Most of the screens of the smartwatches turn completely dark when we put our hands down, and to access the most trivial features like viewing the time, you need to raise your hand or at least shake it.
This gesture looks quite unprofessional and embarrassing while in a meeting or other privileged places.
The always on display smartwatch is a new technology that has been introduced to the market.
It’s a new way of looking at wearables and it’s a new way of interacting with your device.
The idea behind this is that you are able to see the time, notifications and other things even when your device is in standby mode.
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List of Top 10 AOD Smartwatches
This list is a compilation of the best always on display smartwatches in the market. It is not in any particular order, but they are all worth mentioning.
Image | Product | Price | View on Amazon |
 | Apple Watch 7 | $345 | |
 | Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 | $229.99 | |
 | Fitbit Versa 3 | $189.99 | |
 | Amazfit GTR3 | $159.99 | |
 | Ticwatch Pro 3 ultra | $299 | |
 | Fossil Gen 5 | $169.99 | |
 | Amazfit BIP S Lite | $39.99 | |
 | Samsung Gear S3 | $149.99 | |
 | Diesel On Guard | $159.99 | |
 | Garmin Instinct Solar | $349.99 |
1# Apple Watch Series 7
Apple Watch is one of the first watch companies that provided an always-on display to the users. The Apple watch series 5,6 & 7 have the in-built AOD feature.
The latest budget Apple Watch SE doesn’t have the AOD feature.
This feature lets you view the time without having to move your wrist like in the previous versions.
Although the screen would bear low brightness during the inactive mode, it will switch to full brightness as soon as it detects wrist movements.
Its latest series Apple watch 7 is a powerful smartwatch with premium features like ECG monitoring, fall detection, etc.
This standalone smartwatch flaunts great design with recycled aluminum and titanium finishes along with the previous stainless steel and ceramic options.
The new wearable has quite the same features and battery backup as its predecessor, with some major advancements. The top-most leap is the much-awaited always-on display.
It also inhabits a built-in compass and emergency calling for international countries along with all the other activity-tracking features and 18-hour battery backup.
How to Use the Always-On feature on Apple Watch?
The always-on display feature is turned on by default in all apple watches. You will always see your live watch faces on your apple watch.
However, the display will be dim when your wrist is down, this action will save your battery life.
You can also disable the Always On feature, to do this follow these simple steps:-
- Open settings in your Apple Watch
- Tap Display and Brightness
- In this menu, there will be an option for the “Always ON” mode
- Turn-ON/OFF according to your choice.
2# Samsung Galaxy Watch 4
Samsung has launched some fabulous flagship series like Samsung Galaxy & Samsung Gear.
The best thing about Samsung Galaxy watches is that it has a wearOS operating system, so you can access a large no of apps from the android store.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is a lightweight and completely customizable smartwatch with a multitude of straps and watch faces to choose from.
The watch is 5ATM water-resistant with an IP68 Rating. It also has a standalone model that enables you to make and receive calls.
It comes in two display size variants of 1.2 inches and 1.4 inches. Its 1.2 inches always-on display has a resolution of 396 x 395 pixels.
The screen is also protected by Corning Gorilla Glass DX+. You can also store music and document on this watch, thanks to its 16GB Internal storage.
It is best to watch for you if you are a fitness freak as it comes with a built-in training guide application that has over 60 workouts to choose from, and once you have chosen a workout it will guide you through motions while measuring your heart rate.
You will also get a premium feature like Body mass measurement in the Galaxy watch 4. It will also make sure that you stay in shape as it updates you daily about your caloric intake.
How to enable the Always On feature on Samsung Galaxy Watch?
You can choose the option to turn on or off the AOD feature on Galaxy watches. Just follow the simple steps:-
- Open the setting menu on your Galaxy Watch.
- In this menu, there will be an option for ‘Display’, Tap on that.
- Here you can set ON/OFF always-on display mode.
3# Fitbit Versa 3
The latest iteration of the well-established activity -tracker company, Fitbit, is the Fitbit Versa 3.
This waterproof smartwatch has on-board Amazon Alexa, Fitbit Pay, and an always-on display making it exceptionally powerful among the wearables.
The always-on AMOLED display shows the date, time, and battery life in black and white, while the full-color display gets available after shaking.
The Fitbit versa 3 has an in-built GPS sensor, which makes it one of the most stunning standalone smartwatches.
This Fitbit tracker comes with a digital assistant and SPOTIFY Connect to customize the music library on your nearby devices.
With the soon releasing Fitbit Premium, the mini-computer will offer a variety of fitness programs that are personalized based on your set goals and complete insight into your health and activities.
A new added somber feature is the Smart Wake which wakes you from bed more gently. The battery lasts for about two days with the always-on feature enabled and five days otherwise.
How to enable the Always On feature on Fitbit Watch?
There are many watch faces and apps that have an always-on display mode. By default, the AOD is turned ON on most of the watch faces.
You can check it just by blocking your display with your hands.
You can also choose between an analog or digital clock face for AOD mode in Fitbit watch. Follow the simple steps for activating always-on display mode on Fitbit Versa 3.
4# Amazfit GTR 3
Amazfit GTR 3 smartwatch embarks a great reflective tech display with an always-on display and perfect visibility even under direct sunlight.
