Best Smartwatches For IPhone In 2024

Smartwatches are one of the hottest pieces of technology nowadays. Getting a smartwatch for your iPhone can make your life a lot easier.

It allows you to do many of the tasks your iPhone can do from your wrist and even helps you track your health and fitness levels.

Smartwatches come in many shapes and run on many operating systems, which can make picking one a bit tricky. That’s why we’ve narrowed down your choices with a list of the best smartwatches for iPhone so you can pick the one that appeals to you.

List of the Best Smartwatches for iPhone in 2024

Apple Watch Series 5 – Best Premium Smartwatch for iPhone
Apple Watch Series 4 – Best Value Smartwatch for iPhone
Samsung Galaxy Watch – Best in Terms of Battery Life
Apple Watch Series 3 – Best Budget Smartwatch for iPhone
Samsung Galaxy Active 2 – Best Fitness Smartwatch for iPhone

Comparison Table:

Smartwatch	Sizes	OS	Display	Charging Method	Waterproof	Battery Life	Connectivity	Built-In Storage	Interchangeable Bands
Apple Watch Series 5	40mm, 44mm	watchOS 6	1.78″ OLED	Wireless	Yes, up to 50 meters	24 to 36 hours	Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, and LTE	32GB	Yes
Apple Watch Series 4	40mm, 44mm	Watch OS 5 (upgradeable to WatchOS 6)	1.78″ OLED	Wireless	Yes, up to 50 meters	24 to 48 hours	Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, and LTE	16GB	Yes
Samsung Galaxy Watch	42mm, 46mm	Tizen OS 4.0	1.2″ or 1.3″ AMOLED	Wireless	Yes, up to 50 meters	Up to 4 days	Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, A-GPS, GLONASS	4GB	Yes
Apple Watch Series 3	38mm,42mm	watchOS 5 (upgradeable to WatchOS 6)	1.65″ OLED	Wireless	Yes, up to 50 meters	24 to 48 hours	Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, LTE	16GB	Yes
Samsung Galaxy Active 2	40mm, 44mm	Tizen OS 4.0	1.2″ or 1.4″ AMOLED	Wireless	Yes, up to 50 meters	Around 48 hours	Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, A-GPS, GLONASS	4GB	Yes

The 5 Best Smartwatches for iPhone in 2024

Without further ado, let’s take a look at 5 of the best smartwatches you can get for your iPhone.

1. Apple Watch Series 5 – Best Premium Smartwatch for iPhone

The latest smartwatch from Apple has a lot to impress you with and it’ll work perfectly with your iPhone.

The Apple Watch Series 5 allows you to make calls, reply to messages, and listen to music all on your wrist. You will rarely need to take your iPhone out of your pocket with the Apple Watch 5. It features an always-on 1.78″ AMOLED display that allows you to check the time and notifications without having to wake the watch.

When it comes to fitness tracking, the Apple Watch 5 can track most of your workouts. It also has a heart rate monitor so you can optimize your activity level according to your goals and health status. Additionally, the waterproof design enables you to track your swimming activity.

For women, the Apple Watch 5 enables you to track your menstrual cycle by continuously logging your information each month. There’s no built-in sleep tracker, but you can download a third-party one.

One of the coolest features of the Apple Watch 5 is the noise app that alarms you when the noise around you exceeds a certain level. Another useful feature is the compass, which was missing from the previous models.

The Apple Watch 5 runs on Watch OS 6, which provides you with a sleek user interface and a ton of useful apps to choose from. The smartwatch also supports Apple Pay for convenient contactless payments.

As for the connectivity compartment, the Apple Watch Series 5 supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, GPS, and LTE. The battery life will last you about a day or two depending on your usage, but you’ll likely need to charge it every day.

What We Like:

Always-on display
Huge app library
Noise app
Waterproof up to 50 meters
Menstrual cycle tracking for women
Wireless charging
Native LTE support
Has the Find my iPhone feature

What We Don’t Like:

Battery life isn’t the longest around
No native sleep tracking
Quite expensive

Bottom Line

The Apple Watch Series 5 fits perfectly into Apple’s ecosystem, providing a seamless smartwatch experience.

2. Apple Watch Series 4 – Best Value Smartwatch for iPhone

The Apple Watch 4 is an excellent alternative to the Apple Watch 5, with only a few minor differences and a lower price tag.

