Buying a smartwatch
Find the best smartwatch for you
They’re sleep smoothers, beat movers and life improvers. Smartwatches have become a part of our everyday routine, from the convenience of controlling smart homes to detecting medical emergencies. Discover which smartwatch is the best fit for your lifestyle.
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What are smartwatches?
A smartwatch is a wearable device on your wrist that can connect to your smartphone with digital features beyond just telling the time. While there are similarities to fitness trackers, smartwatches tend to come with larger screens and third-party apps, as well as more advanced multimedia, health tracking, and connectivity for a wider range of activities. Hybrid watches are another type of smartwatch designed with the look and feel of a traditional watch and limited smart features such as tracking sensors and notifications.
Best smartwatch benefits
Sports and fitness
Smartwatches are powerful fitness companions, tracking steps, distance, calories and workouts. Built-in GPS and sport modes help runners, swimmers and cyclists monitor performance. Some models even offer guided workouts, training plans and performance metrics , making it easier to reach fitness goals.
Productivity
Smartwatches deliver calls, texts, emails, calendar alerts and reminders directly to your wrist. Voice assistants, quick replies and app notifications help manage tasks and appointments on the go. Features like navigation, contactless payments and smart home controls make every day a little easier.
Medical and wellbeing
Smartwatches monitor key health data like heart rate, blood oxygen and sleep quality. Advanced models can detect irregular heart rhythms, falls, or high stress levels, sending you medical alerts or even contacting emergency services. Smartwatches bring peace of mind by offering early warnings for potential health issues.
Our top picks
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Buying an Apple Watch
A bestseller in the world of smartwatches. Apple Watch is designed for pro sports, boasting advanced health tracking, safety features and intuitive controls. WatchOS syncs with other Apple devices like nothing else. Create custom routes with Apple Maps. Build on your existing Health app data and train using real-time, personalised metrics on Fitness+. Connect to AirPods for hands-free music streaming, calls and much more. Apple Watch offers life-saving medical alerts, crash or fall detection and automatic SOS calls after an accident. And now, Series 11 introduces hypertension notifications and sleep score, while the Watch Ultra 3 has built-in satellite communications for off-grid messaging and location sharing.
Best Apple Watch: Apple Watch Ultra
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Buying a Samsung watch
Samsung Galaxy Watch is a great choice for Android users. There’s much to love with sleek designs, long battery life, sharp displays and advanced wellness features from ECG and body composition to sleep tracking. Samsung Watch8 Classic combines the sophistication of traditional watches and large screens for the best of both worlds. Expand the Galaxy ecosystem on the latest Galaxy Watch8 with easy integration on Samsung devices and the intelligent Bixby for voice assisted tasks.
Best Smart Watch for Samsung: Samsung Watch Ultra
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Buying a Google watch
Google Pixel Watch is the perfect everyday Android smartwatch. Enjoy effortless setup and workflow across all-time favourite apps such as Google Maps, Wallet, Gmail and Google Assistant. Google Pixel Watch is a powerhouse for running features, using AI and Fitbit technology for advanced GPS, fitness analysis and tailored training suggestions. And now, Google Gemini introduces the next generation of intelligent features to the latest Pixel Watch.
Best Smart Watch for Google: Pixel Watch 4
Budgeting choices
Buying a new smartwatch on a Pay Monthly SIM plan is the best choice for durability and connectivity, giving you full access to features without breaking the bank. On a strict budget? Consider a small watch face with a sport band made from fluoroelastomer. Or, go for an older model, which is still in new condition, to save on price.
All our Like New refurbished devices at O2 are quality tested for complete peace of mind. However, if you’re after the latest features and pristine condition, you might prefer a brand-new device.
Great value smartwatches
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Key features
GPS accuracy: Essential for tracking routes, especially in remote areas
Offline Maps and Compass: Navigate and trace steps when there's no signal
Barometer/Altimeter: Measure elevation gain and loss
Battery life: Multi-day battery and a battery saver mode is ideal
Durability: Rugged build with water and dust resistance (ATM or IP rating)
SOS: Fall detection and satellite messaging
Water resistance: Must be rated 5 ATM (50m) or higher
Swim tracking: Tracks laps, strokes, SWOLF score and pool vs. open water
Touchscreen lock: Prevents accidental taps underwater
Water Thermometer: Check the water is a safe temperature for outdoor wild swimming
Swim style detection: Automatically track metrics for your style of swimming
Comfortable fit: Find a lightweight and secure sport band that won’t slip
Built-in GPS: Accurate distance, pace and route tracking
Heart rate monitoring: Real-time HR zones for training intensity and interval workouts
VO2 Max and recovery metrics: Measure maximum oxygen usage to help guide training intensity and avoid overtraining
Cadence tracking: Measure number of steps per minute to improve running efficiency and consistency
Fall detection: Auto detects when you’ve fallen and calls emergency services if needed
Music storage or streaming: Enjoy running without your phone. Consider cellular and earphone compatibility
Lightweight and comfortable: Reduced weight boosts performance. A soft, flexible and sweat-resistant fit keeps you focused on the goal
Repetition tracking: Automatic or manual rep counting for sets
Heart rate tracking: Useful for HIIT or circuit training
Custom workout modes: Ability to log different exercises or create routines
Touchscreen Responsiveness: Easy navigation mid-workout
Durability: Sweat- and scratch-resistant screen
Custom vibration alerts: For rest timers and intervals
Real-time metrics: Speed, cadence (with sensors) and heart rate
GPS and route tracking: Especially important for road or trail cycling
Integration with training apps: Popular third-party apps for performance tracking
Screen visibility: Bright, always-on display helps when riding
Power meter compatibility: (ANT+ / Bluetooth) for cyclists using advanced gear
Battery life: Long enough to cover extended rides
Breathing and mindfulness features: Guided sessions, breathing reminders
Heart rate monitoring: Relaxation and recovery (heart rate drops), stress levels (heart rate variability)
Stretch and flexibility tracking: Some wearables estimate recovery or flexibility improvements
Vibration alerts: Gentle prompts during breathing or pose changes
Health features
Sleep tracking
Using sensors like heart rate, movement, blood oxygen and sometimes skin temperature, sleep trackers can estimate time spent in light, deep and REM sleep. Many watches also detect disruptions, such as waking up during the night and provide a breakdown each morning. Over time, this data helps identify trends, whether stress, late workouts, or irregular routines are affecting your recovery. Some models add advanced features, like measuring breathing rate, spotting potential sleep apnea signals, or offering coaching tips for better rest. Paired with smartphone apps, sleep tracking can show long-term patterns and suggest habits to improve overall wellbeing.
