5 Things to Consider Before You Buy a Smartwatch

This buying guide will help you determine which smartwatch to buy for your situation and whether you even need one at all.

What Is a Smartwatch?

A smartwatch is a device you wear on your wrist. It typically offers features you’d see on your phone and often pairs with that device. Many different brands and types of smartwatches are available, and phone compatibility often affects your options. 

A smartwatch often looks a lot like a regular watch, but it has additional features like GPS, app support, notification relaying, and other functions. You can also often make calls or reply to text messages through it. 

If you’re active or you’re simply trying to avoid looking at your phone so often throughout the day, a smartwatch can make it easier. Smartwatches typically measure health information like heart rate, which also makes them similar to fitness trackers.

As with most technology, smartwatches are available with a range of prices, features, and styles. There are two basic types of smartwatch: Apple–which makes the Apple Watch range–and WearOS, which is the Android-friendly alternative.

5 Things to Consider When Buying a Smartwatch

If you’re wondering why you should buy a smartwatch, it’s important to focus on some key factors that both explain why you might want one and help you decide whether it’s worth your time.

It’s important to find the right smartwatch for you, considering your needs, budget, and even the type of phone you have. Here are the five key things you need to think about before you buy a smartwatch.

• Cost
• Phone compatibility
• How you plan on using it
• Style and design
• App selection and customization

How Much Should a Smartwatch Cost?

It’s possible to spend $50 on a smartwatch, but it's equally likely you'll pay a few hundred dollars. More expensive models typically have more features, more premium materials, and greater functionality (e.g., more fitness sensors).

The more you spend, the better the smartwatch, but that doesn’t mean that everyone needs to buy a high-end device. That’s why it’s so important to think about what you need from your watch. That way, you can decide how much you can (or are able to) invest.

Is your Phone Compatible with Your Smartwatch?

Whatever smartwatch you buy, it needs to work with your phone. While some devices can work mostly independently, there are still times when you need to access it via a smartphone app. Simply put, it makes it much easier if the two devices play nicely.

If you buy an Apple Watch, it will only work with iPhones, potentially locking you into owning an iPhone for as long as your smartwatch. 

Some Android-based watches will work with your iPhone, but often, not all features will work perfectly. 

You can also consider a third group: smartwatches that aren't tied to a specific phone maker. These options include Fitbits and Garmin watches as well as other brands like Polar and Suunto, with strong app support for both iOS and Android.

How Do You Plan on Using Your Smartwatch?

What are your intentions behind buying a smartwatch? Are you tempted by just having new tech, or do you have a specific goal in mind? It’s important to focus on what you want or need most.

If you plan on being more active and need the motivation that a smartwatch can provide, look for a smartwatch with training plan functionality, like all Garmin watches. Fitness-minded watches are generally the ideal option if you plan on running a marathon soon, for instance.

Alternatively, if you just want something that allows you to glance at your wrist throughout the day and feel good about yourself, something from Fitbit can suffice.

Finally, you might consider an all-rounder like the Apple Watch and Wear-based devices, which do a bit of everything well.

What’s Your Personal Style?

Unlike your phone, your smartwatch is a more pivotal part of your aesthetic. It’s effectively a form of jewelry, so it’s always going to be on show. That’s why it’s important to find one that suits your personal style. Many smartwatches let you swap out the watch strap, but not all. When it comes to the bezel of the watch, whatever you pick, you’re stuck with.

Besides color, you also want to consider size. If you have a small wrist, certain smartwatches can dwarf that and be uncomfortable to wear. Make sure you measure things up carefully so that it looks good on your wrist. Ideally, take the time to try before you buy.

How Much Do You Want to Customize your Smartwatch?

Related to the style of the watch, some smartwatches are more easily customizable than others. Besides some having fixed watch straps, you also need to consider the software side of things. Mostly, all smartwatches allow you to change the watch face, but some brands have better options than others. 

Apple has exclusives like a Snoopy watch face or Disney ones, but they also have ones that will display a ton of information all at once (e.g., weather, calendar, battery level, and the time, of course). Look into available watch faces to make sure you get one that will be useful–or at least appealing–to you.

Not all smartwatches allow you to swap out or add more apps, however. In some cases, you may be fine with having a basic selection of apps to choose from. If you can afford a more premium watch, you’ll gain access to app galleries to make your watch more personal and convenient.

Who Should Buy a Smartwatch?

A few different groups of people benefit most from a smartwatch.

• Active people. If you love to keep fit and you want to hold yourself accountable, a smartwatch means you can always see your progress evolve, as well as earn awards and badges as you move forward.
  
• People who want to be active. If you’re inactive but want to change that, consider a smartwatch as a genuinely useful bribe to yourself. It’s a fun way of making you try a little harder.
  
• Tech fans. A smartwatch isn’t essential to modern life like a phone, but it is a lot of fun to own and use. If you love tinkering with tech, you’ll appreciate owning one.
  
• Fashionistas. Some smartwatches can look very stylish, so trendy folks will appreciate wearing something a little different from a regular watch.

What Should I Do After I Buy a Smartwatch?

Once you’ve bought your smartwatch, it’s time to make it your own. Here’s a quick overview of what to do after you’ve paired it to your phone.

• Install new apps. Depending on your smartwatch, take a look at the best Wear OS apps or the best Apple Watch fitness apps. These are great starting points for finding something fun to enrich your experience.
  
• Pick a new watch face. It’s easy to find a new Wear watch face or Apple Watch face to suit your style. Many are free and very simple to switch between.
  
• Learn some tips and tricks. We have plenty of tips and tricks for Wear OS, as well as hidden features in watchOS. Learn them all to make your watch-using experience more personal and more satisfying too.
  

More Tips for Buying a Smartwatch

Before you buy a smartwatch, here are some other things to consider before making the call.

• Do you need it? A smartwatch isn’t essential by any means. It’s a lot of fun, but if you don’t like wearing anything on your wrist or you’re not interested in checking how fit you are, you don’t need one.
  
• A fitness tracker may be better. Fitness trackers perform very similar tasks to a smartwatch, but they tend to lack app support and a few advanced sensors; if you just want basic fitness monitoring, though, they’re a more affordable option.
  
• Don’t forget the battery life. Smartwatches have very different battery life. Wear OS and Watch OS-based ones tend to have less time between charges, while Garmin and Fitbit smartwatches can last several days. If you plan on traveling a lot or being active throughout a full day, you may need to consider one with better battery life than average.