{"id":16343,"date":"2022-05-30T14:16:21","date_gmt":"2022-05-30T12:16:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1187196"},"modified":"2022-06-01T13:37:17","modified_gmt":"2022-06-01T11:37:17","slug":"best-budget-smartwatch-2022-the-best-cheap-wearables-for-android-and-ios","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/best-budget-smartwatch-2022-the-best-cheap-wearables-for-android-and-ios\/","title":{"rendered":"Best budget smartwatch 2022: The best cheap wearables for Android and iOS"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Laura Wybrow\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Monday, 30 May 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Smartwatches come in all shapes, sizes, and designs these days, plus all manner of price points too. If you find yourself wincing at the triple-figure sums that many brands are asking of their top-end wearables, you\u2019re not alone.<\/span><\/p>\n

Consumers often find it hard to invest large sums of money on a wearable when they\u2019ve already spent so much on another smart device. A major challenge for manufacturers in the early days of smartwatches was justifying their need when set against a perfectly good smartphone. Of course, years of research and development have now established smartwatches as the perfect companions to the phones they\u2019re paired with.<\/span><\/p>\n

But here\u2019s the thing: you really don\u2019t need to splash the cash to pick up a fantastic quality smartwatch. In fact, if you\u2019re mostly interested in basic fitness tracking, we would advise against it. <\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s a staggering amount of choice at the budget-friendly end of the smartwatch market, but it can be hard to know where to begin looking. That\u2019s why we\u2019ve put together our list of the best budget smartwatches and fitness out there. You\u2019ll find options from major brands including Apple, Samsung, Garmin, Huawei and Fitbit, each with its own particular strength.<\/span><\/p>\n

And once you\u2019re done reading? <\/span>We have a best budget tablet<\/a> round-up if you\u2019re into affordable tech across the board.<\/span><\/p>\n

For more on the latest smartwatches, read our Samsung Galaxy Watch 4<\/a> review , <\/a>Fitbit Versa 3<\/a> review and don\u2019t miss our guide to the best Fitbit<\/a> you can buy in 2022.<\/p>\n

Jump to:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Best budget smartwatches at a glance<\/a><\/li>\n
How to choose the best budget smartwatch<\/a><\/li>\n
Best budget smartwatches to buy in 2022<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>
Best budget smartwatches at a glance<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Here\u2019s a quick run-down of each of the budget smartwatches you\u2019ll find in our expert round-up. We\u2019ve arranged them in price order below:<\/p>\n
Best budget Samsung smartwatch: <\/strong>Samsung Galaxy Fit 2, \u00a339<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
Best value budget smartwatch: <\/strong>Xiaomi Mi Band 6, \u00a339.99<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
Best budget smartwatch for display:<\/strong> <\/span>Honor Band 6, \u00a344.99<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
Best budget smartwatch for workouts: <\/strong>Huawei Watch Fit, \u00a389.99<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
Best budget smartwatch for health:<\/strong> Garmin v\u00edvosmart 5<\/a><\/li>\n
Best budget fitness tracker: <\/strong>Garmin Forerunner 45, \u00a3159.99<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
Best budget Apple Watch: <\/strong>Apple Watch SE, \u00a3269<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>
How to choose the best budget smartwatch<\/strong><\/h2>\n
There\u2019s a couple of bits of information that you need to know before spending in this price category.<\/span><\/p>\n
Budget is relative.<\/strong> You\u2019ll find wearables from as little as \u00a339 to as much as \u00a3269 in our best list. That\u2019s because lots of brands offer \u2018lite\u2019 versions of pricier flagship, for example, Apple and its Watch SE; these are wearables you would class as smartwatches. However, lots of budget smartwatches offer a limited range of features in comparison to more expensive models, focused primarily on tracking metrics such as your heart rate, step count or distance covered.<\/li>\n
Think carefully about what you want from your smartwatch.<\/strong> If you\u2019re looking to track your daily run or workout, then there\u2019s little reason to spend outside of double digits. If you\u2019re after a super-smooth extension to your smartphone \u2013 and one with all the latest features \u2013 we\u2019re going to point you in the direction of our best smartwatch<\/a> and best Android smartwatch<\/a> lists.<\/li>\n
Is style or customisation important to you?<\/strong> It\u2019s worth considering that budget-friendly fitness trackers tend to be rather simplistic affairs, often consisting of a strap and watch face that is moulded into one unit.<\/li>\n
Battery life.<\/strong> It\u2019s probably our strongest case for choosing a budget smartwatch over a higher-end one. With less features and less complex working parts, low-spec fitness trackers can last for impressive lengths of time before they need charging. Flagship wearables like the Apple Watch 7<\/a> will guzzle power in less than a day, and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4<\/a> just two days, you\u2019ll find options below that will last for a fortnight. Something to think about if you\u2019re that person who always finds their device is on its last legs before you head out for the day.<\/li>\n<\/ul>
Best budget smartwatches to buy in 2022<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Apple Watch SE, \u00a3269<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Best budget Apple Watch<\/strong><\/p>\n
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Pros:<\/strong><\/p>\n
A wealth of reliable features<\/span><\/li>\n
Highly intuitive UI<\/span><\/li>\n
No visual difference to Apple Watch 6<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>
Cons:<\/strong><\/p>\n
Limited 18-hour battery life<\/span><\/li>\n
No \u2018always-on\u2019 display<\/span><\/li>\n
Still no Android compatibility<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>You might be asking yourself what on earth a \u00a3269 wearable is doing on a best budget smartwatch list (especially from a brand that\u2019s hardly known for its affordable products). Ultimately, the Watch SE takes its place here for two reasons: firstly, we know plenty of Apple-lovers who wouldn\u2019t dream of wearing any other brand on their wrist. Secondly, the Apple Watch SE is genuinely an excellent affordable alternative to the Apple Watch 7<\/a>, which starts at \u00a3369.<\/span><\/p>\n
Our experts loved the ultra-smooth UI, the wealth of metrics and other features available. You won\u2019t get the \u2018always-on\u2019 display or the blood oxygen and ECG apps of the flagship Watch 6 \u2013 but besides that, there\u2019s very little to distinguish the two watches apart. Except for that \u00a3110 price difference.<\/span><\/p>\n
Read our full\u00a0Apple Watch SE review<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n