8 Best Smartwatches for Calling and Texting in 2023

If you’re shopping for the best smartwatches for texting, you need to think about your current smartphone or tablet and its operating system (OS). Because Apple devices don’t support text and calls through Android devices, it’s important to find a watch that uses the same OS as your smartphone or tablet.And you should consider other functions such as calls, contactless payments, or even streaming media. However, all of the above smart features can quickly drain a watch battery so you’ll want to look at the listed battery range, and how quickly a watch can be fully recharged. Yes, you have to do the same even if you are buying the best smartwatch.

8 Best Smartwatches for Calling and Texting in 2023：Our choice

Our pick	SAMSUNG Galaxy Watch 4 40mm Smartwatch
Best choice	Apple Watch Series 6
Champion	Apple Watch Series 5
2nd runner-up	Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2
Runner up	Amazfit GTR 4 Smart Watch for Men
Upgrade pick	Motorola Moto 360
Also great	Fossil Gen 6 44mm Touchscreen Smartwatch
other	SAMSUNG Gear Sport Smartwatch

The best smartwatch for calling and texting gives you the freedom to make calls and reply to texts from your wrist. And if you have an LTE or Cellular watch, you don’t need to connect it to your phone to make calls.I know it’s tiresome for a busy person to check notifications and calls repeatedly. But with a smartwatch, you not only see notifications but can also reply to them.In the market, you will find a lot of smartwatches that can make calls and reply to texts. But only a few give HD calling experience and other premium features.

Keep reading to learn more about our selection criteria and to shop from our recommendations on the best smartwatches on the market today.

1.Our pick：SAMSUNG Galaxy Watch 4 40mm Smartwatch

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Released in 2021, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic remains on the market (and this list) because of its rotating bezel, a feature not available on the brand’s latest models. More than just a design touch, the rotating bezel is a pleasure to use and makes it easy to scroll through menus and metrics on the watch. The Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro instead feature a functional digital bezel that responds to gestures along the side of the screen. The Watch 4 Classic runs on Wear OS, which means you get access to Google Maps, the Play Store, and a better selection of third-party apps than any of Samsung’s previous Tizen watches.

Who It’s For

The Samsung Watch 4 Classic remains an excellent option if you want a lifestyle-focused Android-compatible smartwatch. Choose this over the Watch 5 series if you want the rugged look and improved functionality of its rotating bezel.

The Watch 4 Classic is compatible with smartphones running Android 6.0 or later with 1.5GB of RAM, but iPhone users are out of luck. It comes in 42mm and 46mm sizes in black or silver, with a premium stainless steel case. Base models support Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, or you can add LTE connectivity for $50 more.

2.Best choice：Apple Watch Series 6

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Pros

• Supports Wi-Fi and cellular use
• Sleep tracking and fitness tracking
• Wireless Qi charging

Cons

• Poor battery life depending on usage

We can’t stress enough that Apple iPhone owners who want to find a watch that seamlessly supports texting need to focus on the Apple Watch. It’s the only watch we’ve found through our research that doesn’t require a complicated workaround for sending texts. The Apple Watch is a smartwatch you can text on with an iPhone and is designed to be a hands-free iPhone replacement. The Series 6 Apple Watch is the latest release and is full of features that allow you to leave your iPhone behind if you prefer. This is proven by the fact that you can put your watch on a separate line on your phone plan so that you don’t even have to worry about having your iPhone nearby to access the smart features. While we’ve given it the Honorable Mention award in this guide, it’s the top pick for an iPhone owner who wants to send texts from their wrist.

Along with phone and text support, key features that people love are the always-on retina display with a screen that’s 30% larger than the Apple Watch Series 3. You’ll get enhanced health and fitness tracking for sleep, continuous heart rate monitoring, ECG readings, and blood oxygen levels. All of this data is tracked through Apple Health which you can access on your watch or iPhone. Contactless payment is supported through the Apple Pay app. You’ll get a 50-meter water resistance rating which makes it safe for swimming. The one main drawback — which is consistent across all Apple Watch generations — is that the Apple Watch has one of the worst battery lives for a smartwatch. Although the brand promises 18 hours, your mileage will vary depending on how frequently you rely on the smart features such as phone, text, and streaming media content. Consider instead the best rugged smartwatch that features the Max Battery GPS Mode that can run up to 145 hours on solar charging or 70 hours without solar.

