These are the best budget smartwatches you can buy in 2026

Look, we know what you’re all thinking and yes, the Huawei Watch Fit 4 is the spitting image of an Apple Watch. For many, though, that won’t be a bad thing. The Apple Watch is still one of the most stylish wearables out there and by following the same aesthetic, so is the Huawei Watch Fit 4.

Aside from its design, the display goes a long way towards making you think that the Fit 4 is anything but a budget smartwatch. With a peak brightness of 2000 nits, it reaches the same level as the Apple Watch Series 11, making it very easy to read in the great outdoors.

Speaking of which, the Watch Fit 4 boasts dual-frequency GPS so if you are an avid runner then you can enjoy a sturdy connection here, which then feeds into the many fitness metrics that Huawei offers up in the accompanying Huawei Health app. The battery can even run for up to 10-days at a time, so forgetting to bring your charger with you during a weekend away shouldn’t be cause for concern.

As you may have guessed, the key thing that holds the Watch Fit 4 back is its lack of third-party apps in the West. If you want access to the likes of Google Maps or WhatsApp then you’re better off with the Apple Watch SE 3 or the Samsung Galaxy Watch FE.

For those who aren’t that fussed, you’ll be perfectly content with what Huawei offers here and you could also look for a cut-price Watch Fit 3.

Who should buy the Huawei Watch Fit 4?

Anyone who wants an Apple Watch-style wearable without the Apple Watch price tag.

Huawei Watch Fit 4: Further considerations

The lack of third-party apps puts it behind budget options from Apple and Samsung.

In the short time that it’s been around, Nothing’s subsidiary brand CMF has made itself known as one of the go-to manufacturers when it comes to finding style at the budget end of the market. The CMF Phone 2 Pro stands above the competition for its eye-catching aesthetic, and the CMF Watch 3 Pro adheres to that same appreciation for a colourful yet minimalist style.

With a single rotating crown input and a large 1.43-inch circular display, the CMF Watch 3 Pro is the perfect pick for anyone who wants a budget smartwatch that looks like a more premium wearable. The collection of mostly monochrome watch faces also complements the look that CMF is going for, which is more than can be said for most budget options that tend to overlook the importance of a well-designed watch face library.

It is a shame however that CMF removed the swappable bezels of the Watch Pro 2, as it was a great feature to have for expressing oneself, but there is a decent trade-off here in the form of a larger battery which can run for up to 13-days at a time. That drops to four-days with the always-on display toggled, but that’s still longer than what the Apple Watch Series 11 can achieve.

Fitness tracking is fairly straightforward, and there is a helpful running coach that provides assistance for anyone who’s starting out on their fitness journey. If swimming is your workout of choice however then you’ll want to look elsewhere as the CMF Watch 3 Pro cannot be submerged in water, meaning that a dip in the pool is out of the question.

Who should buy the CMF Watch 3 Pro?

Style enthusiasts who want an eye-catching smartwatch that doesn’t cost a fortune.

CMF Watch 3 Pro: Further considerations

The lack of proper waterproofing prevents the watch from being taken on a swim.

Between the CMF Watch 3 Pro and now the Amazfit Active 2, the amount of value that can be expected below the £100/$100 mark has never been better. Sure, you’re not going to get the exact same user experience as what the pricier smartwatches bring to the table, but the basics are taken care of and, in the case of Amazfit’s offering, it’s all wrapped up in a very stylish look.

With a stainless steel case that allows flashes of silver to be seen on the outer rim of the display, the Amazfit Active 2 doesn’t look or feel anything like many budget watches. In fact, with one of the more classic, analogue-style watch faces in tow, you might even convince someone that this isn’t a smartwatch at first glance.

Inside that chassis, Amazfit has packed the Active 2 with all of the technology required to make a great fitness tracker, as there are no less than 164 sports modes to dive into. It can even track your rest and recovery, and when compared to the Oura Ring 4, we found the insight here to be on the mark. The same can’t be said for heart rate data which isn’t as accurate as we had hoped, so it’s best not to put too much credence into the results provided.

In terms of smart features, Amazfit’s UI is easy to use and it’s fast to jump from one menu to another. It’s a fairly standard experience compared to pricier smartwatches, but that’s to be expected. What is a shame is that there is a version of the watch that boasts NFC for contactless payments, but you’ll have to pay a bit more (£129.90/$129.99 instead of £99/$99) for the privilege.

Who should buy the Amazfit Active 2?

Budget buys who still value style above all in a wearable.

Amazfit Active 2: Further considerations

You’ll have to pay more for the version with NFC or the square shaped model.

The word ‘bargain’ doesn’t come up too often when talking about Apple devices but there are few better ways to describe the Apple Watch SE 3. As a means of getting quick access to apps like Messages, Maps, Apple Pay, Spotify and lots more, the Watch SE 3 isn’t just a great pick amongst the best budget smartwatches, it’s arguably the best Apple Watch for most people.

