Amazon Prime Day is the perfect time to find yourself a new smartwatch. But while most people use the word 'smartwatch' in a very general sense, there is a massive variety in the category, and the right smartwatch has to fit your lifestyle and budget.

Do you want something that could pass convincingly for an analog watch that can also field notifications and make calls, or do you want a rugged trail companion that'll withstand everything from seawater to rock-scrambling? A cheap fitness tracker or a super-premium specialist golf watch?

• • Browse the full Amazon Prime Day sale

Below are 24 deals on every kind of smartwatch, mainly from Amazon but here and there from other sites running anti-Prime Day sales, for you to peruse this week. It's likely the wearable you're looking for is here, whether you want a rugged Apple Watch Ultra 3 for Prime Day or a low-priced, high-performer like the Amazfit Active 2.

US deals

Quick links:

• Samsung Galaxy Watch8 Classic: was $499.99 now $349.99 at Amazon
• Apple Watch SE 3: was $249 now $199 at Amazon
• Garmin Fenix 8: was $999.99 now $749.99 at Amazon

More Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
• Beauty: 50% off toothbrushes & hair tools
• Cheap TVs: smart TVs from $69.99
• Garden: tools, mowers, planters from $24.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Mattresses: Sealy, Serta & more from $186
• Patio: outdoor furniture, rugs & decor from $19.99
• Sports: 50% off fitness gear, treadmills & clothing
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34

UK deals

Quick links:

• Garmin Epix Pro (Gen 2): was £739.99 now £299.99 at H Samuel
• Samsung Galaxy Watch8: was £399.99 now £299.99 at Amazon
• Apple Watch SE 3: was £249 now £189.05 at Amazon

More Amazon Prime Day deals in the UK

• Amazon Prime: sign up for a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: Fire TV, Ring & Blink from £21.99
• Apple: AirPods Pro 3 for a record-low price
• Appliances: up to 45% off Ninja, Tefal & Sage
• Essentials: household goods from under £10
• Laptops: from £149.99
• Tablets: Samsung & Lenovo from £125
• TVs: from £129.99

• A leaker claims there will be a Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 this year instead of a Watch 9 Classic
• They shared renders of the Ultra 2 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9
• They also claimed there will be beige, black, and silver colors for them

This year it looks like we might get a successor to the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra, as a new leak has revealed fresh details along with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9.

Over on X (via 9to5Google), leaker Galaxy Techie has claimed that these are the two new Samsung smartwatches we’ll see this year — and that there won’t be a Classic. That post has also now suspiciously been removed.

That’s at odds with some earlier leaks which suggested we might get a Classic instead of or as well as a new Ultra, so we’d take this with a pinch of salt. But it would make sense, since Samsung usually only launches new Classic models every other year, and we already got one last year with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic.

A successor to the 2024 Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is certainly due — and according to this source, the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 will have a slightly boxier design than its predecessor, along with thinner bezels and an orange outline on the side button, rather than it being all orange.

Three colors and some software changes

The leaker also claims that both the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 and the Watch Ultra 2 will have new band designs and colors, listing beige, black with a bluish band, and silver with a green band variants — though it’s unclear whether they mean both models will come in all three of those shades.

Finally, they’ve also shared some renders which — while lacking in detail — do give us a look at the possible design of these wearables, along with the redesigned Samsung Health app and what looks to be a new watchface picker, as you can see above.

In any case, we probably won’t have to wait much longer to get an official look at whatever wearables Samsung is cooking up, as this year’s Galaxy Watches will probably launch in July.

Last week, Apple unveiled Siri AI across all its devices at its annual WWDC event. While much time was given to how you'll be able to use Apple's new virtual assistant on iPhone, iPad and Mac, the Apple Watch was overlooked — despite the fact that, according to Apple, it's "the most convenient way to interact with Siri" more often than not.

That quote comes from Apple's own David Clark, senior director of watchOS software engineering. I had the opportunity to ask Clark, as well as Cait Dooley, Apple Watch and Health Product Marketing Manager, about how they see Apple Watch users interacting with Siri AI on their wrists.

Clark said one of the goals of watchOS 27 was "to expand the intelligence story on Apple Watch and make it a true co-partner to Apple Intelligence". It's doing so by being a first point of contact, as a wearable is a convenient place to house a microphone for asking Siri questions.

"We really wanted to make sure the Siri experience is a singular and consistent experience, whether I decide to ask Siri on my wrist a question, or whether I have my phone in my hand and I decide to interact with Siri there. We really wanted to feel like it’s one Siri, that has access to your data and is able to personalise it in a consistent way.

"One of the things that Apple Watch brings to the picture is the fact that it’s on your wrist all day, [so] oftentimes it’s the most convenient way to interact with Siri. You can imagine you’re on the go, your hands are full, you have that quick question for Siri and you can interact with Apple Watch. Of course, with the new Siri app, if you want to continue that conversation or go more deeply into some topic you’re interested in, later on you can pull out your phone and pick up right where you left off.”

Clark gives me an example of a grocery list in a store: with hands full, he's able to ask Siri on Watch for the ingredients he needs for a particular recipe. When he gets a moment, he can then open his phone to view that ingredients list in an easier-to-read way. "Working together is that superpower," he says, "and having it all being consistently driven by your data."

The elephant in the room: watchOS 27 and compatibility

As the announcements were rolling out, however, there was a pall over watchOS 27 as it was announced that five older models — the Apple Watch Series 6, 7, 8, the SE 2 and even the original Apple Watch Ultra — won't get watchOS 27, and so won't get the new Siri AI features. They'll only receive basic security support going forward.

I asked the watchOS team exactly why so many watch users have been left high-and-dry.

"With every software release across every single one of our platforms, we always want to ensure that you have the best experience, so we make power and performance a priority," said Dooley.

"The great new features in watchOS, including the capabilities of SIri AI and the new tap gesture, work best with the processing power that is in Apple Watch Series 9 and later, Ultra 2 and later, and SE 3. Older devices can still be paired with iPhones that are running the latest software and continue to receive security updates, so they can continue to have a great Apple Watch experience."

So while you'll be able to use older your watch with iPhones running Siri AI-powered software, you won't be able to access the new and smarter assistant on your watch. Although Dooley and Clark wouldn't confirm this is the case, it's likely only Apple Watches running Apple's powerful S9 and S10 chips can handle the technical demands of Siri AI.

• The Jaye Band is a new, minimalist smartwatch device
• Its primary job is showing you your most important phone notifications
• There are no on-board apps or sensors to get in the way

Left unchecked, the phones we carry around with us at all times can become overwhelmingly distracting. A new wearable called the Jaye Band wants to do something about that, acting as a simple filter for everything that happens on your phone.

It's now raising funds on Kickstarter (via Android Authority), and sells itself as "the minimalist smartwatch designed for the modern attention crisis". It promises to "reclaim your brain" and give you "a wearable built to filter your distractions, not add to them".

The idea is that the band becomes a discreet window for your most important notifications, while everything else gets left on your phone. You can set blocks of 'do not disturb' time, and there's no tracking or health monitoring.

In theory, your phone stays in your pocket for much more of the day, so you're not constantly checking for new alerts, switching between apps, and scrolling through feed after feed on social media to find a new distraction.

Pricing and shipping

Hardware wise, the Jaye Band sports a small, monochrome OLED display, intended to be shown on the inside of your wrist. The device measures just 38mm x 14.5mm x 7mm (that's 1.5 inches x 0.6 inches x 0.3 inches), so it's very lightweight.

The wearable has already gone through three rounds of design and refinement, the developers say, and now needs funding for the production push. It's already blown past its $5,000 goal, and has raised $35,749 at the time of writing.

There's an early bird price deal currently available which lets you reserve your band for $129 (about £97 / AU$184, though shipping to Australia doesn't seem to be offered). When the device launches fully, it'll retail for $249 (about £188 / AU$355).

Shipping is scheduled for December 2026, but as always with Kickstarter, there may be delays and production problems along the way. If you're looking for a more minimal tech experience day-to-day, the Jaye Band could be the answer.

• Wear OS 7 is rolling out now
• It's initially available for the Pixel Watch 4, 3, and 2
• Three major changes are available now, including live updates, but Gemini Intelligence features are coming later

It’s a big day for Google — and anyone with a device running Google’s software — because not only has the company launched Android 17, we've also been treated to Wear OS 7.

This smartwatch update doesn’t contain quite as much new stuff as Android 17, but there are three major new features and improvements on day one — with more to come over the next few months.

So it’s worth downloading, and it’s initially available for the Google Pixel Watch 4, the Pixel Watch 3, and the Pixel Watch 2. Below, you’ll find full details of what it includes now, and what’s coming later.

Day one Wear OS 7 features

The following three features are available now with the Wear OS 7 update, so you’ll be able to try them out as soon as you download it.

1. Live updates

The biggest Wear OS 7 feature that’s available now is live updates, meaning that you can track things like deliveries and sports scores live on your wrist, just like you already could on your phone.

You’ll be able to see an icon at the bottom of the watch face which you can tap on to view live details.

Similarly, there will also be a card at the top of the notifications feed which can display some information — such as the estimated arrival time of a food delivery — but which when tapped on will provide other details too, such as the delivery code you’ll need to give.

2. Improved battery life

Google has also worked behind the scenes in Wear OS 7 to deliver power optimizations, which the company claims will increase your watch’s battery life by up to 10% compared to on Wear OS 6.

The exact improvement will probably depend on which watch you have, but Google hasn’t got more specific than that.

3. An audio switcher

The third and final day one Wear OS 7 feature is a new audio output switcher, which lets you use your watch to choose which of your devices you want to play audio through — be it a speaker in your home, your phone, your headphones, or whatever else.

You can already do all this from your phone, but this is a potentially convenient alternative if you don’t have your phone to hand.

Coming soon

The following two features are also classed as being part of Wear OS 7, but they’re not available quite yet. Instead, they should arrive over the next few months once Google adds Gemini Intelligence to its smartwatches.

4. Create My Widget

Create My Widget is one of the big features that Gemini Intelligence is set to power, with this allowing you to create “custom dashboards” for your smartwatch simply by describing the functionality you want and leaving Gemini to create them. A similar feature is also coming to Android, as pictured above.

5. Task automation

Task automation will allow you to ask Gemini to do things for you, such as placing an order on a food delivery app, and this isn’t just coming to phones — you’ll also soon be able to ask for and track task automations from your wrist.

• The Garmin Enduro 4 has appeared as a reference in the back-end code of the Garmin Connect app
• The code doesn't specify a release date, but it's a new addition in the app's latest update
• It points to a launch for the Enduro 4 and Fenix 9, as previous versions of both devices have launched together

I've been devouring every crumb of news we can get about the Garmin Fenix 9 range, and when it will launch. After all, the Fenix 8 quickly made our list of the best Garmin watches after it launched, and is Garmin's preeminent premium watch.

The Enduro series, meanwhile, is effectively a powerful, battery life-focused version of the Fenix watches, and the Enduro 3 launched alongside the Garmin Fenix 8 in 2024. In our Garmin Enduro 3 review we said "the Enduro line puts battery first, all while offering most of the features from the Fenix series", with our reviewer getting almost a month's worth of battery from a single charge.

So it's exciting to hear our first whispers about the Garmin Enduro 4, as it suggests the full Fenix 9 range could be coming soon.

How the Garmin Enduro 4 leaked

The latest information comes courtesy of Gadgets & Wearables, which did an APK teardown examining the code of version 5.26 of the Android Garmin Connect app, and spotted 'Enduro 4' in a device registry.

This was reportedly not in version 5.25, suggesting it's a recent addition — and that a launch could be imminent.

It only adds weight to recent rumors that the Fenix 9 is coming soon. Garmin CEO Cliff Pemble reassured investors earlier this year that he expected "stronger performance in the back half of the year due to the timing of product launches," and that it would be "a very active year for outdoor".

Garmin's outdoor line of watches includes the Garmin Fenix series, alongside other high-profile entries such as the Garmin Instinct series. Given that the Garmin Instinct 3 arrived last year, and that the Fenix 8 is now a few years old, it's not hard to connect the dots. More soon.

Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro: One minute review

Three years after the release of the Cheetah Pro smartwatch, Amazfit has finally released its successor, the aptly named Cheetah 2 Pro. Designed for serious road runners who rely on structured training plans, the smartwatch is a solid offering that competes admirably with the best running watches on the market right now. It doesn't hit the dizzying heights of Garmin's top-range alternatives, but Amazfit has definitely closed the gap. The Cheetah 2 Pro has a bigger sibling, the Cheetah 2 Ultra, which is slightly larger, more expensive and comes with trail running profiles with gradient and terrain features not present here.

The high price tag for a watch without trail features will put a lot of people off, especially considering Amazfit is still an unknown brand to many and a budget brand to those in the know. On closer inspection, the cost is mostly justified. The bright 1.32-inch AMOLED display is super-sharp and covered with scratch-resistant sapphire crystal glass.

The display is housed in a high-end grade 5 titanium alloy case, which looks and feels premium, but the 15.6 mm thickness and large sensor bump make the watch uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time.

The Cheetah 2 Pro includes an impressive set of features, including structured training plans and AI-driven adaptive workouts. It also tracks comprehensive health data, including 24/7 heart rate, blood oxygen, and skin temperature, all making it possible to generate a daily "Readiness Score" for monitoring fatigue. The watch reaches a high level of accuracy across most tested metrics.

As you’d expect for a watch at this price, the Cheetah 2 Pro boasts offline color maps and navigation tools such as automatic rerouting and point-to-point route planning. It’s an extensive set of features, but the implementation is lacking finesse. Due to limited hardware, panning and zooming maps is laggy.

When it comes to running smartwatches, Amazfit is closing the gap on Garmin, but they’ve still got a long way to go, especially when it comes to dedicated running tools.

Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro: Specifications

Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro: Price and availability

• $499.99 USD / £449.90 UK / $729 AUS
• More affordable than the Garmin Forerunner 970
• Impressive set of features for the price

The Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro costs $499.99 USD / £449.90 UK, which represents a significant 50% increase over the price of the original Cheetah Pro. Amazfit justifies this huge jump by offering high-end hardware, including a titanium bezel, sapphire crystal lens, and up to 20 days of battery life.

Its position in the market is as a budget-friendly alternative to Garmin's flagship elite tier, specifically the Garmin Forerunner 970. While both watches boast premium titanium bezels and crisp AMOLED screens, the more expensive Garmin boasts superior features, especially when it comes to offline maps and ECG functionality.

• Value score 4/5

Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro: Design

• Premium materials and a bright AMOLED display
• Touchscreen interface and physical buttons
• Overly chunky design

The Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro boasts a gorgeous premium grade-5 titanium alloy case finished off with a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal glass. The 1.32-inch AMOLED display is brilliantly sharp, with an impressive 3,000 nits of peak brightness which guarantees clarity even on sunny days.

If you were wondering why the watch costs so much, the material make-up and AMOLED display are two of the reasons. Compared to the cheap, plastic feel of a lot of sports trackers, the Cheetah 2 Pro is a high-end piece of hardware, only let down by the bundled silicone strap, which feels like an ill-considered afterthought.

Alongside the touchscreen interface, the watch features a four-button layout with tactile aluminum buttons. The presence of physical buttons proved valuable, in my experience, especially when using the watch with sweaty hands or in the rain.

As much as I love the design of the Cheetah 2 Pro, it's let down by its over-large 15.6mm thickness. It absolutely dwarfed my wife's smaller wrist, and due to the size and weight I found it uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time. If Amazfit could work out a way to reduce the thickness of the underside sensor bump, then a lot of these problems would go away.

• Design Score: 4/5

Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro: Features

• Excellent structured training, especially with Zepp Flow AI
• Offline maps and turn-by-turn navigation
• An extensive set of sensors

At the heart of the Cheetah 2 Pro are the structured training plans and purpose-driven workouts. It's like having your own personal running coach or using a platform such as Runna, but without the ongoing cost. There are workouts and plans for half marathons, full marathons, and Fartlek runs, and every session helps extend endurance, build strength, and ensure appropriate recovery, all done via Zepp Coach AI.

In addition to dedicated training plans, the Cheetah 2 Pro boasts an extensive set of navigation features which help keep you on track, however hard you're pushing. I was pleased to see the presence of offline maps and turn guidance, and it's even possible to import courses so you can confidently navigate through routes you're not familiar with. Beyond this, the watch includes automatic rerouting, points of interest search, and point-to-point route planning.

The upgraded optical sensors comprise 5 photodiodes and 2 LEDs, providing continuous 24/7 monitoring for heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, and stress levels. All of these sensors, and more, feed the data so the watch can provide a daily Readiness Score for evaluating training fatigue and overall status. Additional environmental sensors include a skin temperature sensor, barometric altimeter, gyroscope, accelerometer, and geomagnetic compass.

In comparison to the Forerunner 970, the Cheetah comes up short in most areas. The Garmin features a more comprehensive set of tools, including its localized crowd-sourced popularity routing database, granular analytics, and ECG functionality. If you want the very best, Garmin is still the brand to turn to.

• Features Score: 4/5

Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro: Performance

• Spot on GPS and heart rate performance
• Excellent map functionality but a little laggy
• Top-level activity tracking and health monitoring

Serious runners require accurate on-board GPS, and the Cheetah 2 Pro provides exactly that. Courtesy of its advanced positioning systems, the watch is able to deliver accurate tracking and pacing even when the signal appears to weaken. I compared it with the same route run with my accuracy benchmark, the Garmin Tactix 8, and the Huawei Watch Ultimate 2. It tracked these runs to within one or two per cent accuracy and was able to cope with varying surroundings, including high-rise buildings and forests.

Map functionality is extensive enough for most runners, although the subjective experience wasn’t perfect. Any amount of panning and zooming resulted in a stutter, and if I were cycling, the map wouldn’t update particularly smoothly. These problems are not game-changers, but if you’re after the smoothest map interactions, then the Cheetah 2 Pro doesn’t have the hardware to deliver that.

The Cheetah 2 Pro is a solid running coach on the wrist. It is able to provide specific metrics such as ground contact time, stride length, and cadence. The ability to track in real-time my VO2 Max level and running power is super-helpful to know if I am doing well (or not, as the case may be).

An extensive set of health metrics is available, including heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, heart rate variability (HRV), respiration rate, lactate threshold, VO2, and more. The heart rate was an exact match to a dedicated heart rate monitor band. The heart rate zone feature is a nice addition for knowing when you’re building endurance, improving speed, or pushing too hard.

Amazfit positions the watch as a long-distance runner's dream, and that requires outstanding battery performance with every feature and setting turned on. They claim up to 31 hours with accurate GPS mode enabled, which is more than enough to perform a long-distance run, assuming it doesn't span multiple days. When you're using the watch in between trainings, you can expect up to 20 days of battery life with typical use.

The Cheetah 2 Pro is much more than a running watch, though. Its general smartwatch features are comparable with the very best from Apple, Google, and Samsung. You can make and receive Bluetooth calls, read and reply to texts, and utilize Zepp Pay for NFC contactless payments. All in, it’s a very useful watch for day-to-day living.

• Performance score: 4.5/5

Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro: Scorecard

Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

How I tested

I’ve been wearing the Cheetah 2 Pro for the better part of six weeks. In this time I have used it while running, cycling, walking, relaxing, and more. I tested it against a Coros heart rate monitor as well as competitor devices for accuracy. It has also acted as a companion device to my smartphone, keeping me up-to-date with everything going on in my world.

First reviewed: June 2026

• Apple’s Walkie Talkie feature seems to be missing from watchOS 27
• It lets you chat to a companion via your Apple Watch
• Users have reported it’s nowhere to be seen in the first watchOS 27 beta

When Apple announces new software, as it did at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 8, the usual procedure is that the company adds new features. But this time, eagle-eyed sleuths have noticed that an enjoyable feature has been removed from watchOS 27 — and there’s no indication that it’s coming back.

The feature in question is called Walkie Talkie, and it lets you raise your wrist and chat with another connected Apple Watch user. It’s a fun little way to communicate with other people and can be especially entertaining for younger children.

Yet it appears that Walkie Talkie is entirely absent from the watchOS 27 developer beta that Apple recently released. Although Apple hasn’t made any official announcement on this topic, Walkie Talkie appears to be missing from the first watchOS 27 beta.

Users have taken to social media to voice their disappointment, with user ra4oasis lamenting: “Well that sucks. My son and I use it all the time.” User Loupetron_Primal, meanwhile, explained the usefulness of the feature: “My best friend and I live in a split-level apartment. He’s upstairs and I’m downstairs. We’ve used this feature for years instead of shouting.”

A sadly neglected feature

While I can’t say that I’ve been a frequent user of Walkie Talkie, it’s had its moments over the years that I’ve owned an Apple Watch. It’s a great retro throwback and has genuine utility for those times when you don’t need a full-on phone call or text conversation.

