The best Samsung smartwatches are designed with the company's phones in mind, and integrate tightly with Samsung services and apps like Galaxy AI and Samsung Health. But they also play nicely with most Android smartphones too.
But much like the best Samsung phones, it's not always easy to work out the differences between the brand's smartwatches. Which is why we've put all the best Samsung watches to the test to help you find the right one for your needs.
Taking cues from Apple, Samsung's line up is fronted by the flagship Samsung Galaxy Watch 7, which we recommend for most people. It is the first to ship with Galaxy AI, can detect sleep apnea, and has a redesigned sensor to improve accuracy.
But if you're after something on a budget or a rugged Samsung smartwatch for the outdoors, we have options for you too.
Quick list
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is the latest version of the brand's flagship smartwatch. It has all the usual smart features (contactless payments, calls, texts, an app store) but the main focus is on the fitness and health tracking. It can detect issues like sleep apnea, keeps tabs on your heart and has AI-backed insights.
The Galaxy Watch 6 is an older model now, but looks almost the same as the Galaxy Watch 7. It has the same one-day battery life, most of the same features, and can monitor all your sleep and physical activity. It's usually cheaper, and the main omission versus the newer model is the lack of AI analysis and recommendations.
The Galaxy Watch Ultra is built from the same foundations as the Galaxy Watch 7 and has the same features too. You get access to the Galaxy AI insights, the improved BioActive sensor and health analysis tools. It's more expensive, but that's because you get a more premium titanium-based design and 48-hour battery life.
The best Samsung watch available right now
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Best Samsung watch overall
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is the latest iteration of the brand's flagship smartwatch — think of it a bit like the Samsung version of the Apple Watch Series 10. It's also by some distance the best Samsung watch for fitness and wellness tracking.
The company would have you believe this is solely thanks to the new Galaxy AI features (that are mostly based on your phone in reality), but we found there are specific updates on the watch that make it a great fitness companion.
The new daily Energy Score (a feature that you'll be familiar with if you've ever used a Gamin watch) combines all your various stats into a single score. The watch and Samsung Health app give you personalized suggestions to increase the score.
This is possible thanks to the newly redesigned BioActive sensor embedded in the watch. Although it's really several sensors, Samsung calls the combined package the BioActive sensor, and it includes heart rate and skin temperature, among others.
And while this makes it sound like the Galaxy Watch 7 is just a large fitness tracker, it also offers all the usual smartwatch features, like notifications, downloadable apps, customizable watch faces, calls, messages and camera controls.
The thing we found most disappointing was the battery life. Apple is often (rightly) critized for the Apple Watch's one-day battery, but Samsung offers the same here too. You should just about be able to eek out a full day and night, but that's it.
However, if you find a charging routine that works for you each day, then you can still wear it when out and overnight for a fuller picture of your health and fitness throughout the day, especially since it only takes two hours to fully charge.
It's also worth noting that some features (like sleep apnea detection and AI insights) only work with Samsung smartphones. So you can use the watch with any Android device, but miss out of the Galaxy Watch 7's key features.
- Read our full Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 review
Best budget Samsung watch
It's easy to get caught up in annual upgrade cycles, but if you're not that fussed by the Galaxy AI features on the Watch 7, the previous generation Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 makes a great budget option, especially since it's now often discounted.
The Watch 6 looks a lot like the Watch 7, comes in 40mm and 44m versions and can track your sleep, workouts, physical activity and menstrual health. It also marked the return of the popular rotating bezel on the more watch-like variant, the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic, but slimmer this time around.
There's a skin temperature sensor again (this was introduced on the Watch 5), but it's actually functional this time, so is used to inform a range of metrics, most notably the watch's menstrual health and period tracking features.
It may be an older model now, but it's still an incredible smartwatch. Before the Watch 7, the Galaxy Watch 6 was easily the best Samsung watch available to that point. And, truthfully, the Watch 7 is only an iterative update to the more substantial upgrades the Watch 6 added compared to the Watch 5.
