• 13 protesters were arrested after barricading themselves in the office of Stanford's president.
• Participating pro-Palestinian students are suspended, and seniors won't graduate, Stanford said.
• A public safety officer was injured by protesters, according to the university.

Thirteen pro-Palestine protesters were arrested at Stanford University Wednesday after they barricaded themselves inside the school president's office building.

Protesters occupied Building 10 — where the offices of Stanford's president and provost are located — to demand the university divest from companies supporting Israel's war in Gaza, according to The New York Times.

Stanford President Richard Saller and Provost Jenny Martinez said in a statement that a public safety officer was injured by protesters. Damage was done inside the building, and graffiti outside conveyed "vile and hateful sentiments."

The statement said that arrested students will be immediately suspended, and seniors will not be allowed to graduate.

The Stanford Daily reported that one of its journalists covering the protest was among those arrested.

Saller and Martinez also said Wednesday that an encampment at Stanford protesting Israel's war had been removed.

"The situation on campus has now crossed the line from peaceful protest to actions that threaten the safety of our community," they wrote. While the university values "peaceful and reasoned debate," it condemns "any actions like those that were taken today."

Roughly 3,000 protesters have been arrested on US college campuses, according to the Times. The 13 arrests at Stanford are dwarfed by the upwards of 200 arrests that previously occurred at Columbia University and UCLA.

• I tried Red Lobster's infamous endless shrimp promotion and thought it was a good value for $30.
• I could also see why it proved disastrous for the chain when offered every day.
• The coconut shrimp was a standout star, but I also enjoyed the shrimp skewers.

A few weeks after Red Lobster filed for bankruptcy, I visited the chain's Times Square location to try its now-infamous Endless Shrimp promotion for the first time.

This wasn't my first time eating at a Red Lobster. When I've gone in the past, it's been on the weekend. Now, here I was — on an otherwise dull Monday night — prepared to eat my weight in bottomless shrimp at a Times Square chain restaurant.

Red Lobster's Endless Shrimp has quite the reputation.

The promotion was originally launched as a $20 once-a-week deal. Customers were pleased with the deal, so in the summer of 2023, Endless Shrimp became available every day of the week.

However, inflation and the rising cost of seafood meant Red Lobster would raise the price of Endless Shrimp twice, eventually landing at a base price of $25 to cope with demand and improve profits. At the location I visited in New York City, it was priced at $30.

Despite the increased price to offset expenses, the all-you-can-eat strategy backfired. In the two quarters following the initial launch of the daily endless shrimp promotion, Red Lobster reported operating losses of $11 million and $12.5 million.

Discussing the company's low profits in an earnings call in November, Ludovic Garnier, the global chief financial officer of the chain's owner, Thai Union Group, told investors the overwhelming response to endless shrimp had led to the losses.

"For those who have been in the US recently, $20 was very cheap," Garnier said. "We don't earn a lot of money at $20."

Garnier added the deal "did not deliver what we were expecting" and was "one of the key reasons for the losses we generated in Q3 2023."

Once a daily promotion, Endless Shrimp is now only available on Mondays, which is when I found myself at the revolving doors of Red Lobster's Times Square location on a hot summer night.

• The Fed should start cutting interest rates in July, but likely won't, Mohamed El-Erian said.
• "We've had nothing but negative surprises," he told Fox Business.
• These include disappointing retail sales and manufacturing prints, signaling a cooling economy.

While markets dissect economic data points to determine whether interest-rate cuts will come this fall, Mohamed El-Erian says there's enough to support cuts in July.

In an interview with Fox Business on Tuesday, the prominent economist cited a slew of cooling indicators that would support a Federal Reserve policy easing next month.

"We've had nothing but negative surprises," he said. "All that is saying to us is that the economy is slowing much faster than most people expected, including the Fed."

To back the point, El-Erian referenced disappointment in recent retail sales, as well as production data. Just this week, lower-than-expected results on the ISM Manufacturing index caused stock markets to stumble, followed on Tuesday by an underwhelming job vacancies report.

He also listed Wednesday's service sector data as a crucial metric to watch. The ISM Service index ended up beating estimates, rising to 53.8 in May.

Though his comments preceded the results that have since come out, he noted that the sector is a big driver of inflation, as well as growth.

Few, including El-Erian, actually expect the Fed to cut in July, even if it's called for.