Medical features
Records your heart’s electrical activity to detect irregular rhythms like atrial fibrillation
Measures oxygen levels in your blood to help identify potential respiratory or circulatory issues
Uses optical sensors or cuffless technology to estimate blood pressure trends over time
Detects changes that may indicate fever, illness, or recovery status
Provides data on stress, recovery, and cardiovascular health
Identifies irregular breathing patterns or oxygen drops during sleep
Alerts you to potential signs of atrial fibrillation for early medical attention
Reminders to take medicine prescriptions to improve your health
Notifies contacts or emergency services if a hard fall or medical event occurs
Operating systems
Watch OS
WatchOS is optimised exclusively for Apple Watch. Its deep integration with the Apple ecosystem makes it an effortless companion to iPhone, AirPods and even smart home devices. Notifications, calls and messages appear instantly on your wrist, while Apple Pay and Wallet make payments simple. Siri is built in for voice commands, from setting reminders to controlling HomeKit.
Android
Wear OS powers leading Android smartwatches like Samsung Galaxy Watch and Google Pixel Watch. Its versatility and wide adoption mean it works seamlessly across Android phones, making setup and switching devices easier. The open platform allows for deep customisation, from changing watch faces to tailoring widgets to your style.
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Battery life
Long battery life is handy for frequent GPS tracking, notifications, background app activity and cellular connectivity. Using features to replace your phone such as streaming music or taking calls mean more power is drained, so look for a bigger battery. Plus, monitoring your heart rate continuously and sleep tracking require you to go the distance. But if you only need to measure fitness performance during workouts, a watch with less battery life may be enough to get you through the day.
Apple, Samsung and Google watches include power saver modes and adjustable settings.
How much storage do I need?
For most people, 8GB to 16GB of storage is plenty. This gives you room for apps, watch faces, some offline music and health data. If you plan to download playlists, podcasts, or use lots of apps, go for 32GB or more. Smartwatches aren't meant to store massive files, so unless you're a heavy media user, you likely won’t need the highest storage tier.
Smartwatch screen
Screen size
Choose a screen size that fits your wrist comfortably. Larger displays are easier to read and navigate, especially during workouts, but may feel bulky. Smaller sizes suit slim wrists and offer a sleeker look, though they can be harder to tap or view for detailed apps and notifications.
Screen quality
High-quality screens like AMOLED or OLED offer vibrant colours, deep blacksand sharp resolution, enhancing visibility and touch response. This is great for readability in sunlight and viewing health data or maps. Lower-resolution displays save battery but may look less crisp and lack the wow factor of high-end models.
Screen accessibility
Look for customisable font sizes, high-contrast modes and voice controls for better accessibility. Touch responsiveness and gesture support also make the watch easier to use on the go. If you have vision or dexterity challenges, prioritise watches with clear icons, larger screens and support for assistive technologies like voice assistants.
Waterproof ratings
IP ratings (Ingress Protection): Measure resistance to dust and brief water immersion. They're more common in general-purpose smartwatches and electronics.
ATM ratings (Atmospheres): This refers to water pressure resistance, making them more relevant for fitness, sports and dive watches IP68 or 5 ATM is great for casual use, while sport or adventure models favour 10 ATM or 20 ATM for more intense water exposure including deep diving and other high pressure water activities.
| Rating | Suitable use |
|---|---|
| IP67 | Dust-tight and water resistant up to 1 meter for 30 minutes. Good for light rain, splashes or brief submersion. |
| IP68 | Fully dustproof and can handle longer immersion in water (depth varies). May be suitable for swimming or showering but check brand specs. |
| 5 ATM | Water resistant up to 50 meters. Ideal for swimming, showering, and everyday water exposure. |
| 10 ATM | Water resistant up to 100 meters. Suitable for snorkelling, swimming, and most water sports. |
| 20 ATM | Water resistant up to 200 meters. Best for serious water activities like diving or other high pressure water activities. |