The main factor that differentiates a standalone and a regular smartwatch is that the regular one is dependent on a smartphone to achieve its full functionality while the standalone one can do almost everything on its own.
If you are looking for one then it’s probably safe to assume that you don’t like carrying your smartphone all the time or maybe you want a watch that isn’t dependent on your smartphone. Either way, if you’re looking for the best-rated standalone smartwatch, you’re definitely in the right place.
For standalone smartwatches to function without a smartphone is support for cellular connectivity. Previously you could use a physical sim card but that was soon replaced with eSIM. Most carriers including Verizon, AT&T, and more currently provide eSIM support.
Having a cellular connection can allow a smartwatch to make & receive phone calls & text messages, stream music, send emergency medical alerts to a selected group of people, receive OTA software updates using cellular data, and more.
When you’re going to make a purchase decision, it’s easy to get tempted by something you may regret buying later on. It can get super confusing with the features and the carriers, so to make your selection process easier, I’ve selected the top standalone smartwatches available in the market and listed them here.
Contents
- 7 Best Standalone Smartwatches in 2021
- 1. Best for iPhone Users: Apple Watch Series 6
- 2. Best for Samsung Users: Samsung Galaxy Watch 3
- 3. Best with Wear OS: Fossil Gen 5 LTE [Yet To Launch]
- 4. Best Budget Apple Watch: Apple Watch SE
- 5. Best Stylish Watch: Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2
- 6. Best Alternative with Wear OS: TicWatch Pro LTE
- 7. Best Under $200: Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Verdict
7 Best Standalone Smartwatches in 2021
I’ve evaluated a bunch of devices for hours before selecting the ones that made it to the list. After giving it a lot of thought, I’ve discarded all the older models that have backdated hardware & software but still sell for a good chunk of money.
The ones on the list are mostly newer models with all the latest tech & features that companies have to offer right now. These are also from various price points so hopefully, you’ll find something within your desired price range.
You do need to note that standalone smartwatches generally cost more compared to regular smartwatches so there isn’t anything here that can be called extremely budget-friendly.
1. Best for iPhone Users: Apple Watch Series 6
- OS: WatchOS 7
- Display: 1.78-inch OLED Touch
- Water Resistant: 5 ATM
- Sensors: ECG, Pulse Oximeter, Heart Rate, Altimeter, Gyroscope, Ambient Light, Accelerometer, Geomagnetic, etc.
- Battery Life: Up to 18 hours
Apple does smartwatches really well and the Watch Series 6 is the best that they make right now. Alongside being an excellent smartwatch, it also comes in a cellular variant. If you’re an iPhone user, this is the one you should be eyeing at.
Compatibility & Connectivity
Apple Watches don’t work without an iPhone. So, if you own a smartphone from Motorola, OnePlus, Google Pixel, etc., it won’t work. You need an iPhone to set the device up and activate eSIM. For connectivity, you get 4G LTE & UMTS, Bluetooth 5.0, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi (dual-band) alongside GPS, GLONASS, Galileo & Beidou.
The Standalone Features
As mentioned earlier, the Watch Series 6 allows 4G LTE connectivity and it’s unlocked, so any carrier that provides eSIM functionality should be supported. This allows for features like internet connectivity, calling & texting directly from the device, music streaming over cellular from services like Spotify & Apple Music.
The device can also send an emergency SOS to a group of selected people in case you collapse due to a medical emergency. As it’s connected to the Internet all the time, this feature will work outdoors without your phone being around. This can come in handy for seniors or those with pre-existing medical conditions.
Design & Build
The Series 6 looks extremely familiar with a rectangular case with rounded corners and the top glass curving from the sides. The digital crown remains on the side to navigate through menus and apps and it also helps with ECG measurements combined with the optical ECG sensor at the bottom.
