A close-up of Taylor Swift's jewelry at the Super Bowl.
Joe Camporeale/Reuters
Taylor Swift's impact on the economy is having a positive impact on individual companies.
Swift's name has been popping up on Wall Street earnings calls recently, often referencing how she's helped business performance.
Detailed below are five times Swift has been mentioned by companies in recent months.
Taylor Swift's impact on the US economy started to become clear last year during the middle of her incredibly popular Era's Tour, and the impact has spilled over to the bottom line for individual companies.
Individual companies are starting to take notice too, with several mentioning Swift on Wall Street earnings calls in recent months to help explain the underlying strength of their business performance.
These are the five times Swift has been mentioned on Wall Street recently:
1. Lyft
SOPA Images
"Fans flocked to stadiums, with these rides growing by more than 35% year-over-year, driven by high-attendance stadium events including Taylor Swift and Beyonce concerts," Lyft said in its fourth-quarter earnings report in February.
2. AMC Entertainment
Noam Galai/Getty Images
"What is particularly noteworthy is how much AMC benefited from our trailblazing industry leading efforts with our highly successful distribution of two concert movies TAYLOR SWIFT | THE ERAS TOUR and RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ," AMC Entertainment CEO Adam Aron said in the company's fourth-quarter earnings report in February.
"All of that increase in AMC's Revenue and EBITDA is attributable to our having shown these two movies in our theatres in the U.S. and internationally," Aron said.
3. Disney
Disney+
NurPhoto / Getty
"Over the past year, we've all witnessed the creative genius and sheer power of a true cultural phenomenon Taylor Swift," Disney CEO Bob Iger said on the company's first-quarter earnings call in February.
Disney secured the exclusive streaming rights to Taylor Swift's Eras Tour concert movie for Disney+.
"We know audiences are going to absolutely love the chance to relive the electrifying Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Taylor's Version) whenever they want on Disney+," Iger said.
4. National Bank Holdings
Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift embrace after the Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium.
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
"In terms of markets, I'm really proud of our team and the Midwest based out of Kansas City. We've seen really nice growth coming out of that market. We've historically described that market as kind of middle of the road solid player, but that's a market that's really stepped up," National Bank Holdings CEO Timothy Laney said on his company's fourth-quarter earnings call in January.
"I jokingly say, I think it's got something to do with Taylor Swift and the Chiefs, but there is momentum int hat market that we're benefiting from," Laney said.
5. Live Nation
Taylor Swift performs at Accor Stadium on February 23, 2024, in Sydney.
Don Arnold/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management
"Every 18 and 16 year-old in the world that has a TikTok wants to see Drake and Taylor Swift. We think we're at the start of a new revolution," Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino said, according to CNBC.
A US Army soldier assigned to 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, helps set conditions to start operations at Dillingham Army Airfield, Hawaii, in October 2023.
U.S. Army photo by Spc. Evangelos Wilson/ 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team
The US Army is contemplating reducing financial aid programs that encourage education.
Budget cuts to two major financial aid programs could affect over 100,000 soldiers.
Talks of budget cuts coincide with a time where Army recruitment is falling short of its goals.
The US Army is considering making reductions to two key financial assistance programs that promote higher education, something which has long been a selling point for military service.
Potential budget cuts to the Army's Credential Assistance and Tuition Assistance programs could impact over 100,000 soldiers, policy experts recently told Inside Higher Education.
Army Secretary Christine Wormuth told the House of Representatives last week that budget changes may be made as the program has become a "catastrophic success," explaining that the program has become widely popular but costly for the Army.
"The challenge we have is we really, frankly, didn't put any guardrails around the program to help us scope it," she said.
Altogether, these programs cost the Army roughly $278 million in 2023.
The Credential Assistance program provides soldiers with $4,000 dollars a year going toward earning various certifications, and the Tuition Assistance program allows active-duty service members to receive $250 per hour of credit.
Wormuth emphasized that she wants to keep these programs but believes the number of credits and certifications soldiers can receive should be capped to manage costs. The qualifications making troops eligible for these programs could also be tightened as another solution.
"Those kinds of guardrails are very similar to what our sister services have done in the Air Force and the Navy," she said. "We obviously want to keep them. That's our number one goal, is to keep everybody. But how we transition them is critically important."
The Army is thoroughly reviewing the program, a service spokesperson told Business Insider, explaining that "we must implement the programs in a way that not only maximizes the benefit for our Soldiers, but also puts rules in place that ensure the responsible stewardship of resources and continued program viability."
Talks of budget cuts come at a time where recruiting for the Army is notably struggling. In 2023, the Army fell about 10,000 soldiers short of its 65,000-person goal.
Will Hubbard, the vice president for veterans and military policy at Veterans Education Success, an organization advocating to protect military and veteran benefits, told Inside Higher Education that these benefits "serve a long-term purpose of being valuable both to the individual and the Service, and therefore, any cuts to this program, now or in the future, would be met with strong opposition."
Reps. Paul Gosar (left) and Thomas Massie (right) have signed onto Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's motion to vacate.
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene filed a "motion to vacate" against Speaker Mike Johnson in March.
She argues that Johnson has betrayed the GOP, in part by allowing more Ukraine aid to pass.
Since then, more Republicans have signed onto her effort, but Democrats could protect Johnson.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene doesn't think Mike Johnson deserves his job anymore. She's no longer alone.
The Georgia congresswoman is getting back-up on the so-called "motion to vacate" she filed against the GOP speaker of the House in March: two more Republicans signed on this week.
These GOP lawmakers argue Johnson is betraying his party, first by passing compromise government funding bills that were not sufficiently hard-right and now by working with Democrats to pass more aid to Ukraine.
But the circumstances are far different from October, when then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted via a motion to vacate for the first time in American history.
That effort, led by Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida and supported by 7 of his colleagues, was only successful because every single House Democrat voted for it. Democrats loathed McCarthy, and the ex-speaker did little to incentivize them to protect him from Gaetz's effort.
This time, several Democrats have indicated they're willing to protect Johnson — likely by voting to table Greene's motion — if he passes Ukraine aid, as he plans to do on Saturday.
Greene has not yet forced a vote on her resolution, and it's unclear when she will. If Democrats were to vote for her resolution, she now has enough votes to oust Johnson.
It's unclear who would succeed the Louisiana Republican, and the House could be thrown back into weeks of chaos if Greene is successful.
Mike Johnson.
Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Here are the Republicans who want to fire Johnson
Marjorie Taylor Greene: The Georgia congresswoman filed her motion at the end of March, the day that the House approved a government funding bill that she hated. She has since taken to blasting Johnson on a nearly daily basis on social media.
Thomas Massie: The Kentucky congressman announced in a conference meeting this week that he would be cosponsoring Greene's motion. An idiosyncratic libertarian who's used to taking lonely positions, Massie is upset with Johnson for numerous reasons, including approving foreign aid and pushing through a bill that re-authorizes government spy powers.
Paul Gosar: The Arizona congressman signed onto Greene's motion Friday to protest Johnson's move to approve more Ukraine aid, saying in a statement: "We need a Speaker who puts America first rather than bending to the reckless demands of the warmongers, neo-cons and the military-industrial complex."
Some Tesla workers outside of the US have also been reportedly impacted by layoffs.
Smith Collection/Gado
Tesla informed some of its recruiters on Friday that they'd been laid off, sources told BI.
Elon Musk announced a more than 10% headcount reduction on Sunday night.
