The best Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 alternatives

Time never stands still, and that’s especially true for the best smartwatches. Since moving to Wear OS, Samsung has been at the forefront of the wearable drive for Android smartphone owners, and the Galaxy Watch 6 is here to set a new benchmark. But what if you don’t like Samsung’s iterative update approach or you are an iPhone user? Read on for our list of the best Galaxy Watch 6 alternatives.

Garmin’s best smartwatch is the best Galaxy Watch 6 alternative you can buy. Despite its age, it remains a remarkably capable wearable that pairs with iPhones and Android smartphones. It blends Garmin’s usual solid build quality, a focus on health and fitness, and a handful of useful smart features into a balanced and capable wearable.

There’s plenty to like about this watch. As mentioned, Garmin built a solid yet understated wearable that should withstand the office, gym, and overgrown trail. There are two sizes to choose from, too, so all wrist sizes are welcome. Beyond its clean aesthetic, the Venu 2 Plus has a stacked list of unique fitness and wellness features. As detailed in our review, one of our favorites is Health Snapshot, which collates core health data over two minutes, like heart rate, heart rate variability, blood oxygen saturation, respiration rate, and stress levels, into a sheet you can share with your doctor. Other favorites like the Body Battery energy estimates and detailed sleep tracking heighten the watch’s appeal.

Despite the fitness slant, the Venu 2 Plus is the smartest watch in the Garmin stable. It features voice assistant support that supports Google Assistant, Siri, and others, while you can also take calls from your wrist. It remains the only watch in Garmin’s stable with a built-in ECG to monitor heart health.

This watch comes at a price, though. It’s pricier than the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic and the Apple Watch Series 8. You’ll also miss out on Samsung’s body composition features, the extensive Wear OS app library, and a more integrated device with Android. In our experience, the new smart features also weigh down battery life. Nevertheless, if you don’t mind the premium, the Venu 2 Plus remains the most balanced Galaxy Watch 6 alternative on the market.

The Apple Watch is the best smartwatch for those in Apple’s ecosystem. If you own an iPhone, the Galaxy Watch 6 is simply not an option. The Apple Watch Series 8 may not be the most exciting or adventurous choice, but it improves on previous models in small but meaningful ways.

The current model packs a more durable body and face, a built-in temperature sensor to improve fertility tracking, and the same launch price as its predecessors. The usual health features, like a built-in ECG, SpO2 tracking, and a reliable heart rate monitor, make it an ideal wearable for improving and monitoring wellness. We’ve seen Apple pay special attention to sleep tracking and workout management in recent years, and watchOS 10 brings welcome changes too. A new UI makes finding and absorbing relevant information easier when required, while mental health is getting a dedicated space within the Health app. Overall, the OS feels slick and swift.

Of course, even the best devices make compromises. The Apple Watch Series 8 is a no-go for Android smartphone users. Even with low power mode, we still desire more battery life than the Series 8 is willing to give. Its lack of customization options, and a small selection of new watch faces, will leave many who value a personal touch wanting a little more.

At $399, it’s $100 pricier than the Galaxy Watch 6 but on par with the Classic model. However, the price shouldn’t perturb you if you’re already a member of Apple’s walled garden club.

The Google Pixel Watch is far from perfect, but it is the best Galaxy Watch 6 alternative for Pixel smartphone owners. It comes with the benefit of Google’s backing, a clean software experience, Fitbit fitness tracking, and unique aesthetic traits.

Speaking of that aesthetic, the Pixel Watch looks like nothing else on the market. Its smooth pebble-like face stands out on the wrist, although it may be too reflective for some. Google uses a proprietary band system that makes removing and replacing bands an absolute chore. Notably, the Pixel Watch only comes in one relatively small 41mm size. This makes it inadequate for those with larger wrists. Internally, the Pixel Watch isn’t powered by the most exciting or modern hardware. It employs an older Samsung chipset, but we never truly felt that this was a performance issue throughout our usage. We rarely encountered graphical hitches while using the crown to gloss through menus. The clean implementation of Wear OS also aids that.

