There are a lot of different reasons why you might want to consider a smartwatch with onboard music storage. Maybe you don’t want to lug your phone around with you when you go for a run or hit the Gym. Or you want a watch that can do more than use controlling the playlist on your phone.
Whatever the reason is, investing in a smartwatch that can play music without a phone is a solid choice. We’ll go over some of the best smartwatches with onboard music storage you can buy in this post.
We have included watches from all the popular smartwatch vendors like Apple, Samsung, Fitbit, Huami, Fossil, and so on. All of them can store music, podcasts, and audiobooks with varying storage capacities, and some can even download playlists from popular music streaming platforms like Spotify, Amazon Music, Pandora, and so on.
So without further ado, let’s get straight to our first smartwatch.
Best Smartwatches With Onboard Music Storage:
Fitbit Versa 3:
The Fitbit Versa 3 Smartwatch, like its three predecessors before it, is available in three different color options. The watch can be purchased with a variety of different band options including leather or silicone bands.
Smartwatches are no longer for just techies, which means that having one on your wrist would be beneficial to have access to your music library at all times. However, the Spotify app is not available on these Smartwatches.
Fitbit versa 3 also has a built-in GPS ready to track your distance traveled when you go out hiking or running.
Smartwatches are costly, but if you’re looking for an affordable option the Fitbit Versa Smartwatch is a great place to start. To ensure that you have the best experience with your watch, make sure to update its software as new updates become available.
Garmin Forerunner 245 Music:
$209.98 in stock
4 used from $178.00
Garmin Forerunner 245 Music Smartwatch offers a lot of music storage at a reasonable price. It has 500 songs stored on the watch, but you also have the ability to drag and drop from your computer’s iTunes library.
Along with being able to synch tracks offline with Spotify, Deezer, Amazon Music, or iHeartradio content.
You are also given basic controls for skipping through tracks and changing playlists on the Smartwatch using button.
Apple Watch Series 7:
The Apple Watch Series 7 is a great Smartwatch that comes with many features. Some of these features include Onboard Music Storage, access to Apple Music and Beats Radio, and the ability to find your phone.
The battery life of the watch may vary depending on how you use it, but it is generally good.
Apple Watch Series 3:
The Apple Watch Series three is a Smartwatch that has 4GB onboard music storage. It can sync with the iPhone to stream and store your favorite songs, as well as sync podcasts for offline listening.
You can also stream songs from different apps on your Smartwatches using cellular connectivity (LTE) like Apple Watch Music or Radio app, Pandora Radio, and TuneIn radio. The watch also includes GPS tracking of runs/walks and roughly three hours of battery life when streaming or playing stored music.
Ticwatch E3:
Ticwatch E3 is a smartwatch that offers a powerful Android Wear OS. It also features a Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 4100 + Dual system platform which gives a more stable performance.
This Smartwatch offers 8GB internal memory which is enough to save more than 1000 songs. It also has a barometer sensor to track weather conditions accurately.
Additionally, the Smartwatch comes with a built-in GPS that lets you track your outdoor sports deeply.
Lastly, it features customizable watch faces which can be changed according to your outfit. The Smartwatch is available in different colors and styles.
Garmin Venu SQ Music: Best Smartwatch With Spotify Offline
$167.78 in stock
3 used from $146.02
The Garmin Venu SQ Music is a great option for those looking for a Smartwatch with onboard music storage.
It comes packed with features such as Garmin Play, Spotify Offline, Amazon Music, Deezer, and Garmin Fitness options. You’ll also enjoy tracking your personal moon cycle with this watch.
Additionally, it offers Pulse OX Sensor + Wrist-based Heart Rate monitoring, Stress Tracking, Menstrual Tracking, Advanced Sleep Monitoring, and even the new Garmin Coach feature.
As if that wasn’t enough, you’ll appreciate the GPS / GLONASS / GALILEO capabilities of this Smartwatch. All in all, the Garmin Venu Smartwatch is a choice for anyone looking for a top-of-the-line Smartwatch.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4:
$216.99 in stock
Samsung has switched from Tizen to Wear OS for its latest Galaxy Watch, which offers access to Google’s apps including YouTube Music and Strava. In terms of fitness, it’s a decent smartwatch. It isn’t as precise as Garmin and Apple watches, but it does an excellent job tracking your activity overall.
The Galaxy Watch 4 is available in 40mm and 44mm sizes, with additional versions offered on the Watch 4 Classic, which has a more traditional watch-style appearance and a physical rotating crown with all of the same functions.
Amazfit GTS 3:
$129.99 in stock
Fossil Gen 6:
$219.71 in stock
12 used from $129.73
Things to Consider:
Before you make a decision about your next smartwatch, it’s important to take some things into consideration.
Music Storage:
The first thing you need to ask yourself is how much music do you want to store on your watch.
If you prefer high-quality music files, you’ll need a watch with more storage. Most watches come with 4 or 8GB of storage, but there are a few outliers with up to 16GB of storage.
The Apple Watch storage can go all the way up to 32GB, whereas the Fitbit and Garmin offer limited storage for up to 500 songs only.
Except for the Apple Watch, you can’t upgrade the storage on any other smartwatch.
Connectivity:
Most smartwatches sync music from your smartphone and the data transfer is a lot easier if the watch has Wi-Fi connectivity. Also, if the watch has cellular connectivity, you can still use it to stream music even if your phone is not around.
Battery Life:
The battery life of the watch is another important consideration. If you are someone who likes to listen to music all day long, you might want to consider a smartwatch that has longer battery life.
Apple Watch is poor in this regard as even the latest Series 7 can’t go over 6-8 hours, whereas Fitbit and Garmin smartwatches offer the double.
Supported Streaming Platforms:
If you like listening to music on Spotify, make sure your next smartwatch has offline support for the platform. Apple and Garmin Watches are the best when it comes to Spotify support since they allow you to download and listen to music offline.
Pandora and Deezer users should better invest in the Fitbit Watches. Although you can’t stream songs, Fitbit will let you download music from these platforms.
Keep in mind, you would need a premium account to download playlists for offline support.
Kevin is a Tech journalist for over a decade. He writes on Wearables, Headphones, and Laptops. When he is not glued to his laptop, You will find him working on exciting projects that include Unboxing new Gadgets, comparing them, and tweaking their hardware.