Tried and tested: the best smartwatches on the market

The tech on your wrist now does a lot more than tell the time. These are five of the best new smartwatches for wrists of every age.

From seniors to sporty types, young folks to the upwardly connected, there’s a smartwatch for just about every wrist. These are five of the best new models.

SUUNTO 5 PEAK

This smart, sporty watch is surprisingly lightweight

$500, suunto.com

PROS

– Smaller, lighter form

– Tracks more than 80 sports

– Long battery life

CONS

– No touchscreen

– Black and white display

– No SpO2 feature

SPORTY smartwatches often take up a huge amount of space on your wrist, with chunky bodies to accommodate GPS chips, big batteries and lots of sensors. The latest mid-range creation from Suunto slims down so much it could be mistaken for a standard wristwatch. Despite its size, the Suunto 5 Peak tracks your pulse, your location, more than 80 sports, and will judge how fit you are. It doesn’t feature a touchscreen, though there are four buttons to navigate menus now, it will deliver alerts from your phone, and its battery will last for up to 10 days on a charge.

VERDICT: ★★★★

HUAWEI WATCH GT 3

A full-featured smartwatch with tricky software

$399-$499, consumer.huawei.com

PROS

– Stylish with a big screen

– Extended battery life

– Plenty of health sensors

CONS

– Difficult to connect

– Requires own app store

– No digital wallet

This stylish smartwatch — which looks a lot like a Samsung Galaxy Watch Active — packs in an impressive array of hardware. That includes a bright 1.43-inch AMOLED screen beneath curved glass, a metal crown, and the latest sensors to track your heart rate, measure your blood oxygen, and follow your outdoor activities. The watch also boasts between seven and 14 days’ battery life, depending on how you use it. The big downside of Huawei’s latest Watch is just how difficult it is to use with a Google Android or Apple phone. Users must download a new app store to get it connected at all.

VERDICT: ★★★

FOSSIL GEN 6

A stylish look for Google’s smartwatch software

$499-$529, fossil.com.au

PROS

– Fossil brings the style

– Tracks pulse, oxygen, sleep

– Fast operation and charging

CONS

– No 4G version

– Lacks an ECG monitor

– Limited battery life

A traditional watchmaker and a tech giant teamed up to create the Fossil Gen 6 smartwatch, giving it immaculate credentials. Fossil and Google appear to have worked harmoniously because the watch has a faster processor than the previous model, as well as a speaker and microphone to let you take calls on your wrist, and fitness sensors to track your heart rate and blood oxygen level. Google’s Wear OS software makes it easy to navigate menus and promises to deliver a sizeable update to this watch in the coming months. Surprisingly, it did recently added Amazon’s Alexa as an option in its menus.

VERDICT: ★★★★

SPACETALK LIFE

A simple smartwatch to keep seniors connected

$399, spacetalkwatch.com

PROS

– Calls, texts on wrist

– Can share location

– Dedicated SOS button

CONS

– Requires subscription

– Must bring own 4G SIM

– Stiff-sided band

A more stylish alternative to an emergency pendant, this smartwatch can help older users stay connected to their loved ones, take care of their daily tasks, track their steps, and call for help when they need it. The Australian made SpaceTalk Life smartwatch is one of few gadgets designed for seniors, and features fall detection, an SOS button to notify trusted contacts, and the ability to request the wearer’s location. Of course, it also works as a smartwatch and will deliver or place phone calls and text messages, as well as calendar reminders and alarms. Users must provide their own 4G SIM card, though, and the app costs $7.99 per month.

VERDICT: ★★★½

PIXBEE FIT

A smart wearable device for the young and active

$70, pixbee.com.au

PROS

– 16 sports modes

– Delivers medals

– Week-long battery

CONS

– Small display

– Not a touchscreen

– No 4G option

Designed for children as young as five years old, this smart wearable device can track their steps, their exercise, reward them for doing well, and deliver timely reminders. The fitness-focused device, which comes with an antibacterial watch strap, will track a child’s progress in 16 different sports, from football and climbing to tennis and dance, both counting steps and recording their heart rate. Virtual medals can be issued when they reach their activity goals, and parents can also customise reminders for things like drinking water and brushing their teeth in an accompanying app.

VERDICT: ★★★½

Originally published as Tried and tested: the best smartwatches on the market