The best budget smartwatch you can get
The year is slowly drawing to a close, and with big holidays on the horizon, many of you might want to start looking for Christmas gifts. Smartwatches are a great option—they're useful, stylish, and more affordable than ever.
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" and "affordable" 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.
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Best Budget Smartwatch Overall
Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro
The Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro is one of the few devices that offer a sapphire crystal | Image by PhoneArena
Why I Picked It
I've heard some people say that the Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro is derivative of the Apple Watch SE, and granted there are some design similarities. But I would argue that there are many important differences. The Watch Fit 4 Pro comes with better battery life and more features, and it's cheaper at 199 euros.
This budget smartwatch has a 1.82-inch AMOLED display with 3000 nits peak brightness, a big 400 mAh battery that lasts days on a single charge, GPS, 5 ATM water resistance, and Huawei's health and sport packages, including ECG, HRV, SpO2, and sleep tracking.
Add to all the above the sapphire glass and premium build, and you have a winner. It's a strong budget proposition and one of the very few watches at this price range to sport a 3000-nit screen with a sapphire glass above it.
Add to all the above the sapphire glass and premium build, and you have a winner. It's a strong budget proposition and one of the very few watches at this price range to sport a 3000-nit screen with a sapphire glass above it.
Who's It For
If you're not bothered by the design similarities to the Apple Watch SE, the Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro can be your daily driver. It really offers a bunch of features, its battery life is amazing, and it's extremely lightweight and comfortable to wear.
After my initial review, I continued to use the watch for several months, as I was pretty impressed with what Huawei has done with the Fit lineup. If you want something original looking and you're not a fan of the square design, you should look elsewhere.
After my initial review, I continued to use the watch for several months, as I was pretty impressed with what Huawei has done with the Fit lineup. If you want something original looking and you're not a fan of the square design, you should look elsewhere.
Read More: Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro Review
Best Value Smartwatch
CMF Watch 3 Pro
The CMF Watch 3 Pro costs just $99 | Image by PhoneArena
Why I Picked It?
I spent a week using the CMF Watch 3 Pro, and it was enough to convince me this watch deserves a solid place on my budget smartwatch list. There's a lot to like about this device, and before I start listing the pros and cons, I should strongly emphasize the $99 price tag. It's fitness band territory!
Now, for $99 you're getting a lot of "watch." The design is pretty cool, in line with Nothing's industrial minimalistic philosophy. There's a big AMOLED screen, and the UI is also very good. The battery life is solid, even if you push this watch hard, and for $99, it ticks the right boxes.
On the flip side, the screen is not the brightest out there, especially in always-on mode, and the watch comes only in one size that's quite big. There are no fancy BMI sensors or ECG readings, just the basic stuff, and also no premium materials.
Who's It For?
If you like big watches, and you don't mind industrial design, the CMF Watch 3 Pro can be your perfect Christmas gift. It tackles all the basics, it has a great battery life, and with its $99 price tag, you won't feel the purchase at all.
Best Budget Smartwatch for Android
OnePlus Watch 2R
The OnePlus Watch 2R is the best budget smartwatch for every Android user | Image by PhoneArena
Why I Picked It
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 the 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.
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.
Who's It For
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. If you want the perfect health and fitness tracking, and don't care for the dual operating system, you should probably look elsewhere.
Read More: OnePlus Watch 2R review
Best Budget Smartwatch for iPhone
Apple Watch SE 2
Why I Picked It?
Some of you might wonder why I picked the second iteration of the Apple Watch SE rather than the latest model. Well, the latest one starts at $249 and it's too new to receive any deals and discounts. Furthermore, there are incremental upgrades compared to the previous generation, so better save some cash.
The SE 2 launched at $249 but since the SE 3 came along this year, you can find the Apple Watch SE 2 for under $200. Which makes it eligible for our best budget smartwatch competition.
The Apple Watch SE 2 features some of the cool Series 8 bells and whistles (crash detection, SiP8 chip), so it's a good deal. You're getting all the features 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 kind of the standard that Apple aims for, even on newer models like the Apple Watch 10 and SE 3, so there's no real drawback here.
Who's It For
If you're into Apple's ecosystem and want to expand it with a smartwatch on a budget, the Apple Watch SE 2 is your only option below $200. It will tackle the basics and give you an amazing experience at that price point. If you want always-on, you should spend $50 more and get the latest SE 3 model.
Read More: Apple Watch SE 2 review
Best Budget Smartwatch for Samsung Users
Samsung Galaxy Fit 3
The Galaxy Fit 3 looks very sleek and stylish
Why I Picked It
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. For small wrists like mine, it's great, but you can wear it if you have bigger hands, too. 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.
Who's It For
Samsung has a huge portfolio of smartwatches, but their prices often start at way above my initial $200 limit. If you own a Samsung smartphone and want to take advantage of the shared features of a Samsung smartwatch, but at the same time you don't want to spend $300-400, the Galaxy Fit 3 is a perfect option.
Read More: Samsung Galaxy Fit 3 review
FAQ
What features should I be looking for in a smartwatch?
That depends on your personal needs, but in general, a bright and vivid screen with an always-on feature is always good on a smartwatch. Lightweight and comfortable design is also quite important, as you will wear the watch almost constantly.
In terms of smart features, most smartwatches nowadays have the core health and fitness tracking package, notifications, and call tethering via Bluetooth, so you should be fine even with the most affordable ones. Battery life is also a nice-to-have feature; every electronic gadget becomes a useless paperweight when it runs out of power.
What are the best smartwatch brands?
The big three smartphone brands also make smartwatches, so you can't go wrong by picking a Samsung, Apple, or Google smartwatch. That said, there are amazing options outside the top three—Huawei makes great budget and also premium smartwatches, despite the US ban; OnePlus and Honor also have great devices, and if you're into running specifically, Garmin is your best friend.
Are there any downsides to going budget for a smartwatch?
There are. As the saying goes, there's no such thing as a free lunch. Budget smartwatches often lack fancy sensors and features, such as body impedance sensors, ECG, satellite connectivity, and LTE.
The other big downside is that most budget smartwatches don't feature premium materials. There are some exceptions, but for the most part you're looking at plastic, some aluminum here and there, and poly straps.
The other big downside is that most budget smartwatches don't feature premium materials. There are some exceptions, but for the most part you're looking at plastic, some aluminum here and there, and poly straps.
What brands make cheap smartwatches?
The aforementioned big brands have some affordable models in their respective portfolios, but if you want to go dirt cheap, you probably should look for brands such as Amazfit, CMF or OnePlus.
What can a smartwatch do without a phone?
Depends on the connectivity. If your smartwatch has cellular connectivity via eSIM, you can make calls, access the internet, and send text messages—all while you're away from your phone. Otherwise, your smartwatch depends on a Bluetooth connection with your phone to have internet access.
There are some things the watch can keep doing while away from your smartphone, even if it doesn't have LTE connectivity. Every smartwatch will continue to track your vitals and your sleep, your workouts and exercises, and sync them with your phone and all your apps once you're close.
There are some things the watch can keep doing while away from your smartphone, even if it doesn't have LTE connectivity. Every smartwatch will continue to track your vitals and your sleep, your workouts and exercises, and sync them with your phone and all your apps once you're close.
Do Google watches work with iPhone?
No, Google Pixel Watches (like the Pixel Watch 3 or 4) do not work with iPhones because they require an Android phone for setup and full functionality, with the necessary Pixel Watch app missing from the Apple App Store, making them incompatible with iOS devices.
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!
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