Futures markets are currently indicating that a policy pivot is most likely to start in September instead, and odds of a summer rate cut stand at only 18.5%.

In his view, the Fed will keep waiting as it's too reliant on data that reflective more of the past. For instance, that's as Fed Chairman Jerome Powell prefers to focus on three-month moving averages, as opposed to month-to-month changes.

"Monetary policy acts with a lag," El-Erian said. "You are really targeting the economy of tomorrow; but if you do that based on yesterday's data, you're likely to get it wrong."

El-Erian has also been an ongoing proponent of shifting the Fed's inflation target up to 3%, as opposed to the 2% rate the central bank is devoted to achieving. He's previously warned that the Fed risks damaging the economy by keeping rates elevated for too long.

The economist would prefer that the Fed cut three times this year, but realistically expects no more than one or two cuts.

• Jo Merrett looked forward to babysitting her grandchildren once her adult kids started families.
• But the single mom, 51, said she can't retire until at least 70, so she won't be able to do so.
• Merrett told Business Insider she never invested in a pension and must work to pay off her mortgage.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jo Merrett. It has been edited for length and clarity.

My son and daughter, now 21 and 18, were always very close to my parents when they grew up.

Mom and Dad were always around, playing with the children and helping out with babysitting. It was lovely to see their bond.

Dad is no longer alive, but Mom is still a hands-on grandmother. She often steps in to watch my niece and nephew, aged 16 and 13.

I'd love to be the same involved grandma once my kids start their own families. But, due to my financial situation — I have no savings or pension and a 20-year mortgage to pay off — I need to work into my 70s.

I won't be around to look after my grandkids when they are young and need me the most. They'll miss out, and so will I. Their parents will have to manage on their own — and shoulder the increasing expense of childcare.

I was happy being the primary caregiver to my kids

I married in 1999 while working as a journalist in my native UK. Then, after the birth of our daughter in June 2003, I became a stay-at-home mom.

We were fortunate because my former husband earned six figures. I supplemented our income with a little part-time work in PR.

I was happy to take the role of primary carer for our kids. But since my ex started work at 1:30 a.m. and caught up with his sleep during the day, it felt a bit like being a single mom.

Therefore, I was always super grateful when my parents babysat. It brought us closer as a family and saved a lot of money.

Then in 2018, when I was 45, my ex and I separated. It was a difficult period, both emotionally and financially. I hadn't had a regular job for 15 years or paid into a pension.

People, especially women, talk about having a "fuck off" fund — independent savings so you can survive for a while if your financial circumstances suddenly change. It's useful if something happens like a divorce or you quit or lose your job.

I thought our family's future was solid, so I had no savings. Many of my friends who've gone through a divorce at the same age as me are in the same boat.

I received some benefits from the government — especially during the pandemic — but they weren't enough to rely on. Between 2018 and 2021, I had various low-paying jobs like teaching French to pre-schoolers, working at a nursery school, and stacking shelves in a supermarket for below minimum wage.

I've counted my job applications, and there were about 1,600. Although I had a college degree, I think many employers were put off by my extended career break.

Then, in December 2021, I finally got a full-time job in hospitality. I now work as head of philanthropy at a cancer charity. As a sideline, I work as a public speaking coach. I talk frankly about the ups and downs of my life, including my finances.

I will have to work until my 70s rather than babysit my grandkids

But my ex's child maintenance payments stopped when my kids turned 18. My divorce was finalized last year, but it hasn't been easy. We moved into a smaller house earlier this year after I took out a 20-year mortgage with my daughter.

Unless I win the lottery, I've realized I'll be tied to a job until I'm 71, at the very least. If I have grandchildren within the next five to 10 years, I'll be a working granny and too busy to babysit. The realization that I wouldn't be doing what many grandparents do — and what my mom still does for my sister — was a punch to the gut.

Otherwise, I have a positive mindset. I can't change the past. One of the good things to come out of this is my daughter saying I've taught her wisdom and grace. You don't know what's around the corner. She said she would never be without her own income to secure her financial future.

Do you have an interesting story about childcare provision and finances that you'd like to share with Business Insider? Please send details to jridley@businessinsider.com.

When you buy through our links, Business Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more

Smartwatches are extensions of your phone for checking notifications, making calls, and sending texts, not to mention telling the time. Ideally, the best smartwatches are also powerful tools for tracking fitness and activities and monitoring health markers. The most important things to consider when choosing a new smartwatch are the features you'll use most and your phone's operating system.