The device is available in Aluminum, Stainless Steel & Titanium variants, and has a 5 ATM (up to 50 meters) rating for water resistance. Now, comparing the Titanium & Stainless Steel variants in terms-of price, they do come in more expensive than the Aluminum option.
Display
Apple is using LTPO OLED technology for the display and the 1.78-inch panel (1.57-inch on the 40mm variant) is sharp, bright (up to 1000 nits), and it has an infinite contrast ratio for punchy colors & perfect blacks. It also has an always-on display which is twice as bright when compared to the Series 5.
Performance
Coming to performance, the Apple S6 chip combined with 1GB of RAM provides the fastest smartwatch experience available right now. Swiping through menus is buttery smooth and app opening times are super quick.
WatchOS 7 blends perfectly with easy-to-use UI, availability of a large number of third-party apps, custom watch faces & more. The 32GB Internal Storage is more than enough to store as many apps or playlists as you want.
Health & Fitness
For health & fitness, the Series 6 can take an ECG and monitor Blood Oxygen levels. Alongside that, it also monitors Heart Rate, Sleep, and tracks things like Distance, Workouts, various Sports stats, Steps, Swimming stats, and more.
It doesn’t have blood glucose monitoring sensor, but you can use an external device like Dexcom G6 and get the readings on your watch (Note: Dexcom G6 works with your iPhone, but you get to see the readings your watch.)
Battery Life
The Series 6 can do up to 18 hours of mixed-use which is okay for a hyperactive UI like WatchOS. But, if you’re taking calls on LTE, it will drain significantly faster, lasting up to 1.5 hours on a single charge. So, it is recommended that you don’t take a lot of calls on your watch.
Who is this ideal for?
If you’re an iPhone user and you have the budget, get the Apple Watch Series 6. It is great as a high-end smartwatch & its standalone capabilities make it excellent for ditching your smartphone during runs, workouts & maybe just cutting off all those social media distractions.
- Calling, Texting, and Emailing on 4G
- Music streaming on Spotify & Apple Music
- Fall detection & SOS
- ECG & Blood Oxygen Monitoring
- Excellent performance
- A bit pricey
- Only works with iPhones
2. Best for Samsung Users: Samsung Galaxy Watch 3
- OS: Tizen OS
- Display: 1.4-inch OLED Touch
- Water Resistant: 5 ATM / IP68
- Sensors: ECG, Pulse Oximeter, Heart Rate, Barometer, Gyroscope, Ambient Light, Accelerometer, Geomagnetic, etc.
- Battery Life: Up to 2 days
If you belong to the Samsung clan instead, the Galaxy Watch 3 should be your leading preference. It is the most powerful & versatile smartwatch that Samsung currently sells, and it is excellent when it comes to standalone features.
Compatibility & Connectivity
Samsung does support iOS & Android smartphones alongside their new Galaxy S21 series, Note 20 series, and more. However, cellular connectivity doesn’t work with non-Galaxy smartphones. So, a Samsung smartphone is needed for activating the standalone features.
Other than 4G LTE, the device also supports Bluetooth 5.0, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, alongside GPS, GLONASS, Galileo & Beidou. Unlike the Apple Watch Series 6, the Wi-Fi isn’t dual-band in the watch, thereby it supports 2.4GHz networks only.
The Standalone Features
In terms of standalone features, the Galaxy Watch 3 is pretty similar to Apple’s Series 6. It supports calling, texting, active internet connectivity, Spotify streaming over cellular, fall detection with SOS, and more. That is a lot to fall back on when you don’t have your phone with you.
Design & Build
The Korean giant has been toning down its designs a lot to make its devices look more fashion-friendly. The Galaxy Watch 3 follows that trend with a much muted circular design, two tactile buttons on the side, and it has also retained the physical rotating bezel.
The case is made out of Stainless Steel and is rated for 5 ATM water resistance and IP68 water & dust resistance. The IP68 shouldn’t mean much in this case but, it’s nice for Samsung to go the extra mile.
