Since the release of the Apple Watch, smart watches with touch screens have exploded in popularity. While the Apple Watch is obviously designed to work with Apple products, the continued development of other smart watches expand their capabilities well beyond a single brand. That is why we have put together a list of the 8 best touch screen watches.
What is touch screen watch
It’s a watch that can wirelessly connect to your smartphone. This allows the touch screen watch to provide you some limited functionality that a smartphone would otherwise provide. Moreover, you can access and control these functions through a convenient screen that responds to your touch much like any other modern smartphone.
While a touch screen watch may not be right for everyone, everyone can still benefit from its convenient functions. For one, touch screen watches can make answering the phone while driving safer without the hassle of a phone holder. A number of touch screen watches can also serve as body monitors for both activity and rest. Finally, touch screen watches can sometimes be used in lieu of smartphones altogether.
What to consider
Arguably the most important consideration when buying a touch screen watch has to be which set of features you require. Someone who wants a touch screen watch for fitness purposes will likely have a very different set of requirements than someone who wants to ditch their smartphone. Other qualities that are more universal include battery life, charging time, and durability.
Best Touch Screen Watches 2019
Model | Key Features | |
---|---|---|
ASUS ZenWatch 2 | AMOLED screen, strong gorilla glass, 4GB, fitness trackers, gesture controls | Check Price |
X-CHENG | OLED screen, fitness trackers, call/sms | Check Price |
Abandship | OLED screen, fitness trackers, call/sms/social media | Check Price |
Juboury | fitness trackers, call/sms notifications | Check Price |
DBFIT | OLED touchscreen, fitness trackers, call/sms/social media, 1 hour to charge | Check Price |
Weefun | 8GB, voice activated recording (148 hrs), 1+ hour to charge | Check Price |
Lintelek | OLED screen, fitness trackers, call/sms updates | Check Price |
PQMALL | 32GB, Nano SIM card or Bluetooth mode, sound recorder, audio player | Check Price |
1. ASUS ZenWatch 2: Best Quality Touch Screen Watch
ASUS is the only brand on our list that is well-known outside of the online environment for its electronics. That said, the brand is far more renowned for its PC and laptop components as well as tablets than it is for its touch screen watches. In that vein, it is understandable that even though this is the second generation of ASUS touch screen watches, it seems the company still has a ways to go compared to their competition.
Beyond the glass itself, the actual screen of the ASUS is also of a superior quality than any other touch screen watch that we reviewed. Whereas most touch screen watches we saw use either LCD, LED, or OLED screens, ASUS was the only brand to once again go a step further and provide an AMOLED screen. The primary difference is that this type of display produces far richer colors, better contrast, and provides much faster refresh rates.
Still, being a large company with an already established brand name that sells in brick-and-mortar stores, one of the biggest downsides of the ZenWatch2 is the price. At over $100, this touch screen watch is more than double the cost of any other product we reviewed. While the durability and screen quality help justify that cost somewhat, another issue makes the price a bit more difficult to swallow: compatibility. Quite simply, this touch screen watch provides some of the fewest number of features that we encountered.
- Made from strong gorilla glass
- Uses an AMOLED display
- Provides a decent size screen
- Comes in 8 different styles and 2 sizes
- Is IP67 waterproof
- Can change face style
- Charges exceptionally fast
- Features a great processor
- Includes 4GB storage
- Can connect via WiFi
- Has gesture controls
- Offers remote camera shooting
- Battery is not the best
- Not as good for iPhones
- Limited app extensions
2. X-CHENG: Best iPhone Touch Screen Watch
When it comes to touch screen watch manufacturers that seek to undercut the big players in the market, most of them generally fall into one of two camps: either they only make touch screen watches and accessories for their products or they make a wide variety of products that do not have any real focus. The one thing both groups have in common is that they are generally exclusively online sellers. X-CHENG falls into the latter category, which means their lack of specialization will show itself in their features.
That said, X-CHENG is not trying to be like many of the other touch screen watches that we reviewed. Rather than being all things to all people, X-CHENG instead decided to focus on a specific niche market: fitness enthusiasts. For those people looking to find the convenience of a touch screen watch that can also capably serve as a replacement for the expensive Fitbit device, the X-CHENG is an excellent option.
Beyond the basic fitness monitors, this touch screen watch will also keep track of your sedentary habits as well as your sleep cycles, so you can get better sleep and be aware of when your energy levels drop. The X-CHENG also comes with 4 different sports modes that are each specialized for different types of workouts. Whether you are working on cardio, strength training, calisthenics, or core building, the X-CHENG can alter its sports mode to keep track of the data important to your workout.
- Connects the best with iPhones
- Provides a great sports mode
- Is IP67 waterproof
- Provides call and text updates
- Offers remote camera shooting
- Has an OLED screen
- Sleep and sedentary monitoring
- Provides multiple wristbands
- Display is rectangular
- Charge cable is finicky
- Has a short battery life
3. Abandship: Most Compatible Touch Screen Watch
Abandship is a truly unique company, and we suggest that you make sure you are in a comfortable, private location if you look up the company yourself. That is because not only does this brand of touch screen watches not actually specialize in this market, they actually do not have a specialization at all. While that normally is not too much cause for concern, this brand in particular definitely sells more not safe for work products than it does anything else. As such, you may not want a co-worker or neighbor to see what pops up on the screen if you search for this company.
