The Apple Watch is the default best smartwatch for iPhone 13. That’s is a no-brainer. If you are reading this post, chances are you have ditched the Apple Watch Series 7 and all the previous watches by the company and want to try something more affordable or more niche-specific. Or else, you don’t like the square design of the Apple Watch and want something that looks more traditional.
We will discuss here everything but the Apple Watch as you might have known most about them. And yet, we would recommend you to buy the Series 7 as it offers the best integration for Apple’s ecosystem.
Also, to give its watches an edge, the tech-giant doesn’t allow you to unlock the full potential of non-apple watches. Take for example the Garmin watches. You can’t respond to texts or calls with customized responses when your phone is paired with an iPhone. The case for iPhone 13 Series phone is no different.
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Table of Contents
Best Smartwatches to pair with iPhone 13:
The watches we have included in this roundup are compatible with the following models.
- Iphone 13, Iphone 13 mini
- Iphone 13 Pro, IPhone 13 Pro max
Keep in mind that compatibility is not exclusive to these phones only, you can connect the mentioned watches from 12 Series, 11 Series all the way down to iPhone 7 Series Phones.
So without further ado, let get straight to our complete list of selected smartwatches.
- Amazfit GTS 2 Mini
- Garmin Forerunner 245 Music
- Fitbit Versa 3
- Garmin Venu 2/2S
- Withing Move ECG
Amazfit GTS 2 Mini
AmazfitGTS 2 Mini is a fantastic affordable option for iPhone 13 users. The watch comes with an AMOLED display giving you maximum contrast and sharpness in the visuals, something that is not common even on most of the top-end watches like Fitbit Ionic or Garmin Fenix series watches.
The watch is compatible with both IOS and Android devices, but as mentioned earlier, it may lose some functionality when paired with an iPhone.
The major downside is the plastic build which when you consider the price (about $100) is pretty understandable. The company had to make trade-offs to keep the price low. Also, for people who are not a fan of a square watch, this one might put them off.
The heart rate monitor of the device also tracks your stress and sleep cycle using advanced algorithms, plus blood oxygen levels. There is a sedentary reminder that alerts you with strong vibrations that it’s time to get up and move about. Last but not the least, the watch offers 90+ sports modes.
The battery life on this one is way more than the Apple Watch. You can expect to see it run for almost two weeks on regular usage including the GPS, heart rate sensor, and music storage option with an occasional workout thrown in there as well
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
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| 1 |
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Amazfit GTS 2 Mini Smart Watch for Men Android iPhone, Alexa Built-in, 14-Day Battery Life, Fitness... | $79.00 | Check Amazon Price |
Garmin Forerunner 245 Music
The Garmin Forerunner 245 Music is one of the most feature-packed watches on our list, the best for sports enthusiasts, and specifically for runners. It’s an upgrade to their previous iteration, 235 model,s and comes with a similar yet lightweight design but more smarts like music storage capacity, Spotify support, and NFC payment.
The sensors on this one are pretty much top-notch. It comes with an Optical Heart Rate Monitor, GPS + GLONASS sensor for accurate location tracking, and dedicated sport profiles to choose from depending on your workout activity. It can accurately track running ( Treadmill, Indoor track running, Trail running) Biking (Indoor), Swimming, Strength training, Cardio Training, Elliptical Training, Stair stepping, Indoor rowing, and Yoga.
The sports data is comprehensive, but the watch doesn’t leave you feeling unfulfilled when you are in recovery mode. It tracks your sleep, stress, blood oxygen saturation and of course the heart rate.
The battery life is not as good as the Amazfit GTS but it at least makes half of it (one week). In GPS-based activities, the battery life takes a hit and drains faster. On average, the watch can last 24 hours with continuous GPS tracking, and only 6 when you throw music into the mix.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
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| 1 |
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Garmin Forerunner 245 Music, GPS Running Smartwatch with Music and Advanced Dynamics, Aqua (Renewed) |
$219.99 |
Check Amazon Price |
Fitbit Versa 3: The best Fitness tracker for iPhone 13
Both Fitbit Versa 3 and Fitbit Sense are excellent alternatives to the Apple Watch if you are into advanced fitness and health tracking. The latter can even track ECG. The key advantage they have is that of sleep and fitness data over the Apple Watch. Other than that, they are considerably cheaper than the Apple Watch.
The colors and finishes are in line with that of the iPhone 13. So don’t worry, the color combination of both the smartwatch and phone will sit well together.
It can track your daily activity levels like walking or running on its own accord while recording every movement in real-time. With the built-in GPS and AMOLED display, it is more like the Apple Watch. The lightweight design and intuitive user interface is its big selling point.
The watch comes with Fitbit Pay support giving you an easy way to pay for your purchases using the watch itself. Also, you get music storage and streaming via Deezer and Pandora. It has a voice assistant (actually two: Alexa and Google Assistant), and allows you to pick calls right from your wrist with some conditions(the phone must be connected, and it must not be ios) Bad news for you.
The battery life on this one is pretty solid as well with a single charge lasting around four days or so depending on the usage levels of course.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
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| 1 |
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Fitbit Versa 3 Health & Fitness Smartwatch with GPS, 24/7 Heart Rate, Alexa Built-in, 6+ Days... | Check Amazon Price |
Garmin Venu 2/2S
If the transflective display on the Forerunner 245 has put you off, a great alternative is the Garmin Venu 2. The watch also comes with a smaller unit, Venu 2S that is suitable for petite wrists.
Venu 2 is an AMOLED watch with almost the same health and fitness features as covered by Forerunner 245. The added benefit of this watch is the latest Elevate Sensor that significantly improved health and sleeps tracking on Garmin devices. Also, Garmin added elite modes like indoor climbing, bouldering, and high-intensity interval training on the watch.
The user interface is Venu 2’s biggest selling point. The company refined the interface to match with the crisp display. The onscreen animations from the original Venu are a great help for beginners.
Another highlight feature is the slight improvement in music storage capacity, 650 from the 500 in FR 245 Music and the original Venu.
Lastly, the watch has almost two weeks of battery juice between charges, but it depends on the size. The smaller watch, Venu 2S, is one day short.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
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| 1 |
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Garmin 010-02430-00 Venu 2, GPS Smartwatch, Advanced Health Monitoring, Fitness Features, Silver... | $399.99 | Check Amazon Price |
Withing Move ECG: Best Hybrid Watch
If you want to buy a smartwatch more in line with the traditional watches but don’t want to miss the health and fitness features of the Apple Watch, a hybrid option like Withing Move ECG can make a good pair with your iPhone 13.
Unlike Fitbit, Samsung, and Apple, Withing is yet to get the FDA approval for its ECG app which may in earnest of 2022. It offers a full range of health and fitness tracking that includes sleep, ECG, blood oxygen saturation, and of course the heart rate. However, to our shock, continuous heart rate tracking is absent.
The Move ECG is stylish and available in a range of colors, but the plastic design makes it a little cheaper in looks. Anyways, the company is not demanding the top dollars for it. Plus the small display of the watch makes it unfit to display detailed health, too often you would have to take our your smartphone.
Like all hybrid watches, this one features a full year of battery performance. 12-month battery life as it uses a coin-sized, standard CR2430 battery.
Final Words:
There are plenty of smartwatches compatible with the iPhone 13, but these five have the best balance between features and price.
We have purposefully not included an Apple Watch into the mix. And yet, we would highly encourage you to go with Apple’s own watch. You get identical apps as your iPhone 13 has, and all the benefits of being in Apple’s ecosystem.