Smartwatches · 2026
Amazfit T-Rex Ultra 2
T-Rex Ultra 2 puts offline maps and route tools into a 51 mm sports-watch body. Its large screen and extended battery modes suit outdoor use; size and thickness matter for all-day comfort.
Technology glossary
Optical heart-rate sensor (PPG)
Photoplethysmography: an optical method that shines light into the skin and calculates blood flow and heart rate from changes in the reflection.
According to Garmin, a wrist sensor shines green light into the skin and a photodiode measures changes in the reflection: when the heart contracts blood density rises and haemoglobin absorbs more green light, and when it relaxes more light is reflected. Apple says the PPG sensor in AirPods Pro 3 pulses infrared light 256 times per second to measure blood flow during workouts.
Motion, sweat, vibration, temperature changes and the device moving away from the skin add noise; makers use filtering algorithms to reduce it. During intense, irregular movement readings can drift from electrical measurement such as a chest strap. Consumer PPG sensors are not medical diagnostic devices.
Devices using this technology
Smartwatches · 2026
HUAWEI WATCH GT 7 46 mm
The WATCH GT 7 is a phone-paired watch for sports and everyday health tracking. Its speaker and microphone support Bluetooth calls. Battery modes matter: 21 days is the light-use maximum, while typical use is rated at 12 days and always-on display at 7 days.
Headphones · 2025
Apple AirPods Pro 3
Apple's 2025 in-ear ANC earbuds. They offer the H2 chip, new foam-infused tips in five sizes, an optical heart-rate sensor for workouts, hearing aid and hearing test features, and up to 8 hours of battery with ANC on. Tests rate the noise cancelling and battery highly; the fit does not suit everyone, some owners report static on flights, and most features need an Apple device.
Smartwatches · 2025
Apple Watch Ultra 3
Apple Watch Ultra 3 is Apple’s rugged smartwatch with a 49 mm titanium case. Its wide-angle OLED, LTPO3 display reaches 3000 nits and refreshes once per second in always-on mode. Alongside 5G RedCap cellular it offers satellite Emergency SOS and messaging, L1/L5 dual-frequency GPS, recreational diving to 40 m and up to 42 hours of normal battery life. An independent battery test matched Apple’s 42-hour figure; owners praise the display and battery, while some still find it large.
Smartwatches · 2025
Garmin Forerunner 970
Garmin's high-end running and triathlon watch. Alongside a 47 mm titanium bezel, sapphire lens and AMOLED display it adds an LED flashlight, speaker and microphone, an ECG app and multi-band GNSS, with up to 15 days in smartwatch mode. Tests praise heart-rate and GPS accuracy; battery drops quickly with the always-on display, and the first months brought reports of crashes and ghost touches.
Smartwatches · 2025
Apple Watch Series 11 (46 mm, GPS)
The Apple Watch Series 11 is Apple’s main smartwatch for 2025; this entry covers the 46 mm aluminium GPS version. It offers an LTPO3 OLED Always-On display reaching 2,000 nits, Ion-X glass with a ceramic coating, the S10 chip and 24-hour battery life. Hypertension notifications and a sleep score join ECG, blood oxygen and wrist temperature measurements. In independent testing the heart rate was very close to a chest strap, but battery life was still found short; owners praise the health tracking, while some say the battery barely lasts a work shift.
Smartwatches · 2025
Google Pixel Watch 4 (41 mm, Wi-Fi)
The Pixel Watch 4 is Google's Wear OS watch with a curved Actua 360 display. The 41 mm Wi-Fi model has a Snapdragon W5 Gen 2, an AMOLED screen up to 3000 nits, dual-frequency GPS and ECG, and its new side dock charges it fully in 45 minutes. Owners describe battery life as one to two days depending on use.