Looking for the best smartwatch for podcasts? While running, cycling, biking, or playing any sports game you desire a watch to stream music through Spotify or any other.
A smartwatch is the new future of the modern world. Smartwatches can literally replace the basic use of mobile phones in the coming years. If you also want to step into this amazing new technology, then this is the correct place for you. In podcasts a smartwatch can be very helpful, you can control your camera equipment with it and you are also in a constant connection with your crew members. A good sports smartwatch is an essential part of the running activity to track health matrices too.
These can also show push notifications from apps on the phone so that you don’t need to pick up the phone and check what’s going on in your social media accounts.
Most importantly these smartwatches have a lot of sensors such as accelerometers, gyrometers, heart rate monitors etc which makes these watches a perfect choice for podcasting activities such as swimming, weightlifting etc. These sensors are used to record motion data and send it back via Bluetooth to your smartphone or PC where you can analyze that data later on.
10 Best Smartwatches for Podcasts
In this article, we will guide you through some amazing tips and necessities that you should keep in mind while buying a smartwatch for Spotify and playing podcasts. You can also have a look at our list of different smartwatches that we have compiled together after hours of research.
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Why Do You Need a Smartwatch for Podcasts?
Podcasts are a great way to pass time, especially when you’re doing some boring activity like commuting or doing dishes. You can subscribe to your favorite podcasts on your phone and listen to them whenever and wherever you want.
If you’re an Android user, there are plenty of apps out there that let you download and listen to podcasts. But if you have a smartwatch, you don’t need to look any further than Wear OS’s built-in Google Podcasts app. It’s pretty bare-bones, but it has all the features you need for listening on the go.
1. Install the Google Podcasts app
The first thing you’ll need to do is make sure that your smartwatch has the Google Podcasts app installed. If you already have an Android phone paired with it, chances are the app is already installed, but if not, head into Play Store on your watch and download it from there.
2. Subscribe to podcasts through Google Play Music
While Wear OS doesn’t have its own podcast subscription section, it does have a hidden trick for subscribing to your favorite shows through Google Play Music. If you haven’t used Play Music before, open up the app on your phone and find any podcast that’s available on the platform.
What to Consider while Buying a Watch for Podcasts? Buyer's Guide
A buyer’s guide is an essential part of any review article. It helps the users to know about all the necessary information that is required to buy a perfect product for themselves. Most of the people don’t know what they should consider while buying a smartwatch for podcasts or streaming music. Below I will mention all the necessary things that you must consider before buying a new smartwatch for yourself.
Operating system
Make sure that you buy that smartwatch that is compatible with your smartphone. Most of the smartwatches come with an operating system that only works with some specific phones. Apple smartwatches only work with iPhones and on the other hand, smartwatches with the google wear operating system works with devices from LG, Huawei, Fossil, and some other devices.
Display
The next thing to consider is the display of the watch you are buying. There are two types of displays, LCD and OLED displays. Comparatively, an OLED display is a better option because it can produce deep blacks and vibrant colors. Some other things that you should look into are what is the PPI of the display and also what is the resolution of the provided display.
Another thing to consider is that some smartwatches come with a touchless screen, so keep in mind to not buy a smartwatch with a touchless screen. A smartwatch Touchscreen is a better option and it also has more features comparatively.
Design
Smartwatches come in different shapes and sizes. So you can buy them according to your preference. You will also find smartwatches made from different materials like titanium, plastic, aluminum, etc. The same is the case with the provided straps, you can buy these straps made from different materials and also colors.
Fitness features
Most of the smartwatches available in the market come with all those features that a fitness tracker has. GPS, Pedometer, gyro, and many more sensors. Every available smartwatch also has built-in health-related apps that can judge and record your daily activities. So always consider a smartwatch that has all these fitness features.
See the best smartwatches for AFIB to track irregular heart rhythms to overcome the danger of heart attack.
Battery timing
Considering a smartwatch with longer battery life is pretty beneficial. Also, consider the charging time of the watch you are buying.
