Smartwatches are “smart” because they share certain features and integration with smartphones, and you often need both together to benefit from how the phone extends to the watch, be it for phone calls, tracking routes, or receiving all notifications. An LTE-enabled smartwatch negates the need to keep your phone nearby at all times, giving the watch its own cellular reception and data to run autonomously while providing those same features.
Not all of the best smartwatches offer this kind of functionality, so it can feel like a special add-on when you have it on you. You have to ensure you get the LTE variant for all the smartwatches in this list because they also come in Wi-Fi/Bluetooth-only models, and that your wireless carrier offers plans for secondary devices. Once you have it all in place, you can stay connected by wearing any of these watches.
You don’t always need your phone with these smartwatches
Google Pixel Watch 3
Two ways to stay connected
It’s easy to like how the Google Pixel Watch 3 looks, especially when it fits in just about anywhere. With LTE on board, you can also appreciate that the smartwatch keeps you connected without staying tethered to your phone.
- Large and sharp AMOLED display
- Fitbit integration
- Two sizes and variants to choose from
- Not as durable as others
- Battery life is so-so
One of the Google’s Pixel Watch 3’s big standouts is that it finally has a bigger size. Joining the 41mm is a 45mm model that may appeal more to those with larger wrists, and in equal measure, offers you the option to go with an LTE variant for extra connectivity.
You pay $100 extra for it, but when available you have the chance to stay in touch without your phone doing all the heavy lifting. That means you can track your location and route data during a run or bike ride, as well as making or taking calls from your wrist. Pair earbuds or headphones, and you can even play music, podcasts, or audiobooks the same way.
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Fitbit integration is a big plus because it establishes a strong foundation for tracking all of your health and fitness metrics. You get more out of it when you subscribe to Fitbit Premium, so keep that in mind when budgeting for this watch. Google’s own apps work fluidly, and Google Pay is quite convenient when you want to pay for something while your phone is somewhere else.
If you’re wondering about how to get LTE working on this watch, check out carrier support to ensure you’ve got it all covered. Just bear in mind that battery life won’t be exceptional, though the 45mm performs better simply because it’s able to fit a bigger battery inside.
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra
A tougher choice
The Galaxy Watch Ultra is Samsung’s toughest smartwatch, clearly made for those who love the outdoors and want extra protection. It also comes with built-in LTE connectivity affording you the opportunity to stay connected wherever you get reception.
- Ruggedized body
- Convenient Quick-access button
- Longer battery life
- Not ideal for smaller wrists
- Not safe for diving
- Expensive
This isn’t the first time Samsung’s attempted a ruggedized smartwatch, but there’s no question the Galaxy Watch Ultra is its toughest to date. Led by a durable titanium chassis and bright 1.5-inch AMOLED display, it’s ready for the outdoors, though it’s oddly not tough enough for watersports — especially diving. It’s water-resistant, but not built to withstand the depths and pressures associated with waterborne activity.
Beyond that, it’s still loaded with all the health, fitness, stress, and sleep tracking you’d expect from a premium wearable, all of which looks good with Wear OS and Samsung’s One UI interface working together. A quick-access button on the side is an easy way to kickstart exercise tracking or perform another function based on the custom options available.
Read our review
Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Ultra is great, but it’s not for everyone
A great watch, but you might prefer the Galaxy Watch 7
This is an expensive watch, so it’s nice to see LTE already built-in, though you have to pay your carrier extra to give it its own connection. If you do, you then have the chance to track location and route data, as well as keep in touch with others when you want to leave your phone behind. That all depends on how remote you want to go, of course, yet there’s no doubt you benefit from leaving your phone behind when you want to lighten the load during any outdoor activity.
This is a big watch, though, so you may not find it as comfortable if you have smaller wrists. On the other hand, its larger size provides longer battery life than other Samsung smartwatches, letting you go for up to two days of mixed usage.
