The alternatives: 3 more smartwatches
So will it be Samsung, or the attack of the not-quite-clones?
Huawei Watch 3 £280 / stuff.tv/huawei3 What’s the story?
Welcome to the new era of Huawei. That means watches and phones walking further away from Google and Android, running software called Harmonyos. But this doesn’t mean owners of other Androids can’t use the Watch 3: it works just fine with non-huawei phones.
Is it any good?
You gotta have faith to get a Huawei Watch 3 right now. Samsung may have jumped platforms, but its ‘new’ one has been around for years; Harmonyos really is new, and some of its features are still in development. There’s loads of potential here, but some parts grate: it pushes you towards using Huawei Music for streaming, for example, instead of a service people actually know. However, this is a split-personality watch in the best possible way. It lasts a couple of days as a full-on smartwatch, or the best part of two weeks as a fitness watch in its Ultra-long Battery Life mode.
KEY SPECS
Screen 1.43in 466x466 OLED OS Harmonyos 2.0 Storage 16GB
Apple Watch Series 6 £379 / stuff.tv/watchs6 What’s the story?
The Apple Watch Series 6 sits where Samsung wants to be. It’s massively popular, has a vibrant app ecosystem and is synonymous with ‘smartwatch’ for many. Every other maker in this market wishes it had half the success of the Watch S6.
Is it any good?
All that success doesn’t come from nowhere, even for Apple. It has easily the strongest app library among smartwatches; it has one of the best wrist-worn heart-rate scanners, and an ECG feature for heart health. You don’t get a body composition mode to tell you you’re out of shape, but the rest is here. Of course, you’ll need an iphone, which rules out this watch for many. And, just like the 42mm Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Classic, its battery life of a day and a bit may prove a turn-off for some. It’s great, just a little high-maintenance.
KEY SPECS
Screen 1.78in 448x368 OLED (44mm), 1.57in 394x324 OLED (40mm) OS watchos 7 Storage 32GB
Garmin Venu 2 £292 / stuff.tv/venu2 What’s the story?
Crank up the fitness dial, tone down the general smartwatch stuff and you end up with something like the Garmin Venu 2. The Venu range was made to attract the kind of folks who might be put off by Garmin’s hardcore fitness watches.
This is a smaller, touchscreen-operated wearable, and has an OLED screen instead of the practical but dull-looking ones Garmin usually employs.
Is it any good?
If you’re mostly into exercise and fitness, this is a great alternative to a Galaxy Watch4 Classic. It lasts far longer off a charge – more than a week if you don’t keep the display on all day – and it has better support for third-party accessories such as heart-rate straps and foot-pods than any rival. There’s no ECG feature, however, and while Garmin has an app store there’s not all that much in it. Come for the sports, stay around for the low-fuss battery life.
KEY SPECS
Screen 1.3in 416x416 OLED OS Garmin OS Storage 8GB