Our top pick among the best smartwatches is the Apple Watch Series 9. Though it's only compatible with iOS, it's a class-leading smartwatch that 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 titanium design, it's an excellent smartwatch that includes a comprehensive set of health and fitness tracking features, and it has 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 with a couple of premium features, like an always-on display. It's also compatible with both iOS and Android phones. 

Our top picks for the best smartwatches

Best overall: Apple Watch Series 9 – See at Amazon

Best budget: Nothing CMF Watch Pro – See at Amazon

Best for Android: Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro – See at Amazon

Best for Pixel users: Google Pixel Watch 2 – See at Amazon

Best for fitness: Garmin Epix Pro Gen 2 – See at Amazon

Best premium Apple Watch: Apple Watch Ultra 2 – See at Amazon

Best sleep tracker: Fitbit Sense 2 – See at Amazon

Best with bezel: Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic – See at Amazon

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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. It's so good that it's a solid reason to stick, or even transfer, to the Apple ecosystem with an iPhone. 

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 some new features that improved its accessibility, and it also debuted a fast new processor. 

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 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. The gesture feature and the Series 9's on-device Siri access completely change 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. Its Mindfulness app also provides new mental health tools that allow users to log how they feel at certain times throughout the day. However, Apple dropped its 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 overall.

Read our full Apple Watch Series 9 review.

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Best budget

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. It's far from perfect, but it does have some features we're surprised to find on such a budget watch.

The CMF Watch Pro focuses on the core basics of a smartwatch, including telling the time and showing your notifications. You have to dig into the CMF app's settings to pick the apps you want notifications for or select to receive all of them. 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 CMF Watch Pro's touted 13-day battery life is also worthy of note, and I can confirm that it has multi-day battery life. 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 lacks certain features you'd expect on more expensive smartwatches. It doesn't run third-party apps, for example. This absence may mean 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.

Watch faces are also somewhat limited, as you can't customize what widgets feature on a watch face. You can't interact with the widgets, either —  tapping on them does nothing, let alone bring up the relevant app. We also found that the weather widget sometimes read "no data" and required us to open the CMF app for the watch to receive weather data. However, we still received notifications. 

While you can get notifications about text messages, the CMF Watch Pro doesn't support writing and sending texts from the watch itself, nor does it support RCS messages from Android phones, which is the modern standard that Android phones use for text messages with photos and videos. 

There were reports that Bluetooth connectivity between the CMF Watch Pro and your phone could be patchy, leading to missed notifications unless the CMF app was recently opened. However, it seems the latest updates addressed this, as I did not encounter issues with connectivity. 

So, the CMF Watch Pro isn't perfect, but it's also around $65. Considering that most good smartwatches cost over $200, downsides to the CMF Pro are fully expected, and these specific downsides are certainly acceptable for the price.

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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 premium, durable, lightweight titanium design that caters to the active user. 

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. 

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. These readings aren't as accurate as those you may get at the doctor's, but they're 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 feature that functions like a breadcrumb feature to track your exact hiking routes; it 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.   

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro review.

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Best for Pixel users

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 Wear OS 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. 

For fitness tracking, namely GPS accuracy, the Pixel Watch 2 brings major improvements, and it's actually up to par with top competing smartwatches. 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 with activity and workout tracking while leaving enough battery for sleep tracking.

Read our full Google Pixel Watch 2 review.

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Best for fitness

There aren't many things the Garmin Epix Pro Gen 2 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, its number of extras 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 route map. 

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 feature only scratches the surface of what the Epix Pro Gen 2 can do, too, as the watch literally learns your day-to-day behavior and adapts to suit you best with workout recommendations, managing stress levels, when to go to bed and wake up, and how often you should have a rigorous workout. 

The fact that it does all this while also being a reliable smartwatch makes it one of the premier wearables you can buy.

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Best premium Apple Watch

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 offers a similar smartwatch experience to the Series 9 at a steeper price tag that reflects its exclusive high-end features. 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.

It's Apple's best high-end wearable, 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.

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, which also helps to sync GPS. 

Other notable features include the new double-tap gesture, which 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.

Note that Apple disabled the blood-oxygen monitoring feature on all Apple Watches, including the Ultra 2, due to a patent dispute.

Read our full Apple Watch Ultra 2 review.