Now moving towards the list of watches that we have compiled together after hours of research.k
1. New Apple Watch Series 6: All in One
Apple series 6 watch was released on 15th September 2020. It is the latest and the most expensive watch from the apple series. It has a full HD supported display panel with an always-on feature enabled. The sizes available in this watch are 40 mm and 44 mm. You can also select the color of your choice from the available colors. This watch comes in red, blue, gold, silver, and space gray color.
The operating system installed in this smartwatch is very responsive and comes with all the latest features. unfortunately, this smartwatch is only compatible with iPhones. Connectivity options in this smartwatch are 5GHz WIFI and Bluetooth. Apple watches are best known for podcasts; the Apple series 6 smartwatch can easily be considered for podcasts because it is the most latest apple addition. Series 6 watch is also a smartwatch with music storage and Spotify, you can listen to this while running.
This watch also comes with some amazing sensors like an oximeter, ECG, heart rate monitor, and fall detection monitor. On the other hand, bands or straps on this watch are also customizable. You can select a variety of colors and also a lot of different designs, from which you can select.
As far as the weight of this device is concerned it only weighs 1.29 ounces and the dimensions of this device are 11.65 x 2.99 x 1.42 inches. Another amazing thing about this watch is that it comes with a single cell lithium polymer battery that can last up to 18 hours.
1. Apple Watch Series 5 for Playing Podcasts
The Apple series 5 watch is a pretty popular option in the audience. This watch is usually liked by those people who are brand conscious. The physical dimensions of this watch are 44 mm x 40 mm. This watch also comes with an edge to edge display. It has a digital crown on the side that works as a scroll wheel.
You will also come across a home button on the bottom side of this watch. As far as the body of series 5 is concerned it is available in both steel and aluminum models. Another highlight of this watch is always-on-display. The processor installed in this watch is called S5.
It is a more power-efficient processor as compared to the last-gen processor. On the performance side, one should not expect a lot of speed from this processor. Apple claims an 18 to 20 hours of battery life, with medium use of GPS and some other features of this watch.
Series 5 comes with an altimeter and a compass, this is the first time apple implemented this combination. With the help of the altimeter, Series 5 watches can easily tell you how above or below the sea level you are. Apple Watch has its own health and activity apps which can help you in your exercise. The Apple Series 5 smartwatch can easily be categorized as some of the prominent watches for podcasts. Series 5 watch is also a smartwatch with music storage, you can listen to this while running, hiking, rowing, workout and playing other games.
These apps will read your daily activities and will show you an average. The installed health app in this watch can help you count calories that you burn on a daily basis, and will also count the calories that you consume. This health app can also keep track of your heart rate and also all the workouts that you have been performing, it can easily be programmed for cycling, HIIT, and even marathon training. Spotify for music is also available on this watch. The GPS in this watch will keep a record of all the routes and tracks.
3. Garmin Forerunner 945: Excellent Music Watch
Garmin forerunner 945 is a GPS training watch. The body of this watch is only 50 grams because this watch is made from plastic alloy. The thickness of this watch is 13.7 mm which makes it look very stylish and modern. The display of 945 is 1.2 inches with a resolution of 240×240, this watch has navigation buttons to navigate.
Unfortunately, this device does not come with a touchscreen. On the rare side of this watch, there is a heart rate sensor and a new pulse oximeter. Smartwatch has also Spotify to broadcast music. And that’s what make this rugged smartwatch a strong candidate for podcasts. 945 also comes with a powerful and long-lasting battery that can easily last more than 1 day of usage with heavy usage.
Let us now consider some of its features that are helpful in the training. 945 uses GPS and satellites to track all the routes that you use to run on and then it will calculate the distance traveled and the calories burnt.
