10 Best Smartwatches With Speaker & Mic in 2023

A smartwatch with a speaker and microphone can mainly perform three functions:

It can make calls and send voice notes.
You can use a voice assistant on these. (Google, Alexa, SIRI, and Bixby)
These watches can stream music.

The first two features are very handy. The third seems good in theory, but the speakers on most smartwatches sound so bad that most people prefer not to have this horrible experience.

Anyways, smartwatches with a speaker and microphone are few and far between. As we make a living by smartwatch reviews and testing, it was quite easy to make a list of them. We hope that this exhaustive post would help you find a suitable smartwatch for your needs.

There is a brief buying guide below to help you think outside of these two specs. Choosing a smartwatch only because it has a speaker and microphone is not what we recommend, especially if you intend to invest more than $200.

Disclaimer: If you buy through affiliate links on this article, we may earn a commission without any additional cost to you.

Table of Contents

10 Top Smartwatches with Speaker and Mic in 2023

All the smartwatches in this pick offer a smooth experience. As you read the reviews, keep in mind that all the smartwatches are not equal, some are better than others, way better. However, as far as the speaker and microphone are concerned all these watches are up to the task.

Best For iOS:

No products found.

Key Features & Specs:

eSIM: Yes
Size: 44mm Version
Weight: 47.1 g (1.66 oz)
OS: watchOS 7.0, upgradable to 7.1
Display: Sapphire crystal glass | 448 x 368 pixels (~326 PPI density) | 1.78 inches, 10.0 cm2 (~60.0% screen-to-body ratio) | Retina LTPO OLED, 1000 nits (peak)
Always-on Display: Yes
Storage & Memory: 32 GB and 1 GB
Battery Life: Up to 18 h (mixed usage)
GPS: Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS
NFC: Yes, Apple Pay (Coverage: 41 countries worldwide)
Water Resistance: 50m water resistant
Voice Assistant: Yes, Siri
Fall Detection: Yes
Sensors: Blood oxygen sensor, Electrical heart sensor, Third-generation optical heart sensor, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Ambient light sensor

Apple Watch Series 6 is the latest watch by the company and it works only with iPhone devices. Apple hasn’t budged on its time-old policy of a closed ecosystem. This works only with iPhone: the old ones and the new ones, from iPhone 6, 6S to iPhone 12, 12 Pro.

The watch has a speaker and microphone and so does its predecessor, Apple Watch 5. So if you are on a budget, and don’t need advanced features like a SpO2 sensor and Always-on altimeter or an extra-bright always-on display, you can choose the latter.

What good a speaker and microphone can do, if the watch doesn’t have cellular connectivity? iPhone has two versions. Go with the LTE model if you want to get the best out of the watch.

For those who don’t know, even the LTE Apple Watch needs an iPhone to set up. But in Apple Watch Series 6, you can use one phone to set up more than one watch for your family members who don’t have an iPhone or any smartphone for that matter.

For instance, you want your parents or kids to have the Apple Watch for their safety: the smartwatch has an emergency call feature, a fall detection sensor that activates it, an onboard GPS that is pretty accurate, and it is one of the few FDA approved ECG watches around.

If you don’t want to invest $100 extra in the LTE version, the WiFi version has a pleasant surprise for you. This is the only Apple watch that supports the 5 GHz radio band. In layman’s terms, it means fast speed and seamless experience when browsing or streaming on your Apple Watch.

Siri, the voice assistant on the Apple Watch, is the best of the best. It is the fastest most reliable voice assistant you get in a smartwatch.

Pros

Extra bright Always-on display
Snappy Voice Assistant (SIRI)
Highly accurate Optical heart rate tracker
Excellent Design

Cons

Expensive
Poor battery performance

Why should you buy it?

If you own an iPhone, buy an Apple watch for the best compatibility, no matter what is the watch model. You buy Apple Watch Series 6 not for its speaker and microphone, but its jaw-dropping display, powerful features, and health benefits.

One of the few smartwatches that balance health or fitness features with smartwatch features.

