Prosecutors allege that Trump lied on the documents to cover up hush-money payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election. Trump has pleaded not guilty.
At times he was sleepy, with his eyes closed for minutes at a time. More often he was caught with a scowl. Occasionally, he was caught with a smile.
Here are some of those sketches:
On day one of his trial, Trump took the opportunity to smile at the pool of prospective jurors
In this courtroom sketch, former President Donald Trump smiles to the jury pool as he is introduced to them at the beginning of his New York criminal trial.
Jane Rosenberg/Pool Photo via AP
Before Trump headed into the courtroom for the opening of the trial, he slammed the case against him as "political persecution"
New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan is presiding over Donald Trump's criminal trial.
Jane Rosenberg/Pool Photo via AP
Trump's hush-money trial is expected to last for six weeks and he's complained that it's preventing him from hitting the campaign trail
In this courtroom sketch, former President Donald Trump turns to face the audience at his New York criminal trial.
Jane Rosenberg/Pool Photo via AP
And it'll be a long six weeks — reporters in the courtroom noted that Trump appeared to doze off, at times, during the slogging process of jury selection
Trump was sleepy in court at the start of jury selection in his Manhattan hush money trial.
REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg
Trump was highly alert when New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan chastised him on April 16, warning him against intimidating potential jurors
In this courtroom sketch, former President Donald Trump is surrounded by his attorneys, court security and Secret Service seated behind him, during jury selection in his New York criminal trial.
REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg
"He was gesturing and muttering something…He was speaking in the direction of the juror. I will not tolerate that," Merchan told Trump's lead lawyer, Todd Blanche
Former President Donald Trump sat while his lawyer Todd Blanche spoke during the second day of jury selection in his hush-money criminal trial.
Christine Cornell via AP, Pool
At times, Trump had to sit by and listen as his attorneys complained about anti-Trump social media posts made by juror prospects
In this courtroom sketch, former President Donald Trump attends the jury selection of his hush-money criminal trial in New York.
REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg
By April 18, two of the seven jurors that had been empaneled in the trial were dismissed
Trump rarely smiled in court as jurors were picked for his trial.
Iranian Navy soldiers at an armed speed boat in Persian Gulf near the strait of Hormuz about 1320km (820 miles) south of Tehran, April 2019.
Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images
An Iranian ship suspected of providing intelligence to the Houthis is sailing home.
The MV Behshad spent several months near Yemen as the Houthis launched attacks.
Shipping data shows its back near Iran as Tehran braces for a potential Israeli retaliation.
An Iranian cargo ship that is suspected of having provided targeting information and intelligence to the Houthis for their Red Sea attacks appears to have sailed home this week.
The MV Behshad's return to Iran comes as the country braces for possible Israeli retaliation over Tehran's unprecedented missile and drone attack on Israel last weekend.
The vessel has been at sea for nearly three years and spent several months earlier this year lingering near Yemen. But on Wednesday, it was seen sailing in the Gulf of Oman off Iran's coast, and it crossed the strategic Straight of Hormuz early on Thursday, according to ship tracking data reviewed by Business Insider.
The Behshad's destination is listed as the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas on MarineTraffic.com, and the latest tracking data from Thursday afternoon local time shows that the vessel is in the general vicinity of the city.
Though it left its position near Yemen earlier this month, the Behshad did not broadcast its location until a few days ago, when it appeared on ship tracking sites off the coast of Iran, according to Bloomberg, which first reported on the vessel's movement.
In this handout photo provided by the Houthi media center, fighters participate in a military exercise on March 17, 2024, in Sana'a, Yemen.
Photo by Houthi Movement via Getty Images
While it was lingering around waters near the coast of Yemen, the Behshad is suspected of having provided intelligence to the Houthis that allowed them to locate and target commercial vessels in key international shipping lanes, NBC News reported. The Iranian vessel was also reportedly the target of a US cyberattack in early February.
The Houthis, which are supported and armed by Iran, have been firing missiles and drones at vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden for months. US Navy warships operating in the region have intercepted many of these threats, although some of the munitions have managed to hit commercial vessels in transit.
Iranian officials have denied any involvement in the Houthis' campaign.
The Behshad's relocation to waters closer to home provides a certain degree of safety to the suspected intelligence asset, which might otherwise be a target of Israeli retaliation. An attack on a ship of this kind would not be a first for Israel. Back in 2021, its forces used a mine to strike an Iranian military vessel in the Red Sea.
The redeployment comes just days after Israeli officials vowed to retaliate for Iran's attack last weekend.
This undated photograph released by the US military's Central Command shows what it is described as a vessel that carried Iranian-made missile components bound for the Houthis in the Arabian Sea.
US Central Command via AP
Tehran and its proxies launched more than 300 missiles and drones at Israel, nearly all of which were shot down by the country and partner forces in the region, including the US military. The massive barrage came days after an Israeli airstrike in Syria that killed several high-ranking Iranian military officials.
Israel's Western partners have called for the country to show restraint in its response to Iran, warning that any retaliation risks an all-out military confrontation with Tehran and could plunge the Middle East even further into violence.
"We have to ask Israel for a restrained answer to the Iranians' attack. We cannot escalate," the European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said on Thursday. "We cannot go step by step, answering every time higher to a regional war."
"I do not want to exaggerate," he said, "but we are on the edge of a regional war in the Middle East, which will be sending shockwaves to the rest of the world, and in particular to Europe."
Iranian officials have said that Tehran will respond to any retaliation.
House Freedom Caucus chairman Rep. Bob Good, a Virginia Republican, is seen here hopefully not smelling the caucus' FART team.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
House conservatives have organized a crack team to monitor to potential ways to undermine their power.
The House Freedom Caucus has formed a Floor Action Response Team.
Yes, they called it FART.
The far-right House Freedom Caucus has formed a crack team of conservative lawmakers to monitor the House floor lest Speaker Mike Johnson or other Republicans try to limit their power.
Naturally, the band of rabble-rousers that loves generating headlines for its members has called the group the Floor Action Response Team or FART. Because, why not?
According to Politico, this group will make sure that no other Republicans try to rush through changes that would make it harder for lawmakers to oust Johnson from power or that would strip three Freedom Caucus members of a powerful perch they all hold. The publication reported that the Freedom Caucus does not expect any such maneuvers but is remaining vigilant just in case any of their colleagues try to be silent but deadly to their cause.
Conservatives' tensions with Johnson have surged since the $1.2 trillion government funding bill to avert a partial shutdown. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican and former Freedom Caucus member, filed a motion to potentially remove Johnson from power in response to the funding bill. The situation has only grown worse after Johnson made clear he would allow the House to vote on additional US aid to Ukraine.
Greene could force a vote on Johnson's future at any time. Earlier this week, Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican with a libertarian bent, became the first Republican to pledge to join Greene's effort publicly. Massie is also not a member of the Freedom Caucus, whose membership is technically secret, but he does support many of the caucus' broader aims.
The team does not appear to be a new creation. The X account PatriotTakes, which frequently trolls Republicans, posted a clip in 2022 of Rep. Lauren Boebert, a Colorado Republican and Freedom Caucus member, discussing a FART team.
"Myself and other members of members of the House Freedom Caucus, we have a Floor Action Response Team," Boebert said during an appearance on a Blaze Media show. "F-A-R-T, I'm a mother of four boys, I can appreciate that."
Kevin McCarthy is partially responsible for the stink.
Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy initially resisted setting the "motion to vacate" at the threshold of just a single lawmaker before reversing himself to wrap up the votes to what ultimately became his doomed speakership. Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida made history by successfully using the motion to vacate to force McCarthy's ouster. Gaetz teamed up with seven other House Republicans and House Democrats to boot McCarthy from power.
FART is also worried that more centrist GOP lawmakers could move to strip Massie, Rep. Chip Roy, and Ralph Norman from the powerful House Rules Committee. In another McCarthy-era concession, Republicans allowed the three conservative lawmakers to serve on the panel responsible for determining how most legislation reaches the floor. In recent weeks, the trio has increasingly used their power to effectively block Johnson from carrying out his agenda.
