5 smartwatches you should buy instead of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9

Samsung launched its latest Galaxy Watches alongside its new foldable phones in July 2026. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 is now the latest entry point to the company’s smartwatch lineup, featuring larger batteries, a new Qualcomm processor, a raise-to-talk feature from the Pixel Watch 4, and new health tracking capabilities. Coupled with all the new watch strap designs, the Galaxy Watch 9 might look very tempting, especially if you already own a Samsung smartphone.

Prices have gone up, though, like most new tech launches this year. The 40mm Galaxy Watch 9 now starts at $380, while the 44mm model costs $410. Add another $50 to each if you want the cellular variant. That’s a lot of money for a smartwatch that’s not too different from the 2025 Galaxy Watch 8.

If you’re not convinced about buying the Galaxy Watch 9, you’ve come to the right place. Just like our curated list of alternatives to the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, here are five smartwatches you should buy instead of the Galaxy Watch 9.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8

The closest you can get to replicating the Galaxy Watch 9 experience would be the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8. It’s only a year old and shares many of the good qualities of the Watch 9, like its design, low weight, the same AMOLED display specs, and highly accurate health and sleep tracking. We also found it extremely comfortable for daily wear. Samsung has used the same watch strap mechanism in the Watch 9, so all the newer straps will work with the Watch 8.

The biggest reason to buy the Galaxy Watch 8, though, has to be the value quotient. While Samsung still lists it for $350 on its website, you can easily find it for $300 on Amazon and Best Buy. What makes this an even sweeter deal is that many of the new health tracking features on the Galaxy Watch 9 — including Sleep Apnea, Vitals, and more — should also come to the Watch 8 with the One UI 9 Watch software update.

Any downsides of going with the older model? Well, the Galaxy Watch 8 isn’t a multi-day device, so you’ll most likely have to charge it daily. It also doesn’t charge very quickly, requiring nearly two hours to fully top up. Finally, just like the Watch 9, Samsung forces you to use a Galaxy phone for tracking advanced health metrics, which isn’t ideal. However, if you already have a Samsung phone, the Galaxy WAtch 8 is pretty tempting.

Google Pixel Watch 4

If a pure Wear OS experience is what you’re really after, nothing beats the Google Pixel Watch 4. It comes in two sizes, just like the Galaxy Watch 9, and is cheaper. The Pixel Watch 4 is easily one of my favorite Android smartwatches thanks to the stunning design, fabulous hardware, and superb multi-day battery life. It also charges much more quickly than the Galaxy Watch 9, which should be a big plus if you heavily track fitness metrics.

Accurate heart rate and sleep tracking are among the highlights of the Pixel Watch 4, but some advanced features, like Ask Coach and sleep summaries, are paywalled. It’s still better than the Samsung Galaxy Watch, though, as you can track all health metrics even if you don’t have a Pixel smartphone.

The Pixel Watch 5 launch is all set for August 12, and the rumors so far aren’t pointing to any major changes. With the new model soon to hit store shelves, the Pixel Watch 4’s price could drop, making it an even better deal. As such, it would be wise to wait a few weeks if the Watch 4 is already on your shopping list.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 7

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 gets my top recommendation if you want a bargain Wear OS device. Launched in 2024, Samsung is now officially selling the top-end 44mm LTE variant for just $270. This means you should easily find it for less on other retailer sites. That’s a ridiculous value for a Wear OS watch, especially one that will still get OS upgrades until 2028.

The Galaxy Watch 7 features a circular dial, in case you’re not a fan of the squircle design on the Watch 8 and Watch 9. The Watch 7’s design makes it comfortable to wear all day, health and fitness tracking is accurate, there’s dual-band GPS, and a responsive and bright display. According to the footnotes of Samsung’s Watch 9 press release, the Galaxy Watch 7 will also receive some of the new Watch 9 health-tracking metrics with the One UI 9 Watch software update.

Garmin Venu 4

If you’re looking for a smartwatch that balances highly accurate health and fitness tracking, while at the same time, doesn’t look like you’re about to scale Everest, the Garmin Venu 4 is what you need. Granted, it’s quite a bit pricier at $550, but what you get in return is Forerunner-level tracking accuracy, a sleek design, more than a week of battery life, and a refined OS.

The Venu 4 comes in two sizes, but there isn’t an LTE variant for either. The app store and app ecosystem are also much more limited than on Wear OS. Basic smartwatch functionality, such as the ability to answer calls, view notifications, and even Google Maps integration with turn-by-turn navigation, is present. But don’t expect to find other standalone Google apps or on-device AI assistants.

However, for some people, that’s exactly the smartwatch experience you’re looking for. If you want a watch that’s laser-focused on health and fitness while still delivering fundamental smartwatch features, the Venu 4 is a great pick.

Amazfit Balance 2

The Amazfit Balance 2 is a fiery sequel to the already popular Balance smartwatch. This second iteration has features similar to the Galaxy Watch 9, such as sapphire glass over the AMOLED display, 32GB of onboard storage, and dual-band GPS. It then goes a few steps further by offering up to 21 days of battery life, 10 ATM water resistance for diving, a golf mode with course maps, and an uncluttered, easy-to-use app. In fact, the app is so much better than Google’s or Samsung’s health app that our Managing Editor ditched his Pixel Watch for an Amazfit.

Just like Garmin watches, the app store for Amazfit watches isn’t flush with many interesting or familiar apps. That’s one of the big advantages of a Wear OS smartwatch. But at $300 for the Balance 2, it doesn’t really matter, as features like the three-week battery life and robust fitness tracking modules more than make up for it.