Best smartwatch: the top smartwatches you can buy in 2017

The smartwatch is the ultimate smartphone accessory. It can tell the time, of course, but it can also beam important notifications straight to your wrist, and run native apps.

What's more impressive is that many of today's best models can also perform a ton of novel tricks, such as enabling you to search the internet with your voice, tracking your exercise with GPS, and letting you check-out at the grocery store without reaching for your wallet.

Oh – and they look absolutely stunning to boot. If you're thinking that a smartwatch is a pointlessly geeky accessory... think again. These choices are well-made, powerful and can genuinely make you fitter through some smart nudges.

Feeling active? Check out our Best Fitness Trackers

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Choosing the smartwatch that's right for you isn't easy, but we hope to make the exciting process of getting paired up with your next (or first!) smartwatch as simple as possible.

Looking for something running Google's OS? Here's our best Android Wear smartwatch round-up

1. Apple Watch 3

A better connection with the world's best smartwatch

Brilliant fitness tracking

Non-LTE version much better value

LTE is unnecessary expense

Battery too short for sleep tracking

The Apple Watch 3 (or Apple Watch Series 3, if we're being picky) is the best smartwatch you can buy right now. Yes, it's essentially just the Apple Watch 2 frame with some new innards... but they make a big difference.

The LTE connection is the headline event, although that's not really as useful as some might hope - plus it costs a lot more to use, and drains the battery.

What we like is the non-LTE version, which is a lot cheaper, and offers all the smarts of the Watch 2 but with a longer battery life and faster speeds when flicking through - that's the right kind of upgrade on the best smartwatch in the world, in our opinion.

It's still water-resistant so you can swim about when using it nor worry about getting it wet in the rain when you're out for a jog.

There's GPS onboard to make running that little bit easier plus it comes running the top watchOS 4 software.

Read the full review: Apple Watch 3

2. ZTE Quartz

A generic Android Wear watch with an insanely low price

Sublime price

Large battery

Generic, clunky design

No heart rate monitor

Don't get too excited about this watch unless you live in the US: it's only available there and exclusive to T-Mobile.

If you do live in the States, get very excited about the fact you can own this watch for just $96, which is a - frankly - ridiculous price.

Yes, it lacks a heart rate monitor and some of the design and software flourishes that would make it a superb smartwatch, but for the price this is simply a must-buy (if you can).

Read the full review: ZTE Quartz review

3. LG Watch Style

The thinnest Android Wear smartwatch yet

Devilishly good-looking

Well-priced

Disappointing battery life

Lacks NFC and broader connectivity

The LG Watch Style (built in collaboration with Google) offers everything that's to love from the best Android Wear smartwatches, ditches the dreaded flat tire, then fills in the gap with cool, useful features and a whole lot of… style.

Roll that all up and you're left with an extremely alluring presentation that makes a mighty strong argument for Google's wearable platform. But there are some familiar wrinkles here.

Battery life is still a low point, and, as independent as Android Wear 2.0 claims to be, Google is still in the early days of filling the new Play Store with compatible apps that are enticing enough to bother with aside from its own.

The Style's appeal lies more in what it will be soon, rather than what it is at launch.

That said, it’s easy to express why the Style is the only smartwatch we want to put on our wrists. For a recently-lowered price, it offers just as much utility as prior smartwatch attempts, but ups the ante with a slim, dashing design and several welcome features, like the voice-activated Google Assistant and a refreshed user interface that's full of clever tweaks.

Read the full review: LG Watch Style

4. Samsung Gear S3

Samsung's latest goes big against Apple - literally

Intuitive interface

Great activity tracking

Very large on wrist

Severe lack of apps

Despite a serious lack of original apps, the Samsung Gear S3 is one of the best smartwatch options on the market.

The intuitive controls and Super AMOLED screen from the Samsung Gear S2 are back in full form here. Plus, GPS makes its full debut on the Gear S3.

While its look is more executive than the Gear S2, it rocks a IP68-protected build and can last up to 3 days of use before needing a charge - that's some of the best battery life we've seen on a smartwatch.

Samsung recently made the Gear S3 (and Gear S2, for that matter) compatible on iOS too, so if you're looking for a more traditional-looking alternative to the Apple Watch, you may have found your match.

