technology news: Best Android Wear watches

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Android Wear has evolved a lot since it was first announced back in 2014. In the early days, there were only a few options, mainly from Motorola and LG. These days, many handset makers have thrown their weight into Android Wear, and even traditional watchmakers have begun to embrace the Google-powered smartwatch platform.

With the number of watches available increasing dramatically, it's hard to keep track of which watches stand out as the best. For one thing, most of the watches are all quite similar in software and hardware, leaving design preferences as the biggest factor. In order to help you make the most informed decision on which watch is right for you, we've rounded up what we feel to be the best Android Wear smartwatches you can buy right now.

Editor's note – this post will be updated periodically, as new devices hit the market.

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Fossil Q Founder

In the early days of Android Wear, it was mostly traditional Android device makers that were involved in creating smartwatches running the platform. This has changed recently however, with Fossil being among the first "watch makers" to jump into the fray.

The new Fossil Q Founder is one of the most traditional looking smartwatches ever to be released, though in many ways it styling resembles the Moto 360 family, including the presence of a circular display that has a "flat tire" design – where the very bottom of the display is always black due to sensors that take up the space there.

Not only does the Fossil Q Founder have the distinction of being one of the first Android Wear watches made by a watch company, it also is the very first to be powered by an Intel Atom chip inside. As for pricing? The Fossil Q Founder is just $295. While the Q Founder is far from the cheapest Android Wear watch on the market, the pricing is actually pretty good considering what you get on the hardware/design front.

Specs

Display: 1.5" circular LTPS LCD with resolution of 360 x 326
Processor: Intel Atom processor
RAM/ Storage: 1GB RAM, 4GB storage
Battery: 400 mAh battery
Model choices: Stainless steel case with silver finish steel bracelet or leather band
IP671 water resistance
Weight/size: 38.1 mm diameter, 172.9g with steel, 70.9 g with leather

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Huawei Watch

The Huawei Watch was first unveiled towards the beginning of the year at MWC, though it didn't actually make its way to retail until the tail-end of the summer. Offering a design that is much more "watch-like" then many of its competitors, the Huawei Watch is certainly one of the more attractive Android Wear watches on the market and benefits from easily replaceable watch straps and a long-lasting battery.

For those that aren't a fan of the flat-tire look we've seen with Motorola's circular watches, you'll be happy to know that this isn't the case here. As for the rest of the specs? Everything is pretty standard fare, as most of the newer Android Wear watches feature roughly the same internals. That said, the AMOLED display on the Huawei Watch is one of the best displays available in the Android Wear market right now.

As far as pricing is concerned, starting at $350, the Huawei Watch isn't at the very top of the pricing totem, but it is certainly not the lowest priced either.

Specs

Display: 1.4-inch sapphire crystal AMOLED 400 x 400 pixels
Processor: 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400
RAM: 512MB
Storage: 4GB
Battery: 300mAh

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Motorola Moto 360 (2nd gen)

Even today, the original Moto 360 is regarded as one of the best Android Wear options on the market, but with the Moto 360 (2nd gen) a great watch experience has been further refined.

Not only does the watch get better battery life thanks to its switch to a Snapdragon 400 processor, it also now come in sizes aimed at both larger and smaller wrists, and you can even customize its design to your liking with the Moto Maker. Overall, the biggest advantages to the new Moto 360 are the refreshed processor package, the more customizable design, and the addition of lugs that make it easier to add new watchbands to help you make the most out of your watch.

The Moto 360 (2nd gen) starts at $350, though pricing can go up considerably depending on your customization options.

Specs

Display: 1.56-in IPS LCD 360 x 330 pixels
Processor: Snapdragon 400 processor
RAM: 512MB
Storage: 4GB
Battery: 400 mAh
Water protection: IP67

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Asus ZenWatch 2

Despite fairly limited availability in many markets, here at Android Authority we were quite impressed with Asus' first Android Wear powered watch. The attractive timepiece showed us that it was possible to create a square watch that still stood out from the crowd in a positive way. The ZenWatch 2 follows this same path, offering a compelling design while pushing pricing further down.

Offering standard Android Wear hardware like a Snapdragon 400 processor with 512MB RAM, you get everything you'd expect from the $300+ Android Wear devices on the market right now, but at half the price – just $149.99. The ZenWatch 2 is also offered in two different sizes, allowing you to find a model that best fits your wrist.

Bottom-line, if you are looking to pick up a current-gen Android Wear device at a great price, there are few better options than the ZenWatch 2.

Specs

Display: 1.45-inch 280 x 280 AMOLED (small) or 1.63-inch 320×320 AMOLED (large)
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 400
RAM: 512MB
Storage: 4GB
Battery: 300 mAh (small size) or 400 mAh (large)
Water protection: IP67
Size: 49.6 x 40.7 x 10.9 mm

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Android Wear luxury option:

TAG Heuer Connected

TAGHeuerConnectedGroup

Up until now, most Android Wear powered devices were priced in the $150 to $350 range, but the TAG Heuer Connected changes all of that. The luxury smartwatch is "inspired by" the company's Carrera watch and is made of grade 2 titanium with seven different color options. At $1,500 it is easily the most expensive Android Wear device on the market.

Aside from stunning looks, the high-priced watch also sports all the latest specs including an Intel 1.6GHz dual-core processor with a full gig of RAM (many watches have only 512MB). The rest of the specs are pretty standard, with TAG saying battery life should be somewhere in the 25 hours of use range.

Specs

Display: .5-inch circular LTPS LCD scratch-resistant sapphire crystal display, resolution of 360 x 360
Processor: Intel processor
RAM:1GB RAM
Storage:4GB storage
Battery: 410mAh
Water protection: IP67

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Best Value:

Motorola Moto 360

The Moto 360 might not be the newest Android Wear watch on the market, but it's still one of the best out there, even today. Featuring a large circular screen (albeit with the infamous "flat tire" cutout at the bottom), a sleek brushed metal build, and several replaceable bands, the Moto 360 will look good in just about any occasion.

On the inside, the processor is older than the competitors', while the battery is on the small side – still, the Moto 360 will last a day of usage for all but the most active users, and you get wireless charging. With a variety of cool watchfaces taking advantage of the round screen and more launching constantly, the Moto 360 is a great choice if style is your biggest priority.

Probably the best thing about the Moto 360 is that you can now get it for as cheap as $145. That's pretty aggressive pricing for a round smartwatch. Sure, there are better watches out there, but at half the price, it's hard to complain here.