You just upgraded to Samsung Galaxy Note 20 or Note 20 Ultra and are looking for the best smartwatch to pair with these. Well, you are in luck.
After rigorous research, we have managed to find the best smartwatches for the Samsung Note Series phones. We have compiled here a list of them.
Choosing the right smartwatch takes time, and you won’t be able to find the right one if you are unfamiliar with the technology or don’t have time to consider the benefits and drawbacks of each smartwatch.
Here, we have cut the fluff for you. In a vast wearable market divulged by hundreds if not thousands of products, we aim to empower you with clarity to pick the right one for your Note 20.
Just to remind you, Samsung has its own line of smartwatches that are highly compatible with Note 20. These are powerful smartwatches, and yet doesn’t beat the competition when it comes to specific needs.
For instance, Fitbit Sense is a better fitness tracker than Samsung Gear Watch 3. Garmin Instinct is a more rugged smartwatch than Galaxy Active 2.
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Table of Contents
Are These Smartwatches Compatible With Other Samsung Smartphones?
These smartwatches are not only compatible with the Galaxy Note 20 series, but also with other Samsung phones such as the Galaxy Note 10, Note 9, Note 8, the S series phones like the S21, even the budget phones such as the Galaxy A series, M series, etc.
These smartwatches are compatible with even older models of Samsung. But old phones have unique problems of their own.
They have short battery life and often limited memory. The smartphone app of these smartwatches would destroy the battery life of the phone. Plus, it won’t run seamlessly.
Best Premium Smartwatches By Samsung:
Samsung Galaxy Watch 3
Key Features And Specs:
- eSIM: Yes
- Size: 45 mm Version
- Weight: 53.8 g (1.9 oz)
- OS: Tizen by Samsung
- Display: 1.4″ AMOLED / 360 x 360 / 328ppi /Always-on Display
- Storage & Memory: 8GB , 1 GB
- Battery Life: 20-50 hours
- GPS: Yes with A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS
- NFC: Yes
- Water Resistance: 5 ATM IP68 + Military Grade 8100
Two Minute Review:
Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 is the most expensive smartwatch by Samsung and it has all the bells and whistles of a premium smartwatch.
You can do contactless payment with Samsung pay, can stream music, make calls, send texts via LTE connectivity and can also track position with its onboard multi-satellite navigation system.
Galaxy Watch 3 has two variants: the large 45mm and the small 41mm. The former is suitable for big/ thick wrists. Samsung smartwatches would not have any issue pairing with the latest Galaxy Note 20 or Note Ultra.
The smartwatch has a decent battery life and has considerable protection against dust and water.
This model comes in either Mystic Silver or Mystic Bronze color. (The latter option is Samsung’s current signature color and matches the Samsung Galaxy Note series).
Galaxy Watch Active 2
Key Features & Specs:
- eSIM: Yes
- Size: 44 mm Version
- Weight: 42 g (1.48 oz)
- OS: Tizen by Samsung
- Display: 1.4″ AMOLED / 360 x 360 / 328ppi /Always-on Display
- Storage & Memory: 4GB , 1.5 GB
- Battery Life: 20-50 hours
- GPS: Yes with A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS
- NFC: Yes
- Water Resistance: 5 ATM IP68 + Military Grade 8100
Two Minute Review:
Galaxy Watch Active 2 has almost similar features as in Galaxy Watch 3. From GPS to Cellular connectivity, Active 2 is a ditto copy of watch 3.
But from the outside, it is a world apart from Watch 3. The most obvious differences include its thin profile, small size, and touch bezel instead of a physical rotating bezel.
Also, the Galaxy Watch Active 2 is Military standard graded. It can be safely labeled as a rugged smartwatch. Plus, the number of fitness tracking features in the watch also makes it a good alternative to a fitness tracker.
Also, it is considerably cheaper than Galaxy Watch 3.
Best Cheap Smartwatches By Samsung:
Samsung Galaxy Watch
Key Features & Specs:
- eSIM: yes
- Size: 46 mm Version
- Weight: 63 g (without strap)
- OS: Tizen by Samsung
- Display: 1.3″ AMOLED / 360 x 360 / 328ppi /Always-on Display
- Storage & Memory: 4GB , 0.75 GB
- Battery Life: 20-50 hours
- GPS: Yes with A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO
- NFC: Yes
- Water Resistance: 5 ATM IP68 + Military Grade 8100
Two Minute Review:
Samsung Galaxy Watch is slightly bigger and heavier than Galaxy Watch 3 and is nearly half the price of the latter. It supports 3G and has cellular and Wi-Fi connectivity, and so can make calls and send texts without the phone.
On the downside, the smartwatch has small memory size and limited storage capacity. It is bulky and heavy, and its large size also makes its unsuitable for thin/slender wrists. However, there is a small variant too.
Samsung Galaxy watch has a 22mm standard strap, whereas Galaxy Active has a 20mm strap compatibility. Both these watches are highly compatible with the latest Samsung Note 20 but are not the latest in technology.
