While much of the tech world’s focus is drawn to AI in 2024, smartwatches and fitness trackers continue to become more and more important to our daily lives. As we hit the halfway point of the year, it’s time to look back at the biggest smartwatch launches so far in 2024 – and what’s to come in the next six months.
Whether it’s new software features like watchOS 11 or the big Polar Vantage 3 update, or all-new hardware like the OnePlus Watch 2, smartwatch makers have been hard at work this year.
This has the detrimental effect of making it hard to keep up, which is 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 to land in the next six months.
Thinking of buying a new smartwatch? Read on for a HIIT-style tour of this year’s highlights to help you set your plan of action…
Smartwatches in 2024: what have been the biggest launches so far this year?
Considering we’re still expecting some big releases soon (more on those soon), 2024 is looking like a stacked year for smartwatches.
March saw the arrival of the Garmin Forerunner 165, a much more affordable smartwatch from the company that has taken the industry by storm in recent years. Despite the lower price, it’s still a great looking 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 seen two fantastic contenders for our cheapest fitness tracker list – the Honor Band 7 and the Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Pro – if you want something more minimalistic than a smartwatch. The former has great battery life and a nice, big, bright AMOLED panel, but 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 undoubted Wear OS highlight of the year has been the OnePlus Watch 2 (below). It landed a few months ago and has already stormed our guide to the best smartwatches. We called it “the throwback king” in our OnePlus Watch 2 review for its full functionality with Google’s Wear OS, great looks, and excellent dual-frequency GPS tracking.
Looking for an alternative to a Garmin that’s 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 some UX quirks, is worth a look – and it’s cheaper than its rivals. Check out our Sunnto Race review for our full verdict.
Recently, Samsung gave us a small 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 costs $199 for the Bluetooth-only model (no international price yet, but that equates to around £160 / AU$300). The LTE version, meanwhile, will set you back $249 (around £190 / AU$360).
You can read our early thoughts on the Samsung Galaxy Watch FE, but our attention will soon turn to the potential launch of its more expensive siblings…
Smartwatches in 2024: what launches can we expect during the rest of the year?
We’ve seen a lot of smartwatches launched this year, but the ‘big three’ have yet to show their hand. This is about to change.
Big launches to come…
Samsung is expected to launch the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 very soon, most likely at its upcoming Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2024 event on July 10. As is often the case, most of the details have been leaked ahead of time.
Expect a 3-nanometer chip and AI-focused features, as well as health sensor improvements. Samsung is also expected to debut the higher-end Galaxy Watch Ultra this year, with better battery life, a new color and the potential for a larger screen.
What about the current king of our best smartwatch guide, Apple? As certain as death and taxes, we expect a new Apple Watch model this year to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the launch of the product line.
Sources can’t say what it will look like, or what it will offer, but the Apple Watch 10 (or Apple Watch X, as it’s also been referred to) is expected to have a slightly larger display. However, it may not come with a blood oxygen sensor, but we’ll cover that shortly.
An Apple Watch Ultra 3 has also been revealed, but it looks like the improvements may be few and far between as the microLED that was said to be planned was dropped.
Finally, Google’s Pixel Watch 3 is likely to be unveiled at a recently announced event in August, and it could be bigger than its predecessor. This leads us to hope for more sensors, or at least a bigger battery.
Smartwatches in 2024: what other news have you missed?
Remember when we said blood oxygen monitoring might not be part of Apple’s 2024 lineup? That’s because late last year the company was barred from selling its devices due to a dispute between Apple and Masimo, a company that claims to have a patent on blood oxygen sensor technology like the one in the Apple Watch.
While the ban was lifted, the legal battle continues, and so Apple is unlikely to make a big deal about the sensor at the expected September event. While things may change before then, it remains to be seen whether it will add the sensor but lay it dormant until a later software update, or remove it entirely.
Speaking of software updates, WWDC brought new Apple Watch features with watchOS 11. Expect a new Vitals app for measuring any possible deviations from your body’s standard data points, as well as training load to help you finally work when it is better to rest days. You can finally ditch the Apple Fitness rings and use the Apple Watch to track your pregnancy (yes, really).
Things are not so positive for owners of Samsung’s older fitness trackers, as the manufacturer recently confirmed that it will end support for Tizen-based models. Basically, if your Galaxy Watch is older than the Galaxy Watch 4, there’s a good chance it’s in the west, with content support slowing down until September 30th next year, when it officially ends support. .
Finally, the OnePlus Watch 2 we mentioned earlier has the impressive distinction of offering two operating systems in the same device. Wear OS 4 and RTOS both run on their own chipsets, and the device switches between them as needed. OnePlus calls it “dual engine architecture,” and as we covered earlier, it’s made the Watch 2 one of the best releases of the year so far.