Best WearOS Watch With Speaker And Microphone:

Fossil Gen 5

Features and specs:

eSIM: No
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: Yes
Storage & Memory: 1GB , 8GB
Processor: Snapdragon Wear 3100
Battery Life: Up to 18 hours
GPS: Yes
NFC: Yes (Google Pay)
Water Resistance: 3 ATM
Voice Assistant: Yes (Google Assistant)
Speaker and Microphone: Yes
Connectivity: Wifi, Bluetooth, LTE
Sensors: Accelerometer, Altimeter, Ambient Light, Compass, Gyroscope, Off-body IR, PPG heart rate, GPS

Review:

Fossil Gen 5, the fashion-focused smartwatch, has an LTE version too, released at the start of this year. The Flagship model is popular among fans for reasons other than the hardware. It has absolutely nothing to do with the speaker and microphone pair though it has both.

Fossil Gen 5 can be paired with both Android and IOS smartphones, though you might not be able to respond to messages or calls when pairing this device with an iPhone. It is one of the best watches to pair with Google Pixel Phones.

The watch has a crisp AMOLED display, not better than Apple Watch Series 6, and yet better than most. The casing size is large, though the display is small. No matter if you are indoors or outdoors, the always-on display is bright enough to view in all conditions.

It runs WEAR OS (previously known as Andriod Wear). Like WatchOS, it has thousands of third-party apps to choose from, but in speed and overall performance, it doesn’t even come close. For your information, Apple’s WatchOS is the gold standard of the wearable operating system.

The watch has a voice assistant: Google Assistant. It has Google maps and an inbuilt GPS to navigate. Other popular features include the Messenger app, Spotify support, Google fit, and Google pay. You can make calls and send the text on the watch but there is one limitation. Your phone needs to be connected to the internet, the watch to a trusted network, even when they are not

The battery life of the watch is the chunk in the armor. In nearly all WearOS devices, except for Mobvoi’s Ticwatch, battery performance is as bad as you get in the Apple Devices. To compensate for it, Fossil has many modes to conserver battery life. But in the long run, none of them works.

Pros

Value for the money
Can call and send messages over Wifi
Has Google Assistant and Google Pay
Crisp Display

Cons

Poor battery Performance
Limited fitness features

Best Battery Life:

Ticwatch Pro 4G

Features and specs:

eSIM: Yes
Size: 45 mm
OS: Wear OS
RAM & Storage: 1Gb & 4 GB
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear™ 4100 Platform.
Display: 1.4″ Retina AMOLED (454 x 454)
Always on Display: Yes
Speaker and Mic: Yes
Battery: 3 days
Weight: 42.3 Oz
Water and dust Resistance: 10 ATM (up to 100m)
Voice Assistant: Yes, (Google Assistant)
NFC: Yes (Google Pay)
Color: Shadow Black
Strap Material: silicone (Other bands are also available)
Connectivity: Bluetooth and GPS, 4G LTE
Sensors: PPG heart rate sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, e-compass, ambient light sensor, low latency off-body sensor

Review:

Ticwatch Pro 4G packs the most powerful processor by Qualcomm for wearable devices, Snapdragon Wear 4100. The watch has cellular connectivity as a better alternative to WiFi, and unlike other WearOS devices, lasts for 3 days with mixed usage.

Like Fossil Gen 5, it has all the bells and whistles of Google’s WearOS. You get Spotify to stream music online or download for offline experience, Google Assitant as a powerful voice command tool, and Messenger App to timely respond to messages on Facebook.

The speaker in this Ticwatch is not as impressive as that in Apple Watch. The microphone is reliable though. You can pick calls right on the wrist and can make calls even when is your phone miles away. But for not, the cellular connectivity is exclusive to Verizon.

Being an affordable alternative to Apple Watch for both Android and IOS devices, the watch does make several tradeoffs. The most obvious is the build quality. Instead of using metallic casing through and through, the watch has a mixture of the metallic bezel and plastic casing. Like Fossil Gen 5, it is water resistance for up to 5m.

Ticwatch Pro 4G comes with a promise of 3 days battery life, and surprisingly enough, even while running WearOS, it manages to deliver on it. Except for, when you use all power-hungry features like 4G, GPS, and high-brightness display at once. A balanced approach would get you the magic number, 3 days. An extremely cautious approach, using the watch on basic mode, can get you 35 days.

