CNET reviews: The best, up-to-the-minute smartwatches

The convenience of a good smartwatch is hard to beat. There are plenty of devices to choose from beyond the better-known options like the Apple Watch and Samsung's Galaxy Watch. The best smartwatch for you will depend on the type of phone you have, your spending limit and which health and fitness tracking features are most important to you.

If you're looking for the best smartwatch 2024 has to offer, read on.

WHAT Apple Watch Ultra 2

THE COST $799

AVAILABLE FROM apple.com

This is Apple's best smartwatch, with a tough titanium construction and an Action button to quickly start workouts or launch apps. It has the brightest screen of any Apple Watch at a maximum of 3,000 nits, which makes it incredibly easy to see when adventuring in the great outdoors. For adventurers and athletes, it also has a built-in siren for safety and a dual-band GPS for accurately tracking your route. LTE is also onboard so you can venture out without a phone and still stay connected.

Though it's designed to be an outdoor watch, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is still a fantastic all-around smartwatch. Inside is the same S9 chip as found on the Apple Watch Series 9, which supports gestures like Double Tap and allows the watch to process Siri commands on-device.

WHAT Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 

THE COST $299.99

AVAILABLE FROM samsung.com

The Galaxy Watch has an incredibly bright screen that hits a maximum 2,000 nits, so seeing your watch in all lighting conditions is easy.

All the flagship features you would expect are included: an ECG, blood oxygen, body composition and temperature sensors. Note you do need a Galaxy phone to use the ECG, but all the other features work seamlessly with other Android phones. Like the Apple Watch Series 9, you'll need to charge the Galaxy Watch 6 every day, especially if you want to track sleep.

WHAT Google Pixel Watch 2

THE COST $349.99

AVAILABLE FROM store.google.com

This beautiful-looking Android smartwatch features accurate heart rate tracking and health sensors like an ECG. If you're familiar with Fitbit, the Pixel Watch 2 has a similar interface for logging workouts and viewing your health data. For runners, the watch can give you pace guidance and heart rate zone notifications.

The battery isn't as strong as some other options on this list, and you will likely find yourself charging this watch every day, especially if you like to do outdoor GPS workouts and track your sleep. It does charge faster than the first Pixel Watch. It's also still available only in one 41-millimeter size.