Yet Apple has barely given it a second glance since launching Walkie Talkie in 2018. It’s had no significant updates in the years since, and I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that many Apple Watch users don’t even know it exists. That suggests this could be a deliberate app retirement from Apple rather than a mistake or oversight.

As well as that, Walkie Talkie has been the subject of complaints and criticism over its occasional unreliability. On Reddit, for example, user nate390 argued that it was always a little flawed: “It was a really nice idea, but in my experience, it didn’t work well. Well, it did when both parties were on cellular, but not so much when one or other end was connected to an iPhone via Bluetooth.” With that in mind, perhaps we shouldn’t be too surprised to see it fail to make the cut in watchOS 27.

Still, it’s disappointing that this feature has apparently been removed entirely — perhaps Apple felt it wasn’t worth the effort to fix it up. While there’s a small chance that Apple could change course before watchOS 27 launches to the public in the fall, don’t bet the farm on it.

UPDATE 09/06: This article has been updated to reflect that the Apple Watch Series 9, which was originally missing from Apple's list of watches compatible with watchOS 27, has now been added.

Another WWDC, another set of operating systems. This year's WWDC 2026 keynote has been chock-full of highly-advanced AI-powered features, led by a revamped Siri AI designed to work across the whole Apple ecosystem — but these advanced features need devices capable of running them.

Because Apple updates its software each year, users of older versions of the best iPhones, MacBooks and, of course, the best Apple Watches worry their old technology may not get the new update, and thus official support for it would end.

Although there was no mention of compatibility in this year's keynote speech, the official Apple website confirms it that five watches that support watchOS 26 won't be able to make the upgrade to watchOS 27 — presumably because those models can't handle the new Siri AI.

Here are the watches that will still be supported when watchOS 27 lands later this year:

Which watches will get watchOS 27?

The full list of compatible models are as follows:

• Apple Watch Series 9
• Apple Watch Series 10
• Apple Watch Series 11
• Apple Watch Ultra 2
• Apple Watch Ultra 3
• Apple Watch SE 3

These are the recent models without support for watchOS 27:

• Apple Watch Series 6
• Apple Watch Series 7
• Apple Watch Series 8
• Apple Watch Ultra
• Apple Watch SE 2

The Apple Watch Series' 6, 7, and 8 do not appear on Apple's list of compatible devices. Users running those watches can only expect to receive basic security and maintenance upgrades in the future.

The first-generation Apple Watch Ultra — which is only four years old and was, let's remember, quite a premium product — and Apple Watch SE 2 are also included in this list.

This will be a blow to so many users. Traditionally, Apple has ended support for watches after six or so years, not three or four — to place this in context, last year's watchOS 26 supported Apple Watch Series 6, which was originally released in 2020.

First-generation Apple Watch Ultra users will also be incredibly irate — spending $799 / £849 / AU$1229 on a watch that was only supported for four years will be seen as a very predatory move by Apple, and may drive some customers away to competitors such as Garmin. After an exciting WWDC speech for AI fans, this news will leave a sour taste.

All the above watches' core features will still work, although users will run into problems as the watches reach the end of their lives. For example, you may be unable to update apps which are designed to work with the latest software features.

Series 9 is now the oldest watch to receive new versions of watchOS.

How to download the watchOS 27 beta

If you do have a supported watch and can't wait until September to try out all the new features, you can sign up to beta test Apple's latest OS. To do so, you'll need to enrol in Apple's beta program, which you can do either on Apple's developer portal here for the developer beta, or wait until the public beta next month, which most users will want to do. Remember to always back up your devices before doing so.

On your iPhone, go to Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Updates, , and action the software update when available.

Once the update is installed, you can go to the Watch app on your phone and use a similar pathway: My Watch > General > Software Update > Beta updates, enter your passcode and away you go.

• Samsung Galaxy Watch users are getting a completely redesigned health app with new features
• These new features include Vitals, Cardio Load and a dedicated Heart Health score
• The app is now AI-first, designed to turn Galaxy Watches into 'AI-powered health companions'

Samsung Galaxy Watch and Samsung Galaxy Ring users are going to see some big changes in the Samsung Health app. Referred to as 'a new experience' by Samsung press material, the redesigned health app includes new metrics and AI-powered summaries to break it all down for you.

Samsung says the new app 'uses AI to translate overnight and daily biometric data into personalized health guidance, helping users better understand everything from recovery and heart health to training load and overall wellbeing'.

This sounds familiar. Fitbit has recently undergone a complete AI-first redesign, too, including a name change to Google Health. It's not all been sunshine and roses, as many Fitbit users intensely dislike the forced pivot to AI, with what was Fitbit Premium now entirely revolving around its new AI Google Health Coach tool.

Samsung Health already uses AI in the background, such as using machine learning to calculate stats like your Energy Score, but this redesigned app is also shifting generative AI to the forefront. The timing of this move is likely to draw serious ire from Samsung users.

Don't panic, Samsung users

Fortunately, it's not as bad as all that, despite Samsung's similar AI-forward messaging and app redesign, so Galaxy Watch users can lower their pitchforks (for now). For one thing, Samsung hasn't introduced a paywall to Samsung Health; otherwise, there would be riots in the streets.

Second, on closer inspection, the redesign is also slightly less drastic than Google's: rather than being entirely oriented around an AI chatbot, as Google Health has chosen to do, Samsung has instead decided to use GenAI to summarize and explain your metrics, adding new ones so the user can drill down into different aspects of their health in more detail.

Existing tools such as Samsung's Sleep Score, Energy Score, and Antioxidant Index remain, and Samsung hasn't announced that it's removing any features — again, unlike Fitbit and Google, which removed features like Badges and Challenges.

I've listed all the new features below. Each of these features will get contextual AI summaries, explaining what the numbers mean and, where necessary, how to improve them.

• Vitals: Similar to Apple Health's feature, Vitals will analyze 'five key overnight bio-signals — heart rate, heart rate variability, respiratory rate, skin temperature, and blood oxygen — against their true resting baseline'. Essentially, Samsung will notify you if one or more of these metrics are abnormal, indicating you might be getting sick.
• Heart Health Score: Combining Samsung's Vascular Load metric with the Body Composition features on its watches, which can measure muscle and fat in the same way as the best smart scales. If you've got low Vascular Load and an in-range body fat percentage, your Heart Health Score is likely to be good.
• Daily Cardio Load: Accumulated strain based on recent cardiovascular exercise, like runs and cycle rides. Will contribute to your Energy Score.
• Fitness Index: A radar chart of five different metrics (Strength, Flexibility, Endurance, Cardio, Body Composition). The strangest so far: how Samsung intends to accurately measure flexibility with a Galaxy Watch remains a mystery to me. I've reached out to Samsung to clarify this.

The timing of this upgrade is certainly interesting: reports recently surfaced of a Samsung Galaxy Fit 4 that, when paired with this AI-powered Samsung Health upgrade, would make for a real Google Fitbit Air contender.

• Garmin just published a 'trends in running' report
• It tells us that Garmin Connect users in their fifties recorded the biggest distance tally with an average of 5.1 miles
• We also learn that runners sleep better, have a lower resting heart rate than non-runners, and have a good VO2 max

Garmin has just published a 'trends in running' report, which has revealed some surprising data.

Based on stats drawn from the Garmin Connect app globally, we're told that the average distance of a run across all users was 4.82 miles, but if you had to guess which age range ran the furthest, you probably wouldn't pick the 50 to 59 category.

Nonetheless, folks in their fifties racked up the biggest distance tally with an average of 5.1 miles. Those in their twenties ran slightly shorter routes at an average of 4.6 miles, only just ahead of runners aged 70+ who recorded an average of around 4.57 miles.

Care to guess the day of the week on which the most miles were collectively recorded? Perhaps unsurprisingly, it was a Saturday, and in terms of the month that witnessed the most running, that was August.

The time spent on a run was 46.3 minutes on average. As for weekly mileage, most Garmin runners — nearly 40% — did between 6 and 10 miles on average. The second largest group, representing 28% of runners, managed 11 to 20 miles.

What about the average pace? Across all runners, that was 9:21 per mile for men and 10:11 for women.

Sleep success

Garmin also noted that runners generally had a better sleep score compared to non-runners. The average sleep score for a runner was 73 for those who ran under 10 miles, and 74 for those who went further than that, compared to those who didn't run at all, hitting a score of 70 on average.

Resting heart rate was also better for runners, as non-runners had an average of 62 bpm, compared to 59 bpm for those who ran 0 to 5 miles weekly, and 55 bpm for runners who pushed over 31 miles per week.

Curious as to what the average VO2 max was for runners? Garmin says it's 50 across its entire user base. Not too shabby indeed! If you're unfamiliar with VO2 max as tracked by a smartwatch, check out our handy explainer.

• Garmin's feature update for Q2 2026 is now rolling out
• It brings a clutch of new features, including golf tag support, a stocks tracker and recovery feature — and more besides — for some watches
• However, some relatively recent Garmin watches miss out here

Garmin has announced a new feature update for its watches, although the catch is that only more recent devices will benefit.

As Gadgets and Wearables spotted, the Q2 2026 update pertains to not just Garmin watches, but also cycling computers, and it's rolling out from now (over the "coming weeks", and as ever with rollouts, the time it takes to arrive on your device may vary).

What new features are there? On the golfing front, one addition is Approach CT1 tag compatibility for certain watches, which means those devices can pair with Garmin's NFC club tags (to track the golf club used with the shot distance and other stats).

The following watches will benefit from this thanks to the Q2 update:

• Fenix 8
• Fenix 8 Pro
• Enduro 3
• Tactix 8
• Quatix 8
• Quatix 8 Pro
• D2 Mach

Other features already present on some watches are added to other Garmin models with this update, and that includes Premium Golf Features (via the Garmin Golf Membership), which will become available on the Garmin Venu 4, Vivoactive 6, and D2 Air X15.

If you own a Garmin Instinct 3, Instinct Crossover AMOLED, or Instinct E, you'll receive the Stocks Tracker and Mobility Activity features with this update. Those watches will also get the Workout Execution Score functionality, except for the Garmin Instinct E, which misses out here.

Troubleshooting bonus

There's also a new Recovery Mode feature — a troubleshooting function to recover the watch after a software glitch — which Gadgets and Wearables informs us is coming to several of Garmin's watch ranges. That includes the Venu 4, Venu X1, Vivoactive 6, D2 Air X15, Forerunner 570 and 970, along with Fenix 8 models, and the Fenix E.

On the bike computer front, the Q2 update provides support to connect compatible eBikes with Bosch smart systems to your Edge cycling computer to view info like the battery level, power and cadence data, and smart range routing. On-device Gear Tracking is also being added to those Edge bike computers.

Owners of relatively recent Garmin watches are going to be disappointed that they aren't getting these features, no doubt. For example, there's nothing for Venu 3 owners here, or the Vivoactive 5 or Fenix 7 models, and others besides.

That doesn't mean these slightly older devices are left completely out in the cold, as while they may not be visited with feature additions, they won't be left without software fixes. It's likely a small consolation, though, especially considering the substantial outlay for some of these gadgets.

• A code leak points to three new Galaxy Watch models
• They might all get the Pixel's 'raise to talk' feature
• Users still have concerns about the battery life of the devices

We're expecting successors to the Galaxy Watch 8 and the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic from Samsung within the next couple of months, and a fresh leak gives us a better idea of the models to expect — plus one of the features they might bring with them.

The team at Android Authority has found three smartwatch codenames buried in the latest Google Wear OS app for Android: Fresh 9 (most likely the Galaxy Watch 9, based on past codenames), Wise 9 (the Galaxy Watch 9 Classic), and Project V2 (possibly the long-awaited Galaxy Watch Ultra 2).

Samsung's smartwatch launches aren't quite as easy to predict as they are for its smartphones, and we don't always get a Classic or an Ultra addition. We have previously seen a Pro model, too: the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, from 2022.

This goes some way to settling the question of what we're about to see, though it'll be interesting to find out what the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 brings with it. The original Ultra made its debut back in 2024.

Raise to talk

The same digging into the Wear OS app code has revealed something else: these upcoming Galaxy Watch models may well feature the 'raise to talk' feature that's available on Google's smartwatches, including the Google Pixel Watch 4.

Changes in the code, including a "3p" tag that could mean third-party, suggest the feature won't be a Pixel exclusive for much longer. It enables the user to lift their smartwatch up towards their head, and Gemini will instantly launch — ready to receive voice commands.

As for the online reaction to Samsung's upcoming smartwatch refresh, there's approval of the current circular face design, but questions over battery life. Of the three rumored models, one Redditor says "none of them solve the reason I moved to Garmin" — the reason being weeks rather than days of battery life.

Another commenter suggests "we don't need annual releases of Samsung watches", saying "they evolve very little year-to-year". With the approval of Reddit or not, it looks like these wearables are on the way — and we'll bring you all the details when they arrive.

• Someone has allegedly found a Google Pixel Watch 5 prototype in the sea
• It was shared in an X post by Gearbox founder Randy Pitchford
• The device looks the same as its predecessor, but has 'Pixel Watch 5' printed on the back

Tech leaks are more common than they used to be, but this unannounced Google smartwatch has just taken first prize for the weirdest tech leak ever — the Pixel Watch 5 has been found at the bottom of the ocean.

Founder of video game company Gearbox, Randy Pitchford, came across a post on his X account from someone who claimed that a friend found the unreleased Pixel Watch 5 while scuba diving near the island of St. Martin in the Caribbean (see below). The Pixel Watch 5 is projected to launch later this year.

In the X post, Pitchford included two close-up images of what appears to be a Pixel Watch 5 prototype. Pitchford also shared that despite having an empty battery, the watch had enough reserve power to display the correct time. Additionally, the embeddings on the back of the watch heavily suggest that the device is, in fact, a model of the Pixel Watch 5.

Pitchford’s images show clear readings on the back of the device that say ‘Google’ and ‘Pixel Watch 5’, as well as readings listing the device’s health-tracking and monitoring tools.

As per the image, the device has several labels, including ‘SpO2’ (Blood Oxygen Level), ‘EDA’ (Electrodermal Activity), ‘Skin Temperature’, ‘Heart Rate Sensor’, ‘Pulse Sensor’, and ‘UWB’ (Ultra-Wideband). Additionally, the smartwatch has IP68 water and dust resistance.

Design-wise, the device looks pretty much the same as the Pixel Watch 4 — it has a similar round watch face, and the inscriptions on the back are also identical to its predecessor, but it doesn't mention any new health tracking tools.

This makes sense, as the Pixel Watch 4 was only released in October 2025 and came with a major design upgrade and advanced features, including a skin temperature sensor and an AI health coach.

As you can imagine, the reactions to this story have been hysterical, garnering hundreds of reposts and comments from users. “This is maybe the most Google thing to ever happen,” one user commented, while another described it as “an underwater time portal”.

Comment from r/PixelWatch

This is by far one of the whackiest tech leaks we’ve seen since an Apple software engineer left a prototype of the iPhone 4 in a California bar in 2010 — it’s hard to top finding a smartwatch at the bottom of the ocean like Kate Winslet’s 'Heart of the Sea' diamond necklace from Titanic.

But despite the absurdity of this discovery, it has left people scratching their heads and questioning the leak's legitimacy.

Just five hours after Pitchford’s original post, he shared another post to say the watch had been reunited with its owner “thanks to the magic of the internet” — but he didn’t disclose who the prototype belongs to and where they managed to get their hands on one.

Not only that, other outlets that have reported on this have flagged Pitchford’s history of boosting engagement metrics with shock-factor posts, or “engagement farming,” as Tech Advisor describes it. There’s also the question about whether a tech company as large as Google would imprint health tracking information on the device this early in the development process.

Since Pitchford hasn’t shared anything about the prototype's owner and given Google’s silence on the matter, it’s best to view this with skepticism, as there are more questions than answers. However, that doesn't take away from the fact that it’s one of the funniest and most unhinged tech leaks ever.

The Google Fitbit Air is here, and early adopters are getting to grips with the new screenless fitness tracker and its AI-powered premium Google Health Coach.

I've shared my early thoughts after a few hours of testing and we've covered existing Fitbit users' disappointment and anger over some of the app changes — but how does it compare against an Apple Watch, perhaps the best-known and certainly the most commonly-spotted fitness wearable on wrists everywhere?

To find out, I went on a 10-kilometer evening run (braving the UK heatwave) with the Google Fitbit Air on one hand, and the Apple Watch Ultra 3 on the other. I was also wearing the Polar H10 heart rate monitor, intending to use it as a litmus test for accuracy, but the chest strap malfunctioned so I don't have any meaningful results to publish here.

I'm primarily looking at metrics such as heart rate and calories burned. Both wearables use optical heart rate sensors — LED lights that monitor blood flow on your wrist to estimate your heart rate. The estimation of calories burned combines your heart rate data with movement data and other metrics to calculate your energy expenditure.

As well as calories burned and average heart rate, I've included the results for average pace here too. I'm expecting the Apple Watch, with its built-in GPS, to be more accurate than the Fitbit Air, which is piggybacking off the GPS from my iPhone as it doesn't have any GPS capabilities itself.

It's also worth noting I have not linked Google Health and Apple Health at the time of writing, so these results are separate.

The results

Below are the results from my 10km run. Tap the 'next' tab on the graph to cycle through all three metrics.

Previous

1 / 4

Next

Average heart rate

Google Fitbit Air

158

Apple Watch Ultra 3

161

050100150200

Average heart rate Data

Product	Value
Google Fitbit Air	158
Apple Watch Ultra 3	161

Average Pace

Google Fitbit Air

5.37

Apple Watch Ultra 3

5.47

01.534.56

Average Pace Data

Product	Value
Google Fitbit Air	5.37
Apple Watch Ultra 3	5.47

Calories burned

Google Fitbit Air

773

Apple Watch Ultra 3

750

0200400600800

Calories burned Data

Product	Value
Google Fitbit Air	773
Apple Watch Ultra 3	750

Distance

Google Fitbit Air

10.43

Apple Watch Ultra 3

10.03

03.757.511.2515

Kilometers

Distance Data

Product	Value
Google Fitbit Air	10.43
Apple Watch Ultra 3	10.03

As you can see in the graphs above, both heart rate and calorie readings are quite close. The average heart rate for my workout was just a 3bpm difference between the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and the Google Fitbit Air. It would have been nice to have information from my chest strap to compare this as well, but I'll try this again before my full review with a different electrical heart rate monitor.

However, on previous tests the Apple Watch Ultra 3 matched the electrical heart rate monitor exactly, indicating that the Google Fitbit Air is pretty dang accurate too.

Likewise, the calorie counts on both wearables were relatively similar, with the Google Fitbit Air exceeding the Apple Watch Ultra 3's calculation by less than 25 calories. No two wearables are going to be exactly alike here, but this is close enough that I'd feel comfortable using the Google Fitbit Air day-to-day.

Average pace is a different matter. As previously mentioned, the Google Fitbit Air has no onboard GPS of its own, and although it showed a lovely map of my route obtained via my iPhone's GPS, it also overestimated my pace and thought I was a whole 10 seconds faster per kilometer than the Apple Watch did.

I know how my paces feel — it was a hot day and I had steep declines and inclines at either end of my run, so I ran slower than my usual brisk clip. I'm far more inclined to agree with Apple's assessment than the Fitbit's pace estimation here. Apple also gave me far more detail about my run, such as stride length and vertical oscillation (how bouncy I was during the run), whereas the Google Fitbit Air collects no such information. What Fitbit does surface, however, is steps taken during the workout (9,342 to be precise), which the Apple Watch Ultra 3 doesn't.

Fitbit also massively overestimated my run at 10.43km rather than 10.03km, even though it shows exactly the same map as my Apple Watch, with an identical finishing point, as you can see below in the comparison pic. Unlike 3bpm or 23kcal, over 400 meters and 10 seconds of pace are big differences.

Apple Fitness

Google Health

Analysis

In terms of the metrics relying on the onboard heart rate monitor, the $99.99 / £84.99 / AU$199 Google Fitbit Air is very accurate compared to the $799 / £749 / AU$1,399 Apple Watch Ultra 3.

I wouldn't have expected the Google Fitbit Air to be as reliable for run tracking as one of the best running watches, considering it doesn't even have GPS — as long as it's consistent for casual users, that'll be fine for most people. Anyone (like me) who cares enough to want maps, technique information like stride length, and pinpoint-accurate pace will likely gravitate towards a dedicated running watch anyway. Still, I was hoping for a smaller difference here.

The Apple Watch Ultra 3 has proven itself to be a very accurate wrist-based optical heart rate solution, so far superseded only by dedicated heart rate monitors. Based on this, I'm happy the Google Fitbit Air cleaves closely to this standard — although it's a shame I can't rely on GPS data harvested from my phone for more than a rough estimation.