For fitness fiends, Google ropes in Fitbit’s feature set. Heart rate monitoring, blood oxygen monitoring, and sleep tracking are all handled through familiar Fitbit processes and the Fitbit app. While not marketed as a serious workout watch, we found the Pixel Watch’s GPS performance and tracking sensors are reliable and accurate.

As you may have gathered from our initial gripes, the Pixel Watch isn’t perfect. Google’s first smartwatch leaves us wanting in the battery department. As noted in our review, heavy users will struggle to go 18 hours without reaching for the charger. This has improved since the Pixel Watch’s first days, but the experience remains inferior to the Galaxy Watch 6. Additionally, while its curved glass face is gorgeous, we wouldn’t recommend using the watch without some degree of protection.

At $329, it’s slightly pricier than the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6, but it stands out as something unique in the smartwatch world.

Garmin’s square smartwatch offers excellent value to those looking for a cheaper companion. While the Venu Sq 2 targets the Apple Watch SE 2, we think it also makes a great Galaxy Watch 6 alternative.

The sequel builds on what was an already solid platform. It packs a bright, square AMOLED screen that’s highly legible in all conditions. Despite this change, we also see a nice battery bump. As noted in our Venu Sq 2 review, the watch can now go over a week between charges, even with heavy use. And you’ll want to use it frequently — an accurate GPS and an upgraded heart rate sensor make the Venu Sq 2 a surprisingly good gym companion. All the famous Garmin features are present, too, including Body Battery and Health Snapshot. As far as smart features go, you’ll find a modest selection. The essentials are all here, including text responses, Garmin’s LiveTrack and incident detection features, and a modest array of apps. However, don’t expect deep integration with Android here. As a positive, iPhone users can also grab a Venu Sq 2.

There are some silly omissions from Garmin, though. If you value onboard music storage, you must pay an extra $50 for that privilege. It’s ridiculous that this is still a pay-to-win feature on Garmin watches. Fitness-minded folk will be disappointed by the lack of an altimeter, which instantly makes this watch less appealing to weekend hikers or high-rise dwellers.

At $249, the Garmin Venu 2 Sq is pricier than its predecessor but still undercuts the Galaxy Watch 6 by $50. If you don’t need all the trappings provided by Samsung or the Venu 2 Plus, you’ll be well looked after by this modest understudy.

The Fitbit Versa 3 may be getting long in the tooth, but we billed it as one of the best Fitbit smartwatches when it launched. In 2023, it’s still a great option for budget buyers.

There’s a lot to love about the Versa 3. It’s a compact smartwatch that’s comfortable to wear and easy to use. Although we’re not huge fans of the inductive home button, we like how the AMOLED screen pops in all lighting conditions and is particularly useful during outdoor workouts. Speaking of breaking a sweat, the Versa 3 covers all the essential health-tracking metrics, from heart rate tracking to blood oxygen monitoring. Premium subscribers also benefit from a Daily Readiness score, which advises how hard to train on a given day. As for smart features, the Versa 3 bests its successor, with support for third-party apps, the option to use  Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant companions, and the ability to take calls over Bluetooth. All this is backed by a stellar battery that can ensure up to four days between charges.

Not all is gold, though. As mentioned, Fitbit Premium users get a more detailed history of metrics and a few unique features. These are unavailable to general users, diminishing the Versa 3’s budget appeal. The third-party app library is also nothing to write home about. Additionally, now that Google has the Pixel Watch in its purview, we’re unlikely to see any active development of the existing Fitbit OS platform.

You can now regularly snag a Versa 3 for under $200, making it a much cheaper alternative to the Galaxy Watch 6. Shedding those digits also sheds smart features, but if fitness tracking on a budget is your core use case, you can’t go wrong with the Versa 3.