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Android smartwatches seamlessly combine with smartphones working the Android working system to behave as an efficient extension of that system. They ship calls, e-mail, app, and textual content notifications, are simple to navigate, and supply quite a lot of well being and health monitoring instruments.
Our high decide is the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Professional. Though it really works finest with a Samsung telephone, this rugged wearable nonetheless affords the best Android smartwatch and health tracker expertise with a spread of trackable actions, an intuitive interface, and multi-day battery life. For a finances decide, we just like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4. It has comparable options because the Watch 5 Professional however prices far much less.
For essentially the most real Android smartwatch expertise, go for a mannequin working WearOS, like Samsung’s Galaxy Watch or Google’s Pixel Watch. Whereas others on this information do work with Android smartphones, just like the Fitbit Sense 2, they use an working system that runs on each Android and iOS.
Prime picks for the most effective Android smartwatches
Greatest total: Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Professional – See at Amazon
Greatest Fitbit: Fitbit Sense 2 – See at Amazon
Greatest for Pixel customers: Google Pixel Watch – See at Greatest Purchase
Greatest with bezel: Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Basic – See at Amazon
Greatest finances: Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 – See at Samsung
Greatest battery life: Fitbit Encourage 3 – See at Amazon
Greatest for runners: Garmin Forerunner 745 – See at Amazon
Greatest for out of doors adventures: Garmin Forerunner 935 – See at Amazon
Greatest total
Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 5 Professional is the most effective health tracker for Android customers because of its multi-day battery life, an intuitive working system in WearOS, and all kinds of superior well being and health monitoring.
Samsung’s Galaxy Watch lineup has been among the many finest Android smartwatches for years, and its newest launch, the Watch 5 Professional, locations it proper on the high of the business. With multi-day battery life, correct exercise monitoring, and distinctive insights comparable to physique composition information and sleep evaluation, it is the right mixture of each a smartwatch and a well being and health tracker for the Android consumer.
Design-wise, the Watch 5 Professional has a spherical watch face and a 1.36-inch touchscreen show that gives tons of viewable information. With the best watch face, you can have every little thing from the week’s upcoming climate forecast and the dawn/sundown schedule to your day by day steps, burned energy, and exercise shortcuts displayed. It is also appropriate with quite a lot of the most effective Samsung Galaxy Watch bands.
As a smartwatch, the Watch 5 Professional is great. It makes use of Google’s WearOS working system which features seamlessly. It will get app notifications, textual content alerts, emails, and telephone calls, and is straightforward to navigate.
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Health-focused people will admire the number of actions it tracks, together with frequent issues like working and biking, in addition to superior sports activities like snowboarding, mountain climbing, or path working. It even has a helpful track-back choice that works like a digital breadcrumb function that exhibits your actual route by way of, say, a forested space. Nonetheless, this solely works with mountain climbing and biking, which is disappointing as it might be nice for runners, too.
One of many Watch 5 Professional’s finest options is its well being monitoring. It has every little thing from in-depth sleep monitoring, which displays sleep patterns and habits, to a physique composition app that charts issues like physique fats share and muscle mass.
There’s one minor caveat, nonetheless: the watch’s total expertise is much better on a Samsung telephone than on one thing just like the Google Pixel. It is not a dealbreaker however some options, just like the ECG app that tracks coronary heart rhythms, aren’t appropriate with something apart from a Samsung telephone.
Regardless of these points, Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 5 Professional is the most effective Android smartwatch for nearly any consumer. It excels as a smartwatch, has strong fitness-tracking functionality, and affords distinctive well being insights. That is nearly as good because it will get on Android.
Learn our full evaluation of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Professional.
Greatest Fitbit
Fitbit’s Sense 2 combines the model’s superior well being and health options with respectable smartwatch functionality, distinctive sleep monitoring, and a clear design paying homage to the Apple Watch.
Fitbit’s Sense 2 is every little thing you need in a reliable health tracker. It is appropriate with a number of trackable actions, gives distinctive insights into your health habits, displays your sleep, stress, and menstrual cycles, and has a built-in GPS. It even has a battery that lasts upward of 5 to 6 days.