This compatibility continues with its 3rd party app integrations as well. Like most touch screen watches, the Abandship will provide notifications of text messages and phone calls. A number of the other touch screen watches that we saw will also provide alerts for various social media websites and apps. However, the Abandship goes a bit above and beyond when it comes to social media app integration as it will provide notifications for apps that are fairly regional in terms of their user base – including those that are popular primarily in China.
That said, not all is good when it comes to the Abandship and apps. Specifically, the Abandship app required to get the most out of the touch screen watch and effectively use all of the watch’s functions is a bit dubious. While the app itself does not contain malware like some of the other apps for touch screen watches that we reviewed, it will force the watch to accept advertisements. While this may not be much of an issue, it can be an annoyance when you are trying to navigate the watch’s touch screen.
This is a problem for a couple reasons. First, while it is not the smallest on our list, the screen of the Abandship is a bit on the smaller side. A big part of this has to do with the screen’s rectangular shape, though that is normal for fitness-focused touch screen watches. Still, when the size and shape of the watch’s touch screen already leave it with a slightly reduced display, advertisements occupying any of the screen’s space ultimately reduce the applicable screen size even further.
Another issue with the advertisements is that it can make a touch screen watch which is already somewhat difficult to use and navigate even more frustrating. Granted, once you figure out how everything works and how to navigate the menus, this will not actually cause any real problems. That said, the instructions for this watch are definitely subpar and not written by native English speakers. As such, you are pretty much tossed into the water and expected to figure out how to swim on your own.
- Provides call, text, social media notifications
- Numerous fitness trackers
- Sedentary and sleep tracking
- Is IP67 waterproof
- Offers remote camera shooting
- Has OLED screen
- Robust app compatibility
- Uses Bluetooth 4.0
- Screen is a bit small
- App adds ads
- Not easy to use
4. Juboury: Best Fitness Touch Screen Watch
Like a large number of the other brands that we reviewed, Juboury does not necessarily specialize in touch screen watches in particular or electronics more broadly. While this might sometimes indicate a brand that simply goes through the motions, that is not the case with Juboury for one major reason. While the company may not focus on touch screen watches or electronics, it does sell products that are primarily intended to be used either as accessories to smart devices or for traveling purposes.
That said, this feature definitely comes with a pretty big caveat: the app. The app that this touch screen watch uses to monitor all of the different fitness trackers is dubious at best and malicious at worst. By that, we mean that the app is actually flagged in the Apple Store as being potentially dangerous. While the app will not damage the touch screen watch itself, nor will it pose any physical harm to your smart devices, its programming leaves a backdoor open for people to use your Bluetooth connection to gain access to your devices. While this does not seem to be an intentional decision, it does still cause a bit of concern regardless.
That said, if you use this touch screen watch as it was intended – as an outdoor fitness watch – then you should not really have to worry about that. Those issues are generally reserved for densely populated metropolitan regions – not running trails or natural settings. Beyond the backdoor risk, the app provides some of the clearest and most accurate information that we found in a fitness tracker.
Specifically, fitness trackers on touch screen watches are rather notorious for being fairly hit-or-miss. Even Fitbits and other well-known brands are only okay when it comes to tracking the actual fitness information. While the Juboury does not necessarily exceed the best brands in this category, it definitely keeps pace with them and is far better at keeping accurate records of your fitness information than any of the other products that we reviewed. On top of its accuracy, the Juboury will also save the information to be uploaded to a different device later so you can keep track of your fitness over a longer period of time.
- Provides call and text notifications
- Numerous fitness trackers
- Sedentary and sleep tracking
- Offers remote camera shooting
- Uses Bluetooth 4.0
- Device tracking features
- Provides remote music controls
- Comes in 6 different styles
- Connectivity is spotty
- Screen is a bit small
- App has malware
5. DBFIT: Multi-Language Touch Screen Watch
If ever there was a company with a specialization and singular focus, DBFIT is it. In fact, this watch is literally the only product that DBFIT makes or sells. This has the advantage of the brand being able to focus all of its efforts exclusively on this product and this product alone without having to worry about dividing its attention among a wide range of products or markets. Of course, the downside to this kind of focus is that even though this is an exclusively online company, they are not able to sell their product at the rock-bottom prices you would expect from that corporate structure. Still, it is only modestly more expensive than the average cost of the touch screen watches that we reviewed.
While many touch screen watches that we reviewed offer a few additional languages, this watch is by far the most impressive in this respect as it can display up to 7 different languages ranging from Europe to America to Asia. While there is a good chance you may not be able to understand all of those languages, it does definitely offer an advantage if you need assistance from locals in any of these countries as they will be able to guide you.
