The Best Android Smartwatch For Fitness in 2021 – Top 10 Picks

Using the best Android smartwatch for fitness is a great way to keep yourself motivated and, hopefully, healthy. But with so many options out there, finding the best possible fit for you is easier said than done.

That is why we are here to help you out! This list contains the top [Insert number here] smartwatches that one can buy. Each one has its own pros and cons. So, take a look and pick whatever suits you best. Without any further ado, let us get right into it!

Quick Peek

1. Samsung Galaxy Watch 3: Offers everything that a premium smartwatch should have. Great pick if you want the best of the best
2. Xiaomi Mi Band 5: Great pick if you are after a cheaper, lightweight watch with great battery life that still gets the job done
3. Fitbit Versa 3: Best overall alternative. No doubt one of the best smartwatches out there at a cheaper price point than the Galaxy Watch 3 – but without LTE connectivity
4. Xiaomi Mi Band 3: The cheapest fitness tracker that you can get that is definitely worth something
5. Garmin Fenix 6 Pro Solar: Great for serious athletes who want full compatibility with ANT+ sensors and superb battery life at the expense of having to pay a lot of money
6. Amazfit GTS 2: Probably the best budget smartwatch that offers built-in GPS and decent battery life. But there are no LTE or Wi-Fi options
7. Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2: All-around a superb, full-fledged watch that's strikingly similar to the Galaxy Watch 3 – but much cheaper. Hard to go wrong with it if you don't mind having to charge it on a regular basis
8. Fossil Gen 5: Probably the best WearOS watch that you can grab at the moment. And it's not even that expensive compared to other premium watches. Just keep in mind that its LTE option is locked to Verizon
9. Amazfit Bip U Pro: Great choice if you want built-in GPS for as cheap as possible. And while you are obviously not going to get LTE or support for 3rd party apps, you shouldn't expect to get them at this price point in the first place
10. TicWatch Pro 4G/LTE: Great alternative WearOSS watch – just in case you didn't like Fossil's offering

1. Samsung Galaxy Watch 3: Best Overall

The Galaxy Watch 3 is no doubt one of the best if not the best smartwatch there is out there. After all, it comes with pretty much everything that your average person needs.

• Battery: Up to 3 days with casual usage
• Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC, GPS, and LTE
• OS: Tizen

One of the main reasons why we love this smartwatch is due to the fact that it comes with both LTE and Wi-Fi connectivity. This means that with it, you always have the option of leaving your phone behind – which can be liberating in a number of ways.

For one, we never enjoyed having to carry a bulky smartphone while running. And smaller options are tough to find nowadays.

Another great thing about the Galaxy Watch 3 is that it comes with TizenOS and 8 gigabytes of storage. This allows you to install plenty of compatible apps from its app store – including Spotify for listening to music as well.

It goes without saying that you also get all of the most popular fitness-related features that smartwatches are known for. Step tracking, heart-rate monitoring, workout tracking, etc.

And all that without mentioning all of its options for customization. Or extra features such as stress tracking, for that matter. So, at the end of the day, this is the best Android smartwatch for fitness that your average person can buy. Its only downside is its mediocre battery life and high price tag.

Pros:

• LTE and Wi-Fi are both big pros in our book
• Nice and big display (AMOLED)
• TizenOS allows you to install plenty of apps and use Spotify independently from a smartphone

Cons:

• Expensive
• Mediocre battery life at best (Unless you turn off most features – but then there is no reason to pay a premium if you are not going to be using such features anyway)

Check it out on Amazon

2. Xiaomi Mi Band 5: Best Budget Fitness Tracker

The Mi Band 5 is more of a fitness tracker instead of a full-fledged smartwatch. However, it offers such great value that it would be a shame not to include it in this list. In fact, this is no doubt the best budget smartwatch that you can get at the moment.

• Battery: 7-14 days (Up to 21 with power-saving)
• Connectivity: Bluetooth
• OS: Unclear

First things first, while we don't have any information on the exact operating system that Mi Bands use, what we do know is that there is no option to install 3rd party apps. So, you can basically forget about Spotify or anything similar.

And even if we had the option of installing 3rd party apps, the lack of LTE connectivity and built-in GPS means that leaving the phone behind is not an option here.

With that said, you can obviously still track workouts by using the watch in combination with your smartphone. The Mi Band 5 comes with its on MiFit app that can track various kinds of workouts. And when it comes to tracking distance covered, speed, or pacing, it relies on the phone's GPS instead.

Thankfully, it at the very least has its own sensor for tracking steps. This means that if the only thing you care about is tracking calories and steps, leaving the phone behind for a walk is fine. At least as long as you don't mind missing a phone call.