This watch also uses a barometric altimeter that helps it track your activities accurately and precisely, especially when you are traveling through terrains in mountains. This watch also utilizes a Pulse Ox sensor to calculate the oxygen level in your blood. 945 can also be linked to ANT+ and Bluetooth devices. Another amazing feature this watch has is an altitude acclimation meter and heat measurer. This watch can also be considered as one the best running watch with music support. These sensors activate when altitude exceeds 800m and temperature spikes to 22 degrees Celsius.
4. Samsung Galaxy Watch 3: Great Sports Watch with Spotify
Samsung galaxy watch 3 was released on 6th August 2020. Smartwatch is a great option for google android wearers for podcasts Active 3 is a 41 mm watch with 1.4 inches of an AMOLED display panel and a resolution of 360×360. The AMOLED panel of Active 3 is vibrant and bright. The chipset installed in this watch is Exynos 9110 which is a powerhouse of performance. Active 2 also comes with 1 GB of ram and 8 GB of storage. Sensors available in Active 3 are a heart rate sensor, accelerometer, GPS, gyro, LTE, and a barometer. This watch comes with a body made from brushed aluminum. Some models of watch 3 also come with a stainless steel body.
Due to its specifications, the smartwatch is good at providing health investigation matrices. Due to its ECG sensor, the smartwatch is one of the rarest wears that can track AFIB means the danger of stroke. Also, it is compatible with the Dexcom app and can provide real-time CGM data to track sugar level in blood.
The speaker and microphone quality is the best that one can find in a smartwatch. Straps are quite nice and comfortable, removing them is also easy and one can find a lot of alternatives for it on the market. Active 3 comes with a 247 MAH battery which can last up to two days if you are a heavy user.
The operating system in Active 2 is Tizen OS 5.5. This galaxy watch comes in different colors silver + black, silver, silver + cloud blue, silver + red, and silver + white. Samsung watches can easily be considered as some of the best running watches with the support of music, as most of them come with a lot of music storage. As far as the dimensions of this device are concerned it is 11.3 x 2.6 x 1.3 inches and weighs only 7.2 ounces.
5. Fossil Gen 5: Great Activity Tracker
Another widely liked smartwatch and fitness tracker with 8GB of internal storage efficient for streaming music and podcasts.
Fossil gen 5 is packed with a vibrant 1.3 inch AMOLED display panel. The case size of this watch is 44mm. The light and slim design of this watch makes it a comfortable and stylish watch. It won’t make you feel uncomfortable even if you are wearing it for many hours. Snapdragon wears 3100, a powerful chipset and 1 GB of ram give you a smooth and lag-free experience.
It also comes with 8GB of internal storage. While running and listening to music is a pleasant feeling, so for that purpose Fossil included Spotify in this watch. The operating system, Wear OS of this watch is user-friendly and can easily be understood by a rookie who doesn’t know much about technology.
Smartwatch is a great option for podcasts. Fossil gen 5 comes with some amazing collection of sensors, this watch has a heart rate sensor, a GPS, a gyro, an NFC, a pedometer, and a proximity sensor.
Fossil gen 5 is also a water-resistant watch therefore using it while you are swimming or running in the rain will not damage it. Excellent battery life is a must for a daily runner, you will not regret buying this watch as far as battery life is concerned. 100% of charge can easily give you up to 30 to 36 hours of battery life with medium use of GPS and other features.
The music storage is another plus point of this smartwatch. A variety of color options are available. This watch also has some fitness apps that can count your calories and a lot of other stuff. The dimensions of this watch are 5 x 5 x 0.7 inches and it only weighs 3.49 ounces.
6. Garmin Venu: Podcasting Watch
This smartwatch comes with a case size of 43 mm and it can fit any wrist with a circumference of 125 to 190 mm. The display panel installed in this watch is AMOLED which has vibrant colors and deep blacks. This smartwatch from Garmin is a good choice for podcasts. Though the spec sheet available on different websites do not specify what type of processor is installed on this watch but customer reviews suggest that their experience with this watch was buttery smooth.
