The best budget smartwatch you can get
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Nowadays, it feels like smartwatches are all the rage. What used to be a cool extra has turned into a must-have, and it's rare to spot someone without one clinging to their wrist. Of course, the definition of "budget" is a bit subjective – if you're cruising in a private jet, splurging a few grand on a swanky Swiss timepiece might not faze you.
But for this piece, let's consider anything under $200 as part of the budget crew. Now, don't forget, a budget smartwatch should still pack a punch in the "smart" department – it's got to do more than just count your steps. With that in mind, let's dive into some of the top budget smartwatches rocking the scene in 2025.
The best budget smartwatches at a glance:
- Samsung Galaxy Fit 3 - most smartwatch features at a fraction of the price
- Garmin Forerunner 55 - best for runners
- Fitbit Versa 4 - best-looking budget smartwatch
- Apple Watch SE 2 - best for iPhone users
- OnePlus Watch 2R - the new kid on the block
- Huawei Watch Fit 3 - the square revolution
- Honor Watch 5 - wait, this looks familiar...
Also read:
Samsung Galaxy Fit 3
Most smartwatch features at a fraction of the price
The Galaxy Fit 3 looks very sleek and stylish
Let's start with the best feature of the Samsung Galaxy Fit 3: its price! You can get this amazing device for around $79, which is a steal! For that money, you get a very stylish device with a great AMOLED screen, multi-day battery life, and comprehensive health and fitness tracking.
It's lightweight and comfortable, and it also works smoothly without any stutter or lag. The basic notification functionalities are onboard, but let's be honest, 90% of the time you're using your fancy smartwatch to check notifications, and you let it track your health and workouts. So why pay hundreds of dollars?
The Samsung Galaxy Fit 3 will fit the bill (pun intended)! The only downside is that it doesn't work with iPhones.
It's lightweight and comfortable, and it also works smoothly without any stutter or lag. The basic notification functionalities are onboard, but let's be honest, 90% of the time you're using your fancy smartwatch to check notifications, and you let it track your health and workouts. So why pay hundreds of dollars?
The Samsung Galaxy Fit 3 will fit the bill (pun intended)! The only downside is that it doesn't work with iPhones.
Get your Samsung Galaxy Fit 3 here:
Read More:Samsung Galaxy Fit 3 review
Garmin Forerunner 55
Best for runners
Garmin Forerunner 55
The Garmin Forerunner 55 is a budget smartwatch that's perfect for runners who want to take their training to the next level but don't want to empty their wallets completely. It's jam-packed with features that will help you track your runs, track your progress, and achieve your goals while remaining reasonably priced.
Get your Garmin Forerunner 55 here:
First off, it's got built-in GPS, so you can leave your phone at home and still track your route, distance, and pace. This is great for runners who prefer to run phone-free. Another cool feature is the heart rate monitor. It provides real-time heart rate data, so you can see how hard your heart is working during your runs.
Also Read: Best Garmin watch 2023: models explained
Fitbit Versa 4
Best-looking budget smartwatch
Fitbit Versa 4
Fitbit made a bold move with the original Versa, which turned out to be pretty successful. The company decided to offer premium design and features in an affordable package. Now, the Fitbit Versa 4, the fourth iteration of the popular smartwatch, takes that idea a step further, bringing the price under $200, and offering one of the most affordable smartwatches on the market.
The Versa 4 looks great and can deal with notifications - it offers short customizable answers, so you can actually get away with using only the watch. On top of that the watch offers WiFi, onboard music storage and great battery life, plus 40+ exercise modes, sleep tracking for your perfect fitness and health regime.
The Versa 4 looks great and can deal with notifications - it offers short customizable answers, so you can actually get away with using only the watch. On top of that the watch offers WiFi, onboard music storage and great battery life, plus 40+ exercise modes, sleep tracking for your perfect fitness and health regime.
Get your Fitbit Vesa 4 here:
The Versa 4 also sports NFC, which means you can use it to pay your bills. This smartwatch offers hundreds of apps and watch faces, some of which are pretty useful. It’s far from a full-fledged smartwatch, but at $199 we can’t complain much about it (also, there are great deals on the Versa 3, often bringing the price under $100).
Apple Watch SE 2
Best budget watch for iPhone users
The good old Apple Watch is bound to appear on this list. It's the new Series SE 2 iteration, which starts at $249 at the moment, making it just eligible for our best budget smartwatch competition. The Apple Watch SE 2 is brand-new and featuring some of the cool Series 8 features (crash detection, SiP8 chip), so it's a good deal. You're getting all the bells and whistles of an Apple device, and frankly, this is one of the best budget smartwatch choices if you have an iPhone.
This is also the only smartwatch on the list to offer cellular connectivity at this price point (the Galaxy Watch Active 2 is much more expensive outside deals). You also get your familiar WatchOS experience with notifications, WiFi, camera shutter controls, music streaming, and more. The battery life is 18 hours, which is kinda the standard that Apple aims for, even on newer models like the Apple Watch 8 and SE 2, so there's no real drawback here.
