Top Smartwatches of 2025, Evaluated by Our Experts
Smartwatches: Pocket Sidekicks
In the tech world, smartwatches are tiny smartphones strapped to your wrist, loaded with features like texting, calling, voice assistants, maps, fitness tracking, and tap-to-pay. For many folks, a smartwatch is a daily essential, enhancing their lives in numerous ways. Yet, the best smartwatch for you largely depends on your smartphone brand. Many smartwatches only work with iPhones or Android devices and even have features tailored specifically for these platforms. In this article, we'll discuss the leading smartwatches for different smartphone brands and help you make an informed decision.
How we picked the best smartwatches
At NBC Select, many staffers use a smartwatch – either for notifications, exercise tracking, or sleep monitoring. Combining our collective experience with the author's time testing, we selected smartwatches based on the following criteria:
- Ease of Use: Smartphones are overflowing with features, which can quickly become overwhelming. We selected products that are user-friendly right out of the box, both in terms of glancing at your wrist and scrolling through the app. We also preferred watches that let you customize settings, watch faces, and notifications according to your preferences.
- Compatibility: Not all smartwatches are compatible with all smartphones. We included wearables for users with various smartphones.
- Price: Most smartwatches cost between $100 and $500. We included wearables across different price points, keeping your smartphone choice in mind.
How I test smartwatches
The author has tested over a dozen smartwatches for NBC Select. As a runner and cyclist, the author predominantly uses them to track and analyze stats like heart rate, pace, and time. Being the tech reporter at NBC Select, the author also spends hours exploring product settings, understanding the features each product offers right off the bat, and what can be fine-tuned later. The author receives smartwatches from different brands and tests each watch for a minimum of one week, using them extensively with an Apple, Samsung Galaxy, or Google Pixel smartphone.
Top Smartwatch Picks
Best for iPhone users
- Apple Watch Series 10 – $299. (Amazon)
- Info-rich display, syncs with most iOS apps, improved wellness tracking, and a so-so battery life.
- Best for Android users
- Google Pixel Watch 3 – $299.99. (Amazon)
- Syncs easily with Google apps, automatic workout detection, and a love-it-or-hate-it round shape.
- Best for Samsung users
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 – $199.99. (Amazon)
- Sleek and comfortable, easily customizable, and some features only for Samsung.
- Best for fitness
- Garmin Vivoactive 6 – $299.99. (Amazon)
- Excellent battery life, robust fitness tracking, and an app learning curve.
Budget Picks
- Best budget smartwatch for iPhone users
- Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen) – $169. (Amazon)
- Competitive price, syncs with most iOS apps, and so-so battery life.
Related
- The best fitness tracker is the one you'll actually wear daily.
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Staff-favorite smartwatches in 2025
Most of our top overall picks come from Apple, Samsung, and Google, companies that dominate the smartphone market in the U.S. All our top picks share similar features – they can all send and receive texts, make calls, use a voice assistant, track health and wellness metrics, log workouts, use apps, find your phone, and more.
Our budget picks are slightly more limited – some lack the ability to answer calls or have an on-watch keyboard to type out texts. We discuss these limitations in each recommendation.
We linked Wi-Fi versions of these devices, but many also come with Wi-Fi plus cellular versions that, when set up with their own phone plan, can perform tasks independently of your smartphone.
Why trust NBC Select?
The author is the tech reporter at NBC Select and covers technology and fitness, including recent stories on fitness trackers, running shoes, point-and-shoot cameras, and more. For this piece, the author tested over a dozen top-rated fitness trackers and smartwatches. For a broader perspective, the author spoke with other NBC Select staffers about their experiences with smartwatches.
Stay connected with NBC Select's comprehensive coverage of tech, wellness, and more. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok for the latest updates.
References:
[1] The best smartwatches to buy in 2025, Tom's Guide (2025)[2] The 10 best smartwatches in 2025, PCWorld (2025)[3] The best smartwatches: Android vs. Apple, Android Central (2025)[4] The best smartwatches for 2025, CNET (2025)[5] Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 classic review: A cheap and powerful smartwatch for any Android user, The Verge (2022)
- When it comes to wearables, smartwatches like the Apple Watch Series 10 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 can be great gadgets for customizing, as they offer info-rich displays, easy compatibility, and numerous features tailored to their respective smartphone brands.
- For those seeking a smartwatch that works with their iPhone, budget-friendly options such as the Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen) can be an ideal choice, providing competitive pricing, syncing with most iOS apps, and essential features.
- On the other hand, participants in hiking expeditions might prefer wearables such as the Garmin Vivoactive 6, which has an excellent battery life and robust fitness tracking to help monitor heart rate, pace, and time during these adventures.
- As technology advances, it seems that credit transactions may soon become a standard feature on smartwatches, providing more convenience in our daily lives when making payments for everyday goods and services.
