Apple Watch is your iPhone’s best friend. It has been the talk of tech world for quite some time. But it is not the only choice for you. You might want to try other smartwatches for some reasons. Maybe your job doesn’t allow it, maybe you are planning to be in adverse conditions and don’t want to break it, perhaps your Apple Watch is already broken, or perhaps you’d rather not fork over hundreds of dollars and you need Apple Watch alternatives.
Whatever the situation, we have some of the best Apple Watch alternatives for you. Keep reading this article to find out the best Apple Watch alternatives when it is impossible for you to wear your Apple Watch.
The Best Apple Watch Alternatives
1. Motorola Moto 360
If you want a good-looking smartwatch running Google’s Wear OS (formerly Android Wear) software, the Moto 360 is one of your strongest choices. In a sea of smartwatches with rectangular displays, the 360 stands out for its 1.65-inch circular display. The display also features an analog watch face. Therefore it looks more like a timepiece than a piece of technology strapped to your wrist. But unlike a regular watch, the 360 brings you Google Now alerts and smartphone notifications including SMS and email.
2. One of the Other Apple Watch Alternatives Is “LG G Watch R”
Like the Moto 360, this watch offers a round display, and its 320 x 320 resolution makes it one of the better smartwatch screens so far. Apart from that, you get the benefits of the Wear OS operating system, including at-a-glance alerts via Google Now and turn-by-turn directions. The LG G Watch R also features a heart rate monitor for fitness tracking.
While the LG G Watch R is a great choice, the LG G Watch Urbane could also be worth a look, especially if you want a more refined design. Unlike the G Watch R, this smartwatch comes in a gold or silver steel body with a stitched leather band. Most of the specs are the same as the LG G Watch R, however.
3. Samsung Gear Fit
If you own a Samsung smartphone and want a smartwatch that can double as a fitness tracker, check out the Gear Fit. This wearable tracks steps as well as monitoring your heartbeat, with various modes made for walking, running, hiking and cycling. The Fit also offers coaching advice to motivate you while working out. It is not the most advanced smartwatch, and it doesn’t offer the benefits of Wear OS, but it is a good value for fitness buffs.
4. Pedometere ++
Apple users might not want to buy a new sports tracker, especially if it doesn’t fall somewhere within the Apple ecosystem.
If you just want to track your steps and your Apple Watch is out of action, you could try and download a pedometer for your iPhone.
There are lots of pedometer apps in the store, but Pedometer++ is one of the most popular. You can use it to track your daily and weekly step counts. The app can also work out your calories burned, and distance walked.
The data is viewable via the Today View widget on iOS, or through your Apple Watch once you are wearing it again.
Lastly, Pedometer++ integrates with Apple’s Health app for those who want to use it.
5. “Mi Band 3” Is One of the Best Apple Watch Alternatives
If your main use case for an Apple Watch is sports tracking, the Mi Band 3 is a cheaper and more lightweight alternative.
The device doesn’t skimp on features. It offers heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, a step counter, and a selection of pre-set sports. You can also create your own custom activities. Away from tracking, the Mi Band 3 has several useful features for sports and exercise fanatics, including a stopwatch and weather forecasts.
6. Pebble Steel
To get an Apple Watch with a stainless steel case, you will have to shell out $549. Luckily, you can get a business-appropriate smartwatch for less. Going for about $199 on Amazon as of this article’s latest update, the Pebble Steel is a dressier version of the original Kickstarter-launched Pebble smartwatch, and it works with both Android and iOS devices. You can choose from a black or gray leather band, or spend $20 extra to upgrade to a stainless steel band. You need to keep in mind that there is no color display.
7. Moov HR Sweat
Who says that the best sports trackers even need to be worn on your wrist? If you are lifting weights in the gym, that might not be practical.
Some companies are offering alternative solutions. One such solution is the Moov HR Sweat. It’s a sports tracker that you wear as a headband.
The headband can perform EKG-level heart rate reading. That includes a way to measure the oxygen content of your blood from your temple, as well as a waveform representation of your heartbeat. According to the manufacturer, the readouts can match the accuracy of medical-grade equipment.
The Moov HR Sweat comes with an accompanying smartphone app on Android and iOS. It includes real-time coaching, heart rate training routines, and customizable workout programs.
8. “Garmin Fenix 5 Plus” Is One of the Other Apple Watch Alternatives
There are some outdoor sports to which the Apple Watch is not suited. The issue is most apparent if you are a long way off the beaten path. Actually, we are talking about hiking, backpacking, skiing, diving, and so on.
If you are planning to do some serious adventuring, we recommend the Garmin Fenix 5 Plus. The GPS watch offers everything from colored topographical maps to contactless payments. There is also a step counter, heart rate monitor, a Find My Phone tool, and waterproof protection for up to 10 Atmospheres—that is roughly 330 feet (100 meters) of depth.
Non-fitness apps include Spotify and Deezer; you just need to download them using the Garmin Connect companion app.
9. Jabra Sport Pulse
What about a pair of headphones that double as a sports tracker? After all, almost everyone who exercises already uses earbuds for music. You might as well kill two birds with one stone, right?
The Jabra Sport Pulse headphones come with a built-in heart rate monitor; it feeds data into the associated Jabra app. The app has an additional VO2 monitor to check your body’s ability to absorb oxygen, a race predictor, and a recovery advisor.
Audiophiles don’t need to worry either. As is so often the case with Jabra products, the audio output is rich, there is excellent passive noise cancellation, and the bass notes are clear.
10. FitBit Charge 3
The Charge 3 is primarily a sports activity tracker, though it has hints of a smartwatch too. From a fitness perspective, there’s continuous heart rate measurement and automatic sleep tracking, as well as the ever-important pedometer.
The device also has a new Automatic Exercise Recognition feature; it will sense when you begin a workout and start recording, thus saving you the time and frustration of pre-exercise setup.
Interestingly, the Charge 3 was Fitbit’s first waterproof sports tracker; it is finally safe for swimming.
The Bottom Line
Based on the aim you have and your needs, you can choose the best Apple Watch alternative which meets your needs. Hope this article was helpful for you. Share your experiences with any of these alternatives you have used and tell us the reason of your choice.
