Top Smartwatches with Call Features: Your Ultimate Guide

A smartwatch offers many functions, but not all allow you to make calls. In this blog, we’ve compiled a list of the best smartwatches with call functionality to help you make the perfect choice.

Top 6 Best Smartwatches with Call Functionality

1. Apple Watch (Series 8)

The Apple Watch has topped smartwatch rankings for years. It’s rarely a wrong choice, no matter what you’re looking for. With the newly released Series 8, featuring exciting new features, it’s an excellent option if you want a smartwatch with call capability.

Calling with Siri

Thanks to Siri, you can use simple voice commands to make calls. This lets you call without scrolling through menus. For example, say “Call Grandma,” and her phone will ring instantly.

With Wi-Fi or 5G

Note that the Apple Watch is available with Wi-Fi (standard) or 5G. If you’re seeking a smartwatch for calling, the 5G version is ideal, allowing you to make calls without your iPhone nearby.

The Apple Watch Series 8 starts at £499 with Wi-Fi and £619 with 5G. It’s the most expensive option on this list but undeniably one of the best.

Other Apple Watch Features

Of course, you can do more than just call with the Apple Watch. It tracks various data about your body, movement, and sleep thanks to numerous sensors.

Pair the 5G capability with the built-in GPS feature (standard), and you have a smartwatch perfect for calling and nearly everything else without your phone.

You can receive and send messages, navigate with Maps, listen to music, and much more. In short: super convenient!

Price: From £499.00 (£619.00 with 5G)

Check out our range of straps for the Apple Watch.

2. Samsung Galaxy Watch 5

The Galaxy Watch is the Android counterpart to the Apple Watch. Essentially, it offers everything the Apple Watch can, including calling via your phone with Bluetooth or independently via a mobile network. Like the Apple Watch, you’ll need the pricier version for mobile data.

Hands-Free Calling with Bixby

You can easily call with the Galaxy Watch 5 using Bixby, Samsung’s virtual assistant. Give voice commands like “Call Ed,” and the watch will dial immediately.

Calling with Bluetooth or Mobile Data

The Galaxy Watch 5 lets you call effortlessly when connected to your phone via Bluetooth. Want to call without your phone? That’s possible with mobile data, though it costs more than the standard version.

For mobile data, you need the LTE version, which adds about £50. Overall, it’s cheaper than the Apple Watch and works better with Android devices.

The LTE version of the Galaxy Watch 5 currently supports only 4G, which is more than sufficient for calling, messaging, and other internet features.

Great Fitness Smartwatch

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 can do much more than call, serving as an excellent fitness watch with sensors to track your movements. The Watch 5 Pro even lets you leave breadcrumbs to find your way back.

The Galaxy Watch 5 is one of the best smartwatches and a great option for calling, with a small premium for 4G connectivity, enabling calls without your phone.

Price: From £299.00 (£349.00 with 4G)

Check out our range of straps for the Galaxy Watch 5.

3. Huawei Watch 3 Pro

The Huawei Watch 3 Pro is Huawei’s most advanced smartwatch with call functionality to date. This watch comes with all possible features, sports sensors, and dual-frequency GPS.

Also with Voice Assistant

Apple has Siri, Samsung has Bixby, and Huawei has its voice assistant. With this, you can give simple voice commands like “Call Robin” to reach your contacts. You can also dial numbers not in your contacts by stating them.

You can also call using ‘MeeTime’, Huawei’s alternative to FaceTime, allowing internet-based calls via Wi-Fi or mobile data. The Watch 3 Pro has no camera, so these calls are audio-only.

Calling via Bluetooth or eSIM

The Watch 3 Pro comes standard with eSIM support, an electronic SIM card. With this eSIM, you can make calls and use mobile data independently of your phone.

You can also call via Bluetooth when your phone is nearby. The standard Watch 3 offers this too. Want a smartwatch for independent calling? Opt for the Watch 3 Pro.

When calling via Bluetooth, you can easily transfer the call from watch to phone with one tap, switching to your smartphone.

Dual-Frequency GPS

A major advantage of the Huawei Watch 3 Pro is its precise GPS. It features L1 and L5 dual-frequency GPS, with GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou, and QZSS support, ensuring you never lose your way, even in remote areas.

Perfect for cycling or running, this accuracy is ideal for tracking routes and speeds, especially in the wilderness. This is a significant upgrade over the Apple Watch, which only supports L1 GPS.

The Huawei Watch 3 Pro earns its spot on this list. With standard eSIM (on the Pro version), you can do almost everything without your phone, including calling and messaging. The price is slightly higher than the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5, its main Android rival.

Price: From £399.00

Check out our range of straps for the Huawei Watch 3/3 Pro.

