Best Smartwatches for Samsung Galaxy S10 in 2020 – Buyer’s Guide

You probably remember the calculator watch and how smart you thought it was, blown away by how far technology can go, even though it was just a digital watch that had an extra calculator feature.

Your young self would be mesmerized by how smartwatches have become, with so many capabilities and functions that even exceed what the first mobile phones had to offer. And if you have a Samsung Galaxy S10, S10+ or S10e and you’re looking to pair it with a smartwatch, you’re looking in the right place.

Being able to receive and make phone calls, text messages, and make various voice commands to the smartwatch. With many other features like heart rate monitoring and sleep tracking, GPS, audio player, and many more.

We are going to take a look at some of the best smartwatches for Samsung Galaxy S10 and other models available right now, and what makes them perfect for you.

List of the Best Smartwatches for Galaxy S10:

1. Galaxy Watch Active 2 – Best Overall Smartwatch for S10
2. Samsung Galaxy Watch – Runner-Up
3. Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music – Best Value for the Money
4. Samsung Gear S3 – Best for Durability
5. Fossil Gen 5 – Most Lightweight
6. Fitbit Versa 2 – Best Design
7. TicWatch E2 – Best Budget Smartwatch for S10

Our Top Picks

The 7 Best Smartwatches for Samsung S10

Without any further ado, here are the best smartwatches for Samsung S10 that you can get today.

1. Galaxy Watch Active 2 – Best Overall

Samsung has been a fierce competitor for Apple in the last decade, making electronic devices with equally great designs and huge capabilities, and with a lower price than Apple’s products. In the same manner, Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 is the nearest you will get to the technology of an Apple Watch at a reasonable price.

It comes in two band sizes: 40mm model with a 1.2-inch display, and a 44mm model with a 1.4-inch display—both with an AMOLED display and a resolution of 360 x 360. The battery life on the 44mm model is a little bit more as well. Other than that, you get the same features on both smartwatches.

It is water-resistant up to 5ATM (165 feet) underwater, comes with sleep-tracking, and an ECG to monitor and give you instant feedback on your heart rate during both your workout and your sleep.

Moreover, the 1.5 GB of RAM is there to make sure that it always runs smoothly without lagging.

The watch runs on Tizen OS, and navigating it is made easier by using the digital rotating bezel. With 4G LTE connectivity support, so you can still be connected to your phone even when you leave it at home.

However, its battery life is pretty disappointing as it only lasts two days.

Pros:

• Optional LTE
• Good battery life
• Compact, stylish design
• Effortless navigating with the digital rotating bezel
• Comes in two sizes
• NFC online payment available

Cons:

• Third-party app support could be improved
• Charging time is a little too long
• Bezel is thick

Bottom line

The Samsung Galaxy Active Watch 2 is a well-designed lightweight smartwatch with many health tracking features and connectivity functions, with nice battery life to allow you to enjoy it all day long.

2. Samsung Galaxy Watch – Runner-Up

The Samsung Galaxy Watch is available in two models: a 46mm one and a 42mm one. The former has a nice silver look while the latter comes in black or rose gold.

The 46mm may feel a little too bulky and heavy for some, so if that’s the case, you can go with the 42mm one.

While the 46mm model has a 1.3-inch screen and the 42mm one has a 1.2-inch screen, both of the displays have a 360 x 360 resolution that brings out the info and gives you sharp graphics. This makes its colors vibrant, and the stats easy to read even in direct sunlight.

The clever design employs the rotating bezel and the two side buttons. You can use the 3 to navigate through the apps and notifications, where the upper button acts as a back button, and the lower one acts as a home button.

The watch is quite durable and comfortable as its strap is made of silicone and it’s water-resistant up to 5 ATM (165 feet).

Moreover, it’s MIL-STD-810G-certified, which means that it’s thoroughly tested for durability against dust, the depth mentioned above of water, drops, high altitude, and extreme temperature changes.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch enables you to track a total of 39 different workouts, including those of weight training, circuit, and cardio.

Whether you’re going for a walk, a run, or a ride on your bicycle, the Samsung Galaxy Watch will automatically detect and log the activity.

