Best smartwatches under $100 / £100 (2026)
Get the Amazfit Bip Max: it works with iPhone and Android, has built-in GPS and lasts up to 20 days. Skip the Fitbit Inspire 3, which costs more and borrows your phone’s GPS.
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The short answer
Fitbit Inspire 3
Skip: no built-in GPS
- Researched
- No built-in GPS and some features behind a subscription, for more than the Bip 6 costs.
$99.95/£84.99Google Store US & UK, checked 3 Oct 2026
What matters
Start with the phone. A watch is only useful if it pairs with the phone in your pocket, or the pocket of the person you are buying for. Then check how long it lasts, whether GPS is built in, and whether the features you want sit behind a subscription.
BatteryMakers quote "typical use". Expect less with GPS and always-on screens.
GPSBuilt-in GPS works without your phone. "Connected GPS" needs the phone with you.
FeesCheck what needs a subscription. Core tracking on all three is free.
Which phones each watch works with
| Watch | iPhone | Android | What you lose on iPhone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazfit Bip Max | Yes, iOS 15+ | Yes, 7.0+ | Quick replies to messages |
| Amazfit Bip 6 | Yes, iOS 14+ | Yes, 7.0+ | Typed and voice message replies |
| Fitbit Inspire 3 | Yes, iOS 16.4+ | Yes, 11+ | Nothing listed; needs a Google Account |
| Apple Watch SE 3 | iPhone 11 or later only | No | Nothing, but it starts at $249 / £219 |
On an iPhone, every watch here still shows your notifications and takes calls where it supports them. Only Apple's own watch can reply to iMessages and do everything an iPhone can, and it costs more than twice our budget.
5 ATM water resistance, which all three verdicts have, is fine for showers and pool swimming but not for diving or water sports at speed.
Compare the picks
| Verdict | Model | Phones | Battery (typical) | GPS | Water | How judged |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PICK | Amazfit Bip Max | iPhone & Android | 20 days | Built-in, 40 h | 5 ATM | Researched |
| BUDGET | Amazfit Bip 6 | iPhone & Android | 14 days | Built-in, 32 h | 5 ATM | Researched |
| SKIP | Fitbit Inspire 3 | iPhone & Android | 10 days | Connected (uses phone) | 5 ATM | Researched |
Specs from each maker's own product page; see Sources. Battery is the maker's typical-use figure; GPS hours are continuous tracking. Prices from Amazfit's and Google's own US and UK stores, checked 3 Oct 2026; they change often and may be lower elsewhere.
Our verdicts
PICK
Amazfit Bip Max
ResearchedThe most watch you can get for $100 / £100, whichever phone you use.
Why it’s good
- Works with iPhone (iOS 15+) and Android (7.0+)
- Up to 20 days typical, 40 h with GPS on
Watch out for
- Big and 52.6 g with the strap; quick replies to messages are Android only; no USB cable in the box
BUDGET
Amazfit Bip 6
ResearchedSame app, same built-in GPS and the same iPhone and Android support for $20 / £20 less.
Why it’s good
- Works with iPhone (iOS 14+) and Android (7.0+)
- Built-in GPS, calls on the wrist, 5 ATM
You give up
- Up to 14 days typical vs 20, 32 h of GPS vs 40, and a smaller 1.97-inch, 2,000-nit screen
SKIP
Fitbit Inspire 3
ResearchedA long-running bestseller and Google's cheapest Fitbit, so it comes up in every gift search. But it has no GPS of its own: Google calls it "connected GPS", which means your phone must come with you to log pace and distance. Battery is rated at up to 10 days. Google also puts the wellness report, the detailed stress score and most mindfulness sessions behind Google Health Premium. At $99.95 / £84.99 it costs more than the Bip 6, which has built-in GPS and lasts longer.
How we chose
Show how we chose
We compared eight watches and bands priced up to about $100 / £100, plus the Apple Watch SE 3 for scale. Every verdict was checked on the maker's own page and on a US and a UK store on 3 Oct 2026. To get a verdict a watch had to be sold and in stock in both countries and work with both iPhone and Android. Then we weighed battery life, built-in GPS, health features, subscriptions and price. The CMF Watch 3 Pro looked strong, but we could not check its UK store, so it gets no verdict.
Tested means we used it ourselves. Researched means we judged it from specs, independent tests, safety rules and owner reports, without using it. We never mark a researched pick as tested.
Questions
Will a cheap smartwatch work with my iPhone?
All three verdicts pair with iPhones and Android phones, and show notifications on both. On an iPhone the Amazfit watches cannot reply to messages; you read them on the watch and reply on the phone.
Do I need to pay a subscription?
No, for steps, heart rate, sleep and workouts. Fitbit puts its wellness report, detailed stress score, most mindfulness sessions and AI coaching behind Google Health Premium. Amazfit's Zepp app is free; TechRadar notes its Zepp Aura wellness reports are an optional paid extra.
What is the difference between built-in and connected GPS?
Built-in GPS lets the watch map a run or ride on its own. Connected GPS borrows your phone's location, so the phone has to come with you.
Is there anything to know before giving one as a gift?
Check the recipient's phone first. The Amazfit watches come with a magnetic charging head but no USB cable, so they will need one they already own.
Why not an Apple Watch?
The Apple Watch SE 3 starts at $249 / £219 and works only with an iPhone 11 or later. It is a good watch, but it is well outside this budget.
Sources
Show the sources
- Amazfit US: Bip Max, accessed 3 Oct 2026
- Amazfit UK: Bip Max, accessed 3 Oct 2026
- Amazfit US: Bip 6, accessed 3 Oct 2026
- Amazfit UK: Bip 6, accessed 3 Oct 2026
- Google Store US: Fitbit Inspire 3, accessed 3 Oct 2026
- Google Store US: Fitbit Inspire 3 tech specs, accessed 3 Oct 2026
- Google Store UK: Fitbit Inspire 3, accessed 3 Oct 2026
- Apple: Apple Watch SE 3, accessed 3 Oct 2026
- TechRadar: Amazfit Bip 6 review, accessed 3 Oct 2026
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