Huawei Watch Fit 5 Pro review: Specifications

Huawei Watch Fit 5 Pro: One minute review

The Huawei Watch Fit 5 Pro looks quite similar to an Apple Watch Ultra 3, only slimmer, and I get the feeling that’s very much the idea. The same raised bump on the titanium shell protects the digital crown, and houses an additional side button. It’s the same shape as the Ultra 3, the screen is bright and colorful, and as you can see from the TikTok video embedded below in which I compare the two, you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s an Apple Watch at first glance.

However, just because Huawei’s stealing Apple’s lunch a little in the design stakes, that doesn’t mean this just a cheaper knockoff. Huawei has been making quality wearables with accurate metrics for ages now, and the Fit 5 Pro is another absolute win in my book.

It’s light and comfortable to wear, with the wide screen and slim design ensuring it sits flush and close to the wrist, like the Garmin Venu X1, making it perfect for more comfortable exercise, and not weighty or cumbersome to wear during sleep tracking. The tough ‘aerospace-grade’ titanium-alloy shell is a great get at this price, with the closest-priced Apple product, the Apple Watch SE 3, using aluminum, plastic and nylon. The whole aerospace thing is a bit of a gimmick, but titanium makes the whole package feel much more premium and stylish, and it looks as good as it feels.

The Huawei Watch Fit 5 Pro battery is claimed to last up to 10 days in smartwatch mode, but with near-constant wear, multiple GPS workouts, and with the always-on display turned off, I got around six days during my testing. The LTPO AMOLED display is powerful, and nearly two inches wide with an adaptive 1-60hz refresh rate. In layman’s terms, it’s bright, smooth and powerful, and in such a thin smartwatch it’s a real battery sucker. Nevertheless, six days is still triple the usage I get from the Apple Watch Ultra 3 on a single charge, even though the latter is triple the price.

Like Apple, Huawei relies on its own walled-garden ecosystem, as a result of being a Chinese company and operating behind the ‘great firewall of China’, preventing its integration with apps like Google Maps, Spotify and others from major US tech companies, although it supports some select integrations like Strava and Komoot via the Huawei Health app. The AppGallery must be accessed from your phone’s internet browser and the apps downloaded from there, with no Play Store or App Store integration.

The Huawei Watch Fit 5 Pro uses Chinese apps for its core functions, like Petal Maps for navigation instead of Google or Apple Maps, so to sync with your phone you’ll also start needing to use Petal as your primary map app. Lately, Huawei has been using the UK-based Curve digital wallet — this is good news, as it’s a feature that’s long eluded Huawei watches outside of China.

However, if you’re an Android or Apple user, your Google and Apple wallets don’t automatically work with your watch, although this is slightly less of a dealbreaker, as Garmin also uses a proprietary wallet system. WhatsApp can only be interacted with via notifications, not a dedicated WhatsApp interface. These pain points are not necessarily a dealbreaker for everyone, but it does make shelling out for the Fit 5 Pro in favour of the best Apple Watches or best Android watches that bit harder to swallow.

There are a bunch of interesting wellness features on the watch. Much was made at launch of the ‘mini-workouts’ feature, and there are 30 in total, for which you follow a cute panda avatar in stretching or light aerobic exercises lasting up to a couple of minutes, many of which you can do at your desk. These are targeted at specific body parts, used to correct posture or stretch your neck, spine, legs, or even face.

The Huawei Watch Fit 5 Pro is built for fitness tracking, and it’s strong in this field. On a 5K test route around Paris, the Fit 5 Pro cleaved closely to the top-tier Garmin Fenix 8 Pro in terms of distance, pace and heart rate measurements, with just 1bpm between the different ‘average heart rate’ measurements. Having tested the Fenix 8 Pro against a Polar H10 heart rate monitor and being satisfied with its accuracy, I feel good about Huawei’s metrics here when compared to the Fenix 8 Pro, especially for its low price. I also tested it against the new Google Fitbit Air fitness tracker, which again recorded just a 1bpm difference in my average heart rate. Unfortunately, my Polar H10 heart rate monitor malfunctioned during testing, but I’ll update this review if any scores differentiate from a new device.

The Fit 5 Pro packs dual-band L1+L5 GPS, which supposedly means it’s more accurate when you’re among tall buildings. When I tested its GPS credentials against the Garmin, there was 30 meters between the estimations of the Garmin Fenix 8 Pro and Huawei Watch Fit 5 Pro; the Fenix 8 Pro thought I’d run 5.04km, while Huawei calculated 5.01km. A total of 30/5000+ meters is to me a reasonable statistical difference, as it’s a less than a 1% margin of error, and perfectly fine for most amateur athletes. Huawei’s TruSleep sleep-tracking and TruSense heart rate algorithms are industry standard, and there are more sports modes to choose from than you could ever need. It’s a strong fitness tracking choice.

The Huawei Watch Fit 5 Pro offers good battery life, accurate tracking, and lots of nifty features — and those who want Apple Watch Ultra aesthetics and performance at a budget price are going to love it. But if you want a smartwatch that can handle apps, calls, notifications, directions and other convenience features, be prepared to jump through a few extra hoops thanks to Huawei’s walled garden.

Huawei Watch Fit 5 Pro review: Price and availability

• £249.99 in the UK
• AU$249.99 in Australia
• Not available in the US

The Huawei Watch Fit 5 Pro costs £249.99 in the UK and AU$299 in Australia. It’s unavailable in the US due to the ongoing ban on Huawei consumer electronics.

It’s very well- priced considering it’s packed with features and packs a durable, premium build, as watches with titanium bezels and sapphire glass usually tend to retail for a lot more.

If that’s still too dear for you, the Huawei Watch Fit 5 (aka the non-Pro version) starts at £159.99 in the UK from Huawei’s website, and around AU$225 in Australia at third-party outlets. Rather than titanium alloy, its case is made of softer recycled aluminum, and its design is more akin to an Apple Watch SE rather than the Ultra series.

Huawei Watch Fit 5 Pro review: Scorecard

Huawei Watch Fit 5 Pro review: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider...

How I tested

I wore the Huawei Watch Fit 5 Pro for around a week, draining the battery, sleeping with it on, and using it for exercise. I tested the micro-workouts feature, used the Emotional Wellbeing tools, and took the watch swimming, walking and running. To test its running metrics I compared it against the Garmin Fenix 8 Pro smartwatch, Google Fitbit Air fitness tracker and Polar H10 heart rate monitor, wearing multiple devices on runs.

• Apple’s AI-powered health coach has apparently been delayed
• It’s now not expected until “later in the iOS 27 update cycle”
• The news arrives in a new report from a reputable source

Apple’s WWDC event is just around the corner, which means we can expect a host of software announcements from the tech giant on June 8. One thing fans of the best Apple Watches might have been excited for is Apple's long-rumored AI health coach (AI) — but a new report has just put a dampener on those expectations.

According to Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman, Apple’s AI health coach — apparently dubbed 'Project Mulberry' inside Apple — might not be revealed at WWDC after all. That will come as a blow to anyone looking forward to this feature, but it’s not all doom and gloom.

Past rumors have suggested that Apple is building an AI helper that can study your fitness metrics and identify key areas of improvement, then give you tips and plans to help you get there. Another feature might involve using your device cameras to monitor your workouts and give you pointers to step up your posture and performance.

However, Gurman says this fitness coach won’t be shown off at WWDC. Instead, the reporter now doesn’t expect any of Project Mulberry’s features to arrive until “later in the iOS 27 update cycle,” meaning a key delay for the mooted health tools.

Rivals pushing ahead

This news comes after Gurman previously reported that Project Mulberry had been “scaled back,” with the company planning to include its features in its existing tools rather than offering a standalone app. Yet even that delay and restructuring wasn’t enough to get the feature ready for WWDC, at least according to Gurman.

It stands in stark contrast to the Fitbit Air and its Google Health companion app, which features an AI-based Google Health Coach that absorbs your health metrics, sleep data, nutritional intake, medical records and more in order to build a personalized plan to help you feel healthier, sleep better, and more. While Google’s effort has rolled out around the world, Apple’s is nowhere to be seen.

Still, Gurman has some more positive news for fitness fans who live in the Apple ecosystem. For one thing, he believes that watchOS 27 will bring improved heart-rate tracking, which could make the Apple Watch an even better fitness tracker for those who need these features.

As well as that, Apple is expected to overhaul its Health app at WWDC, and while Gurman said the AI fitness coach has been pushed back, he made no mention of similar delays to this Health revamp. That could mean the app gets a little more useful this summer, even if Project Mulberry is nowhere to be found.

Regardless, we’re hoping that Apple’s improved fitness offerings aren’t held up for too long. With rival companies pushing ahead with their own personalized metrics and analyses, Apple has its work cut out to draw level in this area.

Coros has been launching sports watches and wearables for less than ten years. In that time it’s done enough good to see its name mentioned in the same sentence as the best Garmin watches, Polar and Suunto models.

Whether that’s hitting the sweet spot for price, features and performance with watches like the Coros Pace 4 or rolling out big software features, Coros is making ground on competition that has been around for much longer.

Like those brands, Coros is always looking at what’s next to ensure it remains in the sports wearable conversation for many years to come. In 2025, Coros launched the Coros Nomad, an outdoor watch that became its first to include a microphone. Since then, mics have been added to its Pace 4 and Apex 4 watches.

Microphones popping up on sports watches isn’t unique to Coros. Garmin’s Venu 2 Plus, launched in 2022, was the first Garmin watch to include one alongside a speaker. That was to enable calls over Bluetooth and to let you engage with your phone’s smart assistant, along with simple on-watch commands such as setting timers. Since then, Garmin has rolled out similar hardware to a host of its watches, such as the Garmin Fenix 8 and Forerunner ranges.

Coros has taken a different approach to giving its watches a voice. It’s not using mics to build a watch that behaves more like one of the best Apple Watches or a Wear OS smartwatch. Instead, voice pins — a feature that’s available on the Pace 4, Apex 4 and Nomad watches — allow users to record voice notes during workouts and mark where it was on a GPS map of your run. Voice pins are used to capture how you felt during the session or to remind you of the conditions for the next time you tackle that route.

“We believe voice is the future,” Coros co-founder and CEO Lewis Wu tells us. “When the era of AI comes in, a lot of the interaction between the watch or the app with consumers will change. Voice is the easiest way for the system or app to understand you. With the AI in the background, that can give you feedback. It’s like two-way communication.

“If you look at training, it’s more than pace and heart rate. Training is also about your subjective opinion, like how you feel. If I feel tired, my legs are sore or my ankle has an issue, these are all things that a coach wants to know — and now AI will know this.

“The more information consumers put into the computer, into AI, the better the system will understand you. This is why we built microphones in every single new watch going forward because we believe that's the future. If you want to get future-proof hardware or a running watch for yourself, consider those with a microphone. This is our vision.”

Using voice to shape how its watches can be better training companions isn’t the only thing on the agenda for Coros as it looks ahead. It also wants to take existing features that have been present on its watches for much longer than the voice ones and make them work better for users.

“We are committed to building a better wellness system,” says Wu. “I have to admit, our health and wellness system is not top notch. We need to get better, but the way we get better could be slightly different from other companies.” This seems to be an acknowledgment of features such as sleep monitoring, wellness checks and continuous heart rate monitoring that, in our testing experience, don’t feel as polished as other elements of the Coros ecosystem.

“We know most people want to do sports.,” says Wu. “They want to be active and healthy. The philosophy for most companies is trying to get people out to do some activity and that doing that will make them feel good.

“Most of the consumers are athletes or at least very endurance driven. Serious athletes are committed. So we thought about it another way. How do we keep consumers healthy so they can do sports? So it's not that you do sport to be healthy, but you need to be healthy to do sports. This is how we position our wellness system. To support consumers when you don't train and want to stay injury-free or stress-free.”

• A new report based on 'market expectations' indicates Apple could be making some changes to its Watch Ultra series this year
• The report states a new sensor array is on the way, alongside a 'full redesign' for the Watch Ultra 4
• While new sensors could improve or add more features to Apple's already stellar health tracking, I don't believe a huge-scale redesign of the Watch Ultra is on the cards

Rumors about the Apple Watch Ultra 4 have been thin on the ground until now, but we're finally beginning to hear a few tidbits here and there. The Apple Watch Ultra 3 only launched in September last year (snagging the top spot on our best Apple Watches list), but given that the original Apple Watch Ultra only lasted a year before it was succeeded by the Watch Ultra 2, it makes sense that Apple might announce the 4 during its annual September Event this year.

The report by Digitimes (spotted via 9to5Mac) based on 'market expectations' mentions a 'significant upgrade to sensing functions' for the Ultra 4, with a redesigned sensor array expected to create a large volume of orders from its sensor supplier, Taiwan-Asia Semiconductor.

The Watch Ultra 3's heart rate sensing functionality is already superb (I've personally tested it alongside a Polar H10 chest-mounted heart rate monitor and found it almost 1-1), so a sensor upgrade is likely to focus on improving another feature. Apple has cracked hypertension, which alerts users of potential chronic high blood pressure after 30 days, and packs sensors such as blood oxygen and skin temperature to support features including sleep tracking and women's health tracking.

If a new sensor array is on the horizon, we're likely to see either an entirely new feature from Apple, or an even more accurate version of one of the features above.

A 'full redesign'?

It's the next part of the report that has me pressing 'x' to doubt. Digitimes mentions a 'full redesign' coming alongside the new sensor array, which sounds exciting, but I'm expecting any redesign to be relatively minor.

Apple tends to find a design that works and stick to it, creating a very strong brand identity — you only have to look back at the last 10 years of Apple Watches to see that. The Watch Ultra series was an enormous change (by Apple's standards), equivalent to last year's iPhone Air.

There might be a change in thickness, materials or battery efficiency, but I'm very much expecting the Watch Ultra 4 to look, at first glance, almost identical to the Watch Ultra 3. Granted, it might be marketed by Apple as a redesign, but in real terms I'm not expecting much to change.

Huawei Band 11 Pro: One minute review

The Huawei Band 11 Pro sits right between a simple fitness tracker and a full-blown smartwatch. Released in early 2026, it goes beyond the capabilities of the standard Huawei Band 11 by featuring a more sophisticated build and an upgraded set of sensors. In comparison to many of the best fitness trackers, the Band 11 Pro feels more premium than most cheap ones that I've worn, such as the Amazfit Bip 6, but I'm far from convinced about the 'pro' label.

To give it its due, one feature inclusion that sets it apart from budget counterparts is the onboard GPS for tracking outdoor runs, cycles, and hikes, which is reason enough for the higher price tag compared to the likes of the Xiaomi Smart Band 10, which requires users to "piggyback" on a phone's GPS connection.

Despite its core focus being a simple tracker for exercise and health, the watch also includes basic smartwatch features such as notification handling, quick-reply texts, and even a remote camera control. These are handy features that help people feel connected to the world around them, but they're far from deeply integrated due to the lack of a QWERTY keyboard for the text replies, along with non-existent third-party app integration.

In terms of health tracking, Huawei looks to push the boundaries at this price point with Pulse Wave Arrhythmia Analysis for detecting irregular heart rhythms and Sleep Breathing Awareness to monitor for potential issues like sleep apnea. I wouldn't want to rely on these for perfect accuracy, but they're helpful indicators of potential health problems.

Within the broader market of the best smartwatches, the Huawei Band 11 Pro sits in the premium budget sweet spot, directly challenging rivals like the Fitbit Charge 6. While it is considerably more affordable than flagship smartwatches like the Apple Watch or Huawei's own Watch GT series, it provides nearly all the same core health and tracking features, even if they're not quite as accurate.

Huawei Band 11 Pro: Specifications

Huawei Band 11 Pro: Price and availability

• $97 USD / £69.99 UK / $139 AUS
• Very reasonably priced considering the onboard GPS feature
• Stiff competition from Fitbit, Garmin, and Amazfit

At this price, the Huawei Band 11 Pro is an absolute steal. Getting onboard GPS, an AMOLED display, and an aluminum case is almost unheard of at this price. Unfortunately, it’s not available in the US.

Comparable options include the Amazfit Bip 6 ($79.99 US / £79.90 UK) and the Fitbit Charge 6 ($159.99 / £139.99). If you’d like a cheaper alternative and are happy “piggybacking” onto your phone’s GPS, then you could go for the Xiaomi Smart Band 10 ($73.99 / £39.99).

The Band 11 Pro ships with a fluoroelastomer strap in either Black or Isle Blue finishes. If you’d prefer a braided nylon strap, you can have this in Field Green. Whichever strap you choose, the spec of the watch remains the same.

• Value score 4.5/5

Huawei Band 11 Pro: Design

• Large and bright AMOLED display
• Aluminum alloy case, which is a step up from polymer alternatives
• 5 ATM water resistance rating

The Huawei Band 11 Pro is a basic band-style design but with a more premium 'pro' aesthetic than most cheaper trackers. This is most noticeable in the upgraded 1.62-inch AMOLED touchscreen display, which is nearly 30% larger than its predecessor.

As impressive as the size is, it's actually the brightness of it which struck me first. Maxing out at 2,000 nits, it falls short of the much more expensive Apple Watch Ultra 3, but at this price the brightness is excellent; it delivered clear graphics, whether inside in a dark room or outside in full sun. The 347 PPI resolution isn't too shabby either, with text appearing sharp and icons vibrant.

From a build quality perspective, Huawei has opted for a CNC-cut aluminum alloy case which looks and feels markedly more premium than the polymer frames typically found on cheap fitness trackers. This metallic finish is complemented by a slim profile, measuring just 8.99 mm in thickness, allowing the device to sit flush against the wrist. In short, it looks the part, whether you're down the gym, out on a run, or at work.

I tested the version with the breathable fluoroelastomer strap and was surprised how comfortable it was. It’s also easily cleaned when exposed to dirt or sweat. All-day wearability, including at night, is possible due to the 25g weight (with strap), as it’s comfortable and you hardly notice it's there.

To ensure durability, the device carries a 5 ATM water resistance rating, meaning it's waterproof and able to withstand showering, swimming and even water sports.

• Design Score: 4/5

Huawei Band 11 Pro: Features

• Onboard GPS and sleep insights
• Pulse wave arrhythmia analysis
• Sleep insights and emotional wellbeing

The ‘Pro’ label is on account of a number of feature decisions that Huawei has made to elevate the user experience beyond other entry-level alternatives. This begins with built-in GPS (GNSS), which means you can leave your phone at home when going out for a run or cycle and still track your route. It can also detect when you have stopped at a traffic light or for a break and will automatically pause the workout tracking, although like other Huawei watches, you can toggle this feature on or off.

Overnight, it tracks your average sleep HRV, along with heart rate and SpO2, and lets you know when something’s outside your usual range. It also includes Sleep Breathing Awareness, which monitors breathing disruptions during sleep for insights into your nighttime breathing. A basic presentation of your sleep data is provided on the watch, but a more in-depth set of graphs, reports, and advice are viewable in the Huawei Health app.

Next up is 'Pulse Wave Arrhythmia Analysis', which identifies atrial fibrillation (AFib). It utilizes the same optical sensor technology that measures your heart rate, but applies a much higher level of data processing. The best Apple Watches also have an AFib feature, useful for determining whether your heart rate is irregular and whether you need to see a medical professional. If this is an important measurement to you, then I would go with this Huawei rather than a cheaper model.

For users who want help with monitoring their mental health, there's the Emotional Wellbeing Assistant. This provides real-time insights through its comprehensive mood and stress management system. Rather than just showing a "stress score", it uses physiological data to categorize your mood into visual states. These act as quick identifiers of what is going on inside your body.

• Features Score: 4/5

Huawei Band 11 Pro: Performance

• A very easy and enjoyable watch to use
• Sub-par GPS accuracy not surprising at this price point
• Excellent battery performance

As is the case with all Huawei watches, the user experience is a positive one. The Huawei OS interface is clearly laid out with easy-to-understand icons. Moving between features and settings is quick and responsive with little room for confusion about how to navigate around the menus. You can also choose between a list or grid view depending on your preference. The lack of a microphone means there are no voice commands, but that would be a lot to ask at this price.

There are over 100 workouts to choose from with the entire set pre-loaded onto the watch. The order of these, and whether they appear in the quick list, is easily customized. The watch can auto-detect workouts like running, which I made use of a few times when I had forgotten to set things up prior to exercising. As soon as you choose your workout, the watch searches for a GPS signal and alerts you when it’s found. You can begin the workout prior to a GPS lock, but accuracy will be compromised.

I was impressed by how quickly and easily the Band 11 Pro was able to find a GPS signal, even when I was indoors. In terms of GPS accuracy, I ran side-by-side comparisons with the Huawei Watch Ultimate 2, which performed as well as our gold standard, the Apple Watch Ultra series. Unfortunately the Band 11 Pro was left wanting with up to a 10% discrepancy on a range of tracked activities, including runs, walks, and bike rides.

