Nokia was once the biggest phone company in the world. How times change. In 2020 though it is seeing a renaissance as a budget- to mid-range Android player, with a few premium handsets thrown in for good measure.
Nokia phones are actually made by fellow Finnish company HMD Global, who licenses the use of the Nokia name. When we first heard about the partnership we were sceptical, but it has proven to be an excellent one - we now find ourselves reviewing several excellent Nokia smartphones every year.
It means there’s a wide choice of Nokia phones for you if you have your heart set on one, but the huge range can be confusing. That’s why we’ve ranked the eight best Nokia phones for most people below.
We’ve fully reviewed each and listed the pros and cons so you can see which has the best features and price for your needs and budget. Plus Nokia phones all have excellent clean Android software and amazingly frequent software updates, so they are a solid choice if you want a phone that lasts a good three years.
You might want to wait and see what Nokia handsets launch at MWC 2020, too.
The Nokia 9 PureView is Nokia's most recent flagship phone, and it comes with cutting-edge features to match. In particular, it comes with one important feature (or five depending on how you count it) in the form of its five-sensor rear camera, which is the most we've seen in a smartphone.
It's not exactly an expensive phone either, compared to some of the flagships you can buy today, so if you want a photographic smartphone powerhouse without taking a chunk out of your bank account, this may be the phone for you.
The Nokia 9 PureView has problems, as most phones do, but it represents the best Nokia has to offer right now.
The Nokia 8.1 was our favorite Nokia phone until the Nokia 9 PureView came along – it's a competent mid-range device offering up a tried-and-tested Snapdragon 710 chipset, functional camera, and adequate battery, all for a relatively low price.
For such a low-priced phone you'll certainly be impressed by its screen, with 2280 x 1080 Full HD+ and an 81% screen-to-body ratio, and an elegant design to match.
It's by no means a powerful smartphone, and it won't rival high-end models in terms of specs of functions, but at its price band it's a tempting device.
Nokia phones are often reliable handsets that lack any defining or distinctive features, and the Nokia 8 is a prime example of this. It looks great, with an impressive display and beautifully designed body, but many of the other features could be defined as 'fine'.
The dual cameras were acceptable in 2017 when the phone was released, and features like the 3.5mm headphone jack and physical front button which used to be commonplace but aren't any more, may appeal to users who like these features.
With the Nokia 8 you're getting a solid handset that won't let you down, but won't be an icebreaker at parties either.
While the Nokia 6.1 doesn't quite have all the bells and whistles of the other Nokia handsets above, it's still a great device – especially given many of the downsides we could attribute to it wouldn’t realistically be expected on a phone of its price.
It's a tough device with a robust design and strong frame – fans of solid and secure phones will love the Nokia 6.1's durability.
It also packs some pretty impressive specs for its low price, with a competent chipset and splendid screen – yet its camera loadout isn't as impressive as it could be.
The Nokia 7.2 is a solid mid-range phone, but it struggles to stand out in the sea of Nokia Android devices. That said, it has smooth performance, a premium design and good quality main cameras.
Unfortunately the wide-angle camera is not up to scratch, which is disappointing when that can be a fun shooter to use. It is also a very slow phone to charge up and isn’t waterproof.
But the Android One version of Android 9 Pie is a godsend, with attractive stock design and a guaranteed two years of OS updates and three years of security updates, which is as good as the Google Pixel line.
The Nokia 7 Plus is exactly what you'd imagine from a Nokia handset, in that it's half the price of a flagship from its era yet it comes packed out with all the features you'd expect.
In particular the handset has an impressive camera loadout for its price, and can last for a long time under heavy use. There are drawbacks to the phone too, but it's still an impressive Android device.
The Nokia 7.1 isn't exactly a miracle of a phone, but with such a low price tag you'll find the device great for everyday use if you don't need the high processing power.
That tall, bright, sharp screen really stands out for us though, and it makes video watching a pleasure – you can easily forget you're not using a modern flagship with it.
And at such a low price point, you definitely won't come away from the Nokia 7.1 feeling like you've got a bad deal – it's a reliable and snappy Nokia smartphone.
