Any number of companies make smartwatches that play well with Android devices, but as with Android smartphones, most watchmakers also customize the operating system, tweaking the user interface and adding exclusive features.
For example, the highly rated Samsung Galaxy Watch7 uses Samsung’s version of Android’s Wear OS, so it’s best for people who use a Samsung phone, such as the latest Galaxy S24, S24+, or S24 Ultra. Google’s Pixel Watch 3 is similarly designed to work optimally with the company’s phones and earbuds, as well as its suite of online services. Fitbit’s smartwatches, which are now owned by Google but run on their own Fitbit OS, work well with both Android phones and iPhones.
Increasingly, Android smartwatches are becoming go-to devices for collecting health and fitness data that can help you and your doctor keep tabs on your well-being. That’s why CR’s ratings are giving additional weight to a watch’s health-related capabilities. These range from overall wellness metrics like sleep tracking and stress monitoring to cardiac metrics. These can include basic measurements like heart rate monitoring, as well as electrocardiogram (ECG) readings and performance indicators like heart rate variability. Any health-related data you get from your watch can be used to begin a discussion with your healthcare provider.
Consumer Reports tests smartwatches in our dedicated labs in Yonkers, N.Y., evaluating them for step count accuracy, ease of use, versatility, the durability of the display, and more. And as with all our lab testing, we purchase all our smartwatches through normal retail channels; no freebies for us.
