Buyer’s guide: SoyaCincau’s best smartwatches to buy in 2020

As we approach the end of a very, very strange year in 2020, the holiday season is right upon us. And what better way to celebrate the festivities than with some awesome Christmas gifts? The technology world has been steadily chugging along in 2020, and we have more gadgets to choose from than ever—and some of my favourite devices this year have been smartwatches.

To me, smartwatches have evolved from novel, interesting gadgets to use “for fun” to powerful, essential wristwear for the digital generation. In fact, smartwatches as a whole can be divided into a couple of different segments: fitness bands, specialist sports watches, and “pseudo-smartwatches” (that look/feel like smartwatches, but with less functionality).

But for the average user, you might be looking for a daily driver to handle all these tasks within a single, stylish package. Which is why we’re releasing our latest buyer’s guide today! But first, let’s explain a couple of important things. This is the first in a series of wearable buyer’s guides, where we’ll talk about the best smartwatches (in our opinion) that you can buy right now for everyday use.

Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll also be following this up with a few more guides, as part of the series, to cover the other categories of wearables you should look at for 2020 (fitness bands, sports watches, etc).

Today’s instalment of the series will discuss “mainstream” smartwatches—covering wearables that can offer a little bit of everything, while supporting apps, or a compatible app market. For clarity, we’re separating smartwatches that are designed for more specialist use, such as Garmin’s enthusiast-centric range of sports watches, for a later guide in the series, so do remember to come back for that. Meanwhile, “pseudo-smartwatches”, as mentioned earlier, will also be shared in a separate guide.

For your convenience, links to official/trusted stores will be provided along with each individual listing, and there will be a comparison table at the end of the guide to give you a side-by-side glance at the most important information. If you’re still struggling to come to a decision, head over to the Editor’s Choice section, where we’ll be providing SoyaCincau’s top three picks out of the list.

Ready? Start by clicking a link below.

[nextpage title=”Apple Watch Series 6″]

First up, probably the most recognisable smartwatch on this list: the Apple Watch Series 6. As I mentioned in my review, Apple’s latest smartwatch offers what is probably the most polished experience on any wearable out there. A big reason for that is watchOS 7, the operating system that also runs on the more affordable Apple Watch SE (which we’ll cover in this guide as well).

It’s worth mentioning that the Watch Series 6 isn’t drastically different from its predecessor, the discontinued Watch Series 5. The biggest upgrade you’re getting is the ability to measure the saturation of oxygen in your blood, along with a slightly brighter Always-On display. Meanwhile, the ECG sensor first introduced in the Series 5 has also been brought over to the Watch Series 6—but the feature is still not supported in Malaysia.

Besides that you’re looking at an identically-sized LTPO OLED display. This automatically adjusts the refresh rate depending on what’s being shown on the screen to save on battery, while maintaining a smooth experience when scrolling through the menus. Battery life stands at about 18 hours for regular usage, which includes a multitude of workout modes—and of course, blood oxygen measurements.

WatchOS 7 also brings in native sleep tracking, at long last. However, it’s worth noting that the Apple Watch doesn’t really offer detailed analysis of your sleep—just how long you managed to sleep for during the night. Additionally, its below-average battery life means that you’ll have to carefully time when you charge your watch if you want to wear it to bed. Finally, it’s rated at 5ATM for water resistance, so it should withstand depths of 50m.

All in all, the Apple Watch Series 6 is essentially the most powerful device you can get that runs on watchOS (which obviously, only runs on Apple Watches). And watchOS 7 is, in my opinion, the best smartwatch OS out there. The only downside to it is that all of the Apple Watches are only compatible with iOS devices.

To find out more, click here.

Apple Watch Series 6 – Aluminium + Sport Loop
40mm GPS – RM1,749
40mm GPS + Cellular – RM2,199
44mm GPS – RM1,899
44mm GPS + Cellular – RM2,349

Apple Watch Series 6 – Stainless Steel + Sport Loop
40mm GPS + Cellular – RM2,999
44mm GPS + Cellular – RM3,249

Where to buy:
Online: Lazada, Apple
Store: Authorised Apple retailers

[nextpage title=”Apple Watch SE”]

The Apple Watch SE is essentially a cheaper version of the Watch Series 6, so if you can do without a couple of Apple’s “premium” features, this might just be the better choice for you. You miss out on the new blood oxygen feature, and an Always-On display (this last one feels like an intentional move from Apple to push customers towards the Watch Series 6, to be honest).