Some Tesla staff learned they'd been laid off shortly after. Another group was notified on Friday.
Tesla layoffs hit its recruiting staff on Friday morning.
Three former Tesla workers confirmed to Business Insider that they had been informed of the layoffs via a call on Friday morning. They requested anonymity as they were not authorized to speak on Tesla's behalf. More former Tesla recruiters have posted on LinkedIn saying they were notified their jobs had been impacted on Friday.
It's unclear how many employees were affected by this round of layoff notices.
The latest layoff notices come after Tesla announced it was laying off more than 10% of its workforce on Sunday night and notified its first round of impacted US employees that same night, according to the two separate emails viewed by Business Insider.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said in a companywide email on Sunday that there had been a "duplication of roles and job functions in certain areas" due to the company's rapid growth, according to a memo viewed by Business Insider. The billionaire is known for his cost-cutting habits, including cutting X's workforce in half shortly after buying the social media company.
The same day Tesla announced its initial round of cuts at least two executives resigned from the company. SVP of powertrain and electrical engineering Drew Baglino and VP of public policy and business development Rohan Patel said on X they had left Tesla as of Sunday.
The job cuts come as Tesla is facing slower demand for its electric cars. The company's stock is down around 35% year-to-date. Tesla will post its next earnings report on April 23.
The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the layoffs.
Do you work for Tesla or have a tip? Reach out to the reporter via a non-work email and device at gkay@businessinsider.com
Jerome Peel's bedroom, as featured on the new show "Boy Room."
Courtesy of Gymnasium
The homes of New York City's young men are being captured on camera — and it isn't pretty.
Comedian Rachel Coster is revealing the dirty sheets and trash-covered floors in "Boy Room."
Each episode reveals "scary" and "stressful" apartments and advice for how they could improve.
New York City-based comedian Rachel Coster, 28, sits on an unmade bed in a cramped West Village apartment and tries to make sense of what she's seeing.
"His shoe rack is a crumpled box and his bedside table is an abandoned suitcase," Coster exclaimed.
This is the apartment of a 25-year-old man.
Welcome to "Boy Room," the new series in which Coster and a cameraperson venture into the unruly habitats of New York City's men and try to offer advice. The show, produced by Gymnasium, airs on social media where it has already become a sweeping success, racking up 76,000 followers on TikTok and 26,000 followers on Instagram in just a few weeks.
A kernel of the show's inspiration came from a road trip Coster once took with a male friend. He confessed his bedroom was so off-putting to girls that he'd reached a breaking point. Coster offered to help when they returned to New York, but when the time came, he was too embarrassed to let her through the door.
"If any boys would let me in, I think I could really help them out," she recalled thinking to herself. Now, she got her wish.
Comedian Rachel Coster is bravely revealing the bedrooms of New York City's young men.
Courtesy of Gymnasium
"Boy Room" aims to uncover the logic beneath each room's chaos and envisions an upgraded space
Launched in late March, the series has already visited six subjects, offering spaces that Coster has described as "scary" and "stressful." The sights are also humorous. Navy sheets on an unmade bed, a stray deodorant tucked under a pillow. A floor cloaked in dirty laundry and plastic take-out bags. Wall decorations including a car steering wheel or a Darth Vader mask.
The show uncovers all the strange idiosyncrasies of the ways some men inhabit their spaces, which Coster believes might be the fault of traditional social conditioning. "Girls are raised to take care of the house, generally. It's demanded of us or there's a shame around it," she said. "I don't feel like my guy friends were experiencing the same thing."
One subject, Chris, a 27-year-old living in Brooklyn's Boerum Hill neighborhood, existed in a sea of clutter with random paraphernalia like corks tied together with a string and a pile of wigs sitting under a dresser.
"I get nervous throwing stuff away," Chris explained during the episode.
"Well, let me tell you, it's awesome to do," Coster deadpanned to the camera.
Coster said she has sympathy for many of the men she features and at the end of each episode, offers her advice to improve their space. She recognizes that many, like her, are young and hustling in ambitious careers, and probably have very little time to focus on interior design and cleanliness.
Fashion brand owner Jerome Peel was a recent guest on "Boy Room."
Courtesy of Gymnasium
That's an argument that rings true for another subject, Jerome Peel, whose sparsely-decorated bedroom in Manhattan's Chinatown neighborhood attracted a number of detractors on TikTok. He even drew heat from the official Wendy's account. "It just gets worse," the fast-food chain wrote.
"I'm in my apartment 10 hours a day," Peel, 32, told BI. He runs his own fashion brand, Peels, and the popular Instagram account Citibikeboyz, which features Peel and his friends executing daredevil tricks on New York City's bike-share network.
Peel stands by the way he has set up his room, including three nail clippers that sit on a windowsill. "It's so I can clip them out the window," he told BI.
Peel shares his thoughts on interior design.
Courtesy of Gymnasium
"Boy Room" wants to find the messes that can't be faked
Some subjects volunteer to be on the show, while others are recommended by friends. But Coster said they've denied applicants they believed were exaggerating or faking their mess. Even though subjects have some advance notice of when they will be filmed, Coster said a vetting process lets the team find authentic examples.
Take, for example, recent subject Dan, the 25-year-old West Village resident, whose dresser had a layer of dust so thick it turned the pine-colored wood as white as snow.
"The messes we've been leaning into are the ones clearly made over the course of a really long time," she said. "Like the dust on Dan's dresser couldn't possibly have been just put there."
Coster hopes to take the show outside of New York one day, and explore the messes of men in Boston, Philadelphia, or Los Angeles.
"Although," she said, "I kind of suspect everyone in LA is living kind of nice."
Apple just removed a host of messaging apps from its Chinese app store. CEO Tim Cook spoke at a conference in Beijing in March.
Fu Tian/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images
Apple just removed WhatsApp, Signal, and other messaging apps from its Chinese app store.
Big Tech is used to these compromises in order to do business in various parts of the world.
But it could happen in the US, too, if a TikTok ban bill becomes law.
"We are obligated to follow the laws in the countries where we operate, even when we disagree."
Remember that quote.
It's from an unidentified Apple comms person, to The Wall Street Journal, explaining why Apple just took four messaging/social media apps — WhatsApp, Threads, Signal, and Telegram — out of its Chinese app store.
If you follow Apple and its complicated, codependent relationship with China, you have definitely heard it, or versions of it before — like when Chinese authorities forced Apple to remove an app used by Hong Kong protesters in 2019.
You've also heard versions of it over the last few years in other countries, as big US tech companies make concessions to local rulers that would never fly in the US. Like when Netflix removed an episode of comedian Hasan Minhaj's newsy show to satisfy Saudia Arabia, or when Facebook removed posts that Turkey's government didn't like.
But now we are getting closer to hearing Apple and other tech companies use the same words to describe their actions in America.
A proposed anti-TikTok law, which has already been approved by the House, has renewed energy (TLDR: The bill may now be packaged along with measures approving aid for Ukraine and Israel, which increases the chances the Senate may pass it; Joe Biden has already said he'd sign the bill if it gets to its desk.)
If the TikTok bill does become law, it won't make TikTok go away overnight in the US.
In theory, TikTok could continue to operate in the US if ByteDance, its Chinese owner, sells it to someone else — though the Chinese government really, really doesn't want that to happen. More practically, the bill would immediately head to the US court system, where it could get tied up for a very long time.
