Best smartwatch for students: pick by your phone, battery and price

By the tiswa editorial team, from the official sources listed at the end of this guide. How we write our guides

Apple sells the Apple Watch SE 3 in Saudi Arabia from SAR 1,099, and Samsung sells the Galaxy Watch8 from SAR 1,199.¹⁵ The prices are close. The phones they work with are not, and that is the first thing to settle before you compare batteries or screens.

What is the best smartwatch for students?

The one that pairs with your phone and lasts your campus day on one charge. With an iPhone, that is the Apple Watch SE 3 or Apple Watch Series 12. With Android, the Galaxy Watch8. If you want a week without a charger, the HUAWEI WATCH GT 6.³⁶⁸ All five side by side:

The iPhone requirement for all three Apple watches comes from Apple's Saudi store: iPhone 11 or later with iOS 27 or later.³

How we compared the smartwatches

We ranked the criteria by what ruins the purchase if you get it wrong. Compatibility first, because a watch that will not pair is worthless. Battery second, because a student tracking sleep during exam week needs a watch that lasts the night. Then the price in an official Saudi store: Apple Saudi Arabia, Samsung Saudi Arabia and HUAWEI KSA.¹⁵⁷ We did not test the watches; every figure comes from the makers' pages and their own tests.

Best smartwatch for iPhone: which Apple Watch?

The Apple Watch SE 3 for most students. It has the vibrating alarm, timers, notifications and payments, with up to 18 hours of battery.⁴ It has no ECG app and no Blood Oxygen app.¹ If you do not need those, you will not miss them.

The Apple Watch Series 12 is for anyone who wants up to 24 hours and a brighter screen.⁴ If you are a university student, buy it from the education store, where it starts at SAR 1,599 instead of SAR 1,799.²³ The Apple Watch Ultra 4 runs up to 50 hours and is water resistant to 100 m.⁴ It is built for divers, campers and frequent travellers, not for someone going between lectures and the dorm.

Best smartwatch for Android users

The Galaxy Watch8, especially with a Samsung phone. Samsung Saudi Arabia lists it from SAR 1,199 for 40mm and SAR 1,299 for 44mm.⁵ It works with other Android phones too, though Samsung says some features may not work fully on them.⁶

What many people miss: Galaxy Watch4 through Galaxy Watch8 do not work with iPhone, because they depend on Google Play services.⁶ If you are planning to switch to an iPhone soon, choose the phone first in best phone for students, then the watch.

Best smartwatch for battery life

The HUAWEI WATCH GT 6. Huawei rates the 46mm at up to 21 days of light use, 12 days of typical use, and 7 days with the always-on display.⁸ The 41mm runs up to 14 days of light use.⁸ It starts at SAR 999 in the HUAWEI KSA store.⁷

The gap with Apple Watch is large. An Apple Watch needs charging most days; the Huawei needs it about once a week. In exchange the Apple Watch has more apps and deeper iPhone integration. Ask yourself whether you will really charge it every morning. If not, battery matters more to you than any other feature.

Best budget smartwatch for students

HUAWEI WATCH GT 6 from SAR 999,⁷ then Apple Watch SE 3 from SAR 1,099,¹ then Galaxy Watch8 from SAR 1,199.⁵ The price gaps are small; the real difference is the phone in your pocket. A preparatory-year student who wants an alarm, a timer and sleep tracking is fine with the cheapest one that pairs with their phone.

Do you need a smartwatch for calls and texts without your phone?

Usually not. A cellular watch calls and messages without the phone, but it needs its own plan from your carrier, and you carry your phone to lectures and the library anyway. It helps if you leave the phone in a locker at the gym. Before adding a line for the watch, compare student mobile plans.

What size smartwatch should a student get?

Smaller if you will sleep in it, larger if you read a lot of messages on it. The Apple Watch SE 3 comes in 40 and 44mm, the Apple Watch Series 12 in 42 and 46mm, and the Apple Watch Ultra 4 in one 49mm titanium size.⁴ The Galaxy Watch8 comes in 40 and 44mm, and the HUAWEI WATCH GT 6 in 41 and 46mm.⁵⁸

Try it on in a store if you can, at Jarir or the brand's own shop. If you end up buying at Jarir, check the Jarir student discount first, since it runs in seasons and covers set devices only. A watch that looks right in photos can feel heavy at night and catch the edge of your laptop during long library sessions. The band changes everything too: sport for the gym, fabric or metal for lectures and occasions.

Our verdict on each watch

1. Apple Watch SE 3

   First pick with an iPhone: alarm, timer, notifications and payments at Apple's lowest watch price.

2. Galaxy Watch8

   First pick with a Samsung phone, priced very close to the SE 3.

3. HUAWEI WATCH GT 6

   For anyone who hates daily charging and wants the longest battery for the least money.

4. Apple Watch Series 12

   For iPhone users who want more battery than the SE 3 and the full health apps, bought through the education store.

5. Apple Watch Ultra 4

   For water sports and long trips. Most students do not need it.

How do you make a smartwatch help you study?

1. Cut notifications

   In the watch app on your phone, allow only your university app, university email and family.

2. Link it to Focus

   An iPhone Focus carries over to the watch, so it goes quiet while you study. See iPhone focus mode for studying.

3. Put the timer on the face

   A 25-minute session starts with one tap, as in the Pomodoro technique.

4. Move the alarm to your wrist

   A vibrating alarm wakes you for the first lecture without waking your roommate.

What mistakes do students make when buying a smartwatch?

• Buying a Galaxy Watch for an iPhone and finding it will not pair.
• Trusting the Low Power Mode battery figure.
• Paying for cellular when the phone never leaves your side.
• Buying the Apple Watch Series 12 at the regular price when the education store sells it for less to university students.
• Turning on every notification, so the watch distracts you more than the phone did.

If your phone is the slow or tired device, fix that first with iPhone battery health tips. For the rest of your bag, see best headphones for students. Current savings on Samsung devices, updated automatically:

Prices and deals in this article come straight from the tiswa catalogue, so they stay current.