The best smartwatches with good battery life

Xiaomi once became famous for releasing cheap products at a bargain price, but now its laurels are ready to be taken by the actively developing Chinese brand Zeblaze. Usually, when we hear the word “flagship”, we imagine something expensive, innovative and multifunctional. However, the Stratos 3 model, although it is the top one in the manufacturer’s range, belongs to the budget segment. You should definitely not expect innovations and advanced technologies - nevertheless, these are good smart watches with all the necessary functions for a more or less demanding user, which can compete with more expensive devices.

The watch is large, massive, quite thick and looks like a protected sports-style model, so it is more suitable for men. It looks quite decent: the case is made of durable plastic, the bezel and side control buttons are made of metal, the picture is completed by a silicone strap with a classic buckle and standard fastening. If necessary, you can replace it with any regular strap 22 mm wide. Water protection with IP68 is declared.

The display pleases with its high quality. This is a 1.43-inch AMOLED panel with a resolution of 466x466 pixels and a brightness of up to 1000 nits - decent indicators for the budget segment. As a result, you get colorful colors, easy-to-read text, good visibility at any angle and in any lighting.

To connect to a smartphone, there is a proprietary ZeblazeFit application, which is available for both Android and iOS. After synchronization and settings, the watch not only duplicates incoming messages and notifications, but also allows you to answer calls - the audibility is good, the interlocutor hears the speaker clearly and loudly. Another plus for a budget model is the presence of GPS, which is necessary for accurate tracking of outdoor activity. The remaining functions can be called basic: accurate measurements of heart rate and blood oxygen levels, support for various sports, counting steps taken, distance and calories burned, monitoring sleep and stress levels. In general, a standard set for modern smart watches and fitness trackers.

But in terms of autonomy, Zeblaze Stratos 3 is ahead of many competitors. The capacious battery provides up to 20 days of operation with normal use or 84 hours with GPS enabled. The manufacturer assures that in economy mode the battery will last about 45 days. In practice, everything depends on many factors, but even with active daily training and monitoring of activity and health, you can forget about charging for a couple of weeks.

Smart watches of the Xiaomi Redmi sub-brand offer potential buyers the best value for money. This is a model with standard functions for wearable devices, a nice design and a low cost, which is more suitable as a convenient accessory and assistant for tracking activity, rather than a serious device for monitoring health. The watch does not look cheap: a rectangular case in the style of Apple Watch, an aluminum frame and multi-colored silicone straps with the ability to quickly replace them leave a pleasant impression. However, a large display is still more suitable for a large wrist. It has a 1.97-inch AMOLED screen with a frequency of 60 Hz, a resolution of 450x390 pixels and a brightness of up to 600 nits. Any information is easily perceived on it, the picture is clear, the interface is smooth, the text is clearly visible even outdoors in the sun. And water resistance allows you to walk in the rain, swim in shallow water and engage in 18 water sports.

The model's capabilities are standard for most modern smart watches and fitness bracelets. This includes measuring heart rate and blood oxygen levels, counting steps taken and calories burned, monitoring sleep and stress levels, and helping women keep track of their menstrual calendar. Athletes will appreciate the support of 150 sports modes to choose from. But what's really interesting is GPS navigation for outdoor workouts and the ability to make calls after connecting to a smartphone via Bluetooth. These functions are far from uncommon these days, but not all representatives of the budget segment can boast of them. But contactless payment, unfortunately, is only available in China.

A useful addition is emergency calls: after triple-pressing the side button, the watch will automatically contact the selected contacts.

Despite its small thickness and weight (a little more than 30 g without a strap), the device has a capacious 470 mAh battery inside. According to the manufacturer, one charge will last up to 30 days in economy mode, 20 days with normal use and 10 days with the Always-on Display function enabled. The package includes a regular magnetic charger.

Visually, the representative of the T-Rex series of the Amazfit brand has similar features to the iconic Casio G-Shock. Not only the round dial, but also the imitation of bolts and the protruding bezel suggest analogies. By the way, the model is also at its best in terms of readiness for impacts, water and other negative influences.

The steel case has passed MIL-STD-810G testing and should withstand fairly long underwater dives (class 10 ATM, plus the ability to free dive to a depth of up to 30 meters is declared). Another feature of the watch is frost resistance, and at temperatures down to -30 °C, they not only do not turn off, but should work for up to 2 weeks.

The model is equipped with a 1.39-inch AMOLED touchscreen with good detail (454x454 pixels), a decent brightness level (up to 1000 nits) and the Always On function. In addition to touching the screen, four physical buttons on the sides of the case will allow you to interact with the device. The watch runs on the proprietary Zepp OS operating system. In addition to an intuitive interface and support for over 100 different watch faces, it allows you to install applications.

The watch has a 500 mAh battery with a magnetic charging base. The full battery capacity can last for 20 days of operation, and with active use of navigation - definitely more than a day - from 28 hours.

