Buying guide — phones and electronics

How to choose a smartwatch

A smartwatch is an extension of your phone before it is a device of its own. What decides whether you are happy with it is compatibility with your phone, a battery that lasts your real routine, and features that actually work in your country, not the number of sensors in the advert.

Published 2026-10-01

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Start from your phone, not the watch

Most smartwatches need a companion app on the phone for setup, updates and syncing, and some work with only one platform. Apple Watch needs an iPhone, and Google's compatibility page says Pixel Watch does not support iPhones and needs an Android phone on a stated version or newer. So the first question is: which phone do you have now, and which one do you expect to move to during the watch's life? If you plan to switch platforms soon, a watch tied to your current one may end up in a drawer.

What actually makes the difference

• Compatibility and the companion app. Read the maker's compatibility page for the exact model, not the seller's summary. Check the minimum phone OS version and that the companion app is available in the app store on your Saudi or Gulf account.
• Battery for your routine. The advertised battery figure is based on stated settings: always-on display, GPS tracking, notifications and continuous heart-rate. If you will track walks or runs with GPS every day, look for the battery life with GPS specifically.
• The screen in sunlight. Brightness and outdoor readability matter more here than resolution. Look for an independent review that reports reading in direct sun.
• Water resistance, properly understood. A WR50 rating under ISO 22810, on models that state it, means pool or sea swimming, not diving. Apple notes that water resistance is not a permanent condition and can diminish over time, and that diving and high-velocity water are only for models rated for them. An IP68 rating on its own does not mean swimming is allowed; the model manual decides.
• Health features and whether they work in your country. ECG and blood-pressure features need regulatory approval country by country, so they are available in some places and not others. Apple publishes a watchOS feature-availability page by country, and Samsung Gulf publishes the list of countries where its ECG feature works. A unit from another regional version may not show the feature at all, and even where it works it is a monitoring tool, not a doctor.
• Cellular (eSIM). A watch with eSIM takes calls and messages without the phone, but only if your carrier supports that model and service. Ask your carrier before paying for the cellular version.
• Size and strap. Measure your wrist and choose the size that fits it, not automatically the larger one. A silicone or sport strap copes with summer sweat; leather suffers from sweat and humidity faster.
• Arabic on the interface. Check for an Arabic interface, that Arabic notifications display in the right order from right to left, and Arabic replies if you need them.

The practical types

What matters in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf

• Regional version and warranty. Ask about the regional version and who provides the warranty inside the Kingdom. A privately imported unit may not be accepted by the local agent, and the enabled health features can differ.
• Heat. Do not leave the watch on the car dashboard or in direct sun, and charge it somewhere shaded and relatively cool. High heat is hard on lithium batteries in any device.
• Telecom approval. A smartwatch is a wireless device, and the Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST) lets you look up the equipment it has approved. A reliable seller knows the status of the model they sell.
• Health features and regulation. The SFDA guidance on digital health products covers wearable devices and separates general-wellness products from medical devices. Do not buy a watch for a medical purpose on the strength of advertising wording.

Common mistakes

• Buying a watch that does not work with your current phone or the one you plan to move to.
• Relying on the headline battery figure when you will use GPS daily.
• Swimming with a watch whose manual does not mention swimming because it says IP68.
• Assuming ECG will work in the Kingdom because it works in another country.
• Treating watch readings as a diagnosis instead of seeing a doctor when worried.

Before you pay

• Note the model number and confirm it works with your phone and its OS version.
• Read the battery life for the settings you will actually use.
• Check the water rating and what the manual allows.
• Check the health-feature availability page for your country before paying for it.
• Know who provides the warranty in the Kingdom and how to claim it.
• Confirm the size and that replacement straps are easy to find.

Where to check

Apple explains its watch water ratings on its water-resistance page and lists features by country on its feature-availability page. Samsung Gulf publishes the list of ECG countries. If you are choosing a phone as well, see the Gulf phone-buying guide, and for charging on trips the power bank guide. Current products are on the Products page and codes on the Coupons page.

Limits of this guide

• This is a criteria guide, not a laboratory test. WESH has not tested any product itself and reports no measurements.
• No price appears here. Price, availability, shipping and tax are set by the merchant at checkout.
• Specifications change between revisions and markets. Check the merchant product page and the manufacturer spec sheet before buying.
• WESH gives no medical or engineering recommendation and does not warrant that a product suits your case.

Brand names are the property of their owners and are used to identify a category, not to imply endorsement or partnership.

More guides in the WESH guide; current products on the Products page and codes on the Coupons page.