8 Best Samsung Smartwatches and Fitness Trackers in 2021

Have you finally decided to get a Samsung smartwatch? But with so many models being available with different features, choosing the right one can be a daunting task. That’s why after testing and comparing 11 models for 4 weeks, I have ranked and reviewed the 8 best options to consider this year.

If you want to use a smartwatch for fitness tracking, then you might consider the one that has accurate sensors. However, if you’re looking for responding to notifications or playing music, then you might prefer the watch that allows you to do so.

Feature-wise, The Apple Watch 6 is one of the best options, but it is not compatible with Android phones. On the other hand, most of the Samsung smartwatches listed below are highly compatible with both iOS and Android.

Not only that, the intelligent timepieces we’ve listed below aren’t just compatible with Samsung devices such as Samsung Galaxy S21, S10, Note 10, Note 9, etc, but are also compatible with other Android devices from brands like Google Pixel, OnePlus, Huawei, LG, Nokia, Motorola, etc. So you don’t have to worry much about compatibility before choosing from them.

8 Best Samsung Smartwatches & Fitness Bands

My list includes both 6 smartwatches and 2 fitness bands. Consider getting a fitness tracker if you’re focused on tracking activity such as counting steps, heart-rate, sleep, etc. However, a smartwatch comes with fitness tracking and a lot of additional features such as ability to read and respond to notifications, accept or reject calls, set reminders, etc.

1. Latest Samsung Smartwatch: Samsung Galaxy Active 2

The Galaxy Watch Active 2 is a go-to watch for everyone!

In just 6 months, Samsung has released the next version of its smartwatch, The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2. Although, it doesn’t have a lot of new features when compared to its predecessor i.e. Galaxy Active, it still looks like a fine-tuned version of it.

The Galaxy Active 2 watch comes in both stainless steel variant and an aluminum variant. It also has two different sizes: 44mm (1.4-inch display) and 40mm (1.2-inch display.) The biggest update is that it now houses a touch-sensitive bezel.

The intelligent timepiece also comes in an LTE version, which you can use via an eSIM. It means that you can accept and make calls even when you’re not carrying your smartphone. Also, as of press time, there is also an ECG sensor, which is not yet enabled, and will be available with a future software update, the timeline of which Samsung hasn’t shared as of right now.

Other than that, it runs on Samsung’s Tizen OS, which has a host of third-party apps but still leaves us wanting. It has more than 40 workout modes, with auto-pause detect, sleep tracking, stress monitoring and also guided meditations. The battery life takes a hit on the 40mm version, while the 44mm variant lasts about 3 days before you need to charge it again.

The watch also features an accelerometer, a gyro sensor, as well as a barometer, which helps you map out your expeditions with the aid of a compass. The GPS has improved with GLONASS and GALILEO, and not to forget, the device supports wireless charging.

2. Best Runner Up: Samsung Galaxy Watch Active

Meet the sportier and lighter cousin of the Galaxy Watch, the Samsung Galaxy Active. What features has the watch gained, what has it lost, but more importantly, is it really that active? Let’s find out.

The Galaxy Active is 20% smaller and 60% lighter than the Galaxy watch 2018. One of the very few annoyances from 2018’s Galaxy Watch users was the “bulkiness” due to which it wasn’t comfortable to wear while sleeping or even during intensive workouts. For this sole reason, the lightness of the Galaxy Active is so welcomed.

The Galaxy Watch Active is 40mm in size and comes with a 1.1-inch AMOLED display, but it no longer houses the rotating bezel like the previous Galaxy Watch. Although it makes the user accessibility bland, it does helps lose the extra weight. Thereby, making it a much more workout friendly smartwatch.

Samsung has also replaced the stainless steel design with an aluminum body which makes it thin as well.

The Galaxy Watch Active does retain the important features of its predecessor (the Galaxy watch.) It houses 40+ workout features, it’s water-resistant, enables sleep tracking, stress monitoring, GPS enabled, NFC for Samsung pay, 4GB storage for your offline music amongst other features.

The 3rd party apps are still far and few on the Tizen OS and we wonder what Samsung is doing to improve on the software front. It connects to both Android and iOS devices via the Samsung health app, which continues to have a getting used to period, to extract the maximum out of it.

The battery, although smaller, lasts up to 4 days on watch mode. But overall, given the price cut, the watch is an overall success at its range, and will definitely tap a demographic that found the Galaxy watch too expensive.

3. Best Value For Money: Samsung Galaxy Watch

For watch lovers, who want to make the switch to a trendy smart-watch Samsung has upped its game with the launch of its flagship Galaxy Watch. The stainless-steel watch houses a rotating bezel giving it the perfect analog look to make it seem as elegant as any other high-end watch, rather than a smartwatch.

