10 Best Smartwatches with Long Battery Life in 2021 [Expert Picks]

One of the biggest problems faced by most smartwatch users is charging their watch regularly. If you’re also facing this, you should get a smartwatch with long battery life. But with so many options out there, which one to get? Well, I promise you’ll find just that in a couple of minutes.

No matter how good your smartwatch is, if the battery doesn’t last long enough, you’ll end up charging it more often, and the experience would really suck. Similarly, you wouldn’t need a smartwatch that lasts for days but doesn’t come with the ‘actual’ smart features you need. So one must choose the option that has a perfect balance between battery and features.

You also can’t expect a smartwatch’s battery to last as long as a normal wrist watch. But, you shouldn’t overlook how long it will last on a full charge and how much can the usage factors make the battery life differ? Here are a few important things to consider when purchasing a smartwatch with best battery life:

• In the health department, you should look for things like a SpO2 sensor for monitoring oxygen saturation, heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, and if you’re getting a premium smartwatch, also check for things like support for Dexcom G6, ECG, stress monitoring, body temperature checking, fall detection, etc.
• On the activity side, check if the smartwatch can track your basic activities like running, swimming, biking, etc. On premium models, things like hiking and outdoor activities such as Hunting are a plus.

Back to battery life, you need to consider the factors that may drain your battery faster. Here are some of the use case scenarios that can drain your battery faster:

• If you’re navigating through Google Maps, your GPS is constantly being used, and your screen is also staying on all the time.
• If you’re streaming music over the internet.
• In case your watch supports cellular connectivity, and you’re making voice calls over 4G LTE.
• The always-on display modes should save more battery compared to when the screen is being operated. But, they’ll still consume a chunk of your battery compared to if the screen was completely off.

Best Smartwatches with Long Battery Life in 2021

Taking so many factors into consideration makes choosing a smartwatch with long battery life really hard. That’s why I’ve decided to do that hard work for you.

I did splendid research by testing, reviewing, and comparing 37 smartwatches and listed the best models with the longest battery life you can get right now. I almost spent 371 hours researching to make sure that this post has the most accurate information, and that’s why it could be quite long.

1. Best Battery Life: Garmin Fenix 6X Pro

When you need a powerful smartwatch that has excellent battery life as well, the Garmin Fenix 6X Pro would be on top of our recommendation list. Garmin’s latest flagship, the Fenix 6X Pro, has almost everything you might need in a modern smartwatch.

Compatibility & Connectivity

Garmin has support for both Android and iOS so, doesn’t matter if you have an iPhone or an Android device. In fact, it also beats Apple Watch Series 6 in the compatibility round because the one from Apple isn’t compatible with Android.

On the connectivity side, there is support for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and ANT+. In terms of navigation, there is GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo. The only thing that the Fenix 6X Pro lacks for a premium smartwatch is Cellular connectivity.

Internal Hardware

Garmin doesn’t mention what kind of SOC or how much RAM they’re using so, can’t give you a confirmation on that. But, they do mention 32 gigs of Internal Storage which means there is enough space to store all your apps and even some music if you want.

Garmin has their Garmin OS ecosystem in place and thanks to the availability of a large number of sensors, all the necessary health & fitness monitoring features are there.

Health & Fitness Features

The health monitoring features include ECG, Blood Oxygen Monitoring, Heart Rate Monitoring, Step Counting, Sleep Tracking, etc., and tracking features include running, biking, playing golf, hiking, etc. There are a good number of available apps, including important ones like Uber & Spotify, and there is also Garmin Pay for payments.

The Display

The Fenix 6X Pro has a 1.4-inch transflective memory-in-pixel display with a resolution of 280 x 280 pixels. It supports different watch faces with ones created to do specific tasks and it also supports Always-on display.

Design & Build

Garmin has gone with a circular design-build with steel, weighing at around 66 grams for the case. The regular variant has Corning’s Gorilla Glass DX and the Sapphire variant of course has sapphire on top.

The build quality is sturdy and the buttons are going to feel tactile as well. The watch is rated at 10 ATM for water resistance which means it can survive under up to 100 meters of water. That makes it perfect for swimming & surfing but, do not take your Fenix 6X Pro for diving under the ocean.