The model will inform about various health indicators, for which the proprietary BioTracker 3.0 sensor is responsible. It measures the pulse and blood oxygen saturation, calculates the stress level, analyzes sleep, etc. Sports enthusiasts will find over 150 fitness modes, with 33 types of activity recognized automatically by the watch.

Especially for outdoor training and hiking, there is a dual-band GPS module with precise location determination and track guidance function. In addition, other running sensors are provided - accelerometer + gyroscope, compass, altimeter with barometer. But there is no NFC and contactless payment option. If this is not a critical point, then Amazfit T-Rex Ultra is a cool, durable smartwatch and a worthy competitor to models of famous brands.

The Finnish brand Suunto is familiar to many tourists, athletes and outdoor enthusiasts for its long-lived watches due to their durability, long battery life and high-precision navigation. The Vertical model inherits these principles and is positioned as a gadget for adventures, outings and training. This is not a classic rugged watch with an extreme design, but it is not an accessory for a business or a tracksuit either - something in between, the "golden mean". But still, this is more of a men's model due to its decent thickness (13.6 mm) and noticeable weight (86 g). In general, it looks massive, brutal and adds +100 to confidence during strength training.

Since the gadget is designed for use in almost any conditions (mountains, forest, water, heat and frost down to -20° C), it has the appropriate equipment: a case made of polyamide reinforced with fiberglass (durable plastic), a stainless steel frame, a protective sapphire crystal over the screen and a classic silicone strap. Water resistance of 10 ATM allows you to dive, swim and engage in water sports without removing the watch from your hand. The 1.4-inch color touch screen clearly displays information and duplicates incoming messages and calls, although, alas, there is no way to answer them.

One of the main advantages of the watch is its long battery life, because when hiking, in the mountains or in nature, it is not always possible to recharge the gadget. One charge is enough for up to 30 days of normal use. GPS, of course, significantly reduces this time, but the battery provides several days of continuous operation even in this case. By the way, the model has Steel Solar and Titan Solar versions with solar batteries that can work for a whole year without recharging.

The smartwatch is ready to accompany you wherever you go, whether it's a gym workout, a marathon, a mountain climb or other adventures. Maps contain all the necessary information about the area, and they fully work in offline mode. 32 GB of memory allow you to download enough cards to travel half the world. An altimeter, barometer and compass will also help you navigate the area, and with a thermometer to measure the ambient temperature, an accurate weather forecast and storm warnings, you can choose the safest routes.

The device supports 95 sports modes, analyzes load, achievements and recovery time after training, and provides information on health status by measuring heart rate, blood oxygen levels and monitoring sleep duration. The proprietary Suunto app is available for both iPhone and Android smartphones.

The top smartwatches of the Garmin Fenix series stand out with their brutal design, high-quality materials, advanced capabilities for tracking activity and health, as well as a fairly high price tag. The model is primarily designed for professional athletes, travelers and extreme sports enthusiasts, and it has everything they need. The installed TopoActive cards, altimeter, barometer, compass and multi-range GPS allow you to navigate the terrain and plot routes. The built-in LED flashlight with strobe mode will help you travel and train in the dark, as well as identify yourself to drivers on the night road. In addition, you will always be in touch using Bluetooth, ANT+ and Wi-Fi.

But the main feature is still the solar battery, which will come in handy during travel, hiking and just long walks. The watch has good autonomy anyway - 21 days of continuous operation on one battery charge. And the solar battery adds another week of normal operation to this time. Even with the use of all positioning systems, the gadget is capable of working for more than two days without recharging.

The device tracks health indicators in detail and provides the user with a detailed analysis of their condition. The watch can measure pulse and heart rate variability, ambient temperature and blood oxygen levels, provide a detailed overview of sleep phases and overall quality of rest, perform an ECG, provide recommendations for adapting to different time zones, monitor stress levels, the female cycle and the amount of water consumed, and also evaluate the energy level (Body Battery) in order to better determine the best moments for activities and rest.

In addition, there are a large number of functions for athletes. First of all, the watch is suitable for runners, but other types of training are also supported, including diving, high-intensity training, snowboarding, skiing, surfing and cycling. For beginners, animated workouts will be useful, showing the correct execution of certain exercises. Thanks to water protection, the gadget is suitable for scuba diving. At the same time, it determines the depth of immersion and the time spent under water for safe diving.

Externally, the model looks massive and masculine-brutal, so it is more designed for a male audience. It is equipped with a titanium bezel, a 1.3-inch touchscreen MiP display with a protective sapphire crystal. The device has passed the test for compliance with US military standards for heat resistance, shock resistance and water resistance, so it can accompany you on any adventure. 32 GB allows you to save music and cards. The microphone and speaker provide the ability to make calls. And thanks to NFC, you can contactlessly pay for purchases via Garmin Pay without taking your wallet, bank card or smartphone out of your pockets.