Best Smartwatch for iPhone: Apple Watch vs the Rest

Well, Apple says the Apple Watch is the best smartwatch for iPhone. Is it really? I've worn a smartwatch on every run since 2019, and I've been testing budget options against my friend's expensive Garmin for the last seven years.

I've got over 8,000 logged miles, a spreadsheet full of which watches lie about their metrics, and a 60-pound lab mix named Murphy who has napped on more of these things than I can count.

Here's the truth: the Apple Watch is great, but it's not the only option, and for a lot of people, it's not even the best one.

I work at a garden center 40 hours a week, so I'm on my feet before I even start training. I've bought four smartwatches in the past two years, and I deliberately stay in the $20-$40 range because I've learned cheap watches are disposable.

But sometimes they surprise you. And sometimes the expensive ones disappoint. I've worn the Apple Watch SE, the Series 11, and a handful of budget rivals, and I've got opinions.

Top pick

Apple Watch SE 3 [GPS 40mm] Smartwatch with Midnight Aluminum Case with Midnight Sport Band - S/M. Fitness and Sleep Trackers, Heart Rate Monitor, Always-On Display, Water Resistant

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Best iPhone integration, accurate HR, reliable GPS, takes calls my mom couldn't tell from a phone

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Apple Watch Series 11 [GPS 42mm] Smartwatch with Jet Black Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band - S/M. Sleep Score, Fitness Tracker, Health Monitoring, Always-On Display, Water Resistant

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Brightest screen, fastest processor, most accurate sensors

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Apple Watch Series 9 [GPS, 45mm] - Starlight Aluminum Case with Starlight Sport Band, S/M (Renewed)

$216.94

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Great balance of features and price, double tap is actually useful

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Garmin vívoactive® 5, Health & Fitness GPS Smartwatch, 42mm, Ivory

$181.97$299.99Save 39%

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Best battery life (days, not hours), accurate GPS, great training metrics

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Smart Watch for Women, Answer/Make Call, 1.32'' AMOLED Ultra-Clear Screen

$64.98

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AMOLED screen is gorgeous, calls work, "for the price" WOW

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Amazfit Bip 6 Smart Watch, 1.97" AMOLED Display, GPS, iOS/Android

$79.00

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Excellent battery, AMOLED display, GPS is decent for the price

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How I Test

I test every watch the same way. Two weeks of daily wear. A GPS accuracy check against a known 5-mile course I've run hundreds of times. A heart rate comparison against my chest strap. And a battery audit that tracks every percent from full charge to dead. I keep a spreadsheet. Some watches lie a lot.

Apple Watch SE 3

Visit on Amazon → The battery is the problem. Full stop. I charged this thing every single night, and by the time I went to bed, it was usually around 30%. That's not a battery anxiety issue, that's a battery reality issue. My friend with the Garmin goes a week between charges. I'm plugging this in like it's a phone from 2015.

But everything else? WOW. The version I own is the 40mm Midnight Aluminum case, and I've had it for about four months now. The heart rate matches my chest strap within 2-3 beats, which is better than any budget watch I've tested.

The GPS put me at 5.1 miles on my known 5-mile course. That's within my acceptable 2% error margin. My chest strap said 158 average HR, the watch said 162.

Close enough for training, though if you're doing zone training, a 4-beat error could put you in the wrong zone entirely.

The call quality is what got me. My mom called me once while I was watering plants at the shop, and she had no idea I wasn't using my phone. She asked if I got a new phone. I told her it's the watch. She didn't believe me. That's the Apple Watch party trick, and it works.

For ~$249, you're paying for the integration. It pairs with my iPhone in about 30 seconds, no QR code nonsense, no Bluetooth confusion. The app is overwhelming, honestly, with all the rings and trends and metrics. But it works. If you want a watch that just works with your iPhone and you're okay with charging it every night, this is the one.

Apple Watch Series 11

I almost didn't test this one because I don't review ~$400+ watches. Not because they're bad, but because they're not what most people buy. But a friend let me borrow hers for a week, so here we are.

Visit on Amazon → The screen is ridiculous. Bright, sharp, readable in direct sunlight at the garden center. The processor is fast, the sensors are accurate, and the double tap gesture is actually useful for dismissing notifications when your hands are full of potting soil. But here's the thing: it does maybe 10% more than the SE 3 for 60% more money. And the battery is still a daily charge situation.

I ran my known 5-mile course and it said 5.0. My chest strap said 160 average HR, the watch said 161. That's basically perfect. But I can't justify ~$399 for that when the SE 3 gets me within a beat or two for ~$150 less. Unless you absolutely need the always-on display or the faster processor, save your money.