On Wednesday evening, Rep. Mike Lawler, a New York Republican who represents a swing district, said the three lawmakers should either resign from the panel or be formally removed by their colleagues.
"They are there on behalf of the conference, not themselves," Lawler wrote on X.
Russian hackers are suspected of causing a Texas town's water tank to overflow earlier this year.
Cybersecurity experts say the likely culprit is Sandworm, a Russian hacking group.
The US has also previously accused Sandworm of attacks in 2017 on hospitals in Pennsylvania.
In January, a Texas town's water tank suddenly started overflowing, spewing a torrent of water to the ground below.
The deluge was contained within an hour. But it's raising concerns this week, after the cybersecurity firm Mandiant said Wednesday that Russian hackers were likely behind it.
Mandiant, which is owned by Google, attributed the attack in Muleshoe, Texas to Sandworm, a Russian hacking group.
Mandiant called the group a "dynamic and operationally mature threat actor that is actively engaged in the full spectrum of espionage, attack, and influence operations."
Security experts said they believed the group was likely connected to the Russian spy agency, GRU. While most state-backed "threat groups" specialize in specific areas, like collecting intelligence or network sabotage, Sandworm stands alone in trying to unify each capability into one full package, Mandiant reported.
Hackers calling themselves the Cyber Army of Russia Reborn — a group that Mandiant linked to Sandworm — have claimed credit for the attack. They posted a video to Telegram of themselves manipulating Muleshoe's water system, showing how they overpowered it and reset the controls, according to The Washington Post.
If validated, this would mark the first attack on a public American infrastructure system by this group, according to the Post. US officials blamed Iran for a separate attack on water systems in Pennsylvania last November, according to CNN.
Ramon Sanchez, Muleshoe's city manager, told CNN that the city's water tank overflowed for about 30 to 35 minutes.
Authorities have previously blamed Sandworm, which has gone by different names over the years, for various attacks around the world, including on Ukraine's power grid and on the 2018 Olympic Games in South Korea.
The Justice Department also accused the men of creating a virus called NotPetya, which caused $10 billion in damage to computers worldwide, shutting down the power grid in Ukraine, and taking down the computer systems belonging to a chain of Western Pennsylvania hospitals.
Amazon used a secretive offshoot to gather intel on retail rivals like Walmart and eBay, a new report says.
Tom Williams/Getty Images
Amazon ran an uncover operation to gather information on rival retailers, according to a new report.
Dubbed "Big River Services International," it sold products through Walmart, eBay, and others.
Big River employees reportedly hid their connections to Amazon, even from others at the tech giant.
Amazon is so obsessed with dominating the e-commerce world that it reportedly spent years gathering information about rivals like Walmart and eBay by selling products directly on their websites.
The tech giant started a company called Big River Services International as part of "Project Curiosity," a 2015 effort to understand how Amazon's rivals in retail, logistics, and related fields ran their businesses, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.
Big River sold items like t-shirts, shoes, and beach chairs on competitors' platforms. Its goal was to get information from rivals that Amazon could then use to inform its own business decisions, according to the Journal.
Big River employees also went to great lengths to hide their connections to Amazon, even when talking to other Amazon workers. They minimized electronic records of their work, even when informing Amazon's top brass about what they found. Executives viewed printed copies of the Big River team's reports and weren't allowed to keep them, though they were allowed to take notes, the Journal reported.
The employees also used separate, non-Amazon email addresses when talking to other companies, the report says. They were even coached on how to respond if someone found out that they were actually working for Amazon, the Journal reported.
"Benchmarking is a common practice in business," an Amazon spokesperson told Business Insider, using an industry term for comparing itself to rivals. "Amazon, like many other retailers, has benchmarking and customer experience teams that conduct research into the experiences of customers, including our selling partners, in order to improve their experiences working with us."
After Big River joined a fulfillment program for e-commerce sellers operated by FedEx, for instance, Big River employees relayed pricing and other terms for the service to Amazon's logistics team, which then made changes based on the information, the Journal reported.
The Amazon spokesperson said that a review of internal documents has "not identified any instances of an Amazon employee having FedEx pricing information prior to its launch or using such information to adjust our own pricing or pricing discussions with any sellers."
"The information we have reviewed indicates that pricing information was obtained after FedEx launched FedEx Fulfillment on February 7, 2017, and this information was one of many pieces of information considered as part of pricing discussions," the spokesperson told BI.
Big River also developed its own brands to sell through rivals' marketplace websites. They include an India-based brand called Crimson Knot that sells photo frames on Indian e-commerce website Flipkart, as well as a streetwear brand called Not So Ape, which used a website hosted by Shopify to sell in the US, according to the Journal.
Amazon has faced scrutiny for its treatment of sellers on its own platform before. A congressional committee found in 2020 that the company had used data on sales by third-party sellers to create its own version of the products — usually to the detriment of the independent sellers and their businesses.
A lawsuit from the FTC last year also claimed that Amazon effectively raised prices by increasing what the company charged its third-party sellers and punishing them for offering lower prices on websites besides Amazon.
Progressives like Rep. Ilhan Omar are big fans of Speaker Mike Johnson's new plan on Ukraine and Israel aid.
Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images; Yasin Ozturk/Anadolu via Getty Images
House Speaker Mike Johnson is splitting Ukraine and Israel aid into separate votes.
Democrats have generally opposed this, but are now willing to go along with it.
But progressive Democrats — who increasingly oppose Israel aid — are cheering the move.
House Speaker Mike Johnson's unconventional plan to hold separate votes on Israel and Ukraine aid is designed primarily to appease House Republicans who don't want to vote for more aid to Ukraine.
But it's also garnering applause from an unusual place: progressive Democrats who don't want to vote for more Israel aid.
"I think it is a great plan," said Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, who supports Ukraine aid but won't vote for unconditional Israel aid. "I think it is disastrous to give a single dime to the Israeli military without conditions at this moment. It's almost immoral."
Omar is among the nearly 20 House progressives who have refused to sign onto a so-called "discharge petition" to force a House vote on the $95.3 billion national security supplemental, which passed the Senate in February and includes more than $60 billion for Ukraine and more than $14 billion for Israel.
Since the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, the Biden administration, GOP and Democratic Senate leadership, and most House Democrats have supported pairing Ukraine and Israel aid together, under the theory that the inclusion of Israel aid would incentivize Republicans to approve more Ukraine aid. Republicans, hoping to avoid having to vote on Ukraine and Israel aid together, have made numerous attempts to separate the two.
But in the intervening months, the politics of Israel have changed dramatically on the left.
Polling has shown that a large number of Democratic voters view Israel's war in Gaza — which has killed nearly 34,000 Palestinians — as a genocide, while hundreds of thousands of voters have cast "uncommitted" ballots in Democratic presidential primaries across the country to protest Biden's support for Israel. Many Democratic lawmakers have increasingly come around to the view that aid to Israel must be conditioned in order to avoid US weapons being used to facilitate potential human rights violations.
That's led some progressives to refuse to get on board with the Senate-passed bill, even if they support Ukraine aid.
"I am opposed to the supplemental and I do not want to see it passed," Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told Business Insider in February.
In the absence of those conditions on Israel aid, progressive Democrats have increasingly pushed for the very thing their Republican counterparts have long sought: separate votes.
"We pushed for it, so I'm grateful that's happening," said Omar.
Both Israel and Ukraine aid — along with a bill to provide aid to Taiwan and another bill that includes a bill to force the sale of TikTok — are likely to pass. But the coalitions required for each will be different: Ukraine will get mostly Democratic support, while Israel will get more GOP support.
Rep. Ro Khanna of California, another progressive Democrat who did not sign the discharge petition, noted that he's long supported the idea of single-subject bills — an idea long favored by House Republicans as well.
"Good for Johnson for sticking to that basic principle," said Khanna. "Let people vote on Taiwan, let them vote on Ukraine, let them vote on Israel."
