Best smartwatch with LTE 2024

Smartwatches feel even smarter when they're not tethered to your phone by Bluetooth. Watches with LTE can connect directly to the cellular network so you can make phone calls, receive notifications, or even stream music without your phone nearby — either because you want to leave it at home for workouts or in case it dies at the wrong time. 

A cellular smartwatch can also help you reduce screen time without giving up your important notifications. With some of the best Bluetooth headphones, you can even keep streaming your music while you're out.

LTE versions of smartwatches used to be more common, but many of our favorite brands, like Fossil, have abandoned cellular service for their latest generation. Finding the best LTE smartwatches — starting with the Google Pixel Watch 3 — comes down to an exclusive, high-quality list.

Michael Hicks

Michael Hicks is Android Central's resident smartwatch geek, having reviewed or tested dozens of wearables from Samsung, Google, Apple, Garmin, Fitbit, Coros, Polar, Withings, Amazfit, and others. He spends his free time running or hiking while wearing several watches at once, testing which is most accurate.

At a glance

Best overall

The Google Pixel Watch 3 is one of our favorite Android smartwatches available today, and it also lets you add cellular connectivity for just $100, with a deal right now that includes two years of data for free. You can make and receive calls, check notifications, and stream music over your network of choice. You can see Google's list of supported carriers by country at that link, with some unique options like Google Fi that specific users will prefer.

Again, our Pixel Watch 3 review does the device more justice than we can in this limited space. The Pixel Watch 3 is stylish, has plenty of RAM for fast performance, and packs lots of storage for streaming music playlists. But the Galaxy Watch 6 will last longer than the Pixel Watch 3.

It isn't a massive step up from the Pixel Watch 2, but you get better Bluetooth via 5.3, Wi-Fi 5GHz for faster downloads, faster charging, and a nicer, thicker display with more viewable information on screen. There are also two sizes from which to choose, so those with thicker wrists will love having something bigger to accommodate.

New software makes it more useful, especially when using LTE connectivity, like Morning Brief, Nest Camera controls, Pixel Recorder, and more. You can use the Google Home tile now, for example, to control smart lights without having to pull out your phone. 

You get a fast Wear OS watch with Google apps like Messages, Assistant, and Maps — though the latter does currently require your phone, even if you buy the LTE option — plus the promise of years of software support, so you know it's worth the investment.

Best runner up

The Galaxy Watch 7 comes in Wi-Fi and 4G/LTE variants. For around $50 extra dollars, you can get the watch on Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, or USCellular networks in the U.S., as well as most standard carriers in other countries. Since Samsung made the Galaxy Watch 7 more affordable than most watches, this cellular version is especially cost-efficient without reneging on quality compared to the competition below.

You can read this Galaxy Watch 7 review to get an in-depth look at how the watch performs and what features to expect. To summarize briefly, it has the latest software and app support with Wear OS 5 so you can access a variety of music and messaging apps without your phone on you, including a QWERTY keyboard that'll let you stay in touch with friends and family.

You also get access to Google Assistant, so you can get questions answered quickly or say "Call 911" during an emergency if typing is too slow.

You get the latest Exynos W1000 processor with 2GB of RAM for some of the fastest performance you'll see on a smartwatch. Though our reviewer didn't see any massive difference. Unfortunately, the battery life is still only about 40 hours though our reviewer said he could get about two days from it on days when he didn't do a workout. On days when he spent a lot of time outdoors and did a workout, that dropped to about 33-36 hours. 

Nonetheless, the hardware upgrades in this watch make it a worthwhile successor to the previous-gen Galaxy Watch 6. Notably, the new heart rate sensor does a better job at tracking heart rate, ECG, and now AGEs, too. There are also new double pinch gestures that work like magic, when they do work. 

Best value

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic LTE has all the same internals as the regular Galaxy Watch 6. So, you get the same 10W wireless fast charging, the latest Wear OS, the newest Exynos silicone, and the same set of health and tracking sensors. Samsung opted for identical memory options, with 2GB of RAM and 16GB onboard storage for both smartwatches. You can even use most of the same Galaxy Watch 6 watch bands on the Classic variant of the Android smartwatch.

What many users complained a lot about the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 and 5 Pro was the lack of a rotating bezel on the non-basic model. Back by popular demand, the Watch 6 Classic sports the beloved feature. You can pay just a little more money to grab this variant with LTE, available in both the 43mm and 47mm size options.