We discovered it to be some of the correct health trackers we have worn, particularly how rapidly it synced its GPS earlier than an exercise. Inside seconds, the watch discovered a GPS sign and we have been prepared to start out monitoring our exercise. It additionally has an interface that is simple to navigate, which is particularly useful for first-time Fitbit wearers or these new to health trackers.
The Sense 2 has a number of useful well being and wellness instruments, too. This features a pores and skin temperature sensor, coronary heart rhythm (ECG) readings, and Fitbit’s new real-time stress tracker. Stress monitoring was particularly fascinating throughout our exams as we appreciated how properly it charted our stress ranges whereas providing helpful suggestions on methods to decrease them.
One space the place the Sense 2 does not impress is its smartwatch functionality. It is technically considered one of Fitbit’s “smartwatches” nevertheless it does not precisely stay as much as that billing. As an illustration, there is not any third-party app assist accessible, which is a irritating determination by Fitbit, nor does it enable entry to instruments like Google Assistant (regardless of Google being the mother or father firm). It additionally will not retailer or play music.
Though some could take into account these drawbacks, we do not see them as a motive to not purchase the Sense 2. It is an satisfactory smartwatch that also will get notifications like calls, texts, and emails, however its strengths lie in its well being and health monitoring. For these searching for a fitness-first smartwatch, the Sense 2 is the most effective Android smartwatch to purchase (and top-of-the-line Fitbits total, too).
Learn our full evaluation of the Fitbit Sense 2.
Greatest for Pixel customers
Google’s Pixel Watch is a superb smartwatch that is light-weight, fluid and intuitive to make use of, and has a modern, basic design.
The Google Pixel Watch expertise is an fascinating one. On the one hand, it is the most effective pure smartwatch for Android customers with an easy-to-navigate interface, vast app compatibility, and the power to reply texts, emails, and telephone calls.
However as a health tracker, it is terrible. That is particularly disappointing since Google is now the mother or father firm of the health wearable model, Fitbit. Regardless of that, the Pixel Watch is slowed down by connectivity points, syncing issues, and poor GPS monitoring.
And whereas these could also be deal breakers for fitness-focused people, there is not any denying it is nonetheless a powerful smartwatch. Its working system, WearOS, delivers a seamless expertise between the accessible apps you’ll be able to entry, no matter notifications you would possibly obtain, and its sensible options like Google Assistant, Google Maps, and Google Pockets.
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These options enable it to fulfill the one main requirement of a smartwatch: to be an efficient extension of your smartphone. With the Google Pixel Watch, something you need to do in your telephone, you are able to do in your wrist. Plus, it is appropriate with quite a lot of the most effective Google Pixel Watch bands, so it will probably match anybody’s private model.
Not everybody searching for a wearable wants one thing able to monitoring their exercises and as an alternative simply desires it to function their telephone away from their telephone. The Google Pixel Watch is strictly that, and for Android customers, it is the most effective smartwatch they will purchase.
Learn our full evaluation of the Google Pixel Watch.
Greatest with bezel
Samsung’s newest smartwatch, the Watch 6 Basic, brings again the rotating bezel from the Watch 4 line, and it makes navigating the superb Put on OS 4 working system that a lot smoother and simpler. Proper now it’s on sale for the primary time — simply clip the on-page coupon to deliver it right down to solely $300.
Samsung’s newest Galaxy Watch, the Watch 6 Basic, retains the excessive bar set by earlier generations, even when it does not push the road ahead in any main means. However regardless of its minimal new additions, the expertise of utilizing the Watch 6 Basic continues to be a extremely premium one, making it not simply top-of-the-line Android smartwatches you should buy however top-of-the-line smartwatches, too.
Essentially the most notable replace on the Watch 6 Basic is the return of the rotating bezel, a function final seen on the Watch 4. As a substitute of counting on the watch’s touchscreen to scroll its interface, the rotating bezel permits simple navigation. I discovered it to be particularly helpful whereas understanding the place spinning the dial was extra manageable, and faster, than making an attempt to swipe the display screen.