Display
Samsung makes the industry-leading OLED panels for their phones & smartwatches and because the Watch 3 is a flagship, it is rocking the best display on any wearable currently available.
The 1.4-inch Super AMOLED panel (1.2-inch in the 41mm variant) is bright, vibrant, sharp, has perfect blacks, an infinite contrast ratio, and an always-on display.
Performance
As far as performance goes, the in-house Exynos 9110 with 1.5GB of RAM, flies through day-to-day tasks with no noticeable lags or stutters and quick app opening times. It’s no surprise the Galaxy Watch 3 has the best of Samsung’s hardware and it gets pretty close to the Apple Watch.
Samsung’s Tizen has matured a lot over time and right now it’s really good with a user-friendly UI and access to a ton of third-party apps with Spotify integrated right into the software. The 8GB internal storage is enough to store apps & some music.
Health & Fitness
On the health & fitness side, the Galaxy Watch 3 can take an ECG (US only), check Blood Oxygen, monitor Steeping habits & Heart Rate, track Stress levels, and also monitor Steps, Distance, Workouts, Swimming stats, and more.
Battery Life
For battery life, Samsung claims up to 56 hours of typical mixed-use which is about two and a half days. In real-world use, that comes down to around two days but, of course, taking constant calls will drain the battery within a couple of hours.
Who is this ideal for?
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 is an exotic smartwatch with high-end features and a complete set of standalone use cases. If you use a Samsung Galaxy smartphone and you’re looking for something to seamlessly integrate into the ecosystem but also hold out its own when the smartphone is not around, this one is your best resort.
- Fall detection & SOS on the go
- Integrated Spotify & playback over LTE
- Great performance
- Excellent display
- Calling & Texting over cellular
- Cellular can’t be set-up on non-Samsung devices
- On the pricier side
3. Best with Wear OS: Fossil Gen 5 LTE [Yet To Launch]
Fossil Gen 5 LTE
- OS: Wear OS
- Display: 1.28-inch OLED Touch
- Water Resistant: 3 ATM
- Sensors: Heart Rate, Gyroscope, Accelerometer, Compass, Ambient Light, etc.
- Battery Life: Up to 1 day
In case you don’t own an Apple or Samsung smartphone, you may want to pick up something from Google’s WearOS ecosystem. The Fossil Gen 5 LTE is my first choice for that. It has some great standalone features and is exclusive to Verizon.
Compatibility & Connectivity
From a compatibility standpoint, the device is indeed compatible with Android and iOS but you can’t use cellular connectivity with an iPhone. On the rest of the connectivity side, it has Bluetooth 4.2, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, and GPS/GLONASS.
The Standalone Features
This is Fossil’s first attempt on a standalone smartwatch and they have done a pretty good job. The device can do phone calls on the go, text messaging, and it’ll have an active internet connection, but sadly Wear OS still doesn’t have support for music streaming on 4G, so you’ll be stuck with downloaded music on the go.
Design & Build
When it comes to design, Fossil has gone with an ever-so-slightly different-looking circular case compared to the regular Gen 5 and the older Gen 4. Now, it still has one primary button & two extra customizable ones on the side. The case is made out of Aluminum and comes with a 3 ATM (up to 30 meters) water-resistant rating.
Display
The 1.28-inch OLED panel is pretty great with poppy colors, high peak brightness, sharp texts & visuals, and infinite contrast. It also has an always-on display mode and you can choose from a variety of watch faces to match-up with your style statement.
Performance
From a performance standpoint, the Snapdragon 3100 and 1GB RAM provides a fast & smooth experience while navigating through menus and opening apps. Also, the 8GB storage is more than enough space for the device.
Wear OS allows seamless integration into Google’s ecosystem and also grants access to the Google Play Store that has a huge collection of third-party apps. So, you shouldn’t have an issue with the availability of your preferable apps like Google Maps, Spotify, etc.
