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If you're in the market for the best smartwatch, Consumer Reports says you can't go wrong with the Apple Watch Series 11 (46 mm), as it received high marks across the board. This version comes with built-in GPS, but it isn't capable of cellular. You can get the version that comes with both GPS and Cellular — it came in second according to CR's tests — but then you're sacrificing some battery life. The top version can last for roughly three days before it needs a charge, while the GPS + Cellular model only lasts for about two days.
The price is dependent on where you purchase the watch. As of this writing, some retailers have it for as low as $370 or as much as $500. With Black Friday fast approaching, you can find some nice Apple Watch discounts everywhere. No matter where you opt to shop, you should be able to find it in four aluminum colors, including Jet Black, Rose Gold, Silver, and Space Gray. If you're going to wear the Series 11 on your runs, taking advantage of the different health features it offers, it's bound to accrue some wear and tear. That's okay, though, because the glass on the screen is supposed to be twice as scratch-resistant as its predecessors.
CR tested its scratch resistance and found it exceptional. Moreover, the screen is fairly easy to read even when you're out in broad daylight, which is always a plus when you're trying to get your steps in outside.
What else does Consumer Reports say about the Series 11 Apple Watch?
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The Apple Watch Series 11 also functions as a fitness/health tracker, so it includes a suite of appropriate features. Consumer Reports notes that both the heart rate and step count tracking are excellent, which is a must-have feature for health-conscious users. An interesting feature to note is the Series 11's ability to alert the wearer to high blood pressure. It's not actually a blood pressure monitor, nor does Apple claim it is, so don't rely on it to be. The watch uses the heart rate sensor with an algorithm that can estimate whether your blood pressure is high.
CR was also pleased with the Series 11's sleep tracking capabilities, which give you an overall score to tell you how well you slept, but it also breaks down that number further. You'll be able to see a pattern with your bedtimes, how long you slept, if that sleep was interrupted, and how often your sleep was interrupted. So, if you're somebody who's still tired after getting what they thought was a full night's rest, this wouldn't be a terrible tool to find out if you actually did sleep through the night.
There's a good option for non-Apple users
Amazfit
There's also an option for anyone who doesn't buy into Apple's ecosystem, because in fourth place, just below three Apple Watch contenders, is the Amazfit Balance 2. It's a more affordable alternative to the Apple Watch, sitting with a $270 price tag, as of this writing, and it has that traditional watch appearance to it, for those who might appreciate that over Apple's minimalistic square look. Its 1.5-inch AMOLED screen is easy to read in bright light environments and is well-protected behind sapphire glass that excelled in CR's scratch-resistant tests.
The real selling point for the Amazfit Balance 2 is its battery life, which is around 18 days, depending on how often you use it. It did, however, fall short for CR in the "Smart" category, meaning it can handle most common smartphone tasks but not all of them. There's no cellular connectivity, so that could have been the issue because without being connected to cellular, a smartwatch would only be able to handle most tasks while it's near your phone.
However, it does have offline maps that support turn-by-turn directions. It's just not going to be as good as using the Maps app on your phone while connected to LTE or 5G. If you're never too far from your phone, though, it won't be a problem. The biggest drawback for this watch is its lack of fall detection, and it doesn't support some of the features that its competitors have, including an ECG monitor and a stress tracker.