With a starting price of just £219/$249, the Watch SE is far more affordable than the full-fat Apple Watch Series 11, but it still packs many of the core features that make up Apple’s wearable experience. For instance, you’ve got Apple’s excellent fitness tracking onboard, which can record reliable data for both sleep (now with a score) and workout performance, helping you to reach your fitness goals with ease.

The biggest upgrade over the Watch SE 2 is that its successor finally has an always-on display, which used to be the main caveat when discussing Apple’s budget-friendly device. This might sound like a small tweak, but the ability to quickly glance at the time or any other piece of data without waking up the watch greatly improves its overall usability.

Unfortunately, you have to put up with a dated bezel, but more crucial is the returning one-day battery life. This is a wearable that you’ll need to charge daily in order to keep using it – something to bear in mind if you already struggle to keep your phone topped up. At the very least, there is now fast charging onboard to get you to a full battery more quickly with the right cable.

Who should buy the Apple Watch SE 3?

Apple users who want the most feature-packed official wearable for a reasonable price.

Apple Watch SE 3: Further considerations

The day-long battery life can be a killer for more intensive users and there are cheaper smartwatches compatible with iPhone.

No need to do a double-take here – after a major price drop following the unveiling of the Pixel Watch 5, the Pixel Watch 4 has come down to the budget end of the market, making it an absolute bargain buy for anyone who wants the true, unfiltered smartwatch experience but for a fraction of the flagship cost.

Bear in mind that at the time of writing, which is a day after the Pixel Watch 5 unveiling, the Watch 4 is available for £249 from the official store and most retailers (we expect similar in the US before long). However, the price is listed as a discount as opposed to a revision of the RRP, so there’s always a chance that a newly designated price might be slightly more, but it’s very unlikely to go beyond £279/$279.

Although Google’s previous-gen wearables got better with each iteration, the Pixel Watch 4 felt like the first smartwatch from the brand that truly delivered on its goals. This is a device that shows off the Wear OS platform in its best light with a stunning screen that’s very responsive, bright in everyday use, and features very slim bezels so that everything from menus to watch faces has space to spread out.

One of the biggest issues we had with the Pixel Watch 3 was that it was practically impossible to repair, which wasn’t great for consumer value or preventing e-waste, but Google has fixed things with this model. The screen and the battery are now easily replaceable, so much so that you can carry out the process at home with the right tools in hand.

Battery life is slightly improved too, and depending on which size of watch you pick up (there are 41mm and 45mm options), you can get up to 30/40 hours of use. It doesn’t quite match up to the likes of the Xiaomi Watch 5, but it’s more than enough to get you through a heavy day of use, and the improved charging dock can get you back to a full battery pretty quickly. We were able to get the watch from 0% to 50% in just 15 minutes of charging.

Who should buy the Pixel Watch 4?

Wear OS fans who want a flagship experience for a budget price.

Pixel Watch 4: Further consideration

The Xiaomi Watch 5 offers a far superior battery life.

The Bip has been a smartwatch that, from the very first version, has punched above its weight in terms of features and performance. For the Bip 6, Amazfit has certainly gone big with the upgrades.

For starters, it’s swapped TFT for a big and bright 1.97-inch AMOLED display and it instantly makes this budget smartwatch feel a lot less budget.

Features-wise, you’re getting the ability to make calls over Bluetooth, load on transport cards to make it easier to travel and have access to the Zepp Flow AI Assistant that’s worked well in some, but not all, scenarios.

In the fitness department, it has built-in GPS to track outdoor runs and rides, plus the smarts to record Hyrox workouts. You track heart rate and blood oxygen levels and it will serve up useful scores to tell you if you’re ready to tackle a stressful day. There’s also room for free offline maps for adventurers, which is a rare feature to find on a smartwatch this cheap.

Topped off with up to 14-day battery life or around 6 days in heavier use, and there’s few better smartwatches at this price that can compete with what the Amazfit Bip packs and also delivers.

Overall, it’s a lot of smartwatch for not much over £50/$50, making it a top value option.

Who should buy the Amazfit Bip 6?

You want a big OLED screen for well under £100/$100 as well as lots of features and excellent battery life.

Amazfit Bip 6: Further considerations

Look elsewhere for a better software experience, particularly on the companion app. 

There was definitely some concern that OnePlus’ plan to revisit a non-Wear OS smartwatch would end up being too similar to the company’s dreadful first-generation OnePlus Watch, but fortunately, the firm has created something truly spectacular in the OnePlus Watch Lite.

Although it runs OnePlus’ proprietary software and doesn’t feature third-party apps as a result, the Watch Lite still makes it mark largely thanks to a design that puts most flagship smartwatches to shame. The watch itself is just 8.9mm thin and the Silver Steel colourway will make everyone think that you’re wearing a watch that costs far in excess of its £179/€179 price tag.

