Ranking: Top 10 smartwatches reviewed by Notebookcheck
November 2025 update.
From messengers to health monitoring: The roles smartwatches play keep on changing. One of their most important tasks today is monitoring vitals. Almost all of the latest models measure heart rate and blood oxygen saturation, and many also measure breathing rate and skin temperature. However, the most expensive watches are not necessarily the best, as our comparison shows.Benedikt Winkel (translated by DeepL / Ninh Duy) Published 🇩🇪 🇳🇱 ...
Smartwatches and high-performance fitness trackers have become indispensable for monitoring one's vitals, whether during exercizing or in everyday life. Most wearables can measure your pulse and oxygen saturation and count your steps. Higher-quality products also measure the surface temperature of your skin, can do an ECG or check blood pressure. There are also many less significant features on offer such as fall detection, gait analysis, breathing analysis, calorie counting, stress level and sleep tracking and much more. Algorithms and increasingly also AI analyze the values and give users recommendations.
Wearables are proving their worth as sports trackers, either with their own apps or via third-party options such as Strava; the trend towards self-weight workouts is increasingly being followed by time-based or repetition-based interval workouts among the sports modes supported. In our tests, we look at the options and take a look at the training analysis provided by the respective software. Some manufacturers are now starting to make premium functions available only for a fee.
Paying with a smartwatch has become more of a focus since coronavirus appeared, but is still not a mandatory feature. This is also due to the fact that watch makers are all doing their own thing: whether Apple-Pay, Samsung-Pay, Garmin-Pay or Google-Pay, they all require an agreement with the bank in question to work; you can only use them if your own bank supports the respective service.
Best smartwatches tested by Notebookcheck
Image | Model | Price | Size | Weight | Battery Capacity | Display |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1.  | Apple Watch Ultra 2 S9 | Amazon: List Price: 899€ | 1.92" | 70 g | 564 mAh | 1.92" 502x410 326 PPI OLED |
2.  | Samsung Galaxy Watch8 Exynos W1000, Mali-G68 MP2 | Amazon: 1. $329.99 Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 (2025... 2. $338.96 Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 (2025... 3. $319.99 Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 (2025... List Price: 459€ | 1.50" | 52.1 g | 435 mAh | 1.50" 480x480 AMOLED |
3.  | Huawei Watch D2 | Amazon: 1. $14.95 IPG Made for Huawei Watch D2... 2. $11.98 ($5.99 / count) FitTurn Charger Compatible w... 3. $9.98 BabyValley Waterproof Case w... List Price: 399€ | 1.82" | 83 g | 524 mAh | 1.82" 408x480 347 PPI AMOLED |
4.  | Garmin Fenix 8 Solar | Amazon: $1,099.99 List Price: 1299€ | 1.40" | 95 g | 1.40" 280x280 283 PPI MIP colour display | |
5.  | Huawei Watch 5 | Amazon: 1. $22.99 Jacoosa Smart Watch for Men ... 2. $7.99 iDaPro Screen Protector for ... 3. $8.99 Suttkue Compatible for Huawe... List Price: 649€ | 1.50" | 56 g | 867 mAh | 1.50" 466x466 310 PPI OLED |
6.  | Apple Watch Series 9 45mm S9 | Amazon: List Price: 479€ | 1.90" | 47 g | 308 mAh | 1.90" 484x352 329 PPI OLED |
7.  | Huawei Watch GT 6 Pro | Amazon: 1. $8.99 Suttkue Compatible For Huawe... 2. $8.78 BOVUGAC [6 Pack] for Huawei ... 3. $39.99 VeveXiao Rugged Titanium Str... List Price: 379€ | 1.47" | 54 g | 867 mAh | 1.47" 466x466 317 PPI AMOLED |
8.  | Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro | Amazon: 1. $8.99 Suttkue Compatible for HUAWE... 2. $13.99 Lamshaw Compatible with Huaw... 3. $9.99 Relting 2 Pack Elastic Nylon... List Price: 279€ | 1.82" | 30.4 g | 400 mAh | 1.82" 480x408 347 PPI AMOLED |
9.  | OnePlus Watch 2 SD W5 Gen 1 | Amazon: $226.57 List Price: 299 329 | 1.43" | 80 g | 500 mAh | 1.43" 466x466 326 PPI AMOLED |
10.  | Amazfit Balance | Amazon: 1. $139.99 Amazfit Balance Smart Watch ... 2. $299.99 Amazfit Balance 2 Smart Watc... 3. $139.99 Amazfit Balance Smart Watch ... List Price: 250€ | 1.50" | 35 g | 475 mAh | 1.50" 480x480 323 PPI AMOLED |
The table above shows an overview of the best smartwatches tested by Notebookcheck in the last 12 months and relevant products that are still available. If 2 products have the same rating, the more recent review will be ranked higher. The prices shown in the tables are automatically updated daily.