The Watch 6 Basic additionally has spectacular battery life that I constantly received nearly two days out of, relying on how typically I used the built-in GPS. I at all times received a full day and evening of battery, although generally I wanted to recharge the watch the next afternoon. It is a welcome improve over the Watch 5, although it’s nonetheless a bit shorter than the multi-day battery lifetime of the Watch 5 Professional.
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Past these upgrades, the Watch 6 Basic is very just like the Watch 5 era earlier than it. It has a deep providing of well being and wellness options, together with sleep monitoring, a physique composition analyzer, and stress degree monitoring.
The 2 well being options I used most have been the physique composition analyzer and the stress tracker. With the physique composition analyzer, the watch supplied real-time readings of my physique fats share, BMI, and muscle mass which I used to chart my total health progress. The Watch 5 Professional additionally supplied this, so I had a baseline of data (and present information) to match to and it functioned the identical.
I discovered the stress tracker to be a useful function, too, primarily as a result of it is fascinating to see when the watch would say I had greater stress ranges and after I did not. This had a constructive influence on my day-to-day as I might implement among the suggestions for reducing my stress and located them to work.
The Watch 6 Basic does severely lack as a health tracker, although, and its inaccurate GPS makes it troublesome to advocate to extra lively customers. Not solely would it not take upwards of a minute to sync a GPS connection however its distance- and pace-tracking have been off by vital margins. These searching for a high quality health tracker expertise ought to as an alternative go for the Watch 5 Professional.
Design-wise, the Watch 6 Basic is a classy smartwatch that I totally get pleasure from carrying. Its huge watch face may be too giant for folk with smaller wrists however I appreciated how a lot information I might show on it. Its brilliant watch face makes it simple to rapidly reference the display screen or inform the time.
Total, it appears, feels, and features like a premium wearable and whereas it could not fulfill these searching for a dependable health tracker, it is a superb smartwatch. Its compatibility with quite a lot of the most effective Samsung Galaxy Watch bands is a pleasant function, too.
Learn our full evaluation of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Basic.
Greatest finances
Samsung’s Galaxy Watch4 could also be a last-generation smartwatch nevertheless it’s nonetheless top-of-the-line in the marketplace, and now that it is accessible at a lower cost, it is an incredible finances choice for Android customers.
After we first reviewed the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, we could not assist however discover that it was the closest factor to an Apple Look ahead to Android customers. A 12 months later, that sentiment goes to the following era Watch 5 Professional however the Watch 4 continues to be a powerful wearable — solely now, it prices far lower than when it was launched.
The discharge of the Galaxy Watch 4 was Samsung’s first go together with using WearOS because the watch’s working system, because it determined to go away from the in-house interface, Tizen OS. The change paid off in spades as WearOS pairs completely with the Watch 4. Navigation is fluid, notifications will be totally personalized, and there is a vast collection of downloadable apps (because of Google Play Retailer entry).
Different highlights of the watch embody its in depth well being and health functionality. It tracks actions, like working, biking, and mountain climbing, and we discovered the syncing and monitoring functionality to be on par with among the finest health trackers.
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We particularly like its in-depth sleep monitoring which displays sleep patterns and will help flip dangerous habits into good ones. Its physique measurement options are additionally distinctive because it analyzes your physique weight, muscle mass, and water weight to provide you an thought of your total physique composition.
All of this equates to the Watch 4 being top-of-the-line Android smartwatches. In fact, there are nonetheless a number of drawbacks, most notable of which is its watered-down expertise on something apart from a Samsung telephone as some options, just like the ECG app, aren’t accessible. We do not see this as a complete deal breaker however customers of different telephones, just like the Google Pixel, ought to take into account this earlier than buying.
At lower than $170 by way of Amazon, the Watch 4 is not simply at its lowest value because it was launched, nevertheless it’s the most affordable we have seen a smartwatch of this high quality. You are hardly ever capable of finding a premium full-featured wearable like this for $200. The truth that it is lower than that simply makes it the most effective finances Android smartwatch in the marketplace.
Learn our full evaluation of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4.
