With advanced features such as voice assistants, crash detection, call and text support, and long battery lives, modern smartwatches are more than just an accessory. And thanks to powerful sensors and extensive app suites, they’ve become one of the most popular health and fitness trackers, too.
ZDNET’s experts went hands-on with all of the best smartwatches on the market, testing their battery life, durability, features, and more. We also interviewed athletes, fitness experts, and medical professionals to ask what features they loved most about their smartwatches to help you get a better idea of the top health and fitness tracking features, too.
Based on both our hands-on testing and insights from experts, we named the Apple Watch Ultra 2 the best smartwatch overall due to its new processor, long battery life, storage capacity, high-quality titanium materials, sleep-tracking capabilities, women’s wellness features, and advanced workout metric feature suite. If you’re not an Apple user, read on to see how watches from Samsung — including its newest Galaxy Watch 6 Classic — Garmin, and Amazfit compare, to find the best smartwatch for your needs and wrist.
The Apple Watch maintained the same form factor and basic design for eight years, but all of that changed in 2022 when Apple released the radical new Apple Watch Ultra, built and optimized for the outdoor adventurer. The Ultra 2 builds on the Ultra with a new processor, a much brighter display, twice the storage capacity, and the use of recycled titanium materials.
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is the most rugged and capable Apple Watch to date and offers a bright, flat 49mm display made of scratch-resistant sapphire glass and 3000 nits maximum brightness. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is larger than the Series 9, but the titanium case helps keep the weight down, and it is far lighter than competing sports watches.