GROUP TEST SMARTWATCHES
Let’s tick together
A connected watch can smarten up your life, not just your wrist. So we’ve tested seven of the latest models to help you choose…
CAREFUL WATCH YOU WISH FOR: HOW TO CHOOSE
● Firstly, make sure any smartwatch works with your smartphone: just as Apple Watches are off limits to Android phone owners, new wearables running on Wear OS are for Android phone users only. If it does work with both, make sure all the features are available, as that isn’t always the case.
● Most smartwatches can give you an always-on screen, but that will put a big dent in the battery so you may end up choosing not to use it anyway.
● Want to use a watch for buying stuff, playing music or taking calls? Check it has the support for those things – for example, NFC for contactless payments, and LTE or cellular connectivity for calls and streaming without your phone.
● Fitness buffs will want built-in GPS as opposed to connected GPS that leans on your phone. And an ECG heart-rate sensor is a must for the health-conscious.
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra
What’s the story?
With a squircle-shaped case milled from titanium, a sporty strap and a fitness focus that goes way beyond a simple couch-to-5K, there are no prizes for guessing what inspired the Galaxy Watch Ultra.
But this isn’t just a clone of Apple’s own Ultra model. A faster homegrown CPU means Wear OS has never felt smoother, the battery lasts several days, and Samsung reckons this thing is durable enough to summit Everest.
Is it any good?
The AMOLED screen is a stunner, with a bezel that’s all but invisible and a blinding 3000-nit brightness. You’ll never struggle to read your split times while out on a summer run.
Location accuracy has taken a step up thanks to dual-band GPS, and a new set of bio sensors deliver more precise heart-rate tracking than the previous Galaxy Watch. Cyclists can measure their functional threshold power, and runners can challenge their past selves with a new race mode. Triathlons are easier to track with the new multisports mode, while 10ATM resistance and open-water certification make it a great choice for pure swimmers.
This is the first watch with Wear OS 5, and most of the upgrades are under the hood, with Samsung’s own apps taking centre stage. The Play Store lets you download third-party faves, though, with 32GB of onboard memory for saving them.
This is the deliciously OTT Apple Watch Ultra rival that Android owners have been waiting for. Just keep in mind that, while the Galaxy Watch7 isn’t nearly as rugged, it has pretty much the same internals – and costs half the price.