It does fall short of some weightlifting exercise. But it’s good enough for tracking the most common ones like bench presses, deadlifts, shoulder presses, and arm curls. It works on recording the number of reps per set that you want to do.

The built-in altimeter and barometer enable the watch to determine changes in pressure and altitude and thereby tell you how many floors you’ve climbed throughout the day.

Furthermore, the heart sensor is quite accurate and reliable in its tracking of the heart beats per minute. A notification is sent to you once your heart rate is below or above the normal levels, and you’re given breathing exercises to regulate that change.

When it comes to technology, the Samsung Galaxy Watch allows you to send and receive phone calls, text messages, and give voice commands.

You can also enjoy the Samsung Pay features as the watch works with NFC terminals.

One of the most notable features about the Samsung Galaxy Watch is the ability to turn it into a home automation hub.

Through using the IoT (Internet of Things) technology, you can pair it with any compatible smart device, including vacuum cleaners, TVs, and air conditioner.

Also, the “My Day” feature helps you plan out your day for the next 10 hours.

Its battery can last up to 3 or 4 days. Charging it twice per week doesn’t seem too bad.

Finally, the fact that it operates on the same system as the Galaxy S10 means that you’ll also get the Bixby health integration.

Pros:

• Internet of things feature
• Summarized schedule on the “My Day” face
• Versatile tracking functions

Cons:

• Battery life is quite short

Bottom Line

Jack of all trades and still the master of them all, the Samsung Galaxy Watch balances between the technology of smartwatches and the activity-tracking features of fitness trackers. It’s easily on the top of our list as the best smartwatch for Samsung S10.

3. Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music – Best Value for the Money

The Vivoactive 3 Music beats its predecessor the Vivoactive 3 with its beats. The onboard music, the removal of the bezel, and the more compact design are all favorable changes. It measures 1.6 x 1.6 x 0.5-inches, and it weighs just 1.3 ounces.

You can read all the information, including mileage and pace on its bright, interactive touchscreen. Its resolution is a solid 240 x 240 pixels on 1.2 inches.

Moreover, the Vivoactive 3 Music gives you detailed stats regarding your heart rate and sends you notifications if it falls below or rises above a set target zone.

Not only that, but it also stores your heart rate zones to calculate the heart rate that burns fats for you the most efficiently. All the while, the %HR max accurately determines the optimum intensity for your workouts.

Furthermore, it also has a VO2 max feature that determines the maximum amount of oxygen that you can burn during intense activity.

Move IQ is a smart sensor that’s able to recognize different activities like swimming and elliptical training if you do them for at least 10 minutes.

While the barometric altimeter keeps count of the floors you’ve climbed throughout the day and adds the calories burnt to the total.

Garmin has gone the extra mile with the swim-tracking features on its Vivoactive 3 Music as it comes with pre-loaded swim profiles. Moreoever, it tracks swim metrics such as lengths, distance, stroke count, and pace.

You can respond to or reject your phone calls with a text. The latter option is only available for Android systems, which is good news as it means it’ll work on your Galaxy S10.

Moreover, you don’t have to worry about misplacing your watch with the “Find my Watch” feature or about forgetting your wallet thanks to the Garmin Pay feature.

It also has a sleep tracking feature that you can easily set to your usual sleep hours on the Garmin Connect app. The device then starts to log your movements during sleep automatically and gives you an analysis based on that.

You can check stats of your total hours of sleep and the quality of your sleep through how long you spent in each sleep stage (REM, light, or deep).

Its battery can last up to 7 days in smartwatch mode and around 5 hours in GPS mode –which is inferior to the GPS mode of the Vivoactive 3.

You can also make payments and personalize its look through accessorizing the strap or customizing the clock faces.

Pros:

• Onboard music storage
• Enhanced WiFi capabilities
• All-glass face provides the user with more space

Cons:

• A little more expensive
• Battery life is shorter

Bottom Line

The Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music gives you all the features of the Vivoactive 3 but with a fresher look and music storage. It’s a pretty solid option if you’re looking for the best value for your money.

4. Samsung Gear S3 – Best for Durability

You can choose between either of the Gear S3 models: The Frontier or the Classic. Depending on what style you like to roll with.