As for health tracking, heart rate and SpO2 were in close range compared to the Watch Ultimate 2. Both watches also reported no abnormalities in relation to the Pulse Wave Arrhythmia Analysis, which was not only great to see from an accuracy point of view but also from a personal health perspective!

When I wore the watch at night, it successfully picked up most of my waking, but not all instances. No surprises there given the low cost of the device and limited complexity of the sensors. Despite its claims to be able to track REM, deep, and light sleep; HRV (Heart Rate Variability), and more, I would take its reports with a pinch of salt. It can give indications and provide general trends, but this isn't medical quality data. The Oura Ring 4, one of the best smart rings, is a wearable sleep-tracking gold standard (or as close as it gets) and is considerably more expensive than this slender band.

The Band 11 Pro excels when it comes to battery performance and is in fact one of its strongest selling points. Despite having a significantly brighter and larger screen than its predecessor, it manages to achieve a maximum of two weeks' use when Always-On Display (AOD) is disabled and GPS tracking is kept to a minimum, worthy of one of the best Garmin watches.

When I turned on continuous heart rate monitoring, performed sleep tracking, and carried out a few workouts per week, the battery stayed alive nearly a week, which is reasonable given that you're not going to be using this type of tracker for long-distance off-grid excursions. I found recharging to be very quick, with 0-100% achieved in a little over an hour.

• Performance score: 4/5

Huawei Band 11 Pro: Scorecard

Huawei Band 11 Pro: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

How I tested

I wore the Huawei Band 11 Pro almost non-stop for three weeks. I used it while running, cycling, walking, showering, working out, sleeping, playing with my children, texting, photographing, and daily life. I tested its GPS against the reliable Huawei Watch Ultimate and compared its specs to contemporaries in its price category.

First reviewed: May 2026

• A report claims a new feature is coming to the Apple Watch Ultra 4
• This could measure your blood pressure using new sensors
• It’s apparently currently awaiting FDA approval

It’s safe to say that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is a fantastic fitness tracker. Not only is it the best Apple Watch money can buy, but it’s our pick for the best smartwatch on the market, period. And now, it could be about to get even better thanks to a new feature that’s reportedly just around the corner.

According to a report from DigiTimes (via Gadgets & Wearables), the Apple Watch Ultra 4 — set to be unveiled this September — will come with a new feature that can track and measure your blood pressure, giving you timely alerts if something seems to be amiss. DigiTimes believes will lead to a “sharpening [of] the device’s health-management appeal.”

Although this exact feature isn’t here yet, watchOS 26 brought a confusingly similar sounding hypertension alert tool to Apple’s smartwatch range. That uses the Apple Watch’s optical heart sensor to send notifications to your wrist, and DigiTimes states that the new blood pressure feature will work in a comparable manner.

The fact that the tool reported by DigiTimes isn’t here yet is apparently because it is currently undergoing FDA approval. That might mean it needs regulatory clearance before being added to the Apple Watch; if so, gaining that could suggest it’s a more advanced feature that relies on new hardware to provide more accurate metrics.

Many unanswered questions

The idea that this blood pressure system is linked to new hardware makes sense. Apple is rumored to be launching a major design overhaul of the Apple Watch this September, and that might go beyond a mere visual facelift and include new sensors that the blood pressure feature can take advantage of.

Still, this feature might not be as advanced as some people are hoping. Gadgets & Wearables, for instance, suggests that the platform might offer simple notifications rather than detailed systolic and diastolic numbers, implying it is “more like pattern detection than cuff-style measurement.”

Whether or not this feature comes to older Apple Watch models is unknown. Several Watch versions boast optical sensors of the kind used by Apple’s hypertension alerts, which might enable them to work with the new blood pressure tool. Alternatively, Apple may decide that it requires newer hardware found only in more recent devices. We probably won’t know until Apple unveils new Watches later this year.

Aside from this feature, DigiTimes says the Apple Watch Ultra 4 will get a “full redesign” and a ring of eight sensors on the underside of the device, presumably including the optical sensor for blood pressure detection. If you’re after a high-end wearable that looks after your heart, it could be one to watch.

• The LightInk watch offers 400 days of battery life
• It does this by stripping back features and using an E Ink display
• It also adds solar charging to stay topped up on the go

From the Apple Watch Ultra 3 to the Google Pixel Watch 4, customers looking to adorn their wrists with one of the best smartwatches tend to look for wearables that offer excellent battery life — after all, there’s no point in shelling out on a device if you spend more time charging it than using it. If battery life is a priority for you, you might want to check out the LightInk watch.

That’s because with 400 days of juice on a single charge, it blows past the competition in terms of battery longevity. How does it achieve that figure? Well, this is no ordinary watch — it’s powered by solar energy to keep itself constantly topped up, meaning you can start charging it even when you’re miles from the nearest power outlet. As long as the sun is beaming down on you, the LightInk’s battery is getting topped up.

But you’ll get 400 days of battery even before solar charging is taken into account, the project’s creator claims. How? Well, one way is through cutting the feature list right down. As its name suggests, the LightInk uses an E Ink display instead of an AMOLED display, unlike some rival smartwatches. E Ink technology is incredibly efficient on the battery, helping you eke even more life out of this product.

And because it’s an open-source project, there’s no fee to obtain one. You just need a 3D printer and a few off-the-shelf components to make it yours.

Extreme battery savings

Of course, the LightInk isn’t all sunshine and roses — there are a few downsides to it. Its E Ink screen might grant it excellent battery life, but it comes at the cost of visual fidelity. The LightInk’s display is monochrome and low resolution, so you shouldn’t expect any eye-catching graphics here. It doesn’t even show seconds.

And if you’re a fitness nut or believe in the ‘quantified self,’ you’ll want to look elsewhere. You won’t get any of the health and fitness sensors and metrics you find in most smartwatches — the LightInk can tell the time, occasionally connect to Wi-Fi and GPS, and that’s about it.

You also can’t just go out and buy the LightInk at your local shopping mall. As we mentioned before, you need to have a 3D printer on hand to craft many of the required components yourself, then assemble and solder them into a finished product. You’ll also need to be comfortable with building your own firmware based on the resources provided on LightInk’s GitHub page.

Still, the LightInk doesn’t make any claims of being a high-end, flagship device — it’s a deliberately basic product, as this is what allows it to put all of its energy into maximizing battery life.

It’s definitely not for everyone, but if your priority is staying away from your charger for as long as possible, it could be just what you’ve been looking for.

Garmin is one of the biggest names in smartwatches — and especially if you're looking for a wrist-based hiking, running or golfing companion. The brand makes dozens of different models, at different price points and offering different combinations of features, so making sense of your options can be confusing. If you're short on time, our best Garmin smartwatch guide will point you directly towards our recommendations for specific use cases. However, if you want to explore all the possibilities, you can stay right where you are.

This article is your guide to all the Garmin smartwatches (within reason; I've culled anything super-old or ridiculously tricky to get hold of). I've included not just the latest-and-greatest in each line, but previous models too, provided they're still available to buy. Opting for an older version can be a great way to save a bit of money, if you're not precious about having the most cutting-edge features.

You'll also notice I've separated my guide into product lines. I've added a short blurb at the start of each section, explaining who each range is primarily targeted towards and how the features are angled. However, bear in mind these are very broad definitions — there's lots of overlap between ranges, and all the main features you'd expect from a smartwatch will be included no matter which range you opt for. Hit the View details button for more info about each watch, and a link to our full review.

Garmin Forerunner

The Forerunner range is designed for runners, and offers strong GPS, distance and pace tracking, with further features geared towards training and improving performance. As well as the options listed here, there are two new, beginner-friendly Forerunner watches we're in the process of reviewing: the Forerunner 70 and the Forerunner 170, both of which went on sale on 15 May (the 70 replaces the veteran Forerunner 55).

The Forerunner lineup is extensive, and even the older models can still be worth a look — the soon-to-be-replaced Forerunner 55 was the watch worn by Sebastian Sawe as he smashed out his sub-two hour 2026 London Marathon.

Garmin Fenix

Fenix is Garmin's other main smartwatch range, this time geared towards a broader range of sports and outdoor activities, rather than focusing on running. The Fenix models boast features like topographical maps and waypoint tracking, and are designed to be rugged with long battery life. The current flagship model is the Fenix 8. Unlike the Forerunner lineup, the Fenix watch numbers increase with each new model.

Garmin Vivoactive

Vivoactive is a more affordable range, geared towards casual or beginner runners and anyone looking for a general lifestyle smartwatch. You'll still get plenty of fitness capabilities, as well as a big suite of general tracking and heath data tools, but with fewer advanced features than you'd get with a Forerunner.

Garmin Venu

Venu is more of a general lifestyle smartwatch range than one geared towards running and adventuring, although there are of course general fitness features built in. The most recent model is the Venu 4.

Garmin Instinct

Instinct is an rugged series geared towards anyone looking for a more affordable outdoors and adventuring watch with exceptional battery life for multi-day expeditions — particularly if you opt for one of the solar-charged models. The latest model out is the Instinct 3.

Garmin Enduro

The Enduro range is built for endurance athletes, with multisport features similar to the Fenix line, lighter plastic cases, and solar charging to extend battery life. It'll be overkill for casual use, but if you need a watch that can run for days without needing to be plugged in, this is the range for you.

Garmin Approach

Approach is Garmin's golf range, and it includes not only GPS-enabled smartwatches, but things like handheld rangefinders and launch monitors. The smartwatch range includes features such as full-color course maps, a 'Virtual Caddy' and a screen that remains readable even in bright sunlight.

More Garmin options

Finally, a grab-bag of some of Garmin's more niche propositions. The MARQ is Garmin's luxury watch effort, combining mechanical watch craftsmanship and styling with smartwatch features; the Lily is the brand's women-focused watch; the Tactix is an ultra-rugged option for survivalists and military personnel; Epix is like a premium-styled Fenix, for outdoor pursuits; and the Vivosmart is a fitness band rather than a full smartwatch; and the Descent series are smartwatch-style dive computers.

Google's annual Google I/O developer conference is almost upon us, and as well as getting new features for Android phones and a better look at those new Googlebooks, as a wearables enthusiast I'm curious to see what happens with Wear OS 7.

Because Google I/O is primarily for developers, we should get a better look at the latest slate of operating systems and AI powers that devs can use to design new apps and features for the likes of the Google Pixel Watch 4, Samsung Galaxy Watch8, and more upcoming, unannounced devices.

We got a bit of a glimpse of what's coming thanks to the Android Show, a Google stream broadcast on 12 May specifically focusing on Android ecosystem updates. While no Wear OS 7 changes were mentioned specifically, we did get to see some cool new AI features that will feature on Wear OS that will help Google stay competitive against the likes of the best Garmin watches and best Apple Watches.

So, here are a few of the changes we know are coming to Wear OS users, along with a couple of educated guesses. We'll find out more at Google I/O on May 19.

1. Custom widgets

The Android Show had some neat new Gemini Intelligence features on display, notably the ability to create custom widgets simply by describing them to Gemini. After doing so, Gemini will seemingly vibe-code your widget for you.

We weren't given any indication that you could create widgets directly on a smartwatch using Gemini and its microphone, but we were shown that watches could use custom widgets too. During the stream, we see a widget created for a Google Pixel Watch 4 to display wind and rain for ideal cycling conditions.

Expect more customization like this on Wear OS 7, with the ability to pull out nuggets of information and display them front-and-center.

2. Complex task automation with Gemini Intelligence

During the Android Show, we saw a graphic of a message about getting lunch with a friend display on a Pixel Watch. Once the plans have been made, a prompt shows up to create a calendar event, listed as "Add lunch at Zany's Bistro, Sun 11:30am".

This is part of Gemini's new 'complex task automation' feature, which can look at contextual information and complete tasks for you, such as booking a front-row bike for your upcoming spin class, or searching for a coffee tour in Costa Rica fitting your specifications (both examples given in the presentation).

Because the feature was shown as being on-watch, we're betting Wear OS 7 will be ideal not just to serve you notifications that these things are happening, but to do some of its own on-device thinking too. For example, I bet we'll be able to ask the watch to open Google Maps and generate a route to Zany's Bistro based on the messages described, likely by asking a simple question like "how far is it?"

3. Rambler on watch

During the Android Show, we saw director of product operations Dieter Bohn use a piece of software called Rambler, an improved AI-powered speech-to-text that interprets long-winded, unclear messages full of filler words and backtracking, rather than transcribing literally.

As transcription gets better, speech is becoming one of the key ways we interact with wearables today — I certainly wouldn't get very far in the kitchen without asking my Apple Watch Ultra 3 to set a timer for me, using its raise-to-talk functionality. As we expand our usage of voice assistants with wearables, it's hard not to see Rambler coming to Wear OS sooner rather than later.

4. Battery improvements

All these AI features need a lot of power. While it seems every upgrade promises better, more efficient battery management, this is almost a given if we're getting upgraded AI tools — even if it's just to keep devices like the Google Pixel Watch at, or close to, the device's battery life listed at the point of sale.

5. Context, context, context

We'll likely see more unannounced features, but they'll all be revolving around the same sort of thing — using to power of AI to hoover up contextual information from existing functions to improve or iterate on previous features.

For example, if you turn up to the same pilates studio every week, Apple will combine GPS information with workout data and prompt you to start a pilates workout. Its Workout Buddy feature takes you entire exercise history and crunches it, letting you know if the mile you just ran was your fastest ever.

I'm positive we'll see similar features on future Wear OS watches, and it might even be this year. The use of historic data from different apps to anticipate the user's needs is already becoming a key part of the agentic AI experiences companies like Google are trying to provide.

Keen to get started on your running journey? Well, you're in luck. Garmin has dropped three new contenders for our best Garmin watch list, and they're all affordably priced and brimming with running-focused features.

The Garmin Forerunner 70, 170 and 170 Music officially release on May 15. You might have pre-ordered one already, but if you're still looking, you also might be weighing up which model is right for you. Do you need the Forerunner 170 Music, or can you save money and opt for the cheaper Garmin Forerunner 70? I break down all the differences below, with a brief bit of context to explain how they compare to other Garmin watches in the range.

Note that I haven't yet had an opportunity to test the watches myself — I've looked at the statistics and feature lists from Garmin's official websites and promotional materials to put together this comparison.

Garmin Forerunner 70 vs Garmin Forerunner 170: Specifications

Garmin Forerunner 70 vs Garmin Forerunner 170: Price

The cheapest watch of the three is the Garmin Forerunner 70, replacing the aging Garmin Forerunner 55 as Garmin's entry-level running watch du jour.

As you can see in our table above, it costs $249.99 / £219.99 / AU$399, while the more feature-rich Forerunner 170 (which replaces the older Garmin Forerunner 165) starts at $299 / £259.99 / AU$479. If you want the Music capabilities, you can pay an extra $50 / £40 / AU$70 for the Forerunner 170 Music.

Garmin Forerunner 70 vs Garmin Forerunner 170: Design

All three watches have a similar design language, and there are few physical differences. There's a single gram of difference in weight between the Garmin Forerunner 70 and its 170 siblings, and all three are only available in a 42.6mm screen size.

They all have the same 1.2-inch AMOLED touchscreen display, and use the same five-button configuration as many of Garmin's other watches, such as the Garmin Fenix 8, which makes it easy to operate the watch even while wearing gloves — perfect for running in all weathers.

Embossed Forerunner logos adorn the bands for all three models, while all three are available in a variety of colors, including Black, Whitestone and two-tone models. Each has at least one unique color option too — the Forerunner 70, for example, is available in a pale-yellow Citron color.

Garmin Forerunner 70 vs Garmin Forerunner 170: Features

Here's where it gets interesting. Each watch has the usual suite of heart rate and fitness-tracking features, such as calories burned, sleep tracking, steps counted and 80 sports profiles. They also all have built-in GPS, Glonass and Galileo satellite network connectivity, to make sure the watch is accurately tracking your runs.

Each one offers Daily Suggested Workouts and personalized training plans via Garmin Coach, the service in the Garmin Connect app. Other training features include advanced metrics perfect for runners such as stride, cadence and elevation, along with Running Power — a metric you may not know about. It's a measure of how much power your body's putting out during a run, measured in mechanical watts.

Garmin works out running power using the watch's motion sensors, GPS and barometer. Using heart rate to determine your performance is considered inferior, because it measures your body's response to the run, not the power of the run itself.

All three watches have wellness features galore, such as sleep tracking, nap detection, Training Readiness and Recovery scores to better plan your training calendar around. Course Planner helps you train at the correct distances, creating routes around your neighborhood, and the Race Predictor feature estimates your time based on a course added to Garmin's database and your historic data.

There are some differences, but they aren't major. The Forerunner 170 appears to have all the training features of the 70, while adding Garmin Pay and Smart Notifications features. Smart Notifications allows you to reply to texts when you're on the move (on Android phones), manage notifications from apps and emails, and screen calls, while Garmin Pay is a virtual wallet on your wrist, and works in a similar way to Apple Pay on one of the best Apple Watches.

These appear to be the only differences, aside from the colorways, between those two watches.

The Forerunner 170 Music adds 4GB of internal memory, allowing you to store songs on your wrist. When connected to Bluetooth headphones, you can listen to music right from your watch, without using your phone as a go-between. Combined with Garmin Pay, this means you can leave your phone at home or in a bag, run while listening to music, and even buy a coffee once you're finished.

Early verdict

The Garmin Forerunner 70 is shaping up to be a pretty great training tool, and if you're not looking for a smartwatch to use for notifications and a digital wallet, this is the model for you.

If you are looking for those things, the Garmin Forerunner 170 or 170 Music is going to be the best choice for you, unless you want to go up in price and opt for a more expensive smartwatch like the Garmin Venu 4.

• iOS 26.5 is rolling out to our iPhones
• It includes new third-party wearables support for previously exclusive Apple Watch and AirPods features
• This is only available in the EU for now

Apple’s latest iOS 26.5 update is bringing some AirPods and Apple Watch-exclusive features to third-party earbuds and wearables — but only for phones in the EU.

This is being done so Apple can better comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act, which means Apple has to relinquish some of the software benefits that were exclusive to its own hardware and bring it to third-party smartwatches like those made by Garmin, Amazfit and Huawei, and third-party earbuds and headphones.

For smartwatch users the biggest update will be the ability to respond to message notifications with reactions or replies. Currently you can only see iOS notifications on third-party tech, whereas Apple Watch users can send a response through the notification pop-up. With this iOS 26.5 update that should start to change, providing other smartwatch makers update their hardware to support the new capabilities.

Just note that your phone can only forward notifications to one device at a time, so if you for some reason have an Apple Watch and an alternative smartwatch, you’ll need to choose which you’d rather support.

Back to iOS 26.5, you’ll get a second notification change too with third-party support for your iPhone’s Live Activities — the real time notifications that sit on your iPhone lock screen or in the Dynamic Island like a sports score or the distance of your Uber driver. These live updates can also appear in the Smart Stack on your Apple Watch, and now they could show up on your other smart wearable — again, if the manufacturer adds support.

More to come?

Not forgetting about the earbuds update, iOS 26.5 also adds proximity pairing support for non-Apple buds.

This is the feature that makes it a one tap process to pair AirPods with your iPhone when you start to set them up nearby. Thanks to the update, third-party earbuds can start to support this simplified setup process.

While none of these new tools feel revolutionary, they strip away more of the friction that comes from choosing a third-party option over Apple’s-own tech, making it a fairer choice between the tech options out there — so this update should be taken as a serious win if you live in the EU.

As for folks who live outside the EU, don’t hold your breath for a similar update. While EU regulation has seen Apple make global changes — such as the implementation of USB-C charging — digital rules are much easier to geolock. We’ve seen this previously with App Store regulations, and I expect Apple won’t want to tear its walled garden down any more than it is legally required to.

What’s more, Apple has argued the EU’s Digital markets Act should be scrapped, and warned that there are risks to users if it is forced to change how its products interact with each other and third parties.

For now we’ll just have to look longingly at the EU-exclusive update, and hope that our own governments introduce similar rules of their own —despite Apple’s protests.

• Amazfit has launched the Cheetah 2 Ultra smartwatch
• It’s made for trail runners and ultra-running enthusiasts
• It arrives just one day after the new budget wearables from Garmin

Amazfit has managed to carve out a role for itself as a popular budget-friendly wearables brand, and its devices often find a spot on our list of the best cheap smartwatches money can buy.

Now, the company has launched a brand-new offering, and it’s hot on the heels of a new cut-price Garmin watch that is gunning for the exact same buyers.

Amazfit’s new product is dubbed the Cheetah 2 Ultra, and the company describes it as “a specialized instrument for trail runners who measure success in elevation, unpredictable terrain, and hours spent on the move.”