Samsung Active watch LTE
Key Features & Specs:
- eSIM: Yes
- Size: 42 mm Version
- Weight: 49 g (Without Strap)
- OS: Tizen by Samsung
- Display: 1.2″ AMOLED / 360 x 360 / 328ppi /Always-on Display
- Storage & Memory: 4GB , 1.5 GB
- Battery Life: 20-24 hours
- GPS: Yes with A-GPS, GLONASS,
- NFC: Yes
- Water Resistance: 5 ATM IP68 + Military Grade 8100
Two Minute Review:
Samsung Active watch also has LTE connectivity and it is slightly cheaper than the Active 2. It has same rugged construction with the only difference of a small screen size and 20mm straps.
Other than that, the smartwatch is a little heavy and a small battery size, which limits its battery performance to one day.
Best WearOS Smartwatch:
Fossil Gen 5
Features and Specs:
- eSIM: Yes (By Verizon Wireless)
- Size: 45 mm Version
- Weight: 100 g (3.52 oz)
- OS: Wear OS by Google
- Display: 1.28″ AMOLED / 416 x 416 / 328ppi /Always-on Display
- Storage & Memory: 1GB , 8GB
- Battery Life: Up to 18 hours
- GPS: Yes
- NFC: Yes
- Water Resistance: 3 ATM
Fossil Gen 5 is a reliable Wear OS smartwatch. The LTE version of Fossil Gem 5 was released this year, but even in the latest version, the watch is running on the same old processor, namely Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100.
Recommended Article: Snapdragon Wear 4100 vs 3100
Gen 5 LTE is a big watch with a large bezel. It goes without saying that the watch is suitable for large wrists and fashion enthusiasts. Its 1.28-inch AMOLED display is brighter, vivid, and crisp and has an always-on sensor.
Gen 5 has Wear OS so you will enjoy all the perks of a Google-based platform. like you can pay via Google Pay, has access to Google Assistant, and can navigate using Google maps. Apart from that, you have access to thousands of third-party apps.
Gen 5 is a decent watch with battery performance being the only chunk in the armor. It is resistant to water up to 50 m.
Best WearOS Smartwatch With Cellular Connectivity:
Ticwatch Pro 4G
Features & Specs:
- eSIM: Yes (By Verizon)
- Size: 45mm Version
- Weight: 47.4 g (1.671 oz)
- OS: Wear OS by Google™
- Display: 1.39” AMOLED 400×400 | 1000 nit brightness
- Storage & Memory: 4 GB and 1 GB
- Battery Life: 2 days (mixed usage)
- GPS: Yes, GPS/AGPS + GLONASS + Beidou
- NFC: Yes, Google Pay ( 29 countries Worldwide)
- Water Resistance: IP68 + pool swimming suitable+US Military Standard 810G
Two Minute Review:
The Chinese-based Mobvoi is behind the affordable Ticwatch Series, whereas Ticwatch Pro 4G is the latest smartwatch by the company that runs Wear OS (like all its previous models).
It is the first smartwatch with the most powerful processor by Qualcomm, namely Snapdragon Wear 4100.
The smartwatch is also unique in terms of screen technology: it has dual-screen technology presumably to save battery: A crisp AMOLED display and a low-powered LCD on the top of it.
The watch lasts 3 days on a single charge, and more than 30 days if you use it in basic mode with limited features.
It accurately tracks steps, heart rate, and sleep. The watch doesn’t offer advanced features like ECG and blood pressure monitor, but the affordable price point justifies it.
Ticwatch Pro 4G is the highly recommended Wear OS smartwatch for Samsung Note 20 or Samsung Note 20 Ultra phones as this pair, apart from compatibility, has the latest technology in their own right.
Best Fitbit:
Fitbit Sense
Features & Specs:
- 6 days of battery life, supports fast charging
- Built-in Alexa and Google assistant, and GPS
- Stress management, ECG, Skin Temperature, spO2 levels, and sleep tracking
- Water-resistant to 50m (5ATM)
- A Vibrant l AMOLED display With laser-bonded Corning Gorilla Glass 3
- Gyroscope, Altimeter, 3-axis accelerometer
- Speaker (75dB SPL @10cm) and Microphone
- Can Store and play music & podcasts on Deezer or Pandora and control Spotify
Two Minute Review:
Fitbit Sense is a high-end fitness tracker that is disguised as a smartwatch. it is the only smartwatch that is still compatible with Windows Phones.
Just a few months ago, Fitbit Sense got approval from FDA for the safe ECG of users. It shows irregular heart rhythms that are associated with aFib, plus give high and low heart rate alerts.
Other health parameters include stress level tracking, Skin Temperature updates, spO2, and sleep tracking. Unlike Apple and Samsung watches, it can measure blood oxygen levels while sleeping.
There are more than 20+ exercise modes to choose from, so you can track nearly everything from cycling to swimming. Both GPS and NFC are there to reduce dependency on smartphones while exercising.
When compared head-to-head, it is very powerful in health-related features to Fitbit versa 2, but the latter is cheaper and a well-rounded smartwatch.
Best Rugged Smartwatch:
Garmin Fenix 5X
Features & Specs:
- OS: Garmin Proprietary OS
- Storage: 16 GB
- Display: 1.1″ (218 x 218)
- Sensors: GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, ACCELEROMETER, GARMIN ELEVATE™ WRIST HEART RATE MONITOR, Altimeter, Barometer, Compass, Gyroscope, Thermometer.
