Illustration: an original image, not a product photograph.
Mashable best smartwatches 2026 picks five watches for iPhone, Android and Samsung buyers, priced from $59 to $399.99 in the US. Read how each pick was sourced before treating the list as one hands-on test.
Mashable best smartwatches 2026 arrived on October 27, 2026, from Haley Henschel and Timothy Beck Werth, and it names five watches from Apple, Google, Samsung and Nothing. Your phone decides most of the shortlist first: Apple Watches pair with iPhone only, while the Samsung and Google picks pair with Android only.
Read the method before the verdicts. There is no separate How We Tested section in the Mashable article. The introduction says the authors researched the biggest recent releases, tested a handful themselves, and used expertise from Ziff Davis colleagues at CNET and PCMag to fill gaps.
Most favourites cost $250 to $400 in the US, often on sale for less, with one strong option under $100. All prices here are US list prices as Mashable states them, with no euro, UK or India prices in the source, so none are given here.
At a Glance: Mashable best smartwatches 2026
- Five picks: the Mashable best smartwatches 2026 list covers Series 12, SE 3, Pixel Watch 5, CMF Watch 3 Pro and Galaxy Watch 9.
- US prices: $389.99, $249, $399.99, $59 and $375.05. The CMF figure needs a closer look: Mashable gives three figures for it.
- Phone first: Apple picks work with iPhone only, Samsung and Google picks with Android only.
- Testing is mixed: two picks carry a named tester, two rest on a cited outlet, one carries a contributor rating.
- Sale notes: the SE 3 regularly drops to $219 and may dip under $200 on Black Friday, an expectation, not a confirmed price.
Mashable best smartwatches 2026: The Five Picks in Full
Mashable best smartwatches 2026 is best read pick by pick, because the evidence behind each choice differs. Every spec, price and rating stays tied to the tester or outlet Mashable names for that watch.
Apple Watch Series 12: the main iPhone pick
Mashable best smartwatches 2026 names the Apple Watch Series 12, GPS, 42mm, as the best smartwatch for most iPhone users, at $389.99 at Amazon. The listed changes are a new S11 chip, a new electrical and optical heart sensor, more workout battery life and faster charging. Mashable says it shares the same chip and sensors as the Apple Watch Ultra 4.
Stan Schroeder was testing the Series 12, which is a narrower claim than a completed lab verdict. No battery life in hours is stated, so none is given here.
Apple Watch SE 3: the budget iPhone pick
The Apple Watch SE 3, GPS, 40mm, is the best budget iPhone pick at $249 at Walmart. Mashable describes it as last year’s model, with an always-on OLED display, heart-rate and sleep tracking, gesture controls and water resistance. The trade-offs are shorter battery life than the Series 11 and no blood oxygen monitoring.
CNET wearable expert Vanessa Hand Orellana tested the SE 3. The Mashable best smartwatches 2026 list notes it regularly drops to $219 and is expected to dip under $200 on Black Friday, an expectation, not a confirmed price.
Google Pixel Watch 5: the main Android pick
The Google Pixel Watch 5, 41mm, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, is the best Android smartwatch at $399.99 at Amazon. Mashable puts it $50 above its predecessor, with a faster processor, double the storage, improved GPS route tracking, faster charging and better sleep tracking. It adds blood pressure and insulin-resistance trend monitoring and extensive Gemini integration, including some offline features.
PCMag’s Andrew Gebhart is the cited source for this pick. Do not carry over former Mashable reporter Christianna Silva’s 4.4 out of 5 rating for the Pixel Watch 4: it belongs to the older watch.
Nothing CMF Watch 3 Pro: the budget Android pick
The Nothing CMF Watch 3 Pro is the best budget Android pick, listed at $59 at Amazon in the at-a-glance list. Its section shows $59 with $79 struck through and a $20 saving, while the text states it is priced at $99 but often available for $79. No single original price is certain, so all three stay visible here.
Mashable contributor Lauren Allain rated it 4.6 out of 5 and gave it a Mashable Choice Award. Listed features are ChatGPT integration, blood oxygen monitoring, stress tracking, heart-rate and location tracking, and extra-long battery life. The Mashable best smartwatches 2026 list gives no battery life in hours or days, so none is stated.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 9: the Samsung pick
Mashable best smartwatches 2026 closes with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9, 40mm, Bluetooth, as the best Samsung smartwatch, at $375.05 at Amazon. It lists Gemini-powered tools, Heart Health and Fitness Index scores, Daily Cardio Load and overnight vitals monitoring, with the squircle design retained. Mashable puts the price $30 above its predecessor.
