These are the watches you see everywhere: in the office, on the subway, in the gym. They rely on the screen, notifications, contactless payment, small everyday interactions. If your goal is “to take out the smartphone less, and more to manage everything on the wrist”, you are in the right place.
Apple is the comfort solution. If you have an iPhone and you don't want to think, an Apple Watch (SE, Series, Ultra) does the job: messages, calls, Apple Pay, music, apps, everything fits naturally.
In real use, over a typical week with a recent Apple Watch (active notifications, 3 to 4 light sports sessions, a few Bluetooth calls), I often lasted between 1.5 and 2 days before having to recharge. With a more autonomy-oriented model such as the “Ultra” version, we go up to 2–3 days, provided you do not leave the screen always fully activated.
Where Apple crushes the rest is on sensation: fluidity, screen quality, clean haptics, total integration with iOS. Where it hurts is the price. And the short autonomy, which is prohibitive for certain very sporty or very nomadic profiles.
Samsung, with its Galaxy Watch range, is a bit like the Android equivalent of the Apple Watch: round screen, very bright, recent Wear OS, extensive integration with the brand's smartphones (ECG, blood pressure, Galaxy Health ecosystem, etc.).
In my Galaxy Watch tests in mixed use (notifications, a few running sessions, sleep tracking activated), I was generally around 2 days of battery life, sometimes 3 by lowering the brightness a little and avoiding the always-on screen mode. It was still more than enough for someone who recharges regularly.
If you already have a Samsung smartphone, the duo really makes sense. If you're on another Android, it works too, but certain advanced functions are sometimes reserved for the home ecosystem. It's the perfect brand if you want a beautiful screen, design, and “connected life” oriented use.
Huawei has bet everything on a winning combo in 2026: large screens, pretty cases, serious sensors, and above all long battery life. Where Apple and Samsung talk in days, Huawei is starting to talk in weeks.
On a mid/high-end type watch, with notifications, sleep tracking every night, 3 sports sessions with GPS per week, I regularly averaged around 8 to 10 days of battery life. In cooler use (less GPS, moderate brightness), spending 12–14 days is not absurd. Honestly, it’s life-changing.
On the other hand, the ecosystem is more closed, the apps available are fewer than at Apple or on Wear OS, and the experience depends a lot on your Android smartphone. But for someone who wants a good health/sport/daily mix, without recharging every evening, the brand makes perfect sense.
Pixel Watches are designed as a natural extension of your Google universe: Assistant, Maps, Wallet, Gmail, everything is there. The design is compact, quite premium, the interface very clean.
Autonomy? We stick to an Apple format: 1 to 2 days depending on usage. Over a typical week with notifications, occasional GPS and a fairly bright screen, I was forced to recharge every day or every other day. It's okay, but it's not made for a weekend trek without a charger.
If you live in the Google ecosystem and already use Assistant and in-house services a lot, it's a very comfortable duo. If you want pure sports performance, you will rather look towards Garmin / Coros.
Xiaomi is a bit of a “test” brand for many. Very low price, sufficient functionality, often solid autonomy. Ideal if you want to see if you really like the connected watch without spending €400 on it.
Basically, a decent Xiaomi watch in 2026, with notifications, sleep tracking, cardio and a little sport, often lasts a week without stress. GPS accuracy and sports metrics are a step below Garmin or Polar, but for casual use it's pretty decent.
It’s clearly aimed at those who say to themselves: “I want to try, we’ll see later to move up the range.” And that's not a bad strategy.
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