Best Cheap Smartwatch of 2018

1. Pebble Time Cheap Smartwatch – Black

So you want a new timepiece but not just any one, you want one of the new cheaper smartwatches on the market in 2018. The Pebble Time Smartwatch is one of the best smartwatches and has a battery life of 7 days – even though it is always on! This is made possible by the low power, always on color e-paper display which includes an LED for nighttime visibility. Note: e-paper is not LED – so don’t expect the bright, vivid display that you would get from a smartwatch with a LED display.

The trade-off between brightness and vivid colors for long battery life and always on display is worth it though.  What it does is allow the Pebble to behave (and be used) like any normal ones, instead of blanking out, which is what LED based smartwatches have to do to save battery life. On top of that, the e-paper display is readable even in the brightest of sunlight – which is not the case for most LED screens.

Pebble has created a fun, snappy interface that works with both types of smartphones in a thin, light smartwatch that is comfortable and easy to wear and one of the best for 2018.

Let’s start with the interface though – the Pebble uses a Timeline display controlled (scrolled) by buttons on the side. The display is not touch enabled and all controlling is done using the buttons. The timeline pins events onto a scrollable display so that you can see what happened in the past and what is coming in the future (calendar events, etc.).

You need to download and install the Pebble app onto your smartphone from either the App store (Apple iPhone) or the Google Play store and then pair it using Bluetooth in order to enable smartwatch functionality such as notifications, etc.

When installed on your smartphone, you can use the Pebble app to manage your smartwatch, update software and install / customize faces to make it look just the way you want it to.

The Pebble app also acts as its own app store where you can get apps to install. Though you are limited to around 8 apps that can be installed, you can easily change and configure this from your smartphone.

This budget smartwatch includes health tracking features, over 8000 apps (in the Pebble app store), 30m water resistance and the ability to control most Bluetooth music sources.

The band is standard 22mm and replaceable. The bezel is a little large and prone to scratching and distracts from the overall look and feel. This is why we rated it the best cheap smartwatch overall.

Why We Like It

The Pebble Time Smartwatch offers great battery life, thousands of apps, an always on display, water resistance and all the other essential smartwatch features at a bargain basement price. What’s not to like?

2. ASUS ZenWatch 2 Gunmetal Smart Watch

  ASUS ZenWatch 2 Watch is an Android Wear designed to work specifically with these types of Smartphones using a version not earlier than 4.3. It is also compatible with Apple’s iPhones if you download and install the Android Wear App from the app store.

Android wear is best as it allows you to download and install hundreds of different faces to customize its appearance and express your own style and taste. It also includes the Google Assistant – a voice activated feature that allows you to say “OK Google” and then ask your questions or give it instructions. The Google Assistant requires an internet connection, so you must be in range and you must be connected to the internet for this feature to work.

You can use Google Assistant to give instructions such as ‘Call xxx’ or ‘Set a timer for 10 minutes’ or ‘Track my run’ and it will do as you ask. You can also use Google Assistant questions and it will try to find the answers on the internet – e.g. ‘How’s the traffic on the xxx freeway?’ or ‘What does multifaceted mean?’ or ‘How old is John McEnroe?’

A large, thick and rectangular and looks like a black rectangle on the wrist. The display 2.5D curved Corning Gorilla Glass 3 AMOLED touch screen. all controls are through the touch screen or by voice command using the Google Assistant. It has a soft rubber strap that is easily replaceable by any standard 22mm band.

This smartwatch offers all the standard smartwatch features - apps, navigation, weather, calendar, email, text / messaging, notifications, alarms, timers and much more. It even allows you to see your phone’s battery status – and to make it ring for those times when you have misplaced it and simply can’t find it.

Battery life is around a day, Also has HyperCharge with No hassle just a quick charging - just 15 minutes to a 60% charge from 0% battery level. For this reason, it is the premium pick for the best cheap smartwatch.

Why We Like It

ASUS ZenWatch 2 watch its powered by Android Wear’ smartwatch in this lineup and offers all the features associated with the Google created and branded smartwatch OS. This means it is the only smartwatch to offer the Google Assistant and all its voice activated features. It has a bright, readable display and delivers a full day of use.

3. Inchor Smart Watch Sport Bracelet

If you are looking for one of the best smartwatches that will not only give you what a normal one will, but also record your steps and activity to track fitness levels, provide you with notifications and look slim and elegant on your wrist then look no further than the Inchor Smart .

The Inchor Smartwatch Sport Bracelet looks like a small black bubble on your wrist. It is thin, slim, light and shiny black. The band is not changeable and is made from a soft comfortable rubber. It will look at its best on a slim, ladies wrist unlike most of the bulky clunky smartwatch designs out there.

The dial is displayed in bright digits in the middle of the display only when you touch it. Tapping the face rotates between the different display options – basically time, day and date, activity tracker. Mostly the display stays off, helping to enable the long battery life that this offers.

