If you’re an iPhone owner hunting for a smartwatch, the Apple Watch is the best choice for most users. And with the current range encompassing the Series 10, Ultra 2, and SE 2, there’s more choice than ever.
Regardless of your chosen model, Apple’s smartwatches are generally more expensive than options from Garmin, Huawei, Fitbit, and others.
Then, there’s the battery issue. For many, the 1-2 days of battery life isn’t enough – and many rivals perform much better.
Add all this to any reservations you may have about the square design of the brand’s smartwatch, and there are plenty of reasons for iPhone users to look for an Apple Watch alternative.
Wareable’s reviewers have tested every option out there. Remember to keep in mind that you won’t find anything from Google, Samsung or other Wear OS vendors here – they’re limited to Android phones and won’t work with iPhones.
Apple Watch Series 10
The Apple Watch Series 10 is – as you would imagine – an excellent smartwatch for iPhone users.
While Apple is known for its incremental year-on-year changes, the 2024 iteration marks a significant leap forward, offering thinner, lighter, and larger watches with more expansive, brighter displays.
While aluminum remains the standard, Apple has switched the premium material from stainless steel to titanium and carbon neutral, a welcome change based on our testing. Other enhancements include a louder speaker, a depth and water temperature sensor, a new S10 chip, and slightly faster charging.
Beyond the hardware, the Series 10’s real strength is in the rich ecosystem Apple has built up over the last decade of smartwatch entries. Features like Double Tap gestures, Low Power Mode, ECG readings, cycle tracking, and a robust app store make it a comprehensive smartwatch.
- Apple Watch Series 9 vs. Apple Watch Series 10
The watchOS 11 update also adds sleep apnea detection, the Vitals app, and advanced training insights, further solidifying its position as the premier smartwatch.
However, the Series 10’s remains hamstrung by its ‘single-day’ battery life. Even though the Series 10 will typically last 25-30 hours in moderate and heavy use, there’s still a daily question of when and where you’ll next charge it up. After a while, it can feel choresome.
Additionally, the increased case sizes (42mm/46mm, increased from 41mm/45mm) may not suit everyone, especially those with smaller wrists.
Still, if you can look past those shortcomings, the Series 10 is a compelling package – and a perfect option for those new to Apple smartwatches or upgrading from an older model (Series 6 and below).
- Read our full Apple Watch Series 10 review
Pros
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Easier to use -
Lovely finishes -
Sleep apnea detection
Cons
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Battery life is still a day -
Huge display is a lot on the wrist
Apple Watch SE (2nd generation)
The Apple Watch SE (second generation) is now the best affordable Apple Watch option for iPhone users – though it is likely to be updated in 2025 after it was skipped over at Apple’s last smartwatch refresh.
The package is still fairly comprehensive here for the asking price, and it’s perfectly capable of running the latest watchOS 11 software, though the hardware compromises are clear and easy to understand.
You sacrifice the thinner design, edge-to-edge screen, and always-on display, not to mention the advanced features like Double Tap, ECG, and temperature sensing.
However, you still get all the incredible sports tracking and activity monitoring features of the more expensive Apple Watch models and all the benefits of the incredible App Store. This helps elevate the device above its competitors.
Apple has included the S8 chip in this second-gen version of the SE, too, and it ensures the experience is just as zippy (and will likely continue to be) as with the Series 8. This will also future-proof the SE so that it will comfortably run plenty of watchOS upgrades to come.
- Read our full Apple Watch SE (2nd generation) review
Pros
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Tracking is very accurate -
S8 chip provides very smooth experience -
Superb value
Cons
-
Battery life hasn't progressed -
Design is starting to look a little old -
No always-on display
Apple Watch Ultra 2
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 features several enhancements without deviating from the 2022 debut design – other than it’s now carbon neutral, with 95% recycled titanium when paired with one of the new straps. For 2024, we also got a new black titanium finish.
It boasts a 33% increase in screen brightness, and the S9 SiP chip delivers a four-core Neural Engine, which enables the brilliant Double Tap gesture control feature and faster Siri response times.