Garmin Venu has a stylish design and it looks pretty good when you are wearing it. This smartwatch also compatible with Spotify. You also get a lot of apps with this device, this watch comes with around 20 apps just to calculate your daily activity. All basic sensors that a watch should have been included in this device.
On the other hand, this watch is compatible with both Android phones and also iPhones. The color options available in this smartwatch are black, gold + black, rose gold, silver + gray, gold + blue, slate + green, white, and Orchid purple. This smartwatch comes with a single cell lithium polymer battery that can last up to five days. With this watch, you will be able to listen to music while running, as it supports music storage. On the other hand this device weighs only 7.2 ounces and the dimensions of this device are 1.7 x 1.7 x 0.49 inches. The connectivity options on this smartwatch are Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
7. Garmin Forerunner 645 Music: Run with Music
Next on our list is again a product from Garmin, forerunner 645 Music. This device was launched on 8th January 2018. 645 comes with a MIP display which has some amazing viewing angles. This display also has an anti-reflective coating on it which makes this display visible in daylight. 64 also has a powerful processor installed in it which helps it run all applications without any lag. This device can store up to 500 songs in it or you can use Spotify for music. As the name suggests it has many music-centric moods.
This smartwatch is also a fitness tracker so that’s why it has many apps for tracking your training and daily activities. This smartwatch is compatible with both Android and iPhones. By installing the designed app for this device you can easily get your notifications on this watch. Like all other watches this watch also supports music storage, so listening to music while running is a plus point of this watch. The connectivity options on this device are GPS, WI-FI, and Bluetooth.
On the other hand, it has a single cell CR2 battery which can last up to 7 days. 645 is available in many colors like black, sandstone, cerise, rose gold, and slate. As far as the weight of this device is concerned it only weighs 1.44 ounces and the dimensions of this device are 1.70 x 0.50 x 1.70 inches. This smartwatch works perfectly fine for new music and playing podcasts This product also has some attachments available like an HRM runner band, heart rate monitor band, and a running dynamic pod.
8. Garmin vívoactive 3 Music
Next is again from Garmin. Garmin Vivo-active 3 Music was launched on 18th June 2018. Active 3 comes with a bright and vibrant display that has some deep and saturated colors. This device also has all the necessary sensors that a smartwatch should have. Active 3 can fit in any wrist with a circumference of 5 to 8 inches. Another amazing thing about this product is that it can store up to 500 songs and then you can play them on your earbuds via Bluetooth. Therefore you can pick it for listening new songs and playing podcasts.
This Garmin Music smartwatch is compatible with Spotify play your favorite songs. This watch also comes with more than 15 preloaded fitness apps, these apps can track and record your daily activities.
This watch is compatible with both Android phones and also iPhones. The design of this watch is elegant and sleek, it looks pretty amazing when you wear it on your wrist. Active 3 can also be used as a podcast watch. The color options available in this watch are black + silver, black, white + rose gold and granite blue.
This watch is made of stainless steel. This watch also comes with a single cell battery that can last up to 7 days. The connectivity options on this device are Bluetooth, GPS, and WI-FI. On the other hand, this watch only weighs 1.44 ounces and the dimensions of this watch are 1.7 x 0.54 x 1.7 inches.
9. Fitbit Versa 3 Health & Fitness Smartwatch
Fitbit versa 3 is a prominent and popular training watch among marathon runners. It comes in an elegant and stylish design. Unfortunately, it looks exactly like life versa 2 but you have to keep in mind that this watch comes with some new and improved features. Smartwatch is widely used in playing podcasts
Versa 3 comes with an AMOLED screen with a resolution of 336 x 336 pixels. The display has vibrant colors and good viewing angles. As this watch has an AMOLED screen it also helps in better battery life if you disable the always-on feature of this watch. The screen of this watch is also protected by corning gorilla glass 3 which protects it from scratches.