CNET’s Katie Collins is the cited source, with no star rating or hands-on verdict stated in the source material. Some features work best, or only, with a Samsung phone, so non-Samsung Android owners should confirm support first.
Price Notes You Should Read First
The Mashable best smartwatches 2026 prices look simple in a table and less simple in the text. The SE 3 pattern is clear: $249 list, $219 regularly, and an expected dip under $200 on Black Friday that has not happened yet. The CMF pattern is not: $59, $79 struck through and $99 stated, so shoppers should compare the checkout price with the figure they expected.
All five figures are US prices from October 27, 2026. No Bangladesh availability is confirmed in the source, so buyers elsewhere should check local pricing, configuration and warranty.
Who Tested What, Pick by Pick
The Mashable best smartwatches 2026 attribution table is the trust check for this article. Two picks carry a named tester, two rest on a cited colleague outlet, and one carries a named contributor rating with an award.
That mix is honest: the list works as a shortlist to research further, not as one lab ranking. A named rating for the CMF watch is stronger evidence than a citation with no test detail attached. PetaTech24 did not test any of these watches.
Why This Matters
The Mashable best smartwatches 2026 list shows where the 2026 market has moved: AI features and health trend tracking now sit at the centre of every pitch, from Gemini on the Pixel Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 9 to the new heart sensor on the Series 12. Those features are bonuses on top of the basics. Accurate heart rate, reliable GPS, readable notifications and a battery that survives the day still decide whether a watch earns its place on your wrist.
The list also differs from PetaTech24’s earlier seven-pick guide of October 25, 2026, a corroborated synthesis made when the Mashable page could not be read. That guide named the Series 11, Galaxy Watch 8 and Pixel Watch 4. The Mashable best smartwatches 2026 list is Mashable’s own five picks, moving the generations forward to the Series 12, Galaxy Watch 9 and Pixel Watch 5.
Mashable best smartwatches 2026: Quick Answers
Which watches are in the Mashable best smartwatches 2026 list?
The Mashable best smartwatches 2026 list names the Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch SE 3, Google Pixel Watch 5, Nothing CMF Watch 3 Pro and Samsung Galaxy Watch 9. It was published on October 27, 2026.
Did Mashable test all five watches itself?
No, not on the evidence stated. The authors researched recent releases, tested a handful themselves, and used CNET and PCMag expertise to fill gaps, with no separate How We Tested section.
What does the CMF Watch 3 Pro actually cost?
Mashable lists $59 at Amazon, shows $79 struck through in the section, and states $99 as the price in the text. No single original price is certain, so check the checkout price against the figure you expected.
Should buyers outside the US use these prices?
The Mashable best smartwatches 2026 prices are US list prices only, with no euro, UK or India prices in the source. Use the list to choose a model, then check local pricing and warranty.
Which pick suits a Samsung phone owner?
The Galaxy Watch 9, at $375.05 in the US. The other Android picks also pair, but some Galaxy Watch 9 features need a Samsung phone.
Bottom Line
Mashable best smartwatches 2026 gives a clean shortlist with honest limits. iPhone owners should start with the Series 12 at $389.99, or the SE 3 at $249 if budget matters more than blood oxygen monitoring and battery life. Android owners should start with the Pixel Watch 5 at $399.99, the Galaxy Watch 9 at $375.05 on a Samsung phone, or the CMF Watch 3 Pro at $59 on a tight budget.
Check three things before buying. Confirm the watch pairs with your phone, because the platform split in the Mashable best smartwatches 2026 list is absolute. Confirm the checkout price, and read the tester note for your pick, because a named rating is stronger than a bare citation.
Sources / Attribution
- Mashable, Haley Henschel and Timothy Beck Werth, “The 5 best smartwatches of 2026: Comparing the latest models from Apple, Google, and Samsung,” October 27, 2026: Mashable best smartwatches guide. All five picks, prices, features, tester names and sale notes in this article come from this source, as read in full.
- Stuff, “Samsung Galaxy Watch9 review: still the obvious choice for most Android owners,” October 2026: independent Galaxy Watch 9 review coverage. Listed for context only; no finding from this review is used in the article.
- PetaTech24, “Best Smartwatches 2026: 7 Picks for Every Wrist and Budget,” October 25, 2026. The earlier seven-pick corroborated synthesis, referenced only to explain how this Mashable-attributed list differs from it.
Ratings and tester notes are reviewer evidence, attributed to the named tester or outlet. PetaTech24 did no lab testing for this article. Prices are US list prices as stated by Mashable on October 27, 2026.
