Best match
Samsung Galaxy Watch8
$300vs $399Save $99 (25%)
Why it's a good swap Best full smartwatch for Android phone owners.
You give up: Does not work with iPhone.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. It never costs you more.
Prices checked October 2026Not tested in handNo paid rankingsHow we pick
You give up: Does not work with iPhone.
Short answer: The closest cheaper alternative to the Apple Watch Series 12 is the Samsung Galaxy Watch8, about $300 instead of $399 (save 25%). What you give up: Does not work with iPhone. The cheapest is the Amazfit Bip 6 at about $80. Prices checked October 2026.
Why it's a good swap Best full smartwatch for Android phone owners.
You give up: Does not work with iPhone.
Why it's a good swap Big bright screen, GPS and two weeks of battery.
You give up: Plainer design and fewer smart features.
Why it's a good swap GPS, heart rate, sleep tracking and about 10 days of battery.
You give up: Dimmer screen and less accurate heart rate in workouts.
Why it's a good swap Bright AMOLED screen, GPS, heart rate and sleep tracking.
You give up: Few apps, and no replying to iMessages.
Why it's a good swap Same apps, iPhone texts, crash detection and an always-on screen.
You give up: No ECG, blood oxygen or hypertension alerts.
Why it's a good swap Running watch with training plans and up to 11 days of battery.
You give up: Fewer smart features than Apple Watch.
Why it's a good swap Up to 21 days of battery, works with iPhone and Android, no subscription.
You give up: Fewer third-party apps than Apple Watch.
Typical US prices, checked October 2026. Not live prices; check the listing before you buy.
Looking for a cheaper alternative to the Apple Watch Series 12? It usually sells for about $399. Here are 7 cheaper swaps from $80: the Samsung Galaxy Watch8 is the closest match from another brand, the Apple Watch SE 3 (GPS, 40mm) is a cheaper option from Apple and the Amazfit Bip 6 is the cheapest at about $80. Each one says what you give up for the lower price.
Apple Watch Series 12 starts at $399 at Apple. For longer battery life, the Amazfit Balance 2 ($299.99) is rated for up to 21 days and works with iPhone and Android. The cheapest pick is the Amazfit Bip 6 at $79.99.
The Series 12 is worth it for iPhone owners who want the fuller health toolkit: an ECG app, hypertension notifications, sleep apnea notifications and a sleep score, along with cellular options and fast charging that gives up to 12 hours of use from 15 minutes on the charger.
If you mostly want notifications, workouts and safety features, the Apple Watch SE 3 keeps the apps for $150 less. Runners who want training plans should look at the Garmin Forerunner 165, people who hate daily charging suit the Amazfit Balance 2 or Bip 6, and Android owners need the Galaxy Watch8.
Compared on their own pages: Apple Watch SE 3 alternatives
| Option | Type | Typical price | You save | What you give up | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Watch Series 12 | The original | $399 | – | – | View ↗ |
| Amazfit Bip 6 | Budget pick | $80 | $319 (80%) | Plainer design and fewer smart features. | View ↗ |
| Amazfit Active 2 | Close match | $100 | $299 (75%) | Dimmer screen and less accurate heart rate in workouts. | View ↗ |
| Amazfit Active 3 Premium | Close match | $170 | $229 (57%) | Few apps, and no replying to iMessages. | View ↗ |
| Apple Watch SE 3 (GPS, 40mm) | Same brand, cheaper | $249 | $150 (38%) | No ECG, blood oxygen or hypertension alerts. | View ↗ |
| Garmin Forerunner 165 | Close match | $250 | $149 (37%) | Fewer smart features than Apple Watch. | View ↗ |
| Amazfit Balance 2 | Close match | $299 | $100 (25%) | Fewer third-party apps than Apple Watch. | View ↗ |
| Samsung Galaxy Watch8 | Close match | $300 | $99 (25%) | Does not work with iPhone. | View ↗ |
Typical US prices from retailer listings and price trackers, checked October 2026. They are not live Amazon prices and may have changed, so check the listing before you buy.
The Amazfit Bip 6, at about $80 (80% less). Big bright screen, GPS and two weeks of battery. The catch: Plainer design and fewer smart features.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch8, at about $300 (25% less). Best full smartwatch for Android phone owners. The catch: Does not work with iPhone.
Yes. The Apple Watch SE 3 (GPS, 40mm), at about $249 (38% less). Same apps, iPhone texts, crash detection and an always-on screen. The catch: No ECG, blood oxygen or hypertension alerts.
The Amazfit Balance 2 is rated for up to 21 days of typical use and works with iPhone and Android. The Garmin Forerunner 165 lasts up to 11 days in smartwatch mode.
Apple Watch needs an iPhone, so Android owners should look at the Samsung Galaxy Watch8, which starts at $299.99 at Samsung.com.
The Garmin Forerunner 165 costs $249.99 at Garmin and is built for running, with training metrics and adaptive training plans.
Yes. Apple rates it water resistant to 50 meters and says it is fine for swimming in a pool or ocean and snorkeling to about 6 meters. It is not meant for scuba diving or waterskiing. It also has pool and open water swim workouts.
No. Apple says hypertension notifications look for patterns of high blood pressure in heart sensor data over 30 days. After an alert, Apple asks you to log readings from a separate blood pressure cuff for 7 days. Apple also notes the feature may not be available yet on Series 12 in some regions.
Not in the U.S. for now. Zepp says replying through Apple's Notification Forwarding needs iOS 26.5 or later and is temporarily available only to users in the EU, and the Balance 2 is listed for a later rollout. You still see iPhone notifications on the watch.
Each swap links to amazon.com. Prices are typical US prices checked October 2026 and change often, so check the listing before you buy.
Every swap is a product sold in the US that does the main job of the original. Close match is another brand with similar features, Same brand, cheaper is an older, smaller or renewed model from the same maker, and Budget pick is the cheapest thing that still does the job. On each page, Closest match is the close match nearest the original in price, and Lowest price is the cheapest swap. We compare published specs, retailer listings and reviews; we don't test products ourselves.
A cheaper product is cheaper for a reason. Each swap says what you give up, like weaker noise cancelling, a smaller screen or a shorter warranty, so you can decide if the savings are worth it.
Prices are typical US prices from retailer listings and price trackers, last checked October 2026. They are not live Amazon prices, which change often. When a price couldn't be confirmed, the page says “Check price on Amazon” instead of showing a number.
Amazon buttons are affiliate links: Cheaper Swap earns a small commission if you buy, at no extra cost to you. Commissions don't decide what is listed. Google AdSense may also show ads on the site.