Democrats have generally been amenable to Johnson's plan, and may even need to help the Republican speaker with procedural steps to get it to the floor. They may also end up protecting him from an effort by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene to oust him as a result.
But that doesn't mean they like the plan as much as progressives.
"It's kind of a mind-bendingly complicated process for something that has a simple solution," said Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia, who prefers the Senate-passed bill. "How could they overcomplicate the most simple thing possible?"
And it still remains to be seen if the plan makes it to the floor. Hard-right Republicans have only grown more angry with Johnson as the week has dragged on, with some of them protesting a potential effort to make it harder for lawmakers to call for votes to oust the speaker.
The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage just broke 7% for the first time this year, the highest since November 2023.
Higher-for-longer interest rate outlooks have pushed up borrowing costs, keeping affordability low.
Home purchase mortgage applications surged by 5% this week as buyers rushed to get through a narrowing window of opportunity.
The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage just broke 7% for the first time this year, shooting up from 6.88% to 7.10% this week, according to government-sponsored mortgage finance giant Freddie Mac.
That marks the highest rate since November 2023 and the biggest weekly surge in almost a year.
Meanwhile, the 15-year fixed-rate mortgage spiked to 6.39% from last week's 6.16%, marking a significant uptick from 5.76% a year ago.
The sudden spike comes as markets adjust expectations for interest rate cuts this year after inflation appears stuck well above the Federal Reserve's 2% target. The consumer price index clocked in at 3.5% year-over-year in March.
The rise in borrowing costs has dashed hopes for owners looking to refinance their mortgages and continues to keep sellers from listing their homes, extending the so-called lock-in effect.
To that point, March saw the largest monthly drop in existing home sales in over a year, according to a report from the National Association of Realtors on Thursday. A 4.3% plunge from February flags the biggest percentage decline since November 2022.
"As rates trend higher, potential homebuyers are deciding whether to buy before rates rise even more or hold off in hopes of decreases later in the year," Freddie Mac's chief economist Sam Khater said in a statement.
However, purchase mortgage applications rose by 5% for the week, data from the Mortgage Bankers Association shows, but Khater said it remains unclear how many prospective homebuyers can withstand rising rates before they head back to the sidelines.
Chen Zhao, Redfin's economic research lead, pointed out that some house hunters are rushing to buy now because of fears over even higher rates down the road, while others have adjusted their home-price budgets to accommodate higher borrowing costs.
"Home sales are slower than usual, but there are still people buying and selling because if not now, when?" Connie Durnal, a Redfin premier agent in Dallas said in a report from the real estate group.
"I've had a few prospective buyers touring homes for the last several years, since mortgage rates started going up, and they wish they would have bought last year because prices and rates are even higher now. My advice to them: If you can afford to and you find a house you love, buy now. There's no guarantee that rates will come down soon."
The recent uptick in rates has undeniably thrown a wrench into home transactions, Matthew Graham, COO at Mortgage News Daily, said on CNBC. Despite rates being lower than last October, the latest rise above 7% is still a significant roadblock.
"I don't want to jinx it and say we're at rock bottom because things can always get worse in some way, but not a whole lot worse than they are right now," Graham said.
When you buy through our links, Business Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more
The best smartwatch is the Apple Watch Series 9 for iPhone users, and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro for Android users.
Rick Stella/Business Insider
At their core, smartwatches are extensions of your phone for checking notifications, making calls, sending texts, and, not to mention, telling the time. The best smartwatches can also be powerful tools for tracking activities and monitoring health markers, too. The most important things to consider when choosing a new smartwatch are the features you'll use most and the smartphone operating system you use.
Our top pick among the best smartwatches is the Apple Watch Series 9. Although it's only compatible with iOS, it's easy to navigate and offers a wide range of health and fitness tracking tools. For Android users, we recommend the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. It has a durable, rugged design and multi-day battery life.
The Nothing CMF Watch Pro is a solid budget option. No smartwatch is perfect for a sub-$75 price, but the CMF Watch Pro offers the basics of a smartwatch with a couple of premium features, like an always-on display. It's also compatible with both iOS and Android phones.
Best with bezel: Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic – See at Amazon
Best overall
The Apple Watch Series 9 remains atop the smartwatch pack thanks to its excellent blend of health and fitness tools, smartwatch functionality, and overall effectiveness. For iOS users, there's no better wearable to buy, and it's so good that it may even sway those who don't have an iOS device to get one.
When the Series 9 was released in September 2023, it didn't represent a massive generational leap over the prior year's release, the Apple Watch Series 8. However, it did introduce a few new features that improved its accessibility, and it also debuted a fast new processor chip.
The new additions include faster on-device Siri access, updated Smart Stack functionality, a brighter display, and, perhaps the most notable new feature, the Double Tap Gesture. The Double Tap Gesture allows users to tap their index finger and thumb together twice to interact with the primary button of any app. For instance, it can answer or hang up a phone call, start or stop a timer, and snooze an alarm.
The Apple Watch Series 9 offers the perfect blend of smartwatch features and health and fitness tracking capability, and may even sway some people to buy an iPhone in order to use it.
Rick Stella/Business Insider
While this new gesture is great for interacting with the Apple Watch when you have your hands full, it's a huge advancement in its accessibility. Now, users who may be unable to use the touchscreen easily can still use the watch's apps. This, coupled with the Series 9's on-device Siri access, completely changes how the watch can be used.
Beyond those updates, the Series 9 is still a powerful health and fitness tracker, offering several tools like sleep tracking and stress management. There are also new mental health tools available within its Mindfulness app that allow users to log how they feel at certain times throughout the day. Apple dropped the blood-oxygen monitoring feature on all Apple Watches, including the Series 9, due to a patent dispute.
The Apple Watch has long been a quality wearable, and the Series 9 continues that trend, offering something for every type of user. It delivers a premium smartwatch experience, has powerful health and fitness tracking tools, and is not only the best Apple Watch you can buy but the best smartwatch, too.
For around $65, the Nothing CMF Watch Pro perfectly fits the bill for a budget smartwatch, and it works both for Android and iPhone, too.
Full disclosure: We haven't tested or personally used the CMF Watch Pro yet. However, based on our research, overall experience with smartwatches, and our experience with Nothing products like the Phone 2 and Ear Stick earbuds, we feel comfortable recommending the CMF Watch Pro as a genuinely suitable option for those seeking a budget smartwatch.
The CMF Watch Pro focuses on the core basics of a smartwatch, including telling the time and showing your notifications. You can even take a call on it thanks to its built-in microphone, which is a pleasant surprise for a watch in this price range, at least one with a recognizable brand name behind it.
It also covers the basic health and fitness tracking features that most smartwatches have, like a step counter, heart rate sensor, and sleep tracking. Also surprisingly, the CMF Watch Pro supports blood-oxygen monitoring — a feature deactivated on Apple Watches thanks to a patent dispute. It also has IP68 water resistance, which means it won't get damaged with water contact, but Nothing doesn't suggest you wear it swimming.
The Nothing CMF Watch Pro is incredibly affordable and works on both iPhone and Android.
CMF by Nothing
The CMF Watch Pro's touted 13-day battery life is also worthy of note. We expect most people would get less than 13 days with their typical usage, but that potential range is a great plus for the CMF Watch Pro. The CMF Watch Pro also supports an always-on display, a feature Apple's Watch SE can't tout at its $249 starting price.
For $65, the CMF Watch Pro doesn't have certain features you'd expect on more expensive smartwatches. It doesn't run third-party apps, for example; that means different things to people who need third-party apps, but for most people, it means you can't run your music streaming app and store music on the CMF Watch Pro for phone-less workouts.
And while you can get notifications about text messages, the CMF Watch Pro doesn't support writing and sending texts from the watch itself. We also saw reports from users who weren't receiving notifications for RCS messages from their phones, which is the modern standard that Android phones use for text messaging. Bluetooth connectivity with your phone is also reportedly patchy and oddly reliant on occasionally running the CMF Watch app.