You wouldn't guess to look at it that the Nokia 5.1 is another mid-range smartphone – its metal body, classical styling and sleek design make it look like a premium device.
Of course it's what inside that counts too, and the Nokia 5.1 doesn't have the best specs which it's why it's a little lower on our list – but that doesn't mean it's a bad phone, and it'll serve your needs easily.
The Nokia 5.1 also has a great screen, with a Full HD+ display, which is rare in its price category – but it should be this low cost that draws you in in the first place, as few phones that look this good cost so little.
While it's true that LG phones aren't always the most mind-blowing premium handsets, that's not why you buy them. Instead, they're reliable and (usually) affordable smartphones that have some pretty unique features thrown in too.
The company was once a lot more popular, but that doesn’t mean its phones have got worse. If you don’t market your phones, you might not sell many, LG! But if you’re reading this then be assured that there are plenty of decent - and often cut price - LG smartphones.
If you need a pretty 'standard' smartphone for everyday use, then LG phones might be the best bet for you, but some of them also have interesting features.
Thanks to the hand gesture control and vein scanning tech in the LG G8 ThinQ, or the LG V50 ThinQ's dual-screen option and 5G connectivity, LG phones have something for people who want a handset that's a little different.
If you're looking for a new phone and have set your sights on LG, then these are the best phones it sells right now, and we'll run you through what makes them stand out from the crowd.
It’s worth bearing in mind that we expect the LG G9 ThinQ and LG V60 ThinQ to be announced in 2020, so if you want LG’s best for this year then you might want to wait.
The LG G7 ThinQ is the latest in one of LG's two flagship phone lines (the other being the V series). Although it has effectively been succeeded by the LG V40, the G7's lower price and high-end specs help it win out.
The phone packs a powerful Snapdragon 845 chipset, giving it about as much horsepower as you could need. With 6.1 inches of high-resolution OLED display, it's definitely pretty where it counts and gets extra bright, helping visibility in direct sunlight. It's all rounded out by an glass front and back with a notched display; Overall, the design is uninspired, but serviceable.
While LG's AI features are neat in theory, it's really the flexibility offered by the wide-angle camera on the back that helps the device stand out. On the media side, the LG G7 has surprisingly powerful speakers if you like to listen to music or podcasts directly from your smartphone.
The LG V40 ThinQ is to the G7 what the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is to the Galaxy S9: a similar yet bigger and slightly higher-spec sibling. The V40 has a 6.4-inch OLED display that's both sharp and ready to display HDR10 content. On top of that, the phone features a versatile five-camera system with three on the rear and two on the front, even adding in HDR10 video recording.
Unsurprisingly, the LG V40 also runs on a Snapdragon 845 chipset, but comes with 6BG of RAM by default. The notched display is another feature it shares with the LG G7.
Audiophiles can enjoy the 32-Bit Quad DAC built in and the support for DTS:X surround sound. If you're adventurous, the phone's IP68 rating against water and dust along with its MIL-STD-810G shock resistance are reassuring, so you don't have to worry as much about damaging your investment while out and about.
The LG G8 ThinQ was LG's attempt at a 'futuristic' phone – it has Hand ID that scans the veins in your hand to open the phone, and gestures that let you navigate the device just by waving your hand through the air above the phone.
Not all of these work perfectly though, and so the LG G8 ThinQ doesn't exactly fill all its promises.
But the handset still has some great features, like a cutting-edge chipset and a vibrating screen that functions as a speaker, so you can do a lot worse than it.
LG's first 5G phone, the LG V50 ThinQ 5G, is... well... it's the LV V40, but with 5G connection, really. There are a few spec upgrades here and there, and it's got all the dual-screen functionality that the previous phone had, but it's definitely a very similar device.
So why is the LG V50 ThinQ 5G lower on this list than the V40? That's because it's being sold at a much higher price, which makes recommending it a tricky affair. It's even more expensive than certain 5G phones, when it perhaps doesn't justify it.
