The best Samsung Galaxy smartwatch for 2022

Samsung smartwatches tend to be the best for most consumers within Android land. The company has built a portfolio of good-looking wearables that help you keep track of your health and act as a companion for your smartphone. While the Galaxy Watch 4 series is the latest entrant in the space from Samsung, there are different watches best suited for different types of people. Here are the best Samsung Galaxy smartwatches for 2022.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4

Best overall

Why you should buy this: For its feature-rich package and variety of sizes.

Who’s this for: Anyone with an Android phone who wants a smartwatch.

Why we chose the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4: It is the latest and greatest Android smartwatch.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is the best Samsung Galaxy smartwatch in the market right now. It is the first device from the company to run the new Google Wear platform, co-designed by Samsung and Google. The smartwatch features a round design that is suited for both women and men. If you want the joy of rotating the bezel, you can opt for the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, but you will have to pay a little bit more. The Galaxy Watch 4 is the best Android smartwatch for people with narrower wrists.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 comes with features like ECG and heart-rate tracking, as well as a wide range of fitness features. It offers amazing performance packed in a durable stainless steel build on the Classic variant. It is offered in 42mm and 46mm variants. On the other hand, the vanilla Galaxy Watch 4 is lightweight with a minimalistic design and comes in 40mm and 44mm models. You get 5ATM, IP68, MIL-STD-810G durability ratings for your swimming, lifting, and running needs on both variants.

Wear OS 3 means you get a complete set of Google Play store apps, including Spotify, YouTube Music, Google Maps, Samsung Pay, and more. It is available in several color options, including black, silver, green, and pink gold. Notably, the base variant is 12 grams lighter than the 52-gram Watch 4 Classic. It fits comfortably on the wrist with the included silicone strap.

The Galaxy Watch 4 screen sits flush to the aluminum body, but there is a black bezel ringing it along with two lug buttons. The physical buttons can be used to go back to the home screen or reopen a previously opened app. On the other hand, with the Classic model, you can navigate through the UI with the digital crown. You can also run your finger along the bezel on the Watch 4, and it should replicate the same effect as rotating the physical bezel, complete with haptics.

As for the smarts, you get Bixby if you want to use voice commands. Apps like Spotify and YouTube Music support offline listening mode, which means you can leave your phone at home when you go for a jog. You get media controls for most apps, including Audible, Netflix, and Pocket Casts.

The Watch 4 can measure an impressive set of stats, including Body Mass Index (BMI), Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), weight, muscle, fat mass, and body fat. The resulting numbers are provided much in the way of a breakdown or explanation of what it all actually means. By contrast, stress tracking doesn’t throw quite so many numbers at you, but simply plots your stress level on a chart.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4

Best overall

Samsung Galaxy Watch 3

Best for style

Why you should buy this: For its looks. While it is stylish, it maintains a traditional watch look.

Who’s this for: Anyone willing to buy a traditional-looking smartwatch.

Why we chose the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3: It offers a stylish design without compromising on features and durability.

If you want a Samsung smartwatch with stylish, traditional watch looks, the Galaxy Watch 3 is the one to go for. And fret not, as style doesn’t mean a compromise on durability. It comes with an IP68 water-resistance rating and MIL-STD-810G certification against drops, plus Gorilla Glass DX over the screen. It features a traditional strap, and if you buy the leather one, it will wear well.

It’s made of stainless steel and has two buttons separated by a guard piece on the right of the case. It’s feature-packed as well — there’s SpO2 and VO2 Max monitoring, sleep tracking, and a plethora of other fitness features. Unlike the Galaxy Watch 4, the Watch 3 runs the in-house Tizen OS. It has an ECG monitor but misses out on blood pressure monitoring.

The 45mm Galaxy Watch 3 has a chronograph style and is slightly more masculine than the 41mm model. It has a sporty look, weighs 53 grams, and is 11mm thick. It comes equipped with a 1.4-inch Super AMOLED screen that has a 360 x 360-pixel resolution, making it sharp and colorful. Overall, the design makes it look like a regular watch.