3.Champion：Apple Watch Series 5

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Pros

• Location targeting with Wi-Fi support
• Available in 40 and 44mm case sizes
• Robust fitness trackers

Cons

• Battery life varies dramatically depending on usage

Apple has come a long way since the first Apple Watch. While the Series 6 is the latest iteration, the Series 5 Apple Watch is still a strong contender. This is especially true for anyone that wants a smartwatch with the bells and whistles minus the sticker shock for the latest edition. Thankfully, the Series 5 Apple Watch is a smartwatch that texts without phone pairing required since you can assign a separate line for it with your cellular plan. This is because the Series 5 comes enabled for GPS, WiFi, and cellular connections. Common Apple Watch features include tracking for steps, sleep, continuous heart rate, and ECG monitoring.

You’ll also get fall detection with Emergency SOS calls and elevation tracking. Choose from a 40- or 44-millimeter case size. Another cool Apple feature is Hand Off, which lets you open an app on your iPhone or iPad and seamlessly continue using the app on your Apple Watch. The always-on retina display also includes a digital crown with haptics. But, as with other Apple Watches, the Series 5 is no better when it comes to battery life. Most users agreed that the 18-hour claim by Apple isn’t possible for power users and especially if you don’t turn off the always-on retina display. You may want to consider purchasing the best smartwatch for seniors that comes in a 41 and 45-millimeter case size with up to 56 hours of battery life.

Also read：6 Best smartwatches for texting on the market in 2023

4.2nd runner-up：Samsung Galaxy Watch Active

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Pros

• Best for calling and texting
• Comfortable
• AMOLED display looks brighter
• Affordable price

Cons

• SpO2 is missing
• Bp and ECG app is available for limited countries

If you are on a budget but still want the best smartwatch for HD calling the Galaxy Watch Active 2 is the best option.It comes with an HD mic and speaker to experience high-quality calling. This smartwatch also supports LTE for mobile free calling. But you can also go for the BluTooth variant, which is a budget-friendly option.

Like other galaxy watches, you can’t only see notifications but also reply to them via voice, emojis, or text. It’s very convenient to reply to WhatsApp messages directly from your wrist. You don’t need to pull out your phone from your pocket to check notifications.Further, Galaxy Watch Active 2 gives only 4GB of internal storage to store songs and install apps.

This Galaxy watch comes with a Bixby voice assistant that makes your life much easier. You can ask anything you want, check the weather, set alarms, schedule meetings, and much more.For fitness enthusiasts, Galaxy Watch Active 2 also brings a lot of features. It comes with a heart rate monitor, stress tracking, calories counter, sports modes, daily goals, and advanced sleep tracking.

5.Runner up：Amazfit GTR 4 Smart Watch for Men

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Pros

• Affordable price
• Best for making HD calls
• Long battery life
• The AMOLED display is gorgeous
• Alexa assistant

Cons

• Limited Storage
• Lock third-party apps compatibility

Amazfit is a Chinese wearable brand that focuses on fitness-centered smartwatches. Recently they launched GTR 4, which is a flagship watch. This smartwatch is compatible with both Android and iOS devices.Amazfit GTR 4 is best for making calls, But this smartwatch doesn’t have an LTE feature, so you have to use BlueTooth connectivity for making calls. Similarly, you can also answer text messages.

Calling quality on Amazfit GTR 4 is fantastic; you will get an HD microphone for high-quality calls. Similarly, its speaker is loud, too, helping you listen to calls.The new GTR 4 is powered by Zepp OS 4.0, which has a better GUI and performance. The watch only weighs 34g, that’s why it feels very lightweight. You quickly wear the watch at night for sleep tracking.

The 1.43″ display also seems much better, and the 466×466 screen resolution makes it more crispy and bright. There is an Aluminum frame which slim and looks more premium.Further, Amazfit GTR supports Dual-band GPS with 6 Satellite position systems. It tracks your routes more efficiently, even in more challenging environments.