Battery Backup

Battery life on the Fenix 6X Pro is great. It can go up to 21 days on a single charge in average use cases. However, if you’re using the GPS continuously, it’ll last you 60 hours, and if you’re also listening to music alongside, it’ll last you 15 hours. If you’re on battery saver mode all the time, you can get up to 80 days, but that’s unlikely gonna happen. There is also a Solar edition that can charge using the sunlight.

Should you get it?

The Fenix 6X Pro comes with a 1-year International Warranty so traveling to another country isn’t an issue as well. With all of that, the Fenix 6X Pro is an almost perfect smartwatch with best battery life. Of course, it has its limitations but, if you’re not gonna be bothered much by them, then it is going to be a great option for you.

2. Best Budget-Friendly: Amazfit Bip

Come to the affordable smartwatch realm now, the Amazfit Bip is a great option for people on a budget. It does bring some pretty cool features with it but, that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t come with its own set of compromises.

Compatibility & Connectivity

The compatibility is a non-issue as the Amazfit Bip supports both Android and iOS ecosystems. For connectivity though, they have GPS+ GLONASS for navigation alongside Bluetooth & Wi-Fi. Amazfit claims that they are using a chip from Sony for GPS that alongside improving the navigation stuff, also reduces battery consumption.

Internal Hardware

If you’re looking for the core internals, I can’t tell you that ‘cause, Amazfit doesn’t mention the SOC, RAM, or Storage for the Bip. However, expect them to be on the slower and with less storage space available. For the health features, we do have Heart Rate Monitoring and there are tracking metrics in place for things like Running, Biking, Walking, etc.

The Display

For the display, Amazfit has gone with a 1.28-inch, semi-transparent reflective color display panel with a resolution of 127 x 127 pixels. It has an Always-on Display mode and Amazfit says that the display should be brighter enough and yet consume less power because of the display technology they’ve used.

Design & Build

The rectangular case has rounded sides and is made out of hard plastic. There is no rating for water resistance but, it should handle a few splashes of water just fine. Otherwise, the build quality won’t be as par with more premium smartwatches but, that’s kinda expected at this price point. Also, I do need to mention that there is a thick bezel under the display.

Battery Backup

For battery life, Amazfit claims that Bip should last around 45-days on a single charge. It probably won’t do that in real-life usage but, looking at the super limited tasks that the watch can do, it might get pretty close. So, technically, this is the smartwatch with longest battery life on this list.

Should you get it?

There is a 1-year domestic warranty on the Bip and it does not cover accidental damage, so don’t drop your watch maybe. However, for a budget smartwatch, the Amazfit Bip does a lot and if you want something affordable, the Amazfit Bip might just be the one for you.

3. Best WearOS Watch: TicWatch Pro

Mobvoi’s Ticwatch series has been performing really great lately and that’s why our next pick is the TicWatch Pro. It isn’t as great as something like the Fenix 6X Pro but it still has a great feature set and it also costs less, so that kinda makes sense.

Compatibility & Connectivity

The TicWatch Pro has support for both iOS and Android smartphones. That means even if you change platforms in-between or use both platforms, you should still be able to use the watch. For the connectivity options, there GPS/AGPS for navigation, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, and Bluetooth 4.2. It doesn’t come with ANT+ or Cellular connectivity so, keep that in mind.

Internal Hardware

Powering the TicWatch Pro is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Wear 2100 and 1GB of RAM. That should ensure a relatively fast, sustained performance. But, there is only 4GB of Internal Storage so, that is something you should be concerned about in this particular model. I mean it doesn’t really come super cheap, so low storage is a huge minus.

Health & Fitness Features

The TicWatch Pro is using Google’s Wear OS which means you get access to a huge collection of apps and Google Pay which is more widespread. The tracking health and fitness tracking features are limited though. There is support for Heart Rate Monitoring, Step Tracking (counting) and it also tracks some workouts.

You can manage phone calls or get SMS alerts, so that’s cool and you also get Google Assistant which is the best in the business right now.

The Display

The TicWatch Pro is using a 1.39-inch OLED panel with a resolution of 400 x 400. Now, having the Google Play Store gives the watch access to hundreds of watch faces. There is no always-on display feature available so, if you wanted that, it’s another downside for you.