Saying that, it's still an impressive device in a few ways, especially if you're a fan of the dual-screen set-up, so it'll be a useful device for certain people. And if you're an LG fan who needs 5G connection, it's your only option.
The LG G8X ThinQ Dual Screen (what a mouthful) offers the advantages of a foldable design at a normal smartphone price. But unlike the actual folding displays of the Samsung Galaxy Fold or Motorola Razr, the G8 is a normal smartphone that ships with a clip-on second screen case.
This means it’s best for viewing two apps side by side, or turning the unit landscape to use as a controlpad for mobile gaming.
It’s not a smartphone design that many people are crying out for and it is quite niche, but with a Snapdragon 855 and double the screens, for the price the G8X might be the LG phone for you.
LG's V35 ThinQ may seem like it's on its way out (and it is), but it's not all that old yet. The phone still has 2018's top-of-the-line Snapdragon 845 chipset paired with 6GB of RAM, which has the potential the keep up with the demands of most smartphone users for the next couple years. And, that's perhaps why the LG V35 still costs a bit more than we'd like to see.
Its design is bland, with no all-screen display, notch, or anything like that. But it does have a large, 6-inch OLED display. The phone's rear camera system includes a wide-angle lens on one sensor, and it has 4K HDR video recording capabilities.
While it may not be the most exciting phone, it still has life in its internals, so if you can find a good discount going on, it may be worth your while.
A mid-tier phone doesn't have to be a bad phone, and that's clear with the LG Stylo 4. While we haven't had a chance to review it, it has a lot going for it at its price. The phone packs a large 6.2-inch display with a FHD+ resolution, though it's not an OLED display. Still, the screen works with LG's active stylus, making it something of a budget Galaxy Note.
It comes running Android 8.1 on a Snapdragon 450 chipset with 3GB of RAM, so it should offer decent performance for everything outside of gaming and heavy multi-tasking.
Aside from the stylus and large screen, there's not all the much to truly get excited about. But it beats going with a three-year-old flagship running a three-year-old operating system just to save some money.
Image Credit: LG
The LG Q7+ is an upgraded version of the LG Q7 (itself a minor upgrade from the Q6), and is a decent phone at a good value. The immediate catch is that it's not the best phone for every carrier (though there is a special edition that comes unlocked). That said, if you're on T-Mobile or Metro, it's a great mid-budget option.
The Q7+ offers a 5.5-inch display with a FHD+ resolution. It may not be OLED, but it also doesn't have the thickest bezels you'll find on a cheap phone. But the Q7+ makes up for its so-so looks with its internals.
The phone's Snapdragon 450 chipset inside is paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. It runs Android 8.1 out of the box, so it won't feel overly dated anytime soon (LG hasn't announced when the Q7+ will get the latest, Android 9 Pie). It even gets an aluminum frame and an IP68 rating, so you don't have to worry about a bit of rain killing this phone. If you don't want to spend a lot, this is definitely one to look at.
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If you're after Samsung TV sales, there are two VERY good times to buy a new TV: Black Friday and Super Bowl Sunday. That being said, while there are a number of great Super Bowl TV deals going on for the big game this week, Samsung's newly announced crop of TV sales are arguably the best we’re going to see.
Among the screens slated to get a discount are the entry-level Samsung Q60R QLED TV that starts at just $499 (£599, around AU$740) and the high-end Samsung Q900R 8K QLED TV that’s on sale for $1,300 off its regular price in the US. It’s not uncommon for Samsung to knock $500 off its lowest-end QLED TV - it did something similar for its Q6FN model last year - but that 8K QLED TV usually costs close to $4,000 so getting it on sale for $2,199 is actually a great deal.
If you want these deals, however, you'll have to act fast - Samsung's Super Bowl deals end Sunday, February 2 and once they're gone we likely won't see them again until... well, Black Friday.
Every Samsung TV sale going on now!
If you’re looking for something in between the two marquee models, Samsung is offering discounts on the rest of its QLED TV lineup including the Q70R, Q80R and Q90R, in addition to sales for its lifestyle-focused The Frame TV, and its regular UHD TVs the RU8000, RU7100 and RU6900.