1st place - Apple Watch Ultra 2
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is an ultra-modern product perfectly integrated into the Apple ecosystem. It has a 1.92-inch OLED display, which can be extremely bright. It also has numerous certifications, is waterproof (up to 100 meters) and is suitable for scuba diving at depths of up to 40 meters. An LTE modem is on board no matter the model, as is an NFC chip for contactless payments.
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is technically powerful, but also quite bulky.
In our review, the watch did very well in most areas and, in addition to comprehensive sports tracking, it also offers numerous health-related features and a modern sensor setup, although it does not have a BSI sensor. Unfortunately, the watch looks bulky on slim wrists and the charging times are quite long.
The Watch 2 Ultra is available from notebooksbilliger.de, Amazon Germany or directly from Apple.
2nd place - Samsung Galaxy Watch8 series
Samsung continues to refine the Galaxy Watch. After the performance boost of the seventh generation, the Galaxy Watch8 gets the design of the Ultra and a significantly brighter display. The Galaxy Watch8 is available in two sizes with diameters of 40 and 44 millimeters. Samsung also offers an LTE version on request.
The Galaxy Watch8 moves closer to the Watch Ultra
The range of functions of the smartwatch is also enormous thanks to WearOS. The high-performance processor ensures smooth operation. Too bad: ECG and blood pressure measurement are still only possible in conjunction with a Samsung smartphone. Samsung is significantly expanding the range of health measurements, including body composition and vascular load.
The Galaxy Watch Ultra. With a stainless steel case and rotating bezel, the Galaxy Watch8 Classic comes up. The Samsung Galaxy Watch8 is listed on Amazon, at Mediamarkt or in the Samsung online shop
3rd place - Huawei Watch D2
The Huawei Watch D2 is significantly more stylish than its predecessor. However, its internals shines even brighter. To date, it is the only smartwatch to offer both ECG and calibration-free blood pressure measurement. The latter is achieved with a small integrated pump that inflates the wristband. It is certified as a medical device and take measurements automatically at intervals.
The Huawei Watch D2 is the only smartwatch with calibration-free blood pressure measurement.
In our testing, the Watch D impressed with accurate measurement results from all sensors and very long battery life. Now in the second generation, the Huawei watch not only comes with refined design and materials, but also has a speaker enabling one to make calls.
The Watch D2 is available directly from Huawei. Other retailers such as Galaxus and Amazon Germany also have the product on offer.
4th place - Garmin Fenix 8 Solar
When it comes to watches for athletes, the name Garmin always comes up at some point. The manufacturer's watches tend to have great battery life, but were not particularly smart in the past. This changes with the Garmin Fenix 8 Solar. It still lasts forever - in our testing, the smartwatch remained functional for two weeks with all features enabled - but can do so much more than any of its predecessors.
Payment is possible thanks to NFZ, as is navigation with offline maps. A loudspeaker is on board, making calls possible, as well as using a voice assistant. Unfortunately, Garmin there is no eSIM support. The old-fashioned UI and the low pixel density of the display are also worth criticizing.
The Garmin Fenix 8 Solar is smart and works for two weeks one a single charge.
The Fenix 8 Solar has a very elegant finish and the materials used meet the highest standards. Thanks to its 5 buttons, the smartwatch can also be operated with gloves. However, it is not suitable for small wrists. Garmin offers the model in different versions, but the price is high no matter the model. It starts at 1,099 euros. Garmin sells the Fenix 8 Solar via its own online shop in Germany and the smartwatch is also listed at other retailers such as Amazon Germany or Galaxus.