Design & Build

The TicWatch Pro is carrying a circular design with an Aluminum build. The build should be sturdy and robust as it also comes with Military Standard 810G toughness. Unlike the more expensive smartwatches, the TicWatch Pro has an IP68 rating which isn’t as compelling as a 5 ATM rating but you can still take it for a swim.

Battery Backup

The battery life is slightly confusing and the claimed time is around 30 days only if you’re in the essential mode. On smart mode, the watch will last you 2 days. So, in mixed-use case scenarios, which should be a more real-life situation, you should get somewhere between that. The battery capacity on this one is 415 mAh which is actually not bad.

Should you get it?

There is a 1-year limited warranty that will be applied locally. In case you want to cover accidental damage, you can also get an additional 2-year protection plan on Mobvoi’s website by paying a bit extra. So, if all of these features seem like the kind of things that you need in your smartwatch and if you can live with the compromises then, the TicWatch Pro might be your ideal smartwatch with good battery life.

4. Best Hybrid Smartwatch: Withings Steel HR

Nokia Health, now known as Withings, makes some really interesting hybrid smartwatches and the Withings Steel HR is an excellent choice in that category. It has the best of both retro & modern worlds and it is indeed a health & fitness monitoring smartwatch.

Compatibility & Connectivity

The companion Health Mate app can be installed on your phone or tablet and it supports both Android & iOS ecosystems. This is really important because no matter what phone you’re using, you should be able to get all of your available health stats in one place. For connectivity, there is GPS for navigation with Bluetooth & Wi-Fi for communicating with your phone.

Internal Hardware

I do not know exactly what kind of hardware the watch is using & you’ll see why when I talk about the display but, for now, the internals isn’t known. The Steel HR is using Nokia Health’s in-house ecosystem & it has a lot of tracking and monitoring features. First of all, there are a lot of tracking metrics in place for a ton of activities.

Health & Fitness Features

Using automatic exercise recognition, it can track your stats for Sports like Basketball, Baseball, Football, Frisbee, Badminton, Golf, Fencing, Biking, and other activities like Running, Swimming, Hiking, Yoga, and more. The regular health stuff like Heart Rate Monitoring, Sleep Tracking, etc. are also present as you’d expect.

The Display

The Steel HR is a Hybrid watch which means it has a mechanical watch mechanism in place & it has a small circular-shaped non-color display around the top side of the watch. There is no info on what the specifications of the display are and it’s not like you need that anyway.

The display shows quick health stats & notifications for navigation or from apps like Whatsapp and Uber. Every detailed health, activity, or other data that the watch monitors, can only be viewed on the app on your phone. That makes the core hardware requirements extremely minimal and also you can’t install apps on the watch which is exactly why Withings doesn’t mention what internals they are using.

Design & Build

There isn’t much to talk about in this department. There is a slim & minimalist circular frame made out of steel and it can be paired with a series of Nylon, Woven, Leather, and Metal bands. The Withings Steel HR is available in two sizes at 36mm and 40mm. There are also two different variants, Regular and Sport.

As mentioned earlier you can also customize these variants with different 18mm (for 36mm) or 20mm (for 40mm) bands. The watch is rated at 5 ATM which means it will survive under a maximum of 50 meters of water.

Battery Backup

The Battery life on the Steel HR is pretty great. In normal mode, the watch will last up to 25 days while in workout mode it can last up to 5 days. If you are only using time & activity tracking, it’ll last you around 45 days (25 days + 20 extra days) which is crazy. This is expected though as the display is consuming a very low amount of power.

Should you get it?

There is a 1-year warranty which definitely won’t cover accidental damages. So, the Withings Steel HR is an exceptional smartwatch but, if you like this hybrid approach or not, it’s up to you. If you do, then you’re going to love it. If you don’t like this idea though, look at the other options I have mentioned in the list.

5. Best for Durability: Amazfit T-Rex

The Amazfit T-Rex is a slightly more advanced sibling to the Bip. It has all the basic health features that you’d expect alongside having good battery life. There are a few extra features and a better build quality which also increases the cost significantly compared to the Bip.

Compatibility & Connectivity

You can use the Amazfit T-Rex with either an Android smartphone or an iPhone. So, compatibility is not a problem. As far as connectivity goes, there is 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0 for connecting wireless devices alongside GPS + GLONASS for navigation.