A year on from its release, this remains an incredible smartwatch, which most importantly solves the battery life anxiety of the standard Series 10. Battery life surpasses Apple’s 36-hour promise, and we found it generally lasted into a third day with average use.
Sports tracking remains potent, with top GPS accuracy and incredibly feature-rich running and cycling modes – and we found VO2 Max accuracy to be spot on, too. The compass app has been given some new features, and TOPO mapping is a great addition alongside all the new tricks of watchOS 11.
It’s still the best version of the Apple Watch, but owners of the first-gen Ultra won’t have too many reasons to upgrade.
- Read our full Apple Watch Ultra 2 review
Pros
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Great screen -
Supreme GPS accuracy -
Gestures are cool AF -
Carbon neutral
Cons
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Wellness feels a tad stale -
Short on prosumer metrics -
New carbon neutral bands slightly dull
Garmin Venu 3
Best Apple Watch alternative
The Garmin Venu 3 goes head-to-head with the Apple Watch Series 10, aimed especially at sports and health enthusiasts – and it’s a serious Apple Watch alternative.
It comes in two available sizes (45mm and 41mm) with options for varied colors and features like the Sleep Coach and an automatic nap detection mechanism, which personalizes sleep requirements based on numerous metrics.
The Venu 3 is two things: a sporty smartwatch with a host of fairly basic sports profiles, and for a Garmin, produces quite low-level data for running, cycling – and also HIIT. There are decent golf features with distances for 40,000 courses built in.
The other half is a wellness watch, with in-depth metrics such as the new sleep coach (as mentioned above) but also Morning Report and HRV Status, Body Battery, stress tracking, and metrics such as respiration rate and heart rate.
Despite its enhanced GPS functionality and inclusion of the advanced Elevate V5 heart rate sensor, it omits multi-band GNSS. It also includes ECG to spot check heart rhythms for Afib.
Battery life is 10 to 14 days depending on the model size, so far better than Apple Watch.
And here’s the kicker: at $449.99/£449.99 it’s really expensive. But the company just launched the Vivoactive 5 at a fraction of the price.
Huawei Watch GT 5 Pro
Best for design
The Watch GT 5 Pro is a quality all-rounder smartwatch, providing typically brilliant Huawei hardware with a sports tracking experience that can comfortably match up with a smartwatch like the Apple Watch Series 10.
Though the GT 5 Pro’s 41mm and 46mm designs aren’t typical, classic smartwatch ones – Huawei saves those for its Watch 4 and Watch 4 Pro (below) – the latest premium entry into the GT series is one of our favorite designs of 2024.
We love the lightweight titanium used for the bold, octagonal bezel, and those who want to save a bit of cash can also consider the stainless steel Huawei Watch GT 5.
It doesn’t come with the same bells and whistles as the GT 5 Pro, though – ones that make it a great fit for golfers, divers, trail runners, and any user who craves thorough and accurate sports tracking.
Sleep tracking is also fairly solid – it’s consistent and helpful enough to get value from. Plus, the new snoring and breathing monitoring features add another layer to its health metric – even though we wish the Huawei Health app did a better job presenting the most pertinent findings.
The lack of a robust ecosystem, especially in areas like apps and payments, is noticeable and remains a significant drawback to Apple Watch devices. It can’t be understated how you’re essentially getting a fitness tracker in a smartwatch body here.
Yet, the trade-off for that compromise is much-improved battery life. If you want to get 14 days you will need to forego features like the always-on display, but we were able to consistently achieve 6-7 days in a very power-intensive setup. That makes it a worthy Apple Watch alternative.
- Read our Huawei Watch GT 5 Pro review
Pros
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Premium and unique design -
Accurate HR and GPS -
Solid AOD battery life
Cons
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No apps or payments -
Basic health insights -
Quite pricey upgrade from GT 5
Huawei Watch 4 Pro
Best for style
A powerful alternative to the Apple Watch, the Huawei Watch 4 Pro brings premium materials, a lovely screen, plenty of health features, and superior battery life.