Pros

Fast processor
Dual Screen Technology
Value for money
Battery Performance is up to the mark

Cons

Build Quality is So-So

Why should you buy this watch?

Ticwatch Pro 4G is an affordable alternative to Galaxy Watch 3 and Apple Watch for Android users. It runs the most powerful processor and the WearOS by Google. You would have access to thousands of third-party apps to customize the smartwatch. Plus, you would have practical features like Google Assistant, Google Pay, Google Fit, on-board GPS right on the wrist.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2

Features and Specs:

eSIM: Yes
Size: 44 mm
Weight: 42 g (1.48 oz)
OS: Tizen by Samsung
Display: 1.4″ AMOLED / 360 x 360 / 328ppi
Always-on Display: Yes
Processor: Exynos 9110
Storage & Memory: 4GB , 1.5 GB
Battery Life: 20-50 hours
GPS: Yes with A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS
NFC: Yes (Samsung Pay)
Speaker and Microphone: Yes
Voice Assistant: Yes, Bixby
Water Resistance: 5 ATM IP68 + Military Grade 8100
Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wifi, 4G LTE
Sensors: Heart rate, Electrocardiogram, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Barometer, Ambient light, altimeter

Review:

Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 offers features that are beyond its price tag. It is hands down the best alternative for Apple Watch for Android Users, and certainly the most affordable one. But, it is also compatible with the iphone running iOS 9.0 or above.

There is a long list of features, and we will discuss them one by one.

The watch has a relatively thin profile than other Samsung watches. And yet it manages to fit inside a speaker and microphone, 4 GB storage, 1.5 GB RAM, and a fast processor. Apart from that, it has NFC for contactless payments and onboard GPS for seamless position tracking while you are out running or biking.

Active 2 has three options for connectivity. Bluetooth 5 and Wifi 802.11 b/g/n to use it as a cell phone accessory and 4G LTE that makes it a standalone device for calling and texting. Bluetooth connectivity offers battery economy, LTE drains battery no other features can match.

The voice assistant, Bixby, needs to be updated as it is slow and has limited functionality. At least in the Voice Assistant feature, Ticwatch Pro 4G has an upper hand over this watch.

The watch runs Tizen OS. For those who have never heard about it, TizenOS is the proprietary OS by Samsung for its wearable devices, and it is fully compatible with Android. In terms of speed, it is faster than WearOS in Android Watches and slower than WatchOS in Apple devices.

However, there is one major drawback of TizenOS. It doesn’t have as many apps as the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, The watch has built-in apps such as Spotify, Strava, MapMyRun, MyFitnessPal, and Endomondo.

As a great plus, the watch has advanced health sensors like Electrocardiogram and heart rate sensor. Other sensors include Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Barometer, and Ambient Light.

1.39-inch super AMOLED display is its highlight feature. Unlike other Galaxy watches, you get a touch rotating bezel for easy navigation as well as two physical buttons on the left side. The display is brighter and crisp and easy to read in outdoor conditions.

We picked the 44mm size watch for you, suitable for the average wrist size. But for those looking for a slim and small watch, a 40 mm watch is also to avail. The band is replaceable, and it comes with a leather strap as standard. It is available in more than three colors.

Always-on display and LTE would drain battery life much faster than other features, however with mixed.

Pros

FDA approved ECG
Crisp, bright display
Offline music and Spotify support
Affordable

Cons

Voice assistant, Bixby, is slower

Why should you buy this watch?

One of the few FDA-approved ECG watches, Samsung Galaxy Active 2 is the best alternative to or Apple Watch Series 6. It costs nearly half the price and yet has all the powerful features.

Other than the price and health features, this watch has the best speaker-microphone pair, the features that get you here in the first place. You can call and send voice notes even without pairing them with earphones, and also without a smartphone around.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 3

Features and Specs:

eSIM: Yes
Size: 45 mm
Weight: 53.8 g (1.9 oz)
OS: Tizen by Samsung
Display: 1.4″ AMOLED / 360 x 360 / 328ppi
Always-on Display: Yes
Processor: Exynos 9110
Storage & Memory: 8GB , 1 GB
Battery Life: 20-50 hours
GPS: Yes with A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS
NFC: Yes
Speaker and Microphone: Yes
Voice Assistant: Yes, Bixby
Water Resistance: 5 ATM IP68 + Military Grade 8100
Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wifi, 4G LTE
Sensors: Heart rate, Electrocardiogram, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Barometer, Ambient light, altimeter, SpO2

Review:

Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 is the Latest watch by the company and the most expensive one too. In terms of features, it offers only one or two more than Samsung Galaxy Active 2.