Internal Hardware

Thanks to companies trying to keep their hardware secret when they can’t really brag about them, I don’t know what internals Amazfit has squeezed inside the T-Rex. So, no information about the SOC, RAM, or Storage but, it’s understandable that the hardware isn’t necessarily powerful then.

Health & Fitness Features

Now, Amazfit has its own OS and ecosystem and it is actually pretty good. Now coming to the important stuff, there is Heart Rate Monitoring & Sleep Tracking on the health side and there are also tracking modes for Running, Swimming, Hiking, Skiing, Triathlon, and more.

The Display

The display is actually pretty good though. It is a 1.3-inch OLED display with a resolution of 360 x 360. The top layer is made out of Corning Gorilla Glass 3 with an oleophobic coating to keep the fingerprints away. Oh, and it also supports Always-on Display so, you don’t need to worry about clicking a button to wake the display every time.

Design & Build

Amazfit has gone with a circular case for the T-Rex. It is a rugged case & Amazfit is claiming that they have bagged 12 military certifications for toughness. It’s not metal in case you were confused but it is made out of some robust polymer materials, so shouldn’t compromise on that front either. There is also 5 ATM water resistance which means that the watch can survive under a maximum of 50 meters of water.

Battery Backup

I need to talk about the battery now and the one on the Amazfit T-Rex is a 390 mAh unit. It can hold up to 20 days on a mixed regular use case scenario but, if you use it on the basic watch mode, it’ll last you around 66 days but, you probably aren’t buying a smartwatch just to use it as a regular watch for 66 days anyway. If you’re using the GPS all the time though, it’ll last 20 hours.

In case you’re looking for a different form factor, the Amazfit GTS comes with a rectangular case with rounded corners. It is very similar to the T-Rex in terms of features but it drops the rugged hard plastic case for a sleek Aluminum & Polymer construction and a color-accurate 1.65-inch OLED display. If you didn’t like the approach to the T-Rex in the first place and would like to get something more fashionable, the Amazfit GTS is definitely the way to go.

Should you get it?

The warranty like most other smartwatches is 1-year and you cannot actually get accidental damage coverage as you’d probably guess. So, overall the Amazfit T-Rex is a long-lasting smartwatch that should take care of all your basic health & fitness stuff. Also, it can handle some extra abuse compared to the more fancy options. If that sounds like your jam then sure, get the Amazfit T-Rex.

6. Best for Sporty Look: Huawei Watch GT 2

If you’re looking for style and performance in a singular package while also trying to keep the budget in control, the Huawei Watch GT 2 is probably the way to go. It looks gorgeous and has some powerful performance packed into it.

Compatibility & Connectivity

On the compatibility front, there is support for both iOS and Android which is great. For connectivity though, Huawei has taken an extra step and added Bluetooth 5.1 with support for Bluetooth Low Energy.

Of course, there is Wi-Fi in case you want to stream some music and there is GPS + GLONASS for navigation. Being a lower-midrange smartwatch means no cellular connectivity but, that’s okay.

Internal Hardware

Huawei is using their own Kirin A1 SOC in the Watch GT 2. This is the first wearable chip that they’ve developed, mainly focusing on gaining higher performance while reducing power consumption. Huawei doesn’t mention the RAM or Storage though so, can’t give any info on those. But, the overall performance should be faster.

Health & Fitness Features

The number of available sensors is actually impressive. The watch can monitor Heart Rate, Stress, Sleep, and even Blood Oxygen which is crazy at this price point. There are also your monitoring features for Running, Swimming, Walking, and more.

The Display

I need to mention that you do have two sizes for the watch resulting in two separate screen sizes. The smaller one is a 1.2-inch OLED panel with a resolution of 396 x 396 pixels and the other one is a 1.39-inch OLED panel with a resolution of 454 x 454 pixels. The displays do support Always-on functionality and you can use a variety of different watch faces.

Design & Build

The design & build quality are excellent though. There are 46mm & 42mm cases with limited band styles to choose from. The circular shape, the metal & hard plastic construction, and the shiny stainless steel bezels blend perfectly with the 3D glass on the top, giving the watch a more premium look. Huawei also claims a 5 ATM water resistance which should protect the watch up to 50 meters underwater.

