Cheap Smartwatch That Can Make Calls

Sometimes, carrying your smartphone everywhere can be overwhelming. But, you might still want to make calls while taking a short walk or working out.  Smartwatches curb such problems. With the fast-moving wearable technology, you can now find a cheap smartwatch that can make calls.

Galaxy Watch Active 2, Ticwatch Pro 3, Amazfit Verge, Apple Watch Series 5, Fossil Gen 5, and Huawei Watch GT 2 costs less than $299 and will make calls. Apart from making calls, they have other significant features. They provide notifications, reminders, map navigations, and can measure and monitor your heart rate.

I will tell you more about the smartwatches that can make calls even if you leave your smartphone behind. It is important to note that some will only make calls when your phone is within a Bluetooth range. Others are standalone smartwatches. In other words, they will act as a phone in your phone’s absence.

Related article: Can You Use Smartwatch Without Phone?

Best smartwatch with calling feature

The best smartwatch with calling features has a cellular radio. Although those with Bluetooth can also be tethered to a smartphone to make a call, the Bluetooth range is limited. For example, the Apple Watch may not connect to your iPhone via Bluetooth if the devices are more than 33 feet apart.

However, the distance may vary depending on the Bluetooth sensitivity of your smartwatch, Bluetooth transmission power, and nearby obstacles such as walls. Without the barriers, an Apple Watch will remain connected to your phone via Bluetooth to a distance of up to 100 feet.

If the Bluetooth range is exceeded, the Apple Watch will attempt to make calls through a compatible Wi-Fi network. As long as your iPhone and Apple Watch are paired on the same Wi-Fi network, you can make calls even when the Bluetooth is out of range. 

The best smartwatch with a calling feature could also be 4G/LTE enabled. LTE lowers your smartwatch’s reliance on your phone’s data plan. These smartwatches connect to cellular networks automatically. Therefore, whether the Wi-Fi or Bluetooth is unreliable, your smartphone and smartwatch will remain connected.

LTE smartwatches are available on WatchOS and the Google Wear ecosystem. When someone calls, your smartwatch and smartphone will ring. Therefore, you can make or receive calls through the smartwatch. But due to the calling feature, some of these smartwatches can be pretty expensive. 

But there is no need to worry. You can still find a cheap smartwatch that can make calls.

Cheapest smartwatches that make calls (2022)

Most mid-range smartwatches that can make calls use Bluetooth. High-end smartwatches may use Wi-Fi or a 4G/LTE connection.  

Here are the six cheapest smartwatches that can make calls.

1. Galaxy Watch Active 2 ( I owned this one )

Galaxy Watch Active 2 is the cheapest smartwatch that can make calls using Bluetooth. The watch’s design is breathtaking, with a clear HD microphone for calling. Although you may want it for making calls, the smartwatch is a perfect fitness companion. It can track your sleep, steps, and heart rate, among other workouts.

Apple Watch has Alexa, and the Galaxy Watch Active 2 has Bixby. It is an artificially intelligent voice assistant for Samsung wearables. Use it to make calls and respond to messages and texts by speech. It will give you notifications from all your paired applications. Make calls with the Galaxy Watch Active 2 at the comfort of your wrist.

2. TicWatch Pro 3

The watch’s design is breathtaking. Ticwatch Pro 3 is a cheap smartwatch that can make calls for Android and iPhone users.  It also connects with your phone through Bluetooth. Ensure you enable audio for calls on your Ticwatch Pro.

Despite 1GB RAM and 8GB storage, Ticwatch Pro has a microphone. Tap the “Microphone” on your smartwatch’s Assistant screen and say the name of the person you want to call. Tap “Hang Up” to end the call. The speech-to-text system also allows you to reply to messages and emails.

The smartwatch can complement various occasions. You can wear it casually or formally. However, for the quality calls, I’d recommend having Bluetooth headphones. They not only help with making calls but also listen to music. However, you must pair the smartwatch to your phone via Bluetooth and ensure the devices are within range.