Visit our Samsung TV lineup page to check out the differences between the models or, if you just want to see what's on sale, check out the entire lineup below.
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Motorola phones, alongside Nokia phones, and certain LG phones, are champions of the budget smartphone market. That means if you're looking for a decent handset that won't break the bank, you're in the right place.
Motorola's smartphones run the gamut of lower-end price points, but each has impressive features that may convince you to pick one up. The Moto Z handsets can support additional features - including 5G - with Moto Mods; the Moto G range consists of budget devices with certain impressive specs each; and the Motorola One handsets are wacky and interesting in even more novel ways.
Of course, these phones won't compete with the likes of the iPhone 11 Pro or the Samsung Galaxy S10, but they won't cost you as much either. They're reliable, with impressive specs for their price tag.
The exception, of course, is the officially unveiled Motorola Razr, a throwback to the original's iconic design with a flexible inner screen that technically makes this a foldable. Despite its hefty pricetag - it's fully three times the cost of a Moto Z4 - it isn't the fastest phone; instead, it folds into a footprint half the size of any regular smartphone.
But the Razr isn't on sale - yet. Once it starts rolling out to consumers (and we've had a chance to test it at length), we'll add it to the list. Until then, we're hopeful for this nostalgia-baiting phone that could break the deadlock of smartphone design.
Motorola has a lot of phones, and tends to release a bunch of new ones at the same time, so it can be a little tough getting your head around the products. That's why we've made this list of the best Moto phones to guide your hand.
We also update this list regularly, when Motorola releases a new phone, or when software updates cause the rankings to shift, so keep checking back to see which devices we recommend the most.
The Moto Z4 is a safe move from Motorola - it looks nearly identical to its predecessors, with only minor shifts in size and shape - but that likely arises from the company's decision to keep supporting the Moto Mods, which require phones to keep roughly the same shape.
Thus, the phone doesn't look like it's changed. Look closer and you'll find some improvements, like an expanded 6.4-inch screen to the edges (around a top notch), an in-screen fingerprint scanner, and the return of a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Gone also is the dual 12MP lenses in the rear camera bump; instead, the Moto Z4 follows the midrange (and Google Pixel-like) trend of dropping lenses and using software to make up for it. We found the Moto Z4 took slightly better photos with its lone 48MP rear camera, and similar improvements with its 25MP selfie lens.
The phone is speedy enough, though its performance might drag on over the years: instead of packing an older but still flagship chipset like its predecessor, the Moto Z4 opted for a Snapdragon 675 - a new, but definitively midrange option. This is more speculation - we'll have to see whether this chipset lasts longer than we expect - but the phone's 4GB RAM (only option) isn't promising for longevity either.
Lenovo spent 2019 releasing many Motorola One phones, and the highlight of this series is the Motorola One Zoom.
The Motorola One Zoom has a whopping four rear cameras, which is loads for an affordable handset like this. They include a depth sensor, a telephoto lens, and a wide-angle snapper, as well as the main sensor.
Beyond that, there's a decent battery, and a good-looking screen. However, we found there were some sacrifices to be made to keep the price so low, like middling processing power and a design that leaves a little to be desired.
Motorola is a budget and mid-range champion, and this is pure Moto class, with decent specs and a low price.
Motorola’s One range all run Android One - so are guaranteed security updates monthly for at least two years. This is a great reason to go for the One Macro that sports a camera designed to excel with close-up images.
Unfortunately, as this is a budget phone, the cameras are not as good as we’d hoped and shouldn’t be the phone you buy if you want a premium camera smartphone. But the solid design, decent battery life and clean, up to date Android software mean the One Macro has a lot going for it.
The display is better than the price suggests and performance is surprisingly good, too but there’s no NFC for mobile payments. It’s a fine Moto phone if you’re on a budget, just don’t buy it expecting amazing cameras, despite the marketing.
Considering the price it’s amazing that the G8 Plus fits in small bezels, triple rear cameras, stereo speakers and decent battery life. It looks great too, with an attractively simple version of Android 9 Pie to boot.