Battery Backup

Coming to battery life, Huawei claims around 14-days of use on a single charge on the 46mm variant & around 7 days on the 42mm variant. If you’re using GPS all the time, the battery life will come down to 30 hours (46mm) & 15 hours (42mm). The watch supports 10W fast charging which means a quick top-up shouldn’t be an issue.

Should you get it?

There is a limited 1-year warranty and you can’t get any additional damage protection so, if you break the watch, it’s gonna be on you. Anyway, the Huawei Watch GT 2 is the best non-cellular smartwatch on a budget and if you can live without a 4G connection on your watch, get this one.

7. Best Value for Money: Garmin Vivoactive 4

If you liked the Fenix 6X Pro from Garmin but it was a little too out of your budget, the Garmin Vivoactive 4 has a lot of the same features for a much lower price. Garmin’s ecosystem and feature set is going to be very useful for a lot of users.

Compatibility & Connectivity

Garmin supports both Android & iOS ecosystems so, doesn’t matter if you have an iPhone or Android or both, you’ll be able to use the Vivoactive 4 without any issues. On the connectivity front, there is GPS, GLONASS & Galileo for navigation and Bluetooth, ANT+ & Wi-Fi for other connections.

Internal Hardware

Garmin hasn’t mentioned the SOC or the amount of RAM they’re using. However, they mentioned that the watch can store up to 500 songs, one-fourth of what the Fenix 6X Pro can store, indicating that the Vivoactive 4 comes with 8GB of storage. Other than that, the watch has a lot of important sensors for monitoring your health.

Health & Fitness Features

The health features include monitoring heart rate, Sleep, Stress, Body Energy, Blood Oxygen, Hydration, Breathing, even the Menstrual Cycle. The watch can also track several activities, including Running, Nursing, Swimming, Playing Golf, Biking, and more, with 20+ inbuilt sport modes.

The Display

There are two display sizes, with the smaller one being a 1.1-inch transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) panel with a resolution of 218×218 and the bigger one being a 1.3-inch transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) panel with a resolution of 260×260. This is a type of LED-backlit display, so it’ll considerably eat more battery compared to an OLED.

Garmin has different watch faces on their store and they do use specific watch faces for specific tasks. Custom watch faces aren’t supported though.

Design & Build

The circular case of the Vivoactive 4 is made out of fiber-reinforced polymer material with a stainless steel bezel around the display. The protective layer on the top is made out of Corning Gorilla Glass 3. It has a subtle, premium-looking design and it comes in either 40mm or 45mm case sizes. Both sizes come with a 5 ATM rating which allows them to survive under a maximum of 50 meters of water.

Battery Backup

Finally, it’s time to talk about battery life. The Vivoactive 4 is rated for up to 8 days of use on the 45mm model and up to 7 days on the 40mm model. If you’re using GPS all the time though, you’ll be getting around 18 hours on the 45mm and 15 hours on the 40mm model.

If you’re looking for something similar but, at a slightly lower price, the Garmin Vivoactive 3 might be a great option for you it has a very similar feature set to the Vivoactive 4 but costs significantly less. It does heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking and has 15 preloaded sports apps for running, yoga, and more. One thing it doesn’t have though is blood oxygen monitoring so, if you think you won’t need it, the Garmin Vivoactive 3 is going to be a similarly great choice for you.

Should you get it?

As far as warranty goes, Garmin does provide a 1-year limited international warranty on the Vivoactive 4. So, if you’re one of those people who travel outside the country a lot, it’s not gonna be an issue. So, if you wanted to use a Garmin smartwatch and their ecosystem but didn’t have the cash to afford the Fenix 6X Pro, the Vivoactive 4 might just be the smartwatch you were looking for.

8. Best Fitbit: Fitbit Versa 3

If you’re looking for a good mid-range smartwatch, the Fitbit Versa 3 is a great option. It has modern features and can take advantage of the excellent ecosystem. For most people on a budget, the Versa 3 should be a great choice.

