12 best smartwatches for iPhone – and Apple Watch alternatives

If you're an iPhone owner hunting for a smartwatch, the Apple Watch is the most natural choice. And with the launch of the new Series 9 and Ultra 2, there's more choice than ever.

Regardless of which model you choose, Apple's smartwatches are generally more expensive than alternative options from the likes of Garmin, Huawei, and Fitbit.

Then, there's the battery life of the Apple Watch. For many, the 1-2 days of all-day battery life simply isn't enough - and many rivals perform much better.

Add all this to the reservation you may have about the square design of the Apple Watch, and there are plenty of reasons for iPhone users to look for an Apple Watch alternative.

We've tested all the top options, so read on for our guide to the best smartwatches for iPhone users to consider in 2023.

Quick picks

Key considerations

1. Battery life

The Apple Watch’s Achilles heel is battery life, and Apple only promises 18 hours between charges (although we usually get 36). But you might be surprised to know that it’s a relative outlier. Most smartwatches now offer a week or more away from the charger, which is a huge draw away from Apple's smartwatch. However, if you're willing to spend, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 will last around 2-3 days.

2. Price

Apple Watch starts at $269/£299 for the SE (2nd gen) and $399/£419 for the Series 8. And the new Apple Watch Ultra 2 comes in at a whopping $799/£849. Alternatives are available for less than $99/£99 albeit with serious sacrifices in terms of features and screen tech. However, quality options are available for under $200/£200, should you want to keep costs down.

3. Apps and iOS

The Apple Watch is one of the few smartwatches with a burgeoning App Store, and there’s not a single alternative that can rival this aspect. So by opting for an Apple Watch alternative, you might miss out on your favorite 3rd party services, such as Spotify, Google Maps, or your favorite workout-tracking app. That also extends to features like Apple Pay or LTE, which Apple does better than its rivals.

Apple Watch Series 9

Wareable

The Apple Watch Series 9 seems like a minor update, but its subtle updates enable it to stay a leading choice for iPhone users.

First up, select models are carbon-neutral thanks to 100% recycled aluminum cases and new Sport Loop straps – so it's a better choice for the environment.

The screen is now remarkably brighter, doubling its brightness to 2000 nits, and the inclusion of the S9 chip introduces a 30% faster GPU and a four-core Neural Engine and enables gesture control and a better, faster Siri.

The new double-tap finger gesture, while not an essential feature is cool – and anyone who loves getting the latest tech won't want to miss it. It feels futuristic and we feel this will drive innovation across smartwatches.

Elsewhere, the Series 9 is the same great mix of sports tracking, potentially life-saving ECG, high/low HR alerts and fall detection, and the incredible App Store and Apple Pay. Sleep tracking and fitness tracking are starting to feel a little dated, and it's not as good at wellness features as Garmin/Whoop.

Battery life is still the biggest downside at just 18 hours officially, although we always found around 25-30 with an hour's workout tracking. It's just enough, but if you intend to use the sleep tracking, it makes keeping the Series 9 charged quite annoying.

Read our full Apple Watch Series 9 review.

For

• Love the new gesture
• Superb, unisex design
• Incredible health-tracking capabilities
• Unmatched app store

Against

• One-day battery life
• Not great at wellness analysis

Apple Watch SE (2nd generation)

Wareable

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The Apple Watch SE (second generation) is now the affordable Apple Watch option and replaced the aging Series 3.

The package is still fairly comprehensive here for the asking price, although the compromises are clear and easy to understand.

You sacrifice the new edge-to-edge screen, and an always-on display, and you don't get ECG or SpO2.

However, you still get all the incredible sports tracking and activity monitoring features of the more expensive Apple Watch models and all the benefits of the incredible App Store. This helps elevate the device above its competitors.

Apple has included the S8 chip in this second-gen version of the SE, too, and it ensures the experience is just as zippy (and will likely continue to be) as with the Series 8. This will also future-proof the SE so that it will comfortably run plenty of watchOS upgrades to come.  However, you won't get any of the gesture features found on the new Series 9/Ultra 2.

• Read our full Apple Watch SE (2nd generation) review

For

• Same S8 chip as Apple Watch Series 8
• Superb value - and now an even lower price
• Comprehensive features and tracking

Against

• Only works with iPhone
• No Always-On display
• Not a huge leap forward from the original Apple Watch SE

Apple Watch Ultra 2

Wareable

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The Apple Watch Ultra 2 introduces several enhancements without deviating from last year's design – other than it's now carbon neutral, with 95% recycled titanium when paired with one of the new straps.