Meanwhile, the Watch SE is also powered by the last-generation S5 chip—the same processor powering the Watch Series 5. Beyond that, the more affordable Apple Watch has an identically-sized display as the Watch Series 6, near-identical case size, same water resistance, and even the same rated 18-hour battery life.

The same benefits brought over by watchOS 7 are also available on the Watch SE, which means you get access to native sleep tracking, apps, and the most polished smartwatch experience you can find. Something you do miss out on, for both the Watch SE and the Watch Series 6, is support for Apple Pay in Malaysia (sadly).

To find out more, click here.

Apple Watch SE – Aluminium + Sport Loop/ Solo Loop
40mm GPS – RM1,199
40mm GPS + Cellular – RM1,449
44mm GPS – RM1,349
44mm GPS + Cellular – RM1,599

Where to buy:
Online: Lazada, Apple
Store: Authorised Apple retailers

[nextpage title=”Samsung Galaxy Watch 3″]

Pretty much every other smartwatch OS in the world, besides watchOS, works with Android phones, so you have quite a number of options to choose from. At (or near) the top of most lists sits Samsung’s Galaxy Watch line-up—including the flagship model, the Galaxy Watch 3.

Seen as a separate range than the Galaxy Watch Active series, the distinctive feature on the Galaxy Watch 3 is the physical rotating bezel. Running on the Tizen OS, this is one of the best ways to navigate though menus I’ve ever experienced on a smartwatch—I personally prefer it over the Apple Watch’s digital crown.

Available in sizes of 41mm or 45mm, this Galaxy Watch 3 also has a circular AMOLED display, along with the standard range of health and fitness functions. Meanwhile, you also get blood oxygen monitoring, which basically allows you to get a better understanding of your overall health, along with 5ATM and IP68 water resistance ratings.

Something else that’s worth noting is that the Galaxy Watch 3 also supports offline playback for Spotify via its 8GB of storage. This means that you can connect a pair of Bluetooth headphones to the watch, and playback tracks from Spotify—without being connected to a smartphone or the internet.

This, in particular, should come in handy for those of you who plan to use the Galaxy Watch 3 to track your exercise activities, without needing to bring a chunky phone along. Meanwhile, this is also rated at 5ATM for water resistance.

Finally, you should expect to get around 2 days of battery life on the Galaxy Watch 3, but that’s significantly worse than the original Galaxy Watch. That’s rather disappointing, although perhaps Samsung compromised on the battery size to ensure a slimmer profile on the new smartwatch. This regression is pretty bad, but 2 days is just about average for smartwatch in 2020, I suppose.

And, of course, the Galaxy Watch 3 pairs with both iOS and Android smartphones, and you get support for Samsung Pay in Malaysia, unlike Apple Pay. However, users have reported that Samsung Pay doesn’t work on Galaxy wearables when paired to an iOS device.

To find out more, click here.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 (41mm) – from RM1,699
Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 (45mm) – from RM1,799

Where to buy:
Online: Lazada, Shopee
Store: Authorised Samsung retailers

[nextpage title=”Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2″]

Let’s talk about the Galaxy Watch Active 2. This offers a similar experience on Tizen OS as its bigger brother, the Galaxy Watch 3—although you’ll have to settle for a “virtual” rotating bezel instead. This aims to emulate the physical rotating bezel, although I found this to be an inconsistent experience when I used the watch. Sometimes, it takes two/three tries for the virtual bezel to actually register your action/touch, so be prepared for that.

Besides that, this is a very, very similar smartwatch to the Galaxy Watch 3. You do miss out on blood oxygen tracking, but beyond that, it’s basically a lighter, sportier-looking version of the Galaxy Watch 3. You’ll have to live with the same 2-day battery life, which is something I wish was better, but at the same time, app support on Tizen is probably among the best (for Android-compatible wearables).

Just like the Galaxy Watch 3, this also works with both iPhones and Android phones, and you also get offline playlist support for Spotify. Meanwhile, there are two sizes available: 40mm and a 44mm variants. Something else I think is worth mentioning is that the Galaxy Watch Active 2 has a relatively small footprint (wristprint?), so those of you who prefer smaller watches may prefer this.

To find out more, click here.

Galaxy Watch Active 2 (44mm) Aluminium – RM1,099
Galaxy Watch Active 2 (40mm) Under Armor Aluminium – RM1,099
Galaxy Watch Active 2 (44mm) Under Armor Aluminium – RM1,199
Galaxy Watch Active 2 (40mm) Stainless Steel – RM1,299
Galaxy Watch Active 2 (44mm) Stainless Steel – RM1,399

Where to buy:
Online: Lazada, Shopee
Store: Authorised Samsung retailers

[nextpage title=”Oppo Watch”]

The Oppo Watch is one of the better options you can get on Wear OS now, and it features what the company calls the world’s first “3D Flexible Dual-Curved Display”. Call it what you want, but to me, this is probably one of the nicest-looking displays I’ve seen on a Wear OS smartwatch in 2020.

