While much of the tech world’s attention will be focused on AI in 2024, smartwatches and fitness trackers continue to become increasingly important in our daily lives. Now that we’re halfway through the year, it’s time to look back at the biggest smartwatch launches so far in 2024 – and what’s coming in the next six months.
Whether it’s new software features like watchOS 11 or Polar’s big Vantage 3 update, or new hardware like the OnePlus Watch 2, smartwatch makers have been working hard this year.
This has the knock-on effect of making it difficult to keep up. That’s why we’ve rounded up all the biggest smartwatch releases you need to know about this year, followed by some of the most exciting ones we’re expecting. country in the next six months.
Thinking about buying a new smartwatch? Read on for a HIIT-style tour of this year’s highlights to help you figure out your plan of action…
Smartwatches in 2024: What were the biggest launches so far this year?
With several major releases still expected soon (more on that soon), 2024 is looking like a stacked year for smartwatches.
Back in March, the Garmin Forerunner 165 arrived, a much more affordable smartwatch from the company that’s been taking the industry by storm in recent years. Despite its lower price tag, it’s still a great device, with an AMOLED display and 13 days of battery life. Read our Garmin Forerunner 165 review for an in-depth tour of its strengths and weaknesses.
Speaking of cheaper options, we’ve already spotted two fantastic contenders for our list of the best cheap fitness trackers – the Honor Band 7 and the Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Pro – if you want something more minimalist than a smartwatch. The former has great battery life and a nice big, bright AMOLED screen, but it lacks built-in GPS. The latter adds GPS support and costs $99.99 / £60 / AU$95 (although it’s possible to find it for much less).
Back to smartwatches, and the undisputed Wear OS highlight of the year was the OnePlus Watch 2 (below). It landed a few months ago and has already made it into our guide to the best smartwatches. We called it “the comeback king” in our OnePlus Watch 2 review because of its full functionality with Google’s Wear OS, slick looks and excellent dual-frequency GPS tracking.
Looking for a Garmin alternative that puts fitness first and smartwatch second? The new Suunto Race is a much better smartwatch effort from the Finnish company. It’s a premium-feeling device that, despite a few UX quirks, is definitely worth a look – and it’s cheaper than its rivals. Check out our Sunnto Race review for our full verdict.
Finally, Samsung gave us a taste of what’s to come in 2024 with the surprise launch of the Samsung Galaxy Watch FE in June. It’s Samsung’s answer to the Apple Watch SE and will cost $199 (around £160 / AU$300) for the Bluetooth-only model (there’s no international pricing yet, but that works out at around £160 / AU$300). The LTE version, meanwhile, will set you back $249 (around £190 / AU$360).
You can read our initial thoughts on the Samsung Galaxy Watch FE here, but our attention will soon turn to the likely launch of its more expensive siblings…
Smartwatches in 2024: which launches do we expect for the rest of the year?
We’ve already seen a lot of good smartwatch launches this year, but the ‘big three’ have yet to show their cards. That’s going to change.
The big launches coming up…
Samsung is expected to launch its Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 very soon, most likely during the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2024 event on July 10. As is often the case, most of the details have leaked in advance.
Expect a 3-nanometer chipset and AI-focused features, as well as improvements to the health sensor. Samsung is also expected to debut the more expensive Galaxy Watch Ultra this year, with better battery life, a new color scheme and the potential for a larger screen.
What of the current king of our best smartwatches guide, Apple? As surely as death and taxes, we’re expecting a new Apple Watch model this year to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the product line’s unveiling.
Sources can’t yet say exactly what it will look like, or what it will offer, but the Apple Watch 10 (or Apple Watch X, as it’s also being called) is expected to have a slightly larger display. It may not come with a blood oxygen sensor, but we’ll get to that shortly.
There’s also talk of an Apple Watch Ultra 3, but it appears there will be few upgrades to come as the microLED technology that was reportedly planned has apparently been scrapped.
Finally, Google’s Pixel Watch 3 is likely to be unveiled at a recently announced event in August, and it could be larger than its predecessor. That leads us to hope for more sensors, or at the very least, a bigger battery.
Smartwatches in 2024: what other news did you miss?
Remember when we said that blood oxygen monitoring might not be part of Apple’s 2024 lineup? That’s because the company was banned from selling its wearables late last year due to a dispute between Apple and Masimo, a company that claims to hold a patent on blood oxygen sensor technology like the one in Apple Watch.
Although the ban has been lifted, the legal battle continues and so Apple is unlikely to make a big deal about the sensor in its expected September event. While things could change before then, the question remains whether it adds the sensor but leaves it inactive for a subsequent software update, or whether it removes it completely.
Speaking of software updates, WWDC brought new Apple Watch features with watchOS 11. Expect a new Vitals app for measuring potential deviations from your body’s standard data points, and Training Load to finally help you train when it’s best to take a rest day. You can also finally pause your Apple Fitness rings and use the Apple Watch to track your pregnancy (yes, really).
Things aren’t so positive for owners of older Samsung fitness trackers, as the manufacturer recently confirmed that support for Tizen-based models will be ending. If your Galaxy Watch is older than the Galaxy Watch 4, then there’s a good chance that support for the content will be delayed until September 30 next year, when support will officially end.
Finally, the OnePlus Watch 2 we mentioned earlier has an impressive distinction of offering two operating systems on the same device. Wear OS 4 and RTOS both run on their own chips and the device switches between the two as needed. OnePlus calls it “dual engine architecture” and as we previously mentioned, it has made the Watch 2 one of the best releases of the year so far.