In terms of Fitness tracking, Amazfit GTR 4 can compete with Galaxy and Apple Watches. It has a powerful BioTrack 4.0 sensor that measures your heart rate, SpO2, and Stress. The sensor is 33% more accurate than previous models.The new thing in this smartwatch is PeakBeats. This feature shows your Aerobic and Anaerobic performance. So you can better understand your recovery time and progress.

Another plus point in Amazfit GTR 4 is 24/7 health management. This tool measures your four primary health metrics, including; HR, SpO2, Stress, and breath rate, with just one tap.Amazfit GTR 4 has advanced and comprehensive sleep tracking to improve your sleep habits. On the Zepp app, you can view sleep graphs, charts, and other visuals to understand your sleep performance in a better way.

Luckily, you will get a long-lasting battery in Amazfit GTR 4 that lasts seven days in smartwatch mode and 24 hours in battery saver mode.

Also read:6 Best smartwatches for texting on the market in 2023

6.Upgrade pick：Motorola Moto 360

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Pros

• Supports drawing emojis
• Enhanced GPS with additional satellite integration
• Responds to voice and gestures

Cons

• Low 3ATM water resistance

Samsung and Apple aren’t the only enhanced smartwatch makers on the market. But since both of them have a proprietary OS, other watch brands need a third-party platform to create a true smartwatch. And this offers a natural segue to Wear OS. It’s not uncommon — especially with traditional watchmaker brands — to see their smartwatches run on Wear OS by Google. While technically these watches support pairing with Apple devices, full smart functionality isn’t available for an iPhone owner. Typically, texting or answering calls isn’t supported for iPhone users. So, in this guide, if you see a watch that’s powered by Wear OS, know that we’re focusing on it as an option for Android users only.

With that being said, Motorola’s Moto 360 is one of the best smartwatches with messaging functionality that runs on Wear OS. We like that it features one of the more robust connectivity ranges. Along with Bluetooth and WiFi, you’ll get GPS that’s integrated with GLONASS, Beidou, and Galileo. Thanks to Google’s voice support, you have access to talk to type. And we especially like that the Motorola Moto 360 supports drawing on the touchscreen watch face. This includes the ability to create emojis and share them in your messages. Because the Moto 360 runs on Wear OS, you have access to most Google-based apps including Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Play, and Google Pay. The only real drawback we saw with this watch is that you have a lower 30-meter water resistance rating which makes it safe for showering but not for swimming. And if you’re a cyclist, have a look at the best smartwatch for cycling that offers you enhanced safety features with a live track, group live track, live event sharing, incident detection, and assistance.

7.Also great：Fossil Gen 6 44mm Touchscreen Smartwatch

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Pros

• Stylish look
• Fast charging
• Bright AOD display
• SpO2 is accurate
• Have Google pay Assistant

Cons

• Battery life could be improve
• Limited fitness apps
• Only comes in a 44mm case

Fossil Watch 6 is a stylish-looking watch that is powered by Wear OS. Under the hood, a Snapdragon Wear 4100+ and 1GB RAM gives faster performance.The Watch also includes a built-in microphone and speaker for calling. The speaker of Fossil Gen 6 is louder than other smartwatches so that you can listen to your opponent’s voice better.

You have complete freedom to customize or block notifications from apps.Unluckily Fossil watches don’t support LTE, so you can only make calls via BlueTooth. Similarly, you can also reply to notifications via voice or typing.Fossil Gen 6 has a similar battery to its predecessor. It gives you 24 hours of battery life on a single charge. But it takes half an hour to reach 80% charge.

The built-in design and quality feel very premium. There is a stainless steel bezel which is sleek. Fossil Gen 6 is 3ATM water resistant, so you can use it while taking a shower. The bezels don’t protect the glass. That’s why durability is still questionable.Fossil Gen 6 supports 24/7 heart rate tracking. It also includes SpO2 measurements, which is a core wellness feature. But it lacks other health features like ECG and BP.On the Fossil Gen 6, you can’t only set daily exercise goals, but it also allows you to set sleep goals. The watch measures your sleep stats very comprehensively.

Overall, Fossil Gen 6 is a fashion-focused smartwatch that is pretty good for making calls and replying to a text. But it’s not recommended for pro athletes or fitness enthusiasts.