Health & Fitness
Coming to health & fitness, the Gen 5 LTE can do all the basic health & fitness stuff including Heart Rate Monitoring, Sleep Tracking, Step Counting, Distance Tracking, Workout Tracking, and more. It doesn’t do Blood Oxygen Monitoring so that’s kinda a bummer at this price.
Battery Life
Battery life is pretty standard with up to 1 day of mixed-use on a single charge. Now, in case you are taking a bunch of calls on the device, the battery will drain within a few hours. So, you may want to keep the charger nearby.
Who is this ideal for?
The Fossil Gen 5 LTE is a great option for Android users who want to use a standalone smartwatch that can also be a nice style statement. You do miss out on some of the premium features from the Apple & Samsung offerings but, this one is still pretty comprehensive.
- Stylish design
- Calling & Texting directly from the watch
- Internet connectivity on the go
- Great performance
- Excellent display
- Still on Bluetooth 4.2
- Cellular connectivity isn’t supported on iOS
4. Best Budget Apple Watch: Apple Watch SE
- OS: WatchOS 7
- Display: 1.78-inch OLED Touch
- Water Resistant: 5 ATM
- Sensors: Heart Rate, Altimeter, Gyroscope, Ambient Light, Accelerometer, Geomagnetic, etc.
- Battery Life: Up to 18 hours
If you want to get an Apple Watch but, the Series 6 is too much for your wallet, the Apple Watch SE is going to be perfect for you. It has all the perks of the Apple ecosystem & WatchOS while cutting off some of the newer features & hardware from the Series 6.
Compatibility & Connectivity
The compatibility situation is basically the same with support for iPhones so, Android smartphones or even iPads aren’t gonna work. For connectivity, it has 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.0, 802.11 b/g/n (Single Band) Wi-Fi alongside, GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou.
The Standalone Features
Perhaps the best thing about the Watch SE is the fact that you have the exact same standalone features as the Series 6. It’s also carrier unlocked, has Fall Detection & SOS, can do direct Calls & Texting, has access to Apple Music & Spotify over cellular, and more.
Design & Build
The design looks similar as well with a rectangular case with rounded corners, the Digital Crown on one side with the speaker on the other, and the monitoring sensors at the bottom. However, you can only get an Aluminum variant for this one as Premium options aren’t available.
Anyway, the case still has a 5 ATM water resistance rating, so no real compromise on protection or build quality for that matter. However, you don’t get to choose the Sapphire display protection as there are no Stainless Steel & Titanium variants available for this one.
Display
Just like its higher-end sibling, the Watch SE is also using an LTPO OLED panel (1.78-inch for 44 mm, 1.57-inch for 40mm) and it also goes up to 1000 nits. However, it doesn’t have an always-on display but, it still has excellent colors, infinite contrast, and sharp visuals & texts.
Performance
When it comes to performance, the Watch SE blows away the competition. The Apple S5 SOC paired with 1GB RAM allows for WatchOS to run buttery smooth with fast app opening times and no stutters at all. The internal storage is also the same at 32GB which is more than enough.
Health & Fitness
The Watch SE does have the basics like Heart Rate Monitoring, Sleep Tracking, Swim Tracking, Distance Tracking, Step Counting, Workout Tracking, Dedicated Sports Modes & the new Hand Wash Detection, but it does away with Blood Oxygen Monitoring and ECG.
Battery Life
Overall battery life is similar with 18 hours of mixed-use and 1.5 hours of LTE Talktime. However, charging speeds are slower as it’ll take an extra hour to reach 0-100% compared to the Series 6.
Who is this ideal for?
The Apple Watch SE costs significantly less compared to its flagship counterpart, it integrates seamlessly with the Apple ecosystem, and it has most of the new cool features alongside being an excellent standalone smartwatch. So, if you’re a bit tight on the budget, get the Watch SE instead.