As we found when we compared the Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch 6, the main differences are the AI features, Energy Score and increased storage (32GB vs 16GB). Otherwise, you get the same battery life, same apps, and similar workout tracking, at a now often discounted price.
- Read our full Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 review
Best Samsung watch for battery life
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra launched alongside the Galaxy Watch 7 in mid-2024, and is the company's take on the Apple Watch Ultra. It's larger, is made of more durable materials, and offers double the battery life (48 hours).
Only two flagship Android smartwatches surpass the 48-hour mark, the Galaxy Watch Ultra and the Google Pixel Watch 3 in 46mm. However, the Ultra can cruise for as long as 72 hours or more when using the battery-saver mode.
Software-wise, it's very similar to the Galaxy Watch 7, so you get access to the new Energy Score, AI-backed analysis in the Samsung Health app and all the usual smartwatch functions like calls, texts, and third-party apps.
The other main difference (aside from the increased price) is the use of titanium in the main body. It's a more durable but also more premium-feeling finish, and also houses the slightly larger display (1.5-inch vs 1.3-inch).
But after wearing it, we think the main thing you need to consider is the weight. It clocks in at just over 60g, which is almost double the weight of the Galaxy Watch 7. It's not surprising given that it's larger, with a bigger display and battery, but it's definitely noticeable.
Since many of the features are the same, the choice between the Galaxy Watch 7 and the Galaxy Watch Ultra comes down to whether you need the extra battery life and if you think the premium titanium design works for your style.
- Read our full Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra review
How we test the best Samsung watches
To help you decide between all of the best Samsung smartwatches, we wear them for several weeks to test out all the wearables' health and fitness tracking features and to see how the battery fares over an extended period.
Once strapped to our wrists, we see how well the watches fit, and how easy the displays are to navigate and read, especially in sunlight. Depending on its capabilities, we also test the watches' sensors, such as GPS and heart rate monitors.
As sleep tracking is a key feature on many of the brand's watches, we also wear them overnight to see if it's actually comfortable to wear in bed (and if it squishes into your face and leaves a watch-shaped outline on your face in the morning).
Since we also test the best Android smartwatches, we compare the performance against competitor models to see how consistent the Samsung watches are, within the brand's range and compared to the competition.
We play around with settings, install apps, and set up Samsung Pay for contactless payments to check everything works as it should and that these features are more convenient (or at least not more of a hassle) than just getting your phone out to complete a task.
The connection to your phone needs to be consistent and reliable, so we pair the watches with Samsung phones and other Android devices, checking to see whether the experience is comparable or if Samsung optimizes for its own devices.
How to choose the best Samsung watch for you
In most cases, the best Samsung watch will be the latest model. Generally, Samsung keeps its line up pretty tight with a flagship device and premium model. The latest iteration of the Galaxy Watch will have the latest features and generally best performance.
But that doesn't mean you don't have other options to consider. If you're considering the Galaxy Watch 7, the Galaxy Watch 6 has similar features, a near-identical design, and the same battery life. You miss out on some additions, like the newer watch's AI insights and improved sensor accuracy.
If you're not too worried about these, the Galaxy Watch 6 is still a great option and is often available at a lower price now that the Watch 7 exists. It also tends to drop further during sales events, so you can pick up a premium smartwatch for around the same price as a fitness tracker.
That's not your only consideration, though. There's also the Galaxy Watch Ultra — a larger, longer lasting version of the Galaxy Watch 7. It has the same sensors and the same features but double the battery life (48 hours), a larger display and a titanium-based design.
It's also a lot more expensive, so you need to balance your budget against how much you really value these additions. And, generally, we don't recommend going more than a generation back on any Samsung watch, as it won't be supported for much longer but may cost almost the same as the more recent models.
That's why we'd also never suggest picking up a Samsung Gear 2, the first Samsung watch we reviewed in 2014, unless you're looking for an experiment to see if you can get it working with modern phones.
