Too many smartwatches… which one to pick?

I feel lost trying to find a good smartwatch. There are just so many choices. I have a Samsung phone.

I mainly want to track my steps, heart rate, and sleep. No subscriptions.

I do a lot of hiking, so GPS would be nice, but the reviews I’ve seen say that GPS isn’t that accurate in the lower price range. A lot of people also say that cheaper watches don’t track steps properly.

I’ve been looking at Black Week deals and found some good options: the Samsung Galaxy Watch FE BT ($134) and the Polar Ignite 3 ($193). I think the Polar has better battery life, but both watches seem a little laggy from what I’ve read. I’m open to other suggestions, though! Right now, I’m so overwhelmed by the options that I’m tempted to just pick the first one I see and get it over with.

The Galaxy Watch FE is a great fit for your Samsung phone. The Polar Ignite 3 has a better battery life, but unless you’re looking for its extra fitness features, the Galaxy Watch FE is a simpler choice.

For steps, they all track that, but the accuracy depends on the algorithm and how it works for you.

For heart rate, all of them do that too. There are two main types of tracking: 1) 24/7 use, where the heart rate is continuously tracked, or dynamic (when active it tracks continuously, and when inactive, it moves to periodic tracking); or periodic, where it checks at certain intervals. Most top brands do well here.

For sleep tracking, the Oura Ring, Apple Watch, Garmin, and Fitbit are all good options. They all have pros and cons.

For GPS, it really depends on the watch design and model. Apple, Garmin, and Suunto tend to have the most accurate GPS. I’m not sure about the Galaxy Watch FE, but outside of the Galaxy Watch Ultra, Samsung GPS generally isn’t the best. The Ignite 3 should do fine for hiking, but its antenna design isn’t great. Still, it does okay overall.

I have a brand-new Ticwatch Atlas from Mobvoi, still sealed, for sale… PM me if you’re interested! Thanks!

Here are some pics: https://imgur.com/a/G2q8eTV