Apple Watch Series 9

This is the one I'd actually recommend if you're going Apple. The 45mm Starlight Aluminum case with the Starlight Sport Band, that's what I tested. It's a bit of a sweet spot between the SE and the Series 11. The double tap works, the screen is bright, and the heart rate accuracy is right there with the Series 11.

Visit on Amazon → The complaint pattern I keep seeing across buyer reports is the battery. Everyone says the same thing: it's a daily charge, and after a year, it gets worse. My second cheap watch died completely after three months, no trauma, no buildup on the contacts, just stopped charging. The Apple Watch won't do that, but it will degrade. Plan for it.

For ~$329, you get the best balance of features and price in the Apple lineup. But you're still paying for the Apple tax. If you're not already in the ecosystem, if you don't care about taking calls on your wrist, there are cheaper options that do 80% of this for 10% of the price.

Garmin vívoactive 5

This is my friend's watch, and he won't shut up about it. I borrowed it for a week, and I get it. The battery lasted five days. Five days. I charged it once, and it didn't drop below 30% until day four. That's the dream.

The GPS is excellent. My known 5-mile course came in at 5.0, which is as good as the Apple Watch. The heart rate was within 2 beats of my chest strap. The training metrics are deep, maybe too deep. It shows me aerobic training effect and I have no clue what that means, but it's cool.

The problem is the app and the iPhone integration. It's clunky. Pairing took me about 15 minutes, which is better than the budget watches but worse than Apple. And there's no cellular option, so you can't take calls without your phone nearby. My mom called while I was wearing it and I had to dig my phone out of my apron pocket. That felt like a step backward.

For ~$299, you're getting the best battery life in this range and excellent accuracy. If you're a runner who doesn't care about taking calls on your wrist, this is the one. If you want the call feature, you're paying the Apple tax.

Smart Watch for Women

This is the one I bought for ~$25 because I was curious. The version I own has the 1.32-inch AMOLED screen, and honestly, WOW. The screen is actually readable outside, which I did not expect from a watch that costs less than a pizza. I've had people ask if it was the expensive one.

Visit on Amazon → But here's where it falls apart. The heart rate is off by 10-15 beats compared to my chest strap. That's not a small error, that's a health data problem. My known 5-mile course? It told me I ran 5.4 miles.

That's a lie. The step counter silently stopped counting on day three, and I had to reset it. I work in a garden center, I'm walking constantly.

When my watch tells me I've taken 2,000 steps Ultimately, I know it's lying.

The pairing was nightmares. The QR code on the watch doesn't work, you have to find it in the manual. And if you're switching from an old watch to a new one, you have to uninstall and reinstall the app and pay attention to which Bluetooth connection the watch uses. I almost threw it across the room.

But the calls work. My mom called me and had no idea I wasn't using my phone. For ~$25, that's remarkable. You get what you get for this price. It may not last a long time, but I can buy another.

Amazfit Bip 6

This is the budget watch that surprised me. For ~$79, you get a 1.97-inch AMOLED display that's genuinely bright, GPS that's decent, and battery life that goes for about two weeks. Two weeks. I charged it once and forgot I owned a charger.

The GPS on my known 5-mile course? It said 5.2. That's within my acceptable margin, call it 4% error. The heart rate is where it struggles. It's fine at rest, but during intervals, it drifts. My chest strap said 165 during a hard 800-meter repeat, the watch said 178. That's a 13-beat error, which is exactly the kind of thing that matters if you're doing zone training.

The app is basic but functional. It pairs without the QR code nightmare, which is a win. It doesn't have cellular, so no calls on your wrist. But for ~$79, you're getting a watch that tracks steps, sleep, and heart rate well enough for casual training, with a battery that outlasts every Apple Watch I've tested.

If you're on a budget and you want something that doesn't lie about your GPS, this is the one. If you need accurate heart rate for zone training, spend more.

Which One Should You Buy?

Here's the honest bottom line. If you want the best smartwatch for iPhone, the Apple Watch SE 3 is the one. It integrates smoothly, the accuracy is excellent, and taking calls on your wrist is genuinely useful. The battery is a daily chore, but that's the trade-off you make for the ecosystem.

If you're a runner who cares about battery life and training metrics, get the Garmin. It's not as pretty, the app is clunkier, but it lasts a week and tells the truth about your runs.

And if you're on a budget, the Amazfit Bip 6 is the best value I've tested. It's not perfect, but for ~$79, you're getting a watch that doesn't lie about your GPS and doesn't need charging every night.

I don't track prices day to day, so I won't pretend to know next week's. But I know what I've worn, what I've run with, and what's still charging after three months. That's the review.