It comes with a Grade 5 titanium bezel, frame, and back cover; a 1.5-inch AMOLED display that goes up to 3,000 nits of peak brightness and features a scratch-resistant sapphire glass panel; up to 33 hours of battery life in Trail Running Mode and up to 30 days of juice in regular mode; and dual-frequency six-satellite positioning for accurate GPS tracking.

If you’re going off-road and need directions, you’ll find full-color route planning that Amazfit says comes with “rendering speeds 2.5 times faster and refresh speeds 12 times faster than before.” There are also improved training and performance metrics, expanded third-party integrations, and more.

And the Cheetah 2 Ultra is not the only news from Amazfit. The firm has also recently updated the firmware for its T-Rex Ultra 2 watch to offer heart rate zones and waypoint data, better aiding you when you’re training, racing, or just out for a leisurely run.

A whole range of new watches

Amazfit typically positions its devices at the more affordable end of the market, but with the Cheetah 2 Ultra’s $599.99 price tag, the company is showing it’s not afraid to compete with more mid-range rivals.

Funnily enough, the announcement comes just one day after Garmin revealed a new array of affordable smartwatches, including the Forerunner 70, the Forerunner 170, and the Forerunner 170 Music. The former clocks in at £219.99 / AU$399 (about $300), and with the most expensive (the Forerunner 170 Music) priced at £299.99 / AU$549 (around $400), Garmin seems keen to show it can still make excellent budget smartwatches of the kind Amazfit’s customers might be used to.

It’s also interesting to note that while the Amazfit Cheetah 2 Ultra is aimed squarely at long-distance runners and ultra-marathon competitors, the Garmin Forerunner 70’s predecessor — the Forerunner 55 — was worn by Sabastian Sawe as he broke the sub-two-hour London Marathon record in April this year.

So if distance running is your bag, both of these watches should be on your radar. It’s just up to you to decide which one best fits your budget.

• Huawei has announced two new wearables in its new Watch Kids X1 series
• There are two new models, the standard version and a Pro version
• Both models are equipped with solid child safety tools to give you peace of mind

There are two new kids' smartwatches on the market thanks to Huawei, and the company is showing how creators of the best smartwatches should really be implementing child safety.

The two new models, the Huawei Watch Kids X1 and Watch Kids X1 Pro, were unveiled at the tech giant’s Innovative Product Launch in Bangkok earlier this week, where it also announced a slew of other new smartwatches joining its family of wearables, including the Watch Fit 5 series, Watch Ultimate Design Spring Edition, and Watch GT Runner 2 Racing Legend Edition.

Starting at 249 euros (approx. $293) for the Watch Kids X1 and 349 euros (approx. $410) for the Watch Kids X1 Pro, both editions pack a 360-degree flippable screen with a 1.82-inch AMOLED display, as well as a 5MP 110-degree wide front camera and 13MP rear camera for photos and video calls. The X1 Pro watch face is also detachable, so your child can use it as a handheld camera.

Storage-wise, both models differ slightly. While the standard Watch Kids X1 and Watch Kids X1 Pro support 2GB of RAM, the former has 32GB of storage while its Pro sibling has double at 64GB, but those are the only major differences between the two. If anything, both match each other as far as health tracking features are concerned.

Both models offer very similar health monitoring tools, packing a punch on the sensor front that includes one for heart rate tracking, a gyroscope, an accelerometer for step counting, and a magnetometer for navigation.

Kids’ smartwatches appear to be quite the hot topic at the moment, especially since Garmin has just launched the Bounce 2, but Huawei’s new watch series is really honing in on child safety measures in a lot of ways.

First, the X1 series supports dual-band GNSS positioning, dual-band Wi-Fi for indoor assistance, and cellular connectivity. Then there’s the FamCare app, which puts a lot of the control into the hands of parents and guardians.

Through this app, you’ll get a direct insight into your child’s real-time activity status, allowing you to set safe and danger zones and receive alerts when your child enters and leaves these areas. As well as the basic control tools like customizing usage limits and setting focus time, FamCare also lets you video call your child through the camera on the X1 watch face — adding another layer of reassurance.

• New research suggests smartwatches could predict fainting episodes
• This would give you time to minimize the danger of a fall
• The research was commissioned by Samsung

Most of the time, fainting episodes come out of the blue, leaving a split second for someone to support you before you start hurtling towards the ground. But what if your smartwatch could alert you to the likelihood that a faint is imminent before it actually happens? It sounds like something out of science fiction, but it could one day come to fruition.

That’s the idea behind a clinical research paper commissioned by Samsung, which concludes that it might be possible for a wearable device to warn you that you’re at risk of fainting minutes before it happens. That would potentially give you time to get to a more comfortable place — such as on a sofa — so that the sudden loss of consciousness doesn’t send you crashing onto the hard floor.

In the study, researchers from Chung-Ang University Gwangmyeong Hospital in South Korea said that Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 6 might be able to predict vasovagal syncope (a condition that can lead to fainting) as much as five minutes before it occurs.

Why the Galaxy Watch 6? Well, it has a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor that tracks your heart rate. The researchers used this to monitor test subjects’ heart rate variability, then fed the resulting data into an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm. This, in turn, looked for patterns that emerged just before people fainted.

From this, the researchers were able to predict fainting episodes with an accuracy of 84.6%. Samsung stated that the AI model had a clinical sensitivity of 90%, meaning it was able to identify true positives and negatives with a high degree of accuracy.

Not here yet

Vasovagal syncope is a common condition. Indeed, “Up to 40% of people experience vasovagal syncope over their lifetime, with one-third experiencing recurrent episodes,” said Professor Junhwan Cho of the Department of Cardiology at Chung-Ang University Gwangmyeong Hospital. If a smartwatch is able to help you minimize the danger of a fall resulting from this condition, that could be a massive benefit to a lot of people.

Indeed, as Professor Cho noted, “An early warning could give patients advance time to get into a safe position or call for help, which would dramatically reduce the incidence of secondary injuries.”

While the results from this study are promising, it’s worth noting that this faint prediction feature is not yet available in any of the best Samsung smartwatches. Instead, it was more of a proof of concept for the idea that a wearable can predict a fainting episode ahead of time.

But with the PPG sensor already on board many of Samsung’s smartwatches, it’s not much of a stretch to imagine a feature like this appearing in a future version of the company’s devices. Many of the best smartwatches on the market — including the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and the Garmin Fenix 8 — also feature PPG sensors, meaning this feature could theoretically emerge in a smattering of other devices in the future.

That said, further clinical testing and regulatory approval will be needed before any of that becomes a reality. When — or if — it does, though, it could save you from a nasty fall with plenty of time to spare.

Most cities and large towns — usually anywhere with a college or university presence or an outdoor sports center — have an oval 400-meter running track that's open to the public. Large cities like London have quite a few.

I've been using the best Apple Watches and testing them during running workouts for quite a few years now, but I'm not a big track runner. I like long, slow, plodding runs, and I like the change of scenery as I jog.

On the track, there's nowhere to hide, and whether you're doing 200-meter speedwork or lap after lap, the asphalt is punishing. It lays all your sins bare: no hiding poor results behind elevation, traffic stops, or the other variables that occur when running in the real world. So I rocked up to the track wearing my Apple Watch Ultra 3 with more than a little trepidation.

Thankfully, you don't have to fiddle with the Apple Watch settings to properly log your track run efforts, as Apple Watches have a couple of neat features that make track running a bit easier. Unless you're a habitual track runner, you've probably never used these, but I encourage you to find your nearest one and give them a try if you're keen to improve your running performance.

Over the past few years, Apple Watches have leveraged GPS and Apple Maps data to automatically detect when you're near an oval track. When you start an Outdoor Run workout within the vicinity of a track, the Workout app will discover the oval and prompt you to start a track workout. This is genuinely very impressive, and according to an Apple representative, "no other smartwatch has this feature". And you'd never know this feature was in there unless your workout took you past a track!

By selecting Track Workout, you'll be prompted to choose a lane by swiping over to the left-hand tile for more accurate measurement. You can adjust lanes during the course of the workout if you find yourself moving lanes for whatever reason, so you're not locked in. You can then use the segment button to mark laps or sections, such as the 200-meter mark. I was doing interval work, putting a lot of effort behind a 200-meter dash, then using the following 200 meters for recovery.

It took all the guesswork and planning out of using the track, so I could just rock up and do my thing. Apple is great at making your life easier if you use all its tech together. While its closed-loop approach to its ecosystem may be frustrating for users who don't want to invest in everything Apple, it allows all your gadgets to work more or less seamlessly.

In this case, the Apple Maps app interfaces with the Workout app to do all the legwork behind the scenes to guess your intentions — work out on a running track — in a very, dare I say it, agentic way. Having recently switched over to Apple tech in a more permanent capacity than my usual testing, I'm consistently impressed by little features like this — and it's certainly motivated me to add more track work into my training.

Why do track training?

A report from the University of Warwick said that track training, be it sprinting or longer-distance training, is a "controlled environment" that "provides an opportunity to enhance your personal performance".

The track offers the ability to precisely measure distance and pace control without variables like traffic or elevation, and the flat, consistent surface provides opportunities to work on your technique, like cadence and stride.

Running loops rather than a changing landscape requires mental resilience, a bit like the best treadmills, and running track offers an opportunity to develop this mindset too. It takes a special kind of person to run in a circle for hours.

• The Suunto Core 2 has been registered with the FCC
• It points to an imminent launch for the watch
• The wearable could come with a long-lasting, replaceable battery

One problem with the best smartwatches is that top-quality screens and cutting-edge features are often very demanding in terms of battery life, but it seems Suunto could be working on a new wearable with a battery life that extends to a couple of years.

As spotted by the5krunner (via Notebookcheck), Suunto has lodged a filing for a new smartwatch with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the US. It's a necessary admin step for any gadget sold in the United States.

Not only does the filing reveal the device name to be the Suunto Core 2 — suggesting a sequel to a model that's almost two decades old — it also mentions a replaceable CR3032 lithium battery, with a capacity of 500 mAh.

The capacity is more than double that of the CR2032 in the old Suunto Core watch, and given the advances in wearable tech we've seen in recent years, that means this new watch could go up to two years or even more before the battery needs swapping.

Years of battery life

Of course, the battery life you'll be able to get on the Suunto Core 2 will depend on numerous factors, including how many times you're tracking activities with GPS, and how often you light up the display.

However, it's a promising upgrade that would mean you might be changing your smartwatch again before the battery runs out on your current one. You certainly wouldn't have to worry about forgetting your charger on a trip.

One of the ways Suunto could extend the battery life on this device is by limiting its features. There doesn't seem to be a heart rate sensor here, though there is mention of 100 m / 328 ft water resistance and a stainless steel casing.

In terms of design, at least, it may be comparable to the Garmin Fenix series. The most recent Garmin Fenix 8 claims 16 days of battery life between charges, depending on usage, but there is also a solar-powered version that can extend that further.

Garmin Tactix 8: One minute review

The Garmin Tactix 8 sits at the summit of the rugged wearable market and will compete strongly for a place as one of the best Garmin watches. Functioning as a high-end tactical tool rather than a standard consumer gadget. It is specifically engineered for professional tactical operators and serious rucking enthusiasts who require specialized hardware, such as an Applied Ballistics solver and night-vision compatibility.

It includes modern lifestyle features like an AMOLED display, speaker, and microphone, but its massive 51mm frame and premium price tag intentionally distance it from the average fitness tracker user.

In terms of performance, the watch is a powerhouse, offering nearly 50 days of battery life in standard mode and class-leading multi-band GPS accuracy that maintains a signal even indoors. The inclusion of a dedicated rucking profile and voice-activated commands makes it a formidable companion for mission-critical tasks.

However, this power comes with physical trade-offs. The 94g weight can be fatiguing for daily wear, and the interface can occasionally stutter when rendering complex maps under load.

Within the 2026 landscape, the Tactix 8 remains the best option for those who need a watch that can survive a combat zone. It faces competition from the Garmin Instinct 3, which offers similar tactical software at a much lower price point, and the Suunto Vertical 2, which provides cleaner mapping for traditional hikers.

Ultimately, if you don't need a kill switch or ballistics data, the Tactix 8 is expensive overkill; if you do, there is simply no other device on the market that offers this specific blend of tactical tech and premium craftsmanship.

Garmin Tactix 8: Specifications

Garmin Tactix 8 Price and availability

• $1,599.99 USD / £1379.99 UK / $2,799 AUS
• Expensive but excellent value for money
• Less premium alternatives are available

The Tactix 8 is a professional tool, hence the premium price tag. It’s for serious tactical users who need access to the very best tech and a bank balance that allows for it. General consumers who only want to track activities, monitor health and reply to messages will have a heart attack when they see the price, but Garmin hasn’t made this watch for them.

The Garmin Instinct 3 Tactical edition is a much more affordable alternative with some overlap in features. You’ll find Stealth Mode, a kill switch, night vision compatibility, and a specialized tool designed for skydivers to plan and navigate jumps called Jumpmaster.

The build is also far less premium. If the Tactix 8 is overkill for you, and you’re not keen on Garmin, then the Suunto Vertical 2 provides great GPS accuracy and offline mapping. Its high-detail global topo maps are also arguably cleaner than Garmin’s stock maps.

• Value score 4.5/5

Garmin Tactix 8: Design

• High-resistance materials and coating
• Bright 1.4-inch AMOLED display
• The 51mm model is bulky and heavy

The Tactix 8 is available in four different models: AMOLED, AMOLED: Cerakote, Solar, and Solar: AB Elite. The standard AMOLED offering is available in 47mm and 51mm sizes and a black finish, but it was the more premium 2026 Cerakote edition (olive color, 51mm) that I was sent to review.

This particular watch is coated in a ceramic 'Ceratoke' finish that enhances a number of the watch's physical performance properties, including abrasion/wear resistance, corrosion resistance, chemical resistance, impact strength, and hardness. I didn't have a standard Tactix 8 model to compare it to, but the step up in resistance was obvious compared to smartwatches from the likes of Huawei, Amazfit, and Suunto.

This incredible level of resistance continues with the robust titanium bezel and scratch-resistant sapphire crystal lens. It's also tested to a MIL-STD-810G standard for thermal, shock, and water resistance. The buttons are leakproof and maintain a tactile feel even when used underwater or with gloves. Garmin has worked hard to make sure the user-experience is not hampered by the environment you put it in.

The AMOLED display is bright enough to be fully readable even when exposed to direct sunlight. The 454 x 454 pixel resolution is sufficient for navigating a map or reading a notification, and even though I never wanted for more clarity, it does sit a little behind the 480 x 480 pixel resolution of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 or the Galaxy Watch Ultra.

At 51mm size and 94g weight, there's no getting away from its heft. I was seriously glad to take it off at the end of a day, and if you have any sort of wrist problems, then it could cause even greater issues. I love the Ceratoke finish and would opt for it every time; it's just a shame it doesn't ship in the smaller 47mm size.

From a hardware point of view, there's a multi-LED flashlight that can emit white or green light instead of Garmin’s usual red light option. This is important for compatibility with night vision gear and helps preserve natural night vision. There's also a reasonably performing speaker, and for the first time in the Tactix line, there's a built-in microphone, allowing for phone calls and voice commands when paired with a smartphone.

• Design Score: 4.5/5

Garmin Tactix 8: Features

• Advanced tactical features including applied ballistics solver
• Perfect for rucking and compatible with night-vision goggles
• Everyday wearable features such as wallet, music, and 24/7 health monitoring

The Tactix 8 is first and foremost a tactical smartwatch, and the feature set reflects that. With some of the most advanced tactical tools on a smartwatch outside of the military, the Tactix 8 is a formidable offering. Take the Applied Ballistics Ultralight, for example. The preloaded solver enables long-range shooting with solutions for windage and elevation.

Then there's Stealth Mode for off-the-grid activities, which immediately disables all wireless connectivity and stops the watch from saving or sharing GPS location data. Another security-focused feature is the kill switch, which performs an instant data wipe if security is compromised. I wouldn't be surprised if we saw James Bond wearing it in his next film.

Rucking enthusiasts will love the specific rucking profile that allows users to input their pack weight to calculate more accurate exertion and health metrics. Parachuters are treated to a military-grade parachuting tool which helps calculate high-altitude release points according to military guidelines.

Alongside this impressive set of tactical features, the Tactix 8 is also a very capable everyday wearable. The built-in speaker and microphone mean users can make calls, listen to music, and take advantage of voice controls. 24/7 health monitoring covers heart rate, HRV, and ECG as well as delivering metrics such as your Training Readiness score, Body Battery, and recovery time. It even has a jet lag advisor!

• Features Score: 4.5/5

Garmin Tactix 8: Performance

• Accurate GPS and reliable voice commands
• Good map coverage but the rucking interface is slow
• Long battery life, even with GPS always-on

The Tactix 8 boasts top-level GPS performance. With multi-band GNSS and SatIQ technology, the watch finds a GPS signal quickly and maintains a strong connection at all times.

I used it in various types of environments, including urban, rural, and forests, and never had a problem picking up a signal. It even managed to lock on when I was inside my house, a location that most other smartwatches I've tested have struggled with. Impressive results continue with the accuracy of the GPS. I tested it alongside the Huawei Watch Ultimate 2 and found the distance-traveled metrics to be bang on, even down to the meter.

One of the core features is the dedicated rucking activity profile, which allows you to input your specific pack weight before setting off. This ensures the watch’s algorithm factors in the extra load for more accurate calorie burn and exertion metrics.

Launching a rucking activity is quick and simple thanks to the intuitive interface, and once launched, navigating using the built-in map is easy enough. My only gripe with the rucking interface is that its responsiveness is a little slow. That means moving around a map can be a little jittery, but it's only a small issue in what is a very well-implemented tool.

The health tracking suite on the Tactix 8 is more comprehensive than ever, powered by Garmin’s latest optical heart rate sensor. It provides 24/7 monitoring of body battery, stress levels, and advanced sleep coaching, alongside a Pulse Ox sensor for blood oxygen saturation. The core metrics of these performed similarly to the Watch Ultimate 2, which impressed us during testing against our gold standard, the Apple Watch Ultra series.

There are a lot of menus and features contained within the watch, but navigation around these is intuitive and straightforward. I especially liked the ability to 'pin' three activities for a quick-access experience. Setting these requires the Garmin Connect app, although I’m not sure why Garmin doesn't allow the setting of these inside the watch menus.

Speaking of navigation, I found myself making a lot of use of the built-in voice commands, with my most used being 'start a run', 'start a timer', and 'begin navigation'. Voice controls are not powered by AI, so you have to be specific with the instructions, but once you get used to the required vocabulary, it's a quick and fun way to interact with the watch.

With this level of performance and rich feature set, you'd imagine the battery life would take a pounding. That is absolutely not the case. With occasional GPS use, regular health tracking, and daily interaction with notifications, the watch lasted almost 50 days. That's significantly longer than the advertised length of 29 days. More intense use, including always-on GPS and daily activity tracking, reduced the battery life to around three days.

• Performance score: 4.5/5

Garmin Tactix 8: Scorecard

Garmin Tactix 8: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

How I tested

I wore the Tactix 8 for eight straight weeks and took part in a wide range of activities, including rucking, running, walking, cycling, and workouts. During this time I was able to test the battery capabilities for heavy, medium, and light use. I also tracked my health metrics while exercising and compared its GPS accuracy to the Huawei Watch Ultimate 2. In addition, I used the watch to keep me connected to app notifications and text messages.

First reviewed: April 2026

Huawei Watch GT Runner 2: One minute review

The Huawei Watch GT Runner 2 is full of innovative tweaks, making it ideal for running accuracy, and from a design perspective, it’s the best running watch I’ve tried so far in 2026. Because US customers can’t actually buy them, Huawei devices often go under the radar in many lists, which is a shame, as their hardware is stellar.

The GT Runner 2 is another smash hit. It’s light, at 10.7mm thick and just 34.5g in weight, packing a smallish 1.32-inch screen with a 3,000 nit brightness AMOLED display. That’s as bright as the Apple Watch Ultra 3. It fits nicely on my average-sized male wrist and doesn’t move about during runs. It comes in a selection of pretty cool colors and bands. I was partial to the Dawn Orange colorway, but my review unit arrived in Dusk Blue, which also looks nice.

The GPS credentials are where things get interesting. Huawei claims the GT Runner 2 outperforms the Garmin Forerunner 970 (by name) in GPS accuracy for runners, using a new dual-floating GPS antenna structure to improve accuracy. I didn’t have a Garmin Forerunner 970 to hand, but I did have something even better: the Garmin Fenix 8 Pro, perhaps Garmin’s best-ever smartwatch from a hardware perspective, and one that costs three times as much as the GT Runner 2.