4. Fitbit Versa 4

The Fitbit Versa 4 is Fitbit’s latest smartwatch, available since 29 September 2022. This budget option is perfect for sports, boasting a 6-day battery life, requiring less charging than the previous three options.

Calling Only with Smartphone

Unfortunately, the Fitbit Versa 4 lacks the ability to call independently without your smartphone nearby, as it has no mobile data option. You must always carry your phone to make calls with this smartwatch.

Thanks to the built-in Google Assistant, you can control the Versa 4 with voice commands, enabling hands-free calling. You can also navigate to the Contacts app via the touchscreen.

Best Budget Sports Watch

What you get instead of mobile data is one of the best sports watches available, especially for the price. The Versa 4 handles nearly everything you can imagine, making it a great tool for avid athletes.

With built-in GPS, you don’t need your phone for running, cycling, or walking. Post-workout, the map shows your pace, distance, heart rate zones, and effort at various points.

Calling via Bluetooth

You can easily connect the Versa 4 to your phone to receive and reply to messages and make calls. Looking for a smartwatch to call without your phone? This budget option isn’t for you.

Don’t mind carrying your phone? The Fitbit Versa 4 is an excellent choice. Fitbit is known for quality and unique designs, and the Versa 4 stands out with its friendly aesthetic.

The Versa 4 is one of the best options if you’re okay with your phone nearby for calling. Want independent calling? You’ll need a smartwatch with mobile data and a higher budget.

Price: From £229.00

Check out our range of straps for the Fitbit Versa 4.

5. Apple Watch SE (2022)

Looking for a budget option that can still call independently? The latest Apple Watch SE, just in stores, offers many Series 8 features at a lower price.

Calling via Mobile Network

This budget Apple Watch option also supports calling via a mobile network, so you don’t need your phone nearby. The SE offers 4G, while the Apple Watch 8 supports 5G.

Via mobile data or Wi-Fi, you can receive and send messages, make calls, and get app notifications. The Apple Watch SE also has built-in GPS for sports.

Budget Apple Watch

There are differences between the Watch SE (2022) and Apple Watch (Series 8). The SE’s design is slightly older, and it lacks some features of the latest model.

The SE lacks an Always-On display, temperature sensor, ECG (heart rhythm), or blood oxygen monitor. It also runs an older watchOS version.

Both the Apple Watch SE and Series 8 last about 18 hours, support contactless payments with Apple Pay, and are suitable for calling.

The Apple Watch SE (2022) is a great choice for a more affordable Apple Watch with calling, sports, and daily use capabilities, matching the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5’s price.

Price: From £299.00 (from £349.00 with mobile data)

Check out our range of Apple Watch straps.

6. Affordable Alternatives

A smartwatch with call functionality isn’t cheap, so here are some affordable alternatives as the final option. Most can’t call independently. Details per model follow.

• Xiaomi Amazfit GTR 3 Pro
  This Xiaomi smartwatch has a call feature but not via mobile data. You’ll need your phone nearby.
  Price: From £145.00

• Huawei Watch Fit 2
  Connect your Watch Fit 2 via Bluetooth to call and receive calls. No mobile data or built-in GPS.
  Price: From £129.99

• Oppo Watch Free
  Oppo, a smaller player, offers the Watch Free as a fitness tracker alternative that can call via Bluetooth.
  Price: From £99.00

Hands-Free Calling in Traffic

A handy aspect of a call feature is using it in the car hands-free. However, this is illegal in the UK! It’s prohibited to call with a smartwatch while driving.

Theoretically, it’s even forbidden to wear a smartwatch while driving. You can’t hold a mobile or electronic device while driving, and a smartwatch is considered a communicative device. Wearing it while driving could result in a fine.

Do You Need a Subscription for a Smartwatch?

If you want to use mobile data, you’ll need a subscription. This typically involves an eSIM, a digital SIM card. Prefer no subscription? You can call via Bluetooth with your phone, requiring no mobile data support, which saves on cost.

Conclusion

There are plenty of options if you’re looking for a smartwatch with call functionality. Usually, you need a pricier version with mobile data for independent calling, like the LTE version of the Samsung Watch. Affordable options exist for Bluetooth-only calling, requiring your smartphone nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you call with a smartwatch without a phone?
A smartwatch with a SIM card can call without your phone nearby. Without this feature, you can often still call via Bluetooth, requiring your phone.

How do I call with my smartwatch?
You can call by navigating to the app or using a voice assistant with a command like “Call someone.” First, pair your smartwatch with your phone or subscribe to a plan for independent calling.

Which smartwatches support contactless payment?
Look for the ‘NFC’ feature (Near Field Communication) on a smartwatch. If present, it likely supports contactless payments at payment terminals.