3. Amazfit Verge

Amazfit Verge is one of the cheapest smartwatches that can make calls. The watch allows you to make and answer calls through Bluetooth. The Amazfit Verge will display any phone calls, texts, and notifications coming to your smartphone. Its operating system is compatible with Android and iOS. 

Amazfit Verge is a high-performance smartwatch designed with a sporty look. It has a circular display screen, too small for a qwerty keyboard. That means you cannot reply to text messages from Amazfit Verge. Although you will get notifications on this smartwatch, you can only open the emails on your phone. 

But the smartwatch will vibrate and ring whenever you have an incoming call. To enable voice calling in your Amazfit Verge, update your Amazfit App and the watch in their respective Settings. “Pair” the devices when you receive a Bluetooth pairing request. Finally, tap on the “Phone” icon to sync your contacts directly from the Amazfit Verge.

4. Apple Watch Series 5

The Apple Watch 5 was released in September 2019. It is much more affordable today than it was back then. Despite its cutting-edge health and fitness capabilities, the Apple Watch 5 can also make calls. As long as your iPhone is paired to the smartwatch, you can make calls even when the phone is turned off. 

The Apple Watch Series 5 makes calls over Wi-Fi and cellular networks. However, the call can only go through when you are on a Wi-Fi that your iPhone recognizes. In other words, you can make a Wi-Fi call using Apple Watch Series 5 on a network you’ve used on your iPhone before.

Once paired, your iPhone contacts should appear on your watch’s “Person” icon of your watch. You could say something like “Call Max,” and Siri will automatically place the phone call on your Apple Watch 5. Unlike the Amazfit Verge, Apple Watch 5 can also send pre-set messages and texts using Siri.

Read also: Best Apple Watch for Running and Music

5. Fossil Gen 5 Carlyle

Like the Amazfit Verge, Fossil Generation 5 Carlyle has a round display, and it uses Bluetooth for calls. It is one of the best and cheapest Wear OS smartwatches that can make calls. In addition, Fossil included a microphone and a speaker in the watch’s design. It gives Fossil Gen 5 Carlyle the power to utilize Google Assistant and make voice calls.

You can make and initiate calls from your Fossil Gen 5 Carlyle. But since it uses Bluetooth, your smartphone should remain in range. Although the speakers are not loud enough, the microphones can be very sensitive. Unless you are in a noisy place, you will not strain to hear the person on the other end.

Unlike the Apple Watch Series 5, Fossil Gen 5 does not make calls via Wi-Fi. If your phone goes off or if you leave it behind, the smartwatch will not make calls. Fossil Gen 5 is not entirely autonomous. However, other critical functions like heart rate and sleep tracking will be uninterrupted. In the Bluetooth range, you will get all notifications on your wrist.

6. Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro

Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro is another cheap smartwatch that can make calls. Like Fossil Gen 5 and Amazfit Verge, Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro calls using Bluetooth. Bluetooth is essential for synchronizing your smartwatch with the phone and increasing its usability. It allows you to initiate and receive calls when your hands are occupied or during sports. 

The smartwatch’s in-built speaker is also pretty loud, providing high-quality calls. Besides, Huawei GT 2 Pro shows your call records. Use the voice assistant to dial numbers or call your contacts. For example, tell the voice assistant to “Call Mike” or “Dial 555 5551234.”

Huawei GT 2 Pro does not only make calls. The smartwatch can monitor over 100 different sports. It tracks various aspects of your health and fitness. For instance, it would track your heart rate and blood oxygen levels. But like its Bluetooth counterparts, Huawei GT 2 Pro needs to be within your phone’s Bluetooth range to make calls.

Summary

Look no further if you want a cheap smartwatch that can make calls. Galaxy Watch Active 2, Ticwatch Pro 3, Amazfit Verge, Apple Watch Series 5, Fossil Gen 5, and Huawei Watch GT 2 costs less than $299 and will make calls. Choose your best design and go for it.

Most of them use Bluetooth and are bound by the smartphone’s Bluetooth range. Those connected through Wi-Fi can still receive and initiate calls even when the smartwatch is switched off.

What smartwatch are you using? Does it support phone calls? Feel free to share your thoughts with us in the comment section.