8.other：SAMSUNG Gear Sport Smartwatch

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Pros

• 5ATM water-resistance
• Proprietary Bixby Samsung voice assistant
• GPS with GLONASS integration

Cons

• Battery life on lower side

Samsung smartwatches are a great pick for a variety of reasons. Along with support for calls and text, we like that the Samsung Gear Sport in particular features the Samsung Connect app. This app gives you the freedom to remotely manage connected devices throughout your home such as lights, the thermostat, or even your fridge or oven. This can be a nice value-added feature for people who work late and don’t want to return to a dark home or in the summer or winter when you want to make sure your home is the perfect temperature.

The Gear Sport also features GPS with enhanced GLONASS integration. This makes it nice if you’re the type who likes to hit the trails as you’ll have more precise navigation assistance. You’ll also get water resistance to 50 meters and a watch that’s passed military standards for durability. The Samsung Gear Sport is designed with fitness in mind and does track steps, activity, calories burned, continuous heart rate monitoring, stress, sleep, and more. And contactless payments are supported through Samsung Pay while Bixby serves as your voice assistant. One surprising thing we did note was that while Samsung claims that the battery has a multi-day range, some reviews noted that the battery was so poor that even 24 hours was a struggle before it required recharging. But professionals will love the best smartwatch for business that promises offers up to 12 hours of usage, especially if you’re a power user.

Do you require an intelligent watch?

Smartwatches may not be essential if you already own a smartphone; however, their convenience (and lack of hassle associated with charging another device) often make up for any extra cost associated with them. Smartwatches provide users with notifications without having to wake their phone every time something comes through; these watches make life easier in professional environments as alerts of important calls or messages can still reach them quickly without disrupting workflow. While distracting, smartwatches make it easier for usability since most allow you to acknowledge, dismiss, reply and even manage smart home devices from them remotely!

Most smartwatches feature fitness components, suitable for tracking steps and encouraging exercise as well as long walks or bike rides. There are smartwatches marketed heavily towards sports and fitness that may also come equipped with these capabilities; however, each smartwatch comes with its own advantages and disadvantages.

Smartwatches come in an assortment of styles and designs. Android-compatible smartwatches often resemble traditional watches in appearance due to their round displays; however, these smartwatches tend to be thicker, wider, and heavier than their counterparts; this can make them feel awkward on your wrist. Some models even come in more than one size (though the smaller watches usually feature less battery capacity compared with traditional “women’s” watches).

Some smartwatches come equipped with an assortment of apps that can either be downloaded from an app store or installed preinstalled, from simple stopwatches and timers to controlling smart-home devices, changing music, and providing turn by turn directions while walking or driving. We found watch applications less than ideal during testing and daily use; there have been exceptions such as fitness tracking apps that track water consumption or food intake, though.We outline in our comprehensive Apple Watch guide why this device is an excellent option for fans of Apple’s ecosystem.

How We Decided

Your smartwatch search becomes much less daunting when you focus on only those which support texting. Our guide for text-enabled smartwatches focused on four features — OS compatibility (including text support), functionality and battery life. For iPhone users, Apple Watches were promoted, while Tizen-based Samsung watches and Wear OS watches from Android manufacturers were included for Android users; we did not promote talk-to-text features that require accessing voice assistants or installing programs before being dictated through to your watch for text support to work effectively – smartwatch text support typically only includes talk-to-text features where voice assistants or programs must be activated before being dictated messages can be dictated directly onto your watch and vice versa!

Smartwatches with full-text support typically allow for phone calls as well as emails, calendars, streaming video and contactless payments – though battery life should always be taken into consideration when purchasing one of these smart watches. These watches differ from traditional fitness smartwatches in that they provide more hands-free companion features to help users disconnect from their smartphones. Battery life will decrease over time depending on how often you use smart features such as texting, calling or streaming media. We found many brands’ watches far exceeded their advertised battery life but you should still find between 18 hours to two weeks of battery life depending on which features are most frequently utilized.

Since the debut of smartwatches, we have conducted extensive testing on as many models as possible and recommended those which we found most convenient and useful.

These are the key factors when it comes to selecting a smartwatch.

