Thursday, April 18, 2024

The best cheap Android smartwatches you can buy

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Looking for a Wear OS smartwatch? You may have seen some nice-looking options from top fashion brands, but few people can or should spend upwards of a grand or more for one. We’re here to tell you that there are quality options available at much lower price points. These are the best affordable Wear OS smartwatches you can buy.

Durable and long-lasting

Mobvoi TicWatch S2

Staff pick

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The TicWatch S2 offers a great Wear OS experience for hundreds of dollars less than the competition. It can track your workouts and heart rate, lasts all day with a larger battery than its predecessor, and of course, it displays your notifications. It’s also built tough with military-grade durability.

$180 at Amazon

Classic style

Fossil Q Explorist Gen 3

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While Fossil has since released the fourth and fifth generation of smartwatches, the Gen 3’s reduced price tag still makes it a decent buy. It’ll offer a rather basic Wear OS experience, but if all you need is something to use apps and view notifications on, the Fossil Q Explorist Gen 3 will make you happy.

$159 at Amazon

Big value

Mobvoi TicWatch E2

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Mobvoi is really good at making cheap smartwatches that have a lot of features. The TicWatch E2 has luxury features like a heart rate monitor and built-in GPS that are normally reserved for more expensive watches. It also has a cleaner, less rugged look than the slightly pricier TicWatch S2.

$160 at Amazon

New and improved

Misfit Vapor 2

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If you’re looking for the newer Vapor experience, the Vapor 2 is another affordable option to consider. You’ll pay a bit more for this model than the original, but you’ll get great features, including notifications, touchscreen functionality, heart rate and activity tracking, standalone GPS, Google Assistant, and more.

$180 at Amazon

Mischievous

Misfit Vapor

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The original Misfit Vapor brings a competent smartwatch experience on the cheap with its heart rate sensor and GPS, but it also tries to offer a little something unique in its touch-activated bezel used for navigating Wear OS. It comes in plenty of flashy colors, and you can even customize the looks to your liking.

$140 at Misfit

Ritzy option

Mobvoi TicWatch Pro

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The TicWatch Pro isn’t exactly cheap, but it’s not over-the-top expensive either. At this price, it offers the best Wear OS experience you can find today, featuring at least two days of battery life, Google Pay, Google Assistant, a heart rate sensor, GPS, and more. If you have the extra cash, this is the watch to buy.

$250 at Amazon

Good smartwatches don’t have to cost a fortune

While Wear OS watches might not be as popular as other wearables on the market, there are a handful of excellent options options available. Most importantly, you don’t have to spend a fortune to get one. Mobvoi’s TicWatch series is an excellent place to start. When it comes to affordability, the TicWatch S2 is a rugged watch with water resistance, heart rate monitoring, and all-day battery life. What more could you ask for in a watch at this price? If you don’t mind spending a tad more, the TicWatch Pro is an even better smartwatch that lasts longer than the S2. It also adds in NFC for Google Pay.

Appearance is subjective, of course, but if fashion is a high priority for you, the silicone band and chunky design of the TicWatch S2 may not be for you. Instead, we’d recommend the Fossil Q Explorist, which features a stainless steel casing and a gorgeous leather strap at a great price. We also like the Misfit Vapor 2, which has a highly appealing and minimalistic form factor. Not to mention that this model provides you with a handful of new features for an improved smartwatch experience that only costs a bit more than its predecessor.

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