In the absence of a typical app-driven ecosystem, the Watch Lite makes the smart decision of focusing almost completely on fitness tracking, which massively works to its benefit. The 60-second Wellbeing Overview can offer up an insight into your key metrics quickly, and when compared to a dedicated chest-worn monitor, we found the watch’s heart rate data to be largely on the money.

There is NFC built into the watch but it can only be used for digital locks/keys, whereas we would love to see it expanded to cover wireless payments in a successor. At the very least, you do get to benefit from extraordinary battery life with the ability to run for up to 10 days between charges.

Who should buy the OnePlus Watch Lite?

Fitness-focused users who want a fashionable, long-lasting wearable for health tracking.

OnePlus Watch Lite: Further considerations

OnePlus no longer sells the Watch Lite new after shuttering its operations in the West, so you’ll have to find a second-hand unit.

Xiaomi’s smartwatch with a switchable bezel builds on the very likeable look on the Watch S3 while adding new software features that aim to make it a much smarter smartwatch.

There’s the welcome addition of a rotating crown, which makes navigating Xiaomi’s HyperOS 2 software a nicer thing to do, with those swappable bezels now growing in number and generally feeling a touch more refined and polished.

Xiaomi’s added a brighter AMOLED display though it doesn’t keep the LTE connectivity included on the China version of the Watch S4 to make it more useful when away from your phone. Most of the new software smarts, like using it as a smart home controller, require owning additional Xiaomi hardware to use them, with the tweaked operating system now feeling like a better match for its sleek design surroundings.

There’s no shortage of fitness and health features onboard, including the latest dual-frequency GNSS to offer a boost for outdoor sports tracking and you can get anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks of battery out of this solid performer and a more sophisticated yet affordable smartwatch package.

Who should buy the Xiaomi Watch S4?

You want a flagship style watch at a very affordable price with features like changeable bezels.

Xiaomi Watch S4: Further considerations

Look elsewhere for Wear OS.

The Xiaomi Watch 2 gives you a more affordable route to Google’s Wear OS when you’d typically have to spend a lot more to get access to Google’s apps, user interface and all-important access to the Google Play Store.

Xiaomi gets plenty right with the design, matching up an aluminium case and the choice of a more exercise-friendly strap or leather and braided bands. The swim-proof smartwatch also hosts a good-sized, 1.43-inch AMOLED that’s bright, vivid and can stay on at all times.

There’s good all-round performance powered by one of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 chipsets with 32GB of storage to play with and 2GB of RAM to keep things running nice and smooth.

Along with access to Google’s best through Wear OS, there are over 160 workout modes to pick from, built-in GPS and an optical heart rate sensor that wasn’t the best-performing during exercise. Like many budget options, it’s a better fitness and sleep tracker. One Wear OS undesirable is that the battery isn’t exactly stellar and lasts typically a day.

If you want a cheap route to Wear though, the Watch 2 will give you that.

Who should buy the Xiaomi Watch 2? 

You want a very affordable and sleek smartwatch running Wear OS. 

Xiaomi Watch 2: Further considerations 

Look elsewhere for better battery life and tracking. 

Although they operate more as fitness trackers than fully-fledged smartwatches, Xiaomi’s Smart Band range has long been at the forefront of offering unbelievable value to consumers who want a reasonably priced wearable. Well, at £69.99/€79.99, the Xiaomi Smart Band 10 Pro continues that trend nicely, with a few key additions that are sure to please fitness enthusiasts and fashion-first buyers alike.

As you may already have spotted from the picture, there’s a new Pearl White colourway which also happens to be ceramic. It’s a very sleek chassis, and the use of ceramic just helps to elevate the Smart Band 10 Pro as a fashion accessory. We’ve seen this effect before with the ceramic version of the Oura Ring 4, although that piece of tech costs more than quintuple the price, so being able to enjoy its benefits for such an affordable price is just too good to pass up.

When it comes to fitness tracking, there’s now an upgraded heart rate sensor on the back. Putting its prowess to the test, we used a chest-worn heart rate strap alongside the Smart Band 10 Pro and were quite impressed with the results. In both general heart-rate monitoring throughout the day and providing insights into moderate workouts, Xiaomi’s wearable was largely in line with the chest strap. It was only during more intense workouts that a discrepancy would start to appear, but for beginners, you’ll get on well here.

In terms of smart features, it’s a fairly basic affair. You can control your music playback which is always nice as it means you don’t need to reach for your phone mid-workout, and you can delve into a weather forecast in just a few taps. For proper third-party app access, you’ll want to invest in either the Apple Watch SE 3 or the Xiaomi Watch 5, but both of those watches cost a fair bit more so there’s a trade-off to consider. Plus, neither of them can match Xiaomi on longevity as the Smart Band 10 Pro can run for up to 21-days at a time.

Who should buy the Xiaomi Smart Band 10 Pro?

Fashion-first buyers who like the look of ceramic on their tech.

Xiaomi Smart Band 10 Pro: Further considerations

Smart features are limited here, so you’ll have to go further up the change for a proper app library.