5th place - Huawei Watch 5
The Huawei Watch 5 is available in two sizes and different alloys. The Watch 5 uses Huawei's new X-Tap sensor, which impresses with fast and accurate results. LTE and NFC are also on board. However, payment is currently only possible to a limited extent with a prepaid solution.
The Huawei Watch 5 runs on Android and iOS and lasts a long time.
In comparison, the Watch also impresses with its long battery life. The built-in LTPO AMOLED display is very bright. However, users have to make concessions in terms of app selection compared to devices with WearOS.
The Watch 5 can be purchased directly from Huawei, but is also available via Amazon.
6th place - Apple Watch Series 9
The Apple Watch Series 9 is available in two sizes (41 and 45 mm) and two frame materials, aluminum and stainless steel. LTE is available as an option for the aluminum models, while the watches with stainless steel frames all have integrated mobile network support. The product can only be connected to iPhones and has a wide range of functions including ECG.
The Apple Watch 9 impresses with its wide range of functions and accurate sensors.
In contrast to the Ultra, the display is not quite as bright here, but it is still one of the brightest for a smartwatch. In addition, only single-band GNSS is implemented. The variety of apps is huge and the fast charging function allows Apple to make up for the short battery life quite well.
The Apple Watch 9 is available from Amazon Germany and MediaMarkt, among others, as well as directly from Apple.
7th place - Huawei Watch GT 6 series
Huawei upgrades the Watch GT 6 and GT 6 Pro upgrades. For the Pro model, Huawei has opted for a titanium case, and an ECG measurement is also new. The normal GT 6 benefits from new accident detection and a simulated power meter. Both smartwatches are particularly suitable for cycling training.
The Huawei Watch GT 6 models can be used with both Android and Apple smartphones.
Very bright displays are used in both models. Unfortunately, convenient contactless payment is not yet possible with the Huawei smartwatches. The app store is also still small. Nevertheless, both offer a wide range of health functions and are impressive when it comes to sports tracking.
The Watch GT 6 Pro is available directly from Huawei as well as from Amazon and MediaMarkt.
7th place - Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro
Huawei turns the Watch Fit 4 into a Pro model. The addition is justified, as the Fit 4 Pro comes with ECG measurement, NFC and a titanium frame. The OLED panel is very bright and the battery lasts a week. The Watch Fit 4 Pro remains affordable.
The Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro offers a surprisingly good overall package
Unfortunately, Huawei does not offer the Watch Fit 4 Pro with eSIM, so calls are only possible with a paired smartphone. Navigation is also possible independently thanks to offline maps. Payment is possible, but only with a partner and a prepaid solution.
The Watch Fit 4 Pro can be purchased directly from Huawei, but is also available from retailers such as Amazon.
8th place - OnePlus Watch 2
The OnePlus Watch 2 is quite large with a case diameter of 46 millimetres and houses a 1.43-inch OLED display. The smartwatch is based on Google's Wear OS and is compatible with all Android smartphones. It is powered by a speedy Snapdragon W5 chip and with 32 GB of storage, it offers plenty of space for keeping one's music files.
The Watch 2 is a very well-rounded option that impressed us in the review. However, a few corners were cut here.
The battery life of the Watch 2 is really good and fast charging is also supported. However, it does not have ECG. The sensors that are present thankfully are reliable and many sports modes are supported.
The OnePlus Watch 2 is available directly from OnePlus Germany and from some retailers such as Galaxus.
9th place - Amazfit Balance
With the Balance, Amazfit is fully committed to the topic of AI. The algorithms are designed to help record and analyze health data and an AI coach creates training plans based on that. The smartwatch also did great in our testing thanks to very precise GNSS positioning and accurate measurement of our vitals.
The range of features on offer is extensive, but ECG measurement is not supported. In order to exploit the full potential of the smartwatch, a paid subscription is required.
The Amazfit Balance offers many smart functions and a long battery life.
In addition to the smart features, the Amazfit Balance also offers navigation with offline maps, a voice assistant and an enormous battery. In the testing, the smartwatch managed 9 to 10 days of continuous use before it had to be recharged. Payment is also possible with the Amazfit Balance.
The watch currently has a significantly reduced price. Instead of the RRP of 249.90 euros, the Amazfit smartwatch costs 159.90 euros at the official online shop. This price is also found at other retailers like Amazon Germany.