On a 10.5 kilometer out-and-back run, the Fenix 8 Pro recorded 10.51km, with 797 calories burned, an average heart rate of 157 bpm, 5.39km average pace. The Huawei GT Runner 2 recorded 10.48km, a difference of 0.03km (or 30 meters) overall, with 785 calories burned, an average heart rate of 167 bpm, and 5.39km average pace. Those are very close results.

Even advanced running metrics were similar, with stride length being recorded as 1.10 meters by both watches. With very little in the way of statistically significant differences, I’m happy that the GT Runner 2 is as accurate as the very top-tier watches in the category. I’d expect nothing less from a watch used by record-breaking marathoner Eliud Kipchoge. You can see the results on the screens below.

Other wellness metrics are good, too: I’ve hyped up Huawei’s TruSense and TruSleep algorithms before as being scarily accurate, and it’s good to see the watch making use of both here. The accuracy of its sleep tracking and the watch's reduced weight made it easy to wear overnight. Marathon Mode, a little like Garmin’s Event Planner with an intelligent coach, and training plans abound on-watch, allowing you to follow programs imported from the Huawei Health app. Battery life is impressive, while features like Emotional Wellbeing that rely on self-reporting, I consider less useful.

A resounding success for design, performance, and health and fitness features, but smart stuff is more of a mixed bag, albeit through no fault of the watch’s designers. Huawei’s inability to work with either Google or Android’s ecosystem left my watch as a self-contained wellness tool rather than an integrated smart gadget in the same way the best Android watches, or best Apple Watches, are.

Huawei says the watch “runs seamlessly with iOS and Android,” but that’s not entirely true. I could see WhatsApp notifications as part of Huawei’s Message Tool, but everything has to be side-loaded from Huawei’s online AppGallery, so I couldn’t get a native WhatsApp watch app, only notifications. There’s no first-party app for Spotify either, so I had to download Petal Maps on my phone to use instead of Google or Apple Maps. As an extension of my phone, this experience is still frustrating and far from reflective of its excellent wellness credentials.

Huawei Watch GT Runner 2: Specifications

Huawei Watch GT Runner 2: Price and availability

• £349.99 in the UK / Europe
• Not available in US / AU
• Cheaper than most modern Forerunner watches

Huawei’s availability is a far greater issue than its price. Huawei telecomms devices continue to suffer from the ongoing 5G ban, which is a shame for US runners as they’re missing out on some very good hardware. For UK users, the price is pretty reasonable at £349.99, around the same price as the Apple Watch Series 11.

• Value score: 4/5

Huawei Watch GT Runner 2: Scorecard

Huawei Watch GT Runner 2: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

How I tested

I wore the Huawei Watch GT Runner 2 for a week, taking it on several runs as well as gym sessions, sleeping with it, and draining the battery down. I tested it on a 10.5 km run against the Garmin Fenix 8 Pro to determine accuracy in its metrics.

First reviewed: April 2026

• A poll on Reddit shows significant support for Garmin’s MIP display tech
• 34% of users said they’d switch to a different brand if Garmin ditched MIP
• A total of 51% indicated a preference for MIP over AMOLED screens

These days, the best Garmin watches are slowly abandoning memory-in-pixel (MIP) tech for their displays, with the company preferring AMOLED screens for their increased brightness and contrast. MIP screens are pretty much just relegated to Solar watches. But not everyone is happy about the move, and a recent user poll suggests plenty of Garmin fans would be sad to see MIP go — and now we want to know if you feel the same way.

Over on Reddit, user Imthenewbee created a poll titled “MIP lovers: what would you do when Garmin quits making MIP screen watches?” With over 1,100, the results might surprise you.

That’s because they show a significant number of respondents want to keep using an MIP smartwatch, whether that’s from Garmin or a different brand. Out of the 1,100 votes cast at the time of writing, 186 said they would buy a used MIP Garmin watch if the company discontinued its MIP devices, while 377 — or 34% — answered that they’d switch to a different MIP smartwatch. Put together, those 563 votes represent 51% of the total votes cast, marking a sizeable coterie of Garmin users who want to stick with MIP screens.

How do you feel about the situation? TechRadar’s own Matt Evans has written about how he’d miss MIP displays if they finally went the way of the dodo, but not everyone prefers the duller-but-more-battery-efficient results you get with MIP. Let us know what you’d like to see in our poll below.

Users say they ‘won’t be loyal’

For several Reddit users, the long battery life granted by MIP screens is the reason for their preference. One user said “MIP and sick battery life is the reason I went to Garmin. I won’t settle for an AMOLED with a 12-day battery life.” Another, meanwhile, explained that they “went Garmin because of MIP and battery time. Won’t be loyal if the advantage with Garmin disappears.”

It might be worth taking the Reddit poll results with a grain of salt. After all, the title of the poll specifically asked “MIP lovers” to respond, so the results might be skewed in favor of users who prefer this technology. You never know, our poll above might be more balanced!

Still, it’s interesting that so many users indicated a penchant for MIP. While this type of display is nowhere near as bright as what you get with AMOLED — meaning it’s not as useful in bright outdoor conditions — it’s much more efficient on your battery, helping you eke more juice out of your smartwatch in the long run.

And because MIP is less advanced than AMOLED, the cost of wearables with this tech tends to be lower than AMOLED equivalents. That makes it a great option for some of the best budget smartwatches that give you wearable tech without breaking the bank.

We wouldn’t be surprised to see Garmin phase out its MIP watches eventually as AMOLED displays get more efficient and easier on your battery. But as the Reddit poll suggests, that could leave plenty of people lamenting Garmin’s decision.

• OnePlus has announced the Watch 4 wearable
• It features a new version of Wear OS ahead of OnePlus’s older devices
• But some users are disappointed with the lack of sizeable upgrades

If you’re in the market for a new wearable, you might want to check out what OnePlus has added to its lineup. The company has just announced the OnePlus Watch 4 and revealed the device’s full list of features and specifications, and there’s an interesting software surprise nestled in the listing.

Head over to the OnePlus website, and you’ll find all the details for the new smartwatch. It’s got a 466x466 pixel LTPO OLED display with a sapphire crystal face delivering 600 nits of brightness and 3,000 nits of peak brightness in sports mode, 2GB of memory, and 32GB of storage. The 646mAh battery can power the device for three days of heavy usage and up to 16 days in power saver mode. The weight has been cut compared to the Watch 3, and an IP69 rating has been added.

Interestingly, the OnePlus Watch 4 is driven by Oxygen OS Watch 8, based on Google’s Wear OS 6, right out of the box. That’s unusual because OnePlus has previously said that Wear OS 6 will be coming to the older Watch 3 and Watch 2 models later this year, so getting it loaded onto a brand-new wearable before that timeframe is a pleasant surprise.

You’ll be able to get the OnePlus Watch 4 in Evergreen Titanium and Midnight Titanium colorways. Yet despite a soft launch on the OnePlus website, there’s no info yet on pricing or release date. We’ll have to see when that arrives.

One to avoid?

Despite the upgrade, some notable drawbacks will probably prevent the OnePlus Watch 4 from becoming one of the best smartwatches around, which is a shame considering how much we liked the Watch 3.

For one thing, the Watch 4 uses the same Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 processor and BES 2800 co-processor as the Watch 3 and Watch 2 before it. That’s a disappointing concession and means there’s no sign of the Snapdragon Wear Elite chip here.

And not all OnePlus fans are impressed, particularly when it comes to the relatively minor upgrades over the Watch 3. On Reddit, for example, user DueCompetition1249 expressed their displeasure by saying, “Nothing new. Either it will be really cheap … or it will be a flop.”

That sentiment was mirrored by user Realistic-Button1810, who said, “Not much hardware change, not really worth an upgrade if you have a two or three … better to wait until the new hardware is released.”

If you already have a OnePlus Watch 3 — or even a Watch 2 — you might not feel the upgrade is worth it, especially considering the lack of a new chip. In the absence of significant changes, the OnePlus Watch 4 might be one to avoid for recent OnePlus customers.

• A ban on Apple Watch blood oxygen metrics has been overturned
• A judge has now dismissed the appeal against that decision
• Apple fans could soon see the blood oxygen feature return in full

Apple has been involved in a long-running dispute with medical tech firm Masimo over its top smartwatches, with the latter claiming that all the best Apple Watches infringe on its patents.

In December 2023, that led to an import ban for several Apple Watch models in the US, including the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Yet in a momentous move, that legal decision was recently overturned — and now a judge has declined to hear Masimo’s appeal, scoring a major victory for Apple.

Specifically, Masimo had asked the US International Trade Commission (ITC) to reinstate the import ban that was recently lifted against the Apple Watch models. That decision was made in March and ruled that Apple’s devices did not infringe on Masimo’s patents. But a judge at the ITC has now declined to grant Masimo’s request (via Reuters), and as a result the case has been closed.

What does that mean for you? Quite simply, it means you should soon be able to buy an Apple Watch with its blood oxygen feature enabled. If you want an Apple Watch and that kind of medical tracking is important to you, that’ll be great news.

While this latest development might appear to end the back and forth between the two companies, Masimo still has other options. It could appeal to the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, although the company hasn’t yet commented on whether it will do so. Time will tell how far it wants to go before ending the dispute.

Not over yet

The original court ruling against Apple meant that the Cupertino company was forced to disable the blood oxygen feature from all of its best Apple Watches, entirely depriving users of the ability to check their health in this key way.

Later, Apple devised a workaround whereby users could take a blood oxygen reading on their Watch and then have that statistic displayed on their iPhone, which apparently skirted around the judgment. But it was still inferior to being able to measure your blood oxygen levels and see the result on the same device.

Now that Masimo’s appeal has been rejected, however, none of that should be necessary anymore. The way has been cleared for Apple to restore its blood oxygen measurement feature to its wearables and bring back a tool that has been sorely missing from its devices.

Speaking after Masimo’s appeal was rejected, Apple said: “We thank the ITC for its decision, ​which ensures we can continue to offer this important health feature to ​our users. For more than six years, Masimo has waged a relentless legal campaign against Apple, and nearly all of its claims have been rejected.”

Yet with Masimo still being able to appeal – and with Apple appealing against a separate $634 million judgment it lost in November 2025 – we might not have seen the end of this lengthy saga.

Garmin Bounce 2: One minute review

Most of the best smartwatches are designed for adults, but every so often a smartwatch brand will release a dedicated offering for children. There’s the Fitbit Ace LTE and the Xplora X6Play, but the newest kid on the block is the Garmin Bounce 2. With calling, text messaging, real-time location tracking features, and some fun games, the Bounce 2 is a device that keeps kids connected without needing a smartphone.

Designed for 6-12 year olds, the Bounce 2 is fun, cool and colorful. It boasts a bright 1.2-inch AMOLED touchscreen that delivers clear graphics and vibrant colors, elevating the smartwatch experience beyond that of most kids' smartwatches.

The Bounce 2 also includes a range of child-friendly features, such as activity tracking and games, although my son’s interest in the watch began to wane after a couple of months. He would still wear it if we asked him to, but he has ceased ‘pestering’ me to let him wear it. Beyond connectivity that is primarily for parents' peace of mind, the watch doesn’t include a huge amount to keep the child glued to it.

If you’d like a smartwatch with more features at a similar price, then the Apple Watch SE 3 is our recommended option. With a full set of features, including health tracking and a robust ecosystem, the Watch SE 3 offers much more longevity. This watch can be set up under a family plan which enables parents to control access and functionality and ensures the child is only able to access appropriate content for their age.

But if you’re looking for a locked-down smartwatch for your pre-teen, then it doesn’t get much better than the Bounce 2. It’s easy to set up, enjoyable to use, and has onboard GPS. To help with testing, I enlisted my ten-year-old son. Much of this review features his observations and opinions.

Garmin Bounce 2: Specifications

Garmin Bounce 2: Price and availability

• $299 USD / £259 UK / $479 AUS
• Additional subscription required for access to all features
• The Apple Watch SE 3 offers more features at a similar price

At $299 USD / £259 UK / AUD$479, the Garmin Bounce 2 is at the pricey end of smartwatches for kids. It ships in Slate Grey, Light Purple, and Turquoise colorways.

It is priced similarly to the Apple Watch SE 3, which offers more features but is much more distracting for a younger child. It also doesn't have the same functionality for chore management.

As well as the upfront hardware cost, the Bounce 2 requires an LTE subscription for access to two-way calling, messaging, and tracking. This costs $9.99 / £9.99 / AUD per month or $99 / £99 / AUD$17 per year, with the plan being managed through the Garmin Jr. app.

• Value score 3.5/5

Garmin Bounce 2: Design

• Simple, kid-friendly and not too flashy
• A small but responsive AMOLED touchscreen
• Comfortable fit with silicon strap

The Bounce 2 is a basic smartwatch with a kid-friendly design. It’s nothing revolutionary, but my son wore the watch with pride and thought it looked like a fashionable accessory. Constructed of a fiber-reinforced polymer and at just over 40g with the strap, the Bounce 2 is light enough for all-day wear, even on the small wrist of a child. The silicone strap also has the benefit of being sweat resistant and easy to clean. It fits wrists between 115-180 mm.

From a parent’s point of view, one of the best things about the design is that it doesn’t particularly stand out. It’s therefore unlikely to attract any unwanted attention that could cause problems for your child.

The 1.2-inch AMOLED touchscreen with a resolution of 390×390 pixels delivers clear graphics and vibrant colors. Swipes and taps are accurately detected, and the interface responds quickly and as expected. The screen is also chemically strengthened, which is ideal, as my child wasn't the most careful with it! The downside to this, is that the screen seriously drains the battery with my son having to charge the watch most nights.

Other features include physical buttons and a 5ATM water resistance rating that enables the watch to withstand water from splashes, showers, and pool trips. It also has a proprietary charger rather than USB-C, which is far from ideal if your child is prone to losing cables!

• Design Score: 4/5

Garmin Bounce 2: Features

• Location tracking and geofencing
• Two-way calling and messaging
• Basic activity tracking and chore management

With an LTE subscription, parents can view their child's real-time location via the Garmin Jr. app. The child can also manually ping their location to their approved contacts if they’re in an emergency situation. My son loved pinging his location when he arrived at a friend’s house, and even though it wouldn’t constitute an emergency, I appreciated receiving the update.

The GPS hardware can also be used to geofence areas so that parents receive notifications when their child enters or leaves a designated area. This is ideal for the journeys that your child will most commonly make, such as between school and home.

The first Bounce smartwatch was limited to voice and text messages. The second iteration builds on this by including a built-in speaker and microphone for conducting phone calls with parent-approved contacts. For messages, the watch now supports voice-to-text transcription and a full QWERTY keyboard. My son took great pleasure in texting me funny jokes as well as humorous emojis and sound clips.

The Bounce 2 includes a range of sports profiles, including running, walking, cycling, and more niche activities such as racket sports and even motor sports. Children can unlock games by meeting daily activity goals, which acts as a motivation towards fitness.

Another feature for rewarding behavior is the chore tracking feature, which enables parents to assign chores and virtual coins through the app, which kids can redeem for agreed-upon rewards. These rewards might be screen time, a chocolate treat, or a new toy or game.

As the Bounce 2 is primarily a communication and safety tool, there's no heart rate sensor for health tracking, something that my son was rather disappointed about.

• Features Score: 4/5

Garmin Bounce 2: Performance

• Mixed results for GPS signal
• Fun and engaging games
• Very short battery life

We experienced variable results with the GPS signal, with a significant tail-off in signal within rural areas. Despite being able to successfully access signals in dense urban areas, the same wasn’t true when we were out in the country. There were a number of times when I couldn’t determine the location of my son, and even though it was never an emergency, it didn’t fill me with much confidence.

The GPS and LTE connectivity are always on, which means the battery drains very quickly. The advertised two-day battery life is definitely the maximum, with real-world experience being just over a day. My son said, “I didn’t like having to keep on top of charging and would have liked it to last at least a full school week.”

He spent a lot of time playing the simple games, with his favorite being the Tamagotchi-style digital pet that you have to keep alive. “I was surprised how much I found myself caring about the little thing.” In reality, I think the appeal was in the challenge of keeping it alive. Either way, they’re pretty addictive in the short term, but he lost interest after a few weeks.

The day-to-day operation of the smartwatch was considered smooth and enjoyable. “I loved using the voice commands to set an alarm or check the weather, although it was a little frustrating having to speak specific commands.” For example, "Tell me the weather” didn’t work, but "Show me the weather” did. Some AI help here would certainly improve the user experience.

• Performance score: 3.5/5

Garmin Bounce 2: Scorecard

Garmin Bounce 2: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

How I tested

The Garmin Bounce 2 is targeted at 6-12-year-olds, so I thought it would be a little disingenuous if I, a 40+ year-old, were to carry out the lion's share of testing. As soon as it arrived, I therefore handed it to my son, who spent a couple of months with it, testing it while out and about with his friends and at various midweek clubs. I’ve taken his experience and written the review, but most of the observations are his. I’m not entirely redundant, though; the Bounce 2 is designed to have parental oversight, so I’ve been proactive in that area of testing.

First reviewed: April 2026

• Many Galaxy Watch owners are reporting a battery drain issue
• It seems to have stemmed from a recent software update
• Samsung hasn't yet commented but Google Play Services might be the culprit

Samsung makes some of the best smartwatches around, but we're seeing multiple reports from Galaxy Watch owners about rapidly draining battery life — and the issue seems to be tied to a recent software update.

As spotted by Android Authority and others, users have taken to Reddit to complain about a sudden drop in battery life. Given the number of comments and upvotes that thread has received, it seems quite a few people are having problems.

Some of the models mentioned in the thread are the Galaxy Watch 5 and the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic, so this is having an impact on more than one device. In one case, a day's worth of battery life has dropped to just 4-5 hours, which shows the severity of the problem.

One user says battery life has become "significantly worse", while another describes their Galaxy Watch "burning through battery like crazy". One commenter says their watch is now "a total disappointment" and not "what Samsung promised".

Restart or reset

Anyone else having this issue? from r/GalaxyWatch

There's been no official comment on this from Samsung as yet — we've asked the company and will update this story if we hear back. But the Reddit detectives have noticed Google Play Services using up an inordinate amount of battery juice, so that would seem to be the villain of this particular piece.

Google Play Services runs in the background on Android phones and watches, and handles tasks like connecting apps to the operating system, authenticating users, and reporting location data. It's often updated separately from the main Android or Wear OS software.

The standard troubleshooting methods like restarting, clearing out the data cache, or fully resetting might help, if you're seeing this issue. These techniques seem to have helped a proportion of the users affected, but not everyone.

It's also worth mentioning that some users have chimed in to say that they aren't seeing the battery life issues described by others — so this isn't affecting every Galaxy Watch. Let's hope Samsung can roll out a fix sooner rather than later.

AGM Legion Pro: One minute review

The AGM Legion Pro is a budget-friendly, rugged outdoor smartwatch which competes with more expensive, adventure-focused rivals like those from Garmin or Suunto. It aims to do this by offering specs that typically belong to higher-end models, including military-grade durability, aluminum frame, and a Gorilla Glass-protected 1.43-inch AMOLED display.

The watch's performance is characterized by a significant trade-off between its impressive physical resilience and its unpolished user experience, which is a constant reminder of its low price tag. While the GPS is highly accurate once locked, matching the precision of the Suunto Race S, the process of starting an activity can be frustratingly slow.

Health tracking similarly lacks the finesse of its competitors. The optical sensors are reliable for heart rate accuracy at rest, but they cannot maintain the same level of precision during high-intensity exercise, frequently exhibiting a noticeable lag in capturing peak heart rate.

On a positive note, the physical durability of the Legion Pro is excellent; it withstood being plunged into water with zero performance issues and showed no damage from weeks of hard use, confirming its ability to outlast many other budget-tier alternatives.

One of the Legion Pro's most compelling features is its battery life. The 370 mAh cell provides outstanding endurance, lasting around 14 days with typical usage and dropping to a still-excellent 10 days with heavy usage that includes regular GPS tracking and Bluetooth calling.

The AGM Legion Pro is unlikely to be considered for our guide to the best smartwatches but might bulldoze its way onto our best cheap smartwatch list, if only for its rugged durability.

AGM Legion Pro: Specifications

AGM Legion Pro: Price and availability

• $99 USD / £99.98 UK / $149.99 AUS
• Budget-friendly and affordable
• More well-known brands compete well at this price point

At $99 / £99.98 / AU$149.99, the AGM Legion Pro is at the more affordable end of the smartwatch spectrum. Its biggest competitors are other budget-friendly and mid-range smartwatches, often with a focus on ruggedness or fitness, such as the Amazfit T-Rex series. For the money, AGM throw in both black and orange bands, which is a nice touch.