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Best sleep tracker

For a smartwatch that excels as a reliable sleep tracker, Fitbit's Sense 2 is at the front of the pack. Not only does it track your sleep each night and provide 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. These recommendations 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 to make the most of the Sense 2's sleep tracking abilities, you'll need 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 that 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 isn't an exceptional smartwatch, it gets the job done when needed while offering a suite of advanced health and wellness features. 

Read our full Fitbit Sense 2 review.

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Best with bezel

Samsung's Galaxy Watch line has offered some of the best Android smartwatches you can buy for years, and the Samsung Watch 6 Classic is no exception.

One of the best additions Samsung introduced on the Watch 6 Classic was to reintroduce the rotating bezel last seen in the Watch 4 (an ideal budget option for Android users looking for something a little more premium than the CMF Watch Pro). With the rotating bezel, navigating the watch's interface and menus is fluid and easy, especially during workouts or when wearing gloves. The touchscreen isn't necessarily 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. Aside from the Watch 5 Pro, most Galaxy Watches need to find their way to a charger at least once daily to recharge, which isn't a dealbreaker, as even our top pick, the Apple Watch Series 9, 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 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. Aside from the available activities and sleep tracking, there's 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. Its comfortable, lightweight design 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 runs the latest Wear OS, which 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 or later.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic review.

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What to look for in a smartwatch

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. 

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 other Android devices like Google's Pixel phones. Some features aren't available, and 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 for the best smartwatch overall, requires daily charging. This pattern 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.

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How we test smartwatches

Each smartwatch included in this guide went through various tests to determine how well it 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.

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FAQs

What is the best smartwatch?

The best smartwatch largely hinges on two things: how you intend to use the smartwatch and, perhaps most importantly, which 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 your smartphone's operating system 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.

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• Donald Trump is set to address a influential meeting of the nation's top CEOs.
• The former president is making a major play for Wall Street.
• President Joe Biden is sending his White House chief of staff Jeff Zients to the meeting.

Former President Donald Trump and a top representative for President Joe Biden will square off behind closed doors next week as both sides make a play for Wall Street ahead of the election.

According to CNBC, Trump and White House chief of staff Jeff Zients will address the Business Roundtable during a closed-door meeting on June 13 for the influential group whose members include some of the nation's most powerful CEOs.

Biden was invited to address the group but is sending Zients in his place as the president will be overseas to attend the G7 summit in Italy. Zients, a millionaire, cut his teeth at places like The Advisory Board, an education and healthcare consulting company. He previously served on Facebook's board.

Trump has been making inroads with the Wall Street crowd with whom he had a tenuous relationship during his administration. Blackstone CEO Steve Schwarzman, a roundtable member, recently endorsed Trump. Another member, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, who has described himself as "barely a Democrat," has said Trump was right about some issues. Tesla CEO Elon Musk is not a member, but the world's richest person is reportedly discussing an advisory role in a second Trump administration should the former president win again. (Musk later denied any such conversations.)

Executives loved Trump's tax cuts but loathed the chaos around him. Several CEOs left Trump's White House advisory councils after his response to white nationalist protests in Charlottesville, Virginia. It's why many top CEOs tried to boost other candidates or distanced themselves from Trump when it appeared he could face a more difficult GOP primary.

The venue could pose some risks for Trump.

The Washington Post has reported how he has made some strikingly explicit requests behind closed doors to oil CEOs to back his campaign. In one reported instance, Trump told the oil executives that they should give $1 billion to help him return to the White House and that the amount would be a deal based on the regulatory and tax relief they would receive if he was elected. Congressional Democrats are probing the details of that meeting.

• Robert Gigliotti and Ethan Gaskill went viral on TikTok for sharing their home decor "icks."
• They told Business Insider that kitchen decor doesn't need to be overly curated.
• It's time to ditch taking on too many DIY projects, they added.

It's no secret that working from home has become far more commonplace since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

All this time at home — alongside high interest rates and a bleak housing market — has led to a focus on home renovation and decoration projects, with a 2024 Opendoor survey reporting that Americans spend an average of $1,599 on home decor annually.

And while so much of the internet has shared tips and hot takes on using that money to incorporate the latest design trends into your space, LA-based content creators Robert Gigliotti and Ethan Gaskill have taken a different approach.

The friends and collaborators have struck a chord on TikTok by sharing their least favorite home decor trends in a viral series called "home decor icks." The videos have highlighted everything from their dislike of food-themed decor and washable rugs to retro appliances and "quirky" art prints.