• Notifications: Smartwatches should make it simple and clear for users to dismiss or respond to notifications that arrive, making it easy to dismiss or respond accordingly.
• Style: Your smartwatch is visible to everyone who looks at it, so its appearance should be pleasing. This includes its strap and case as well as how well it fits all wrist sizes. A watch that comes in various styles or sizes would be even better!
• Performance: For smartwatches to be useful and make life simpler for their owners, they must be responsive and fast enough for basic tasks such as checking notifications or tracking workouts to be completed without delay or interruption from other sources. Any smartwatch that takes too long performing such basic functions as monitoring notifications or keeping tabs on fitness needs to be considered obsolete and should not be considered an investment.
• Fitness: How well is the watch working as a basic fitness tracker for you? Ideally, no two devices should be necessary to track steps, remind you to move more and approximate (but not exact) track runs, walks or cycling sessions.
• Build Quality: Smartwatches can be worn every day for years; if they’re not durable enough to withstand this, they could appear worn out long before it comes time for an upgrade.
• Battery: We test whether a battery can last through at least 16 to 18 hours of active usage.
• Voice Assistants: We evaluate the usefulness of voice assistants that translate spoken voice into text and provide responses, as well as digital assistants such as Google Assistant and Bixby when applicable.
• Apps: We were impressed by the variety of preloaded apps on this watch as well as its wide array of third-party watch faces and applications available to purchase separately.

Testers use Android phones connected with Wear OS, Tizen or other operating systems to conduct our tests on watches running these operating systems, and ask others to try out our selections so we can gather feedback on how different wearers react to its style, size, interface features and features.

Best Smartwatches for Texting Buyers Guide

The Most Important Factors to Consider

OS Compatibility

The OS or operating system compatibility is crucial for a smartwatch that supports texting. This is especially true for iPhone users. While most smartwatches that support texting can seamlessly work with an Android phone whether they run on Wear OS, Tizen for Samsung, or an alternate platform, they usually don’t work as well with the iPhone. And this means that the best bet for finding a smartwatch that supports texting if you’re an iPhone owner is to get an Apple Watch. Also, note that the Apple Watch only works with Apple devices such as the iPad and iPhone and cannot pair with an Android device. So even if you’re concerned about price amongst the range of smartwatches, you might be locked into the specific OS that you already have on your phone.

Text Support

Most smartwatches have screens that are too small to support actual typing on a keyboard. Instead, you’ll have the option of talk to type or talk to text which converts your spoken words into text that can be sent to contacts. Also note, that we’re focusing on watches that support true text messaging, not just quick template replies. Quick reply text messaging functions, sometimes called smart replies, are common from many third-party brands like Garmin, Fitbit, and AmazFit. However, it is possible to find a few Wear OS supported third party watches that allow for Android users to access talk to text support.

Functionality

More than likely, if you’re shopping for a modern smartwatch that supports texting capabilities, you’re also going to have access to a wide range of more robust smart features like making and receiving calls, a touch screen, Google Maps, contactless payments, streaming media, calendar reminders, and additional apps both proprietary to the watchmaker and from third-party developers. But you also might want to consider what fitness features, health tracking or music controls are available through the watch. A health tracker can come in handy if you regularly workout, and health monitoring could potentially save your life and notice abnormalities in your health like with a blood oxygen sensor. If you’ve juggled texting on your phone while working out with a fitness watch, a smart watch for texting can lessen how much you’re carrying in your pockets when off to the gym. And in some cases, you can find smartwatch features like Apple’s Hand Off which allows you to open an app on an iPhone or iPad and seamlessly continue using it on the Apple Watch.

Battery Life

Being able to send and receive texts is considered a smart feature. And typically, the more smart features a watch supports, the lower the battery life range tends to be. In some cases, you can find watches like the Apple Watch that can’t survive 24 hours without being recharged whereas other smart-heavy watches can last at least 24 to 48 hours depending on total usage of the battery power. Having days of battery life can come in handy in the case of an emergency. They all have their pros and cons, but if having enough extended battery life time is crucial for you, then pay close attention to the battery spec. You can also learn about additional features that can help save battery, or you can avoid the “always-on display” feature. You can turn off the calling features when you’re sure you don’t need them in the moment.

Frequently Asked Questions