So, the CMF Watch Pro isn't perfect, but it's also around $65. Consider that most good smartwatches cost over $200, downsides to the CMF Pro are fully expected, and these specific downsides are acceptable for the price.
Best for Android
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is a generation older than the current Galaxy Watch 6 series but has some notable advantages.
Namely, it houses a larger battery that allows it to go several days before a charge. It also has a ruggedly durable and lightweight titanium design that caters to the active user. And, when paired with one of the best Samsung Galaxy Watch bands, you can easily tailor it to function however you prefer to wear it.
It's also a powerful smartwatch. Call, text, email, and app alerts are easy to interact with on the large, bright watch face, and it uses the latest iteration of Wear OS, which is fluid and intuitive to navigate. It allows for deep customization, too, including several different watch faces that can display certain relevant information. I found this one of its best features, as I could tailor what data or fitness stats it always showed on the home screen.
Samsung's Watch 5 Pro was the brand's answer to the Apple Watch Ultra, and it delivered. It has multi-day battery life, can track a variety of activities, and offers a suite of health features. It's the best for Android users by far.
Rick Stella/Business Insider
Health-focused users will also appreciate its variety of wellness features, including in-depth sleep tracking and a unique body composition scanner that can inform you of your body fat percentage, water weight, and BMI. This isn't as accurate as a reading you may get at the doctor, but it's still a handy tool.
For the fitness crowd, the Watch 5 Pro is stellar. Not only is there a wide range of trackable workouts, like cycling, running, and weight lifting, but there are plenty of activities that aren't specifically fitness-centric but still work out your body, like skiing and hiking. There's also a handy track-back option that functions like a breadcrumb feature to track your exact hiking routes. However, this only works for hiking and cycling, but hopefully, future updates make it available for things like trail running, too.
The Watch 5 Pro isn't without its drawbacks. Some features, like the ECG function that tracks heart rhythms and blood pressure monitor, are exclusive to Samsung phones via the Samsung Health Monitor app, and they're not available on other Android phones. It's not a major red flag, but it is something to keep in mind if you don't own a Samsung phone.
Even with those issues, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is the best Android smartwatch you can buy. It's a quality health and fitness tracker and an exceptional smartwatch. For Android users, especially those who own Samsung phones, it doesn't get better than this.
Google's second iteration of the Pixel Watch, the Pixel Watch 2, addresses our main complaints from the previous model, and it easily deserves its spot as the best option for Pixel phone users.
The Pixel Watch 2 continues to offer the stellar core smartwatch experience from the original Pixel Watch with the intuitive WatchOS 4 operating system, compatibility with several third-party apps, and excellent notifications and interactions with calls, texts, and emails. As an extension of your phone, it shines.
The Google Pixel Watch 2 introduces major improvements and upgrades over the original.
Rick Stella/Business Insider
For fitness tracking, namely GPS accuracy, the Pixel Watch 2 brings major improvements, and it's actually up to par with other smartwatches now. It includes features like sleep tracking, all-day heart rate monitoring, stress monitoring, and ECG readings. The Pixel Watch 2 also comes with a new skin temperature sensor and a new heart rate sensor, contributing to unique insights into sleep quality.
We should note that some features like advanced sleep data, advanced stress management tools, and Fitbit's unique Daily Readiness feature are locked behind Fitbit's $10/month Premium subscription service. You get a free six-month trial of the service when you buy the Pixel Watch 2, which lets you decide whether it's worth keeping.
The Pixel Watch 2 also shows notable improvements in battery life over the original. It gets us through a full day that includes activity and workout tracking while leaving enough battery for sleep tracking.
There aren't many things the Garmin Epix Pro can't do. From its endless number of trackable activities and weeklong battery to its accurate GPS tracking, no-frills but useful notification system, and a suite of health-tracking features, it's more than just a quality fitness tracker; it's the best fitness tracker. Period.
But since we're talking about smartwatches, it's worth pointing out it excels at that, too. Its call, text, and app notifications are on the basic end of the smartwatch spectrum, but they're still easy to interact with, and the watch still serves as a reliable extension of your smartphone. It may not have all the bells and whistles of something like the Series 9 or Watch 5 Pro, but it gets the job done.
Plus, the amount of extras that come with it makes it an especially great pick for fitness-focused folks or anyone who enjoys spending time outside. It offers in-depth activity tracking for things like running, cycling, weight training, and snowboarding and does more than just track heart rate and time. It can log actual workout reps and track actual ground you cover via GPS while providing a detailed map of your route.
Garmin's Epix Pro is the best fitness tracker thanks to a wide variety of trackable activities, battery life that lasts up to a week, and one of the most accurate GPS we've tested.
Rick Stella/Business Insider
It's also a comprehensive health tracker with in-depth sleep and stress monitoring and a handy recovery tool that adjusts how much rest it recommends you need based on your daily activity.
I found the recovery feature quite useful, especially when I wanted to push myself but decided to take it easy based on the watch's recommendation, knowing I wouldn't be at my best. This input ultimately changed how I worked out each week, and I started to feel far better on a week-to-week basis in terms of soreness and my overall recovery timeline.
This only scratches the surface of what the Epix Pro can do, too, as the watch literally learns your day-to-day behavior and adapts to suit you best. This includes the workout recommendations, but it also helps manage stress levels, when to go to bed and wake up, and how often you should have a rigorous workout.
The fact it does all this while also being a reliable smartwatch makes it one of the premier wearables you can buy.
Best premium Apple Watch
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 offers a near-similar smartwatch experience to the Series 9 but at a much steeper price tag. While it may not be the preferred choice for casual users, it's worth the extra investment for advanced athletes or those who spend time outdoors.
This is mainly due to the features and internal hardware tailored to tracking activities like cycling, diving, and climbing. These features include a brighter screen that can be more easily seen in high-lighting conditions, tracking compatibility for freediving, scuba diving, and wakeboarding, and improved altitude readings.
The Ultra 2 also features a bulkier, more durable design than the Series 9 and a battery that lasts upwards of two full days instead of needing to be recharged daily. The increased battery life is a huge improvement compared to the Series 9 (and other smartwatches in this guide) since less time on the charger means more time using it for how it's intended.
The Apple Watch Ultra is as premium as Apple Watches get. It features a larger, durable design, multi-day battery life, and unique features geared toward advanced athletes.
Rick Stella/Business Insider
However, my favorite feature of the Ultra 2 is its Action Button, which can be programmed to open several different apps, including the fitness-tracking app, the stopwatch, or the shortcuts app. The Action Button is especially helpful for activities because instead of starting after a short three-second countdown, like on the Series 9, it allows you to press the button once you're situated and ready to go. This also helps wait for the GPS to sync.
Other notable features include the new Double Tap Gesture, which also debuted on the Series 9, and faster on-device Siri access. It also has the new S9 processor chip and the updated ultra-wideband chip that improves its location accuracy.
Although the Ultra 2 offers many features geared toward the advanced athlete, it's still a quality wearable for the casual user. It has the same health and fitness tracking tools as the Series 9 while offering similar smartwatch functionality.
For a smartwatch that excels as a reliable sleep tracker, Fitbit's Sense 2 is at the front of the pack. It not only tracks your sleep each night and provides in-depth data, but it also offers unique recommendations on improving your rest via several metrics. Plenty of wearables try to provide this level of insight, but the Sense 2 does it best.
What sets the Sense 2 apart is how comprehensive the data it provides is. For example, after a night of sleep, the Fitbit app displays metrics showing how well I rested. These include time spent in REM, deep, and light sleep, as well as other factors like time spent awake, how restless I might have been, and what my heart rate was.
The Fitbit app can then recommend ways to improve my sleep to better my nightly score. This may include certain workouts, when to work out, or how to keep a consistent sleep schedule. Once I got the hang of using the recommendations, they made a noticeable difference.
The Fitbit Sense 2 is Fitbit's best wearable overall as it offers premium smartwatch capability and a suite of health and fitness tracking tools.