• Value score: 4/5

AGM Legion Pro: Design

• A rugged smartwatch with aluminum construction
• A vibrant 1.43-inch AMOLED display
• Two strap options: black and neon orange

The AGM Legion Pro is a rugged outdoor smartwatch that is focused on durability. With an aluminum frame and solid plastic base, not only is the overall weight kept to a minimum, but it's also strong enough to withstand the knocks that inevitably come from exercising and exploring.

Its rugged aesthetic is backed up by meeting the MIL-STD-810H military standard for extreme conditions and its 5ATM water resistance rating, which makes it suitable for swimming and water sports up to 50 meters. It's shockproof, drop-proof, and highly resistant to dust and water.

Moving on to the display, AGM have opted for a vibrant 1.43-inch AMOLED offering that serves up a high level of clarity and contrast while also delivering excellent visibility. I was also impressed by its 600 nits of brightness, which meant I had zero issues viewing the display, even in direct sunlight. The Apple Watch SE 3 offers 1,000 nits of brightness as a comparison, but it’s also more than double the price of this watch. To protect the display and cement its rugged status, the Legion Pro’s screen is shielded by ultra-tough Gorilla Glass, ensuring it can withstand significant scratches and impacts.

The Legion Pro features two physical buttons, one of which is a programmable ‘hot key’ for instant access to a favorite function, like the best Garmin watches. This adds a layer of convenience when wearing gloves or when the touchscreen might be wet. The rotatable crown button is effortless to use and enables movement through menus at a predictable speed.

There are two strap options in every box, with the neon orange option being my favorite. The silicone material is ideal for versatility and resistance to sweat, but I did find an issue with the implementation of the buckle and hole. In my experience, the silicone was too rigid to make for a comfortable fit.

• Design Score: 4/5

AGM Legion Pro: Features

• A rugged smartwatch that delivers for outdoor enthusiasts
• Built-in GPS and offline maps
• Over 100 trackable activities

The Legion Pro is a genuinely tough smartwatch with a rugged durability that gives users the confidence that it can handle an adventure where other watches might fail. To put its rugged credentials to the test, I submerged it in water and was pleased that I didn’t encounter any performance issues as a result. I also experienced no issues with screen or case damage despite using the watch for a number of weeks and being far from careful about knocking it.

To complement its outdoor credentials, the watch features built-in GPS and offline maps. The combination makes it a perfect solution for accurate location and route tracking, especially when you don't have access to an internet connection. There’s also an integrated barometer, altimeter, and compass which enables users to find their exact position without a signal. I comment on its accuracy in more detail in the Performance section.

The AGM Legion Pro has all the health features and activity tracking that you would expect from a smartphone of this price. This includes heart rate and sleep monitoring as well as dedicated swimming and golfing modes. In fact, there are over 100 trackable activities, which will be more than enough for most people.

Features Score: 4/5

AGM Legion Pro: Performance

• Accurate GPS but slow to find a lock
• Poor health tracking during intense exercise
• 14 days battery life with typical usage, dropping to 10 days with heavy usage

I didn't know what to expect when I received the AGM Legion Pro. I had already done my research and couldn't quite reconcile the low price tag with the impressive set of features. But after even just a short while of testing, it quickly became clear that this is a smartwatch that aims for the moon while lacking implementation finesse.

Take the GPS, for example. This proved to be as accurate as the Suunto Race S with only a small margin of error over a long distance, but unfortunately the experience of starting activities was a test of patience. Annoyingly, you can only have up to ten activities listed on the watch at any one time, which is far from ideal for anyone who takes part in a varied set of exercises. But maybe more frustrating were the delays that it took to acquire a GPS signal, sometimes taking around 10 minutes before it locks on. It's a clear trade-off: amazing results for the price once it gets going, but a noticeable hurdle getting out of the starting gate.

The story continues when it comes to health metrics. Comparing it to the reliable Huawei Watch Ultimate 2, I found no issues with heart rate accuracy when I was at rest. Unfortunately, its optical sensors couldn't maintain the same accuracy during high-intensity exercise. The feeling of my heart pounding in my chest was oftentimes only captured by the device after a distinct lag. I know it's not a smartwatch for serious runners, but the lack of real-time accuracy is a little disappointing.

In terms of battery performance, the 370 mAh battery of the AGM Legion Pro lasted around 2 weeks with a typical level of usage. The testing period included constant health tracking, daily exercise tracking, and smart feature usage, including reading and responding to notifications. I found that the battery life dropped to nearer 10 days when I used GPS tracking and Bluetooth calling more regularly. No surprises there.

I was able to charge the smartwatch from empty to 50% in only 30 minutes, with a full charge taking 75 minutes. This was at a charging speed of 1W, which was the maximum that I was able to achieve using the supplied charging cable. The cable has a simple two-pronged attachment which magnetically connects to the back of the smartwatch. I found it to be fairly reliable, although not as secure a fit as the round attachment offered on the Suunto Race S.

• Performance score: 3.5/5

AGM Legion Pro: Scorecard

AGM Legion Pro: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

How I tested

I wore the Legion Pro smartwatch almost non-stop for three straight weeks. In this time I regularly tracked my health and sleep metrics as well as engaged in numerous different activities. Most notable were a number of walks, bike rides, a soccer game, and a little bit of hiking. To test its waterproof rating, I took great joy in plunging the watch in a bucket of water. I also tested its smartwatch features, including taking calls, answering texts, and map navigation.

First reviewed: April 2026

• CIRQA, a new trademark from Garmin, has been spotted on the US Patent and Trademark Office website
• The name is the same as the screenless smart band leaked earlier this year, more proof of its existence
• Garmin follows Fitbit, Amazfit and Polar in encroaching on Whoop's screenless smart band turf

Garmin CIRQA. Get ready to hear that name a lot, even though it's not technically going to be a new entry into our best Garmin watches guide. Instead, it's a screenless smart band designed for performance without distraction, just like the Whoop 5.0, Amazfit Helio Strap and Polar Loop.

We already knew it was coming in some form: in January, the CIRQA smart band leaked on Garmin's own website, showing the band in two sizes and two colors, Black and French Gray, although there was no pricing information present in the leak.

Now, Gadgets & Wearables first spotted the trademark for CIRQA on the US Patent and Trademark Office website, dated February 25. This is a good indication that Garmin is gearing up to launch the CIRQA later this year.

It's category is listed as (deep breath) "wearable devices and instruments to be placed on the human body, namely, electronic sensors and monitors for measuring and analyzing the body’s physical parameters and other physiological data, bio-signals, and bodily behavior, and for measuring and analyzing recovery from physical and emotional stress, human alertness level, and performance, all for non-medical and non-therapeutic purposes".

Below, you can see a screenshot of the trademark office listing that I took by searching the USTPO database for the serial number listed in the G&W article, 99670310.

‘I wish they’d hurry up and release it’

Users on the GarminWatches subreddit are getting impatient, while deriding Garmin's silence and the amount of leaks it's had over this band.

One commenter said: "everybody is talking about it except Garmin", while another bemoaned: "it's not even some new type of wearable, it's just a screenless wristband. They're making such a huge fuss about it. I wish they'd just hurry up and release it already."

I think this is going to be a great new device — but one aspect of the CIRQA does concern me. Whoop uses its bands as little more than data collection tools to fuel its subscription-based app, which is where the real money is. Fitbit's upcoming Steph Curry-teased band will likely do the same with Fitbit Premium.

Does a screenless band mean Garmin is going to push more Garmin Connect features behind its subscription-based Connect+ paywall? We know how users feel about the premium Garmin tier, but I'd be surprised if the band didn't come with at least one or two new features you'll have to pay monthly or yearly to access via Connect+.

• Garmin has added fertility tracking to many of its best wearables
• The feature comes via a partnership with Natural Cycles
• It’s coming to the Fenix 8, Forerunner 570, Venu 4, and more

The best Garmin smartwatches are more than just fitness trackers these days — they can help you get a clearer picture of your overall health, with many metrics that extend well beyond exercise. That’s just been expanded further with the introduction of fertility tracking, which is bound for Garmin users thanks to a collaboration with Natural Cycles.

If you haven't heard of Natural Cycles, it is currently the only birth control app cleared by the FDA. That means it’s well placed to enable cycle tracking on Garmin wearables and make understanding your fertility a little easier.

The new feature is coming to many of Garmin’s most popular watches, including the Fenix 8, Forerunner 570, Venu 4, and Venu X1. It should therefore be available to a wide variety of Garmin’s customers.

It works by measuring your skin temperature and then uses that reading to “unlock fertility insights in the Natural Cycles app,” Garmin says. This empowers users to “better understand their reproductive health.” Your temperature is tracked overnight, with information synced to the Natural Cycles app in the morning.

Plan or prevent a pregnancy

One of the benefits of using a smartwatch to track your fertility is that it is simple and non-invasive. There’s no need for any kind of hormone-based treatment or complex procedure, just a few metrics that can be gathered from your wrist.

Garmin is not the first nor the only company to have added fertility features to its wearables. Rivals, including Apple, Whoop, Fitbit, and more, also offer some kind of cycle tracking, meaning you’ve got a lot of options if you want this kind of functionality on your wrist.

The cycle-tracking features from Garmin and Natural Cycles aren’t available everywhere just yet. Garmin says it’s currently available in Australia, Brazil, Canada, the European Union, Norway, Singapore, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. There’s no word yet on when it might be rolled out elsewhere.

But for now, it’s a welcome improvement to Garmin’s wearables and one that could help you keep track of a vital part of your life.

I review the best smartwatches for a living. I’m a keen runner and gym-goer. I analyse my sleep and movement data. I'm the biggest smartwatch advocate you'll ever meet, and yet, every time I’m at a formal occasion or I want to look stylish, I switch it out for an analog rotary watch, because smartwatches just don’t look or scream ‘cool’ to me anymore.

I’m certainly not alone. In 2024, a bride and groom banning guests from wearing smartwatches to a wedding ceremony went viral, with commenters equally split on the decision. A post on Reddit's r/malefashionadvice board with the title ‘Anyone else feel like Apple Watches ruin outfits?’ got over 2,000 upvotes and nearly 600 comments. Respondents mostly objected to the overreaction and emphasized how useful they are for monitoring health, tracking workouts and managing notifications, but agreeing they look tacky.

One commenter said: ‘I wish we could find a sweet spot with wearable tech and not looking like a dork’.

It’s the same problem with phones: smartwatches are no longer fun now they’re everywhere and uniform — they’re utilitarian. They’re useful for tracking health (even life-saving in some circumstances) and great for fitness, but they’re another black screen, a point of engagement in a world increasingly trying to engage us non-stop, and so they’re not very stylish. .

In fact, trends are swinging the other way. Decoupling from the constant white noise of smart technology and returning to lo-fi tech has become a statement in its own right for Gen-Z, manifesting in fads for retro tech like wired earphones (cheaper, better for the planet), the sales uptick for compact cameras (a more deliberate, meaningful experience than snapping on smartphones), a rejection of streaming and a return to physical media like CDs and DVDs, and yes, analog and digital watches. Even I wrote about how much I loved the cheap old Casio F-91W way back in 2023.

To match this trend, wearable tech is evolving. Screenless ‘focus wearables’ such as the Whoop MG, Polar Loop, Amazfit Helio Strap and even the upcoming Fitbit shown off by Steph Curry are the new hotness amongst fitness people, as are the best smart rings like Oura. On the r/malefashionadvice Reddit post above, one commenter said ‘I am legitimately looking into a fitness ring like Oura so I can wear my watches and still track steps and what not’, while I’m seeing far more screenless bands in workout classes and in gyms.

On runs and during cycling, screens are still dominant as maps and mileage are very useful to check with a glance. Function beats form here, as a smartwatch is primarily a tool.

So where do smartwatches go from here? The answer is ‘not very far’. Again, like candybar-style phones, smartwatches have reached the point where they are incredibly useful, yet very boring to look at — a slab of black glass on your wrist. Yes, customisable watch faces and always-on displays certainly help, but making them exciting again by radically changing them will remain the province of fringe brands such as Pebble for the foreseeable future.

I think smartwatch wearers (and makers) have to accept the cold hard truth — they’re brilliant functional devices, but not fashionable ones. Leaning into the techy aesthetic instead of trying to make something sleek and cool is the way forward, because when it comes time to put style first, I can’t ever see myself putting on a smartwatch over an old-school analog watch.

I want to hear from you — do you think smartwatches are ugly and unstylish, or are you a big believer in cool tech? Vote in our poll and let me know in the comments below.

Garmin Approach S50: One-minute review

Sitting in the mid-range of the brand’s golf watch range, the Garmin Approach S50 is an excellent course companion. It includes all of the brand’s suite of excellent golfing features, as well as just the right amount of extra health and fitness, and everyday functionality to offer a golf-first, near-complete package.

It’s the golfing pedigree that shines the brightest, of course, and it puts those features into action brilliantly as a course companion. It enhanced my time and game on the course with its accurate yardages, automatic shot tracking and score logging, golf course and hole graphics, and the excellent PlaysLike feature — which factors in elevation and weather — is brilliant.

The design and build are of excellent quality, too, with the S50 having more of a lifestyle-friendly design and form than others in the Approach range. Combine this with some very friendly day-to-day functionality and a host of fitness and health features that are excellent to use, and the package becomes even clearer.

I still reserve a strong dislike for Garmin’s own proprietary charging method, which only gets more intense when combined with a super short charging cable, but this is a wider problem shared by the S50, not unique to it. Elsewhere, it’s easy to use on-screen, and its battery life is strong, offering more than two rounds of golf’s worth of juice before needing to even consider charging.

All in, however, the S50 could really give some more premium devices a scare with its overall offering, and for those who are put off by the higher-end Garmin Approach S70’s hefty price tag, this could be the perfect solution and new golf course companion.

Garmin Approach S50: Price and availability

• List prices of $399.99 / £349.99 / AU$729
• Mid-range in Garmin’s lineup
• Good value for money

Coming in right in the middle between the high-end Approach S70 watch and the budget, entry-level Approach S12, the Garmin Approach S50 is targeting the middle ground of its golf watch lineup. And does so successfully from a price and value perspective.

The balance of features on offer, its overall performance, and everything that getting into the Garmin Golf ecosystem gives you, all on an AMOLED watch with the brand’s best on-course elements — while still coming in considerably less than the S70 is excellent. In fact, I’d wager that the S50 might have the S70 worried from a value perspective, as only a couple of compromises could get you down to the S50 from the S70 and save you a bunch of cash.

The S50 is joined in the middle of the Garmin golf watch pack by the S44, released at the same time late last year. This offers a much leaner mid-range experience, without being a totally entry-level device. With the S50 being less than $100 / £100 / AU$180 more than the more streamlined-for-golf S44, but still $250 / £150 / AU$370 less than the S70 (42mm), it really does feel like it’s hit the sweet spot.

A small wrinkle for me on price was that I found the default strap to be really sub-par and swapped it out for another from Garmin; this naturally increases the overall cost of the S50, but the freedom to change straps and pick an alternative for one you like is welcome.

• Value score: 4.5/5

Garmin Approach S50: Design and screen

• 1.2in / 30.4mm AMOLED screen
• Two-button control system is an acquired taste
• Lightweight and robust build but default strap is lame

Broadly speaking, the S50 is the same size as its Approach siblings, and that comes from being built around a 1.2” / 30.4mm display, with no other size options. There’s no chunky bezel here either, and in fact, the S50’s display edge isn’t raised like the S70. As a result, the S50 is much more reminiscent of an everyday smartwatch like the more recent Samsung Galaxy models.

Two compact buttons positioned on the right-hand side, and the easily removable watch strap system on all Garmin watches, round out the design to create a compact and tidy build that can look like a lifestyle watch and is robust to boot.

The screen is lovely and clear. And while it can’t hold a candle to the MARQ Golfer (Gen 2)’s domed screen, which I loved, the S50’s display works well here. Fairways and course maps are a vibrant green on the wrist, figures are crisp and clear at a glance, and even though I don’t like Garmin’s font at all, health features, settings, and menus are all clear and easily readable.

I do far prefer the three-button control on the S70 and MARQ Golfer (Gen 2) for ease of navigation and input, with the latter devices providing more easy ways to navigate systems and menus to get to where you need to be. Of course, given time it soon becomes easy to use and intuitive.

The biggest design gripes I have are with the default strap, which I found, despite its comfort, very fiddly to use every time, and the inelegant Garmin charging solution with a short cable and the port on the back of the watch.

• Design score: 4/5

Garmin Approach S50: Features

• Includes all Garmin’s golf features, including PlaysLike
• Has extensive fitness and health features
• Battery life is good, and as stated

The Garmin Approach S50 includes all the (non-subscription-based) golf features that set the best Garmin watches apart, and that includes the excellent PlaysLike feature - Garmin’s own tool which will factor in weather and elevation difference between your location and the target to give you accurate, ‘real’ yardages, not just those based on straight lines on a 2D map.

In fact, positioning itself as the cheapest watch in the range that offers this feature is a very helpful way of identifying itself to golfers who are looking for the best features, but not anything outrageous price-wise. On the course, I found all the yardages to be excellently accurate and well presented on the crystal clear AMOLED color screen, and features like the AutoShot tech, swing temp meter, and green view (and more) were typically superb to use.

Away from golf, there’s a host of Garmin’s usual, and excellent, health and fitness trackers, which are super for the active golfer looking to monitor their wellness off the course. This sets it apart from the rest of the cheaper watches in the Approach range, and these include features such as sleep tracking, body battery, stress, and more, all of which perform as expected.

As far as daily watch features go, the S50 is perfectly functional and has been a solid if unspectacular companion for messaging, music control, and other daily use.

I found the battery life to be as Garmin described, too, going days and days in normal smartwatch mode before needing to charge, and easily getting two rounds in before having to think about charging it up when using it mainly for golf.

• Features score: 5/5

Garmin Approach S50: Performance

• Wonderful on-course performance
• Easy to use, accurate, and game-improving
• Perfectly functional as a daily smartwatch

As expected, the Approach S50 is a joy on the course, and offers exactly the top-level of performance I’d expect from a Garmin golf watch. The features are super, the courses are presented clearly, the yardages are accurate, and the full suite of features that includes the PlaysLike distance element is all fantastic.

Switching between the PlaysLike yardage of a hole and the on-paper yardage of a hole, and navigating courses clearly through the watch’s crisp screen, is a joy. You’ll get all the accuracy you’d expect, which can then be elevated even more with a Garmin Golf Subscription, should you wish.

The health and fitness features are also fantastic (typical Garmin), and perform with accuracy, ease of interaction, and help to ensure the watch offers something away from, or complementary to, the course.

There are a few Garmin-isms that I continue to dislike personally, that the S50 features such as the font and the way it displays the original messages from WhatsApp chats by default rather than the latest (Garmin has announced that there is better WhatsApp integration now available for some of its devices — but not its golf watches, at least yet, anyway). Battery life holds up as promised, and I found it to reflect Garmin’s own description pretty much like for like, but the very short cable combined with Garmin’s inelegant solution of where you attach the charger (on the back of the watch, which then has to lie face down, at least initially) makes for a couple more small frustrations.

The aforementioned two-button control system takes a bit of getting used to, especially if you’re coming from a different control setup, but give it enough time, and it’ll become second nature. Until I switched straps, however, I would also argue that the default one hindered the watch’s performance personally, as it detracted from using it and wearing it somewhat.

• Performance score: 4/5

Garmin Approach S50: Scorecard

Garmin Approach S50: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

Don’t buy it if…

Also consider

How I tested

I tested the Garmin Approach S50 on the course and off it for several months, playing multiple rounds at my home course in Somerset and a few elsewhere in the UK. I also regularly used it as my daily smartwatch, testing a whole host of its features from fitness and health to messaging.

I compared the Garmin Approach S50 to my TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 Golf Edition, and the Garmin MARG 2 Golfer as well as the more affordable ShotScope G6 GPS watch, while also l,ooking back to my time with the Approach S70 for comparison.

First reviewed November 2025-March 2026

I'd consider myself pretty clued up on Garmin's range of watches. I've been reviewing Garmin watches for the last five years, and I've been writing about fitness for over a decade. I wrote TechRadar's best Garmin watch guide. But even I have trouble sometimes parsing Garmin's complicated, nonsensical names and number systems.

Garmin's taken some steps to slim down the range in recent years, but there's still a lot going on, especially when you consider rivals like the best Apple watches only offer two or three new watches to remember each year. To simplify things even further, those watches immediately supplant their predecessors. Not so with Garmin — anyone who's had a browse on the Garmin website can testify the range is nigh-on impenetrable to people new to running watches.

So, I've created a Garmin quiz — an interactive crossword game that'll test your knowledge of Garmin's labyrinthian library of watch lines. Simply start the quiz, and you'll have to fill the crossword in using the clues available, with as few hints as possible, all against the clock. I've omitted specific model numbers from the quiz, along with most common variations like the usual 'Pro', 'Sapphire' and 'Solar' models.