The Huawei Watch 4 is everything great about what Huawei is doing with its wearables at the moment – but it still suffers from some core issues.
We’ll start with the good stuff. You can expect around three days of battery life with everything turned on, and you could push this to around five without the always-on display enabled. It’s not as high as other Huawei watches (like the Watch GT 5 range) but still outstrips the standard Apple Watch.
It’s a fitness powerhouse with good running accuracy and loads of fitness metrics – which got a clean bill of health in our testing.
Health features also excelled, with ECG on board, and the Health Snapshot feature, which also checks arterial and respiratory health.
The downsides are the things the Watch 4 Pro doesn’t have. No NFC for payments, music streaming services, or a proper app store means the Watch 4 can’t match the Apple Watch in many respects. But it’s still an enjoyable smartwatch to use and a worthy alternative.
- Read our in-depth Huawei Watch 4 Pro review
Pros
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Great health features -
Bold, classy design with quality materials and top screen -
Diving credentials -
iOS and Android friendly
Cons
-
Pricey -
No apps and basic ecosystem -
Heavy – no silicon strap included
Fitbit Sense 2
Best for health insights
A powerful health watch (but an average smartwatch), the Fitbit Sense 2 is one of the only devices that can match up with the Apple Watch Series 10 as a medical device.
It excels as a sleep tracker and heart rate monitor, and it boasts ECG for the detection of Afib, and SpO2, which is linked to sleep tracking for the detection of sleep disorders.
Add in an electrodermal activity sensor (EDA) for stress detection, and even a temperature sensor to put you in tune with your body and health, and there’s a lot to like.
And it’s no slouch when it comes to fitness either, with GPS and support for Strava.
Few devices put you in control of this much data about your body, but there are caveats.
The Fitbit Sense 2 isn’t an amazing smartwatch. Though Google Wallet has now arrived on the device, third-party apps are virtually non-existent and the watch face gallery is clunky and full of paid-for options with a bizarre payment process.
There are not that many on-watch features, either, making it a very basic smartwatch to use outside of activity tracking features. But you do get around six days of battery life, and a seriously rapid fast charge.
If you’re looking to get the maximum amount of health data from your smartwatch, the Fitbit Sense 2 is a good choice.
- Read our in-depth Fitbit Sense 2 review
Pros
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ECG and top health features -
Improved design with a button -
A week of battery life
Cons
-
Stress tracking didn't impress -
Poor OS and no apps -
Expensive
Garmin Epix Pro / Fenix 7 Pro
Best outdoors alternative
Warning: While the Garmin Epix Pro and the Fenix 7 Pro remain top alternatives to the Apple Watch lineup, the brand released the Fenix 8 and Fenix E in September. We’re currently putting these latest models through testing ahead of in-depth reviews and will share our recommendations in an update to this section.
The Garmin Epix burst into the sports watch range in 2022 – as a Fenix 7 without compromises. The headline feature is that touchscreen 1.3-inch, 416 x 416-pixel resolution AMOLED display, offering the best of Garmin’s sports watch range, with a more pleasing, high-end experience.
We’re also bigging up the Fenix 7 here, although its transflective display pales (literally) in comparison to full AMOLED rivals such as the Apple Watch.
The 47mm case will be too big for some, but now the Epix Pro comes in 42mm. If you have thin wrists, it’s a bit of bulk to carry, with a 22mm strap and tipping the scales at 78g. But it’s 2mm smaller than the Apple Watch Ultra and delivers serious sports tracking power.
There’s an insane array of sports tracking modes, top-notch analytics, mapping on the wrist, Firstbeat VO2 Max and training insights, and the new Stamina tracking. However, in testing, we found that improvements could be made to sleep tracking and the usefulness of elements such as stress tracking and Body Battery.
The Epix still musters a surprisingly long period away from the charger. Garmin says you should get up to 16 days of battery life in smartwatch mode, with 6 days if you use the screen in always-on mode.
You get to 42 hours in GPS mode (30 hours in always-on mode) and 21 days in battery-saver mode, so it’s in a different league compared to the Apple Watch.
