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The Apple Watch Series 11 is our favorite overall smartwatch. It combines polished software with a wide variety of health tools and smartphone companion features. It earned CNET’s Labs Award for most accurate heart rate tracking when tested against the Garmin Venu 4, Google Pixel Watch 4, Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 and Amazfit Bip 6. The Series 11 also received an Editors’ Choice Award for its durability upgrades, advanced health tools, brighter display and longer battery life. Ten years after the original Apple Watch set the stage for the modern smartwatch, the Apple Watch Series 11 adds even mor

It was a tight race between the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, the Google Pixel Watch 4 and the OnePlus Watch 3, but in the end, Google's watch took the crown for being the best smartwatch for most people, thanks to its wide appeal and advanced health and safety features. It sports a sleek design, robust fitness platform and seamless integration with Google’s Wear OS ecosystem. Because Google owns Fitbit, the Pixel Watch 4 benefits from full access to Fitbit’s health and fitness tracking, including its intuitive app interface and in-depth metrics, which can be especially useful for runners. I

The Apple Watch Series 11 is the best Apple Watch for most people. It earned CNET’s Labs Award for most accurate heart rate tracking after outperforming competitors like the Garmin Venu 4, Google Pixel Watch 4, Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 and Amazfit Bip 6 (the SE 3 and Ultra 2 were not included in this test). It also received an Editors’ Choice Award for its durability upgrades, advanced health tools, brighter display and improved battery life. While the other Apple Watches on this list share many core features: similar processors and health sensors, the Series 11 stands out as the Goldilocks pick

After a week of testing, the Ultra 2 feels like more of an upgrade than its familiar design would suggest. If you’re coming from an older Galaxy Watch and want the latest hardware with the peace of mind that it’ll hold up to the elements, this is the one I’d be looking at. But I still have plenty left to test. Many of the health features haven’t unlocked yet, and I need to spend more time with the battery before delivering a final verdict. Battery life, in particular, will make or break my recommendation — both over the Galaxy Watch 9 and for anyone considering upgrading from the original Ultr