In design, Samsung has reverted to its classic Galaxy watch design. It has large buttons and a physically rotating bezel and that makes the watch appear bulky. Unlike, Active 2 it comes with elegant, leather-like bands. You can replace the band with a convenient quick-release mechanism.

The Galaxy Watch 3 bears the latest iteration of Samsung’s Tizen OS on the software front. It runs smoothly but the difference is imperceptible when compared to Active 2. However, the watch has doubled the storage from 4GB to 8GB. Those who appreciate offline Spotify playback would find this update irresistible.

Also, the Galaxy Watch 3 has a large battery, thanks mainly to a larger overall size of the watch: 45 mm. It lasts longer than Active 2, and mark the scale at 3 days with mixed usage.

Like Active 2, it can call and take voice commands, thanks mainly to a built-in speaker and microphone. The latter two offer refined audio quality.

Pros

8 GB storage
Compatible with both IOS and Android
Battery performance.
Standalone Smartwatch

Cons

Expensive

Why should you buy this watch?

If you are on a budget or looking for an affordable yet practical smartwatch that strikes a balance of being a handy piece of tech and a fashion-forward wrist accessory, pick the Samsung galaxy to watch Active 2. Otherwise, Galaxy Watch 3 is a better alternative.

Fitbit Sense

eSIM: No
Size: 40.5 mm Version
Weight: 50 g (1.7 oz)
OS: Fitbit OS
Display: 1.58-inch display AMOLED / 336 x 336 /1000nit
Always-on Display: Yes
Storage: 4GB
Processor: N/A
Battery Life: Up to 6 days (Smartwatch Mode)
GPS: Yes, Plus GLONASS
NFC: Yes (Fitbit Pay)
Water Resistance: 5 ATM
Speaker and Microphone: Yes
Voice Assistant: (Google Assistant and Alexa)
Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wifi
Sensors: Electrical sensors compatible with ECG & EDA app, Skin temperature sensor, optical heart rate sensor, Gyroscope, Altimeter, 3-axis accelerometer, Ambient light sensor, Vibration motor

Review:

Fitbit Sense is the most expensive watch by Fitbit, and in features it is similar to its predecessor Fitbit Versa 3. The only major improvements are features like ECG and blood oxygen sensor. If we compare the Apple Watch Series 6 with Fitbit Sense, we would find an erringly similar list of sensors. However, Fitbit Sense is inexpensive in comparison.

The smartwatch packs a 1.58-inch AMOLED screen with always-on display feature. The overall design is similar to the Versa, except with a stainless steel edge around the square watch face instead of aluminum. Also, the watch is litter thicker. The watch is stylish and has a solid build quality. 5 ATM rated, it is suitable for open water swimming.

Fitbit recently received FDA clearance for its ECG sensor in the US and it’s now available for use in the US and US territories, Canada, New Zealand, some European countries and Hong Kong. Apart with that, it tracks stress with its unique EDA sensor, sleep and heart rate.

Also, it tracks SpO2 or blood oxygen readings and even body temperature, but not on-demand as in Samsung Galaxy Watches. Rather, you would have to select a specific SpO2 watch face before you go to bed. The sleep tracking is done in the same way, it gives you a detailed breakdown on your stages of sleep and a sleep score each morning.

Fitbit is leading the evolution of smartwatches from a smartphone accessory to a health device. Already at this point, it is better than Apple and Samsung when it comes to a holistic health tracking.

As a smartwatch, it has little to offer. It has 4 GB storage for offline music playback, a speaker and microphone pair for Bluetooth calling, and Fitbit Pay for contactless payments on the go.

Pros

FDA-approved ECG sensor
Long Battery Life
Comprehensive Health Features

Cons

Limited Third-party support

Why should you buy it?

