Samsung's smartwatch lineup has grown significantly over the past few years, making it harder than ever to know which model is right for you. Whether you're buying your first Galaxy wearable or upgrading from an older model, there are now more options than ever to choose from.
The latest additions are the Galaxy Watch8 and Galaxy Watch8 Classic, joining established favourites like the Galaxy Watch Ultra and more affordable options lower down the range. Choosing between them isn't always straightforward, especially when many share the same core software and health features.
We've tested every Samsung wearable in this guide ourselves, assessing everything from GPS accuracy and heart rate tracking to battery life, sleep monitoring and comfort. Whether you want the best all-round smartwatch or simply the best value, we'll help you find the right Galaxy wearable for your needs and budget.
The best Samsung Watch overall
In 2025 Samsung's Galaxy Watch8 is the best for most people. It's Samsung's latest and greatest watch with plenty of features available; from an onboard running coach that adapts to your performance, to a sensor determining your antioxidant levels.
The whole thing's had a redesign to bring it thematically closer to the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra, chiefly the squircle cushion aesthetic. It's slimmer, lighter and hardier than previous mainline Galaxy Watches, and the new flat design sits snug on the wrist thanks to the Dynamic Lug strap design.
I loved it: it was certainly the best Galaxy Watch I've tried in ages, and the best for most people. I tested its fitness credentials against a top Garmin watch, and found the Samsung watch matched it almost exactly, so it's accurate too.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy Watch8 review
The best budget Samsung Watch
If you want a much smaller and cheaper Samsung fitness tracker, then the sub-$100 Galaxy Fit3 is the perfect pick. It's got a small, rectangular display reminiscent of a Fitbit, lightweight design (less than 20 grams), and a whopping 13 days of battery life.
The 1.6" AMOLED display won't dazzle you, but it provides insight into all your fitness tracking and health metrics, including workouts for over 100 different exercises. It also supports notifications and media controls. When it does run out of juice you'll get 65% battery from just a 30-minute charge.
The 5ATM and IP68 ratings mean you can use it in the rain and dust, just don't take it swimming. There's also built-in sleep tracking, daily activity scores, step counting, and heart rate monitoring.
Emergency features like fall detection, SOS messages, and onboard Medical info keep you safe, and there are over 100 Watchfaces so you can customize the experience.
The Fit3 is designed to be light and unobtrusive, with none of the flashy hardware of the Watch models, and a cheap price tag to match.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy Fit 3 review
The best Samsung Watch for battery life
Need a Galaxy watch that can keep going for days? The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is our top pick. It's capable of lasting up to 100 hours between charges, making it the longest-lasting Galaxy watch we've tested, while still offering all of Samsung's flagship health, fitness and smartwatch features. We also love how durable the titanium case feels, while the customizable Quick button makes it easy to jump straight into workouts or other frequently used features.
Under the hood, you'll get dual-frequency GPS for accurate route tracking, alongside features including Track Back, Dive Mode and Samsung's BioActive sensor. That powers comprehensive health tracking, including heart rate, blood oxygen, HRV, skin temperature, ECG and body composition analysis.
The Galaxy Watch Ultra runs Samsung's One UI Watch software on top of Wear OS, pairing seamlessly with the Samsung Health app. The Ultra excelled during our testing, with accurate GPS tracking, excellent running metrics and comprehensive activity tracking. It won't rival the endurance of the best Garmin watches, but it sets the benchmark for battery life in Samsung's smartwatch lineup.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra review
The best Samsung watch for discounts
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is the best pick for those who want an all-round workhorse but doesn't come with the new design or heftier price tag of the latest models. Now the Watch8 is out, you can often pick up the Watch 7 as cheap, or cheaper, than the so-called budget Galaxy Watch FE.
As you might expect, it comes with Wear OS 5, upgradeable to Wear OS 6, and a host of health tracking and fitness features. There's a wide range of colors, two sizes (40mm and 44mm), and options for Bluetooth as well as LTE. There's no Classic option like you might expect (we'll get to the Galaxy Watch 6 shortly), but there are various colorways and a choice for pretty much everyone.
Fitness comes powered by Galaxy AI for interesting insights into your health, fitness, and the progress you're making as you train. You'll get a daily personalized Energy Score (also powered by AI), as well as improved Heart Rate Tracking, Wellness Tips, and sleep tracking. The latter even comes with detection for sleep apnea.
There's also 32GB of onboard storage, and battery life is rated for up to 40 hours of use. We really like the new design with the invisible bezel and the snappy performance of the new Exynos chip. Battery life hasn't been improved over the last one.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 review
The best Samsung Galaxy Watch for traditional watch lovers
The Samsung Galaxy Watch8 Classic is the upgraded Watch8 with new ways to navigate around the watch. Every Classic edition of the previous watches, usually brought out biannually, has featured a rotating bezel. This serves a dual function of making the watch look nice, like a dress watch, and providing a way to interact with the watch by using it as a digital crown.
However, the Samsung Galaxy Watch8 Classic takes things a step further by adding the Quick button from the Ultra, leaving you with a Galaxy Watch8 with two new ways to navigate and interact with the display. Throw in a leather-effect band rather than a pure silicon one, and the impression the two watches leave on you are very different.
However, under the hood, the watches are functionally the same. They're great, but the Galaxy Watch8 Classic costs more, and unless you're in love with the boxier style, I think you get less value out of the total package here. However, dress-watch fans will adore it.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy Watch8 Classic review
How to choose the best Samsung smartwatch
As you can see, there's an embarrassment of riches in the Samsung lineup that ensures there's really something for everyone. When picking the best Samsung Watch for you, consider your budget and what you need from a smartwatch.
If you need a watch for the great outdoors, climbing, and hiking, then the Ultra is an obvious pick. If you want the cheapest option available, or a simple fitness tracker, consider the Fit3.
The hardest decision will likely be for those choosing between the Galaxy Watch8, Watch 7 and Watch8 Classic. If that dress watch design is important to you, take the Classic route, otherwise, there are enough upgrades in the 7 to warrant picking the newest model.
If battery life is top of your priority list, definitely consider either the Ultra or the Fit 3. If fitness tracking and health features are the most important aspect, then consider one of the new models for 2025.
Do Samsung Watches work with iPhone?
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No, while some older Galaxy Watch models worked with iPhone, the lineup in 2024 are Android smartwatches. However, while they won't work with iPhone, they will work with other Android OEMs such as OnePlus and Huawei. Naturally, of course, the best experience comes from pairing a Samsung Galaxy Watch with a Samsung smartphone.
How we test the best Samsung Watches
Of the picks in this guide, all of them have been put through their paces by our experts, using them everyday to see how they fit into your life. We test fitness tracking, battery life and charging, durability, and more. Each products gets a score for pricing, design, features, performance, and an overall rating based on all of those factors.
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