Buying advice: find the ideal smartwatch or sports watch for you here
A smartwatch is practical: you have a lot of information directly on your wrist and no longer have to take your smartphone out of your pocket for every little action. And you can usually wear them while doing sports - unless you have higher demands, in which case you need a proper sports watch. In this buying guide, we'll tell you which variants are available and which models are recommended.
Smartwatch for every day
Apple let the competition do it for years and was late with the Apple Watch, but then rolled up the field from behind. And its success was well deserved: the Apple Watch continues to set trends in smartwatches with new functions and is available in many different designs. It does have its price, but it doesn't necessarily have to be the latest Series 5. The Apple Watch Series 3 looks almost exactly the same and can do almost the same. In terms of functions, the electric heart sensor is the biggest difference. There is also a larger display, which can be "always-on" on the Series 5, drop detection, improved hardware and sensors and a thinner casing. Both are available with or without an eSIM, which allows the smartwatch to go online completely without a smartphone. By contrast, the Apple Watch Series 4 is slowly disappearing from the market and, apart from the always-on display, is very similar to the Series 5.
However, the Apple Watch can only be used with an iPhone. You can't connect it to an Android smartphone at all. But don't worry, there is a good smartwatch for you even without an iPhone. Although there are individual functions that are reserved for smartphones from the respective manufacturer, you can basically pair it with any smartphone - usually even with an iPhone.
The Galaxy Watch from Samsung is versatile and, with the right watch face, looks like a classic wristwatch at first glance. The apps from Samsung's in-house operating system Tizen OS are somewhat hidden, but offer you all the functions of a smartwatch. Plus points are awarded for the rotating bezel, which is used for operation in addition to the touchscreen, as well as for the option to save music from Spotify offline.
If the bezel and Spotify don't tempt you, the Huawei Watch 2 is worth a look. It runs Android Wear. This guarantees a perfect connection to all Android smartphones - and the watch supports Google Pay as a contactless payment method. However, the battery does not last as long as the Galaxy Watch. The Huawei Watch GT and the Honor Watch Magic are two other alternatives from the same manufacturer. Huawei relies on its own development for the software of both watches and equips them with significantly less memory. In return, the Watch GT offers the longest battery life.
Smart watches that accompany you during sport
Normal smartwatches also monitor your fitness and provide you with information during sport and subsequently with collected data. However, there are special models that are even better suited as a training companion. Be it through the materials used or special functions. They all have GPS on board, so you don't need to take a smartphone with you.
While the Galaxy Watch Active and the Polar M600 with Tizen OS and Android Wear are still very close to the other smartwatches in terms of functionality, the Polar Vantage V offers you significantly more data about your training to analyse. The Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music also provides a lot of data and has space for up to 500 songs - if you still use MP3s. On the Fitbit Ionic, on the other hand, you can save songs via Deezer for offline listening. In my opinion, it is less smart than the other models, but it is a practical companion for sports and of course ideal if you already use Fitbit and want to continue doing so. The Garmin Forerunner 45, on the other hand, is the ideal choice if you don't want your sports watch to be as smart as possible. And if you liked the Huawei Watch GT above: It is also available in an Active Edition.
Sports watches for runners
With all the smartwatches mentioned so far, you can of course go jogging, cycling and usually also swimming. However, if you are only looking for a sports watch for running, you can get away with it at a lower price. The Garmin Forerunner 25 already has GPS on board, but only processes heart rate data if you are wearing a compatible heart rate belt. The Forerunner 235 and the Polar M430, on the other hand, have an integrated heart rate sensor. All three models can be paired with your smartphone and not only transfer data to their apps, but also display notifications from them.
Smart watches for women
Contrary to the manufacturers' advertising and target group definition, this is not about colours or designer straps. You know best what colour you like anyway. However, there are smart watches whose apps allow cycle tracking. To do this, they analyse their measurements about you, but also expect information about your menstruation. At this point, I would like to refer you to my colleague Livia's reviews of the Fitbit and Garmin offerings: .
With watchOS 6, the Apple Watch has also had an extra app for cycle tracking since September 2019.
Updated on 30 December 2019
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When I was but a young student, I'd sit in my friend's living room with all my classmates and play on his SuperNES. Since then I've had the opportunity to test out all the newest technology for you. I've done reviews at Curved, Computer Bild and Netzwelt, and have now arrived at Galaxus.de.