Rick Stella/Business Insider
It's worth noting that one major hurdle to having all the sleep data available is to have Fitbit Premium, the subscription part of the Fitbit app. Memberships run for $10/month or $80/year and are worth the expenditure for those intent on using the extra data.
Fitbit Premium also provides a unique Daily Readiness Score that analyzes your prior day's activity and rest and creates a numbered score to represent how hard to push yourself. There are also in-depth health insights, like heart rate variability, available to subscribers.
Aside from its capability as a sleep tracker, the Sense 2 is also an excellent fitness tracker. It tracks various activities like running, cycling, and strength training. Also, it uses a skin temperature sensor, has heart rhythm (ECG) readings, and debuted Fitbit's real-time stress tracker. The stress tracker is especially useful for its feedback on how to lower stress throughout the day.
While the Fitbit Sense 2 is one of the best smartwatches, the actual smartwatch experience leaves a little to be desired. Yes, it gets notifications like calls, texts, and app updates, but the fact Fitbit removed third-party app support and Google Assistant access is disappointing. There's also no way to store or play music via the watch.
However, I wouldn't view these as deal-breakers for the Sense 2, especially if you're looking for a smartwatch with premium sleep tracking. It's one of the best Fitbits you can buy, and while it is a so-so smartwatch, it gets the job done when needed while offering a suite of advanced health and wellness features.
One of the best additions Samsung introduced on the Watch 6 Classic was to bring back the rotating bezel last seen in the Watch 4. With the rotating bezel, navigating the watch's interface and menus is fluid and easy, especially during workouts or when wearing gloves. This isn't to say the touchscreen is hard to navigate, but sometimes it took a little longer to respond to a screen swipe than it would if I just simply spun the dial.
The watch's improved battery life is also a welcome update. Outside of the Watch 5 Pro, most Galaxy Watches need to find their way to a charger at least once daily to recharge. This wasn't ever a dealbreaker as even our top pick, the Apple Watch Series 9, requires the same daily charging.
Samsung's latest Galaxy Watch, the Watch 6 Classic, sees the return of a rotating bezel that some may find easier to use than the touchscreen native to the Watch 5 Pro and Watch 6.
Rick Stella/Business Insider
However, having a watch with a battery that lasts more than one day ensures you can squeeze all the functionality out of it. You can use it as a smartwatch and fitness tracker during the day and as a sleep tracker at night. The Watch 6 Classic's longer battery allowed me to do that during my time with it.
Not all Watch 6 users will make use of every bell and whistle, but even casual wearers will find plenty to utilize. Outside of the available activities and sleep tracking, there's also a stress tracker, a heart rhythm reader (ECG), a body composition analyzer, a temperature sensor, and a cycle tracker.
The highlight of these is the body composition analyzer, which I used to chart my body fat percentage and muscle mass, and the stress tracker, which tracked my specific stress levels at different times throughout the day and suggested ways to lower them.
I also just really enjoyed wearing the Watch 6 Classic. It has a comfortable, lightweight design that felt equally good to wear while working out and sleeping as it did while sitting at my desk.
The watch looks good on the wrist, too, featuring a classic round watch face design that looks and feels premium. I could see it being slightly too big for folks with smaller wrists, though it was the perfect size on my arm (and I like larger watch faces). But do keep this in mind if you don't like big watch faces.
My lone nitpick with the Watch 6 Classic is that it's not all that different from the previous generation of Watch 5. It does use the latest Wear OS, though that can also be downloaded on the Watch 5. What this means, though, is that upgrading to the Watch 6 Classic is best done by those wearing the Watch 4 or older — and Watch 5 users can take a beat and wait for the release of next year's Watch 7.
It's important to know how you intend to use a smartwatch before you start shopping for one. Maybe you want a wearable with a smaller watch face or prefer a certain strap material. You may even want one that offers robust health and fitness tracking capabilities.
Here's what to consider before purchasing:
Use case: While all smartwatches offer similar functionality of telling time and displaying various call, text, email, and app notifications, some are better suited to certain uses than others. For example, the Fitbit Sense 2 excels as a sleep tracker in addition to being a reliable smartwatch. If you don't need sleep tracking, the Sense 2 may not be a good fit.
While most smartwatches track activities, they're not all full-fledged fitness trackers. Dedicated fitness trackers provide a variety of trackable activities and often provide in-depth progress-tracking data, monitor rest and recovery, and create workout recommendations. For information on these, check out our guide on the best fitness trackers.
Sizing: Smartwatches come in a variety of sizing options, both in terms of the actual watch face and the watch strap it comes with. While some folks may benefit from a larger watch face and prefer the amount of data they can see on it, others may find big watches too cumbersome and prefer something smaller and sleeker. This is especially true for those with smaller wrists.
Compatibility: While iPhone users shouldn't buy an Android smartwatch, and vice versa, there are other compatibilities to keep in mind when shopping. For instance, some wearables, like Samsung's Watch 5 Pro and Watch 6 Classic, function better on a Samsung-branded phone than on a different Android device like the Google Pixel. Some features aren't available while the overall experience is slightly different.
Battery life: Battery life is one of the most important considerations when shopping for a smartwatch and directly impacts how you use it. For instance, the Apple Watch Series 9, our pick as the best smartwatch overall, requires daily charging. This is fine for folks who can put it on the charger each night but may not suffice for those who travel frequently or who may not have access to a portable charger.
How we test smartwatches
Each of the smartwatches included in this guide went through various tests to determine how well they performed across these four categories: Features, fit & comfort, ease of use, and value.
Here's how each category specifically factored into the decision process:
Features: This is one of the most important considerations for any smartwatch and separates something like the Apple Watch Series 8 from something that didn't make our guide, like the Fitbit Versa 4. A wearable with features like third-party app support, the ability to play or store music, and others like sleep tracking or an always-on display truly fits the bill of being a quality smartwatch.
Fit & comfort: If a smartwatch is uncomfortable, you'll be far less likely to want to wear it very often. And since a smartwatch is supposed to be a suitable extension of your phone, track your daily activity, and monitor your sleep, you need to wear it a lot. We took into consideration how the watch band feels, how lightweight it is while wearing at night, and whether it stays comfortable while commuting, working out, etc.
Ease of use: Learning curve is another important factor since knowing how to get the most out of your smartwatch without fumbling through menus is vital to the experience. There will be a learning period with any new smartwatch but the ones that are intuitive and easy to navigate from the jump are the ones that stick out. The Apple Watch Series 9 is one of the easiest watches to navigate, which is part of why it's our top overall pick.
Value: Value can often be subjective and is influenced entirely by how a user utilizes a certain smartwatch. For instance, not everyone needs the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Athletes or those who spend a lot of time outside who also need a powerful smartwatch will get a lot of value out of it while someone who is just casually active may not need all the bells and whistles. But value is still an important aspect we considered because smartwatches aren't cheap and you want to ensure that your investment is a wise one.
FAQs
What is the best smartwatch?
This largely hinges on two things: how you intend to use the smartwatch and, perhaps most importantly, what smartphone you have. For instance, the best Apple Watches only work on iOS devices, while the best Android smartwatches only work on Android devices.
So, while we think the Apple Watch Series 9 is the best overall smartwatch, regardless of smartphone operating system, it's still only usable by one group of users: those with an iOS device.
Consider how you intend to use the smartwatch, too. If you want something that accurately tracks activities and has several health-tracking tools, a pure smartwatch likely isn't going to be the "best" for you. Similarly, if you want the best pure smartwatch experience, a dedicated fitness tracker won't be the best fit.
Do all smartwatches work on any smartphone?
No. Some smartwatches work exclusively on a certain operating system. For instance, the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 only work on iOS devices, while wearables such as the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro and Google Pixel Watch 2 only work on Android devices.
However, many wearables work on iOS and Android, including the Garmin Epix, the Fitbit Sense 2, and the Fitbit Versa 3. Always cross-reference which operating system a certain smartwatch requires with the operating system of your smartphone before purchasing.
Can you use an Apple Watch with an Android smartphone?