But if the law jumps enough hurdles to become enforceable, Apple would have to remove TikTok from its US app store, as would Google.
That would be an unprecedented move in this country. But Apple has a quote ready in case it needs it.
SHANGHAI, CHINA – FEBRUARY 24: A woman crosses a pedestrian crossing in wet weather in the Shanghai's financial district (Lujiazui) on February 24, 2018 in Shanghai, China.
Vincent Isore/IP3
Bank of America upgraded is forecast for China's 2024 GDP growth to 5.0% after a strong first quarter.
China's breakout from its economic slump may also mean less government support ahead, BofA said.
BofA doesn't expect a "a full-blown growth rebound" as real estate woes and weak demand are still a problem.
Bank of America boosted its forecast for China's economic growth in 2024 on the heels of a surprisingly strong first-quarter performance from the world's second-largest economy.
The bank raised its outlook for full-year GDP growth to 5.0% from 4.8% and raised its 2025 forecast to 4.7% from 4.6%. The upward revision comes after China saw 5.3% growth in the first quarter thanks to the county's infrastructure and manufacturing investments, propelling it closer to Beijing's 5% GDP target, BofA analysts led by Helen Qiao wrote on Friday.
On the investment front, BofA said the FAI index – a key indicator of capital expenditures on fixed assets — confirmed that the investment strength seen in the first two months of 2024 wasn't just another "head fake."
A 9.9% surge in the manufacturing sector and an 8.8% rise in infrastructure drove year-to-date FAI growth to 4.5% year-over-year, despite a 9.5% decline in property investment.
"This is particularly meaningful, as investment usually leads the business cycle in China because this is the one area that tends to benefit from policy support first," the analysts said.
Still, BofA doesn't expect "a full-blown growth rebound" as China is still in the throes of a real estate crisis and dealing with consumer demand issues.
"The caveat is that other activity data including retail sales and industrial production still points to tepid domestic demand," the analysts said, adding that March's industrial production and retail sales figures fell short of expectations.
"Bottom-up channel checks and indicators, such as cement production and shipment, also seem to contrast with the strong top-down infrastructure growth."
With a robust first quarter dataset in hand, policymakers may be less inclined to intensify easing measures, dashing hopes for imminent policy support, according to the bank. The analysts wrote that they anticipate a gradual growth deceleration through the rest of 2024 as policy support wanes.
Apart from the potential for waning government aid, a worsening property sector that's eroding buyer confidence, and a substantial drop in Chinese exports amid geopolitical tensions add downside risks to China's growth prospects, BofA said.
Tesla gave some workers a new severance offer with additional pay and health insurance.
JOHN THYS / Getty
Tesla sent some laid-off staff a new severance offer with additional pay and health insurance.
The initial severance offer included two months pay and health insurance coverage, two workers said.
Elon Musk has said he plants to cut more than 10% of Tesla's workforce.
Some laid-off Tesla workers received new severance offers that included more money and longer coverage of benefits on Thursday night.
It continues a tumultuous week for Tesla workers, some of whom missed the layoff email before heading to work on Monday and only realized they were out of a job after a badge scan from security. Others told Business Insider they didn't receive any severance information within the 48 hours Tesla had said to expect it.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk appeared to acknowledge the company had initially sent out faulty severance packages. On Wednesday, Musk sent a companywide email to current Tesla employees saying that "some severance packages are incorrectly low" and the company was working to correct the mistake.
Unlike early severance offers that were sent to some workers on Tuesday night, the new packages appear to vary between employees.
Two workers who'd initially received a severance offer for two months pay and two months of health insurance coverage were notified on Wednesday that their separation agreement had been canceled by Tesla and that an updated agreement would follow, the workers told BI. Within a few hours, the workers received severance offers with slightly higher pay, those workers said.
One worker said they got an extra month of COBRA health insurance coverage and an extra few thousand dollars thrown into their severance pay. Another worker said they were offered three months' worth of severance pay and three months of paid COBRA coverage. Both workers were told they would no longer be employed by Tesla as of April 19.
Meanwhile, a third worker was told in their initial severance offer that was sent out on Wednesday night that they would be employed through June 14 in compliance with the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, according to the document which was viewed by BI. The act requires companies that have more than 100 workers are required to provide 60 days of notice before a large-scale layoff. In addition to the 60-day notice period, the employee was told they'd receive two months of severance and two months of COBRA coverage that would be paid out after their employment ended in June.
Sixty days' pay is the minimum that companies with more than 100 employees must give laid-off workers if there's no 60-day notice period before mass job cuts, according to the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act. If an employer lays off an employee but allows them to maintain their employment status for 60 days it can also fulfill the WARN notice period.
The laid of employees are part of a mass layoff at Tesla. Musk told staff the electric-car maker was slashing more than 10% of its workforce on Sunday night, according to an internal memo viewed by BI.
A spokesperson for Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Do you work for Tesla or have a tip? Reach out to the reporter via a non-work email and device at gkay@businessinsider.com
With bamboo-based products on the rise, we wanted to see how they compared to their plastic and paper counterparts. We went to Taiwan and China for a behind-the-scenes look at how bamboo is turned into cups, lunchboxes, toilet paper, and cutlery — and figured out which of these products have the biggest impact on our environment.
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There are a wide variety of worthwhile Android smartwatches. The best option depends on your needs and budget.
Adam Molina; Rick Stella/Business Insider
The best Android smartwatches seamlessly integrate with Android phones to act as a dynamic extension of that device. They send calls, email, app, and text notifications, are easy to navigate, and offer various health and fitness tracking tools.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is our top pick among the best Android smartwatches. Although it works best with a Samsung phone, this rugged wearable still offers the finest combined Android smartwatch and fitness tracker experience with a range of trackable activities, an intuitive interface, and multi-day battery life. For a budget pick, we like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4. It has similar features as the Watch 5 Pro but costs far less.
Our top picks for the best Android smartwatches
Best overall: Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro – See at Amazon
Best for runners: Garmin Forerunner 745 – See at Amazon
Best for outdoor adventures: Garmin Forerunner 935 – See at Walmart
Best overall
With a price drop, the previous-generation Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is still the best Android smartwatch, even when the Galaxy Watch 6 is available. With multi-day battery life, accurate activity tracking, and unique insights such as body composition data and sleep analysis, it's the perfect combination of a smartwatch and a health and fitness tracker for the Android user — more so than the Galaxy Watch 6 series.
Design-wise, the titanium Watch 5 Pro has a round watch face and a 1.36-inch touchscreen display that offers tons of viewable data. With the right watch face, you could have everything from the week's upcoming weather forecast and the sunrise/sunset schedule to your daily steps, burned calories, and workout shortcuts displayed. It's also compatible with a variety of the best Samsung Galaxy Watch bands.
As a smartwatch, the Watch 5 Pro is excellent. It uses Google's WearOS operating system, which functions seamlessly. It gets app notifications, text alerts, emails, and phone calls and is easy to navigate.
Samsung's Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is still the top smartwatch for Android users.
Rick Stella/Business Insider
Fitness-focused folks will appreciate the variety of activities it tracks, including common things like running and cycling, as well as advanced sports like snowboarding, hiking, or trail running. It even has a useful track-back option that works like a digital breadcrumb, showing your exact route through a forested area. However, this only works with hiking and cycling, which is disappointing as it'd be great for runners, too.
One of the Watch 5 Pro's best features is its health tracking. It has everything from in-depth sleep tracking, which monitors sleep patterns and habits, to a body composition app that charts body fat percentage and muscle mass.