There are two buttons on the right edge. A long press of the top button activates Samsung Pay, and a long press of the lower button summons the Bixby voice assistant. The navigation is convenient and intuitive, with a hyper-fast response from the sensor, so you can spin it this way and that without the watch getting bogged down.

It runs Tizen, which is Samsung’s in-house operating system for its wearables. The OS is refined and mature and is considerably closer in usability to WatchOS than to Wear OS. You can rotate the bezel to the left to see your notifications and rotate to the right to see fitness data, workouts, weather, quick-access buttons, and more.

The small screen displays large and clear text with good sunlight legibility. Moreover, the widget array can be personalized, so you rarely need to visit the main app menu. Haptics are strong and noticeable as well. Furthermore, the notifications can be interacted with using canned replies, emoji, voice, or a little alphanumeric keyboard.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 3

Best for style

Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2

Best for the price

Why you should buy this: For its plethora of fitness features on a budget.

Who’s this for: Anyone looking for a fitness-focused Samsung smartwatch.

Why we chose the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2: It offers all the fitness features while looking elegant.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 offers a lot of features that you get on the Watch 3 and 4. For instance, it includes an ECG app and fall detection alongside a physically rotating bezel that has a thicker frame. It is light and small, so it suits almost everyone. The built-in GPS feature is especially useful for outdoor runs but drains the battery.

You can handle calls, texts, and app notifications as well as get Spotify support on the 2.5GB of onboard storage of the Galaxy Watch Active 2. There is an LTE version that gives you LTE connectivity, so you can receive calls on the go without your Android smartphone nearby. It is comfortable to wear during workouts as well as the night for sleep detection.

The Galaxy Watch 4 won’t be mistaken for a traditional watch, even from afar. The 44mm model gets a 1.4-inch screen with a 360 x 360 resolution. However, people with smaller wrists might like to go with the 40mm model, which has a 1.2-inch screen. The display looks great in almost any lighting situation. The slightly dimmed always-on display is easy to read in direct sunlight as well.

You get two buttons on the right edge of the watch which are easy to press and don’t stick out too much. The Active 2 also has the requisite water and dust resistance ratings. It meets IP68 and 5-ATM standards, which enables features like swim tracking.

Like the Galaxy Watch 3, the Galaxy Watch Active 2 runs Tizen OS. It handles notifications well, as they are grouped by the app into screens for you to swipe or scroll through. It offers a variety of good-looking watch faces with different functions and styles. It also adds a feature called My Style, which is a unique way to match your watch face to your outfit. All you need to do is take a photo of your outfit in the Galaxy Watch app, and a few patterned backgrounds will be generated for you to choose from.

Third-party app integrations include Twitter, YouTube, and Google Translate. You can scroll through your Twitter feed, liking and retweeting Tweets. The smartwatch can last two days with light usage. If you include 30 to 60 minutes of exercise, you will likely have to charge it before going to bed.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2

Best for the price

Which is the best Samsung smartwatch in 2022?

While these are the best options for each category and price, if we are forced to choose, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is the best smartwatch from the company in the market right now. It is sleek, stylish, and beautifully designed, while also offering a slew of fitness features alongside durability. Plus, it ranges from 40mm to 46mm (including both vanilla and Classic models), so it appeals to a wide variety of consumers.

The Galaxy Watch 4’s fit is comfortable, and it is especially good for smaller wrists. Both the variants have IP68 water resistance rating, plus a MIL-STD-810 G-rated case for toughness. You get to measure your heart rate, electrocardiogram (ECG), Body Mass Index (BMI), Basel Metabolic Rate (BMR), stress levels, and more. In terms of specs, the watch is powered by the Exynos W920 processor comes with 1.5GB of RAM and 16GB of storage.

The abundance of features, smooth and responsive OS, and comfortable design and ergonomic controls make the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 series the best in the market for Android smartphone users.

Tizen or Wear OS 3: Which is the best?