In short, the Garmin Epix is the closest we’ve seen to a no-compromise Garmin sports watch – but with a price tag that eclipses most rivals. And don’t rule out the Garmin Forerunner 965, either, if you want that AMOLED display in a cheaper package that can still track activity with the best of them.
- Check out our Garmin Epix Pro (Gen 2) review
Pros
-
Solid hardware additions -
Finally available in three sizes -
Great accuracy across the board
Cons
-
Epix 2 and FR965 are better value -
ECG hardware not being used -
Mediocre smart features
Withings ScanWatch 2
Best hybrid alternative
If your eye has been caught by the advanced health tracking capabilities of the Apple Watch Series 10, then the ScanWatch 2 is a fine alternative.
The key difference is that the ScanWatch 2 is an analogue watch that hides its smarts away. There is a small screen: a monochrome OLED panel that shows basic stats and notifications, positioned on the dial.
In terms of features, strong heart rate tracking, sleep monitoring and ECG for the detection of Afib round out a health focused smartwatch, with good accuracy and plenty of insights.
What’s more, the ScanWatch 2 will look for breathing issues during sleep, and detect high/low heart rate.
And it will still track workouts, and even GPS if you take your phone along with you.
We did find a few issues. Automatic workout detection is poor, and sleep accuracy lagged the likes of Oura and Whoop. And of course, you don’t get things like payments or apps.
But the 30 day battery life is also the antithisis of a single day on Apple Watch.
If you don’t want a computer on the wrist, the ScanWatch 2 is a powerful and discreet health smartwatch.
- Read our full Withings ScanWatch 2 review
Pros
-
Solid and sleek design -
Top battery life -
Breathing and temp data
Cons
-
Insights slightly lagging rivals -
Sleep data not best in class -
Rogue workout detection
Amazfit Active
Best budget alternative
If cost is your main issue with the Apple Watch – and the cheaper Watch SE – then the Amazfit Active is the place to go.
We booted out the bargain Bip from this list in favour of the Active, which comes in at around $149/£129. For that it offers excellent GPS tracked outdoor workouts, with solid heart rate tracking (as long as you wear it nice and tight).
Sleep duration is a little over-estimated, but consistantly tracked with tons of data. And the Zepp Health app is a great place to review your health and sleep data.
Amazfit has added a new Readiness feature, which apes the likes of Oura and Whoop to produce an insightful, single score on how well your body is recovered for the day.
Finally, the battery will last nearly two weeks – a stat to be smug about to your Apple-toting friends.
While not a looker and made of plastic, the Active still manages to be slim, light and comfortable. And the full AMOLED display offers good usability, in a package that certainly belies its price tag.
Read our Amazfit Active review
Pros
-
Great battery life -
Solid GPS and sports features -
Slim and light
Cons
-
Budget OS -
A little fiddly to use -
Some HR issues
Key considerations
1. Battery life
The Apple Watch’s Achilles heel is battery life, and Apple only promises 18 hours between charges (although we usually get 36). But you might be surprised to know that it’s a relative outlier. Most smartwatches now offer a week or more away from the charger, which is a huge draw away from Apple’s smartwatch. However, if you’re willing to spend, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 will last around 2-3 days.
2. Price
Apple Watch starts at $269/£299 for the SE (2nd gen) and $399/£419 for the Series 10. And the new Apple Watch Ultra 2 comes in at a whopping $799/£849. Alternatives are available for less than $99/£99 albeit with serious sacrifices in terms of features and screen tech. However, quality Apple Watch alternatives are available for under $200/£200, should you want to keep costs down.
3. Apps and iOS
The Apple Watch is one of the few smartwatches with a burgeoning App Store, and there’s not a single alternative that can rival this aspect. So by opting for an Apple Watch alternative, you might miss out on your favorite 3rd party services, such as Spotify, Google Maps, or your favorite workout-tracking app. That also extends to features like Apple Pay or LTE, which Apple does better than its rivals.
The post 10 best smartwatches for iPhone – and Apple Watch alternatives appeared first on Wareable.