Greatest battery life
The Encourage 3 could also be considered one of Fitbit’s most simple watches nevertheless it nonetheless packs a robust fitness-tracking punch with tons of trackable actions, superior well being options like pores and skin temperature sensing, and a cushty, light-weight design.
Fitbit’s Encourage 3 is among the model’s most simple wearables nevertheless it’s nonetheless a powerful exercise tracker for Android customers (and top-of-the-line Fitbits you should buy). It affords a spread of well being and health monitoring insights, a no-frills interface, and superior options like pores and skin temperature sensing and in-depth sleep monitoring.
However what makes the Encourage 3 such an incredible tracker is how anybody from newbies to knowledgeable customers will likely be happy utilizing it. Navigating the watch is intuitive sufficient for first-time wearers whereas the wide range of trackable actions and helpful well being metrics give it attraction to these accustomed to health trackers. It is appropriate with a spread of the most effective Fitbit Encourage 3 bands, too, so customers have much more methods to customise their wearable.
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At lower than $100, it is a hell of a cut price, too. What’s particularly nice about its low value is that the Encourage 3 is the newest era of the Encourage line, which means it is essentially the most present and up to date model but.
The watch does include a number of drawbacks, although. Absent is built-in GPS, in addition to the power to obtain further apps. Though the shortage of apps is not an enormous draw back, not having GPS is, particularly for hardcore athletes who need actual timing and monitoring for actions. Throughout our exams, we did discover that whenever you sync GPS by way of a companion telephone, the monitoring labored properly. However meaning you do need to tote your telephone alongside.
These cons apart, the Encourage 3 continues to be a robust exercise tracker in a small, budget-friendly kind issue. For Android customers searching for one thing primary, making an attempt out a health tracker for the primary time, or who simply need one thing easy and simple to make use of, the Encourage 3 is the most effective Android smartwatch in the marketplace.
Learn our full evaluation of the Fitbit Encourage 3.
Greatest for runners
The Forerunner 745 is the right illustration of the facility of Garmin’s ecosystem, providing wearers fine-tuned exercise suggestions and priceless health perception in an easy-to-use bundle.
The Garmin Forerunner 745 is not simply the most effective working look ahead to Android customers, it additionally occurs to be top-of-the-line working watches, interval. It is that good. Garmin’s made its title on manufacturing highly effective sports activities wearables, and the 745 is the newest in a protracted line of triumphs from the model.
What makes the 745 so good is not only its correct monitoring capabilities and easy-to-navigate interface (however, these are wonderful). What makes it stand out from the competitors is its distinctive strategy to exercise suggestions and deal with relaxation and restoration, two very important features of an efficient exercise routine.
For the exercise suggestions, the watch requires a 10-day monitoring interval to evaluate your day-to-day exercise and efficiency. As soon as these 10 days are up, it adapts its suggestions to your particular exercise wants. In the future it may need you pump up the mileage and go for a several-mile long term whereas one other might even see that you just want extra relaxation and dial the day’s exercise right down to a restoration jog.
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No matter it recommends, it does so in lockstep with its relaxation and restoration insights. In different phrases, the watch is not simply going to run you into the bottom however slightly, it takes a considerate strategy to giving your physique the time to correctly get well between strenuous exercises.
The 745 seems like having a private coach proper in your wrist with all these options lively. In fact, you do not have to do the day by day exercises however they do show worthwhile for anybody stumped about what to do on a sure day, or those that need to take the guesswork out of tips on how to practice for a race or occasion.
Different highlights of the 745 embody a cushty, light-weight design that will not weigh heavy in your wrist, even throughout lengthy runs, in addition to a big, colourful show. The large show does are likely to look slightly giant on people with smaller wrists, nevertheless it’s particularly helpful in the midst of a run to simply see your coaching stats with out having to squint or cease working.
Then there’s the battery life, which Garmin claims lasts as much as six days on a single cost. We discovered this to be largely true throughout our exams, as it might final each just a little longer and just a little shorter than that estimation relying on how closely we used it every day.
For constant runners, the Garmin Forerunner 745 is the most effective Android smartwatch to purchase.
Learn our full evaluation of the Garmin Forerunner 745.