It may not have all the other bells and whistles and 3^rd party apps but it is designed primarily as a fitness tracker and that is a function it performs very well. You do need to view most of the data after it has synced the data to it, but it measures steps taken, distance covered and calories burned with a good deal of accuracy so you can plan your fitness regime. As to other smartwatch functions it does the basics notifications well enough in an elegant round-faced package that looks good on your wrist.

As usual, this smartwatch supports both Android (4.3 and up) and iOS (7 and up) smartphones with an app that must be downloaded from either the App store or the Play store. The app syncs tracking data and allows it to display notifications (e.g. you have received a mail / text) but you will need to look at the phone to read the mail / text.

Its battery life is claimed at 5 days, but that will depend on how often you activate the LED touch display. It is rated IP67 water resistance and holds around 5 days’ worth of activity tracking data without needing to be synced. The Inchor is rated the best cheap smartwatch of this year by us.

Why We Like It

The Inchor Smart Sport Bracelet does its job of activity tracking well for those who take their fitness seriously, and adds the most used features of a smartwatch (notifications) into the package whilst delivering 5 days of battery. Impressive at the price!

4. Pebble Steel Smartwatch – Silver

With its Steel bezel and slightly curved rectangular face the Pebble Steel Smartwatch is the best looking wrist piece for 2018 in this review so far. The Pebble Steel uses the same Timeline interface as the Pebble reviewed earlier and includes the ability to read email, texts and calendars on your wrist, as well as see the identity of callers and access apps.

Steel is not the only quality material used in its construction – the glass is Corning Gorilla Glass which is scratch and shatter resistant (the same glass used in most smartphones) and the strap is genuine black leather.

As with the previous Pebble, the display is ‘always on’ monochrome e-paper which does not have the same levels of brightness and color as LED displays but is easily visible even in bright sunlight. The included LED backlight makes the display visible at night.

Interfacing with your smartphone takes place via the Pebble app (available on the App store and the Play store) and the app is itself an ‘app store’ where you can get different faces and Pebble watch apps. The Pebble Steel can run a maximum of 8 apps.

The Pebble Steel Smartwatch is designed to be worn 24/7 under all conditions. It is tough and damage resistant thanks to its high quality materials and it waterproof to 5 atmospheres – around 165 feet – which means you can safely shower / swim / run around in the rain without getting any water damage. So all of those who enjoy an outdoor lifestyle and keep to a fitness regime no matter the weather this is one of the best inexpensive smartwatches.

Why We Like It

The Pebble Steel Smartwatch is a more elegant, slightly more powerful sibling of the Pebble Time and offers all the smartwatch features you could want – along with the best feature of all: long battery life.

5. AOKII Outdoor Bluetooth Sport Smart Watch

The AOKII Outdoor is sporty smartwatch with activity tracking features for you to manage your fitness levels that can sync to your smartphone, the AOKII Outdoor Bluetooth Sport pushes the definition of being a smartwatch a little.

It is big and bulky, looks a lot like your standard men’s sport watch and boasts incredible battery life of 8 – 12 months. But this is because it does not have a smartwatch style display – instead it has a standard digital watch LCD display with icons to show you notifications from your phone. When your phone rings or you receive a text you will be notified by a sound and the appropriate icon will light up to inform you of the activity.

Apps are not installable and texts, etc. cannot be read on the display.

It counts your steps, calculates your calorie burn, tracks the distance you have covered and acts as a remote control for your smartphone’s camera.

It is IP67 waterproof rated, which the manufacturer claims makes it waterproof to 5 atmospheres. Do not be misled, this rating means that it can endure a little water and can be worn whilst washing hands, etc… but should not be used in the shower or whilst swimming.

Take a look at the full unboxing video here:

Why We Like It

The AOKII Outdoor Bluetooth Sport Smart is not everyone’s idea of a smartwatch – but it is smarter than your standard timepiece in that it can monitor your activity and sync that data back to your smartphone. This gives it great usage before it needs to be recharged and makes a good choice for someone who wants nothing but a fitness tracker.

6. Veezy Gear 2 Solid Stainless Steel Bluetooth Smart Watch

The Veezy Gear 2 Solid Stainless Steel Bluetooth Smart Watch accepts a SIM card to allow it to work as a standalone device without needing to be paired with a smartphone. It delivers full smartwatch functionality when used like this or when paired with Android, but only has limited functionality when paired with an iOS (Apple) operating system. You do not need to remove the back to insert the SIM card as there is a sim tray on the underside of the right-hand side.

What looks like the traditional winder on the right-hand side is actually a 0.3mp camera that can be used for photos or videos (you need to install a micro SD card in the watch to be able to use this feature).

The Veesy looks like a standard dress watch with a large round black face. The display activates when you raise your wrist or press buttons. It is a little on the bulky side. The band is standard 22mm and can be switched with ease.

Why We Like It

A great smartwatch that accepts its own sim card to become a standalone. With a built in camera, magnetic charging and it can pair with both operating systems. Looks good and activates when you raise your wrist.