There is one minor caveat: some features, like the ECG app that tracks heart rhythms, aren't compatible with anything other than a Samsung phone, making the watch's overall experience better on a Samsung phone than on something like the Google Pixel. It's not a dealbreaker, but it's something worth considering if you don't own a Samsung phone.
Despite those issues, Samsung's Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is the best Android smartwatch for almost any user. It excels as a smartwatch, has robust fitness-tracking capability, and offers unique health insights. This is as good as it gets on Android.
Fitbit's Sense 2 is everything you want in a dependable fitness tracker. It's compatible with several trackable activities, provides unique insights into your fitness habits, monitors your sleep, stress, and menstrual cycles, and has a built-in GPS. It even has a battery that lasts upward of five to six days.
We found it to be one of the most accurate fitness trackers we've worn, specifically how quickly it synced its GPS before an activity. Within seconds, the watch found a GPS signal, and we were ready to start tracking our activity. It also has an interface that's easy to navigate, which is especially helpful for first-time Fitbit wearers or those new to fitness trackers.
The Sense 2 has several helpful health and wellness tools, too. This includes a skin temperature sensor, heart rhythm (ECG) readings, and Fitbit's new real-time stress tracker. Stress tracking was especially interesting during our tests as we liked how well it charted our stress levels while offering useful feedback on ways to lower them.
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/Business Insider
One area where the Sense 2 doesn't impress is its smartwatch capability in its price range. It's technically one of Fitbit's "smartwatches," but it doesn't exactly live up to that billing. For instance, there's no third-party app support available, which is a frustrating decision by Fitbit.
And bafflingly, it doesn't support Google Assistant like the original Sense did, which is confounding since Google is the parent company. Oddly, the Sense 2 supports Amazon's Alexa instead.
Still, overall, the Sense 2 is an adequate smartwatch that still gets notifications like calls, texts, and emails, but its strengths lie in its health and fitness tracking. For those looking for a fitness-first smartwatch, the Sense 2 is the best Android smartwatch to buy (and one of the best Fitbits overall).
Google addressed several of the original Pixel Watch's shortcomings with the Pixel Watch 2, and it's easily the best smartwatch for Pixel users. The Pixel Watch 2 not only excels in being a smartwatch, but Google's improvements make its current smartwatch a suitable option for fitness tracking and health monitoring, unlike the original.
Its operating system, WearOS, delivers a seamless experience between the available apps you can access, whatever notifications you might receive, and its smart features like Google Assistant, Google Maps, and Google Wallet. These features allow it to satisfy the one major requirement of a smartwatch: to be an effective extension of your smartphone. Plus, it's compatible with a variety of the best Google Pixel Watch bands, so it can fit anyone's style.
The Google Pixel 2 is a big improvement over the original.
Rick Stella/Business Insider
The Pixel Watch 2's GPS is accurate for fitness tracking, and you get a solid range of health and fitness features, like sleep tracking, all-day heart-rate monitoring, stress monitoring, and ECG readings. New skin temperature sensors and an updated heart rate sensor contribute to unique sleep quality insights.
Unlike the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro or other Samsung smartwatches, the Pixel Watch 2 makes its features available to all, no matter which Android phone you use. However, some features like advanced sleep data, advanced stress management tools, and Fitbit's unique Daily Readiness feature are behind Fitbit's Premium $10/month subscription service. A six-month free trial of Fitbit Premium when you buy the Pixel Watch 2 lets you decide whether it's worth keeping.
Samsung's latest Galaxy Watch, the Watch 6 Classic, retains the high bar set by previous generations, even if it doesn't push the line forward in any major way. But despite its minimal new additions, the experience of using the Watch 6 Classic is still a highly premium one, making it not just one of the best Android smartwatches you can buy but one of the best smartwatches, too.
The most notable update on the Watch 6 Classic is the return of the rotating bezel, a feature last seen on the Watch 4 series. Instead of relying on the watch's touchscreen to scroll its interface, the rotating bezel allows easy navigation. I found it to be especially useful while working out where spinning the dial was more manageable and quicker than trying to swipe the screen.
The Watch 6 Classic also has impressive battery life that I consistently got almost two days out of, depending on how often I used the built-in GPS for workouts. I always got a full day and night of battery, though sometimes I needed to recharge the watch the following afternoon. This is a welcome upgrade over the Watch 5, though it is still a bit shorter than the multi-day battery life of the Watch 5 Pro.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic has a satisfying rotating bezel that offers extra control.
Rick Stella/Business Insider
Beyond those upgrades, the Watch 6 Classic is highly similar to the Watch 5 generation before it. It has a large catalog of health and wellness features, including sleep tracking, a body composition analyzer, and stress level monitoring.
The two health features I used most were the body composition analyzer and the stress tracker. With the body composition analyzer, the watch provided real-time readings of my body fat percentage, BMI, and muscle mass, which I used to chart my overall fitness progress. The Watch 5 Pro also offered this, so I had a baseline of knowledge (and existing data) to compare to, and it functioned the same.
I found the stress tracker to be a helpful feature, too, mainly because it's interesting to see when the watch would say I had higher stress levels and when I didn't. This positively impacted my day-to-day life as I would implement some of the recommendations for lowering my stress and found them effective.
The Watch 6 Classic does severely lack as a fitness tracker, though, and its inaccurate GPS makes it difficult to recommend to more active users. Not only would it take upwards of a minute to sync a GPS connection, but its distance- and pace-tracking were off by significant margins. Those looking for a quality fitness tracker experience should instead opt for the Watch 5 Pro, which is a key reason it's still the top pick for Android users overall.
Design-wise, the Watch 6 Classic is a stylish smartwatch that I thoroughly enjoyed wearing. Its big watch face might be too large for folks with smaller wrists, but I liked how much data I could display on it. Its bright watch face makes it easy to quickly reference the screen or tell the time.
Overall, it looks, feels, and functions like a premium wearable, and while it may not satisfy those looking for a reliable fitness tracker, it's an excellent smartwatch. Its compatibility with a variety of the best Samsung Galaxy Watch bands is a nice feature, too.
When we first reviewed the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, we couldn't help notice that it was the closest thing to an Apple Watch for Android users. Two years later, that sentiment goes to the next generation Watch 5 Pro but the Watch 4 is still an impressive wearable — only now, it costs far less than when it was released.
The release of the Galaxy Watch 4 was Samsung's first go with utilizing WearOS as the watch's operating system, as it decided to go away from the in-house interface, Tizen OS. The switch paid off in spades as WearOS pairs perfectly with the Watch 4. Navigation is fluid, notifications can be fully customized, and there's a wide selection of downloadable apps (thanks to Google Play Store access).
Other highlights of the watch include its extensive health and fitness capability. It tracks activities like running, cycling, and hiking, and we found the syncing and tracking capability to be on par with some of the best fitness trackers.
The Galaxy Watch 4 is still available at an excellent price.
Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
We especially like its in-depth sleep tracking, which monitors sleep patterns and can help turn bad habits into good ones. Its body measurement features are also unique as it analyzes your body weight, muscle mass, and water weight to give you an idea of your overall body composition.
All of this equates to the Watch 4 being one of the best Android smartwatches. Of course, there are still a few drawbacks, most notable of which is its watered-down experience on anything other than a Samsung phone, as some features, like the ECG app, aren't available. We don't see this as a total dealbreaker, but users of other phones, like the Google Pixel, should consider this before purchasing.