Fitbit Sense is the most up-to-date health watch by the company that is compatible with both Android and iOS. Along with Apple and Samsung, Fitbit has FDA clearance for its ECG sensor.

Being a health watch, it packs other fitness sensors like skin temperature sensor, optical heart rate sensor, Gyroscope, Altimeter, 3-axis accelerometer, Ambient light sensor, and Vibration motor.

So if you are looking for an affordable Fitness-focused smartwatch, of course, that has a speaker and microphone, Fitbit Sense is hands down the right choice.

Emporio Armani Smartwatch 3

eSIM: No
Compatibility: Android, iOS
Size: 44 mm
Weight: 100 g (3.52 oz)
OS: Wear OS by Google
Display: 1.28″ AMOLED / 390 x 390 / 328 ppi
Always-on Display: Yes
Storage & Memory: 1GB , 8GB
Processor: Snapdragon Wear 3100
Battery Life: Up to 20 hours
GPS: Yes
NFC: Yes (Google Pay)
Water Resistance: 3 ATM
Voice Assistant: Yes (Google Assistant)
Speaker and Microphone: Yes
Connectivity: Wifi, Bluetooth
Sensors: Accelerometer, Altimeter, Ambient Light, Compass, Gyroscope, Off-body IR, PPG heart rate, GPS

Review:

Emporio Armani Smartwatch 3 is almost identical to Fossil Gen 5 except for the design and a hefty price tag. Armani along with Puma and Diesel have released smartwatches in the past couple of years under Fossil Umbrella, so no wonder that their features overlap.

This watch is quite expensive and if you are not a diehard fan of the brand, there is little reason to skip Fossil Gen 5 and Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 for this one.

Aluminum casing and silicone strap, the watch is light in weight and stylish. You can replace the straps. The watch is fairly thick at 12mm with a chunky 44.5 mm casing that’s big enough to easily glance at.

There is a tiny logo on the crown and another one on the back, but you can’t make a show of it given that they are subtle. The watch sizing and overall design makes it more suitable for large and thick wrists.

Just like Fossil Gen 5, the watch has a 1.28-inch AMOLED display. But it offers lower 390 x 390 resolution with 328 pixels-per-inch. The display is crisp and sharp with plenty of watch faces to choose from.

Unlike the previous generation, this watch has a speaker and microphone. You can call right from your wrist given you are connected to your phone via Bluetooth. Also, the speaker is very useful for those who enjoy exercise read-outs or Google Assistant responses. This smartwatch has Wi-Fi connectivity too.

Other smartwatch features include Google Pay, Spotify Music, Starva and so on. The smartwatch is pretty mediocre when it comes to health and fitness tracking as it doesn’t have advanced features and is overpriced for those it is offering. The watch has a GPS and heart rate sensor onboard, can track steps and heartrate but nothing more than that. The Google Fit app is way behind in competition when compared to Apple and Fitbit watch smartphone apps.

Pros

Premium Design
Google Pay, Google Assistant
Stylish Watch
AMOLED display with Always-on mode

Cons

Overpriced

Why should you buy this watch?

This fashion-focused watch is for brand-loyal fans for which only the fact that it is an Emporio Armani Smartwatch is enough. This overpriced watch runs WearOS and is similar in functions to Fossil Gen 5.

It won’t come anywhere near Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 or Apple Watch Series 5 in performance and features even if it demands top dollars from users.

Samsung Gear S3

Features and specs:

eSIM: Yes
Size: 49 mm
Weight: 63 g
OS: Tizen by Samsung
Display: 1.3″ AMOLED / 360 x 360 / 278ppi
Always-on Display: Yes
Processor: Exynos 7 Dual 7270
Storage & Memory: 4GB , 768 MB
Battery Life: 20-50 hours
GPS: Yes with GLONASS
NFC: Yes
Speaker and Microphone: Yes
Voice Assistant: Yes, Bixby
Water Resistance: 5 ATM IP68
Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wifi,
Sensors: Accelerometer, gyro, heart rate, barometer

Review:

Samsung Gear S3 would only be available as refurbished on ecommerce store as the watch itself is discontinued by the company. However, you can get frontier edition available on the Samsung store.

