Budget Smartwatches: Oraimo, HiFuture, CMF and Mi Band

An affordable smartwatch can be a great way to track your steps, see notifications and leave your phone in your pocket more often. It helps to have realistic expectations, though.

What cheap smartwatches do well

• Showing WhatsApp and SMS notifications.
• Counting steps and estimating activity.
• Long battery life compared to premium smartwatches.
• Stylish faces and a range of straps.
• Bluetooth calling on some models.

Where they fall short

Health accuracy varies. Heart rate readings can be reasonable at rest but less reliable during intense exercise. Blood oxygen, blood pressure and stress readings on budget watches should be treated as rough indications. Do not use them to make medical decisions.

Replies are limited. You can often see messages but may not be able to reply.

Apps are few. Most run simplified software with a limited set of built-in functions.

Oraimo

Oraimo's Watch 5, Watch 6 Lite, Watch 6 Nano, Watch 6 Pro, Nova 2 and Nova 2R give plenty of choice at low prices. Models with Pro or Nova in the name usually offer more features or a better screen. We also carry replacement straps and magnetic charging cables.

HiFuture

The HiFuture Apex 2, Edge, Flex 2, Go Pro and Lume watches offer different styles for people looking for good value.

CMF and Nothing

The CMF Watch 3 Pro and Nothing Watch Pro CMF add design appeal and offer useful features at a reasonable price. They pair well with Nothing phones, but work with other phones too.

Xiaomi Mi Band 8

Bands like the Mi Band 8 are compact, comfortable and have great battery life. They suit people who mainly want activity tracking and simple notifications.

What to look for

• App quality: a bad companion app can ruin a good watch.
• Screen brightness: check that you can read it in the sun.
• GPS: many budget watches rely on your phone's GPS rather than built-in GPS.
• Water resistance: look at the rating before swimming.
• Charger: magnetic chargers are often proprietary, so keep them safe.

When to spend more

If you are serious about sports or need accurate GPS, step up to an Amazfit Cheetah or T-Rex. If you want a full smartwatch ecosystem, look at Galaxy Watch or Apple Watch.