Gigliotti and Gaskill are not designers, but have self-taught eyes for design fostered by family experiences: Gigliotti's mother flipped houses while he was growing up, and Gaskill's mother was a real-estate agent and his father built custom homes. Together, their strong opinions have resonated with TikTok users to garner more than 3.5 million views.

"I think because, once again, this is a lot of stuff we've done ourselves, or we grew up with siblings that have done this, or parents, it's all things that people kind of agree on or relate to in a way, that they can kind of laugh about," Gaskill told Business Insider.

Gigliotti added, "We're not just saying, 'Don't get this ugly chair. You're pathetic.' We're trying to find ways to make everyone's life easier and have a space that's lasting, that's better for the environment because we're not throwing things away, making people happier."

Business Insider spoke with Gigliotti and Gaskill to hear more about what they think you should avoid when decorating kitchens, from overzealous DIY projects to perfectly curated countertops.

• The economy is flashing fresh warning signs a recession is on its way, according to Societe Generale.
• The French bank pointed to three worrying data points that have raised red flags in the past week.
• The firm is sticking to its recession call despite growing optimism over a soft-landing.

The US economy is edging precariously close to a recession, and it's flashed a handful of warning signs in just the last week that suggest a downturn is on the horizon, according to Société Générale.

The European bank has warned of a recession to hit the US over the last year, despite many investors and economists remaining bullish on a soft-landing.

According to the bank's chief global strategist, Albert Edwards, stocks and the economy have flashed a number of red flags, with three worrying data points appearing over the past week.

"Even if Armageddon looms, I guarantee the investment air will be filled with the sound of bulls singing their soft-landing siren songs," Edwards said in a recent note to clients.

He pointed to three signs the economy is nearing a downturn.

1. Economic growth expectations have been cut

Atlanta Fed economists cut their expectations for second quarter GDP growth in half over the last week, down from 3.4% to 1.8% growth.

"US growth expectations have crashed in the wake of recent weaker-than-expected data," Edwards said."As GDP growth disintegrates, equity investors should be worried … that recession might yet arrive after all."

2. Manufacturing activity has slowed

Manufacturing activity, a "key indicator" of economic growth, is also slowing, Edwards said. New manufacturing orders contracted in May, and overall manufacturing activity contracted for the 18th time over the last 18 months, according to the Institute for Supply Management.

"Although many may dismiss the importance of the manufacturing sector for the overall economy, it is undeniable that overall GDP ebbs and flows closely with it. No surprise then that fear of recession is resurfacing," Edwards wrote.

3. Inflation measures are falling

Inflation has cooled from its highs in 2022. The market-based core personal consumption expenditures deflator — which is the Fed's preferred measure of inflation, minus sectors like finance and insurance services — is in steep decline, clocking in at 2.8% for April. That's a strong sign consumer spending — the key driver of the economy in recent years — is weakening.

A long retail spending spree since the waning days of the pandemic helped spur growth to surprising levels, topping out at almost 5% in the third quarter of 2023, but growth has tumbled since, coming in at 1.3% for the first quarter, according to the latest revision.

"That 'revenge spending' has now abated," Edwards said.

The Fed has been walking this tightrope between lowering inflation and keeping growth from falling off for two years. While some argue that it's still on track to achieve the soft landing, others aren't so sure.

SocGen isn't alone in sounding the alarm, and other economists say that high interest rates are finally working their way through the economy and depressing growth.

New York Fed economists see a 52% chance the economy could slip into recession within the next 12 months.

• A space elevator could make it much cheaper and faster to get goods to other planets, like Mars.
• The Obayashi Corporation based in Japan announced in 2012 plans to begin building one by next year.
• Not only would it cost $100 billion, there are huge technological and organizational challenges.

Imagine a long tether linking Earth to space that could launch us to orbit at a fraction of the cost and slingshot us to other worlds at record speed.

That's the basic idea behind a space elevator.

Instead of taking six to eight months to reach Mars, scientists have estimated a space elevator could get us there in three to four months or even as quickly as 40 days.

The concept of space elevators isn't new, but engineering such a structure would be no easy feat, and many other issues besides technology stand in the way.

That's why the ambition to seriously build one is fairly recent.

The Japan-based company Obayashi Corporation thinks it has the expertise.