The rotating bezel is for you to navigate through the plethora of features the watch presents itself with, so let’s dive in.

It comes with a beautiful 1.3 inch (46mm) screen that has great visibility outdoors under the sun. Powered by Tizen OS 4.0 it comes with a bunch of apps that can help you with your fitness routines as well as enjoying music with Spotify! The user interface is enormously smooth and easy to navigate and the customizable widgets are an added plus for how you want the watch to suit your needs.

It comes with 39 built-in workouts that you can use to track your fitness levels. There are also sensors to measure your stress levels which is a great addition. Just so you know, it also provides sleep tracking with categorization based on REM sleep, deep and light sleep.

The NFC variant also comes with Samsung Pay which helps you pay with just a tap of the watchmaking it exceptionally convenient. The watch has also incorporated Bixby, Samsung’s voice assistant, which is something not everyone has gotten really used to but is a nice addition.

It has an always-on display, which of course comes at the cost of reduced battery life, but isn’t too shabby with the watch lasting anywhere between 1.5 to 4 days depending on usage.

It’s compatible with both Android and iOS with the Samsung Health app, but the app interface is lacking when compared to other fitness and smartwatches. Overall, if you’re a loyal Samsung user, this chic timepiece was made just for you.

4. Best For Compatibility: Samsung Gear Sport

Meet the stylish Samsung smartwatch with high functionalities!

Get motivated to move around, eat better, and generally speaking live a healthy life, with the Samsung Gear Sport. The watch tracks your fitness and also makes notes on your diet, making it easy to keep your calories in balance and track calorie intake ensuring that you are on the right path to reach your goals.

The Samsung Gear Sport represents the second generation of Tizen OS watches and it comes in 2 colors – one to blend in, the other to stand out. You can choose the ever-classic, sleek-looking timeless black or a striking, dashing blue to accessorize your style quotient. The rotating bezel has a nice clicky feel to it and rotating it anti-clockwise will show you the notifications and clockwise rotation will bring up the apps.

The 1.2-inch Super AMOLED display comes with a 360 x 360-pixel resolution. It houses a dual-core processor with 4GB of internal storage. It’s waterproof to 50 meters; there’s a special Water Lock mode you need to turn on if you’re planning to go for a swim. It has features like the accelerometer, heart-rate sensor, gyrometer, barometer, and ambient light sensor.

In terms of connectivity, you get Bluetooth 4.2 and GPS with GLONASS with NFC which is helpful with Samsung Pay payments. So, that means as long as the watch and your phone are connected to the WiFi, you will continue to receive the notifications on the watch.

If you are into fitness, this is a great companion because it calculates steps, calories, distance, floors climbed, and so on.

5. Best Waterproof: Samsung Galaxy Watch RG

For the smart woman of the millennia, Samsung Galaxy watch RG is the gorgeous right choice.  The watch faces on this smartwatch are so stylish and realistic they hardly look digital and you can choose from a collection of interchangeable bands so your look and outfits are always well-coordinated with your smart-watch.

The smartwatch is sleek in design and is lightweight with a durable swim-ready design. It also houses a rotating bezel for you to navigate through the plethora of features the watch presents itself with like any of their 39 built-in workouts that you can use to track your fitness levels or enjoy listening to music while being on-the-go via Spotify!

Another handy feature is their built-in sleep tracker; you can now monitor your sleep and try to get a better night’s sleep to be fresh-as-a-daisy every day.

It comes with a beautiful 1.3-inch screen, with full-color always-on display whether it is bright or cloudy outside. The watch also houses Bixby, Samsung’s voice assistant, which is a nice touch. The wireless charger lets you power up without slowing down. However, your average expected battery performance is based on your typical use so results may vary.

It’s compatible with both Android and iOS with the Samsung health app, but the app interface is lacking when compared to other fitness and smartwatches.

6. Best Samsung Watch For Music or Spotify: Samsung Gear S3 Frontier

Samsung has two variants of its timeless design – the Gear S3 Frontier and the Gear S3 classic. Both these watches have a traditional watch look to them with Gear S3 reminding you of a rugged outdoorsy look with a style that blends stylishness and functionality.

The watch is designed with its size and shape chosen to achieve the same look and poise of a well-crafted luxury watch. However, this makes the watch clunky and not a very convenient choice as it is heavy to wear all the time and therefore, misses the mark on the wearability factor.

Gear S3 Frontier includes a built-in speaker and built-in GPS, making it the ideal addition to any watch collection and no, not as a smartwatch choice. The Gear S3 has IP68 standards for water and dust resistance, allowing submersion into the water of 1.5-meter deep for up to 30 minutes.