Compatibility & Connectivity

Fitbit doesn’t suck in the compatibility department so they do support both iOS & Android ecosystems. Their Fitbit app can provide detailed health stats but, you may need to get their premium subscription to get to total access. Now, for connectivity, there is GPS+GLONASS on the navigation side with Bluetooth 5.0 and 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi for communicating with the app and the internet.

Internal Hardware

Fitbit is also one of the companies who keep most of their internals secret so, for the Versa 3, there is no information on the SOC, RAM, or Storage. But, I do know that the hardware isn’t super fast or well, fast. Fitbit does ecosystem really well with some excellent community features that no other brand offers.

Health & Fitness Features

There are multiple health monitoring features like Blood Oxygen Monitoring, Heart Rate Monitoring, Sleep Tracking, and more. It can also track your stats for running, hiking, swimming, and stuff like that.

It’s safe to say that Fitbit has provided a good number of sensors making the Versa 3 comparable to the newly launched Apple Watch Series 6.

The Display

On the display front, it is rocking a 1.59-inch OLED display and that is all I know on the technical side. You can get watch faces from Fitbit’s app store and you can also store 5 of them at a time on your watch. There are specific watch faces to do specific tasks as well. Fitbit does support Always-on display in case you were worried about that.

Design & Build

Fitbit has gone with a square Aluminum case with rounded corners. It does not have any buttons as it uses sensors to serve the purpose instead. The build quality is sturdy as much as you can expect from any Aluminum build. The top is made out of glass which isn’t as scratch-resistant as sapphire but, that’s something you don’t get on a budget.

There is also a 5 ATM rating which means it can survive under 50 meters of water.

Battery Backup

For battery life, Fitbit claims slightly more than 6 days of use with mixed usage. When you do need to charge though, the fast charge should kick in and charge the watch from 10-80% in about 40 minutes. Fitbit also claims that if you charge for just 12 minutes you get a full day of use out of the Fitbit Versa 3.

Should you get it?

The warranty period also remains at 1-year which is what you’d get with most other smartwatches but, Fitbit does offer a 2-year protection plan with accidental damage protection for some extra money. Overall, the Fitbit Versa 3 is a great mid-range smartwatch. If you’re looking for something in that price range, the Versa 3 might just be the perfect smartwatch to go for.

9. Best Premium Looking: Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2

If you live in the Android Ecosystem and you want a good smartwatch without going overboard on your budget, the Galaxy Watch Active 2 is definitely one of the best options to go for if you like Samsung smartwatches. It has a great feature set for a great price.

Compatibility & Connectivity

Compatibility isn’t gonna be an issue as the Galaxy Watch Active 2 is compatible with both Android and iOS. As far as connectivity goes, you can get it with either GPS or GPS + Cellular (4G LTE) connectivity options. However, the LTE function doesn’t work with non-galaxy smartphones.

On the navigation side, there is GPS, GLONASS, Beidou & Galileo and there is also Bluetooth 5.0 and 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi.

Internal Hardware

Samsung has used a dual-core CPU on the Active 2, running at 1.15 GHz alongside 1.5GB of RAM and 4GB of Internal Storage. The watch has an impressive number of sensors for things like Heart Rate Monitoring & Stress Monitoring and also tracking your activities like Running, Walking, Swimming, Cycling & more.

The Display

Samsung is known for its displays and in the Galaxy Watch Active 2, they have used a 1.4-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 360 x 360. It is comfortably visible outdoors and has super punchy colors. It also supports Always-on display, so there aren’t many compromises in this department.

Design & Build

Talking about the design & build, Samsung has gone with a circular frame, and you can get it in either Aluminum or Steel. It has two buttons on the right & the sensors at the bottom. The entire design looks subtle & has a muted feel to it. Samsung has grabbed certification for both IP68 & 5 ATM which is smart marketing as if your watch can survive under 50 meters of water, of course, it’s IP68.

Battery Backup

The Galaxy Active 2’s battery lasts more than 60 hours on a single charge with a mixed-use case scenario. Samsung has put in a 340 mAh Battery in there and they claim that you may be able to last up to 131 hours on low usage.

Should you get it?

Samsung gives a 1-year limited warranty and if you crack your watch or something, it won’t be included in the warranty. So, if you use a Samsung smartphone or any Android smartphone for that matter, and you also need LTE connectivity, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 is an excellent choice.

