Posted 15 March 2024

Samsung Watch 1st time buying advice

16yo son has asked for one as gift (hasn't mentioned any other brand). I have no experience of these watches and have no idea where to start, what to go for, best value etc.
Has a Samsung A34 phone
Sporty and into fitness so wants it as a fitness tracker - no regular swimming so waterproof would be a bonus.
Would no doubt use other functions that uses on phone day to day.
Probably the smaller version, but am I right in thinking that then = smaller battery, shorter battery life between charges?
Budget upto £200 but preferably less.
The Watch 5 has been pointed out but don't know whether this is the best option for the budget, how much i should be looking to pay at a good price (wanting new with warranty), if there are different versions and what they do (think I saw a Pro but more money)?
How are the standard straps that come with them, are they pretty reliable i.e. unlikely to come loose or break? Can you track these watches if lost?
I hold BLC so maybe direct with Samsung might offer a good deal if I can work out which is best to go for.
Any advice/ info/ help/ deal links much appreciated or even if there's a link to a reliable buyers guide for dummies.
Thank you
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  1. Azwipe's avatar
    Watch 5 Pro is the way to go, easily does 2 days between charges.
  2. Willy_Wonka's avatar
    Prepare to be very disappointed if you buy a Samsung Smartwatch. The novelty soon wears off unless you want to charge it up daily & more so if you get an LTE version & actually dare to try to connect it to a mobile signal.

    There are much better watches out there that do almost exactly the same thing with batteries that last days & weeks. HUAWEI Watch GT 4 46mm is a better shout from me but it is just my opinion (and I have 3 Samsungs & the LTE versions are just a gimmick the others are good at what they do but having to charge them everyday & they lose their appeal quickly). (edited)
    Uridium's avatar
    Another option if you want full Google Wear OS to install apps etc but a better battery life (3-5 days) is the Ticwatch range
  3. Chinese-spyware's avatar
    Bit late to the party in posting but contrary to the other reply I'd say do not buy your son anything other than the one he's asked for. A smartwatch is as much a fashion statement as it is a piece of tech and getting something other than what he wants will more likely end up just sitting in a drawer. Remember it's something he'll wear all day every day in theory.

    Also think a little about sizing when it comes to choosing which model to get, a 45mm+ watch could look way too big or perfectly fine depending on the size of your son
  4. Haylhoo's avatar
    Author
    Thank you all for your replies
    I've shown him and he's said he's happy to just get a watch for fitness tracking, guessing they'll be cheaper?
    In which case are FitBit one to go for or are there better options these days?
  6. Fuzzy-Dunlop's avatar
    If he is really into his fitness then I would go for a Garmin watch
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