Both of them are about the same size (1.8 x 1.9 x 0.5-inches), but the Classic is 0.1 ounces lighter in weight at 2 ounces.

​Both watches have animated 1.3-inch super AMOLED circular displays with a 360 x 360-pixel resolution with a 16-million color full array.

They’re treated with a protective, hardened Corning Gorilla Glass SR+ coat that minimizes scratches and shocks on impact.

The Gear S3 keeps track of the distance you’ve walked and calories you’ve burned through the day. It also has sleep-tracking that monitors the quality and the duration of your sleep.

That’s about it, however. The Gear S3 doesn’t really go that far when it comes to activity tracking. Its sensors are limited to the accelerometer that detects walks and runs, and the barometer that detects floors climbed.

It’s suitable for general activity-tracking as it has an optical heart rate monitoring feature, built-in gyro, GPS services, and an ambient light sensor.

Moreover, it’s dust-resistant and water-resistant (not water-proof) up to 165 feet for 30 minutes according to its IP68 rating.

With the interactive touchscreen, twin buttons, and rotating bezel, controlling the Gear S3 is quite seamless.

Its battery life is good enough to last you four days, and it has an efficient inductive wireless charging.

Pros:

• Simplistic design
• Functional rotating bezel
• Solid battery life
• Smooth performance

Cons:

• Doesn’t support many third-party apps
• Could use some more activity-tracking features

Bottom Line

The Gear S3 is fast, durable, and has a long-lasting battery. It’s a pretty good choice to go with the Samsung Galaxy S10, especially when you consider the fact that they would be more compatible as the same company produces them.

5. Fossil Gen 5 – Most Lightweight

The Fossil Gen 5 is just so easy to love with its attractive design and 416 x 416-pixel resolution 1.28” AMOLED screen. On the screen, you’ll be able to see different stats and notifications, even in direct sunlight, as the Gen 5 has one of the highest resolutions out there and even a sunlight boost option.

In terms of performance, this watch is equipped with plenty of reliable sensors, including a heart rate sensor that monitors your heart rate throughout the day, giving you accurate data.

Running on snapdragon 3100 processor and packing 1GB of internal storage, its performance is pretty fast, responsive, and reliable.

Moreover, it’s also equipped with GPS tracking to keep tabs on your routes during runs and walks. With an IP68 rating, the Gen 5 can resist water up to 165 feet and is also dust-resistant.

The Fossil Gen 5 comes with built-in speakers and has detachable straps that enable you to customize the watch according to your own personal style.

While it isn’t the cheapest option out there, it does integrate some advanced features and technology, which makes it worth the money.

However, it has a pretty subpar battery life that only lasts a day or two.

Pros:

• Sharp and stylish look
• Fast performance
• Sunlight boost makes it more convenient
• Built-in speakers

Cons:

• Battery system is a little complex
• Battery life isn’t the best

Bottom Line

Although the Fossil Gen 5 runs on WearOS and not Android, it’s still a great smartwatch for Samsung S10. It has everything you might need and performs amazingly.

6. Fitbit Versa 2 – Best Design

Fitbit is well known in the fitness-tracking field, but the Fitbit Versa 2 shows that they are more than just that. The Versa 2 is an amazing, colorful product that combines the company’s athletic technology with a solid smartwatch design, features, a long-lasting battery, and a lot of useful apps.

It also comes with a modern design and a faster processor for a better performance. Not only that, but it also has built-in Alexa support to easily check the weather or the news, set timers and alarms and control your smart home devices, as well as a microphone for Android users to reply to incoming notifications.

It seamlessly interacts and syncs with your Android phone, and uploads your results in the background to your phone, which is why it’s such a great smartwatch for Samsung S10.

Moreover, it enables you to view your heart rate and sleep tracking results, telling you exactly how much rest you got the night before. It also tracks light, deep and rem sleep stages giving you a deeper insight into your sleep.

Finally, the always-on display is one of the biggest features of the Versa 2, similar to a conventional wrist watch and with a battery life that lasts for 6 days.