Greatest for out of doors adventures
The Garmin Forerunner 935 has extremely correct GPS monitoring, all kinds of trackable out of doors actions, and an intuitive interface, making it the most effective out of doors look ahead to Android customers.
Just like the Forerunner 745 above, the Forerunner 935 is considered one of Garmin’s finest wearables. And for the outdoorsy Android consumer, it is the finest.
The 935 is appropriate with a variety of trackable out of doors actions comparable to mountain climbing, path working, snowboarding, and snowboarding, to call a number of, and might even observe your journeys by way of its built-in GPS (which is a must have for these venturing into the backcountry). It is also extremely correct, each when it comes to monitoring and GPS syncing.
Though the watch itself is on the medium to giant finish of the wearable spectrum, it is extremely light-weight and comes with a cushty rubber band that feels good in opposition to the pores and skin. The watch’s face options tempered, scratch-resistant glass, in addition to a sturdy, stainless-steel bezel.
Garmin
However the place the watch really shines is how Garmin’s interface features with the actions it tracks. The monitoring screens present every little thing from coronary heart fee and distance traveled, to coaching standing, coronary heart fee variability, and whole coaching load. In different phrases, you may have every little thing you’d ever want proper there in your wrist.
We did have one nitpick with the watch: its battery does not final for much longer than a single day, particularly should you’re counting on GPS and coronary heart fee monitoring for lengthy intervals. This is not a problem for many who return house every evening however this might pose an issue for anybody out on a backpacking journey or who forgot their charger.
Nonetheless, the Forerunner 935 is a full-featured watch that is the most effective Android smartwatch for out of doors fans.
Learn our full evaluation of the Garmin Forerunner 935.
How we check Android smartwatches
To compile this information, we in contrast the most effective Android smartwatches throughout quite a lot of classes together with issues like match & consolation, options, battery life, ease of use, accuracy, and compatibility. Here is how every class factored into which watches made the information:
Match & consolation: Testing this was a simple evaluation of how properly the watch felt on-wrist whereas carrying it usually all through the day, in addition to throughout exercises. We additionally checked out how simple it was to dial in the best match with regardless of the clasp system was.
Options: Merely put, what are all of the options native to a sure Android smartwatch? We checked out what sorts of apps have been natively accessible proper out of the field, in addition to what was accessible by way of an app retailer like Google Play. We additionally assessed how properly these options elevated the general expertise.
Battery life: Battery life is among the most essential features of a smartwatch and might dictate which watch is finest for a sure consumer. If a fitness-focused watch has a tough time getting by way of simply at some point on a single cost, then that watch will not be good for one thing continuously utilizing GPS or the center fee monitor. Charging a watch every single day is not a dealbreaker nevertheless it’s helpful to know what a watch affords and the way it impacts the general expertise.
Ease of use: Smartwatches ought to ideally not have a steep studying curve, and must be simple to navigate proper out of the field. In fact, not all working techniques are the identical, so there will likely be some variations from watch to look at. If a wearable is difficult to navigate, you are much less probably to make use of it.
Accuracy: Monitoring accuracy could make or break a smartwatch, particularly for folk who use it as a coaching software. Some are inherently higher than others however even small discrepancies in monitoring functionality could make a huge impact. We examined this by working a mile with every watch and evaluating the variations in time and distance.
Compatibility: Testing compatibility for Android smartwatches consisted of utilizing every watch with a number of Android smartphones. No single Android watch is totally appropriate with each single Android telephone, however some do operate higher on a competitor’s system with out a lot change to the general expertise. As an illustration, our high decide, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Professional, features finest on a Samsung telephone whereas the expertise on one thing just like the Google Pixel is watered-down.
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Earlier than buying a brand new Android smartwatch, it is essential to contemplate how you propose on utilizing it and which fashions suit your life-style finest. Right here are some things to remember whereas purchasing:
Fashion: One of the best smartwatches for Android are available a number of types suited to totally different customers. There are health tracker-type wearables just like the Sense 2 or Encourage 3 designed to operate finest throughout actions, after which there are watches just like the Google Pixel that evoke a extra conventional wristwatch design. Deciding which model most closely fits your life-style is a key issue when purchasing.