That said there are still plenty of features outside of its use in an international situation that will come in handy. If you are a fitness buff, this watch can provide a number of features that will help you keep track of your fitness goals. For instance, the DBFIT comes 6 different training modes. These include the most common types of training modes like walking, running, and cycling, but it also expands beyond those basic ones to encompass training modes that are a bit more niche. For instance, this was the only touch screen watch that we encountered that has a basketball mode. Similarly, this touch screen watch includes a climbing mode, though that is simply rare and not altogether unique.
Still, this touch screen watch is not without its flaws. Like most touch screen watches positioned as a fitness watch, the screen is a bit small. This is in part due to the fact that the screen is rectangular in shape, but it is also just a bit smaller than some of the other touch screen watches we reviewed anyway. On top of the screen size, this watch also has one of the smaller battery capacities and will need to be charged more often than some of the other watches – thankfully it only takes an hour to charge it.
- Provides call, text, and social media notifications
- Numerous fitness trackers
- Sedentary and sleep tracking
- Is IP67 waterproof
- Offers remote camera shooting
- Uses Bluetooth 4.0
- Only 1 hour to charge
- Displays in 7 different languages
- Screen is a bit small
- Low battery capacity
6. Weefun: Best Audio Touch Screen Watch
Weefun does not focus exclusively on touch screen watches, and it shows. This is not to suggest that it is a poor product, but it is definitely far more specialized in its scope and target audience than most of the other touch screen watches that we reviewed. Generally, if a touch screen watch has a focus, it is on fitness but will still often provide a number of features found on their competitors’ products.
The Weefun, on the other hand, has an almost laser-sharp focus on audio functions to the veritable exclusion of everything else. This presents the Weefun as more of a niche touch screen watch but an invaluable if you find yourself in that niche. In fact, this touch screen watch is by far the most impressive when it comes to its audio qualities – whether you are using it for playback functions or to record audio. Though, it offers far fewer features outside of the audio realm regardless the comparison.
It is the latter of these two that the Weefun does better than pretty much any other touch screen phone we saw – and even better than many devices explicitly dedicated for that purpose. While not necessarily the most cutting edge, the Weefun’s use of 4.1 CSR Bluetooth technology definitely places it a step above most of the other products we reviewed, and this translates to excellent recording quality.
- Less than 5 percent total harmonic distortion
- Can record up to 50’ away
- Voice activated recording
- Provides 8GB of memory
- Quick 1+ hour charge time
- Provides a large screen
- Better speaker than most
- Decent battery life
- Poor user interface
- Watch band is not durable
- Does not provide many additional functions
- Touch screen is incredibly sensitive
7. Lintelek: Best Budget Touch Screen Watch
Lintelek is another brand that comes with a familiar business model: limited product lineups and an exclusively online outlet. That being said, this is also one of the few companies following this model that will also sell directly to the customer from their own website – though it is often less expensive to order from Amazon. Regardless, this is by far the least expensive touch screen watch that we reviewed.
That said, you are definitely giving up a bit of functionality for that modest reduction in price. While this touch screen watch will provide alerts for phone calls and texts, it does not offer you the option to actually answer the call or send a text. In fairness, this is likely due in a large part because of the touch screen watch’s design. This is another product that models itself more similarly to a FitBit in shape an profile than it does an actual watch.
For fitness enthusiasts, the Lintelek provides a solid FitBit alternative at a fraction of the cost. This touch screen watch will track your total mileage, calories burned, and steps taken. Oddly, this is one of the few fitness-centric touch screen watches that does not even attempt to track your heart rate. Still, it also provides a sedentary habit tracker and will even remind you when you need to get up and move around to help maintain your health.
- Provides a great sports mode
- Smaller and lighter than most
- Provides call and text updates
- Provides solid battery life
- Offers remote camera shooting
- Sleep and sedentary monitoring
- Is IP67 waterproof
- Display is rectangular
- One of the smaller screens
- Strap is not that durable
- Does not actually track heart rate
8. PQMALL: Touch Screen Watch with GSM Nano SIM Card
PQMALL makes and manufactures two types of products: touch screen watches and earbuds. This focus provides them a solid ability to put everything they have into their products and achieve satisfactory results.
Another advantage of the PQMALL is its ability to connect with the FunRun app. Designed for fitness enthusiasts, the FunRun app provides one of the more robust third-party options for keeping track of a litany of different exercise data. Beyond providing a pedometer, mileage recorder, and calorie burner, this app also provides a location function that can help you find the watch or your connected smartphone.
That said, this touch screen watch is not for everyone. First, if you intend to use this touch screen watch as a replacement for your smartphone, your service providers are limited to T-Mobile. Beyond that, the compatible GSM Nano SIM cards that will work with the PQMALL are also limited, though there are four that you can buy. Finally, due to the rounded shape of the face, the PQMALL also provides one of the smaller screens compared to the other touch screen watches on our list.
- Excellent Android compatibility
- Can accept GSM Nano SIM card
- Provides call and text updates
- Can answer calls and send texts
- Can accept 32GB TF memory card
- Can record and play audio
- Solid FunRun App
- Offers remote camera shooting
- Sleep and sedentary monitoring
- Not as good for iPhones
- Screen is smaller than most
- Phone service providers are limited
- Is not easy to use