Read the full review: Samsung Gear S3

5. LG Watch Sport

Google's Android phone on your wrist

Calls and data without a phone

Offers strength training

Battery life falls short

Standalone apps still coming

LG Watch Sport would be the smartwatch to beat right now, because it's a full-featured fitness tracker wrapped in a smartwatch running Android Wear 2.0.

While other smartwatches can do "fitness tracking" that just amounts to logging runs and calories burned, this watch tracks your all-important strength training, too.

However, despite supporting an LTE connection ( so if you pop a SIM card into the back of the watch, it can make and receive calls and data – without your smartwatch nearby) it's been limited to US-only availability.

It doesn't have the best battery life, despite its bigger-than-normal size, and apps are still being announced for Google's newly refreshed platform. But it's a nice step forward for Android Wear and smartwatches in general.

Read the full review: LG Watch Sport

6. Asus ZenWatch 3

ZenWatch grows up with its third iteration

Gorgeous display

Excellent battery life

Lacks heart rate sensor, NFC, GPS

Proprietary straps

If you’re in the market for an Android Wear smartwatch, the Asus ZenWatch 3 should be one to think about. It has a great display, useful hardware buttons and good battery life. And although it has been slow to adopt Android Wear 2.0, the long-awaited update is finally available.

It’s styling might not be for everyone, and it's lacking in a few sensors, but Asus did a commendable job designing a watch that looks more like a premium watch than a piece of lifeless technology.

Read the full review: Asus ZenWatch 3

7. Fitbit Ionic

The fitness brand makes a big smartwatch play

Bright display

Variety of fitness options

Slow interface

Severe lack of apps

The Fitbit Ionic was always going to be a tough move for the brand, trying to enter the world of smartwatches from fitness bands.

The effort succeeds in some places: namely fitness, as you might imagine, where you can track all manner of things, from running to weight lifting to swimming. There's also dedicated bodyweight coaching sessions in there, and you can pay for items on the go using Fitbit Pay.

Where it lacks is the price - it's expensive, and the amount you can do with it compared to other smartwatches is limited. However, if you're a Fitbit fan looking to do more with the a band, this is a nice option.

Read the full review: Fitbit Ionic review

8. Apple Watch 2

Fitness takes over the Apple Watch

Water-resistant

GPS onboard

Expensive

Lack of useful apps

The Apple Watch 2 was the best smartwatch around - until it got replaced. It's water-resistant, which means it's more durable than most of the other devices on this list and you won't have to worry about getting it wet in the rain when you're out for a jog.

There's GPS onboard to make running that little bit easier plus it comes running the newest watchOS 3 software. Design wise it's looking very similar to the original Apple Watch. It's no longer as expensive as it once was, either.

The downside is that stocks are starting to get severely limited as Apple has discontinued it on its wooden shelves - so you'll need to pick one up sharpish if you're looking for a good alternative to the Apple Watch 3.

Read the full review: Apple Watch 2

9. Moto 360 (2nd Gen)

Moto's smartwatch is still a thing of beauty

Beautiful design

Improved performance

Battery life remains suspect

Flat tire bezel is back

The second generation oto 360 certainly gets our vote as one of the best smartwatches when it comes to the design - and it's also one of the most comfortable wearables around.

The new size options give the Moto 360 the extra reach it needed the first time around. That, and the new-found comfortable fit (along with the added customization to the design), brings it all together as one of the best smartwatches of 2016, and still a strong option in 2017.

Read the full review: Moto 360

10. Apple Watch

The iPhone-tailored smartwatch is expensive, but convenient

Stylish design

Clever interface

Lacks GPS

Battery life is one day

Still on sale as the 'budget' Apple Watch, this device is still well worth a look.

OK, it doesn't have the water resistance, LTE connectivity or GPS of the top Apple Watch 3, but it also doesn't have the price.

Being able to check when you've got a message, or see who's calling and be able to make snap decisions, still is possible here and great when you're exercising or in another situation where grabbing your phone isn't practical.

The new enhancements from Apple's watchOS 4 really do help this smartwatch leap forward, even if the hardware is years old now. It's now faster, more usable and comes with watch faces that make it feel more personal.

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