Often available for under $200, the Watch 4 isn't just at its lowest price since it was released, but it's the cheapest we've seen a smartwatch of this quality. You rarely find a premium full-featured wearable in this price range.
Fitbit's Inspire 3 is one of the brand's most basic and affordable wearables, but it's still an impressive activity tracker for Android users (and one of the best Fitbits you can buy). It offers a range of health and fitness tracking insights, a no-frills interface, and advanced features like skin temperature sensing and in-depth sleep tracking.
But what makes the Inspire 3 such a great tracker is how anyone from beginners to expert users will be satisfied using it. Navigating the watch is intuitive enough for first-time wearers, while the wide variety of trackable activities and useful health metrics give it appeal to those familiar with fitness trackers. It's also compatible with a range of the best Fitbit Inspire 3 bands, so users have even more ways to customize their wearable.
The Fitbit Inspire 3 has stunning battery life.
Shannon Ullman/Business Insider
At less than $100, it's a hell of a bargain, too. What's especially great about its low price is that the Inspire 3 is the latest generation of the Inspire line, meaning it's the most current and updated version yet.
The watch does come with a few drawbacks, though. Absent is built-in GPS and the ability to download additional apps. Although the lack of apps isn't a huge downside, not having GPS is, especially for hardcore athletes who want exact timing and activity tracking. Our tests found that the tracking worked well when you sync GPS via a companion phone. But that means you do have to tote your phone along.
Those cons aside, the Inspire 3 is still a powerful activity tracker in a small, budget-friendly form factor. For Android users looking for something basic, trying out a fitness tracker for the first time, or who just want something straightforward and easy to use, the Inspire 3 is the best Android smartwatch on the market.
The Garmin Forerunner 745 isn't just the best running watch for Android users; it also happens to be one of the best running watches, period. It's that good. Garmin's made its name on manufacturing powerful sports wearables, and the 745 is the latest in a long line of triumphs from the brand.
What makes the 745 so good is its accurate tracking capabilities and easy-to-navigate interface, and it stands out from the competition with its unique approach to workout recommendations and focus on rest and recovery, two vital aspects of an effective workout routine.
For the workout recommendations, the watch requires a 10-day monitoring period to assess your day-to-day activity and performance. Once those 10 days are up, it adapts its recommendations to your specific activity needs. One day, it might have you pump up the mileage and go for a several-mile long run, while another may see that you need more rest and dial the day's workout down to a recovery jog.
The Garmin Forerunner 745 is the best smartwatch for runners, no matter what ecosystem you use.
Adam Molina/Business Insider
Whatever it recommends, it does so in lockstep with its rest and recovery insights. In other words, the watch isn't just going to run you into the ground but rather, it takes a thoughtful approach to giving your body the time to properly recover between strenuous workouts.
The 745 feels like having a personal trainer right on your wrist with all these features active. Of course, you don't have to do the daily workouts, but they do prove worthwhile for anyone stumped about what to do on a certain day or those who want to take the guesswork out of how to train for a race or event.
Other highlights of the 745 include a comfortable, lightweight design that won't weigh heavy on your wrist, even during long runs, as well as a large, colorful display. The big display does tend to look rather large on folks with smaller wrists, but it's especially useful in the middle of a run to easily see your training stats without having to squint or stop running.
Then there's the battery life, which Garmin claims lasts up to six days on a single charge. We found this to be mostly true during our tests, as it would last a little longer and a little shorter than that estimation, depending on how heavily we used it daily.
For consistent runners, the Garmin Forerunner 745 is the best Android smartwatch to buy.
Like the Forerunner 745 above, the Forerunner 935 is one of Garmin's best wearables. And for the outdoorsy Android user, it's the best.
The 935 is compatible with a wide range of trackable outdoor activities such as hiking, trail running, skiing, and snowboarding, to name a few, and can track your trips via its accurate built-in GPS (which is a must-have for those venturing into the backcountry).
Although the watch itself is on the medium to large end of the wearable spectrum, it's incredibly lightweight and comes with a comfortable rubber band. The watch's face features tempered, scratch-resistant glass and a durable, stainless steel bezel.
The Garmin Forerunner 935 is unbeaten for outdoorsy Android users.
Garmin
But where the watch truly shines is how Garmin's interface functions with the activities it tracks. The tracking screens show everything from heart rate and distance traveled to training status, heart rate variability, and total training load. In other words, you have everything you'd ever need right there on your wrist.
We did have one nitpick with the watch: its battery doesn't last much longer than a single day, especially if you're relying on GPS and heart rate tracking for long periods. This isn't an issue for those who return home each night, but this could pose a problem for anyone out on a backpacking trip or who forgot their charger.
Still, the Forerunner 935 is a full-featured watch that's the best Android smartwatch for outdoor enthusiasts.
To compile this guide, we compared the best Android smartwatches across various categories, including fit & comfort, features, battery life, ease of use, accuracy, and compatibility. Here's how each category factored into which watches made the guide:
Fit & comfort: This was a straightforward assessment of how well the watch felt on-wrist while wearing it normally throughout the day and during workouts. We also looked at how easy it was to dial in the right fit with whatever the clasp system was.
Features: Simply put, what are all the features native to a certain Android smartwatch? We looked at what kinds of apps were natively available right out of the box, as well as what was accessible via an app store like Google Play. We also assessed how well these features elevated the overall experience.
Battery life: Battery life is one of the most important aspects of a smartwatch and can dictate which watch is best for a certain user. If a fitness-focused watch has a hard time getting through just one day on a single charge, then that watch won't be good for something constantly using GPS or the heart rate monitor. Charging a watch every day isn't a dealbreaker, but it's useful to know what a watch offers and how it affects the overall experience.
Ease of use: Smartwatches should ideally not have a steep learning curve and should be easy to navigate right out of the box. Of course, not all operating systems are the same, so there will be some differences from watch to watch. If a wearable is hard to navigate, you're less likely to use it.
Accuracy: Tracking accuracy can make or break a smartwatch, especially for folks who use it as a training tool. Some are inherently better than others but even small discrepancies in tracking capability can make a big impact. We tested this by running a mile with each watch and comparing the differences in time and distance.
Compatibility: Testing compatibility for Android smartwatches consisted of using each watch with several Android smartphones. No single Android watch is fully compatible with every single Android phone, but some do function better on a competitor's device without much change to the overall experience. For instance, our top pick, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, functions best on a Samsung phone, while the experience on something like the Google Pixel is watered-down.
What to look for in an Android smartwatch
Style is important when picking a smartwatch, but it shouldn't be your only consideration.
Rick Stella/Business Insider
Before purchasing a new Android smartwatch, it's important to consider how you plan on using it and which models fit your lifestyle best. Here are a few things to keep in mind while shopping:
Style: The best smartwatches for Android come in several styles suited to different users. There are fitness tracker-type wearables like the Sense 2 or Inspire 3 designed to function best during activities. Then there are watches like the Google Pixel that evoke a more traditional wristwatch design. Deciding which style best suits your lifestyle is a key factor when shopping.
Battery life: Battery life estimates vary wildly among the best Android smartwatches, as some, like the Google Pixel Watch, need to be recharged daily. Others, like the Fitbit Sense 2 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, boast multi-day battery life and are often better for active users who may be using the built-in GPS throughout the day or who travel often.