Pros:

• Built-in Alexa
• Sleep tracking
• 6 days long battery life
• Fitbit Pay available
• Always on AMOLED display
• Low price

Cons:

• No in-built GPS
• Alexa responds only in text
• Third-party app support is limited
• Lacks always-on customization

Bottom line

Fitbit Versa 2 capitalizes on the Fitbit fitness tracking capabilities and combines them with great smartwatch functions and a modern design. It resembles the classical watches with the always-on feature, and beats other smartwatches by its long battery life.

7. TicWatch E2 – Best Budget Smartwatch for S10

The Mobvoi TicWatch E2 has a 47mm polycarbonate case with grooves in the rim and a shiny plastic bezel.

Its size makes it a bit bulky, especially if you have smaller wrists. So, having more than one size and one color would have been more convenient.

But although it’s relatively chunky, it’s quite lightweight which makes it comfortable to wear and easy to work out with.

Moreover, moving the crown from the right side to the left was a smart move on Mobvoi’s end. This position feels more intuitive.

Its display is about 1.39-inches which is pretty spacious. The 400 x 400-pixel resolution is definitely something to praise the TicWatch E2 about as it makes the content look bright and sharp. It’s also quite responsive.

You can’t conduct calls on the watch, but you can accept or reject them on the display and then conduct them through the connected phone.

The heart-rate monitoring and pedometer are quite accurate, which should reassure you about the correct tracking of your activity.

The TicWatch E2 can resist water up to 5 ATM (165 feet) and has a preloaded swim-monitoring mode. There’s also a touch-lock trigger that turns the touch screen off during contact with water to prevent any accidental slips.

Running on Wear OS, the watch is powered by Google Assistant. By swiping to the right, it’ll give you an overview of your schedule. This reminds you of any upcoming appointments, flight and hotel information, and important events.

The various gestures that you can turn on help you navigate through the notifications and apps without having to smear the touchscreen if you’re busy with a messy activity.

The Mobvoi TicWatch E2 comes with quite a large battery that should provide you with a day or two of battery life. It also takes about one hour to charge using the included magnetic charging puck fully.

You can choose certain apps to get notification from and turn off the always-on mode for the display to save some precious battery life.

Pros:

• Superb performance
• Affordability of price
• Great value for the money
• Great screen size and sharpness

Cons:

• Lacks NFC
• Lacks sleep tracking
• The battery life lasts less than the advertised two days

Bottom Line

The Mobvoi TicWatch E2 is well-rounded and simply the best budget smartwatch for Samsung S10. However, if you have the budget to spare, it could be better if you invest in an option with NFC payments and more features.

How to Pick a Smartwatch for Galaxy S10

There are many functions on a smartwatch and many aspects to consider when looking at the wide variety of devices available on the market.

Here are the most important functions in a smartwatch that directly affect how much you will enjoy your new device.

1. Compatibility

Without a doubt, checking the compatibility of the smartwatch you want to buy with your smartphone should be the first thing on your list. After all, the most important thing about a smartwatch is how it acts like an extension to your smartphone on your wrist.

Like smartphones and computers, smartwatches also have varying operating systems depending on the manufacturer. While some smartwatches OS can be compatible with smartphones not made by the same manufacturer, some retain their exclusivity, mainly talking about the Apple watch that is only compatible with the iPhone. Some other OS are like Wear OS (Samsung’s OS), Tizen OS, Garmin OS, Fitbit OS and few others.

Apart from iOS, all the other operating systems are sufficiently compatible with the Samsung Galaxy S10. Most even give advantage to Android smartphones over iOS iPhones.

2. Battery Life

Your decision for an extended battery life is basically a decision against other features of your smartwatch. A better, more colorful display will drain your smartwatch battery faster, while a simpler display will drain it slower and take shorter time to recharge.

Voice capabilities, e-health features, GPS and other similar features will also affect how long it will take before having to recharge your smartwatch.

3. Display Type

Most smartwatches available use either LCD or AMOLED displays. Since light is produced using a backlight, LCD displays are the battery saving ones. LCD displays are also less colorful and have less saturation.

On the other hand, in AMOLED displays, each pixel emits its own light making for a brighter screen and richer colors. But they drain batteries faster, especially if you set the smartwatch display on all the time.

