Last updated: August 25th, 2026 at 19:20 UTC+02:00
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The Galaxy Watch 9 is the best Samsung smartwatch overall as it's the latest model in the company's lineup. It provides considerable value for money as it blends the best of Samsung's health and activity tracking features in a well-designed, thin, light, and durable shell.
Samsung unveiled it alongside the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2. Both models are the first to utilize Qualcomm's Snapdragon Wear Elite chip and ship with One UI 9 Watch out of the box. The user interface has received several improvements that help make navigation, typing, and customization much easier than before.
Last year's Galaxy Watch 8 Classic remains a great fitness-focused option for customers who want those capabilities without having to spend more money to get the latest model. You won't be missing out on much in terms of health tracking capabilities.
The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is worthy of a place on this best Samsung watch list because it's truly a “Ultra” model with its massive battery, brightest display, and unique design. It also happens to be one of the most capable smartwatches the company has ever made, with several features that would appeal to those who live to push the limits of activity.
Samsung releases new smartwatches every year. They're much loved by its customers across the globe. The company went in a different direction for its smartwatches when it decided to embrace the circular design, allowing it to offer customers a more natural user experience. While Samsung's smartwatches previously ran on its Tizen platform, the company has since shifted to the Android-based Wear OS.
It has taken Samsung some time to perfect its smartwatch philosophy. The Galaxy Gear, released in 2013, was its very first smartwatch and quite far from being the best Samsung watch. Samsung made significant improvements to its watches in the years since. It ended up shifting entirely to Tizen OS, adopting a circular design, a physical rotating bezel for navigation and launched LTE models.
These are some of the best Samsung smartwatches available today. The list has been put together by our expert reviewers. It includes the latest models as well as Samsung smartwatches that provide the best value for money in 2026.
Don't have time to read the entire list? We've conveniently listed all of the best smartwatches in each category here. You're just one click away from picking them up!
Overall: Galaxy Watch 9
Fitness tracking: Galaxy Watch 8 Classic
Value for money: Galaxy Watch 7
Battery champ: Galaxy Watch Ultra 2
Our list of best Samsung smartwatches for 2026 includes the Galaxy Watch 9, Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, Galaxy Watch 7 and the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2. The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is the most bonkers offering Samsung's lineup. It has a unique design and is very suited to those who prefer extreme outdoor activities. The list includes a couple of models from previous years as well since they provide good value for money.
Samsung's latest addition to its smartwatch lineup is the Galaxy Watch 9. There's no Classic iteration in 2026, so your choice is between 40mm and 44mm sizes of this model, which have a 1.34-inch and 1.47-inch display respectively, with 3,000 nits of peak brightness.
The Galaxy Watch 9 continues the squircle design language of last year rather, with a bit of nip and tuck to allow for a more comfortable wear. It is 17% lighter than its predecessor.
The Snapdragon Wear Elite chipset promises a 32% CPU and 19% GPU improvement over the previous generation Exynos wearable chipset. The BioActive Sensor has become more capable, with advanced health tracking features that are assisted by artificial intelligence.
In addition to monitoring the user's vitals, the smartwatch can also provide a Heart Health Score, Daily Cardio Load, Fitness Index, and Hearing alerts for unsafe noise levels. Prices for the Galaxy Watch 9 start at $379.
Reasons to buy: Refined design, bigger battery, more comfortable, new fitness tracking features.
Who should buy: Tech-forward users, health enthusiasts and Samsung fans.
The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic is Samsung's 2025 addition to its smartwatch lineup. It brings back the fan-favorite physical rotating bezel in addition to a new squircle design that allows for a more comfortable bit that also helps in delivering more accurate readings from the BioActive Sensor.
Samsung offers the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic in one size, 46mm, which is a bit on the larger side. It has a 1.34-inch display with an impressive peak brightness of 3,000 nits. The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic uses the same 3nm Exynos W1000 chipset as its predecessor as well as the same BioActive Sensor.
More accurate readings have been achieved through a tighter fit with the wrist. New health and fitness tracking features have been added as well, including vascular load, bedtime guidance, running coach, and antioxidant index. Prices for the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic start at $499.
Reasons to buy: Revamped design, bigger battery, more storage, improved fitness tracking.
Who should buy: Physical bezel fans, health enthusiasts and Samsung fans.
Samsung offers the Galaxy Watch 7 in 40mm and 44mm sizes with a 1.3-inch and 1.5-inch Super AMOLED display, respectively. While some might miss the physical rotating bezel of the previous iteration, there's a lot more that this smartwatch has to offer which makes it deserving of a place on this list.
This was the first Galaxy Watch to use a 3nm processor, Samsung's Exynos W1000 platform which the company claims provides 3x CPU performance and 30% more power efficiency. 2GB of RAM is standard while the onboard storage has been increased to 32GB.
Samsung's BioActive Sensor provides accurate tracking for various health and fitness metrics. This includes Body Composition, auto workout tracking, Heart Rate monitoring, Irregular Heart Rhythm Notification, ECG, and Blood Pressure monitoring.
Sleep tracking has been improved as well, and it's also the first to offer a Sleep Apnea feature. Prices for the smartwatch started at $299 when it was launched, but a year later, it can easily be picked up for as low as $189.
Reasons to buy: 3nm chipset, improved battery life, double storage, better health tracking.
Who should buy: Smartwatch fans, value hunters and people with an active lifestyle.
The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is the first major upgrade for Samsung's Ultra smartwatch since it first launched. The new model has some meaningful improvements, particularly in the battery department, which puts it in a league of its own.
Samsung has made this device more comfortable. The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is 12% thinner and 26% ligher than the original Galaxy Watch Ultra. It's also more durable as it now has an IP69K rating for dust and water resistance. The 1.52-inch circular display has an impressive peak brightness of up to 5,000nits, making it 66% brighter than the original model.
It also has the biggest battery of any Samsung smartwatch yet. The 800mAh battery is 35% larger than the first model. It's also powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon Wear Elite platform and runs One UI 9 Watch out of the box.
In addition to providing all of the health and fitness tracking features you'd expect, Samsung has also partnered with diving gear maker Mares to make the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 a professional-grade dive computer. It can automatically track dive time, depth, and water temperature when it detects a dive. Prices start at $699.
Reasons to buy: Biggest battery yet, improved design and professional-grade diving features.
Who should buy: Divers, climbers, skiers, and serious hikers.
First Samsung device: SGH-E900
Adnan Farooqui is a long-term writer at SamMobile. Based in Pakistan, his interests include technology, finance, Swiss watches and Formula 1. His tendency to write long posts betrays his inclination to being a man of few words.
