Any alternatives to the Apple Watch that can be used with an iPhone?

By Dave Nason, 2 March, 2024

Member of the AppleVis Editorial Team

Forum
Apple Hardware and Compatible Accessories

Hi all,
I’m currently rocking a Series 4 Apple Watch, so it’s about time I looked at upgrading this year. I seriously considered getting a Series 9 last year, but decided to hold off and see what the Series 10, or perhaps Series X, is like in late 2024.
However while the software on the Apple Watch is clearly very good, I can’t say I’m a huge fan of the hardware design, especially the square shape. So I wonder are there any good alternatives out there that can be used alongside an iPhone and have an on board screen reader.
Cheers,
Dave

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Comments

By Justin Harris on Friday, March 1, 2024 - 18:50

I at one point used the Fossil smart watches, running WEAR OS. It looked more like an actual watch, which I liked, but Talkback on it wass, well, not great. Would love an Apple Watch with the form factor of an actual watch, but I don't see them ever doing that.

By Dave Nason on Friday, March 1, 2024 - 18:50

Member of the AppleVis Editorial Team

Yeah I bought a Fossil watch last year during my Android stint, but had to return it because the TalkBack support was so bad.
I’d love a Garmin, but as far as I can tell they don’t have a screen reader.

By Justin Harris on Friday, March 1, 2024 - 18:50

Now, with the fossil, one thing I did notice that helped was to turn off Talkback sounds, leaving only the speech. But one thing I love about the Apple Watch is that I can get the time just with vibrations and don’t even need speech at all inn that case, allowing me to be a little more discrete.

By Dave Nason on Friday, March 1, 2024 - 18:50

Member of the AppleVis Editorial Team

Honestly, the issues I had with the Fossil weren’t just performance, it was that TalkBack simply didn’t work in a lot of areas, particularly screens that were bespoke to Fossil, outside of standard Wear OS. This was also true in the companion app.
I’m pretty sure you can’t pair a Pixel Watch with an iPhone. Even if you could, it sounds like the performance is not there yet.
I was hoping Garmin or another third party might be the answer.

By Dave Nason on Friday, March 1, 2024 - 18:50

Member of the AppleVis Editorial Team

While workout tracking is a key feature for me, I do also value having a watch to tell the time, use for alarms, and quietly alert me to notifications.
So a ring won't cut it for me I'm afraid.
From what I know of Garmin, and I'm sure similar competitors, they have some pretty good kit in their portfolio, so I'd think at least some of their watches could handle audio. But who knows.

By marcus on Friday, March 1, 2024 - 18:50

great topic! I've been looking for an alternative to the Apple Watch for months. The Galaxy Watch 3 and Galaxy Active worked relatively well, it's a shame that Samsung removed compatibility from the new Watches. If you can find a Galaxy Watch 3 or Active in good condition, I still recommend it. their sleep monitor is incredibly accurate. Unfortunately, I sold my new Watch 3, I feel stupid because of that, now I'm looking for another one, but I don't think I'll ever find a new Galaxy Watch 3 again. Do you know TickWatch? This is very famous and is compatible with iPhone, do you know about its accessibility?