No, the Apple Watch is only compatible with devices running iOS. While you can still wear an Apple Watch if you own an Android phone, you won't be able to get anywhere near the full functionality out of it like accessing any tracked data or downloading apps.
Unlike smartwatches from Garmin and Fitbit, which work with iOS and Android devices, the Apple Watch only works with iOS devices.
Can you use an Android smartwatch with an iPhone?
No, Android smartwatches, such as the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic, Watch 5 Pro, and Google's Pixel Watches, are only compatible with devices running the Android operating system. Those with iOS devices should avoid purchasing these watches to ensure their smartwatch's full functionality.
If you want a device-agnostic smartwatch, opt for the Garmin Epix Pro or Fitbit Sense 2.
Best overall: Apple Watch Series 9
Rick Stella/Insider
The Apple Watch Series 9 remains atop the smartwatch pack thanks to its excellent blend of health and fitness tools, smartwatch functionality, and overall effectiveness. For iOS users, there's no better wearable to buy and it's so good that it may even sway those who don't have an iOS device to get one.
When the Series 9 was released in September of 2023, it didn't represent a massive generational leap over the prior year's release, the Apple Watch Series 8. However, it did introduce a few new features that improved its accessibility and it also debuted a fast new processor chip.
The new additions include faster on-device Siri access, updated Smart Stack functionality, a brighter display, and, perhaps the most notable new feature, the Double Tap Gesture. The Double Tap Gesture allows users to tap their index finger and thumb together twice to interact with the primary button of any app. For instance, it can answer or hang up a phone call, start or stop a timer, and snooze an alarm.
While this new gesture is great for when you have your hands full yet still need to interact with your Apple Watch, it's a huge advancement in its accessibility. Now, users who may not be able to easily use the touchscreen can still make use of the watch's apps. This coupled with the Series 9's on-device Siri access completely changes how the watch can be used.
Beyond those updates, the Series 9 is still a powerful health and fitness tracker, offering several tools like blood oxygen sensing, sleep tracking, and stress management. There are also new mental health tools available within its Mindfulness app that allow users to log how they feel at certain times throughout the day.
The Apple Watch has long been a quality wearable and the Series 9 continues that trend, offering something for every type of user. It delivers a premium smartwatch experience, has powerful health and fitness tracking tools, and is not only the best Apple Watch you can buy but the best smartwatch, too.
Although the Versa 4 is Fitbit's latest model, the Versa 3 remains the better option of the two. For starters, its compatibility with third-party apps gives it a massive leg up over the Versa 4, and it's also a much more accurate tracker in terms of GPS tracking and syncing.
The third-party app support is probably the most important aspect of why the Versa 3 is a standout. Since Fitbit decided to end third-party app support on the Versa 4, the Versa 3 remains the last Fitbit smartwatch that offers that functionality.
This translates into a much better smartwatch experience because you don't have to solely rely on whatever apps come pre-installed. Having the option to customize what you use is one of the best features of any smartwatch.
The Versa 3 excels beyond the app support and fitness tracking, too. It also acts as a fluid extension of your smartphone, offering text, email, call, and app notifications that are easy to read, especially on the watch's big, bright watch face. Having such a large screen is also good for quickly viewing any workout stats or navigating through an app.
It also offers health-tracking features like menstrual cycle tracking, in-depth sleep monitoring, and an always-on heart rate monitor. Fitbit may be more well-known for its no-frills activity trackers but the Versa 3 is an excellent full-featured smartwatch (it's our pick as one of the best Fitbits, too).
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro continued the Galaxy Watch line's reign as the best Android smartwatch you can buy, and it did so via a few key upgrades over the existing line.
First, it houses a larger battery that allows it to go several days before a recharge. It also has a ruggedly durable design that caters to the active user. And when paired with one of the best Samsung Galaxy Watch bands, you can easily tailor it to function however you prefer to wear it.
These new features represent an extremely similar innovation cycle to the Apple Watch Ultra 2. The Watch 5 Pro has all the hallmarks of its non-Pro kin, the Watch 5, albeit with a few add-ons that make it especially useful for fitness-focused folks and outdoor enthusiasts.
It's also a powerful smartwatch. Call, text, email, and app alerts are easy to interact with on the large, bright watch face and it uses the latest iteration of Wear OS which is fluid and intuitive to navigate. It allows for deep customization, too, including several different watch faces that can display certain relevant information. I found this to be one of its best features as I could tailor what data or fitness stats it always showed on the home screen.
Health-focused users will also appreciate its variety of wellness features, including in-depth sleep tracking, as well as a unique body composition scanner that can inform you of your body fat percentage, water weight, and BMI. This isn't as accurate as a reading you may get at the doctor but it's still a handy tool.
For the fitness crowd, the Watch 5 Pro is stellar. Not only is there a wide range of trackable workouts, like cycling, running, and weight lifting, but there are plenty of niche activities including skiing and hiking. There's also a handy track-back option that functions like a breadcrumb feature to track your exact hiking routes. However, this only works for hiking and cycling but hopefully, future updates make it available for things like trail running, too.
The Watch 5 Pro isn't without its drawbacks, though as the experience is a bit better when using a Samsung phone compared to something like the Google Pixel. It's not a major red flag but is something to keep in mind. Some features, like the ECG function which tracks heart rhythms, are only accessible via an app exclusive to Samsung phones.
Even with those issues, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is the best Android smartwatch you can buy. It's a quality health and fitness tracker and an exceptional smartwatch. For Android users, it doesn't get better than this.
Google's Pixel Watch is one of the most polarizing wearables I've tested. For as good of a smartwatch as it is, it's a frustratingly terrible fitness tracker, which is especially strange considering Google owns Fitbit.
But the main reason it gets the nod here, and why it's one of the best smartwatches for Android, is that it is a truly great smartwatch. Wear OS is intuitive to use, making the interface easy to navigate, plus it's compatible with several apps and extremely easy to interact with calls, texts, emails, and app notifications. As an effective extension of your smartphone, it shines.
However, those looking for a smartwatch that also does well in the fitness department should take heed: it's a very inaccurate watch in terms of GPS tracking and syncing. I had the most trouble when trying to get an accurate reading of my pace while running or cycling.
I found the watch to be off by as much as a minute and a half to two minutes on my normal mile time while running, which created a significant discrepancy. I always end up around the same spot during a 30-minute run, yet the Pixel Watch would tell me I ran far shorter than I typically do. That kind of info is useless to anyone training for a specific race or event.
Aside from those discrepancies, though, the Google Pixel Watch remains an excellent smartwatch. Not every smartwatch wearer needs something accurate down to .01 miles and instead wants a reliable smartwatch capable of displaying notifications and being the stand-in to their smartphone when they need it. That's exactly what you get with the Pixel Watch.
There aren't many things the Garmin Epix Pro can't do. From its endless number of trackable activities and week-long battery to its accurate GPS tracking, no-frills but useful notification system, and a suite of health-tracking features, it's more than just a quality fitness tracker, it's the best fitness tracker. Period.
But since we're talking about smartwatches, it's worth pointing out it excels at that, too. Its call, text, and app notifications are on the basic end of the smartwatch spectrum but they're still easy to interact with and the watch still serves as a reliable extension of your smartphone. It may not have all the bells and whistles of something like the Series 9 or Watch 5 Pro but it gets the job done.
Plus, the amount of extras that come with it makes it an especially great pick for fitness-focused folks or anyone who enjoys spending time outside. It offers in-depth activity tracking for things like running, cycling, weight training, and snowboarding, and does more than just track heart rate and time. It can log actual workout reps and track actual ground you cover via GPS, while also providing a detailed map of your route.
It's also a comprehensive health tracker with in-depth sleep and stress monitoring and a handy recovery tool that adjusts how much rest it recommends you need based on your daily activity.
I found the recovery feature quite useful, especially when I wanted to push myself but decided to take it easy based on the watch's recommendation, knowing I wouldn't be at my best. This input ultimately changed the way I worked out each week and I started to feel far better on a week-to-week basis in terms of soreness and what my overall recovery timeline was like.