The watch is robust and this is proved by the fact that it is tested against US Military Standard (MIL-STD-810G), proving its ability to withstand extreme temperatures, dust and vibration, and therefore allowing the best to users in any environment.

The Gear S3 smartwatch offers a variety of band options, including Swiss brand Braloba Seta leather bands (navy blue and acacia brown), and Braloba Tuscany leather band (black and dark brown). It comes with customizable UI that displays time, steps-count and heart rate and more, allowing users to easily access information anytime. Samsung’s Tizen icons are bright, even in daylight.

The Gear S3’s signature rotating bezel has been enhanced with new features like users can just twist the bezel clockwise to accept a call, or anticlockwise to reject a call. This function is especially made easy when wearing gloves or hands are wet.

Users have the option of creating short reminders to manage your hectic schedules with the ‘Reminders’ application. Users can now remain safe by simply pushing the home key thrice, and then the user’s location will be immediately sent to a designated member, keeping users safe.

Gear S3 is a good option for a rugged watch but not as sleek as smartwatches of today are meant to be.

7. Best Fitness Tracker:Samsung Galaxy Fit

The Samsung Galaxy fit is the company’s cheapest wearable to slap around your wrist. In the fitness wearables market mostly dominated by Fitbit and the Xiaomi Mi band, the Samsung Galaxy Fit offers that little bit extra premium-ness, if you may.

This band has a cheaper variant as well called the Galaxy Fit E, which is best suited for beginners as it has only bare essentials here, for example, it comes with a monochrome screen, with no wireless charging support.

Galaxy Fit is a lightweight band (just 24 grams) that comes with a 0.95-inch full-color AMOLED display, so all your notification, texts, and fitness prompts are super crisp and sharp, even when outdoors. The silicon strap is of high quality and the overall lightness of the band sometimes makes you forget you even have it on. It has one customizable button on the side, which you can use to launch any of your favorite fitness features, whether running or swimming. The band is 5ATM water-resistant, making it swim-proof.

It has a great form factor, which means the band does not slide around on your wrist which aides in the Heart rate tracking. The feature itself is a hit or miss owing to the small sensor underneath the band, which makes it not very accurate. Galaxy Fit tracks your steps, calories, floors climbed, resting heart rate, stress levels, and sleep.

Although it lacks an altimeter, it gives accurate results when it came to floors climbed. The watch senses your movements and will auto-pause when not in motion, which is a nifty feature when you’re on your outdoor runs. The watch can auto-detect various exercise modes as and when you start to get active. The band does show you your notifications and you can respond to texts but only from a premade response list, which does the job more often than not.

The band comes with a 7-day battery life, which is awesome but takes almost 3 hours to charge from 0 – 100 which is a lot of time to spend considering other variants in this range comes with fast charging. The band connects to the Samsung health app, which houses all the stats from your sleep, workouts, and even your stress levels during the day. This watch is Samsung’s move towards the likes of the Fitbit HR and others. Overall, at this price point, this watch makes for a smart buy.

8. Cheapest Samsung Fitness Tracker: Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro

The Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro is a cool amalgamation of a fitness tracker and smartwatch; it fits somewhere between these two categories with features borrowed from both. But is it the best device for you? Let’s dive in and explore.

The most stand-out feature of this smart band is its increased water-resistance to 5ATM (roughly 50 meters or around 164 feet), the implication is that you’ll be able to wear the Gear Fit 2 Pro while swimming.

Samsung has also added a new built-in Speedo app to help track your swimming laps. There is also an improved buckle strap, which should keep the Gear Fit 2 Pro locked on your wrist while you’re swimming fast. It is almost like this band was designed keeping just swimmers as a demographic in mind, as there are not many additional changes to it over Samsung Gear Fit2.

The screen is a curved AMOLED display, available in two colors: an entirely black model, and a red variant. The band has the option customizing your watch face so the band feels more ‘you’ and to match any outfit or special occasion. The band has the option of downloading various fitness apps like MapMyRun, MyFitnessPal, and Endomondo for Gear Fit2 Pro and the Spotify app lets you play your own curated playlists on-the-go in their Offline mode.

The band has an auto-detect feature along with integrated GPS for tracking runs, heart rate tracking, step counting, and run tracking, all features the same as its previous model. Battery life is three-four days of battery life, varying on use of course.

Frequently Asked Questions

Verdict

With a solid brand name backing Samsung up combined with their tech expertise, you are sure to not regret picking up a Samsung watch as your next wearable option. Tizen OS is smooth and it offers a comparable experience to the Apple iOS.

The watches offer great over-all functionality coupled with fitness tracking abilities, making this a value for money purchase. Level up your lifestyle with a fine-tuned experience right on your wrist, with Samsung Smartwatches.