Suggested Read: Apple Watch SE vs Apple Watch Series 6 (Comparison)
- Calling, Texting & Emailing on 4G
- Seamless integration with iOS & iCloud
- Music streaming on Apple Music & Spotify
- Hand-wash detection
- Excellent performance
- No always-on display
- Blood Oxygen Monitoring & ECG aren’t present
5. Best Stylish Watch: Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2
- OS: Tizen OS
- Display: 1.4-inch OLED Touch
- Water Resistant: 5 ATM/ IP68
- Sensors: ECG, Heart Rate, Gyroscope, Ambient Light, Accelerometer, Geomagnetic, etc.
- Battery Life: Up to 1 day
If you’re using a Samsung Galaxy smartphone but the Galaxy Watch Active 2 doesn’t agree with your style choices or is significantly heavier for your wallet, you can go for the Galaxy Watch Active 2 instead. It has most of the good stuff from the Watch 3 with a few trade-offs and a slightly different style statement.
Compatibility & Connectivity
The device supports iPhones, Galaxy Smartphones, and other Android phones but, of course, you can only use cellular connectivity with the Samsung Galaxy devices. On the connectivity side, it has 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.0, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi alongside, GPS, GLONASS, Galileo & Beidou.
The Standalone Features
On the standalone features side, the Watch Active 2 doesn’t make any major compromises. It has Calling & Texting over LTE, Music streaming on Spotify, and more. It does lose the Fall Detection & SOS feature so, if you have a history of collapsing & think you may need Fall Detection, go for the Watch 3.
Design & Build
You still get a circular case but, instead of the metallic bezel, the entire top is wrapped in glass making it one of the thinnest smartwatches on the list. The rotating bezel has been replaced with a touch-sensitive strip around the display. It is also certified for 5 ATM of water resistance alongside IP68.
Display
The 1.4-inch Super AMOLED display (1.2-inch on the 41mm) is a delight with punchy colors, infinite contrast, 1000 nits of brightness, always-on mode, and sharp texts. This is again one of the best OLED panels in the entire wearable industry.
Performance
Performance is really similar to the Watch 3 with the same Exynos 9110 & 1GB RAM powering the device. Samsung’s Tizen feels really fast on this hardware with no stutters and quick app opening times. The storage is lower at just 4GB and that might be an issue for some of you.
Health & Fitness
The Health & Fitness department is solid though with support for ECG (US only) which makes it the cheapest option with ECG in its segment. Other than that it has Heart Rate Monitoring, Sleep Tracking, Stress Monitoring, Distance Tracking, Step Counting, Swim Tracking, Workout Tracking, dedicated Sports Modes, and more.
Battery Life
For battery life, it is capable of a full day of mixed-use on a single charge. Just like every other option on this list, it’ll drain faster during calls on LTE. But, the device does support fast charging so, if you have the charger nearby, you shouldn’t have an issue.
Who is this ideal for?
So, if you find the slightly different design, the lower price compelling enough, and the lack of Blood Oxygen Monitoring doesn’t bother you, then go for the Galaxy Watch Active 2. It is almost as good as its flagship counterpart and it is light on your wallet.
- More style-conscious approach
- Calling & Texting support using 4G
- Great performance
- Integrated Spotify and streaming over 4G
- ECG support
- Cellular only works with Samsung smartphones
- No Blood Oxygen Monitoring
6. Best Alternative with Wear OS: TicWatch Pro LTE
- OS: Wear OS
- Display: 1.39-inch OLED Touch
- Water Resistant: IP68
- Sensors: Heart Rate, e-Compass, Gyroscope, Accelerometer, etc.
- Battery Life: Up to 1 day
Mobvoi’s TicWatch series is quite popular in the Wear OS segment of devices and if you didn’t like Fossil’s approach, you may find the TicWatch Pro LTE to be more compelling to your taste. It is very similar in features but it does have a different design approach and a number of other dissimilarities.