However, this is only available on the larger 46mm version, with the 41mm version using a “rigid” (in other words, flat) 1.6″ AMOLED display instead.

Besides that, you have access to Google’s range of smartwatch apps via the Play Store. However, it’s worth noting that Google Pay—something that could count very much in Wear OS’ favour—is not supported in Malaysia. Meanwhile, there is 8GB of onboard storage, which you can use to store apps and music, although Wear OS only supports offline playback for Google Play Music (not Spotify).

Water resistance on the Oppo Watch is rated at 5ATM for the larger version, although the smaller 41mm variant only has 3ATM rating—which is only good enough for 30m of submersion. As for battery life, you’re looking at an average of 36 hours on a full charge for the 46mm version—which is just about what you can expect from a Wear OS device, in my experience.

I have to say, Wear OS isn’t really the best smartwatch operating system around these days. It feels a little sluggish, and app support isn’t as good as Tizen or watchOS. However, integration with Google Assistant is nice, and if you’re someone that relies a lot on the Google ecosystem of apps, it works well enough.

To find out more, click here.

Oppo Watch (41mm) – RM899
Oppo Watch (46mm) – RM1,299

Where to buy:
Online: Lazada, Shopee
Store: Authorised Oppo retailers

[nextpage title=”Garmin Venu Sq”]

The Garmin Venu Sq is basically an attempt to offer Garmin’s wide range of sports functionality in a package that would appeal to the mainstream market. Gone are the Memory-in-Pixel (MIP) displays, and instead you get a 1.3″ LCD touchscreen. As a result, battery life estimates are significantly lower than MIP models, although six days on a single charge is still significantly better than some of the other models in this guide.

As mentioned earlier, the Venu Sq comes with plenty of Garmin’s lauded fitness and health features, including 24/7 Elevate heart rate monitoring, the Pulse Ox2 sensor (for blood oxygen), and Garmin’s useful Body Battery feature. This is also rated for 5ATM of water resistance, which means that you’ll be able to use this to track your swims.

Garmin doesn’t specify how much internal storage the Venu Sq has, but you should be able to store up to 200 hours of activity data, while there is also a Music Edition that will allow you to download up to 500 tracks onto the watch. And yes, Spotify and Deezer are supported for offline playback.

Other features include incident detection, stress tracking, and even menstrual cycle tracking. Ultimately, the Venu Sq looks to be a viable option for those of you who want more detailed analytics of your fitness—without going for specialist sports watches that are usually chunkier, with not-so-pretty displays.

All in all, the Garmin Venu Sq offers a lot of fitness functionality—but you’ll have to accept a rather sluggish-feeling UI. In fact, Garmin’s watch OS can be a little difficult to get used to, but once you’re up and running, things should get better. Still, don’t expect the same polished experience here compared to Apple’s watchOS, or even the other operating systems discussed in this guide.

It’s also worth noting that Garmin Pay is still not officially available in Malaysia, although we spotted a pilot test as recently as August 2020, so future support is possible.

To find out more, click here.

Garmin Venu Sq – RM999
Garmin Venu Sq Music Edition – RM1,250

Where to buy:
Online: Lazada, Shopee
Store: Authorised Garmin retailers

[nextpage title=”Garmin Venu”]

When I covered this, I called this “Garmin’s answer to the Apple Watch”. Just like the Venu Sq, this is true in many ways. Launched prior to the Sq, the Garmin Venu has a round watch face, and is also the company’s first smartwatch with an AMOLED display (the Venu Sq uses an LCD). If you’re deciding between the Venu and the Venu Sq, this is probably the biggest difference.

You also get onboard music storage on the Venu—something that is limited to the Music Edition of the Venu Sq. As mentioned, Spotify and Deezer are both supported, and you’ll be able to pair Bluetooth headphones with the smartwatch for offline music playback.

Besides that, you have access to the same suite of health features, including Body battery, Pulse Ox, and menstrual and stress tracking. Battery life is rated for 5 days with average use, which is slightly poorer than the Venu Sq. This, to me, is probably due to the use of the brighter, more vivid AMOLED display on the Venu.

Versus the Venu Sq, this is significantly more expensive, so you’ll essentially have to decide if you want the AMOLED display of the Venu over the LCD display on the square-ish version. Beyond that, you should have a similar experiences on both smartwatches.

