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Android Wear has evolved a lot since it was first announced back in 2014. In the early days, there were only a few options, mainly from Motorola and LG. These days, many handset makers have thrown their weight into Android Wear, and even traditional watchmakers have begun to embrace the Google-powered Android watch platform.
With the number of watches available increasing dramatically, it’s hard to keep track of which watches stand out as the best. For one thing, most of the watches are all quite similar in software and hardware, leaving design preferences as the biggest factor. In order to help you make the most informed decision on which watch is right for you, we’ve rounded up what we feel to be the best Android Wear smartwatches you can buy right now.
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Best overall
LG Watch Sport
Alongside the launch of Android Wear 2.0, Google and LG took the wraps off two new smartwatches to showcase the big update. The higher-end of the two is the LG Watch Sport, and it’s currently the best Android Wear watch you can buy right now.
The Watch Sport has basically every feature you’d want in a smartwatch – a big AMOLED display, built-in GPS, an optical heart rate monitor, LTE connectivity, an IP68 water resistance rating, as well as support for Android Pay. The main button on the right side of the device also acts as a way to scroll through menus in Android Wear, which allows for a much faster and more robust navigation experience.
It’s a bit pricey at $349, but we think it’s worth the money. If you’re interested in learning more, be sure to check out our LG Watch Sport review attached below.
Specs
- 1.38-inch POLED with 480 x 480 resolution, 348 ppi
- Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor
- 768 MB of RAM
- 4 GB of on-board storage
- 420 mAh battery
- 45.4 x 51.21 x 14.2 mm, 89.4 g
- IP68 dust and water resistance
Read more
- LG Watch Sport and Watch Style review
- LG Watch Sport and Watch Style specs, price and release date
- Where to buy the LG Watch Sport and Watch Style
Runner up
LG Watch Style
As previously mentioned, the LG Watch Style was also unveiled alongside Android Wear 2.0. It’s not as feature packed as the Watch Sport, but it’s still a great option if you’re looking for a cheaper, less bulky smartwatch running Android Wear 2.0.
Unlike the Sport model, the Watch Style does not feature NFC for mobile payments, nor does it come with a built-in GPS, LTE connectivity or a heart rate sensor. While those omissions might seem like a big deal for some people, it’s worth noting that not everyone wants a big, bulky watch with a ton of features. The LG Watch Style is just that – a stylish, well-performing showcase for Android Wear 2.0 that doesn’t try to do too much. It’s a great smartwatch, and one you should definitely consider if the current crop of Android Wear devices are just too big for your wrists.
Specs
- 1.2-inch POLED with 360 x 360 resolution, 299 ppi
- Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor
- 512 MB of RAM
- 4 GB of on-board storage
- 240 mAh battery
- 42.3 x 45.7 x 10.79 mm, 46 g
- IP67 dust and water resistance
Read more
- LG Watch Sport and Watch Style review
- LG Watch Sport and Watch Style specs, price and release date
- Where to buy the LG Watch Sport and Watch Style
Honorable mention
Huawei Watch 2
Overall, the Huawei Watch 2 is another good showcase of the capabilities of Android Wear 2.0, though there are some things you should know before buying one.
Android Wear 2.0 comes with a focus on fitness features, but unfortunately Huawei managed to simultaneously move too far in this direction and also fall short of it. It doesn’t come with a rotating side button for navigation, which is a shame as we really love the button on the LG Watch Sport. It does, however, come with great battery life and a stellar feature set otherwise.
The other thing you should know is that it’s not nearly as classy as the original Huawei Watch. Sure, there’s a Huawei Watch 2 Classic model that doesn’t look as outdoorsy, but it’s hard to compare to the elegant Watch.
At $349, the Huawei Watch 2 is an interesting device. In a world where the LG Watch Sport exists, it’s a bit harder to recommend this new Huawei device. However, if you love the look and aren’t turned away from the lack of rotating side button, this may be a good option for you.
Specs
- 1.2-inch AMOLED display with 390 x 390 resolution, 326 ppi
- Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor
- 768 MB of RAM
- 4 GB of on-board storage
- 420 mAh battery
- 48.9 x 45 x 12.6 mm, 57 g
- IP68 dust and water resistance
Read more
Best Android Wear watch for fitness
Polar M600
Polar’s new M600 sport watch is by far the best Android Wear-powered fitness tracker on the market.
With a built-in GPS, IPX8 water resistance rating, optical heart rate monitor and 4 GB of on-board storage, the M600 is quite the feature-packed device. It also comes with support for Polar’s wonderful Flow app, allowing you to track just about any activity you can think of – rowing, skiing, hiking and much more. You’ll also be able to squeeze about two days of battery life out of this thing, which is impressive for an Android Wear watch.
It’s very pricey, though, starting at $329. You can certainly find Android Wear devices for less than that, but the M600 provides much more than other devices. If you’re in the market for a smartwatch/fitness tracker hybrid and don’t mind spending upwards of $300, look no further.
Specs
- 1.3-inch TFT display with 240 x 240 resolution, 260 ppi
- 1.2 GHz dual-core MediaTek MT2601 processor
- 512 MB of RAM
- 4 GB of on-board storage
- 500 mAh battery
- 45 x 36 x 13 mm, 63 g
- IPX8 water resistance
Read more
Related: Apple Watch vs Fitbit Blaze
Runner up
Moto 360 Sport
If you’re a fan of the second-generation Moto 360 but need something a bit more rugged, you should check out the Moto 360 Sport. It has basically the same internal specifications, plus GPS tracking capabilities. The battery on this device does suffer a bit with the GPS turned on, but that can easily be forgiven when taking into account the watch’s other great features. It has a killer AnyLight Hybrid display that makes it super easy to see outdoors, as well as an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance.
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All in all, this is the go-to Android Wear option if you need something to track your exercises. As of right now it only supports run tracking, but Motorola says more exercises will be added to the watch in the future. The Moto 360 Sport starts at $199.99 from Motorola’s website, but you can usually find it much cheaper on Amazon.
Specs
- 1.37-inch AnyLight Hybrid Display with 360 x 325 resolution, 263 ppi
- 1.2 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor
- 512 MB of RAM
- 4 GB of on-board storage
- 300 mAh battery
- 45 x 45 x 11.5 mm, 54g
- IP67 dust and water resistance
Read more
There you have it, our list of the best Android Wear devices on the market. Did we miss something? Be sure to tell us what you think in the comments below!
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