Battery life: Battery life estimates range wildly among the many finest Android smartwatches as some, just like the Google Pixel Watch, have to be recharged day by day. Others, just like the Fitbit Sense 2 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Professional, boast multi-day battery life and are sometimes higher for lively customers who could also be utilizing the built-in GPS all through the day or who journey typically.
Good options: Though each smartwatch comes with sensible options, some are smarter than others. Take the Fitbit Encourage 3, for instance. This watch affords primary smartwatch functionality together with name, textual content, e-mail, and app notifications however not a lot past that. In comparison with the Google Pixel which affords in-depth sensible options that enable customers to work together with the notifications, the Encourage 3 is leagues decrease.
Ecosystem: Every of the smartwatches on this information shares the Android ecosystem as a basis however all of them have a secondary ecosystem to remember. The Garmin Forerunners are appropriate with the Garmin Join App, the Sense 2 with Fitbit’s app (and Fitbit Premium), and the Watch 5 Professional with Samsung Well being. It is price researching companion apps to see what you favor.
Show: The show native to an Android smartwatch will be as interactive as what’s discovered on the Google Pixel Watch or as primary as what the Fitbit Encourage 3 affords. Your total expertise will change based mostly on a watch’s show, so it is essential to grasp what a watch affords and if that syncs along with your most popular smartwatch expertise.
FAQs
What’s the most effective Android smartwatch?
This is dependent upon your choice and the way you plan to make use of the watch. Some Android smartwatches are higher for fitness-focused customers, just like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Professional or Fitbit Sense 2.
For these searching for a real smartwatch expertise, one thing just like the Google Pixel Watch would fare higher (although it does come on the expense of its health monitoring capabilities as it is a poor exercise tracker).
It is essential to grasp how you plan to make use of the smartwatch to make the most effective buying determination.
Do all Android smartwatches work on any Android smartphone?
Sure and no. Whereas many of the finest Android smartwatches are appropriate with all fashions of Android smartphones, some ship a distinct total expertise.
As an illustration, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Professional features extra seamlessly on a Samsung smartphone than it does on one thing like a Google Pixel. Some app entry is proscribed whereas the companion apps used to customise the watch differ. Nonetheless, a watch just like the Google Pixel Watch features practically equally on the Google Pixel Telephone as on a Samsung telephone.
Can you utilize an Apple Watch with an Android smartphone?
No, the Apple Watch is barely appropriate with an iPhone working iOS. In contrast to wearables from manufacturers like Garmin or Fitbit, which work on each an iPhone and an Android telephone, the Apple Watch solely features on an iOS system.
Equally, the most effective Android smartwatches will not work on an iPhone and are solely appropriate with smartphones working the Android working system.
Do you want an Android smartphone to make use of these watches?
Sure. Though you do not technically want a smartphone to energy up a smartwatch, you will not be capable of unlock its full performance with out syncing it to a smartphone by way of Bluetooth.
With no telephone, a smartwatch would solely be capable of inform the time and carry out a number of of its primary features, like counting steps and what number of energy you’ve got burned. Nonetheless, you’d don’t have any means of accessing the amassed information with no system like a smartphone (or pill).
Can you utilize an iPhone with an Android smartwatch?
No. To get the complete performance out of an Android smartwatch, you may want to make use of an Android smartphone. Whereas nothing stops an iPhone consumer from carrying an Android smartwatch, they would not be capable of reap the benefits of its primary smartphone compatibility and would have an extremely watered-down expertise.
Do some Android smartwatches work higher with sure Android units?
The most typical compatibility concern Android smartwatches encounter is after they’re used with an Android system from a distinct model. As an illustration, Samsung’s Galaxy Watches lose some performance with used with a Google Pixel Telephone. The identical goes for utilizing a Google Pixel Watch with a Samsung Galaxy smartphone, although it isn’t as drastic.
When you can nonetheless use these watches with telephones from totally different manufacturers, it is best to make use of the identical Android system model with no matter Android smartwatch you purchase.