It has a 1.78″ OLED display, which is vastly similar to that of the Apple Watch 5. The colors are vivid and sunlight readability is excellent, thanks to the high contrast ratio and deep blacks.

The Apple Watch 4 can last anywhere from 24 hours and 48 hours on a single charge, which is about the same as the Apple Watch 5.

Furthermore, the Apple Watch 5 can track all of your workouts, including swimming, thanks to the waterproof design. You also get a compass and a heart rate monitor, both of which are useful when running outdoors. The onboard storage is 16GB, which is half that of the Apple Watch 5.

As for connectivity, the Apple Watch Series offers multiple connectivity options, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, NFC, and LTE. It also supports Apple Pay so you can go shopping and make contactless payments effortlessly.

What We Like:

Always-on display
Supports Apple Pay
Wireless Charging
Waterproof up to 50 meters
LTE-enabled

What We Don’t Like:

Below-average battery life

Bottom Line

If you want to save a few bucks, the Apple Watch 4 is a good alternative to Apple Watch 5.

3. Samsung Galaxy Watch – Best in Terms of Battery Life

What we really like about the Samsung Galaxy Watch is the design. The watch’s elegant style gives it a competitive edge even when compared with watches from other sophisticated watchmakers.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch features a 1.3″ AMOLED display with a super contrast ratio and rich colors. You can easily see what’s on the screen even in direct sunlight. One notable feature of the Samsung Galaxy Watch is the intuitive rotating bezel. Often, it can be frustrating to use the small touchscreen controls that most smartwatches have. The rotating bezel allows you to navigate in a comfortable, intuitive way.

As far as battery life is concerned, the Samsung Galaxy Watch can last up to 4 full days on a single charge. That’s at least double the endurance of any of Apple’s smartwatches, which is quite impressive.

The Galaxy Watch runs on the latest version of Samsung’s proprietary Tizen OS, which Samsung has preferred to use over Google’s Wear OS. It does improve the overall user experience, but the apps are still somewhat limited compared to Wear OS and Apple’s Watch OS.

Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, A-GPS, and GLONASS. The smartwatch also comes with Samsung Pay that makes it easier and faster for you to process your payments.

What We Like:

Elegant design
Excellent battery life
A rotating bezel makes using the smartwatch easier
Supports wireless charging
Waterproof up to 50 meters
Supports Samsung Pay

What We Don’t Like:

A bit expensive
Relatively bulky design (especially the 46mm model)

Bottom Line

The Samsung Galaxy Watch is a great option for those who want a smartwatch with long-lasting battery life for their iPhone.

4. Apple Watch Series 3 – Best Budget Smartwatch for iPhone

The Apple Watch Series 3 is an affordable yet capable smartwatch that has lots of tricks up its sleeve. It features a beautiful 1.65″ OLED display with deep blacks and excellent sunlight readability.

As for battery life, the Apple Watch Series 3 can last you anywhere from 24 to 48 hours on a single charge, which is quite decent if you’re OK with charging your smartwatch once every other day.

And when it comes to connectivity, the Apple Watch Series 3 supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, and LTE. The NFC capability allows you to make touch-free payments conveniently using Apple Pay.

The only real difference between the Apple Watch Series 3 and Series 5 is some minor design changes, a faster processor, and the fact that the Series 5 comes with Watch OS 6 out of the box.

That doesn’t mean you can’t upgrade a Series 3 watch to the latest wearables OS from Apple, but it’ll likely receive fewer updates than the Series 5 in the future. Still, for half the price, the Apple Watch Series 3 is a bargain and other than the points we’ve mentioned, you’ll get many of the features of the more recent Apple watches.

What We Like:

Affordable price
Supports Apple Pay
Waterproof up to 50 meters
Upgradeable to WatchOS 6
Has the Find my iPhone feature

What We Don’t Like:

Limited built-in storage
Mediocre battery life

Bottom Line

The two-generation old Apple Watch 3 has proved to be an excellent budget smartwatch for iPhone, offering great value for money.

5. Samsung Galaxy Active 2 – Best Fitness Smartwatch for iPhone

The Galaxy Active 2 is another smartwatch from Samsung that has more emphasis on fitness.