Surprisingly enough, there are also plenty of features such as heart-rate monitoring, sleep monitoring, app notifications (with Bluetooth), and plenty of workout modes. Unfortunately, it doesn't offer the customization options that you'll find in premium smartwatches. But at this price point, we are not going to complain.

Pros:

• Very cheap
• Great value
• Lightweight
• Offers all of the basic features of a smartwatch
• Decent battery life

Cons:

• Relatively small display
• Doesn't come with Wi-Fi/LTE or GPS
• No option to install additional apps

Check it out on Amazon

3. Fitbit Versa 3: Best Overall Alternative Smartwatch

Do you want everything that the Galaxy Watch 3 offers but at half the price without LTE and offline Spotify? Then the Fitbit Versa 3 may be the watch to look out for.

• Battery: Up to 2 days (6+ days with battery-saving)
• Connectivity: Bluetooth and GPS
• OS: Fitbit OS 2.0

Just like our top pick, the Versa 3 comes with plenty of customization options, plenty of 3rd party options to choose from, and built-in GPS as well.

As we mentioned above, though, one of its biggest downsides is that it doesn't support Spotify offline. You can use DRM-free songs or Deezer – but that's still not as convenient (Or content-rich) as Spotify.

Other than that, there is also no LTE connectivity. But then again, we are talking about a watch that costs half as much as the Galaxy Watch 3 LTE.

That aside, compatibility with both Alexa and Google Assistant are most certainly welcome additions.

Needless to say that you also get all the 'basic' features such as sleep tracking, heart-rate monitoring, workout tracking, customization options, step-tracking, etc.

Do also consider checking out Fitbit Premium – a service that delivers personalized challenges, workouts, insights, and more.

Last, but not least, if you live in a supported region, you can also check your SpO2 levels for tracking o2 fitness. This is no doubt a great Fitbit watch.

Pros:

• Relatively good value
• Google Assistant and Alexa are both welcome additions
• Built-in GPS
• Plenty of customization options
• Large display

Cons:

• No LTE
• Spotify doesn't work offline (But you can control your phone's Spotify app)
• Mediocre battery life at best

Check it out on Amazon

4. Xiaomi Mi Band 3: Best Dirt Cheap Fitness Tracker

Cheap fitness trackers and smartwatches are often not worth it. But that's definitely not the case for the Mi Band 3. With great battery life and all of the basic workout tracking features, this is an awesome budget pick.

• Battery: Up to 20 days (Highly depends on what features are enabled)
• Connectivity: Bluetooth
• OS: Unclear

Let us clarify that this is a very basic tracker. While it has an OLED display, it only supports black and white colors. The reason we still include it on this list after also recommending the Mi Band 5 is because:

1. It offers superb battery life
2. It's the cheapest watch out there that's worth the money

Needless to say that you won't find things like LTE connectivity or 3rd party apps here. And there are also little to no customization options that we can speak of.

But with that said, don't forget that you still get all of the other features that you can expect to find on a budget smartwatch. We are talking about app notifications with Bluetooth connectivity, heart-rate monitoring, step-tracking, sleep-tracking, workout tracking (Only with the help of your phone), and all of the other basic stuff.

So, for about 20 bucks, we don't think you can find anything better out there.

Pros:

• Extremely cheap
• Offers all of the basic features
• Superb battery life

Cons:

• No LTE or built-in GPS
• Small, monochrome display
• Can't get 3rd party apps
• Few customization options

Check it out on Amazon

5. Garmin Fenix 6 Pro Solar: Best Solar Watch for Fitness

The Garmin Fenix 6 Pro is the exact opposite of an affordable fitness tracker. This is a serious piece of equipment for serious athletes or enthusiasts who are willing to dig deep into their pockets in order to take workouts to the next level!

• Battery: Anywhere from 10 hours up to 80 days (Depending on the enabled features and the solar charging level)
• Connectivity: Bluetooth, ANT+, and GPS
• OS: Garmin OS

Let's start by saying that unlike other smartwatches for Android, Garmin's offerings come with ANT+ connectivity. This means that you can pair the Fenix 6 Pro Solar with any ANT+ compatible sensor. And that could be anything such as a bike, a display, etc.

Another thing to keep in mind is that this watch comes with a built-in solar panel for charging on the go. And while that's no doubt a bit pricey, it can give you up to 80 days of continuous battery life with everything disabled and up to 16 days in smartwatch mode.

Don't forget that this is a full-fledged smartwatch for fitness – except for the fact that it doesn't have LTE or Wi-Fi. But, still, 16 days on something this powerful is nothing to laugh at.