Smart features: Although every smartwatch comes with smart features, some are smarter than others. Take the Fitbit Inspire 3, for example. This watch offers basic smartwatch capability, including call, text, email, and app notifications, but not much beyond that. Compared to the Google Pixel, which offers in-depth smart features that allow users to interact with the notifications, the Inspire 3 is leagues lower.
Ecosystem: Each smartwatch in this guide shares the Android ecosystem as a foundation, but they all have a secondary ecosystem to keep in mind. The Garmin Forerunners are compatible with the Garmin Connect App, the Sense 2 with Fitbit's app (and Fitbit Premium), and the Watch 5 Pro with Samsung Health. It's worth researching companion apps to see what you prefer.
Display: The display native to an Android smartwatch can be as interactive as what's found on the Google Pixel Watch or as basic as what the Fitbit Inspire 3 offers. Your overall experience will change based on a watch's display, so it's important to understand what a watch offers and if that syncs with your preferred smartwatch experience.
FAQs
What is the best Android smartwatch?
This depends on your preference and how you intend to use the watch. Some Android smartwatches, like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro or Fitbit Sense 2, are better for fitness-focused users, and the former is our top overall pick for its combination of a fitness tracker and smartwatch experience.
For those looking for a smartwatch that works fully and seamlessly with any Android phone, including a Google Pixel phone, the Google Pixel Watch 2 would fare better, and it's also solid as a fitness tracker.
It's important to understand how you intend to use the smartwatch to make the best purchasing decision.
Do all Android smartwatches work on any Android smartphone?
Yes and no. While most of the best Android smartwatches are compatible with all models of Android smartphones, some deliver a different overall experience.
For instance, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro and Galaxy Watch 6 Classic function more seamlessly on a Samsung smartphone than it does on something like a Google Pixel. Some app access is limited, while the companion apps used to customize the watch differ. However, a watch like the Google Pixel Watch functions nearly similarly on the Google Pixel Phone as on a Samsung phone.
Can you use an Apple Watch with an Android smartphone?
No, the Apple Watch is only compatible with an iPhone running iOS. Unlike wearables from brands like Garmin or Fitbit, which work on iPhone and Android phones, the Apple Watch only functions on an iOS device.
Similarly, the best Android smartwatches won't work on an iPhone and are only compatible with smartphones running the Android operating system.
Do you need an Android smartphone to use these watches?
Yes. Although you don't technically need a smartphone to power up a smartwatch, you won't be able to unlock its full functionality without syncing it to a smartphone via Bluetooth.
Without a phone, a smartwatch could only tell the time and perform a few of its basic functions, like counting steps and how many calories you've burned. However, you'd have no way of accessing the amassed data without a device like a smartphone (or tablet).
Can you use an iPhone with an Android smartwatch?
No. To get the full functionality out of an Android smartwatch, you'll need to use an Android smartphone. While nothing stops an iPhone user from wearing an Android smartwatch, they wouldn't be able to take advantage of its basic smartphone compatibility and would have an incredibly watered-down experience.
Do some Android smartwatches work better with certain Android devices?
The most common compatibility issue Android smartwatches encounter is when using an Android device from a different brand. For instance, Samsung's Galaxy Watches lose some functionality when used with a Google Pixel Phone. The same goes for using a Google Pixel Watch with a Samsung Galaxy smartphone, though it's not as drastic.
While you can still use those watches with phones from different brands, you'll typically get the experience of using the same Android device brand with whatever Android smartwatch you buy.
Best overall: Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro
Rick Stella/Insider
Samsung's Galaxy Watch lineup has been among the best Android smartwatches for years, and its latest release, the Watch 5 Pro, places it right at the top of the industry. With multi-day battery life, accurate activity tracking, and unique insights such as body composition data and sleep analysis, it's the perfect combination of both a smartwatch and a health and fitness tracker for the Android user.
Design-wise, the Watch 5 Pro has a round watch face and a 1.36-inch touchscreen display that offers tons of viewable data. With the right watch face, you could have everything from the week's upcoming weather forecast and the sunrise/sunset schedule to your daily steps, burned calories, and workout shortcuts displayed. It's also compatible with a variety of the best Samsung Galaxy Watch bands.
As a smartwatch, the Watch 5 Pro is excellent. It uses Google's WearOS operating system which functions seamlessly. It gets app notifications, text alerts, emails, and phone calls, and is easy to navigate.
Fitness-focused folks will appreciate the variety of activities it tracks, including common things like running and cycling, as well as advanced sports like snowboarding, hiking, or trail running. It even has a useful track-back option that works like a digital breadcrumb feature that shows your exact route through, say, a forested area. However, this only works with hiking and cycling, which is disappointing as it'd be great for runners, too.
One of the Watch 5 Pro's best features is its health tracking. It has everything from in-depth sleep tracking, which monitors sleep patterns and habits, to a body composition app that charts things like body fat percentage and muscle mass.
There is one minor caveat, however: the watch's overall experience is far better on a Samsung phone than on something like the Google Pixel. It's not a dealbreaker but some features, like the ECG app that tracks heart rhythms, aren't compatible with anything other than a Samsung phone.
Despite those issues, Samsung's Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is the best Android smartwatch for almost any user (and our pick as one of the best smartwatches, too). It excels as a smartwatch, has robust fitness-tracking capability, and offers unique health insights. This is as good as it gets on Android.
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
Fitbit's Sense 2 is everything you want in a dependable fitness tracker. It's compatible with several trackable activities, provides unique insights into your fitness habits, monitors your sleep, stress, and menstrual cycles, and has a built-in GPS. It even has a battery that lasts upward of five to six days.
We found it to be one of the most accurate fitness trackers we've worn, specifically how quickly it synced its GPS before an activity. Within seconds, the watch found a GPS signal and we were ready to start tracking our activity. It also has an interface that's easy to navigate, which is especially helpful for first-time Fitbit wearers or those new to fitness trackers.
The Sense 2 has several helpful health and wellness tools, too. This includes a skin temperature sensor, heart rhythm (ECG) readings, and Fitbit's new real-time stress tracker. Stress tracking was especially interesting during our tests as we liked how well it charted our stress levels while offering useful feedback on ways to lower them.
One area where the Sense 2 doesn't impress is its smartwatch capability. It's technically one of Fitbit's "smartwatches" but it doesn't exactly live up to that billing. For instance, there's no third-party app support available, which is a frustrating decision by Fitbit, nor does it allow access to tools like Google Assistant (despite Google being the parent company). It also won't store or play music.
Although some may consider these drawbacks, we don't see them as a reason not to buy the Sense 2. It's an adequate smartwatch that still gets notifications like calls, texts, and emails, but its strengths lie in its health and fitness tracking. For those looking for a fitness-first smartwatch, the Sense 2 is the best Android smartwatch to buy (and one of the best Fitbits overall, too).
The Google Pixel Watch experience is an interesting one. On the one hand, it's the best pure smartwatch for Android users with an easy-to-navigate interface, wide app compatibility, and the ability to answer texts, emails, and phone calls.
But as a fitness tracker, it's awful. This is especially disappointing since Google is now the parent company of the fitness wearable brand, Fitbit. Despite that, the Pixel Watch is bogged down by connectivity issues, syncing problems, and poor GPS tracking.
And while those may be deal breakers for fitness-focused folks, there's no denying it's still an impressive smartwatch. Its operating system, WearOS, delivers a seamless experience between the available apps you can access, whatever notifications you might receive, and its smart features like Google Assistant, Google Maps, and Google Wallet.
