Top 10: Android Smartwatches Buyers Guide, May 2016 Edition

It appears as though the humble smartwatch is headed for something of a shot in the arm towards the end of the year, as Google I/O 2016 recently gave us some insight into what Android Wear 2.0 would have on offer. Even if Android Wear 2.0 isn’t something you’re particularly excited about, there’s more on the horizon for smartwatches in general, and right now there’s as good a selection as we’ve ever seen in terms of sheer variety as well, in some cases, value, so let’s go ahead and see what are the best smartwatches to buy today.

10. Fossil Q Founder

The Fossil Q Founder is both an accessible and unfortunate device in the Android Wear ladder. It has all of the right sort of looks to appeal to an audience that like their watches to be heavy, chunky and look like well, a watch. For all of its style points however, it loses points for not having a heart rate sensor, for an only okay display and mediocre battery life. Having said all of that, if you want a smartwatch that feels like a real watch on your wrist, then the Fossil Q Founder might not be such a bad idea. It’s just a shame that Fossil couldn’t have tried a little harder to get the “smart” part of things right here.

09. LG G Watch R

There’s nothing really wrong with LG’s G Watch R, but it is however getting a little long in the tooth, and the problem with devices that start to get a little old is that they just don’t seem to have the same sort of appeal as they used to. Its OLED display is still great, but used units might start to show some signs of burn-in and such. Another thing to consider with its age is that Android Wear 2.0 is not guaranteed to land on all older Android Wear smartwatches that are out there. Still, for a device that looks nice and rugged without the associated footprint as well as a good heart rate sensor and great battery life, the G Watch R won’t disappoint.

08. Motorola Moto 360 – 2nd Generation

While the second-generation Moto 360 is a device that has a lot going for it, it’s also something that didn’t really do anything new when it was launched. It simply righted a few wrongs, and still stuck around with that flat-tire design which ages every day. Of course, the real reason that this version of the Moto 360 is less than ideal right now is that a new one has to be just around the corner, which should mean this is version is headed for some deep discounts, but those discounts might not be the best idea if something much better is coming along. With standard 22mm watch fittings however, and some great options for ladies, the Moto 360 second-gen is a great Android Wear smartwatch, there’s just a lot of room for improvement.

07. LG Watch Urbane

When the Watch Urbane was launched – roughly a year ago now – it was panned as being essentially the G Watch R in a different casing. This was for good reason of course, but since then not much has happened to disprove this, there’s little – if anything – the Urbane does that the G Watch R can’t do, but this could be said of all Android Wear watches. It’s still quite expensive and for a lot of people will simply be too big on the wrist, but those in the mood for a classy-looking watch that ticks most boxes, the Watch Urbane shouldn’t disappoint.

06. ASUS ZenWatch 2

When the ZenWatch 2 was introduced it didn’t receive huge amounts of praise, after all it was an evolution of a fairly inoffensive but uninteresting smartwatch, and one that didn’t have anything special to offer. Regardless, the ZenWatch 2 is a great device if you want something that looks modern, but not ugly. There are two different sizes of the ZenWatch 2, and the larger of the two is much more capable, and is certainly the one that you want to be looking into. Any of the many models offer a similar experience, and while that might not be the most exciting news out there, the ZenWatch 2 is worth looking into. To find out more about the ZenWatch 2, readers can take a look at our review.

05. Motorola Moto 360 Sport

When we reviewed the Moto 360 Sport, we weren’t exactly blow away by it, but maybe the Sport version of the 360 is a device that was made for the future of Android Wear. While Google Fit right now isn’t all that useful, it’s set to get a massive upgrade in Android Wear 2.0, and there are few other smartwatches out there as capable as the Moto 360 where sport is concerned. The overall fit and feel of this Moto 360 is great for those looking for something more modern and will certainly give users a more appropriate device while getting active.

04. TAG Heuer Connected

When TAG Heuer got into the smartwatch game with Google, we all thought that it was going to be short-lived, but there’s apparently another such device in the works already. Even though the Connected is super-expensive, that brand is something people are willing to pay. The TAG Heuer Connected is big, obnoxious and hard to miss, which is everything a watch from such an iconic brand ought to be really, but nonetheless this is one of the nicest pieces of Android Wear hardware you can get.

03. LG Watch Urbane 2nd Edition

Now that the Android Wear software officially supports voice calls, and Android Wear 2.0 is going to make these smartwatches even more self-sufficient, it’s no wonder the Watch Urbane 2nd Edition is starting to become more popular. It might have a silly name and it might be a lot chunkier, but it’s the only Android Wear smartwatch that can stand on its own two feet while still offering users a whole lot of extra features and such. While Android Wear 2.0 might be the key to unlocking all of the potential inside the Watch Urbane 2nd Edition, it’s still a great device right now.

02. Samsung Gear S2 

Samsung is clearly quite committed to their Tizen-based OS on the Gear S2 and recently detailed how it will continue to evolve over time, while more and more apps are becoming available. It looks great, has great software and its rotating bezel is the sort of hardware tweak that makes us wonder why nobody had tried this sort of thing before. It might be a little on the expensive side, but it’s the sort of device that Android users will take a shining to, and it has all the makings of one of the best wearable gadgets that Samsung has ever made, as we found out in our review.

01. Huawei Watch

With easily the best blend between hardware and software that’s out there, the Huawei Watch has become a runaway success for the Chinese name. It’s got all the right boxes ticked where software is concerned – including access to the Android Wear 2.0 Preview – and the hardware still looks and feels great. It has a wicked display and great internals, all of which go a long way to making the Huawei Watch the only smartwatch that a lot of users will need, until a new one comes along, of course.