Japan aims to build a space elevator by 2050

Known for constructing the world's tallest tower, the Tokyo Skytree, Obayashi Corporation announced in 2012 that it would reach even loftier heights with its own space elevator.

In a report that same year, the company said it would begin construction on the $100-billion project by 2025 and could start operations as early as 2050.

We checked in with Yoji Ishikawa, who wrote the report and is part of the company's future technology creation department, to see how the project is progressing ahead of 2025.

While Ishikawa said the company likely won't start construction next year, it is currently "engaged in research and development, rough design, partnership building, and promotion," he told Business Insider.

Some have doubted such a structure is even possible.

"It's been sort of a kooky idea," said Christian Johnson, who published a report on space elevators last year in the peer-reviewed Journal of Science Policy & Governance.

"That said, there are some people who are real scientists who are really on board with this and really want to make it happen," Johnson said.

A cheaper route to space

Launching humans and objects into space on rockets is extremely expensive. For example, NASA has estimated its four Artemis moon missions will cost $4.1 billion per launch.

The reason is something called the rocket equation. It takes a lot of fuel to get to space, but the fuel is heavy, which increases the amount of fuel you need. "And so you see the kind of vicious cycle there," Johnson said.

With a space elevator, you don't need rockets or fuel.

According to some designs, space elevators would shuttle cargo to orbit on electromagnetic vehicles called climbers. These climbers could be remotely powered — like through solar power or microwaves — eliminating the need for on-board fuel.

In his report for the Obayashi Corporation, Ishikawa wrote that this type of space elevator could help drop the cost of moving goods to space to $57 per pound. Other estimates for space elevators in general have put the price at $227 per pound.

Even SpaceX's Falcon 9, which, at around $1,227 per pound, is one of the cheaper rockets to launch, is still about five times as expensive as the higher cost estimates for space elevators.

There are other benefits besides cost, too.

There's no danger of a rocket exploding, and the climbers could be zero-emission vehicles, Johnson said. At a relatively leisurely pace of 124 miles per hour, the Obayashi Corporation's climbers would travel slower than rockets with fewer vibrations, which is good for sensitive equipment.

Ishikawa said the Obayashi Corporation sees a space elevator as a new kind of public works project that would benefit all of humankind.

There's not enough steel on Earth to make a space elevator

Right now, one of the biggest obstacles to building a space elevator is what to make the tether or tube from.

To withstand the tremendous tension it would be under, the tube would have to be very thick if it were made out of typical materials, like steel. However, "if you try to build it out of steel, you would need more steel than exists on Earth," Johnson said.

Ishikawa's report suggested Obayashi Corporation might use carbon nanotubes. A nanotube is a rolled-up layer of graphite, the material that's used in pencils.

It's much lighter and is less likely to break under tension compared to steel, so the space elevator could be much smaller, Johnson said. But there's a catch.

While nanotubes are very strong, they're also tiny, a billionth of a meter in diameter. And researchers haven't made them very lengthy. The longest is only about 2 feet.

To be properly balanced while still reaching geosynchronous orbit — where objects stay in sync with Earth's rotation — the tether would need to be at least 22,000 miles long, per Ishikawa's report.

"So we're not there," Johnson said of the nanotube length. "But that doesn't mean it's impossible."

Instead, researchers might need to develop an entirely new material, Ishikawa said.

Other obstacles

Whatever the material turns out to be, there are still other problems.

For instance, a space elevator's tether would be under such incredible tension that it would be prone to snapping, Johnson said. A lightning strike could vaporize it. There's also other weather to consider like tornadoes, monsoons, and hurricanes.

Locating the tether base at the equator would lessen the likelihood of hurricanes, but it would still need to be in the open ocean to make it more difficult for terrorists to target, Johnson said.

It would also take a lot of trips to make up for that giant price tag for construction.

That's only scratching the surface of the challenges. And they can't all be solved by one company, Ishikawa said. "We need partnerships," he said. "We need different industries."

"Of course," Ishikawa said, "raising funds is very essential."

That's a lot of obstacles to overcome to start construction in time for operation by 2050, especially since Ishikawa estimated it would take 25 years to build. He noted that the 2050 estimate always came with caveats about the technology progressing. "It's not our goal or promise," he said, but the company is still aiming for that date.

"I think that those time estimates are optimistic," Johnson said, "even assuming there was a breakthrough tomorrow."