The Snapdragon 665 means the phone has decent battery life but we found the performance wasn’t as good as hoped with occasional stuttering. You can forget high-end gaming, too.
Despite this Motorola is promising two years of security updates and a software update to Android 10 making it a good, large-screened Moto option. The triple cameras and great stereo speakers add some excellent upgrades over the G7 range, too.
The Motorola One Action has lots in common with the other Motorola One phones, like its chipset and screen quality, but it has one novel feature that makes it an interesting prospect for phones buyers.
As well as its main and depth sensing cameras on the back of the device, the Motorola One Action has an 'action cam' which is designed for impressive video recording. You can record in landscape while holding the phone in portrait, and the camera is great at picking up video detail: all in all it's a great device for people who take a lot of videos.
On top of that the handset is actually cheaper than lots of other Motorola ones, so you could do a lot worse if you're looking for a device with an intriguing extra feature.
The Moto Z3 is still a solid pick in the Moto line, with a comparable (if not slightly faster) chipset than the Moto Z4. Best of all? It's still the cheapest way to access 5G through the 5G Moto Mod. When this Moto add-on first came out, it made the Moto Z3 the first 5G-capable phone to hit the market in the whole world.
Of course, there are a lot of caveats to that fact – namely, that the mod is only coming to Verizon in the US, and will only work in that carrier's very limited 5G coverage areas – but it's still an impressive claim for a sub-flagship phone.
Yes, the phone doesn't have the beastly specs of top-tier flagships – but at half the price, the Moto Z3 boasts impressive value. It sports a Snapdragon 835, which is respectable if dated, and comes in two average if unimpressive versions: 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, or 6GB of RAM and 128GB of space (expandable via microSD to up to 512GB).
That's enough for streaming multimedia and moderate gaming, which look good on the phone's 6-inch (2160 x 1080) AMOLED display. Combine that with basic dual 12MP rear cameras and an 8MP front-facing selfie shooter and you have a good phone sitting somewhere below the OnePlus 6T and lesser-performing midrange phones. The phone's glass back and side-mounted fingerprint scanner are similarly middle-luxe – a good compromise if you want performance at a lower price.
No, Motorola One Vision is not inspired by the Queen song, but it is one of the royalty of Moto handsets – its clean and clear Android One operating system (OS) cuts away the bloat and excess of normal Android, and the phone itself has an attractive and clean design.
The Motorola One Vision's 21:9 aspect ratio may be questionable to some, however, as the jury's still out on whether this is the future of smartphones or just an annoying gimmick.
If you're on-board with the phone's unwieldy length, and don't mind its weak specs in a certain few areas, the Motorola One Vision sits at a happily affordable price point and does impress in a few major ways.
Why list the Moto G7 here? Sure, it's slightly less powerful than the G7 Plus, but it's also available in more regions (including the US), so we're covering our bases in case you don't want to pay international shipping on your budget-plus phone.
You don't miss much going for the G7, either: its Snapdragon 632 chip is a bit less powerful, sure, and its frame is plastic instead of aluminum. But the rest of its specs are essentially the same, which means you're getting a phone that's nearly as nice at a discount.
That means 4GB of RAM and 64GB of space, a 6.2-inch LCD display and dual 12MP + 5MP rear shooters/an 8MP front-facing camera for a great price. Plus it comes with Android 9 Pie right out of the box.
If you're looking for the ultimate Moto value, think about digging back into the reserves. The Moto Z2 Force came out in mid-2017, but it's still a relative powerhouse – and you can find it for a bit cheaper than the newer Moto Z3.
Despite over a year between releases, the Z2 Force packs the same Snapdragon 835 processor as its successor. Its screen is even higher resolution at 2560 x 1440, though its 5.5 inches are smaller than the Z3's display.
Unfortunately, the Z2 Force shows its age in its chin and top bezels, which are significantly larger than those on phones released today. But if you don't mind not sporting the sleekest phone on the block, the Z2 Force has most of the newest top-tier Moto phone at a lower price.