It boasts a 33% increase in screen brightness, and the new S9 SiP chip introduces a four-core Neural Engine, which enables the brilliant new 'double-tap' gesture control feature, and faster Siri response times.

It's still an incredible smartwatch, which most importantly solves the battery life anxiety of the standard Series 9. Battery life surpasses Apple’s 36-hour promise, and we found it generally lasted into a third day with average use. 

Sports tracking remains potent, with top GPS accuracy and incredibly feature-rich running and cycling modes – and we found VO2 Max accuracy to be spot on too. The compass app has been given some new features, and TOPO mapping is slowly rolling out in the US.

However, while it gets all of the lifesaving health features of the Series 9, wellness features and health data metrics may seem basic for users desiring the kind of comprehensive insights found on Garmin and Whoop. 

It's still the best version of the Apple Watch, but owners of the first-gen Ultra won't have too many reasons to upgrade.

• Read our full Apple Watch Ultra 2 review

For

• Amazing sports watch
• The display is a thing of beauty
• An end to battery anxiety

Against

• Needs some native software tweaks
• Battery life still isn't amazing
• Not the prettiest case design

Garmin Venu 3

Wareable

The Garmin Venu 3 goes head-to-head with the Apple Watch Series 9, aimed especially at sports and health enthusiasts.

It comes in two available sizes (45mm and 41mm) with options for varied colors and features like the Sleep Coach and an automatic nap detection mechanism, which personalizes sleep requirements based on numerous metrics.

The Venu 3 is two things. A sporty smartwatch with a host of fairly basic sports profiles, and for a Garmin, produces quite low-level data for running, cycling – and also HIIT. There are decent golf features on board, with distances for 40,000 courses built in.

The other half is a wellness watch, with in-depth metrics such as the new sleep coach (as mentioned above) but also Morning Report and HRV Status, Body Battery, stress tracking, and metrics such as respiration rate and heart rate.

Despite its enhanced GPS functionality and inclusion of the advanced Elevate V5 heart rate sensor, it omits multi-band GNSS and the previously incorporated ECG feature, due to the newer sensor not yet having ECG approval.

Battery life is 10 to 14 days depending on the model size.

And here's the kicker: at $449.99/£449.99 it's really expensive. The company just launched the Vivoactive 5 at a fraction of the price, and bar some omissions around making calls on the watch, feels like a much smarter buy.

For

• Lots of sports tracking
• Plenty of health metrics

Against

• Too expensive
• No-where near as slick as Apple Watch
• Basic sports data 

Huawei Watch GT 4

Wareable

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The Huawei Watch GT 4 is a quality all-rounder smartwatch, striking a balance between price, design, and fitness features.

Boasting two size options, the GT 4 not only embraces classic watch aesthetics with its 46mm variant and a redesigned 41mm option.

The display, a 1.43-inch 466 x 466 AMOLED touchscreen, offers vibrant colors and excellent viewing angles, ensuring visual clarity.

The Huawei Watch GT 4 offers generally good health and sports tracking, offering a broad spectrum of metrics and accurate data, from heart rate to GPS distance. Running is well handled, and the company has added Strava integration.

Sleep tracking is also fairly solid, and while we did find its sleep duration estimates a little generous, it's consistent and helpful enough to get value from. And the new snoring and breathing monitoring features add another layer to its health metrics. 

However, the lack of a robust ecosystem, especially in areas like apps and payments, is noticeable and stands out as a significant drawback to the Apple Watch SE.

But the tradeoff is much-improved battery life. If you want to get 14 days you will need to forego features like the always-on display – but you should get 6 days with all the bells and whistles turned on. And that makes it a worthy Apple Watch alternative.

Priced starting at £229/€249, it offers good value, though with noticeable trade-offs in features compared to high-end competitors.

For

• Solid 6 days of heavy use 
• Good running and fitness features

Against

• Almost no access to third-party apps
• Payments non-existent

Huawei Watch 4 Pro

Wareable

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A really powerful, alternative to the Apple Watch, the Huawei Watch 4 Pro brings premium materials, a lovely screen, and plenty of health features – and superior battery life as well.

The Huawei Watch 4 is everything great about what Huawei is doing with its wearables at the moment – but still suffers from some core issues.