Gear S3 is a big (read really big) watch with somewhat chunky design. It is suitable for large or thick wrist, circumference greater than 9-inch and so don’t have a universal appeal. However, if you have a thing for big, flashy smartwatch this Gear S3 is just the right watch for you.

Other than the large display, this smartwatch make contactless payment via Samsung Pay, has built-in GPS and GLONASS for standalone position tracking and even have LTE connectivity to make calls without phone.

Gear S3 itself is not a rugged watch though its frontier edition is. The watch is resistant to sweat and rain but you cannot swim with the watch. However, the watch is dust-proof. The frontier edition is not only resistant for up to 50m, it is approved by military standards for rugged performance.

The smartwatch has a speaker and microphone, and as we mentioned earlier it can make calls. Other than that, you get a voice assistant to control your IoT devices.

The drawback with Samsung watches is the company’s self-developed TizenOS. It has limited third-party app support to make use of its solid hardware. The problem is consistent with all Samsung smartwatches. Also, the OS lacks a few key features when it is connected to an iOS device. Samsung needs to capture a wide audience of developers to get its OS going.

The smartwatch allows you to stream music on Spotify, but you cannot download it for offline music playback. Also, streaming music and calling features would deplete the battery very fast (it would hardly last 2 hours). The battery performance is solid if you use it cautiously.

Pros

Suitable for large wrists.
Cellular connectivity and Contactless payment
Solid Display

Cons

Limited third-party apps
Chunky design

Why Should You Buy This Smartwatch?

The watch is suitable for large/ thick wrists. The health features are limited and even though it has solid hardware, the software limitation is one of the major drawbacks.

Huawei watch 2

Features and Specs:

eSIM: No (nano-sim)
Size: 48.9 x 45 x 12.6 mm
OS: Wear OS
RAM & Storage: 768MB & 4 GB
Processor: Snapdragon Wear 2100
Display: 1.2-inch AMOLED Touch | 390 x 390 pixels | 326 ppi
Speaker and Mic: Yes
Battery: 24-48 hours
Weight: 57 g (2.01 oz)
Water and dust Resistance: IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins)
Voice Assistant: Yes, (Google Assistant)
NFC: Yes (Google Pay)
GPS: Yes with GLONASS
Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, LTE
Sensors: Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Heart Rate, Barometer, and Compass.

Review:

Huawei watch 2 is an old watch with features relevant till today. Like Gear S3 it is a bulky watch with chunky casing that contributes to its formidable look. However, the watch is unsuitable for small or slender wrists.

Latest Huawei watches runs it proprietary OS, but not the Watch 2. This one runs the WearOS and unlike other Android Watches, it has pretty solid battery performance. Thanks mainly to its large battery and tweaks in the software, Huawei watch 2 can last for more than 2 days with mixed usage.

The design really disappoints when compared to latest smartwatches, and even if we compare it with the contemporary smartwatches. The cheap plastic casing with a use-less metallic bezel coupled with its rubber strap makes the smartwatch unimpressive in overall style. The small screen and chunkier build further dissuade some users to pick this watch.

The watch has a quality speaker and microphone, the sound quality is nowhere near the Apple watch which we discussed above. But the Huawei watch 2 has affordable price tag as its major highlight.

Rather than the latest eSIM technology on modern watches, this smartwatch requires a physical sim inserted into the watch to make use of 4G connectivity. But it drains the battery like a hungry shark devouring its prey.

Alternatively, you can stay connected via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. You can stream music on the watch and even store it for offline music playback. It has 768 MB memory to allow you to run multiple apps without hiccups and 4 GB storage to store audio files and apps on the watch.

There are two editions: Sports and Classic. We are here reviewing the former (sports). It has a 1.2-inch AMOLED display a screen resolution of 390×390 pixels, and a pixel density of 326 PPI. More items can easily fit on screen. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have an always-on display mode. The watch is protected through a Corning Gorilla Glass. It is IP 68 rated which means that it is waterproof up to 1.5 meters for only 30 minutes.

Pros

Feature-packed smartwatch
Affordable
Light-weight and comfortable

Cons

So-so design
Water-resistance is below average (not suitable for swimming)
Chunky design.