The only big downside is that it costs close to $800 – which is an insane price tag even for high-end smartwatches. But whether it's worth it or not is up to you to decide. The lack of LTE and Wi-Fi are certainly two minor disappointments; especially due to the insane price tag. But everything else is on point.

Pros:

• Superb battery life
• Comes with a solar panel (There is a cheaper version of the watch without it as well)
• ANT+ connectivity is a welcome addition
• Tons of features and sports tracking (Safety, activity, fitness/gym, training, running, golfing, outdoor recreation, cycling, swimming, and more)

Cons:

• Very expensive
• No LTE or Wi-Fi despite the high price tag

Check it out on Amazon

6. Amazfit GTS 2: Best Budget Android Smartwatch for Fitness

The Amazfit GTS 2 may be the best budget smartwatch that you can get as it comes with both built-in GPS and storage for music while asking for less than $200. That's quite impressive, to say the least.

• Battery: Up to 7 days with typical use
• Connectivity: Bluetooth and GPS
• OS: Amazfit OS

This watch offers most of the stuff that you are likely to need from a smartwatch – if only with a few roundabout solutions.

First things first, this is one of the cheapest watches that offer built-in GPS. However, we are yet to see an LTE and/or Wi-Fi version. So, you'll have to rely on Bluetooth connectivity instead.

One thing to keep in mind is that while there are 3 gigabytes of storage for music, there is no support at all for Spotify or other 3rd party apps. So, you'll either have to rely on a Spotify converter/downloader or native DRM-free songs.

One of the main strengths of Amazfit watches, in general, is battery life. The Amazfit GTS 2, in particular, can give you up to 20 days of battery life with minimal usage and about a week with typical usage.

This is much longer than your typical smartwatch while you still have built-in GPS. Though, it's worth keeping in mind that GPS and Bluetooth calls are by far the most power-hungry features that can drain your battery in less than a day. But you are unlikely to rely on such features for extended periods of time anyway.

When it comes to downsides, the lack of Spotify and other 3rd party apps is somewhat of a letdown. But at this price point, we can barely complain.

Pros:

• Great battery life
• Built-in GPS at a somewhat affordable price
• Very large display for a watch
• Decent Value

Cons:

• No option for installing 3rd party apps (The storage is only there for music)
• No LTE or Wi-Fi options

Check it out on Amazon

7. Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2: A Cheaper Watch 3

Much like its bigger sibling, the Galaxy Watch 3, the Galaxy Watch Active 2 is all-around a full-fledged smartwatch with an unlocked LTE option and support for 3rd party apps. Except it's much cheaper and uses a slightly different design that may be more appealing for fitness.

• Battery: Up to 5 days with typical use (1 day with LTE and everything enabled)
• Connectivity: Bluetooth, GPS, LTE, NFC, and Wi-Fi
• OS: Tizen OS

Design aside, if you compare the Active 2 to the Watch 3, you'll notice that they have the same:

• Chipset, processor, and GPU
• Display technology, size and resolution
• IP68 waterproofing
• ECG certificatiton
• Specs
• Battery
• And mostly the same features as well

Other than that, the Galaxy Watch Active 2 also offers half as much memory (4 gigabytes instead of 8) as the Watch 3. But at the end of the day, they are very similar watches with a large gap in pricing.

So, if you want a much cheaper Galaxy Watch 3, you can't go wrong with this one!

Pros:

• Superb Value
• Offers unlocked LTE and WiFi options
• Supports 3rd party apps
• Tons of features

Cons:

• Battery life is not the best

Check it out on Amazon

8. Fossil Gen 5: Best WearOS Watch for Fitness

This is most likely the best Fossil watch and best WearOS smartwatch that you can get your hands on right now. Especially for the money that it's asking.

• Battery: Up to a few days in battery saving mode (1 day with LTE and everything enabled)
• Connectivity: Bluetooth, GPS, LTE, NFC, and Wi-Fi
• OS: WearOS

If you are after the LTE version, don't forget that apart from it being more expensive and having worse battery life than the non-LTE variant, it's also locked down to Verizon's network.

Leaving that aside, at the discounted price of just under $200, this is an absolutely superb value. You get built-in GPS, support for 3rd party apps, Google Assistant, and 8 gigabytes of storage.

And you obviously get all the basic goodies that smartwatches are known for. We are talking about the pedometer, heart-rate monitoring, workout tracking, Bluetooth with app notifications, sleep tracking, and all of the other basic necessities.

One of the few downsides, apart from the fact that the LTE version is carrier-locked, is that WearOS doesn't support Spotify offline. Only Samsung smartwatches with TizenOS do. The rest have to rely either on the phone or on DRM-free music.