These features allow it to satisfy the one major requirement of a smartwatch: to be an effective extension of your smartphone. With the Google Pixel Watch, anything you want to do on your phone, you can do on your wrist. Plus, it's compatible with a variety of the best Google Pixel Watch bands, so it can fit anyone's personal style.
Not everyone shopping for a wearable needs something capable of tracking their workouts and instead just wants it to serve as their phone away from their phone. The Google Pixel Watch is exactly that, and for Android users, it's the best pure smartwatch they can buy.
Samsung's latest Galaxy Watch, the Watch 6 Classic, retains the high bar set by previous generations, even if it doesn't push the line forward in any major way. But despite its minimal new additions, the experience of using the Watch 6 Classic is still a highly premium one, making it not just one of the best Android smartwatches you can buy but one of the best smartwatches, too.
The most notable update on the Watch 6 Classic is the return of the rotating bezel, a feature last seen on the Watch 4. Instead of relying on the watch's touchscreen to scroll its interface, the rotating bezel allows easy navigation. I found it to be especially useful while working out where spinning the dial was more manageable, and quicker, than trying to swipe the screen.
The Watch 6 Classic also has impressive battery life that I consistently got almost two days out of, depending on how often I used the built-in GPS. I always got a full day and night of battery, though sometimes I needed to recharge the watch the following afternoon. This is a welcome upgrade over the Watch 5, though it is still a bit shorter than the multi-day battery life of the Watch 5 Pro.
Beyond those upgrades, the Watch 6 Classic is highly similar to the Watch 5 generation before it. It has a deep offering of health and wellness features, including sleep tracking, a body composition analyzer, and stress level monitoring.
The two health features I used most were the body composition analyzer and the stress tracker. With the body composition analyzer, the watch provided real-time readings of my body fat percentage, BMI, and muscle mass which I used to chart my overall fitness progress. The Watch 5 Pro also offered this, so I had a baseline of knowledge (and existing data) to compare to and it functioned the same.
I found the stress tracker to be a helpful feature, too, mainly because it's interesting to see when the watch would say I had higher stress levels and when I didn't. This had a positive impact on my day-to-day as I would implement some of the recommendations for lowering my stress and found them to work.
The Watch 6 Classic does severely lack as a fitness tracker, though, and its inaccurate GPS makes it difficult to recommend to more active users. Not only would it take upwards of a minute to sync a GPS connection but its distance- and pace-tracking were off by significant margins. Those looking for a quality fitness tracker experience should instead opt for the Watch 5 Pro.
Design-wise, the Watch 6 Classic is a stylish smartwatch that I thoroughly enjoy wearing. Its big watch face might be too large for folks with smaller wrists but I liked how much data I could display on it. Its bright watch face makes it easy to quickly reference the screen or tell the time.
Overall, it looks, feels, and functions like a premium wearable and while it may not satisfy those looking for a reliable fitness tracker, it's one of the best smartwatches on the market. Its compatibility with a variety of the best Samsung Galaxy Watch bands is a nice feature, too.
When we first reviewed the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, we couldn't help but notice that it was the closest thing to an Apple Watch for Android users. A year later, that sentiment goes to the next generation Watch 5 Pro but the Watch 4 is still an impressive wearable — only now, it costs far less than when it was released.
The release of the Galaxy Watch 4 was Samsung's first go with utilizing WearOS as the watch's operating system, as it decided to go away from the in-house interface, Tizen OS. The switch paid off in spades as WearOS pairs perfectly with the Watch 4. Navigation is fluid, notifications can be fully customized, and there's a wide selection of downloadable apps (thanks to Google Play Store access).
Other highlights of the watch include its extensive health and fitness capability. It tracks activities, like running, cycling, and hiking, and we found the syncing and tracking capability to be on par with some of the best fitness trackers.
We especially like its in-depth sleep tracking which monitors sleep patterns and can help turn bad habits into good ones. Its body measurement features are also unique as it analyzes your body weight, muscle mass, and water weight to give you an idea of your overall body composition.
All of this equates to the Watch 4 being one of the best Android smartwatches. Of course, there are still a few drawbacks, most notable of which is its watered-down experience on anything other than a Samsung phone as some features, like the ECG app, aren't available. We don't see this as a total deal breaker but users of other phones, like the Google Pixel, should consider this before purchasing.
At less than $170 via Amazon, the Watch 4 isn't just at its lowest price since it was released, but it's the cheapest we've seen a smartwatch of this quality. You're rarely able to find a premium full-featured wearable like this for $200. The fact that it's less than that easily makes it the best budget Android smartwatch on the market.
Fitbit's Inspire 3 is one of the brand's most basic wearables but it's still an impressive activity tracker for Android users (and one of the best Fitbits you can buy). It offers a range of health and fitness tracking insights, a no-frills interface, and advanced features like skin temperature sensing and in-depth sleep tracking.
But what makes the Inspire 3 such a great tracker is how anyone from beginners to expert users will be satisfied using it. Navigating the watch is intuitive enough for first-time wearers while the wide variety of trackable activities and useful health metrics give it appeal to those familiar with fitness trackers. It's compatible with a range of the best Fitbit Inspire 3 bands, too, so users have even more ways to customize their wearable.
At less than $100, it's a hell of a bargain, too. What's especially great about its low price is that the Inspire 3 is the latest generation of the Inspire line, meaning it's the most current and updated version yet.
The watch does come with a few drawbacks, though. Absent is built-in GPS, as well as the ability to download additional apps. Although the lack of apps isn't a huge downside, not having GPS is, especially for hardcore athletes who want exact timing and tracking for activities. During our tests, we did find that when you sync GPS via a companion phone, the tracking worked well. But that means you do have to tote your phone along.
Those cons aside, the Inspire 3 is still a powerful activity tracker in a small, budget-friendly form factor. For Android users looking for something basic, trying out a fitness tracker for the first time, or who just want something straightforward and easy to use, the Inspire 3 is the best Android smartwatch on the market.
The Garmin Forerunner 745 isn't just the best running watch for Android users, it also happens to be one of the best running watches, period. It's that good. Garmin's made its name on manufacturing powerful sports wearables, and the 745 is the latest in a long line of triumphs from the brand.
What makes the 745 so good is not just its accurate tracking capabilities and easy-to-navigate interface (but, those are excellent). What makes it stand out from the competition is its unique approach to workout recommendations and focus on rest and recovery, two vital aspects of an effective workout routine.
For the workout recommendations, the watch requires a 10-day monitoring period to assess your day-to-day activity and performance. Once those 10 days are up, it adapts its recommendations to your specific activity needs. One day it might have you pump up the mileage and go for a several-mile long run while another may see that you need more rest and dial the day's workout down to a recovery jog.
Whatever it recommends, it does so in lockstep with its rest and recovery insights. In other words, the watch isn't just going to run you into the ground but rather, it takes a thoughtful approach to giving your body the time to properly recover between strenuous workouts.
The 745 feels like having a personal trainer right on your wrist with all these features active. Of course, you don't have to do the daily workouts but they do prove worthwhile for anyone stumped about what to do on a certain day, or those who want to take the guesswork out of how to train for a race or event.
Other highlights of the 745 include a comfortable, lightweight design that won't weigh heavy on your wrist, even during long runs, as well as a large, colorful display. The big display does tend to look rather large on folks with smaller wrists, but it's especially useful in the middle of a run to easily see your training stats without having to squint or stop running.