Get your Apple Watch SE 2 here:
OnePlus Watch 2R
The new kid on the block
OnePlus entered the smartwatch game back in 2021 with the first OnePlus Watch. Since then, the company has released two more models, a sequel called the OnePlus Watch 2, and an affordable version of the watch called OnePlus Watch 2R. Given the nature of this article, the OnePlus Watch 2R naturally found a place on our list. The watch costs around $200, which is just on the threshold of affordable, but it's an interesting take on the smartwatch, so we've decided to include it here.
For that amount of money, you get a nice and lightweight aluminum design, the same dual-chipset, and the same dual-OS as the OnePlus Watch 2 (which is a very cool idea), an IP68 rating, and four to eleven days of battery life.
There are some compromises, though. The haptics are quite weak, so if you rely on the smartwatch buzzing to wake you up in the morning, you might be late for work. The switch between the two operating systems requires a reboot, which is inconvenient, and the health data is a bit sketchy.
On the other hand, the dual-band GPS accuracy is great, as is the bright OLED display. So, if you feel like supporting OnePlus and getting an everyday, no-frills, affordable, and good-looking smartwatch, the OnePlus 2R could be perfect for you.
For that amount of money, you get a nice and lightweight aluminum design, the same dual-chipset, and the same dual-OS as the OnePlus Watch 2 (which is a very cool idea), an IP68 rating, and four to eleven days of battery life.
There are some compromises, though. The haptics are quite weak, so if you rely on the smartwatch buzzing to wake you up in the morning, you might be late for work. The switch between the two operating systems requires a reboot, which is inconvenient, and the health data is a bit sketchy.
On the other hand, the dual-band GPS accuracy is great, as is the bright OLED display. So, if you feel like supporting OnePlus and getting an everyday, no-frills, affordable, and good-looking smartwatch, the OnePlus 2R could be perfect for you.
Read More:OnePlus Watch 2R review
Huawei Watch Fit 3
The square revolution
The Huawei Watch Fit 3 takes design cues from one popular smartwatch brand
Some might say that the Huawei Watch Fit 3 is derivative of the Apple Watch SE, and granted there are some design similarities. But what's different is that the Watch Fit 3 comes with better battery life, more features, and it's cheaper at 159 euros.
This budget smartwatch has a 1.82-inch AMOLED display with 1,500 nits peak brightness, big 400mAh battery that lasts days on a single charge, and GPS, 5ATM water resistance, and Huawei's health and sport packages.
It's a strong budget proposition, hindered only by the slow and frustrating charging method, and somewhat derivative design.
Honor Watch 5
Wait, this looks familiar
We can't help but draw another parallel with the Apple Watch SE here, as the design of the Honor Watch 5 is very, very reminiscent of the SE. Thankfully, this is the only drawback (if you take it as a con, some people might consider it a pro), and the Honor Watch 5 offers a robust package of features for not a lot of money.
From the bright 1.85-inch AMOLED screen to the 15 days of battery life and 5ATM water resistance, this watch is a great bang for your bucks. Speaking of which, the Honor Watch 5 costs just 150 euros, and for that price, it's a steal.
There's health and fitness tracking onboard, and it's great thanks to the accurate GPS module and the heart-rate sensor. You also get to upload your music to the watch, get notifications, and use it as a phone proxy, the usual stuff, just done right. Some might say the bezels on this model are substantial (one of our readers compared it to a racetrack), but we don't find them much larger than the bezels on the Apple Watch SE, which is really the benchmark here, right?
So, if you don't mind people constantly asking you which Apple Watch model you are wearing, and you want to get an amazing battery life out of your smartwatch, the Honor Watch 5 could fit the bill for you. Check out our review for more info.
From the bright 1.85-inch AMOLED screen to the 15 days of battery life and 5ATM water resistance, this watch is a great bang for your bucks. Speaking of which, the Honor Watch 5 costs just 150 euros, and for that price, it's a steal.
There's health and fitness tracking onboard, and it's great thanks to the accurate GPS module and the heart-rate sensor. You also get to upload your music to the watch, get notifications, and use it as a phone proxy, the usual stuff, just done right. Some might say the bezels on this model are substantial (one of our readers compared it to a racetrack), but we don't find them much larger than the bezels on the Apple Watch SE, which is really the benchmark here, right?
Also Read:Honor Watch 5 review
Conclusion
The best budget smartwatch is a bit of an oddball, don't you think? Stuff that used to burn a hole in your pocket is now rocking the budget category – take the Apple Watch SE, for example. Mobile tech is sprinting ahead like Usain Bolt, and we're living in a golden age. Now, for less than a $100, you're scoring active health tracking, wrist notifications, GPS – things that would've set you back a on of cash just a couple of years ago!
Hold up, though – this list ain't set in stone! We're gonna update it and keep it fresh with serious love and care. So, stay tuned for some spanking new and wallet-friendly smartwatch options dropping real soon!
Hold up, though – this list ain't set in stone! We're gonna update it and keep it fresh with serious love and care. So, stay tuned for some spanking new and wallet-friendly smartwatch options dropping real soon!
Nowadays, it feels like smartwatches are all the rage. What used to be a cool extra has turned into a must-have, and it's rare to spot someone without one clinging to their wrist. Of course, the definition of "budget" is a bit subjective – if you're cruising in a private jet, splurging a few grand on a swanky Swiss timepiece might not faze you.
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