Compatibility & Connectivity
The compatibility department is basically the same with support for Android and iOS with cellular connectivity being exclusive to Android users. On the connectivity department, it has Verizon’s 4G LTE, Bluetooth 4.2, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi alongside, GPS, GLONASS & Beidou.
The Standalone Features
For standalone features, the Ticwatch Pro doesn’t skip on the necessities. It can do calling & texting over 4G and it also gets internet connectivity on the go. However, the company has implemented streaming music over 4G and number sharing with your phone. So, you can leave your phone and just take the watch for a run.
Design & Build
The design approach is also different with a more traditional watch look with a thin metal bezel across the display, and compared to the Fossil Gen 5, it’s a bit on the less-fancy side. The device also has IP68 water & dust resistance rating with no ATM rating but the company does claim that the device is Swim-proof.
Display
The 1.39-inch OLED touchscreen is great with deep blacks, vivid colors, sharp visuals, and there is also a secondary LCD display that can show time and a few basic stats while saving battery. This is a unique solution that allows you to not use the OLED display all the time.
Performance
The performance is a bit toned down though as the device is still using the older Snapdragon 2100 but, the 1GB RAM saves the day as RAM matters a lot in Wear OS. Overall, you won’t get to see any major issues in performance.
The UI seems smooth with no significant stutters and the app opening times are also fast. The 4GB internal storage is a bummer and if you can’t survive on lower storage space, maybe look elsewhere.
Health & Fitness
On the health & fitness side, it has all the necessities like Heart Rate Monitoring, Sleep tracking, Distance Tracking, Workout Tracking, Swim Tracking, Step Counting, etc. But, it does not have Blood Oxygen Monitoring, ECG, or Stress Monitoring, so you’ll be missing out on those.
Battery Life
The battery can go up to 1 day with typical mixed usage but, if you are using the LCD display a lot, it will last for a couple of more days. On the other hand, taking calls and streaming music is going to drain the battery within hours.
Who is this ideal for?
If you are going with the TicWatch Pro, you should mostly consider it for two things. The different design approach and the music streaming on 4G. If these don’t matter to you, get the Fossil Gen 5 LTE instead.
- Number sharing with your smartphone
- Calling & Texting on the go
- Music playback over 4G
- Secondary LCD display for battery saving
- Good performance
- Using older hardware
- No Blood Oxygen Monitoring
7. Best Under $200: Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music
- OS: Garmin OS
- Display: 1.2-inch Transflective MIP
- Water Resistant: 5 ATM
- Sensors: Heart Rate, Skin Temperature, Gyroscope, Ambient Light, Accelerometer, Geomagnetic, etc.
- Battery Life: Up to 5 days
Now, if you don’t want to go mainstream and want something that isn’t only a good standalone smartwatch but also a great fitness smartwatch, you may like the Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music (Verizon Edition) better. It gives you access to Garmin’s exclusive fitness features and it costs less than $200.
Compatibility & Connectivity
Garmin does support both iOS and Android on the Vivoactive 3 Music and the 4G LTE is of course, exclusive to Verizon. For the rest of the connectivity department, it has Bluetooth 4.2, ANT+, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, alongside GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo.
The Standalone Features
Now, the standalone features on the Vivoactive 3 Music are surprisingly great. You can make calls, send and receive text messages, stream online music, and it even has emergency incident detection and SOS where it’ll issue an alert to pre-selected contacts if it detects a medical emergency.
This is the closest match to Apple & Samsung’s offerings in this department.
Design & Build
This is the only device in this list that isn’t using a metal construction but, the fiber-reinforced polymer construction doesn’t feel cheap and is actually pretty sturdy. The Glass top cover also wraps around the corners and the overall design does look stylish.
The device is rated for 5 ATM (up to 50 meters) of water resistance, so if you want you can take the Vivoactive 3 for a swim, shower, a walk in the rain, or even Surfing if that’s your thing.