To find out more, click here.

Garmin Venu – RM1,799

Where to buy:
Online: Lazada, Shopee
Store: Authorised Garmin retailers

[nextpage title=”Fitbit Sense”]

The Fitbit Sense is the top-of-the-line option you can get from Fitbit right now, and it comes with some significant upgrades over the Fitbit Versa 3 (which we also cover in this guide). Additionally, Fitbit says that this is the most advanced health smartwatch they’ve ever released, with metrics that give users a better idea of how their bodies react to stress.

For example, the built-in EDA (Electrodermal Activity) detects electrical changes in your sweat to measure stress levels, working in tandem with Fitbit’s Stress Management Score feature. According to the company, “scores” are given based on a couple of metrics, including PurePulse 2.0 heart rate metrics, sleep, and activity level data.

Sleep tracking is also more detailed than some of the other options in this list, with the Fitbit Sense able to offer you insights about your night of sleep, and even if you were restless throughout the night. Besides that, oxygen saturation monitoring is also available, and you can even sign up for a 6-month Fitbit Premium subscription for more insights into your health metrics. Fitbit Pay, meanwhile, is available—but not supported in Malaysia.

Putting that aside, battery life is pretty good, with Fitbit promising 6+ days on a single charge. Water resistance is rated for 50m of submersion, and there’s even support for Google Assistant (Winter 2020 onwards) and Amazon Alexa. It has a 1.58″ AMOLED display, and Fitbit says this is the “most intuitive, focused on-screen navigation” that you’ll find on any Fitbit wearable.

To find out more, click here.

Fitbit Sense – RM1,498

Where to buy:
Online: Lazada, Shopee
Store: Authorised Fitbit retailers

[nextpage title=”Fitbit Versa 3″]

The Fitbit Versa 3 has a lot in common with the Sense, and to be honest, both models look really, really similar. However, there are a couple of differences—starting with the fact that the Versa 3 misses out on an ECG sensor, stress sensing, and the fancy skin sensor. However, you still get SpO2 tracking, and all of Fitbit’s suite of health insights.

Battery life is identical, rated for around 6+ days on a single charge, and like the Sense, this is also rated at 5ATM for water resistance. Moving on, you also get an identical 1.58″ AMOLED display, along with the same support for Google Assistant and Alexa. Additionally, the Versa 3 (just like the Sense) also features Fitbit’s PurePulse 2.0 heart rate sensor, which is supposed to offer a better degree of accuracy from previous generations.

All in all, both the Fitbit Sense and the Versa 3 offer a lot of the same stuff, other than a couple of advanced health insights. They even look the same, so if you can do without some of the Sense’s fancier fitness features, or if you’re looking for something that’s more affordable, this might be the one for you.

To find out more, click here.

Fitbit Versa 3 – RM1,148

Where to buy:
Online: Lazada, Shopee
Store: Authorised Fitbit retailers

[nextpage title=”Suunto 7″]

The Suunto 7 is Suunto’s first ever Wear OS-powered smartwatch, which means that you’ll have access to Google’s Play Store, along with integration with plenty of Google apps (again, Google Pay isn’t supported in Malaysia).

Meanwhile, the Suunto 7 has a 1.39″ AMOLED display which looks great, and it features offline topography that should be helpful for mountaineers and hikers. Suunto says that the heatmaps will work if the watch is in standalone mode, even if there isn’t any internet connectivity.

It should also be fairly durable, with Suunto saying that the watch is “adventure-proof”—translating to shock and dirt resistance. It’s also rated for 50m of water submersion, while there is scratch-resistance Gorilla Glass for added protection. As for battery life, like I mentioned during the Oppo Watch listing, Wear OS means that you’re only getting around 48 hours of daily use on a single charge.

It’s worth noting that the Suunto 7 is a thick watch. It’s the thickest watch in this buyer’s guide at 15.3mm, so that’s something you should consider—particularly if you prefer slimmer watches. However, it does look to be a durable smartwatch for your adventuring needs, provided you bring along a powerbank and a charger.

At a steep price, however, I’d advise you to consider getting a specialist sports watch instead. Which, of course, we’ll cover in the series later on, so keep your eyes peeled on SoyaCincau.com for that.

To find out more, click here.

Suunto 7 – RM2,399

Where to buy:
Online: Lazada, Shopee
Store: Authorised Suunto retailers

[nextpage title=”Editor’s choice + comparison table”]

And there we have it! The 10 smartwatches above offer a variety of different strengths and weakness—so picking the right one for you very much depends on what you plan to use it for. For example, if you’re looking for more advanced metrics, an SpO2 sensor that measures your blood oxygen levels is important, while you should keep an eye on battery life ratings if you plan to use the watch on multi-day hikes or adventures, and even sleep tracking.

