is the best smartwatch for you. As long as you have an iPhone, of course.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is our second pick among the best smartwatches because it's the best Samsung watch. Samsung has ditched the "Active" branding with its latest lineup, instead introducing the sporty-looking Galaxy Watch 4 as the company's flagship and a classic version that features luxury watch features like a physical rotating bezel.

Thanks to a 3-in-1 health sensor, the Galaxy Watch 4 measures heart rate, takes an ECG, and reads body composition. And while it’s attractive with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Wear OS features, it still respects Tizen, making it the perfect companion for the best Samsung phones. Keep in mind that some features are exclusive to Samsung users, so not all Android users will benefit from what the Galaxy Watch 4 can do.

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