Ahead of the game
Samsung Galaxy Watch 3
Pros
- GPS, HRM, ECG, NFC
- Activity/health tracking
- Built-in mic/speaker
- Two size options
- Military-grade durability
Cons
- App support still needs work
If you’ve been on the hunt for a fully connected smartwatch, you’ll be more than happy with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3. You’ll have detailed health and fitness metrics, an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor, LTE connectivity, built-in GPS, NFC payments, and more.
A good starting point
Fossil Gen 5 LTE
$349 at Verizon
$349 at Fossil
Pros
- GPS, HRM, NFC
- Activity/health tracking
- Built-in mic/speaker
- Google Assistant
- Two color options
Cons
- Only comes in one size
- No ECG or SpO2 sensor
Those who are familiar with Wear OS may prefer the Fossil Gen 5 LTE. It’s similar to the original Gen 5 models, but now you have LTE connectivity. It comes in two colors and has plenty of ket features, including GPS, heart-rate monitoring, Google Assistant, and NFC payments.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 LTE vs. Fossil Gen 5 LTE Two solid options
Choosing the best Android smartwatch for your needs becomes a lot easier when you know what you’re looking for. This is especially true if your priority list includes LTE connectivity. Both the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 LTE and the Fossil Gen 5 LTE are solid options.
Some deciding factors might help you decide, including what size watch you want, your operating system preference, and what sensors are important to you. If you want more than one size option and you’re looking for a watch with plenty of sensors and health/fitness tracking, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 is the better choice. The Fossil Gen 5 LTE is still an impressive smartwatch, but it doesn’t quite compare to its competitor.
It doesn’t get much better than the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3
Not long ago, the original Galaxy Watch hit the market. It was an impressive accomplishment for Samsung, but users craved more from their wearables as time went on. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 was designed to fill those voids, and it’s doesn’t a pretty great job. What was missing? For one, it lacked a focus on health and fitness features.
Eventually, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 came along and solved a lot of these issues. However, the Galaxy Watch 3 LTE might be more appealing to some users. It’s not as “active” of a watch as the Galaxy Watch Active 2, but it comes close. Some of the key improvements include advanced running analysis for improving your form, improved sleep tracking with sleep scores, VO2 max support for measuring your maximum oxygen uptake during an exercise, and more. You still get all of the features you loved before, like activity/health tracking, built-in GPS, heart-rate monitoring, Samsung Pay, and the MIL-STD-810G durability rating.
| Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 | Fossil Gen 5 LTE | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 45 x 46.2 x 11.1 mm 41 x 42.5 x 11.3 mm |
45 x 45 x 12 mm |
| Display | 1.4″ Super AMOLED 1.2″ Super AMOLED |
1.28″ AMOLED |
| Sensors | HRM, accelerometer, gyroscope, barometer, ambient light sensor, ECG, SpO2 | Heart rate, accelerometer, gyroscope, altimeter, off-body IR, ambient light sensor |
| Battery life | 2 to 3 days, varies by model | 1 day |
| Water resistance | 5 ATM / IP68 | 3 ATM |
| Operating system | Tizen OS | Wear OS |
| LTE | ✔️ | ✔️ |