On top of that, the Watch 6 Classic retains the robustness of the regular model. The lovely, crisp AMOLED display is secured by the Sapphire Crystal glass on top. You get
5ATM, IP68, and MIL-STD-810H ratings for water and dust proofing.

Best ultra durable

Samsung has finally made an ultra-durable smartwatch for the power user, the outdoor adventurer. These are the types of people who would most make use of LTE connectivity, so it makes sense that the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra comes with built-in LTE support. Of course, you'll still need a plan. But if you decide to sign up later, you don't have to worry that you bought the wrong variant without the option.

Battery life could have been better, only lasting about 40-45 hours at best, maybe another 10-20 hours if you turn off the always-on display. But this watch can handle just about any situation thanks to not only the titanium chassis but also the 10ATM and IP68 water- and dust-resistant ratings. It can also handle being used at high altitudes.

Equipped with Wear OS 5 and One UI 6 Watch, it has 2GB RAM and the Exynos W1000 processor that our reviewer says results in a noticeable boost in performance and snappiness. It's also larger and chunkier than you might like, so those with smaller wrists might want to check out the Galaxy Watch 7 instead.

It's an expensive smartwatch, but check out our review for reasons why you might want it and who would get the most out of it.

Best overall for iOS

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 comes with LTE support built-in, just one of many luxury perks that correspond with its absurdly high price. Another perk is the larger battery, helping the watch hit 36 hours with regular use with eight hours of LTE taken into account or 18 hours with continuous LTE active. It'll even last an extra hour (2.5 total) for a cellular call, giving you some vital wiggle room, or 10 hours with GPS + LTE.

Our colleagues at iMore loved the last-gen Ultra, recommending it over the Series 8 and SE 2022 as "the best Apple Watch for most people." Our wearables editor, Andrew Myrick, who bought both the Ultra and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro with his own money, recommended the Ultra over the Pro if you can stomach the price. With the Watch Ultra 2, we have the exact same sentiments. It's a fantastic device with military-grade protection, a beautifully bright 1.92-inch display, and a surprisingly lightweight design, given its size.

That said, the Watch Ultra 2 will cost you $300 or $500 more than the Apple Watch Series 9 4G or SE 2, respectively. So we don't blame anyone at all for balking at the price.

Best affordable iOS

You might expect the Series 9 to be the "best" option for iPhone owners, and it's definitely a better watch than the Apple Watch SE 2 in almost every single regard. But it also costs $300 more and charges twice as much for its cellular upgrade. The SE 2022 costs just $50 extra for cellular, making its price even better than the last-gen Galaxy Watch 5 4G/LTE. If you can stomach the downgrades in display quality and sensors, the SE 2 will suit more people's budgets.

To better target worldwide buyers, Apple has two cellular models of its watches for UMTS (3G) and LTE (4G bands). We couldn't find Samsung's international carrier list to compare, but Apple does seem to have the largest list of supported carriers around the world, so almost no one will miss out.

You can use the cellular upgrade to stream music, check notifications, text friends, or make and answer phone calls. Apple claims in its battery summary that the Apple Watch SE 2 has the same 18-hour lifespan as the GPS model, taking into account "4 hours of LTE connection and 14 hours of connection to iPhone via Bluetooth." For an actual LTE phone call, it'll only last about 1.5 hours from full charge, so you'll need to use it very sparingly. It can also last 5 hours with active GPS and LTE during a workout.

As a final point, Apple's Family Setup tech lets an iPhone-owning family member set up an Apple Watch Cellular model for someone who doesn't own an iPhone. That way, you can receive messages, make calls, or share your location without needing an iPhone or any phone. So, if you wanted to buy one for a phone-less child or someone who doesn't own a smartphone, you could.

Best runner up iOS

Apple launched the Watch Series 10 in September 2024 and it brings some interesting design upgrades over its predecessor, including a larger display with more screen real estate so it's easier to navigate the screen, read messages, and more. The wide-angle OLED is both brighter and easier to read from all angles.

Sadly, it maintains the same 18-hour battery life, but apparently it recharges more efficiently, so you can be back up and running faster. A quick 15-minute charge will give you an extra eight hours of use, or recharge for eight minutes to be able to capture your up to eight hours of sleep. Speaking of which, there are new sleep apnea notifications, useful for those who suffer from, or think they might suffer from, this sleep disorder.

There are depth and temperature sensors for underwater activities, 50-meter water-resistance rating, and new Custom Workouts for pool swims. With LTE, then, you can leave your phone in the room while you enjoy the pool perks of a resort, for example, and won't miss a call from the office. 

