Best smartwatches over €500 in 2026

The Ultra 4 is Apple's answer for people who push their watch hard. The titanium case, flat sapphire crystal and 100 m water rating make it the toughest Apple Watch, and it also meets MIL-STD 810H and is dust-sealed to IP6X. Recreational scuba diving to 40 m is supported with a compatible app.

Battery is the big step up from standard models. Apple quotes up to 50 hours of normal use and up to 84 hours in Low Power Mode, which makes a weekend trip without a charger realistic. Fast charging reaches 80% in about 45 minutes.

The 49 mm case holds a bright always-on screen that reaches 3,000 nits, dual-frequency GPS, an action button and a depth gauge with water-temperature sensing. The cellular model adds LTE and 5G, plus satellite messaging for emergencies and Find My.

Health features match the Series range, including ECG, blood oxygen and temperature sensing. It also uses the faster S11 chip with 64 GB of storage.

It weighs about 63 g, so it is chunky for small wrists or sleeping. And, like every Apple Watch, it only works with iPhone 11 or newer on iOS 27. For serious endurance sport, Garmin offers more training depth for less money, but nothing matches the Ultra for everyday smarts.

The Forerunner 970 is the watch for runners and triathletes who want everything on the wrist. It builds on the Forerunner 570 by adding built-in maps, and it combines a 1.4-inch AMOLED screen under sapphire glass with a titanium bezel and a case that weighs just 56 g.

Garmin quotes up to 15 days in smartwatch mode, 26 hours in GPS-only mode and 21 hours with all satellite systems and multi-band tracking switched on. That is less than the older Forerunner 965 managed in smartwatch mode, but plenty for most race plans.

The training tools are the deepest here: daily workout suggestions, training load and recovery guidance, race predictions, Body Battery energy tracking and a full triathlon mode. New this generation are an ECG app, an LED flashlight for dark runs, and a speaker and microphone for taking calls. Offline music holds up to 32 GB, and Garmin Pay handles contactless payments.

Two caveats: some new running metrics, such as running economy, need the optional HRM 600 chest strap, and the price is high. If you do not need maps, the cheaper Forerunner 570 covers most of the same ground.

The Galaxy Watch Ultra2 is Samsung's rugged flagship and the strongest Android alternative to the Apple Watch Ultra. The 47 mm titanium case is rated 10 ATM and IP69K, meets MIL-STD-810H and is certified to EN13319 for diving, so it handles swimming, snow and knocks without worry.

The 1.52-inch Super AMOLED display reaches up to 5,000 nits, the brightest on any Galaxy Watch, and is easy to read in direct sun. Samsung gives it an 800 mAh battery, the largest it has fitted, and quotes up to 60 hours with the always-on display. Fast charging adds about 40% in 30 minutes. Samsung says it is also 12% thinner than the previous model, though at 61.5 g it is still a substantial watch.

The new Snapdragon Wear Elite chip, 2 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage make it quick. Software adds trail run tracking, automatic dive tracking with Mares support and hydration guidance, on top of Samsung Health's vitals, sleep and cardio load. This model includes LTE.

Like all Galaxy watches it needs an Android phone, and some features work best with a Galaxy. If you do not need the toughness, the Galaxy Watch9 is the lighter, more affordable option.

The Venu 4 is Garmin's lifestyle watch for people who want good looks, health tracking and sport together. It comes in 41 mm and 45 mm sizes, and the case now combines a stainless steel bezel with a fibre-reinforced polymer body, replacing the all-plastic build of the Venu 3.

The bright AMOLED touchscreen suits everyday wear, and the weight is low at about 38 g for the larger watch and 33 g for the smaller one. Garmin quotes up to 12 days of battery for the 45 mm and up to 10 days for the 41 mm, far longer than Apple or Samsung watches.

On health, you get an ECG app where supported, sleep tracking, Body Battery energy monitoring and a built-in LED flashlight. For exercise there are around 80 sports apps, Garmin's daily workout suggestions and coaching. It works with iPhone and Android and supports Garmin Pay.

It does not offer the offline maps or deep race tools of the Forerunner 970, and there is no LTE. The US launch price of $549.99 puts it at the entry of this category, so check the current price in your market. It is the best choice here for someone who wants a handsome everyday watch with real fitness tools.

The Vantage V3 is Polar's flagship, and it is aimed squarely at athletes who care about numbers. It uses a 1.39-inch AMOLED screen with an always-on option, weighs 57 g with the band and carries dual-frequency GPS for accurate tracks between tall buildings and under trees.

Polar quotes battery lives that vary a little between its regional pages: roughly 42 to 43 hours in full training mode with dual-frequency GPS, 110 to 140 hours in eco mode and 10 to 11 days as a plain watch. In practice that suits long events and weekly training without constant charging.

The strength is physiology. The watch uses Polar's own biosensing set to track heart rate, ECG, skin temperature and blood oxygen, then turns that into recovery, sleep and training load guidance. If you follow a structured plan, this is where Polar shines.

There are compromises. This is a 2023 design, so it is older than the Forerunner 970 and the newest Apple and Samsung watches. App support is limited, and we could not confirm contactless payments. Launch price was €599.90 but it is often discounted, so check the current price.