7. Martian Watches Notifier Smartwatch

The Martian Watches Notifier is essentially a standard circular faced dress watch where the lower third of the face includes a single line 96 x 16 pixel display LED display. Attractively styled with a shiny stainless steel bezel and can accept any standard 22mm band. When paired with the custom app on Android or iOS, it will receive notifications and alert you with a flashing LED and customizable vibration patterns paired with scrollable text in the display.

The small display helps extend the lifespan before it needs recharging to 6 days whilst the time is displayed using conventional analog hands on a standard analog display.

The watch will alert you when you move out of range and will help you find a misplaced phone by broadcasting a request for it to make a sound when you are in range of the phone.

The watch itself cannot run apps, it only receives notifications. Activity stats it receives are notifications from activity trackers.

There are two batteries in the watch – one for the analog watch and a separate rechargeable battery for the smartwatch functions (recharges with micro USB). You can use one of the watch buttons as a remote control trigger when the app is set to ‘Camera’ mode.

Why We Like It

An analog watch with notification features, the Martian Watches Notifier Smartwatch delivers the most used functionality of a smartwatch at a fraction of the price.

8. Antimi SmartWatch

The Antimi SmartWatch can be used as a watch paired with your smartphone (the manufacturers state that the watch works better with Android devices, though it will work with reduced features with an iOS operating system). It can also accept its own sim card and be used as an independent device. There is also space for a micro SD memory card. The watch even has its own camera.

In appearance, the Antimi SmartWatch resembles the Apple Watch, except the face is gently curved. There is a single button on the right-hand side, unobtrusively flush with the bezel. There is a Micro USB port on the left-hand side, covered by a protective flap. It is charged by the USB and gives about 6 hours of use. The back is removable for inserting, SIM and micro SD cards. The top of the watch contains the 2mp camera and the bottom has a speaker grille.

The functions of this watch vary widely compared to whether you are using it as a standalone device with SIM and SD card or paired with your smartphone. When used independently the watch will run Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp.

When paired with an Android devices The Antimi can be used to make and answer calls, send and receive messages, etc. as well as normal smartwatch features such as notifications, pedometer, activity tracker, etc. With an iOS device, the watch is limited to standard features such as notifications, pedometer for fitness tracking, calendar, etc.

Why We Like It

If you want a smart watch that can work without pairing with a phone then the Antimi SmartWatch is the device you may be looking for, though heavy use may not see it lasting through the day. If you plan to pair it with a smartphone.

9. PowerLead Pwah PL-N20 Smart Watch

It looks like a standard wrist watch with great styling. The outdoor persons dream smartwatch with waterproofing, anti-sweat, and anti-dust. The PowerLead has a movement pedometer, built-sensitive sensor which will let you keep track of your motion, and using the APP you can analyze and monitor the motion data to help improve your fitness regime.

By connecting remotely to your cellphone you can take pictures whenever and wherever you are, so you can record those adventures without having to carry a heavy camera along with you. Also to assist you in exploring without worry, it provides precise movement navigation and an outdoor professional electronic compass to make sure you always know where you are going and allows you to explore new and exciting routes. As we said this watch is waterproof, it has an IP68 rating to 30 meters so even when swimming you can keep this with you.

The PowerLead Pwah is compatible with both Android and iOS, has a 7 hour standby, self-timer remote control, sleep test, Bluetooth functionality, alarm clock and calorie consumption counter. Comes with a 12 month warranty.

Why We Like It

Your next adventure is around the corner and the PowerLead will be with you all the way. Waterproof, anti-dust and anti-sweat, this is the active man or woman’s smartwatch of choice. You will never get lost with the electric compass to guide you.

10. MSRM Smart Watch Bluetooth Touch Screen

Although it looks very much like the Apple Watch, the MSRM Smart Watch Bluetooth Touch Screen is one of the best available on Amazon for 2018 and works best with Android smartphones and only has limited functionality with iOS operating devices. This is another smartwatch that accepts a SIM card and micro SD to allow it to function as a standalone.

In appearance, the MSRM Smart Watch Bluetooth Touch Screen looks almost exactly like the stainless-steel version of the Apple Watch, except the winder is in the middle of the right-hand side of the watch.

The functions of this watch vary widely compared to whether you are using it as a standalone device (with SIM and SD card), or paired with our smartphone. When used independently the watch will run Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp.

When paired with your smartphone the MSRM Smart Watch Bluetooth Touch Screen can be used to make and answer calls, send and receive messages, etc. as well as normal smartwatch features such as notifications, pedometer, activity tracker, etc. With an iOS device, the watch is limited to standard features such as notifications, pedometer, calendar, etc.

Why We Like It

The MSRM Smart Watch Bluetooth lets you dress to impress – look like you are wearing the Apple Watch that costs many dollars more! It includes basic smartwatch functionality when paired with iOS devices though and only delivers on all its features when paired with Android or when used in standalone mode. One of the best for 2017 for sure.