This only scratches the surface of what the Epix Pro can do, too, as the watch literally learns your day-to-day behavior and adapts to suit you best. This includes the workout recommendations but it also helps manage stress levels, when to go to bed and wake up, and how often you should have a rigorous workout.
The fact it does all this while also being a reliable smartwatch makes it one of the premier wearables you can buy.
Best premium Apple Watch: Apple Watch Ultra 2
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is the best option for outdoor enthusiasts and those who want longer battery life.
Rick Stella/Insider
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 offers a near-similar smartwatch experience to the Series 9 but at a much steeper price tag. While it may not be the preferred choice for casual users, it's worth the extra investment for advanced athletes or those who spend time outdoors.
This is mainly due to the features and internal hardware tailored to tracking activities like cycling, diving, and climbing. These features include a brighter screen that can be more easily seen in high-lighting conditions, tracking compatibility for freediving, scuba diving, and wakeboarding, and improved altitude readings.
The Ultra 2 also features a bulkier, more durable design than the Series 9, as well as a battery that lasts upwards of two full days, instead of needing to be recharged daily. The increased battery life is a huge improvement compared to the Series 9 (and other smartwatches in this guide) since less time on the charger means more time using it for how it's intended.
However, my favorite feature of the Ultra 2 is its Action Button, which can be programmed to open several different apps including the fitness-tracking app, the stopwatch, or the shortcuts app. The Action Button is especially helpful for activities because instead of starting after a short three-second countdown, like on the Series 9, it allows you to press the button once you're situated and ready to go. This also helps wait for the GPS to sync, too.
Other notable features include the new Double Tap Gesture, which also debuted on the Series 9, and faster on-device Siri access. It also has the new S9 processor chip, as well as the updated ultra-wideband chip that improves its location accuracy.
Although the Ultra 2 offers many features geared toward the advanced athlete, it's still a quality wearable for the casual user. It has the same health and fitness tracking tools as the Series 9 while offering similar smartwatch functionality.
The Fitbit Sense 2 is a great all-around activity tracker, and although it does lack some standard smartwatch features, it’s still an impressive wearable.
Rick Stella/Insider
For a smartwatch that excels as a reliable sleep tracker, Fitbit's Sense 2 is at the front of the pack. It not only tracks your sleep each night and provides in-depth data but it also offers unique recommendations on how to improve your rest via several metrics. There are plenty of wearables that try to offer this level of insight but the Sense 2 does it best.
What sets the Sense 2 apart is how comprehensive the data it provides is. For example, after a night of sleep, the Fitbit app displays metrics showing how well I rested. These include time spent in REM, deep, and light sleep, as well as other factors like time spent awake, how restless I might have been, and what my heart rate was.
The Fitbit app can then recommend ways to improve my sleep to better my nightly score. This may include certain workouts, when to work out, or how to keep a consistent sleep schedule. Once I got the hang of using the recommendations, they made a noticeable difference.
It's worth noting that one major hurdle to having all the sleep data available is to have Fitbit Premium, the subscription part of the Fitbit app. Memberships run for $10 per month or $80 per year, and are worth the investment, especially for those intent on using the extra data.
Fitbit Premium also provides a unique Daily Readiness Score that analyzes your prior day's activity and rest and creates a numbered score to represent how hard to push yourself. There are in-depth health insights, like heart rate variability, available to subscribers, as well.
Aside from its capability as a sleep tracker, the Sense 2 is also an excellent fitness tracker. It offers tracking for a variety of activities like running, cycling, and strength training and also uses a skin temperature sensor, has heart rhythm (ECG) readings, and debuted Fitbit's real-time stress tracker. The stress tracker is especially useful for the feedback it provides on how to lower stress throughout the day.
And while the Fitbit Sense 2 is one of the best smartwatches, its actual smartwatch experience leaves a little to be desired. Yes, it gets notifications like calls, texts, and app updates, but the fact Fitbit removed third-party app support and Google Assistant access is disappointing. There's also no way to store or play music via the watch.
But I wouldn't view these as reasons to not buy a Sense 2, especially if you're looking for a smartwatch with premium sleep tracking. It's one of the best Fitbits you can buy and while it is a so-so smartwatch, it gets the job done when needed while offering a suite of advanced health and wellness features.
Samsung's Galaxy Watch line of smartwatches has stood as the best Android smartwatch you can buy for years. With the recent release of the Watch 6 Classic, it looks to stay that way for at least another generation.
One of the best additions Samsung introduced on the Watch 6 Classic was to bring back the rotating bezel last seen in the Watch 4. With the rotating bezel, navigating the watch's interface and menus is fluid and easy, especially during workouts or when wearing gloves. This isn't to say the touchscreen is hard to navigate but sometimes I'd find it took a little longer to respond to a screen swipe than it would if I just simply spun the dial.
The watch's improved battery life is also a welcome update. Outside of the Watch 5 Pro, most Galaxy Watches would need to find their way to a charger at least once a day to recharge. This wasn't ever a deal breaker as even our top pick, the Apple Watch Series 8, requires the same daily charging.
However, having a watch with a battery that lasts more than one day ensures you can squeeze all the functionality out of it. You can use it as a smartwatch and fitness tracker during the day while also using it as a sleep tracker at night. The Watch 6 Classic's longer battery allowed me to do exactly that during my time with it.
Of course, not all Watch 6 users will make use of every bell and whistle but even casual wearers will find plenty to utilize. Outside of the available activities and sleep tracking, there's also a stress tracker, a heart rhythm reader (ECG), a body composition analyzer, a temperature sensor, and a cycle tracker.
The highlight of these is the body composition analyzer, which I used to chart my body fat percentage and muscle mass, as well as the stress tracker, which tracked my specific stress levels at different times throughout the day and suggested methods for trying to lower it.
I also just really enjoyed wearing the Watch 6 Classic. It has a comfortable, lightweight design that felt equally as good to wear while working out and sleeping as it did while sitting at my desk.
The watch looks good on the wrist, too, featuring a classic round watch face design that looks and feels premium. I could see it being slightly too big for folks with smaller wrists, though it was the perfect size on my arm (and I like larger watch faces). But do keep this in mind if you don't like big watch faces.
My lone nitpick with the Watch 6 Classic is that it's not all that different from the previous generation of Watch 5. It does use the latest Wear OS, though that can also be downloaded on the Watch 5. What this means, though, is that upgrading to the Watch 6 Classic is best done by those wearing the Watch 4 or older — and Watch 5 users can take a beat and wait for the release of next year's Watch 7.
It's important to know how you intend to use a smartwatch before you start shopping for one. Maybe you want a wearable with a smaller watch face or prefer a certain strap material. You may even want one that offers robust health and fitness tracking capabilities.
Here's what to consider before purchasing:
Use case: While all smartwatches offer similar functionality of telling time and displaying various call, text, email, and app notifications, some are better suited to certain uses than others. For example, the Fitbit Sense 2 excels as a sleep tracker in addition to being a reliable smartwatch. If you don't need sleep tracking, the Sense 2 may not be a good fit.
Sizing: Smartwatches come in a variety of sizing options, both in terms of the actual watch face and the watch strap it comes with. While some folks may benefit from a larger watch face and prefer the amount of data they can see on it, others may find big watches to be too cumbersome and may prefer something smaller and sleeker. This is especially true for those with smaller wrists.
Compatibility: While iPhone users shouldn't buy an Android smartwatch, and vice versa, there are other compatibilities to keep in mind when shopping. For instance, some wearables, like Samsung's Watch 5 Pro and Watch 6 Classic, function better on a Samsung-branded phone than they do on a different Android device like the Google Pixel. Some features aren't available while the overall experience is slightly different.
Battery life: Battery life is one of the most important considerations when shopping for a smartwatch and directly impacts how you use it. For instance, the Apple Watch Series 9, our pick as the best smartwatch overall, requires daily charging. This is fine for folks who can put in on the charger each night but may not suffice for those who travel frequently, or who may not have access to a portable charger.