4. Notifications and Alerts

You won’t be missing any incoming calls, messages or emails with a smartwatch on your wrist, with a little buzz to alert you of any incoming notifications, you can check if it is worth responding right away or if you better finish the task on your hand first.

Checking for social network integrations is also important if you want to be kept updated with all your new notifications from your social media accounts.

Another thing to check is the ability to swipe through the notifications and if you can customize the notifications settings from the smartwatch directly or from using an app on your phone like in Apple Watch.

5. Interface

When we talk about smart devices, the first thing that comes to mind is touchscreens, but in the case of smartwatches some people might prefer old-fashioned buttons, as it is harder to target small icons on a small screen.

However, smartwatch manufacturers are working on better ways to navigate through the device, adding hand gestures and wrist flicking one to switch between apps. And if you don’t mind opening apps by mistake or if you have smaller fingers you won’t find a problem with touch screens.

6. Design

Even if it serves other purposes other than showing time, your smartwatch is still a piece of your style, so taking this aspect into consideration might help you be more satisfied with your choice.

More smartwatches are taking the classical style with round faced designs to make it look more professional. Yet, the square screened smartwatches are still around as it is easier to navigate these ones than the classical design.

7. Key Features

The more technology moves forward, the more smartwatches will be able to sport features and better functions. But buying a smartwatch just because it has a huge list of added features might leave you dissatisfied with your choice.

The best way to make the perfect decision is to be aware of what your needs are and what you want to get out of the smartwatch. This way, you make sure that both your money and your battery life are well spent on a device that will be very useful to you.

Most notable additional features of smartwatches are fitness tracking, such as heart rate monitors, pedometers, physical activity trackers, sleep monitors, and blood pressure monitors. Water-resistance is also a feature often sought by users, and other features like GPS and audio playing capabilities are popular features as well.

8. App Availability

Every OS on every smartphone has an app store with tens of thousands of apps, which make the phone more useful as more features or functions that were not included by the manufacturer are added by app creators.

So, if you want to install multiple apps, you should check how much third-party app support you can get for your smartwatch.

Frequently Asked Questions:

To get a better hang of the subject, we’ve gathered the most frequently asked questions about the best smartwatches for Samsung S10, and now we provide you with clear and straight-to-the-point answers.

Are Samsung Watches Compatible with Other Phones?

Yes, you can sync the Samsung Galaxy watch with phones out of the Samsung brand. You will only require a handset that runs Android 5.0 or higher with a minimum of 1.5 GB RAM. They are even compatible with iOS phones that run on iOS 9 or higher, but with some limited functionality in some areas.

Which Phones are Compatible with the Samsung Galaxy Watch?

Samsung Galaxy Watch is compatible with an array of handsets, including Google, Motorola, Oppo, HTC, and Apple.

Are Apple Watches Compatible with Samsung Phones?

Unfortunately, Apple has decided to keep Apple Watches exclusive to Apple devices. Although you can connect iPhones to other brands’ smartwatches, you can’t do the opposite.

Does the Galaxy Watch Work Well with the S10?

Yes, you can easily pair up your Galaxy Watch with the Samsung S10. The Tizen OS also works seamlessly with the Android 9.0 found on the S10.

Is the Galaxy Watch Active 2 Superior to the Galaxy Watch?

The Galaxy Watch surpasses the Galaxy Watch 2 only on the battery life front. Other than that, the Galaxy Watch Active 2 is the more superior one with better design and functionality.

Final Thoughts

While I can easily name the seven options on our list as the best smartwatches for Samsung Galaxy S10, some of them truly do a great job when it comes to combining several sought-after features.

For one, the Samsung Galaxy Active 2 would be the best option overall. It comes at a reasonable price, provides ample smart and fitness features, and has decent battery life.

However, if you’re looking for a really budget-friendly option, you should opt for the TicWatch E2.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch would be a great option for anyone who’s concerned with the fitness and activity-tracking features, but it does come at a relatively higher price.

If fitness-tracking is something you seek but want it with an attractive and sleek design with decent battery life, I’d recommend the Versa 2.