And it works with Moto Mods -- including, eventually, the Moto Mod 5G, which will expand functionality to the earlier Z2 phones at some point after it's released on April 11.
The Motorola Moto G7 Plus has been superseded by the G8 Plus, but is the top performer of the brand's G7 family, which counts four phones. The G7 Plus is the standout model, though it may not reach your region: Motorola confirmed the device isn't coming to the US.
But if you can pick the phone up, you won't be sorry. For sub-midrange price, you'll get a Snapdragon 636-powered phone with a decent 4GB RAM and 64GB of storage (expandable up to 512GB). The phone even has one up on the more powerful Moto Z3 with its 3.5mm headphone jack.
So why the G7 Plus and not, say, an older (but still hefty) Moto Z2 Play? Simple: Android 9 Pie out of the box. That leads us to recommend the phone even over other more powerful Moto phones (like the Moto Z2 Force, which is nearly identical to the Z3), and the G7 Plus has other benefits of a later release date, like speedier Fast Charging and a higher screen-to-body ratio.
The third phone in the budget Moto G7 line is the G7 Power, which doesn't vary much from the standard G7 – aside from its enormous battery. Yes, for those of you who tire of recharging your phone everyday, here's one with a 5,000mAh battery.
Other phones have reached such heights, but they're either expensive flagships (like the gaming-focused Huawei Mate 20 X) or battery-focused brick-thick novelty items (like the Energizer Power Max P18K). The G7 Power is a much more affordable, sensible and normal-looking phone than others that offer its level of battery capabilities.
Otherwise, the phone is basic but not bottom-tier, with a Snapdragon 632 and either 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage (in the US) or 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage (elsewhere). Its 6.2-inch LCD screen is large but not terribly impressive (1570 x 720px). But in combination with the giant battery and an accessible price of $249 / £179 (around AU$330), the Moto G7 Power is a great bargain.
Fitness trackers and smartwatches may now be household items, but there are very few dedicated swimming trackers on the market. That said, swim tracking is alive and well in wearables in 2020 - you just need to know where to find it.
While there aren’t many trackers that only record swimming sessions, swim tracking is built into activity bands and smartwatches as one of their many features. In fact, that’s the case of all the products on this list.
Every one will record your swim data, but the different designs and prices are down to how much else a product can do and what material it’s made of. While the Moov Now is very cheap it doesn’t even have a screen - but once you add one the price creeps up.
Which swim tracker is best for you depends on your budget and needs. The Apple Watch 5 is our current top pick, but swim tracking is just one of the few things it does incredibly well - hence the price.
If you have an Android phone then anything but the Apple Watch will do for you. Prices in this list range from £50 / $60 / AU$79 all the way up to £450 / $500 / AU$700, so there’s a swim tracker that’s right for everyone.
With each generation, the Apple Watch becomes a more serious fitness device. Along with its updated heart rate skills, the combination of Apple Watch 5 and watchOS 6 has improved swimming smarts.
Built for both pool and open water swimming like the Apple Watch 4, the Watch 5 boasts auto stroke detection, automatic sets and detailed splits that you can filter for 25m, 50m and 100m all in the Workout app.
You can also use third party swim tracking apps if you feel like you're not getting enough from Apple's offering. We like the fact it has a handy little feature to eject water from the speaker, just turn the Digital Crown and it'll deliver a burst of sound.
The addition of an always-on display is also good to see. It’s a great swimming all-rounder, but we think there are better options for more serious swimmers who hit the pool daily.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch is a great all-round fitness tracker and swimming is one of the activities it can track thanks to the fact it's water sealed and has a 5 ATM rating.
You can customize the information within the swim tracking screen, including your target, what data you want to display as you swim, pool length (25m is the default) and guide frequency.
Like a lot of similar smartwatches, it disables touch sensitivity so you need to use the buttons on the side to control it as your swim. And, like the Apple Watch 4, you can press the button to reactivate the touchscreen and a little sound plays to clear out the speaker.