Then there's the battery life, which Garmin claims lasts up to six days on a single charge. We found this to be mostly true during our tests, as it would last both a little longer and a little shorter than that estimation depending on how heavily we used it each day.
For consistent runners, the Garmin Forerunner 745 is the best Android smartwatch to buy.
Best for outdoor adventures: Garmin Forerunner 935
Garmin/Facebook
Like the Forerunner 745 above, the Forerunner 935 is one of Garmin's best wearables. And for the outdoorsy Android user, it's the best.
The 935 is compatible with a wide range of trackable outdoor activities such as hiking, trail running, skiing, and snowboarding, to name a few, and can even track your trips via its built-in GPS (which is a must-have for those venturing into the backcountry). It's also highly accurate, both in terms of tracking and GPS syncing.
Although the watch itself is on the medium to large end of the wearable spectrum, it's incredibly lightweight and comes with a comfortable rubber band that feels good against the skin. The watch's face features tempered, scratch-resistant glass, as well as a durable, stainless steel bezel.
But where the watch truly shines is how Garmin's interface functions with the activities it tracks. The tracking screens show everything from heart rate and distance traveled, to training status, heart rate variability, and total training load. In other words, you have everything you'd ever need right there on your wrist.
We did have one nitpick with the watch: its battery doesn't last much longer than a single day, especially if you're relying on GPS and heart rate tracking for long periods. This isn't an issue for those who return home each night but this could pose a problem for anyone out on a backpacking trip or who forgot their charger.
Still, the Forerunner 935 is a full-featured watch that's the best Android smartwatch for outdoor enthusiasts.
To compile this guide, we compared the best Android smartwatches across a variety of categories including things like fit & comfort, features, battery life, ease of use, accuracy, and compatibility. Here's how each category factored into which watches made the guide:
Fit & comfort: Testing this was a straightforward assessment of how well the watch felt on-wrist while wearing it normally throughout the day, as well as during workouts. We also looked at how easy it was to dial in the right fit with whatever the clasp system was.
Features: Simply put, what are all the features native to a certain Android smartwatch? We looked at what kinds of apps were natively available right out of the box, as well as what was accessible via an app store like Google Play. We also assessed how well these features elevated the overall experience.
Battery life: Battery life is one of the most important aspects of a smartwatch and can dictate which watch is best for a certain user. If a fitness-focused watch has a hard time getting through just one day on a single charge, then that watch won't be good for something constantly using GPS or the heart rate monitor. Charging a watch every day isn't a dealbreaker but it's useful to know what a watch offers and how it affects the overall experience.
Ease of use: Smartwatches should ideally not have a steep learning curve, and should be easy to navigate right out of the box. Of course, not all operating systems are the same, so there will be some differences from watch to watch. If a wearable is hard to navigate, you're less likely to use it.
Accuracy: Tracking accuracy can make or break a smartwatch, especially for folks who use it as a training tool. Some are inherently better than others but even small discrepancies in tracking capability can make a big impact. We tested this by running a mile with each watch and comparing the differences in time and distance.
Compatibility: Testing compatibility for Android smartwatches consisted of using each watch with several Android smartphones. No single Android watch is fully compatible with every single Android phone, but some do function better on a competitor's device without much change to the overall experience. For instance, our top pick, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, functions best on a Samsung phone while the experience on something like the Google Pixel is watered-down.
What to look for when shopping
Before purchasing a new Android smartwatch, it's important to consider how you plan on using it and which models fit your lifestyle best. Here are a few things to keep in mind while shopping:
Style: The best smartwatches for Android come in several styles suited to different users. There are fitness tracker-type wearables like the Sense 2 or Inspire 3 designed to function best during activities, and then there are watches like the Google Pixel that evoke a more traditional wristwatch design. Deciding which style best suits your lifestyle is a key factor when shopping.
Battery life: Battery life estimates vary wildly among the best Android smartwatches as some, like the Google Pixel Watch, need to be recharged daily. Others, like the Fitbit Sense 2 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, boast multi-day battery life and are often better for active users who may be using the built-in GPS throughout the day or who travel often.
Smart features: Although every smartwatch comes with smart features, some are smarter than others. Take the Fitbit Inspire 3, for example. This watch offers basic smartwatch capability including call, text, email, and app notifications but not much beyond that. Compared to the Google Pixel which offers in-depth smart features that allow users to interact with the notifications, the Inspire 3 is leagues lower.
Ecosystem: Each of the smartwatches in this guide shares the Android ecosystem as a foundation but they all have a secondary ecosystem to keep in mind. The Garmin Forerunners are compatible with the Garmin Connect App, the Sense 2 with Fitbit's app (and Fitbit Premium), and the Watch 5 Pro with Samsung Health. It's worth researching companion apps to see what you prefer.
Display: The display native to an Android smartwatch can be as interactive as what's found on the Google Pixel Watch or as basic as what the Fitbit Inspire 3 offers. Your overall experience will change based on a watch's display, so it's important to understand what a watch offers and if that syncs with your preferred smartwatch experience.
FAQs
What's the best Android smartwatch?
This depends on your preference and how you intend to use the watch. Some Android smartwatches are better for fitness-focused users, like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro or Fitbit Sense 2.
For those looking for a true smartwatch experience, something like the Google Pixel Watch would fare better (though it does come at the expense of its fitness tracking capabilities as it's a poor activity tracker).
It's important to understand how you intend to use the smartwatch to make the best purchasing decision.
Do all Android smartwatches work on any Android smartphone?
Yes and no. While most of the best Android smartwatches are compatible with all models of Android smartphones, some deliver a different overall experience.
For instance, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro functions more seamlessly on a Samsung smartphone than it does on something like a Google Pixel. Some app access is limited while the companion apps used to customize the watch differ. However, a watch like the Google Pixel Watch functions nearly similarly on the Google Pixel Phone as on a Samsung phone.
Can you use an Apple Watch with an Android smartphone?
No, the Apple Watch is only compatible with an iPhone running iOS. Unlike wearables from brands like Garmin or Fitbit, which work on both an iPhone and an Android phone, the Apple Watch only functions on an iOS device.
Similarly, the best Android smartwatches won't work on an iPhone and are only compatible with smartphones running the Android operating system.
Do you need an Android smartphone to use these watches?
Yes. Although you don't technically need a smartphone to power up a smartwatch, you won't be able to unlock its full functionality without syncing it to a smartphone via Bluetooth.
Without a phone, a smartwatch would only be able to tell the time and perform a few of its basic functions, like counting steps and how many calories you've burned. However, you'd have no way of accessing the amassed data without a device like a smartphone (or tablet).
Can you use an iPhone with an Android smartwatch?
No. To get the full functionality out of an Android smartwatch, you'll need to use an Android smartphone. While nothing stops an iPhone user from wearing an Android smartwatch, they wouldn't be able to take advantage of its basic smartphone compatibility and would have an incredibly watered-down experience.
Do some Android smartwatches work better with certain Android devices?
The most common compatibility issue Android smartwatches encounter is when they're used with an Android device from a different brand. For instance, Samsung's Galaxy Watches lose some functionality with used with a Google Pixel Phone. The same goes for using a Google Pixel Watch with a Samsung Galaxy smartphone, though it's not as drastic.
While you can still use those watches with phones from different brands, it's best to use the same Android device brand with whatever Android smartwatch you buy.