- Battery: 10+ days Without GPS
- Weight: 3 Oz
- Water and dust Resistance: 10 ATM (up to 100m)
- Color: More than 10
- Scratch-resistant sapphire lens: Yes
- Strap Material: silicone (Metal, leather bands are also available)
- Preloaded topographic and cycling maps: Yes
- Connectivity: Bluetooth and ANT+
Two Minute Review:
Garmin Fenix 5X is one of the most rugged smartwatches in the world. It is only superseded by the latest Fenix 6X.
Garmin Fenix 5X Sapphire has its name over the highly scratch resistant glass that signifies durability and robustness. Garmin has not tried to strike a balance between a regular and outdoor watch. With this model, they have aimed for a multisport GPS watch for outdoor incursions.
Both Garmin Instinct and Fenix 5 are highly compatible with Samsung Note Series smartphones, but the latter has more features and is a proper rugged smartwatch. Garmin Instinct is rather more of a GPS watch than a smartwatch.
Best Multisport Smartwatch:
Suunto 7
Features & Specs:
- OS: Google Wear OS
- Storage and RAM: 4.5 GB and 1GB
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100
- Display: 1.39-inch AMOLED display, 454 x 454 pixels
- Sensors: Optical Heart Rate, GPS, barometer,
- Battery: 48 hours
- Water and dust resistance: 5 ATM
- Connectivity: Bluetooth and Wifi
Two Minute Review:
It offers all the essential functions of a basic smartwatch like notification alert, music control, and attractive watch faces so on and so forth.
What distinguishes Suunto 7 from the run-of-the-mill watches is the accuracy of data it tracks, and its high-end design. Apart from ECG and blood pressure measurement, you have all the fitness features in the smartwatch.
Suunto 7 has a decent battery life of two days, but if you use the on-board GPS aggressively, the battery drains faster. The overall performance would be limited to two hours.
Moreover, the water and dust resistance is appreciably high. 5 ATM rated and IP68 Standard Rated, this watch can be submerged in water for up to 50 m.
Best For Golfers:
Garmin Approach S60
Best For Runners:
Garmin Forerunner 245
Features & Specs:
- OS: Garmin OS
- Storage: 3.5GB
- Display: 1.2 in circular, 240 x 240 resolution
- Sensors: GPS/Glonass/Galileo, compass, accelerometer, heart rate, pulse Ox
- Battery: up to 7 days in smartwatch mode; up to 24 hours in GPS mode
- Water and dust resistance: 5ATM
- Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wifi
Two Minute Review:
it is a dedicated smartwatch for runners and Triathletes. The music version has the advantage of storage capacity. You can listen to songs and audiobooks right from your wrist, but cannot stream them on the smartwatch.
Apart from data accuracy, it is lauded for its lightweight, sleek design. You won’t feel it on your wrist, and thanks to waterproof casing you won’t have to take it off frequently. It has a sweat-proof design and a rugged built-up.
The smartwatch has quite limited features and doesn’t have the bells and whistles of expensive smartwatches like Forerunner 645 and Forerunner 945.
Garmin Forerunner 245 is affordable and is only meant for runners who need more than a basic fitness tracker.
Best Cheap Wear OS Smartwatch:
Ticwatch E2
Features and Specs:
- OS: Android Wear OS
- Display: 1.39-inch circular display
- Storage and RAM: 4GB & 512MB
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 2100 processor
- Sensors: Accelerometer, GPS, heart rate tracker and much more
- Battery: 415 mAh (lasts two day)
- Water and dust Resistance: Waterproof 5 ATM
- Connectivity: Bluetooth
Two Minute Review
Ticwatch E2 is a budget Wear OS smartwatch to pair with old Wear OS devices like Note 10, Note 9, & Note 7.
To point out the key benefits, we would love to share with you that the watch has an in-built GPS, so you won’t have to carry your phone with you all the time for fitness tracking.
Best Hybrid Smartwatch:
Withings Steel HR Hybrid Smartwatch
Verdict
We have compiled this list not by pairing all smartwatches with the Galaxy Note series one by one. That would have been a very long and time taking process, and we have neither the money nor the time to pull off such a feat.
Rather, we relied heavily on the smartwatch community online. We did painstaking research for finding the best smartwatch to pair with the Samsung Note series.
You might face minor compatibility problems with non-Samsung smartwatches, but that has to do with the firmware of the smartwatch and as it regularly updates, you will have them fixed in a matter of time.
We have broken down the list into separate small lists so you can better make your purchasing decision in light of your needs and budget.
The best Samsung Smartwatch for Note 20 phones is Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 (LTE version).
The best non-Samsung Wear OS watch for Samsung Note Series is highly contested. Fashion enthusiasts should go for Fossil Gen 5, whereas those who prefer the latest, up-to-date features over style should check out Ticwatch Pro 4G.
The best fitness tracker disguised as a smartwatch is Fitbit Sense or its cheap alternative, Fitbit Versa 3 & Versa 2.