10. Best for iPhone Users: Apple Watch Series 6

The Apple Watch Series 6 is definitely the most advanced smartwatch on my list. It is Apple’s flagship, coming with the best that the Cupertino-giant has to offer. A huge feature set and an attractive design is what the Series 6 is known for.

Compatibility & Connectivity

Let’s start off with the biggest issue on the Apple Watch which is compatibility. The Apple Watch only works with an iPhone which means that it won’t work if you’re an Android user who uses a Google Pixel, OnePlus, Motorola, LG device, then it’s better to consider non-Apple watch options.

Now, for the connectivity part, you can either get the baseline GPS variant or you can pay a hundred bucks more and get the GPS + Cellular variant that supports 4G LTE over an eSIM. There is also 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi which by the way supports both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands (slightly slower than 5 GHz on 802.11 ac). The Bluetooth version is Bluetooth 5.0 and it supports Bluetooth Low Energy as well.

Internal Hardware

Apple ships their watches with powerful hardware and the Watch Series 6, comes with their latest & greatest S6 SOC with 1GB of RAM and 32GB of Internal Storage. They also included the U1 chip for spatial awareness and the wireless part is being handled by their latest W3 chip.

Health & Fitness Features

Apple hasn’t skipped on important sensors and they have also included some premium ones alongside. It can take your ECG, check your Blood Oxygen Level, monitor your Heart Rate & Sleep and it can even track your stats for Running, Swimming, Hiking & more.

The Display

Apple has used an LTPO OLED display on the Apple Watch Series 6. There are two case sizes so, of course, there are two display sizes as well. The smaller case comes with a 1.57-inch panel with a resolution of 394 x 324 pixels and the bigger case comes with a 1.78-inch display with a resolution of 448 x 368 pixels.

The watch does support Always-on Display and Apple claims that it’s twice as bright compared to the always-on mode on Series 5. The overall brightness is 1000 nits which should be comfortably visible outdoors.

Design & Build

The case design is the usual rectangular frame with rounded corners with the Digital Crown on the right and sensors at the bottom. The top is ion-X Glass on the Aluminum variant and Sapphire on the Stainless Steel and Titanium variants. The watch is rated to survive under a maximum of 50 meters of water.

You can get the Apple Watch 6 in either 40mm or 44mm case sizes built with Aluminum on the base variants and Stainless Steel & Titanium if you’re looking for something more premium.

Battery Backup

The Battery life is 18 hours on mixed usage but, considering how many things the watch actually does, that’s not bad at all. If you have the LTE model and you’re taking calls, it can give you up to 1.5 hours of Talktime. When you do set it to charge, the fast charging will kick in and fill up the battery from 0-80% in about 1 hour and 0-100% in about 1.5 hours.

Should you get it?

Apple provides a 1-year international warranty and if you want protection from accidental damage, you can get their AppleCare+ package by paying extra. So, in case you’re an iPhone user, right now there is no better option than the Apple Watch Series 6. If you don’t have an iPhone, look at something else.

We’ve compared the Apple Watch 6 with Fitbit Versa 3, Fitbit Versa 2, Garmin Forerunner 945, Fitbit Sense, Apple Watch SE.

Frequently Asked Questions

Verdict

The world of smartwatches is way too crowded right now, and the perfect one with great battery life isn’t gonna be easy. That’s the issue I tried to resolve throughout this article, and I hope you found your best match. If you are still confused, here are our top recommendations for smartwatches with long battery life, based on specific user types:

• People on the Android ecosystem should pick up the Galaxy Watch Active 2 if they want LTE connectivity and they have a Samsung Galaxy phone or maybe even the Huawei GT 2 if they don’t and they also want something cheaper.
• People on the iOS Ecosystem should definitely get the Apple Watch 6 but, if they are a little tighter on budget, they can go with the Fitbit Versa 3.
• People who like the old mechanical watches but want the health & fitness monitoring features should pick up the Withings Steel HR.
• People active in the Golf courses will benefit more from the Garmin watches.
• People who just want a smartwatch and do not require fancy builds or premium health features can just save money and get the Amazfit Bip.

Now, you need to figure out which one of these categories describes you the most. Once you have figured that out, you’ll be able to buy the perfect smartwatch for yourself.