Once you're done swimming the data is fairly detailed, you can see your fastest length, duration, calories, pace, heart rate and more, all assuming you've set the right pool length.
It may not be as advanced as some trackers built solely for swim tracking, but for casual swimmers it's a solid option.
Like many of the other devices on this list, the Moov Now does much more than just keep tabs on your pool workouts.
The small, super lightweight tracker fits into a comfortable soft, silicone strap that you wear on your wrist and uses on-board sensors to track laps, distance, time, speed, swimming style and stroke count.
We really loved that Moov breaks session data down to individual lengths where you can see how many strokes you pulled, how long it took, your turn times, any breaks or pauses you made, and what stroke you were swimming.
With attention to detail like this, the Moov Now comes close to being one of the most capable products on the list; however there are some significant drawbacks.
Firstly, you have to start your session from your phone. In most cases this means doing it in changing rooms where you can leave your smartphone safe and dry back in your locker.
We were often left wondering if it was actually tracking at all, but this aside the results are amazing for the price.
The Fitbit Versa 2 is full of fitness features and allows you to track them in a really intuitive and straightforward way.
Thanks to 5ATM waterproofing, the Versa 2 can track your swimming and displays the lengths and meters swam alongside the time taken.
It accurately tracks your laps in a pool, recognizing in real-time when you’ve reached the other side and kicked off to start your next lap.
What really took us by surprise was that the Versa 2 was able to offer clear and concise on-screen information with its brightly-lit display under the water.
Although the data it collected from our swims wasn't really detailed, it presented more than enough data for casual swimmers and you can dig deeper by opening up the Fitbit app. Just bear in mind there’s no GPS, so you can’t track your route if open-water swimming.
This triathlon watch combines dedicated pool smarts with overall training and performance features that make it the top choice for competitive amateur swim-bike-run athletes.
The watch comes with built-in activity profiles for pool and open water swimming, and you can also create your own workouts, or download sessions via Garmin Connect - plus check out your SWOLF score - AKA your swim efficiency.
In the water, the Forerunner 935 automatically detects stroke type as well as lengths, distance, pace and stroke count. There are also time and distance alerts, a handy countdown start, advanced rest timers and open-water swim metrics.
One thing we really loved, mainly because the other trackers failed to offer it, was the option to input drills manually. This means you can also log all the hard work you do that’s not based on stroke alone, for example kick and single-arm drills.
Once your sessions are done, the Training Status feature helps you spot if you’re undertraining or overdoing it by evaluating your recent exercise history and performance indicators, making this fantastic for monitoring training, performance and recovery.
There’s no heart rate from the wrist in the water but you can pair the Forerunner 935 with a HRM-Tri or HRM-Swim heart rate monitor for added insights.
If you only use swimming as part of a general fitness regime, knocking out a few lengths each visit, then the Fitbit Ionic's simple, easy-to-use interface and length, distance and pace tracking should prove more than sufficient for your tracking needs.
Like many of the all-round fitness trackers there’s no way to input drills – so a length of kick won’t register, for example – and because there’s no automatic stroke detection, changing stroke in the middle of a length can lead to data registering incorrectly.
The swim tracking function is self-explanatory; pick 'exercise' from the apps, swipe to swim (yes, swiping worked surprisingly well in the water) and go.
There’s a settings button where you can easily input the length of the pool for tracking, and the fact that the screen stays off unless you’ve set a cue – showing you distance, laps and time every 100m for example – is beneficial, as a flashing screen entering your eye line when you’re doing your best Phelps impression can prove distracting.
You can also set the tracker to automatically recognize different exercises, including swimming, so if you do forget to press go you’re sorted. The tracking itself, however, is where the Ionic swam into trouble. Despite inputting the pool length as 25m, we got readings of 8 lengths as 100m and 22 lengths as 450m instead of 550m.
Fitbit say that some inaccuracies may come from shorter swims, stopping to rest in the middle of the pool and stopping for more than 60 seconds at the end of a length, so they recommend you should be able to swim between 6-12 lengths without stopping to track your swims – so it’s probably not suitable for those just starting out.