We'll start with the good stuff. You can expect around three days of battery life with everything turned on, and you could push this to around five without the always-on enabled. It's not as high as other Huawei watches (like the Watch GT 3) but still outstrips the standard Apple Watch.

It's a fitness powerhouse with good running accuracy and loads of fitness metrics – which got a clean bill of health in our testing.

Health features also excelled, with ECG on board, and the Health Snapshot feature, which also checks arterial and respiratory health.

The downsides are the things the Watch 4 Pro doesn't have. No NFC for payments, no music streaming services, or a proper app store means that the Watch 4 can't match the Apple Watch in many respects. But it's still an enjoyable smartwatch to use and a worthy alternative.

Read our in-depth Huawei Watch 4 review.

For

• Good health and fitness features
• Lovely design and materials
• Three-day battery life

Against

• As pricey as an Apple Watch Series 8
• No NFC payments or apps

Fitbit Sense 2

Wareable

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A powerful health watch (but an average smartwatch), the Fitbit Sense 2 is one of the only devices that can match up with the Apple Watch Series 8 as a medical device.

It excels as a sleep tracker and heart rate monitor, and it boasts ECG for the detection of Afib, and SpO2, which is linked to sleep tracking for the detection of sleep disorders.

Add in an electrodermal activity sensor (EDA) for stress detection, and even a temperature sensor to put you in tune with your body and health, and there's a lot to like.

And it's no slouch when it comes to fitness either, with GPS and support for Strava.

Few devices put you in control of this much data about your body, but there are caveats.

The Fitbit Sense 2 isn't an amazing smartwatch. Though Google Wallet has now arrived on the device, third-party apps are virtually non-existent and the watch face gallery is clunky and full of paid-for options with a bizarre payment process.

There are not that many on-watch features, either, making it a very basic smartwatch to use outside of activity tracking features. But you do get around six days of battery life, and a seriously rapid fast charge.

If you're looking to get the maximum amount of health data from your smartwatch, the Fitbit Sense 2 is a good choice.

• Read our in-depth Fitbit Sense 2 review

For

• ECG and great health features
• The side button design is much improved
• Week of battery life

Against

• Clunky operating system
• Expensive asking price
• Stress tracking is only okay

Fitbit Versa 4

Wareable

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The Versa 4 technically plays second fiddle to the Fitbit Sense 2 health watch, but it's our favorite Fitbit watch at present – and an alternative to the Apple Watch SE 2.

You don't get ECG or cEDA stress sensors that you'll find on the Fitbit Sense 2 – but, for our money, that doesn't matter. It still looks for irregular heart rhythms via the PPG, and the EDA data isn't that useful, in our experience.

The Versa 4 has GPS for the accurate tracking of outdoor workouts. It also gets fast charging, which can add a day’s worth of battery life in just 10 minutes.

And battery life is one of the biggest success stories, with six days on offer, which is truly excellent compared to the single day promised on the core Apple Watch models.

Of course, a Fitbit smartwatch is always going to be a fitness-tracking powerhouse. That means top-notch sleep monitoring with a single sleep score, workout detection, and heaps of sports profiles. That’s on top of the standard step, elevation, and Active Zone Minutes.

And there’s still a SpO2 sensor on board that will keep tabs on blood oxygen as you sleep and offer additional insights through Fitbit's Premium subscription service.

As a smartwatch, it delivers notifications with aplomb, but there are zero third-party apps, and Fitbit also killed any music control functionality. So there are none of the bells and whistles you'll find on an Apple Watch.

But there is Google Wallet, and you can choose to employ Alexa from the wrist to answer queries or manage your smart home. We didn’t find the experience that useful, but, if you’re a regular Alexa user, it might appeal.

• Check out our full Fitbit Versa 4 review

For

• Excellent battery life
• The Fitbit app is superb for the basics
• Sleep tracking is among the best

Against

• No music features
• Barely any apps
• Varying HR accuracy

Garmin Epix Gen 2 / Fenix 7

Wareable

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The Garmin Epix burst into the sports watch range in 2022 – as a Fenix 7 without compromises. The headline feature is that touchscreen 1.3-inch, 416 x 416-pixel resolution AMOLED display, offering the best of Garmin’s sports watch range, with a more pleasing, high-end experience.

We’re also bigging up the Fenix 7 here, although its transflective display pales (literally) in comparison to full AMOLED rivals such as the Apple Watch.

