Best Samsung Galaxy Watch in 2026
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The best Galaxy Watch is a strange and elusive animal. It's a different species every year. Samsung went through many iterations and experiments, including "Pro" models, "Classic" variants, and in the past two years, the company's vision for the "Ultra" smartwatch.
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Best Overall
Samsung Galaxy Watch 8
The regular Galaxy Watch 8 is the best choice for most people | Image by PhoneArena
Why I Picked it
If you don't need an ultra-rugged smartwatch to to last two days while you're trailblazing in the mountains, the regular Galaxy Watch 8 offers is a great alternative. I think it's the best choice for most people, as it combines style, functionality and a good price.
The watch features a new design (I call it a squircle, kind of a square but with rounded edges and sides), and some neat software enhancements. The hardware is largely the same, more specifically the Exynos W1000 processor and most of the sensors.
There's a new Antioxidant Index metric, that measures the level of carotenoids on your finger. To put it simply, it tells you if you're eating properly or not. It's a niche addition to the BioActive system and rounds out the amazing health tracking capabilities Samsung watches offer. You can check your body composition among other things.
But if you're not a health-obsessed individual like me, you can use the watch much more casually; it's's thin, light, and comfortable. It has an LTE version, onboard memory, and everything you'd need from a modern smartwatch. The price is also good, given that some Ultra smartwatches cost hundreds of dollars more.
The watch features a new design (I call it a squircle, kind of a square but with rounded edges and sides), and some neat software enhancements. The hardware is largely the same, more specifically the Exynos W1000 processor and most of the sensors.
But if you're not a health-obsessed individual like me, you can use the watch much more casually; it's's thin, light, and comfortable. It has an LTE version, onboard memory, and everything you'd need from a modern smartwatch. The price is also good, given that some Ultra smartwatches cost hundreds of dollars more.
Best for Style
Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic
The rotating bezel is back, everybody! | Image by PhoneArena
Why I Picked it
The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic is here, marking the return of the "Classic" moniker. If you're like me and just adore classic watch designs, this one is for you. Samsung seems to be using a bi-annual cycle for the Galaxy Watch Classic.
This model features the iconic physical rotating bezel, along with new health metrics like bedtime guidance and antioxidant index, and Gemini on board.
Some things have remained the same, though. The Exynos W1000 processor is the same one used in the previous Galaxy Watch 7 series. The BioActive sensor is the same as last gen as well, and the same is true for the battery life and charging.
What's different is the design, which closely resembles the Galaxy Watch Ultra. You can almost think of the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic as a budget and a bit understated version of the Ultra. It comes in one single version and it costs $499, still cheaper than the Ultra.
Best for Fitness and Outdoors
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra
The ultimate smartwatch for adventurers | Image by PhoneArena
Samsung being Samsung decided to change the wearable naming scheme once again, and now we have the Galaxy Watch Ultra. Gone are the Classic and the Pro models, and some might argue that it's more in line with the Galaxy S Ultra series, while others may point out the similarities to the Apple Watch Ultra.
Either way, this is Samsung's top-tier wearable and it comes with some neat features onboard.
The Galaxy Watch Ultra comes with a brand-new "squircle" titanium design, and even though it bears some resemblance of the Apple Watch Ultra, the design is quite unique in its own way. There's no rotating bezel anymore but there is a new customizable button plus a very ruggedized look, and 3,000 nits of brightness on the gorgeous AMOLED screen.
The battery of the Galaxy Watch Ultra is also pretty hefty at 590mAh, and it powers a new Exynos W1000 3nm chipset, paired with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage.
The Ultra runs on Wear OS 5 and comes with all the benefits of Google's wearable OS. Plus, there are some Samsung extras on top such as double pinch gestures and BMI measurements thanks to the BioActive sensor package.
The Galaxy Watch Ultra is geared toward adventurers and people who need a ruggedized watch that can last more than a day on a single charge. It's the best smartwatch Samsung has in its portfolio to date, and even though the price may seem steep, what you're getting in return is definitely worth it.
Read more: Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra review
Best Budget Samsung Watch
Samsung Galaxy Watch FE
The Galaxy Watch FE offers the core Galaxy Watch experience at a very affordable price | Image by Samsung
Why I Picked it
I was always a big fan of the understated and stylish look of the Galaxy Watch 6. When Samsung decided to bring the FE treatment to the Galaxy Watch range, I rejoiced. The Galaxy Watch FE is very stylish, very affordable at $199, and will give you the core smartwatch experience.
What do I mean by "core?" Well, the watch features the same BioActive array of sensor as its more expensive big brothers, a bright and vivid AMOLED display, and slightly older Exynos W920 chipset. There's a decent set of features, including activity tracking, health and sleep tracking, and also some smartwatch features as well.
Last but not least, the Galaxy Watch FE comes with a premium build, featuring high-quality aluminum and sapphire glass on the display. Overall, a great package for the price, I just can't fault it.
Best Fitness Tracker
Samsung Galaxy Fit 3
It's a fitness tracked disguised as a smartwatch! | Image by PhoneArena
Why I Picked it
Sometimes you need the maximum features for the best possible price when it comes to wearables. That's where fitness trackers come in. And the Samsung Galaxy Fit 3 is one of the best at doing just that - offering the best slew of features at an amazing price (around $60).
I've been a fan of this lineup ever since the original Gear Fit came along, more than a decade ago, and its modern successor doesn't disappoint. It comes with a large AMOLED screen, premium design, can track over 100 types of exercises, including your sleep (not that it's an exercise).
The battery life is astonishingly good at up to 13 days. This fitness tracked doesn't have GPS, and it also uses a simple OS with no fancy stuff. But you get all the basic and most used features - notifications, heartrate measurements, sleep tracking, etc.
Conclusion
So, this is it - the best Galaxy Watch devices available in 2026. The Galaxy Watch Ultra is the latest addition to the lineup, boasting some really cool features and a brand-new addition to the naming scheme. If you prefer to rock a watch with "Classic" in its name, there's the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, and if you want to take things to the "Ultra", well there's the Galaxy Watch Ultra.
There's something for everyone on this list, and frankly, even the vanilla Galaxy Watch 8 is an amazing proposition at its current price point, and if you want to go even lower, price-wise, there's the stylish and capable Galaxy Watch SE, and the super-affordable Galaxy Fit 3.
If you want to check out some other brands, you can take a peek at our best Android smartwatches article, or if you're looking for something on the budget side, check out our best budget smartwatches. Use PhoneArena's tool for smartwatch specs comparison.
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