Why should you buy it?

The reason is quite simple: you are looking for an affordable watch, and don’t care any less about its design, but are keen on practical features. Huawei Watch 2 is an old smartwatch with features relevant to the day.

The company has discontinued the smartwatch and you would find refurbished units on the eCommerce store.

Ticwatch E2

eSIM: No
Size: 47 mm
OS: Wear OS
RAM & Storage: 512 MB & 4 GB
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear™ 2100 Platform.
Display: 1.39″ Retina AMOLED (400 x 400)
Battery: 3 days
Weight: 42.3 Oz
Water and dust resistance: 5 ATM (up to 50 m)
Voice Assistant: Yes, (Google Assistant)
NFC: No
Strap Material: silicone (Other bands are also available)
GPS: Yes + GLONASS + Beidou
Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi,
Sensors: Accelerometer, gyroscope, heart-rate sensor, low latency off-body sensor

Review:

Ticwatch E2 is a practical watch that may not be the most powerful Wear OS watch around, but it would get the job done. This watch is dirt cheap when compared to other watches on this list, and yet it features all the practical features plus a speaker and a microphone.

The speaker-microphone combo can be used to take calls on the watch, interact with Google Assistant and for listening to music or voice notes. However, keep in mind the smartwatch speakers, and by that mean all smartwatches, are not as good as that of phone due to design limitation. So don’t set your bars too high.

With Wear OS on board, you get access to some of the most popular apps like Strava, Spotify, Messenger, Google play music, Messenger, Dexcom, Google maps. It also has Google Assistant for voice commands. I kid you not; it works smoothly though not as fast as Siri on the Apple watch.

Wi-Fi Connection makes it easy to transfer data between the watch and wearable device, and also takes you one step closer to a standalone experience.

Ticwatch’s two limitations for any meaningful use of Wifi is its slow, outdated processor: Snapdragon Wear 2100. Plus, The small RAM and Storage capacity. But don’t get me wrong, it is still enough for run-of-the-mill chores.

You can get important notifications on the watch when your phone is out of Bluetooth range and can control IoT devices over the Wi-Fi connection.

Another highlight feature of the watch is its water resistance. 5 ATM rated this watch is suitable for open water swimming in pools and is completely dust proof. You can replace the straps while swimming with breathable or nylon straps for lasting performance. The watch is comfortable to wear.

Also, the watch has a super crisp display and a large screen size. Its 1.39″ Retina AMOLED screen offers 400 x 400 resolution which is pretty extraordinary for a cheap watch like Ticwatch E2.

Pros

Dirt Cheap
Crisp display
Google’s Wear OS and its bells and whistles
Suitable for swimming
Can take calls

Cons

Slow processor
Limited health features

Why should you buy this smartwatch?

Ticwatch E2 is the cheapest smartwatch with a speaker and microphone. But more than that, it offers a range of practical features like Google Assistant, calling and texting over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and Spotify support.

It might be laggard in performance due mainly to its old processor and WearOS, but even that is acceptable when you don’t have to pay more than $150 for a watch.

Buying Guide:

There is an ultimate smartwatch buying guide for first-timers. We have tried to cover the basics here for people who are in rush.

Operating System:

Apart from Apple watches, which have WatchOS, all other watches are compatible with both Android and IOS devices. However, you may encounter compatibility issues with iPhones.

Also, other than Apple watches, you may have to sacrifice one or more features while pairing a smartwatch with iPhone.

Unlike smartphones which have IOS and Android as only two options for users, smartwatches run a myriad of platforms. Samsung Watches have Tizen; Apple watches have Watch OS; Fitbit, Garmin, and Suunto have their own proprietary OS, and another creed runs Wear OS (previously known as Andriod OS)

WatchOS is the snappiest of all, whereas WearOS is notoriously slow.

Budget:

Don’t buy an expensive watch if you get all your prefered features in an affordable one. The best watch for you needs not to be the most expensive in the market.

But as you are looking for a smartwatch with a speaker and microphone (presumably to make calls and use voice assistant), you will have to set aside at least $200 for it. Surely, there are cheaper watches in the market but they make trade offs here and there, and don’t have, what we call balanced set of features.

