Best Android Wear watch 2017
After a shaky start, Google's Android Wear is now an increasingly mature platform thanks to the update to Android Wear 2.0.
New features for the smartwatch operating system include a much easier way to reply to messages, handwriting recognition, Google Assistant on your wrist and apps that can now run without your phone in reach.
There's no better time than now to grab yourself an Android Wear wielding watch, so below we've put together the definitive list of the best available on the market right now.
Each has been extensively tested throughout our review process and we've then ranked each watch in the list below, kicking off with the best you can buy right now.
- Check out our list of the best smartwatches money can buy
- Android Wear 2: everything you need to know
- Check out our collection of the best Android Wear apps
- Best Android Wear watch faces that you can download now
The LG Watch Style is every bit as stylish as its name suggests, with a sand-blasted stainless steel chassis and a circular display. It's also one of the thinnest Android Wear watches around at just 10.8mm.
That means that while it will look great on anyone's wrist it's especially at home on smaller wrists, which is worth noting, since a lot of smartwatches are chunky things that could dwarf a small wrist.
The LG Watch Style also benefits from a rotatable crown, which helps you navigate the interface without prodding its tiny screen. It's a good screen though, being a 1.2-inch P-OLED one and fully circular - there's no flat tire here.
The core specs are fairly standard but up there with pricier wearables, because despite the Watch Style's great looks it's actually quite affordable. Some sacrifices have been made though to keep the cost down and the watch slim, as there's no GPS or heart rate monitor here.
Read the LG Watch Style review
Launched alongside the LG Watch Style, the LG Watch Sport is in many ways it opposite, with a chunky, uninspiring build but absolutely loaded full of features.
It has a heart rate monitor, GPS, a barometer and optionally even 4G connectivity, making it a strong option for the athletically inclined or for anyone who wants to leave their smartphone at home.
It also has a bigger, sharper screen than the LG Watch Style and one that's just as circular.
Of course, it's also one of the pricier smartwatches available, but if you want such a big selection of specs and features your only other real option is the similarly expensive Huawei Watch 2 or the Apple Watch 3.
Read the LG Watch Sport review
Asus isn't an obvious name to associate with Android Wear watches, though with the ZenWatch 3 it has more than earned in place.
Launched at $229/£250 (around AU$340), though now often a little cheaper, Asus' latest is one of your best bets, especially since it is Android Wer 2.0-compatible.
Let's run through the list of good qualities. It has a great display, useful hardware buttons and good battery life. It’s styling might not be for everyone but Asus did a commendable job designing a watch that looks more like a premium watch than a piece of lifeless technology.
Read the Asus ZenWatch 3 review
The Huawei Watch 2 is an attempt by the Chinese company to widen the use of Android Wear watches. Huawei has tried to include a variety of new features in its latest smartwatch and it's not entirely clear if it has succeeded with the Watch 2.
We like the built-in GPS and NFC on the watch as well as the option to have a 4G model, but the Watch 2 can be sluggish and the screen is a little too small for some.
This may suit you though with an attractive design and a plethora of features, so it's placed in fourth position in our best Android Wear watches roundup.
Read the full Huawei Watch 2 review
The original Moto 360, released in 2014 quickly earned the praises of users, for packaging up Google's fledgling OS in some super attractive packaging. And the 2015 edition of the watch builds on this.
The watch comes in two different sizes: 42mm and 46mm, and is runs slightly more slickly than its predecessor thanks to the improved processor. The circular screen makes it feel slightly more natural than bolting a square display on to your wrist. The only thing that really feels lacking is GPS support - meaning that it is unable to natively track your journeys.
And one other criticism that has been leveled at the 360 is the battery life - that tends to only go for 48 hours at best.
Read the Moto 360 (2015) review
With the Huawei Watch, the Chinese behemoth was very definitely aiming at the top end of the market, although the price has dropped substantially since launch.
The main strength is the screen - which is a 1.4-inch AMOLED display, running at 400 x 400 - one of the highest resolution watches available, ensuring PPI on par with the Apple Watch. Helpfully too, the screen is always on - it will dim after a few seconds of inactivity, but the time will still remain visible.
Spec-wise, the watch is slightly less remarkable - with a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 CPU, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage and a 300mAh battery it is roughly on a par with its top-end rivals.
Sadly, despite the premium price the watch doesn't include GPS, but it does include a heart rate sensor. So if you want a polished Android Wear watch this is still a good choice.
Read the Huawei Watch review
Fossil is a traditional watchmaker that has been trying to solve the problem of becoming a tech company, before tech companies can fully become watchmakers. So it has come up with the Fossil Q Founder Android Wear watch.
Vaguely reminiscent of other high-end round watches like the Moto 360 and Huawei Watch, the Q features a combination brushed and polished metal face - and a plastic back, so that can it can charge wirelessly.
While the screen is lower resolution than some competitors, it is barely noticeable. Perhaps the only annoyance on-screen is the so-called "flat tire" at the bottom, which means the screen isn't a perfect circle. This is to leave room for the ambient light sensor.
Unlike most other rivals too, it has 1GB of RAM instead of 512MB, which should boost performance.
So it certainly has the looks - and the innards look promising too. But at the end of the day, this watch isn't anything too special.
Read the Fossil Q Founder review
Now that smartwatches are a fact of everyday life, luxury watchmakers are worried that they're on a path to destruction. You only have to look at how the iPhone killed any interest in diamond-covered "luxury" phones - even amongst the filthy rich. So perhaps wisely, Tag Heuer has come out with its own take on the smartwatch - by taking Android Wear and giving it a touch of Tag's class.
Priced from £1,100 (US$1,500, around AU$2,100 - about 5 times as expensive as a normal Android Wear watch), the Tag Heuer Connected won't come cheap, but will make you look pretty slick at the golf club.
The body is made from grade II titanium - the same material with which the company makes its traditional watches. It is also fairly chunky at 12.8mm thick (so at least it looks expensive).
The trade-off though appears to be on the inside, where spec-wise the price doesn't match the performance. Faster, higher resolution devices are available at lower prices. But of course, if you do go for a Huawei Watch 2 instead, it won't have the classic Tag Heuer watchface.
Read the Tag Heuer Connected review
Don't need Android Wear software? Watch the video below to see our top 5 smartwatches you can buy right now
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