How we test smartwatches
Each of the smartwatches included in this guide went through a variety of tests to determine how well they performed across these four categories: Features, fit & comfort, ease of use, and value.
Here's how each category specifically factored into the decision process:
Features: This is one of the most important considerations for any smartwatch, and is what separates something like the Apple Watch Series 8 from something that didn't make our guide, like the Fitbit Versa 4. A wearable with features like third-party app support, the ability to play or store music, and others like sleep tracking or an always-on display truly fits the bill of being a quality smartwatch.
Fit & comfort: If a smartwatch is uncomfortable to wear, then you'll be far less likely to want to wear it very often. And since a smartwatch is supposed to be a suitable extension of your phone, track your daily activity, and monitor your sleep, you need to wear it a lot. We took into consideration how the watch band feels, how lightweight it is while wearing at night, and whether it stays comfortable while commuting, working out, etc.
Ease of use: Learning curve is another important factor since knowing how to get the most out of your smartwatch without fumbling through menus is a vital part of the experience. There will be a learning period with any new smartwatch but the ones that are intuitive and easy to navigate from the jump are the ones that stick out. The Apple Watch Series 9 is one of the easiest watches to navigate, hence the reason why it's our top overall pick.
Value: Value can often be subjective and is influenced entirely by how a user utilizes a certain smartwatch. For instance, not everyone needs the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Athletes or those who spend a lot of time outside who also need a powerful smartwatch will get a lot of value out of it while someone who is just casually active may not need all the bells and whistles. But value is still an important aspect we considered because smartwatches aren't cheap and you want to ensure that your investment is a wise one.
FAQs
What's the best smartwatch?
This largely hinges on two things: how you intend to use the smartwatch and, perhaps most importantly, what smartphone you have. For instance, the best Apple Watches only work on iOS devices while the best Android smartwatches only work on Android devices.
So, while we think the Apple Watch Series 9 is the best overall smartwatch, regardless of smartphone operating system, it's still only usable by one group of users: those with an iOS device.
It's smart to also consider how you intend to use the smartwatch. If you want something that accurately tracks activities and has several health-tracking tools, a pure smartwatch likely isn't going to be the "best" for you. Similarly, if you want the best pure smartwatch experience, a dedicated fitness tracker won't be the best fit.
Do all smartwatches work on any smartphone?
No. Some smartwatches work exclusively on a certain operating system. For instance, the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 only work on iOS devices while wearables such as the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro and Google Pixel Watch only work on Android devices.
However, there are plenty of wearables that work on both iOS and Android, including the Garmin Epix, the Fitbit Sense 2, and the Fitbit Versa 3. Always cross-reference which operating system a certain smartwatch requires with the operating system of your smartphone before purchasing.
Can you use an Apple Watch with an Android smartphone?
No, the Apple Watch is only compatible with devices running iOS. While you can still wear an Apple Watch if you own an Android phone, you won't be able to get anywhere near the full functionality out of it like accessing any tracked data or downloading apps.
Unlike smartwatches from Garmin and Fitbit, which work with iOS and Android devices, the Apple Watch only works with iOS devices.
Can you use an Android smartwatch with an iPhone?
No, Android smartwatches, such as the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic and Watch 5 Pro, as well as the Google Pixel, are only compatible with devices running the Android operating system. Folks with iOS devices should avoid purchasing these watches if they want to ensure the full functionality of their smartwatch.
If you do want a device-agnostic smartwatch, opt instead for something like the Garmin Epix or Fitbit Sense 2.
A diver from the British Royal Navy wore a self-contained suit without a cable attaching him to a ship in 1944.
AP Photo
During WWII, scientists experimented on themselves to help divers and submarine crews.
The scientists conducted over 600 experiments on themselves, breathing CO2, oxygen, and more gases.
The British Admiralty used their data for recon missions, including before D-Day.
On January 18, 1944, a miniature sub known as an X-craft made its way from the English Channel to French waters undetected. For four nights, the sub surfaced every 12 hours to let in fresh air.
The submariners were on a reconnaissance mission. Two British Army officers aboard the sub swam to shore to mark landmarks and recently dug mines, gathering intel for troops who would invade the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, five months later.
The small group of scientists aboard the sub performed hundreds of experiments on themselves to figure out how long the X-craft could stay submerged with the occupants breathing their own expelled carbon dioxide.
They locked themselves in hyperbaric chambers, where they breathed carbon dioxide, pure oxygen, and other gases to figure out how best to breathe underwater.
These scientists meticulously documented the dangers of inhaling regular air and pure oxygen at different depths — helping pave the way for modern divers, who often use different gas mixtures depending on how deep they are going.
In her new book, "Chamber Divers: The Untold Story of the D-Day Scientists Who Changed Special Operations Forever," Rachel Lance tells the story of the many injuries and near-death experiences the researchers endured, from a broken spine to a collapsed lung.
The British Admiralty, which was in charge of the Royal Navy, used the scientists' data to help troops pilot miniature submarines, dismantle underwater obstacles, and perform other reconnaissance missions. All these tasks were vital for the D-Day mission.
The many dangers of diving
By the 1940s, diving was common but required bulky suits and large helmets. Anyone going underwater for lengthy periods needed a cable to attach them to a boat and provide a constant supply of air.
Experts had already known about the dangers of decompression sickness, also known as the bends, for decades. When a diver surfaces too quickly after a deep dive, the change in pressure can cause nitrogen bubbles to flood the bloodstream. A buildup of bubbles blocks blood flow and, in the most serious cases, can lead to death.
But that wasn't the British Admiralty's only concern with underwater travel. In 1939, the Thetis submarine sank during a dive test. While four people escaped, the other 99 trapped aboard died of then-unknown causes. Having breathing apparatuses on board wasn't enough to save them.
After a submarine disaster just before World War II, the British Royal Navy wanted a better way for crew members to breathe in case they were trapped.
Bettmann via Getty Images
An engineer investigating the disaster asked John Burdon Sanderson Haldane, who worked in the genetics department at University College London, for help figuring out what happened. Haldane had participated in his physiologist father's experiments on decompression sickness and breathing various gases in their at-home lab since he was a child.
Haldane and a handful of members from his lab, quickly got to work conducting experiments in hyperbaric chambers. They were the guinea pigs.
Pure oxygen could be poisonous
Haldane and his fellow scientists breathed different levels of carbon dioxide and oxygen to see how their bodies responded at different levels of pressure. CO2 would give them headaches, make them tired, and cause them to hyperventilate.
It was excessive CO2 that had killed those aboard the Thetis, Haldane figured out, and future crews would need a way to absorb the gas.
Pure oxygen could be just as poisonous. It caused violent seizures, vomiting, and impaired vision. The researchers would see flashes of color they called "dazzle." Haldane injured his back during a seizure, and another researcher dislocated her jaw.
John Haldane at University College London in the 1950s.
Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images
The seizures were bad enough in a dry hyperbaric chamber, but one of the researchers nearly drowned breathing oxygen while submerged in water.
Breathing regular air — which is mostly nitrogen — at increased pressure caused a phenomenon known as nitrogen narcosis during the researchers' tests.
It was potent enough that "no great trust should be placed in human intelligence under these circumstances," Haldane and Martin Case, another researcher, wrote. While the phenomenon wasn't new, the fact that the scientists struggled to do math problems while under its effect showed that it could be deadly for divers trying to complete simple tasks.
Finally, the researchers started mixing oxygen and air to find an ideal composition that would allow divers and submarine crews to breathe without side effects like seizures or vision loss.
Haldane and the other members of his lab conducted over 600 experiments on themselves in total. The British Admiralty used their data when outfitting its X-craft submarines and handing out custom mixes of oxygen and air based on the depth of their dives.
One of the British X-Craft submarines that required special calculations about how long it could be under the water without resurfacing for fresh air.
The Print Collector/Getty Images
The documents chronicling the work of Haldane and his fellow scientists were declassified in 2001, well after many of them had died. Their dangerous experiments not only contributed to the D-Day invasion, but also contributed to the science behind modern-day scuba diving.