The 47mm case will be too big for some, and there’s no Epix S 42mm size yet – so it’s not particularly unisex. If you have thin wrists, it’s a bit of bulk to carry, with a 22mm strap and tipping the scales at 78g. But it's 2mm smaller than the Apple Watch Ultra and delivers serious sports tracking power.

There’s an insane array of sports tracking modes, top-notch analytics, mapping on the wrist, Firstbeat VO2 Max and training insights, and the new Stamina tracking. However, in testing, we found that improvements could be made to sleep tracking and the usefulness of elements such as stress tracking and Body Battery.

The Epix still musters a surprisingly long period away from the charger. Garmin says you should get up to 16 days of battery life in smartwatch mode, with 6 days if you use the screen in always-on mode.

You get to 42 hours in GPS mode (30 hours in always-on mode) and 21 days in battery-saver mode, so it’s in a different league compared to the Apple Watch.

In short, the Garmin Epix is the closest we’ve seen to a no-compromise Garmin sports watch – but with a price tag that eclipses most rivals. And don't rule out the Garmin Forerunner 965, either, if you want that AMOLED display in a cheaper package that can still track activity with the best of them.

• Check out our Garmin Epix Gen 2 review

For

• Huge battery life
• Sports tracking powerhouse

Against

• So Expensive
• Massive on the wrist

Amazfit GTS 4

Wareable

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The Amazfit GTS 4 is certainly something of an Apple Watch clone – but delivers a powerful performance at a significantly lower price point. 

The battery life is a real triumph, too, giving you around 4-5 days with that bright, beautiful AMOLED display set to always-on. And you can double that and more if you turn that off.

There are advanced metrics for workouts, with extra focus on running form and performance analysis – and that's abetted by dual-band GPS that managed to match our premium Garmin sports watch during testing. 

As you would expect, it's not all good, though. We found some fairly inconsistent heart rate tracking in the higher zones, and the third-party app experience is non-existent. So it can compete with an Apple Watch on a basic level, but yet again, it comes unstuck because of the ecosystem and apps.

There are plenty of other standard smartwatch features missing, as well, like music streaming and contactless payments.

Still, you can't have it all at this price, and we think the GTS 4 does a good at finding the middle point.  

• Read our full Amazfit GTS 4 review

For

• Very good battery life
• Attractive and comfortable design
• Solid sports tracking

Against

• Mixed heart rate accuracy
• Not a huge upgrade on GTS 3
• No third-party apps

Amazfit Bip 3 Pro

Wareable

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If cost is the reason preventing you from going for an Apple Watch, there are few better budget options than the Bip 3.

Visually, it's in a league below, thanks to a low-power, low-resolution LCD that pales in comparison to any Apple Watch model. And again, there are no apps, contactless payments, or music playback features, 

But it covers the basics. Fitness tracking, sports modes, GPS, and it syncs with Strava. It's an accomplished smartwatch and plays nicely with iOS to deliver notifications, too.

The Big 3 Pro, like all cheaper smartwatches, does require a bit of forgiveness, as the tracking accuracy just simply isn't as accurate or insightful.

However, we still think this is a useful option for those who want to get started with a smartwatch and track the odd bit of exercise – with a price tag that offers a genuine alternative to costly smartwatches.

• Read our full Amazfit Bip 3 Pro review

For

• A full week of battery life
• Solid GPS accuracy
• Slim and light to wear

Against

• Some tracking inaccuracies
• Not as pretty as other smartwatches
• Not a huge upgrade on other budget smartwatches

Withings ScanWatch

Wareable

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If you’re looking for a true Apple Watch alternative, the ScanWatch ticks all the boxes.

You still get excellent fitness tracking, 24/7 heart rate, analysis of core heart and health metrics, 50m water resistance, and even ECG – but within an analog watch.

There’s a small OLED screen that will display metrics such as steps and heart rate, as well as ping for messages, and notifications and alert you to calls – and you can set alarms and timers.

The design means the ScanWatch can’t extend to things like rich apps, and there are no wrist-based payments or GPS – although you can track runs with connected GPS. However, there’s zero feedback on the watch as you run, so you might as well just use a smartphone app.

But for those irked by the Apple Watch battery life, the ScanWatch offers 30 days of battery life with all the sensors and tracking turned on – making it an excellent alternative.

• Read our full Withings ScanWatch review

For

• 30 days battery life
• ECG
• Sleek design

Against

• Very few smart features