The alternatives: 3 affordable smartwatches
Ways to give your wrist a little brain of its own for less than £300
Apple Watch SE
from £269 / apple.com
What’s the story?
Of course, the most obvious alternative to the Series 6 is Apple’s new, cheaper Watch SE. Whether you choose the 40mm or 44mm version it looks identical to its pricier sibling (although you can only choose aluminium for the case), and there’s nothing stopping you from jazzing it up with a fancier strap if you start to feel inferior – it fits all the same ones as the S6.
Is it any good?
The key differences between the SE and S6 are the cheaper wearable’s lack of
ECG and blood oxygen sensors, and the absence of an always-on display. The latter is a bigger deal, but 99 times out of 100 it still illuminates on demand. It’s easy to coax more than the stated 18hrs out of the battery, and for app choice and iphone integration you can’t top watchos.
KEY SPECS
Screen 1.57in 394x324 OLED (40mm); 1.78in 448x368 OLED (44mm)
Battery life Up to 18hrs
Dimensions 40x34x10.4mm, 30.5g (40mm); 44x38x10.4mm, 36.2g (44mm)
Stuff says
Easy to recommend… but still not the perfect wearable for everyone
Fitbit Sense
£299 / fitbit.com
What’s the story?
Fitbit has always been looking for new ways for its devices to benefit both your physical and mental health, and this is its most ambitious wearable to date. It’s the first smartwatch to have an electrodermal activity (EDA) sensor, designed to help you manage stress. Add an ECG app and an on-wrist skin temperature sensor to all-day heart-rate and activity tracking, and there really is a lot going on here.
Is it any good?
The Sense is a mixed bag. On the one wrist, you can’t help but admire the vast amount of health data it stores that will surely reward you over time (we’re still getting to grips with the stress stuff but it’s a good addition, as is a proper ECG sensor), and the battery life is excellent. On the other, you have a frustratingly temperamental smartwatch that, while lovely to look at and wear, is currently too slow and buggy.
KEY SPECS
Screen 1.58in 336x336 AMOLED Battery life Up to 7 days Dimensions 40x40x12mm, 28.5g
Stuff says
A well-rounded health-focused watch only slightly held back by bugginess
Garmin Venu Sq Music Edition
£230 / garmin.com
What’s the story?
The ‘Sq’ is a smaller, cheaper, squarer version of the Garmin Venu that swaps stainless steel for plastic and LCD for OLED, hence the lower price. The Music Edition allows you to connect Bluetooth headphones, listen to locally stored tunes and sync offline playlists from Spotify without needing your phone nearby.
Is it any good?
If you strap on a Venu Sq to track your workouts and day-to-day vital stats it’ll reward you with loads of data, including SPO2 (which the Watch SE lacks). But while the basic interface is handy when you’re gasping for breath, its watch faces are uninspiring and smartwatch features limited, especially if you pair it with an iphone, which won’t let you respond to notifications. Our advice? Lose the music functionality and save yourself £50.
KEY SPECS
Screen 1.3in 240x240 LCD Battery life Up to 6 days Dimensions 40x37x11.5mm, 36.8g
Stuff says
A very capable fitness tracker, but its smartwatch credentials can’t keep up