Samsung Galaxy Watch FE
A nice compromise
The Samsung Galaxy Watch FE, or “Fan Edition”, is a way to offer some bigger budget features at a more palatable price. That includes an LTE variant to keep the watch connected without a paired phone coming along.
- Good performance
- An LTE option if you want it
- Nice price point
- Only comes in one size
- Slow charging
The Galaxy Watch FE is the opposite of the Watch Ultra in that it’s meant to be a more budget-friendly way to get into Samsung’s wearable ecosystem.
In many ways, it’s a repackaged Galaxy Watch 4, but is also closer to the Galaxy Watch 7 running on Wear OS 4 and One UI 5. It covers many of the basics, like heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, and stress management, making it more than capable when you just want a watch to handle standard fitness and health tracking.
What’s neat is that Samsung chose to offer an LTE variant of the Watch FE to fall in line with Samsung’s other smartwatches, adding to the convenience in wearing it without your phone. The downside is the Watch FE only comes in one size (40mm), so if you prefer something bigger, you’ll have to look elsewhere.
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The Samsung Galaxy Watch FE is a decent, affordable Wear OS watch — but is that enough?
Wear OS 4 for 200 bucks ain’t bad
You also just have to accept that the watch charges very slowly at a max 5W rate. It takes two hours to fully recharge from empty, so it’s not as convenient as other models. Despite that, you should be able to get through a full day with mixed use. LTE connectivity will be a factor in how well the battery performs, though the always-on display and GPS tend to be the biggest drainers.
For all intents and purposes, though, the Watch FE is a practical choice when the basics are all you need. It offers the same apps and phone integration other Samsung watches do, including those features that exclusively work with Samsung phones.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 7
Samsung’s flagship smartwatch
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 isn’t a dramatic change from its predecessor but it refines a few things to make it a more well-rounded wearable. That naturally includes LTE connectivity if you choose to go that route.
- Beautiful screen
- Comfortable fit
- Improved sensor, GPS accuracy
- No rotating bezel
- Some features exclusive to Samsung phones
Samsung has long offered LTE connectivity on its smartwatches, and the Galaxy Watch 7 is hardly an exception as the latest flagship wearable within the company’s lineup. True, the Galaxy Watch Ultra is more expensive, but that one only comes in a single size and caters more to active users who need something rugged.
The Galaxy Watch 7 lacks the physical rotating bezel of previous Galaxy Watch Classic models (there is a haptic alternative), so you lose out on some of the crisp navigation, yet win on the lightweight and effective performance. Coming in both 40mm and 44mm sizes, bigger and smaller wrists have options. Even better, Samsung rightly improves both the embedded sensors and GPS accuracy to make the device all the more effective.
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The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is still the best ecosystem smartwatch on Android
Iterative? Only compared to the last Galaxy Watch
That builds trust, especially if you opt for the LTE variant and want to rely on the watch’s own connectivity to do what you want. Better GPS tracking means you won’t see wayward location data whenever roaming through dense urban or wooded areas, meaning you get plenty whether you’re a city slicker or outdoorsy type.
On the health side, there’s plenty to track, but if you want an ECG or to detect sleep apnea, you’ll need a Samsung phone to do those things. Blood pressure monitoring still isn’t available in the US, though other markets already offer the feature. Battery life isn’t going to be exceptional with everything going on here, but you should be able to make it through the day in most cases.
Apple Watch Series 10
If watchOS is your preference
The Apple Watch Series 10 is still Apple’s most refined smartwatch, even if it’s not a huge departure from what came before it. New tracking features, including sleep apnea detection and a water depth gauge, make it a noteworthy choice.
- Gorgeous display
- Thinner and lighter
- Plenty of tracking features
- No Android support
- Not a big upgrade over Series 9
The Apple Watch Series 10 has no chance of working with an Android phone, which is either a qualifier or disqualifier depending on what you’re looking to put on your wrist. Still, Apple’s wearables set a tone and bar for what many expect smartwatches to be.
