Best smartwatches in South Africa
Smartwatches are helpful devices for fitness fanatics and those who want to check their notifications without pulling out their phones frequently, and some of the best options come from brands like Apple, Samsung, Huawei, and Garmin.
In South Africa, highly capable smartwatches sell from R5,999, with top-tier models like the 2nd-generation Apple Watch Ultra going for R20,999.
MyBroadband found some of the best smartwatches available in South Africa that are suitable for various budgets and requirements.
We found four devices for between R6,000 and R7,000 that are ideal for sports and fitness fanatics or for those who want to use a smartwatch as a tool for working and communicating.
The cheapest option in this comparison was Samsung’s Galaxy Watch6, which starts at R5,999 for the 40mm, Bluetooth-only model.
The smartwatch packs the manufacturer’s Exynos 930 SiP and 16GB of internal storage, and its battery will last between 30 and 40 hours depending on whether the wearable’s Always-On Display feature is enabled.
For R500 more, you can get the base model 2nd-generation Apple Watch SE, which offers impressive specs at the price point.
It packs Apple’s S8 SiP, 32GB of storage, and an OLED display. However, it has the poorest self-reported battery life of 18 hours.
The similarly-priced Garmin Vivomove Trend is the most fitness-oriented wearable among the smartwatches listed.
It promises a battery life of up to five days in smartwatch mode. While Garmin hasn’t revealed internal storage specifications, it says the Vivomove Trend can store ten timed activities and up to 14 days of activity tracking data.
At R6,999, the Huawei Watch GT 4 offers impressive battery life at eight days with regular usage and up to 14 days with minimal use.
It should be noted that while the Huawei Watch GT 4 supports NFC, tap payments with the watch aren’t supported in South Africa.
For R7,999, Samsung’s Galaxy Watch6 Classic offers performance specs similar to the base Galaxy Watch6 but with slight design changes and larger displays.
The second generation of Apple’s Watch Ultra is the most expensive smartwatch listed, with prices starting from R20,999.
It has the largest display of all other devices listed at 49mm and features a wide range of sensors designed to help the wearer manage their health and safety.
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 packs the tech giant’s S9 SiP and 64GB of internal storage.
Six of the best smartwatches available in South Africa are listed below with specifications and prices.
Samsung Galaxy Watch6 — From R5,999
| Samsung Galaxy Watch6 | |
|---|---|
| OS | Google WearOS 4 |
| Display | 40mm: 1.3-inch 432 x 432 OLED 44mm: 1.5-inch 480 x 480 OLED |
| Processor | Samsung Exynos W930 |
| Storage | 16GB |
| Sensors | Accelerometer Altimeter Barometer Blood pressure sensor Compass Gyroscope Heart rate monitor Optical heart sensor Proximity sensor Temperature sensor |
| Connectivity | LTE, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Battery life | Up to 30 hours with Always-On Display Up to 40 hours without Always-On Display |
| Water and dust resistance | Up to 50 metres IP68 dust-resistant |
| NFC payments |
Yes — Google Pay and Samsung Pay |
Apple Watch SE (2nd Generation) — From R6,599
| Apple Watch SE (2nd-gen) | |
|---|---|
| OS | WatchOS 10 |
| Display | 40mm: 1.53-inch 394 x 324 OLED 44mm: 1.78-inch 448 x 368 OLED |
| Processor | Apple S8 |
| Storage | 32GB |
| Sensors | Accelerometer Altimeter Ambient light sensor Compass Electrical heart sensor Gyroscope Optical heart sensor Proximity sensor |
| Connectivity | LTE, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Battery life | Up to 18 hours |
| Water and dust resistance | Up to 50 metres IP6X dust-resistant |
| NFC payments |
Yes — Apple Pay |
Garmin Vivomove Trend — From R6,599.95
| Garmin Vivomove Trend | |
|---|---|
| OS | GarminOS |
| Display | 1.3-inch 416 x 416 OLED |
| Processor | Not specified |
| Storage | 10 timed activities; 14 days of activity tracking data |
| Sensors | Accelerometer Ambient light sensor Barometric altimeter Blood oxygen sensor Gyroscope Wrist heart rate monitor |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Battery life | Up to 5 days in smartwatch mode Up to 6 days in watch mode |
| Water and dust resistance | Up to 50 metres |
| NFC payments |
Yes — Garmin Pay |
Huawei Watch GT 4 — From R6,999
| Huawei Watch GT 4 | |
|---|---|
| OS | HarmonyOS |
| Display | 41mm: 1.32-inch 466 × 466 OLED 46mm: 1.43-inch 466 × 466 OLED |
| Processor | Not specified |
| Storage | Not specified |
| Sensors | Accelerometer Barometer Gyroscope Optical heart sensor Proximity sensor Temperature sensor |
| Connectivity | LTE, Bluetooth 5.2 |
| Battery life | Up to 8 days with regular usage 14 days maximum battery life |
| Water and dust resistance | Up to 50 metres |
| NFC payments |
NFC capable, but no tap payments supported in South Africa |
Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Classic — From R7,995
| Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Classic | |
|---|---|
| OS | Google WearOS 4 |
| Display | 43mm: 1.5-inch 480 x 480 OLED 47mm: 1.5-inch 480 x 480 OLED |
| Processor | Samsung Exynos W930 |
| Storage | 16GB |
| Sensors | Accelerometer Ambient light sensor Barometer Blood pressure sensor Compass Electric heart rate sensor Gyroscope GPS Optical heart rate sensor Thermometer |
| Connectivity | LTE, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3, Ultra Wideband |
| Battery life | Up to 30 hours with Always-On Display Up to 40 hours without Always-On Display |
| Water and dust resistance | Up to 50 metres IP60 dust-resistant |
| NFC payments |
Yes — Google Pay and Samsung Pay |
Apple Watch Ultra 2 — From R20,999
| Apple Watch Ultra 2 | |
|---|---|
| OS | WatchOS 10 |
| Display | 49mm: 1.92-inch 502 x 410 OLED Up to 3,000 nits |
| Processor | Apple S9 SiP |
| Storage | 64GB |
| Sensors | Accelerometer Altimeter Blood oxygen sensor Blood pressure sensor Compass Depth gauge Electrical heart sensor Gyroscope Optical heart sensor Proximity sensor Temperature sensor Water temperature sensor |
| Connectivity | LTE, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3, Ultra Wideband |
| Battery life | Up to 36 hours in smartwatch mode Up to 72 hours in Low Power Mode |
| Water and dust resistance | Up to 100 metres IP6X dust-resistant |
| NFC payments Supported banks |
Yes — Apple Pay Absa, Capitec, Discovery Bank, FNB, Investec, Nedbank, RMB, Standard Bank |
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