At first glance, the Samsung Galaxy Active 2 features a more sportive design than the Galaxy Watch. Unlike Apple’s smartwatches, the Samsung Galaxy Active 2 features an AMOLED circular display, which gives it a much sleeker and more authentic look than Apple’s square-ish design. Still, it’s a matter of personal taste anyway.

With step tracking, swim tracking, reliable heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, and outdoor running tracking, there’s no physical activity you’d do that the Samsung Galaxy Active 2 won’t provide you with data on.

The Galaxy Active 2 runs on Samsung’s Tizen OS, which has proved to be a serious competitor to Google’s Wear OS and Apple’s Watch OS with its smooth, user-friendly UI and the expanding App Store. Additionally, the watch is NFC-enabled, and Samsung Pay will handle all your contactless payments.

The onboard storage is 4GB, which is just enough for a few hundred songs in case you’re not a big fan of streaming. The battery will last you around 2 days depending on your usage patterns, which is vastly similar to Apple’s smartwatches or even a bit better. As for connectivity, the Samsung Galaxy Active 2 supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, GPS, and GLONASS.

What We Like:

Fitness-oriented design with versatile workout tracking capabilities
Fast dual-core processor
Wireless charging
Waterproof, sportive design
Supports contactless payments

What We Don’t Like:

Limited built-in storage
The App Store is still catching up to do with Apple’s AppStore

Bottom Line

If you want to get more out of your workouts, the Samsung Galaxy Active 2 would be an excellent option for you.

How to Pick the Best Smartwatch for iPhone

Here a few things to keep in mind before getting a new smartwatch for your iPhone.

1. Design

Unlike your smartphone, your smartwatch also doubles as an accessory that complements your style. Smartwatches come in a variety of shapes and styles for all occasions. If you’re going to use your smartwatch for working out most of the time, pick a smartwatch with a sporty design and silicone straps.

Do you want a smartwatch that suits formal occasions? Then go for a smartwatch with a metal bezel and leather straps. If you want something for everyday use, an all-metal design would be perfect.

2. Compatibility

It’s a no brainer that a smartwatch from Apple will be the best when it comes to compatibility. Apple’s closed ecosystem eliminates fragmentation, which means you’ll be able to use your smartwatch to its full extent.

On the other hand, if you choose to opt for an alternative, you may face some compatibility issues, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get a smartwatch that’s not made by Apple for your iPhone. There are many reasons to go for a non-Apple smartwatch.

For example, some people may prefer a circular display over the Apple Watch’s square-ish one. Moreover, many other smartwatches like the Samsung Galaxy Watch have much better battery life.

3. Battery Life

With so many gadgets around us that need to be charged, some people may find that having to charge their watch every day can be frustrating. The actual battery life depends on your usage and for how long you keep GPS on. Some smartwatches can last for days, while others must be charged every night.

4. Functionality

Some smartwatches can be used independently of your iPhone. They allow you to make calls, have built-in GPS, and are connected to the internet. Other smartwatches still require you to have your iPhone in your pocket to use all of the smartwatch’s features.

So, before picking a smartwatch for your iPhone, think about whether you need a smartwatch that can let you leave your iPhone at home or a smartwatch that you can use as an additional device with your iPhone.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Do All Smartwatches Work with iPhones?

Most smartwatches on the market are compatible with the iPhone. For example, Samsung’s smartwatches support iOS and so does any WearOS smartwatch.

How Do I Make My Smartwatch’s Battery Life Last Longer?

To get the most out of your smartwatch’s battery, turn off any unnecessary features when not using them like GPS and LTE. This will significantly boost your smartwatch’s battery life.

Final Thoughts

To wrap it all up, if you are looking for the best smartwatches for iPhone, then you’d get the Apple Watch Series 5. It’s the latest offering from Apple and it has a sleek design, an always-on display, and it can track most of your activity.

However, you should seriously consider the Apple Watch Series 3. It costs about half of the price of the Series 5 while still offering many of its features as it’s updated to the latest Watch OS from Apple.

If you prefer to get a Samsung smartwatch, both the Galaxy Active 2 and the Galaxy Watch are pretty good contenders. The Galaxy Active 2 is an excellent option for fitness-oriented people with its sportive design, while the Galaxy Watch is more suitable for everyday occasions.