The 1.39-inch AMOLED screen is protected by a crystal clear 2.5D Corning Gorilla glass. It is IP68 water-resistant but is not swim-proof. The always-on display lets you view notifications or time at a glance paired with a comfortable fit that you can wear all day.
The Amazfit GTR 3 smartwatch offers more than 100 watch faces and you can also use these watch skins in the AOD mode.
It is one of the cheapest smartwatches with an always-on display feature.
It accentuates all the basic activity-tracking features like Outdoor running, Treadmill, Cycling, and Walking accompanying heart rate, pace, and distance data.
It doesn’t have a sim slot but makes a Bluetooth connection to your phone so that you get to call and message notifications on your wrist.
The battery life is one of the best here, it lasts for about 21 days and is surely impressive and worth buying.
5# Ticwatch Pro 3 Ultra
Mobvoi has provided the smartwatch arena with some lovely budget-friendly pieces. One of them is the Ticwatch Pro or Ticwatch Pro 3 ultra which offers a solid feature set and exquisite design.
This round watch can be found in the shadow black color variant. It is IP68 dust and water-resistant with scratch-resistant glass. It is equipped with more than 100 Professional Sports Modes.
It has the default always-on Retina display showing the time and can be activated completely by shaking, tapping the watch, or pressing the side buttons.
The always-on mode can be turned off to save battery. With Google’s Wear OS, it depicts all the latest apps like music, emails, texts, WhatsApp, built-in Google Assistant, etc. It is equally compatible with the iPhone and has in-built GPS too.
6# Fossil Gen 5 Smartwatch
Fossil Gen 5 is another gem from the reputed company Fossil with classic and comfortable styling.
It has a soothing, bright, and always-on display, that can be turned off to save battery.
Equipped with all the newest features like GPS, NFC, and Google Assistant, you can take phone calls directly on the watch. The different battery modes help to extend battery life for multiple days.
It has a speaker installed that can respond to your queries (through Google Assistant) and can help you hear songs on the go.
It is swim-proof and showerproof with 5 ATM ratings and location tracking using untethered GPS.
7# Amazfit BIP S LITE
Amazfit BIP S lite Watch is another cool smartwatch from Amazfit with a 1.28-inch transflective always-on display. The straps provided with the watch are fully customizable.
It comes with 150+ amazing watch faces. It will check your heart rate and monitor your sleep pattern. It is one of the cheapest always on display smartwatches that cost you only $49!!
It has 14 sports modes for tracking your activities. It comes with a massive Li-ion battery which can be charged wirelessly.
The battery life of BIP S lite is amazing, It can easily provide more than 30 days of battery life in normal uses.
8# Samsung Gear S3 Classic
Samsung Gear S3 Classic is truly a standalone smartwatch that can be fully functional without the need for a connected phone.
With this, you can reply to emails, texts, and phone calls, and also make your payments with its Samsung Pay feature.
It comes with an always-on display of 1.3 inches having a 360 x 360-pixel resolution. The watch is water-resistant, dustproof and Corning Gorilla Glass SR+ protected for durability.
It comes with a built-in GPS and can last for up to 3 days on a full charge and can be easily charged wirelessly.
9# Diesel On Full Guard 2.5
This smartwatch from Diesel runs on the Wear OS operating system which means you get notifications about weather conditions, text messages, and missed calls.
It is compatible with both Android and iOs devices and is both water-resistant and dust-proof. It comes with a 1.3-inches always-on display with 400 x 400-pixel resolution.
It is made out of aluminum which makes it both lightweight and durable. The watch has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 2100 chipset and a battery capacity of 300mAh.
It will also fit on various occasions as the watch face is completely customizable.
10# Garmin Instinct Solar
The list of always-on display smartwatches can not be completed without a solar smartwatch. Such smartwatches use solar energy to always brighten their screen.
Garmin Instinct smartwatch is one such smartwatch, it is made with US military standards. This smartwatch is fully water and thermal heat resistant.
Garmin instinct watch is not just a rugged smartwatch, you can also get plenty of features like a heart rate monitor, pedometer, Global navigation, etc.
Its accurate GPS track each of your movements. In this watch, you can easily view how various settings and sensors impact your watch’s battery life. This way you can also enhance your battery life.
This Garmin watch is also available in various color variants, which is a very rare thing in a rugged watch.
FAQ
1. Which smartwatch has an always-on display?
The Always-on display feature has become popular nowadays. Many brands like Fitbit, Garmin, and Apple are using this feature in their smartwatches.
2. Why all the smartwatches don’t have AOD feature?
This feature needs special technology to brighten up the display all the time. It is a very power-consuming feature so wearable with low battery capacity cannot handle it.
3. Do Apple make AOD smartwatches?
The latest Apple watches series 6 has this amazing feature. However in the earlier versions of the Apple watch lack this feature.
4. Does always on display kill the battery?
Yes. The always-on display drains a lot of battery. However, this technology is quite new we can see a lot of improvements in this feature in the coming time.
5. Which are the cheapest smartwatches with an Always-on display?
According to our research, the Amazfit BIP S Lite has the AOD feature. This smartwatch is available at as low as $50!
These are some of the latest always-on display wearables in the market in 2022. Each one has its pros and cons and you can buy any one as per your specifications.
