LTE vs Bluetooth smartwatches: Which one should you buy?

This is an age-old question. Should you splurge on a cellular/LTE smartwatch or save a little money and pick up a Bluetooth model instead?

The decision in most of these cases comes to personal preference simply because there is no right or wrong answer. What we can do, though, is give you some additional information so you can make a more informed decision.

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Bluetooth vs LTE smartwatches

The primary difference between a Bluetooth or LTE (cellular) smartwatch is in connectivity. A Bluetooth smartwatch will connect to your phone via Bluetooth for all requests, including web searches, calls, audio streaming, and voice assistant (for web queries). An LTE smartwatch, on the other hand, has a built-in LTE or cellular radio, which makes the watch a mini smartphone of sorts. Essentially, an LTE watch can operate independently of the phone and can place calls, send and receive SMS, and more without the phone being nearby.

Advantages of an LTE smart watch

As a standalone device, you could wear just your watch when out for a morning walk, say. With the right apps, you can still make payments, access your messages, and make calls. Music will continue to stream over cellular data, and voice assistants like Siri will always be accessible and fully functional. This is especially useful in emergencies or, say, when your phone battery dies.

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A Bluetooth smart watch will only connect over Bluetooth and needs the phone nearby at all times for any services that require internet connectivity.

Disadvantages of an LTE smart watch

The biggest disadvantage is, of course, cost. The additional LTE radio usually pushes up the cost of the device by a significant amount, not to mention the fact that some carriers might charge a small fee to let your watch use their network. Another problem is that LTE watches tend to have lower battery life than Bluetooth-only smartwatches.

A Bluetooth-only smartwatch is, of course, cheaper and will often offer better battery life.

There you have it: A Bluetooth watch makes the most sense if you want battery life and cost savings, while the LTE watch makes the most sense when you’re looking for the ultimate untethered experience and don’t mind the additional cost involved.