Display
The 1.2-inch Transflective MIP panel isn’t as flattering as a good OLED panel. It has okay-ish colors, good outdoor visibility, and it does not have an always-on display. But, it still gets the job done and if you don’t care about having amazing visual quality on your smartwatch, you won’t have any issues with it.
Performance
The performance is also pretty good with smooth navigation through menus and quick app opening times. It isn’t as fast as an Apple or Galaxy smartwatch, but that’s just how Garmin smartwatches are. Garmin UI is easy to use and you also have access to third-party apps.
Health & Fitness
Health & Fitness is the area where the Vivoactive 3 seems to shine. It has all the necessities like Heart Rate Monitoring, Sleep Tracking, Stress Monitoring, Swim Tracking, Workout Tracking, and more.
On top of that, the device can check Skin Temperature and it also gives you access to Garmin’s exclusive Golfing, Biking & Running (Pace Pro) features.
Battery Life
Battery life on the other hand is excellent with up to 5 days of mixed-use on a single charge. This has the longest battery life on the list. As it might have been obvious by now, calling or streaming music over 4G will drain the battery in a few hours so, either keep a charger nearby or don’t use those features all the time.
Who is this ideal for?
That being said, if you won’t mind going a different route or in case you want access to Garmin’s exclusive set of features, get the Vivoactive 3 Music and you won’t regret it. You can also consider this if you’re on a tighter budget but don’t want to compromise on standalone features.
- Calling & Texting on the go
- Emergency incident detection and SOS
- Music streaming over cellular
- Garmin exclusive Running, Biking & Golfing features
- Body temperature sensor for detecting fever
- Sub-par display
- Plastic construction
Frequently Asked Questions
A smartwatch that doesn’t require a smartphone to achieve its full functionality, supports cellular connectivity, and has smartphone-like features, is known as a Standalone Smartwatch.
If you’re going outside for a run, morning walk, workout at a gym, etc., and don’t want to carry your smartphone with you, you can just take your watch & leave your phone at home.
The main reason behind the higher cost is all the extra, cellular hardware that is inside the device. But, sometimes companies may also charge a premium for including more features or providing a better build quality or premium design on the cellular model.
Standalone Smartwatches are supposed to be an extension of your current smartwatch experience. So, although you can ditch your smartphone for short periods of time, you cannot live with just your smartwatch.
This is mostly because of missing features, unavailability of some necessary apps, and the massively smaller battery that can drain rapidly if you take calls or listen to music.
Some of the Standalone Smartwatches support all carriers that provide eSIM functionality (aka unlocked devices) while others may support a specific carrier. Before making a purchase, go to the support website of the brand and check for what carriers are supported and if the device is unlocked or not.
Verdict
As technology moves on, you need more flexibility and easy access to our technological essentials. Smartphones are really good at giving us those tools but it’s not always possible to carry a smartphone or sometimes you just want to cut off the distractions from social media.
That’s where Standalone Smartwatches come along and if you haven’t already decided on what device you should get, let me make this clear for you.
- If you’re an Android smartphone user, you’ll benefit from Wear OS powered devices, so choose from either the Fossil Gen 5 LTE or the TicWatch Pro LTE.
- The iPhone users should get the Watch Series 6 but, if your budget doesn’t permit it, you can also get the Apple Watch SE.
- If you’re a Samsung Galaxy Smartphone user, you can choose between the Galaxy Watch 3 or the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 based on your style & feature preferences.
- In case you’re looking for a no strings attached smartwatch with an excellent feature set, get the Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music (Verizon Edition)
For iPhone users, I’ll also recommend not going for the older Apple Watch Series 3 as the company has already discontinued the LTE models. If you’re on a budget, go for the Watch SE instead. So, those were my recommendations for the best standalone smartwatches that you can buy right now.
So, I hope you’ve finally found the perfect smartwatch for yourself. In case you found all of this useful, there are tons of other similarly interesting articles on the website, so maybe consider checking those out as well.