LTE connectivity has been a staple option for the Apple Watch as a variant, allowing users to track and do plenty without carrying their phone around. Decoupling the two devices doesn’t open any doors for Android users, but it clearly does for anyone rocking an iPhone.
The Series 10 doesn’t change a lot from the existing formula, but it’s definitely lighter this time around, still sports a beautiful display, and now has a water depth gauge and water temperature sensor. When asleep, it can even look for signs of atrial fibrillation in case you have sleep apnea.
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Apple offsets the watch’s poor battery life with faster charging, letting you go from zero to 80% in 30 minutes. That’s not too bad if you simply place it on a convenient charger while having a meal or taking a shower. Given how fast it drains when you utilize all the tracking features, you’ll likely come up with a routine or cadence that works for you.
Meanwhile, LTE connectivity adds plenty of convenience, except it comes with compromises on battery life as well. Mixed use tends to stretch things further, which is the same story as the previous Series 9. There’s not enough here to justify an upgrade from its predecessor, but if you’re wearing something older and want to stay within Apple’s garden, this may be worth a look.
Garmin Forerunner 945
For the athletic types
The Garmin Forerunner 945 may not be the newest model on the market but it is somewhat of a Garmin rarity in that it supports LTE connectivity. Heavy on sports and outdoor tracking, the watch is built around athletes who demand more.
- Accurate tracking
- Color screen
- Excellent battery life
- Limited app integration
- No Wear OS
- Expensive
Garmin makes different smartwatches, pretty much all of which deliver plenty for active users and athletes who want the best tracking features during workouts. The Forerunner 945 very much has runners in mind with its array of features and tracking modes designed to stay right on top of every run.
Yes, it’s older now, but still a little more unique because it offers LTE connectivity if you choose to go with that variant, which takes all of the tracking and communication and puts it within the watch at all times. Not only can you see all the steps you take and the route you went on, you can also utilize the onboard maps to set up runs and challenge yourself based on where or how far you want to go.
Since this isn’t a Wear OS watch, you can’t expect a lot of app integration. While notifications will come through, you can’t act on a lot of them directly on the watch. You have the ability to control music, though, which is great so long as you’re a Spotify or Deezer subscriber. That way, you can download albums and playlists for offline playback. Pair the Forerunner 945 with headphones or earbuds, and you cut the phone out of the equation again.
Garmin hasn’t launched an LTE-compatible smartwatch since this one, leaving options limited if you really want to go it alone with an athletic model like this. Battery life is about 36 hours if you leave GPS tracking on the entire time. Leave it off most times, and you’re looking at days before you need to recharge.
You can stay connected purely from your wrist
Giving smartwatches LTE connectivity comes with a cost, but the premise has always been to give them a form of independence by reducing the reliance on a paired phone at all times. Hard to argue with the convenience that can bring when you exercise outside a lot and would rather leave your phone (and its weight) behind.
The Google Pixel Watch 3 is a good example of an “everything” smartwatch in that it doesn’t specialize in one thing. It’s just a smartwatch anyone can use for a variety of reasons. With LTE, those reasons expand because communicating with friends and family is as easy as talking or messaging through your wrist.
However, if you are looking for something more specialized, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is an option as a ruggedized smartwatch that already has LTE built-in and offers a multitude of fitness and health tracking features. It’s not a good choice if you want to use a watch in the water a lot, but apart from its limitations there, it does just fine staying connected on the ground.
The Galaxy Watch FE is the more accessible choice if you don’t need all the bells and whistles. It’s not going to wow you with any particular feature or performance metric, as its job is to deliver a solid experience at a more affordable price.
Google Pixel Watch 3
Keep in touch
Now that it comes in two sizes, the Google Pixel Watch 3 offers a sweet combination of tracking features and independent connectivity when you go with the LTE variant.