And there's a leaderboard — heavy Garmin users are often Strava users too, of course, and there's nothing we like better than a good leaderboard. The fastest times will get their names up there and win... well, not kudos exactly because that's taken, but everyone who takes the quiz will be able to see your time.

Check the quiz out below, and let us know how you got on in the comments. May the odds be ever in your favor...

• A leaker has spotted a serial number he believes corresponds to the Galaxy Watch9 on a US testing server
• If they're correct, the watch has completed development and is now in the testing stage
• I predict it won't be a drastic departure from the Watch8, which was a big redesign that I called a 'triumph' in my review

It's not even April at the time of writing, but the July / August release crop of Samsung wearables are already starting to show their (watch) faces.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch9, the headline device succeeding 2025's best Samsung watches, has reportedly left the development stage, and may now be in the testing phase.

That's according to leaker Mohammed Khatri (via Sammobile). Posting on X, Khatri spotted a number he believes corresponds to the Samsung Galaxy Watch9 on a US-based testing server known as Checkfirm.

Checkfirm is a program designed to check for new firmware updates for Samsung devices, so this likely indicates both that the Galaxy Watch9 exists, and that it's able to run Samsung's existing software, even in testing.

If true, the watch has completed the first stage of its development process, and is well on its way to a July or August launch at Samsung's biannual Galaxy Unpacked product showcase.

Similar to the Watch8?

I loved the Galaxy Watch8 when I tested it, and I gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars in my Samsung Galaxy Watch8 review, calling it "a triumph". Its new design compared to the Watch7 ensured that the watch sat closer to the wrist for more accurate recording of your metrics during exercise, while making for a sleeker look in general.

The squircle-shaped cushion, which I found quite fat and 'busy' looking on the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra and Samsung Galaxy Watch8 Classic, looks great on the Watch8. But it was the AI-powered running-coach feature that stood out for me, with Samsung taking the fight to the best Garmin watches.

With the range seeing a radical redesign last year, Samsung is unlikely to reinvent the wheel this time around, and if you're after the perfect balance between a high-powered, communication-focused smartwatch and a running watch, the Galaxy Watch9 might be just the watch for you this year.

I’ll be honest: I’m a complete Apple Watch fanboy. I’ve been using Apple’s wearable for close to a decade, and I went from reluctant skeptic to total convert the minute I first borrowed a friend’s Watch to see what all the fuss was about. The device is, in my opinion, the best smartwatch money can buy.

That doesn’t mean it’s perfect, though. There are several aspects of Apple’s device that I’m less keen on, from the single-day battery life to the eye-watering price of its straps. And there are two Apple Watch annoyances that top my list of problems: the Wrist Flick gesture and Live Activities. Both are consistent sources of frustration in my day-to-day usage.

With Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) just around the corner, I’m hoping for some changes this summer. Here’s why these two features grate so much for me — and what I hope Apple will do to fix them.

1. Wrist Flick

When it was introduced as part of watchOS 26 in summer 2025, the Apple Watch’s Wrist Flick gesture was pitched as a quick and convenient way to dismiss notifications with one hand. All it took, Apple said, was a speedy backwards flick of the wrist and any on-screen alert would be banished, all without the need to do anything with your other hand.

Yet in practice, I’ve found this gesture to be frustratingly flaky. Sometimes it just doesn’t register my action, leaving my repeatedly rotating my wrist as the notification stays firmly in place, mocking my plaintive irritation. Other times, I’ll raise my wrist to check the alert, but my Watch interprets this action itself as a wrist flick gesture, leading to the notification being dismissed when I in fact wanted to read it.

In other words, I often find that wrist flick doesn’t work when it should and does work when it shouldn’t.

Adding to the problem is its inconsistency. Wrist Flick is not always an issue for me – indeed, sometimes it works perfectly. Most of the time, raising my wrist to check a message does not accidentally invoke the gesture. Yet occasionally it does, with watchOS maddeningly misreading my intention.

That makes it very hard to determine if I’m doing something wrong or if the gesture is just a little buggy. I can never tell when it’s going to work and when it’s not.

Despite that, I love the idea behind it. Like watchOS’s Double Tap gesture, Wrist Flick is a great addition for those times when you’ve only got one free hand and still want to be able to perform an action on your Watch. Ultimately, though, it feels like it needs a little more time in the oven.

Hopefully, Apple will fix it up at WWDC. I don’t need a full-blown wrist flick overhaul. Just a little attention to make it more consistent.

There are reports that iOS 27 – coming at WWDC – will be focused much more on performance and stability improvements rather than new features. Hopefully that applies to watchOS 27, too, with wrist flick getting a spot of much-needed love.

Live Activities

While I’m happy that my Apple Watch can forward texts from my iPhone, record my workouts and start timers on the go, much of the time I just want to use it as a regular, everyday clock. Yet there’s one feature that frequently gets in the way of this: Live Activities.

If you haven’t used Live Activities in watchOS yet, the feature basically works like an automated mini app that mirrors ongoing activities from your other Apple devices. So, if you’re playing music in Spotify on your Mac, for instance, you’ll see a little Spotify ‘now playing’ widget appear on your Apple Watch.

The idea is to give you a way to control what you’re doing on your other devices without having to be physically sat in front of them. In the Spotify example, you could pause your music from your wrist, even if you’re some distance away from your Mac.

That sounds like a pretty handy feature, and it frequently is. But my problem is with how Live Activities tend to take over your watch face – often without you even realizing.

I use an Apple Watch face with four of my favorite complications around its edge: the date, my Watch’s battery level, the temperature, and my activity rings. Tapping one of those complications brings up more detailed information. For that reason, I like to have my Watch face displaying most of the time so that I can quickly use these complications in a frictionless way.

The widgets launched by Live Activities, though, interfere with that. With a Live Activity taking over my Watch display, I have to dismiss it to get to my complications, then bring it back to get the added functionality granted by Live Activities. It’s disruptive for the way I want to work.

As well as that, Live Activities launch themselves automatically – you don’t bring them up manually. Because of that, I often forget they’re there. I’ll raise my wrist to check the time or tap a complication, only to find that the information I need is obscured by something that’s not even happening on my Apple Watch, but is instead taking place on one of my other devices. That makes it feel like my Watch has prioritized something of less importance and relevance to me.

I’m aware that I can disable Live Activities on my Apple Watch – I wrote a how-to guide on disabling the feature, in fact – but the problem is that your only options are severely limited. Essentially, you can either switch off Live Activities entirely or leave them as they are. Yes, you can disable Live Activities on a per-app basis, but you can’t really change how they work. It’s an either-or, on-off situation, with little middle ground.

I would prefer to have an option that sits somewhere between full-blown screen takeover territory and a complete absence of Live Activities. And I’ve got an idea of how that could work.

In fact, that idea comes straight from Apple in the form of Smart Stack hints. These are tiny icons that appear on your Watch when Apple thinks you might want them, such as a workout suggestion right when you’re about to start your daily 8am jog. It’s all arranged through harnessing artificial intelligence to predict what you might want to do with your Watch.

Why not take out the AI guesswork and expand these hints to Live Activities? When you start playing music on your Mac, your Watch could show a little Spotify icon at the bottom of your screen. One tap and the full Live Activity would launch. That would be a good compromise, enabling you to still get Live Activity functionality without the feature dominating your display.

Now, before you tell me this already exists, I know that there’s a toggle called Auto-Launch Live Activities buried in the Apple Watch’s Settings app, and disabling this stops Live Activities starting by themselves. But if you do this, the app that would otherwise trigger the Live Activity is restricted to a tiny icon at the top of your screen – one which I struggle to hit half the time. Smart Stack hints, on the other hand, are a touch larger and therefore much easier to press.

As well as that, the existing situation – tapping the minute icon at the top of your display – launches the full-blown Watch app. A Smart Stack hint, meanwhile, fires up a Live Activity, which often preserves important watch face information like the clock. Personally, I prefer the latter.

Making that idea a reality is something I’d love to see at WWDC. Apple has already laid the groundwork in the form of Smart Stack hints. Now it just needs to open the system up to Live Activities and tweak the feature.

And who knows, perhaps Apple will come up with something even better. For a company well known for its intuitive software, I’m sure it can rustle up something impressive. I’ll be watching with bated breath.

• Spotify has rolled out a bold upgrade for Wear OS
• As well as new visual elements, you can now use tap gestures to play and skip songs
• It's available to all Wear OS-compatible devices, so long as you update the Spotify app in the Play Store

Are you a Wear OS user and a Spotify subscriber? Your on-wrist experience is about to get better thanks to a major upgrade coming to some of the best smartwatches — which includes a new graphic redesign and handy tap gestures.

If you’re a power-user of a Samsung Galaxy Watch or Google Pixel Watch, you’ll now have access to the new Spotify experience for Wear OS so long as you’ve installed the latest version of the Spotify app via the Play Store. In an email sent to TechRadar, Spotify details that the new wave of Wear OS features are “redesigned to be more intuitive, more discoverable” bringing “the best of Spotify to your watch”. So, what’s new?

First off, Spotify’s Wear OS revamp puts visual aesthetics at the forefront of its new ‘Now Playing’ screen, which displays creator art behind the current playing song as well as the playback controls. You can also view and amend your music queue from this view and control audio output too. When you swipe from top to bottom, it takes you to a new ‘immersive view’, where the creator art is displayed in its entirety without the obstruction of the pause and play icons.

When you swipe up on the ‘Now Playing’ screen it takes you to Spotify's main Home page, where your Liked Songs, Downloads, recently accessed playlists, podcasts, artists, and more will be front and center. That said, one of the more handy tools is the search function allowing you to look up a song to add to your queue, bringing music discovery features to your wrist.

However, the new update isn’t just about how pretty it looks, it also has a slew of practical new tools. Now you can manually use your finger to pause, play, and skip through songs on your watch face, as well as use tap gestures to control the playback. One tap will pause and play music for you, while two taps will skip from one song to the next.

I’m an Apple Watch user, and I’m envious of this upgrade

The best part about Spotify’s smartwatch app is that it takes all the best features from the mobile experience and puts them right on your wrist, providing a convenient way to control your music playback when you’re working out or have your hands tied.

Spotify’s Apple Watch experience isn’t dissimilar to its new Wear OS update. You can still amend your music queue, search for songs, and access your full Library of saved artists, albums, and recently streamed playlists — but it’s certainly not as pretty.

Apple Watch users miss out on the album art feature, a tool that makes the new Wear OS Spotify experience so bold and visually engaging. Instead, the ‘Now Playing’ page on Apple Watch just displays the song title and artist, with pause, play, skip, and queue icons against a plain black background. It’s far too simple for my liking and, dare I say, slightly dull.

However, Spotify for Apple Watch does replicate the Home tab and Your Library from the mobile experience, so at least you don’t have to navigate an interface that feels completely different. That said, I do hope that Spotify gives its watchOS version a bit of TLC in the near future — it should at least emulate the Liquid Glass aesthetic that Apple has been pushing for almost a year.

• Garmin and Meta have revealed a WhatsApp integration for 'select' Garmin watches
• The app, available on the Garmin Connect IQ store, allows users to see up to 10 messages, incoming calls, reply with a built-in keyboard, and react to incoming messages
• Previously, users could see but not interact with messages via Garmin's notifications functionality

Garmin and Meta have launched a WhatsApp app for 'select' Garmin watches, available on the Garmin Connect IQ store. The app allows users to see a history of up to 10 messages per chat on a Garmin watch, react to incoming messages, and reply using a built-in keyboard.

Those keyboards are tiny, but presumably, we might also be able to use the voice assistant functionality on some of the best Garmin watches to respond via the keyboard too, just like a smartphone – but neither Garmin nor Meta has confirmed this is the case just yet.

The app also allows you to see incoming calls with the option to decline them.

Nikhil Joshi, Director of Product Management at Meta, said in a press release that "WhatsApp helps people stay connected no matter what platform they use. We’re proud to bring WhatsApp to Garmin smartwatches, so that more people can keep their private conversations going right from their wrist.”

This collaboration isn't particularly surprising: Garmin has slowly been moving away from its roots as a company that makes GPS-first specialist training tools and more towards lifestyle smartwatches, to compete with the likes of the best Apple Watch models.

People want brighter, less efficient AMOLED screens rather than duller MIP ones, watches which allow you to take calls like the Garmin Forerunner 970, and the ability to message people back from their wrists.

However, one potential sticking point is the lack of LTE on most Garmin watches, forcing you to remain tethered to your phone to use the app. While it's still convenient — you're able to reply to messages without reaching into your pocket or bag — Garmin watches don't act like a phone-in-miniature in the same way LTE-enabled models from Apple and Samsung do.

If you're looking to download the new integration, here's the list of compatible Garmin smartwatches, according to the Connect IQ store:

• Garmin D2 Air X15
• Garmin Enduro 3
• Garmin fēnix 8 Pro
• Garmin fēnix 8
• Garmin fēnix E
• Garmin Forerunner 570
• Garmin Forerunner 970
• Garmin tactix 8
• Garmin Venu 4
• Garmin Venu X1
• Garmin vívoactive 6

The list isn't terribly long: no Instinct series, older Forerunners, or any of the best golf watches, such as the Garmin Approach S70.

Garmin continues its recent mission to drive more people to its frankly underused Connect IQ store, with this new WhatsApp integration following on from last week's collaboration with the Pokémon Sleep app. Here's what happened when I tried one of the new Pokémon watch faces for a couple of days, and how it ended up fixing my sleep via emotional blackmail.

• This is not a drill – 49 different Pokémon watch faces just dropped on Garmin Connect
• The Pokémon Sleep watch faces include one with Snorlax and friends, and another featuring your choice of one of 48 different Pokémon
• The Pokémon look tired when your Body Battery score gets low

Pokémon Sleep watch faces just dropped for the best Garmin watches, and I am very excited. To celebrate Pokémon's 30th anniversary, Garmin has released two different watch faces on its Garmin Connect IQ store, both of which are now available to download for free.

If there are only officially two watch faces, why have I said there are 49, I hear you ask? Well, one of them, titled 'Pokémon Sleep: Snorlax & Friends' features a medley of Pokémon clustered around the titular Snorlax. However, the second, called 'Pokémon Sleep: I Choose You' can be customized to star your choice of 48 different Pokémon. So you can put a Venusaur on your Venu 4, a Feraligator on your Fenix 8, or an Eevee on your Epix Pro. You can change your choice at any time.

The best part, aside from the watch faces being free downloads? According to Garmin, 'the poses on both watch faces will change throughout the day — from happy and smiling to tired and sleepy — based on the user’s Body Battery energy levels'.

I've just downloaded Bulbasaur (I've always had a soft spot for the grass-type starter, as it was my go-to back on the original Game Boy) and I'm looking forward to seeing it snooze on my wrist.

Garmin says the watch faces are for 'select watches' including Venu, Forerunner, Fenix and Vivoactive, but I also spotted Garmin's Marq, Epix, Quatix, Descent and Instinct 3 (AMOLED) watches available on the list of compatible devices. Most modern AMOLED screen Garmins should be able to run them without issue.

How to download the new Pokémon Sleep watch faces

1. Download the Garmin Connect IQ store
2. From the IQ Home, tap the Search tab
3. Search 'Pokémon Sleep'
4. Download the watch faces onto a compatible Garmin watch
5. Sync your device using the Sync button at the top right of the Connect IQ store

Which Pokémon can you choose from?

Here are all the options on the Pokémon Sleep: I Choose You watch face:

• Bulbasaur
• Ivysaur
• Venusaur
• Charmander
• Charmeleon
• Charizard
• Squirtle
• Wartortle
• Blastoise
• Pikachu
• Raichu
• Eevee
• Vaporeon
• Jolteon
• Flareon
• Chikorita
• Bayleef
• Meganium
• Cyndaquil
• Quilava
• Typhlosion
• Totodile
• Croconaw
• Feraligator
• Pichu
• Espeon
• Umbreon
• Treecko
• Grovyle
• Sceptile
• Torchic
• Combusken
• Blaziken
• Mudkip
• Marshtomp
• Swampert
• Leafeon
• Glaceon
• Sylveon
• Sprigatito
• Floragato
• Meowscarada
• Fuecoco
• Crocalor
• Skeledirge
• Quaxly
• Quaxwell
• Quaquaval

Apple Watches are brilliant devices, but sometimes their accessories can be a little fiddly. Straps that don’t quite suit your wrist, screens that pick up little scratches, and charging setups that feel like a nightly puzzle can all chip away at the experience, even if the watch itself is great.

The good news? You don’t need to spend big on accessories to fix the most common annoyances.

To help you get the most out of your best Apple Watch, we’ve picked a handful of genuinely affordable accessories that make your smartwatch easier to wear, tougher to live with, and simpler to keep charged.

How we picked the accessories

To compile this guide, we focused on affordable accessories that make a real day-to-day difference – better comfort, more protection, and easier charging – without feeling disposable.

Wherever possible, we used products we’ve already spent time testing, prioritising designs that are stable, travel-friendly, and straightforward.

1. Upeak Sport Strap: a spare, breathable sport strap

A spare sport strap sounds basic, but it’s one of the quickest ways to make a smartwatch feel more “daily wearable” – especially if you already train a few times a week.

When we tested budget-friendly straps like the Upeak Sport Strap, the big win was comfort: softer materials, more give, and less of that sticky feeling you can get once you’ve built up a bit of heat.

It’s also practical. A cheap, dedicated “gym strap” means you’re not constantly swapping and wiping down your nicer band, and you can rinse it after a run without worrying you’ve ruined something expensive.

Just double-check you’re buying the right connector size for your watch, and give it a quick wash now and then to keep skin irritation at bay. If you're after a variety of bands for all occasions, you can check out our best Apple Watch bands guide.

2. HAPAW Screen Protector: a tempered-glass layer for everyday scuffs

The screen is the part of your smartwatch that takes the most abuse, which makes it the main thing to protect.

When we’ve recommended Apple Watch screen protectors like the HAPAW option above, it’s largely because a simple tempered-glass layer can save you from those faint scratches that slowly causes the display to look tired.

The best part is the payoff-to-price ratio. A multi-pack usually costs less than a single replacement strap, and once it’s on, you can basically stop worrying.

Look for a protector that stays clear, doesn’t mess with touch sensitivity, and actually covers the main impact area without lifting at the edges.

3. Griffin Survivor Tactical Case: a clip-on bumper for extra protection

If your smartwatch already has a few battle scars – or you know it’s only a matter of time – a clip-on bumper case is an easy, low-cost upgrade.

When we tested rugged Apple Watch cases and protective accessories like the Survivor Tactical Case, the appeal was simple: it takes the hit so your watch doesn’t have to.

This kind of case makes the most sense for busy, hands-on days – DIY, the gym, festivals, travel, and so on.

The trade-off is a bit of extra bulk, plus the fact that dust and grit can build up underneath over time, so it’s worth popping it off for a quick clean occasionally.

4. Anker MagGo Wireless Station: A useful bedside dock for multiple devices

Charging is the one smartwatch chore you can’t ignore, and if there's any kind of pain point, it’s easy to fall out of the habit and end up running low at the worst moment.

The Anker MagGo Station 3-in-1 Stand keeps things simple by giving your watch, phone, and earbuds one place to live, so topping everything up becomes part of your routine rather than a nightly cable shuffle.

When we tested it, we found it was stable and nicely laid out for real life – you can drop devices on without having to line them up perfectly every time, making it a great fit for a bedside table or a desk, where you want charging to happen in the background.

It’s not the absolute cheapest option, but if you charge multiple devices daily, it’s the kind of accessory that quickly earns its keep.

5. Anker MagGo Station 3-in-1 Foldable Pad: a travel charger that actually earns its bag space

Travel is often a pain point for Apple Watches. The Anker MagGo Wireless Charging Station 3-in-1 Foldable Pad is designed to tidy all of that up, charging your iPhone, Apple Watch, and earbuds from one compact, fold-up unit.

When we tested it, we found the clever, hinged design made it genuinely easy to pack away, and it even ships with its own power adapter and USB-C cable, so you’re not hunting for a spare plug at the last minute.

Charging speeds were strong for a foldable setup too, particularly for the Apple Watch, which is the device most people end up topping up daily on the road.

6. BIKLING Apple Watch Bike Mount – a handlebar mount that turns your watch into a mini bike computer

Cycling is one of the times a smartwatch can feel oddly awkward – your data is right there, but it’s also stuck on your wrist.

A dedicated handlebar mount like the BIKLING Apple Watch Bike Mount solves that by moving the watch onto your bars, so stats, timers, and navigation prompts (if you use them) are much easier to check mid-ride.

It’s a simple upgrade, but it can make structured rides feel less stop-start, because you’re not constantly twisting your arm to see the screen.