The body of this watch is made from brushed aluminum which gives it a shiny and stylish look. This watch is also sweat and splash-proof. Versa 3 is water-resistant up to 50 meters underwater, so using it while swimming will not do any damage to this watch. Moving towards the sensor scenario of this watch, it comes with the following sensors: a 3-axis accelerometer, GPS, altimeter, gyro, multi-patch optical heart rate sensor, proximity sensor, and a vibration motor. As far as the battery life of this watch is concerned it can easily last up to 100 hours on moderate usage.
Like all other watches mentioned in our list this smartwatch also supports music storage and used to play podcasts. So listening to the music while running, is also available in this watch with the support of Spotify. The health app installed on this watch can help you record your activities and plan your workouts. At the time of workout, it will measure breathing level, blood oxygen level, and will also count your steps.
Towards the end of the day, this watch will show you an in-depth analysis of your body with the help of which you can improve yourself. This watch also comes with SpO2 measurements which will collect data about your body while you are sleeping.
10. Fitbit Versa 2
Next on our list is a smartwatch from Fitbit. Versa 2 was launched in the budget category of smartwatches and to be honest it provides more than it costs. This watch comes with an amazing display which can produce some amazing images and it is bright enough to be used in bright sunlight. Like all the other smartwatches versa 2 also comes with all the essential sensors. This watch has a temperature sensor, a sleep monitor, pedometer, GPS, and heart rate sensor.
Fortunately, you can connect this device with both Android phones and iPhones. To receive notifications on your watch you just need to install the official Fitbit app on your mobile phone. This watch also has enough storage to accommodate 300 plus songs, so that later on you can listen to them while working out.
The straps on this device are also customizable so you can get them in any color and design of your choice. One can also consider this watch as one of the best running watches with Spotify enabled. Like every other watch, this watch also supports music storage. Versa 2 also supports Alexa. The colors available in this device are black + carbon, Bordeaux + copper rose, navy + pink, petal + copper rose, smoke woven + mist gray, and stone + mist gray.
Another amazing thing about this watch is that it only weighs 0.16 ouches and the dimensions of this device are 1.56 x 1.56 x 0.47 inches. Most of the YouTubers use this smartwatch for podcasts. Versa 2 also comes with a single cell lithium polymer battery that can give you a run time of about 4 days.
Best Podcasts Listening Apps for IOS and Android Watches
If you used to listen to podcasts on your iPhone then you should go for the Apple podcast apps.
Among the Podcasts apps for a smartwatch, some works only for IOS, while some works only for Android, and beware some of them are for both operating systems.
| Cross-Platform | IOS | Android |
|---|---|---|
|
Spotify |
Apple Podcasts |
Google Podcasts |
|
RadioPublic |
Castro 3 |
Podcast Republic |
|
Player FM |
ListenApp |
Podkicker |
|
Pocket Casts |
Downcast |
Podcast Addict |
|
Podbean |
PodCruncher |
BeyondPod |
|
Stitcher |
iCatcher |
Doggcatcher |
|
TuneIn Radio |
Overcast |
AntennaPod |
Frequently Asked Questions
Most frequent questions and answers
Which of them will work with iPhones?
It’s obvious the Apple watches are born to iPhones. In other watches, some are compatible to both iPhones and android phone and some are only for android phones.
Can we customize wristbands?
Yes, you can select from a variety of options. Each watch offers a variety of wristbands and color options along with different watch sizes and faces. Do check on amazon.
Can we remove batteries on these watches?
No, you cannot change batteries on these watches. If you found your watch is lagging in the battery after a few months of use then don’t worry. Take your watch to any nearby trained associate who will expertly change battery.
Will we get a charger with these watches?
No, most of them do not come with a charger but a charging cable is included.
Conclusion
All the above mentioned smart watches are compiled together after hours of research. All these watches come with the necessary features for playing podcasts. Some of them are a bit expensive but with more money, you get powerful hardware and extra features as compared to other watches. So you should make a checklist of all the features that you need in your smartwatch and then select the best smartwatch for your needs for playing podcasts. Here you should also keep in mind your budget. As far as podcast watches are concerned, you can choose anyone from our above list.