Another useful feature to enjoy especially with LTE connectivity is the built-in speaker so you can play music or make calls right from the watch without headphones. Of course, it also includes all the goodies that comes with watchOS 11.

This is an Apple Watch, so naturally, you get a wide range of features. There are plenty of sensors onboard, including SPO2, ECG, sleep tracking, accelerometer, gyroscope, optical heart sensor, and more. 

Unfortunately, the Apple Watch Series 10's cellular version is quite expensive, a $130 delta over the non-cellular version, so you'll really want to make use of it if you're forking over this much.

Best fitness watch

With all of the above picks, you can use cellular data to perform a variety of tasks like phone calls and messaging. Garmin's LTE watch features are more spartan, focused on what athletes and adventurers would need rather than more casual users. You'll subscribe directly to Garmin for its cellular service, which means it isn't tied to a specific carrier.

With the Garmin Forerunner 945 LTE, you can send an automated message to emergency contacts if you're in danger, then message the 24/7 Garmin IERCC so they can contact local emergency services to come find you. It's especially handy if you're someone who hikes or climbs in remote locations without a phone and want a tool to seek help in a pinch.

It also has more joyful uses, like the option to receive "spectator messages" on your wrist for encouragement or updates while you're mostly off the grid. You can send your Livetrack location if you're running a marathon, or even use Live Event Sharing to send your current pace to your contacts so they know how you're doing.

The Forerunner 945 LTE is one of the best Garmin watches available, with fantastic battery life, full-color mapping, and all the latest software that was originally exclusive to the newer Forerunner 955 or 965. These models have software upgrades and (in the case of the 965) an AMOLED display, but neither offers cellular support — making the 945 LTE a unique option for serious explorers and sportspeople.

Best for kids

We've focused on full-fledged LTE smartwatches on this list, but one common use case is to give a limited watch to your child so you can communicate with them (or track them) without needing to give them a smartphone before they're ready for one. That's where the Garmin Bounce comes in.

After giving the Bounce to his son for a couple of months, our Garmin Bounce reviewer had almost nothing but praise for it. The watch lasts 2–4 days despite LTE support, an impressive number for this boxy but relatively lightweight design. The UI is intuitive, and the partnered app for parents' phones is simple to use.

You can find your child's location with a tap, as well as send and receive text or voice messages; our reviewer's kid especially loved voice recordings and how emojis make funny noises. The built-in mic and speaker were both crystal clear in his tests.

You can also receive notifications if the battery is running low or the child leaves a geo-locked boundary like home or school. The LTE signal lets you receive pings and messages from anywhere, but you can also set up Wi-Fi support for a clearer signal. 

Kids can use the watch to register activities during recess or sports. Parents can assign chores, and when kids mark them as completed, they get "coins" that parents can use to track for handing out allowances.

Like the Forerunner 945 LTE, you'll pay a monthly fee to Garmin directly rather than worrying about a carrier — simplifying matters but also limiting your options. Our reviewer noted some problems with poor cell signal in his area, but this really depends on where you live.

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How to choose

If you have an Android phone, you'll want to stick to Samsung or Google. We didn't like the Fossil Gen 5 LTE and while we do like the TicWatch Pro 3 GPS, because the LTE version isn't available worldwide, most people can't take advantage of it. Otherwise, your selection is pretty limited.

Both Samsung and Google support a wide range of carrier networks but may not support every MVNO, so you'll want to check that before you buy any of these. With that out of the way, though, either the Pixel Watch 3 or Galaxy Watch 7 should serve you well. Samsung promises a longer battery life, especially with the Ultra, which makes a difference when LTE guzzles so much energy to use. But if you mostly plan to keep your phone on you and will only use LTE in rare instances, the Pixel Watch 3 is a compelling alternative.

As for iPhone owners, Apple does a better job than most explaining how much cellular data each watch can handle before it dies. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is clearly the best LTE smartwatch on this entire list with its 18-hour LTE lifespan — as long as other Apple Watches can last with GPS alone — but it also costs hundreds more than any other option. It and the Forerunner 945 LTE are for those who need something rugged and reliable for extreme situations and will pay the price for it.

Otherwise, the Apple Watch SE (2022) is our recommendation unless you can't live without the few upgrades that the Series 10 gives you.

Phone aside, if you're shopping for the best kids' smartwatch, we're big fans of the Garmin Bounce thanks to its LTE support mixed with cool activity tracking. But you can find other options with real-time location data and other cellular tricks in that linked buying guide.