Best 2023 Smartwatches for operating system experience

#1 Amazfit GTR Mini
4.5

The operating system experience was praised as fast, simple, lightweight, and useful for a sports-watch experience.

Pros: pairing reliability, workout tracking variety

Cons: contactless payments, onboard music storage

#2 Samsung Galaxy Watch 6
4.5

The operating system experience was praised as a strong Wear OS implementation, though app and ecosystem restrictions kept it from being flawless.

Pros: voice assistant quality, music controls

Cons: blood oxygen tracking, cross-platform compatibility

#3 Garmin Venu 3
4.5

The operating system experience is positive overall, with reviewers describing it as convenient, well rounded, and a seamless blend of fitness and daily smartwatch use.

Pros: health tracking accuracy, software smoothness

Cons: LTE connectivity, mapping and navigation

#4 TicWatch Pro 5
4.5

Wear OS experience was generally strong, with reviewers praising the modern interface while flagging uncertain future updates.

Pros: contactless payments, battery life

Cons: voice assistant quality, LTE connectivity

#5 Garmin Epix Pro (Gen 2)
4.2

The operating system experience is strong overall, described as more robust and as operating well for endurance use.

Pros: GPS accuracy, charging speed

Cons: ECG functionality, voice assistant quality

#6 Amazfit Bip 5
4.2

Operating system experience receives positive evidence for a responsive, well-balanced interface.

Pros: comfort, touchscreen responsiveness

Cons: calorie tracking usefulness, onboard music storage

#7 Garmin Forerunner 965
4.0

The OS experience was viewed as effective and more fun with the refreshed AMOLED-era interface.

Pros: water resistance, workout tracking variety

Cons: LTE connectivity, ECG functionality

#8 Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro
3.9

Wear OS made the watch much more capable, but reviewers disagreed on execution because Xiaomi’s skin and update path raised polish concerns.

Pros: pairing reliability, outdoor visibility

Cons: ECG functionality, running power support

#9 Suunto Vertical
3.6

The operating system experience was considered usable but not especially polished or distinctive.

Pros: battery life, durability

Cons: resume later function, ECG functionality

#10 Casio G-Shock GBD-H2000
3.3

The operating system is viewed as a meaningful step forward by one reviewer, but another still found the overall experience only middling.

Pros: brightness, charging convenience

Cons: ECG functionality, stress tracking

#11 Garmin fēnix 7X Pro
3.3

Operating system experience was polarized, with one review calling it one of the best user experiences and another finding Garmin interfaces frustrating after Apple.

Pros: GPS accuracy, app ecosystem

Cons: ECG functionality, calorie tracking usefulness

#12 Garmin Approach S70
3.0

Operating system experience is mixed: one reviewer found it intuitive, while others preferred competing smartwatch platforms or criticized the OS.

Pros: recovery insights, GPS accuracy

Cons: software smoothness, fitness tracking accuracy

#13 Garmin Vivoactive 5
3.0

The operating system experience was mixed, with reviewers saying Garmin still needed polish in its AMOLED/touch software flow.

Pros: fitness tracking accuracy, wellness insights

Cons: software smoothness, ECG functionality

#14 Xiaomi Redmi Watch 4
2.9

The operating system experience is smooth but constrained, with reviewers describing HyperOS or the watch software as basic and not very expansive.

Pros: battery life, software smoothness

Cons: contactless payments, recovery insights

#15 Garmin Forerunner 265
2.8

The operating-system experience was functional but not very modern, and one reviewer criticized Garmin's software segmentation.

Pros: step counting accuracy, third-party app support

Cons: ECG functionality, LTE connectivity

#16 Garmin vivomove Trend
2.5

The operating system experience was criticized as somewhat clunky despite the watch's appealing design.

Pros: activity auto-detection, build quality

Cons: blood oxygen tracking, Bluetooth connectivity

#17 Casio G-Shock DW-H5600
2.0

The operating system experience is held back by a dated, complicated, and laggy interaction model.

Pros: durability, outdoor visibility

Cons: app ecosystem, third-party app support