To illustrate this, let’s say you buy a $100 watch with a speaker and microphone. What if the watch don’t have enough storage to save your important memo or enough battery life to last through the day.

Build Quality:

Of course, buying online you won’t be able to assess the build quality of the smartwatch. You will have to rely on the experience of others.

As a standard, you get silicone band with each watch, but most of the watches allows you to replace it with something more premium, like a leather or metallic strap.

In case of casing, the watch would either be metallic or plastic and in most cases a combination of both. Plastic watches tends to be on the affordable side of spectrum, where as metallic watches on the expensive side.

Metallic watches are rugged and longlasting, but they might be a little heavy and chunky in design.

Display:

Retina OLED display of Apple watch is Gold standard of smartwatch screen. AMOLED display also offers the best resolution and contrast ratio. LCD screen technology is what you would find in only cheap or practical watches. (for instance, multisports and outdoor gps watches made by Garmin and Suunto)

Other than screen technology, you must take account of the screen brightness and resolution. The higher the resolution the more crisp would be the display and the capability to fit more items on screen.

Standard smartwatches have display size ranging from 1.2-1.6-inches. You would have to make this decision in accordance with your wrist size.

Battery life & Charging:

Don’t buy an Apple watches if you need a smartwatch that could last more than 15 hours. Obviously, if the watch has a speaker and microphone, you would spend more time making calls, sending voice memos or using voice assistant.

You would need WiFi or cellular connectivity for it, and they would drain watch’s battery life like hell. Plus, if the watch has AMOLED display, it would obviously add a further strain on battey.

Buy a large watch, it would have a large battery and therefore a decent battery performance. Conversaly, if you have slender wrist, you should chose a watch that has a different battery modes and a superior battery technology.

Water Resistance:

Having to take off your watch each time you take a shower, or get into a pool, would be a pain in the neck. You should consider a smartwatch that is water resistance for up to 5m in water, so you can swim or take bath without having to remove it frequently.

Usually smartwatches come with IP or ATM rating. Pay close attention to it. Make sure that the watch fullfil the bare minium of water resistance. (ATM 5 or IP68)

Cellular connectivity, Contactless Payment & GPS:

Cellular smartwatches are expensive buy they would provide you a true standalone experience. You can make calls, send text, and email without having your phone around all the time.

If your watch have NFC, it can make contactless payment. Apple Pay has the most wide coverage across different continents, Google and Samsung Pay follow closely.

Alongwith the NFC, a standalone GPS in the smartwatch would allow you to leave your phone at home while you are out for a run.

Fitness & Health Features:

Make sure the smartwatch have a HR sensor, if not more advanced sensors which include FDA approved ECG sensor, SpO2 sensor, and temperature sensors.

Not only the presence of these features, but their accuracy do matter. Also, the smartphone app of the watch should be refined: it should not drain the battery life, have meaningful metrics, and give you detailed insights.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should you prefer a smartwatch with speaker and microphone?

A smartwatch equipped with a microphone and speaker can make calls, set alarms, stream music on apps like Apple Music, Spotify, and has voice assistants, such as Siri, Alexa, Bixby, and Google Assistant, to control IoT devices.

Can you record audio on a smartwatch?

Yes, definitely. But if recording audio or voice memo is what your ultimate need of a smartwatch, you can opt for sleek smartwatches that doesn’t have a speaker but a microphone. They also tend to be a more affordable.

Which is the best affordable watch with a microphone and speaker?

Ticwatch E2 is the best affordable smartwatch with a microphone and speaker. It has Google Assistant, Spotify support, storage capacity for audio files and a ton of other exciting features.

How to check audio quality of a smartwatch?

There are three ways you can check the smartwatch’s audio quality, but for all these the prerequisite is have a smartwatch.

Connect the watch to a Bluetooth speaker to check the quality of microphone.
1. Or if the watch has both microphone and speaker, record a short audio on the watch and phone at the same time. Play the recorded audio simultaneously, the difference would be obvious.
2. For those watches which have only a microphone, you can connect the watch with a Bluetooth headsets to check the quality of recorded audio.