Pros:

• Superb value (At least at the discounted price of $200 that seems to be commonly going around)
• Plenty of styling options to choose from
• WearOS is probably going to feel more familiar and homely to Android users since it is a version of Android for smartwatches
• Offers an LTE version
• Supports 3rd party apps

Cons:

• LTE variant is locked to Verizon's network
• Mediocre battery life

Check it out on Amazon

9. Amazfit Bip U Pro: Best Budget GPS Watch

It's no secret that smartwatches with built-in GPS are often a bit pricey, to say the least. But if you are looking for a good, cheap watch with GPS, we'd say that the Amazfit Bip U pro is definitely worth checking out.

• Battery: Typically about 9 days
• Connectivity: Bluetooth and GPS
• OS: Amazfit OS

Another impressive thing about this smartwatch is that it comes with built-in Alexa support and a large, 1.43-inch display. However, it looks like it has an IPS display instead of an AMOLED one, like most smartwatches do.

And the downside of having an IPS panel is that you can't use AOD (Always On Display) without absolutely butchering battery life. You can learn more about that with this article right here.

That aside, you get plenty of watch faces to choose from, all the basics such as heart-rate monitoring, a pedometer, 60+ workout modes, and anything else like that.

Unlike its more expensive siblings, this watch doesn't seem to have support for voice calls or internal storage for DRM-free music. But, again, you shouldn't be expecting this much at this price point anyway.

Pros:

• Large display
• Great value
• Built-in GPS at this price point is a huge plus
• Plenty of watch faces to choose from on the cheap
• Alexa is a welcome addition
• Cheap

Cons:

• IPS panel instead of AMOLED
• No LTE option (Which is to be expected at this price point)
• No internal storage for DRM-free songs or support for 3rd party apps)

Check it out on Amazon

10. TicWatch Pro 4G LTE: Best Alternative WearOS Android Smartwatch for Fitness

Mobvoi offers plenty of great watches and the TicWatch Pro 4G LTE is their latest offering as of early 2021. It comes with everything that you can expect to get from a premium WearOS smartwatch. So, definitely consider checking it out.

• Battery: Anywhere from one day to 5 days with auto-switching to Essential Mode
• Connectivity: Bluetooth, GPS, LTE, NFC, and Wi-Fi
• OS: WearOS

First things first, we should point out that this is another watch that is locked to Verizon's network. But you should still be able to use it without LTE if you wish to.

That aside, an interesting fact about the TicWatch Pro 4G LTE is that it comes with two displays. You have one AMOLED display for day-to-day use, and another, low-power, low-resolution LCD display for when the watch goes into power-saving mode.

We assume that this is one of the main reasons why you can get up to 5 days of battery with normal use and up to 30 days in Essential Mode with such a ''powerful' 'watch.

Though, LTE is obviously going to drain your battery in a day or less.

Other than that, there is not much else to note. It's a WearOS watch that supports 3rd party apps, 4 gigabytes of storage, and plenty of customization options along with the basic features that you can find in every smartwatch.

And while we don't have any major downsides to report, the fact that it is locked to Verizon's network is certainly going to be a major deal-breaker for a lot of people.

Pros:

• The dual displays are a welcome addition
• LTE, GPS, and support for 3rd party apps
• Superb battery life in Essential Mode (Only up to 2-5 days in hybrid mode and less than a day with LTE and everything enabled, though)

Cons:

• LTE is locked to Verizon
• A bit pricey

Check it out on Amazon

FAQ

Is a Smart Watch Really Worth it?

That obviously depends on who you are asking. One of the main reasons why we love premium smartwatches is because they give you the option of leaving your phone behind every now and then and also because they can help keep you motivated.

Is a Garmin Better than a Fitbit?

That depends on what you need. Garmin watches have the sole advantage of working with ANT+ sensors. Fitbit watches, on the other hand, are more focused on providing the best experience with nothing but your watch and phone.

What is the Best Budget Fitness Tracker?

The Xiaomi Mi Band 3 is your best bet if you want something for as cheap as possible. But the Mi Band 5 is also a great upgrade if you want to spend a little bit more.

Is it bad to Wear a Smartwatch All the Time?

No. Smartwatches are safe to use. But you should remove yours every now and then to clean it for hygiene purposes.

Do Smart Watches Give Off Radiation?

Smartwatches typically use either Bluetooth, LTE, or both. This means that they emit radiation in the radio-wave spectrum – which is by no means dangerous. You can learn more about that in this article right here!

Wrapping Up

These are our top picks for now. What's yours? Do you have anything else to recommend? Let us know and everyone else know about your thoughts in the comments section down below!

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