However, as I’ve mentioned a couple of times already, this guide only covers all-in-one, daily driver smartwatches that have support for an app market. If you’re looking for something that can provide even more navigation and advanced tracking data, I’d advise you to wait for our specialist sports watch buyer’s guide (coming soon).

Meanwhile, if you’ve reached the end of this guide and you still can’t make a decision, fret not. This is the editor’s choice! Here, I’ll pick three smartwatches that, in my opinion, are the best smartwatches you can get in 2020.

#1 Apple Watch Series 6

Coming in at the top of the ranking, the Apple Watch Series 6. You can’t escape the fact that watchOS is, by far, the best, most seamless experience you’ll find on a smartwatch. To me, the most important thing to consider for a daily driver smartwatch is the operating system, and the apps and features it supports.

Despite the fact that the Watch Series 6 isn’t a huge upgrade from its predecessor, blood oxygen monitoring is a significant update to the Apple Watch’s health monitoring capabilities, and this is still the smartwatch to get in 2020.

You can, of course, opt for the more affordable Apple Watch SE (which gets an honourable mention purely based on watchOS), or you can look out for the older Apple Watch Series 5. However, the latter isn’t officially on sale from Apple any longer, so you’ll need to ensure that you’re making your purchase from a reputable, trusted seller.

The only downside? As with all Apple Watches, the Watch Series 6 isn’t compatible with Android smartphones, which means that the number one pick on this list only works for iPhone users.

Apple Watch Series 6 – Aluminium + Sport Loop
40mm GPS – RM1,749
40mm GPS + Cellular – RM2,199
44mm GPS – RM1,899
44mm GPS + Cellular – RM2,349

Apple Watch Series 6 – Stainless Steel + Sport Loop
40mm GPS + Cellular – RM2,999
44mm GPS + Cellular – RM3,249

Where to buy:
Online: Lazada, Apple
Store: Authorised Apple retailers

#2 Samsung Galaxy Watch 3

For Android users, I’d say that your best option is the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3. While it isn’t quite as polished as watchOS, Tizen OS offers a decent experience all round—in part, because of the physical rotating display on the watch. You can, of course, opt to use this with an iPhone, but as I’ve mentioned above, the Apple Watch would be a better choice in that scenario.

Pretty much everything else is on par with the best smartwatches you can get in 2020, with an SpO2 sensor, support for offline music playback, and a variety of health monitoring via the Samsung Health app. However, Samsung has significantly downgraded the battery life on the Galaxy Watch 3 from the original Galaxy Watch, so two days of battery life counts against Samsung’s flagship wearable for me.

Ultimately, however, the ease-of-use with Tizen OS and Samsung Pay support mean that this is, to me, the best smartwatch you can get if you’re an Android smartphone user.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 (41mm) – from RM1,699
Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 (45mm) – from RM1,799

Where to buy:
Online: Lazada, Shopee
Store: Authorised Samsung retailers

#3 Garmin Venu Sq

The last step on the podium goes to the Garmin Venu Sq. This is a really similar watch to the round-faced Garmin Venu, but the Venu Sq is the significantly cheaper option. Compared to the two choices above, the Garmin Venu Sq offers more detailed health insights, which makes this ideal for users who want that little bit more when it comes to fitness functions.

All of that does come with compromises, however. Garmin’s UI works well enough, but the experience doesn’t even come close to that of Tizen or watchOS. Once you’ve gotten used to it, however, it gets a lot easier to use. Additionally, the LCD display on the Venu Sq is nothing to shout about, but again, this looks to be another compromise Garmin made to ensure a lower price tag.

That said, battery life is among the best in the list, with up to 6+ days promised by Garmin. All of that means that this is one of the best smartwatches you can buy in 2020, if you’re looking for something that you can use on a daily basis—and if you want access to more specialised health features.

Garmin Venu Sq – RM999
Garmin Venu Sq Music Edition – RM1,250

Where to buy:
Online: Lazada, Shopee
Store: Authorised Garmin retailers

And that caps off SoyaCincau’s smartwatch buyer’s guide for 2020! As I mentioned at the beginning of the guide, we’ll also be publishing more wearable guides in the weeks to come—covering fitness bands, specialist sports watches, and psuedo-smartwatches. And if you think I missed out on any smartwatches in this guide, leave your thoughts in the comments section below.