Top 5 LTE Smartwatches in Canada, 2026
Published on Thursday, January 1, 2026
An LTE smartwatch only replaces your phone if two things line up: the watch you buy is the cellular model, and your carrier sells a watch plan. In Canada that means Rogers, Bell or Telus. Bell adds its NumberShare feature for $5/month so the watch uses your existing number; Rogers lets you run the watch either as a companion line sharing your phone number or as a standalone line with its own. Most flanker and prepaid brands do not offer smartwatch eSIM at all, so confirm your plan before you spend on the hardware. The second trap is the hardware itself. Nearly every popular smartwatch ships in two versions under the same model name — GPS, and GPS + Cellular — and the cheaper one has no cellular radio inside. Some brands never made an LTE version: Garmin's epix (Gen 2) is GPS-only, and Fossil left the smartwatch business in January 2024 without ever shipping a Gen 7. Read the listing title rather than the roundup headline. It has to say Cellular, LTE or eSIM. One more thing worth knowing before you chase a cross-border deal: a cellular smartwatch bought outside Canada may not be able to activate cellular service with a Canadian carrier, even though everything else on it works.
Top Picks Summary
Apple Watch Series 9 LTE
The Apple Watch Series 9 LTE is a top-tier smartwatch offering seamless integration with the Apple ecosystem. It boasts an impressive array of health features including blood oxygen monitoring and an ECG app, making it a leader in health tracking. With its vibrant always-on display and customizable watch faces, it stands out in the market. The robust build quality and extensive app ecosystem make it ideal for both casual users and fitness enthusiasts.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 LTE
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 LTE redefines smartwatch capabilities with its sleek design and powerful functionality. It features advanced health tracking including body composition analysis and sleep coaching, giving it a competitive edge. The large AMOLED display and fast performance ensure an immersive user experience. With a robust set of fitness applications and compatibility across various platforms, it appeals to a wide range of users.
Garmin Epix (Gen 2) LTE
A premium multisport watch built for athletes and outdoor use, with an AMOLED display, full-colour onboard maps and battery life measured in days rather than hours. What it does not have is cellular: Garmin never shipped an LTE version of the epix (Gen 2), and the listing linked here is the standard GPS model.
Fossil Gen 7 LTE
A fashion-first Wear OS watch with interchangeable bands and customisable faces. The important correction: Fossil never released a Gen 7. The company exited the smartwatch business in January 2024, and the listing linked here is a Fossil Gen 6 44 mm (model FTW4061V), which has no cellular radio.
TicWatch Pro 5 LTE
Mobvoi's dual-layer display is the standout here: a power-efficient always-on layer sits over the AMOLED panel, which is how the watch stretches to multi-day battery life on Wear OS. Check the variant carefully, though — the listing linked on this page is the standard TicWatch Pro 5 with GPS, NFC and Wi-Fi, and no cellular radio.
What separates a real LTE smartwatch from a GPS one is a built-in eSIM and a Canadian carrier willing to activate it. The rest of the spec sheet — display, sensors, health tracking — is usually identical between the two versions of the same watch.
What actually makes a smartwatch "LTE" in Canada
The cellular version of a watch and the GPS version usually share a name, a price page and a spec sheet. Here is how to tell them apart and what it costs to run one.
The cellular and GPS versions of a watch carry the same model name. On Apple Watch, the cellular case is the one whose listing reads "GPS + Cellular" and whose digital crown has a coloured ring; on everything else, look for LTE or eSIM in the listing title itself.
Rogers, Bell and Telus all sell smartwatch eSIM plans. Bell's NumberShare add-on is $5/month, and Rogers offers both a companion line that shares your phone number and a standalone line with a number of its own.
Flanker and prepaid brands such as Fido, Koodo and Public Mobile do not support smartwatch eSIM, so getting a watch plan usually means moving the account to the parent carrier.
Garmin has shipped very few cellular watches — the Forerunner 945 LTE is the notable one. The epix (Gen 2) has never had an LTE variant, so any listing claiming one is mislabelled.
Fossil exited the smartwatch business in January 2024. The Gen 6, launched in 2021, is its last Wear OS watch; there is no Gen 7, LTE or otherwise.
Cellular costs you twice. The cellular hardware typically runs roughly $100 to $150 more than the GPS model, and the carrier plan is a monthly charge on top of that. Battery life also drops noticeably once the watch is running untethered.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Canadian carriers support smartwatch eSIM plans?
Rogers, Bell and Telus. Bell sells a smartwatch add-on at $5/month using NumberShare, which links the watch to your existing phone number. Rogers offers two options: a companion line that shares your iPhone's number and plan, or a standalone line with its own number. Flanker and prepaid brands including Fido, Koodo and Public Mobile do not support smartwatch eSIM, so a watch plan on those accounts generally means switching to the parent carrier first.
How do I tell if a listing is the LTE version and not the GPS one?
The listing title has to say it. Look for "GPS + Cellular", "LTE" or "eSIM" in the product name itself, not in the review text or the page heading. Both versions of a watch share the same model name and often sit on the same product page under different variants, and the GPS version has no cellular radio at all — it cannot be activated later. On Apple Watch the cellular case is also identifiable by the coloured ring around the digital crown.
Does the Garmin epix (Gen 2) have LTE?
No. Garmin has never released a cellular version of the epix (Gen 2) — it is a GPS-only multisport watch. Garmin's one well-known LTE wearable for adults is the Forerunner 945 LTE. If you want a Garmin for untethered calls and texts on a Canadian carrier, the epix (Gen 2) is not it, regardless of how it is listed.
Is there a Fossil Gen 7 LTE?
No. Fossil confirmed in January 2024 that it was exiting the smartwatch business to focus on traditional watches, jewellery and leather goods. The Gen 6, released in 2021, is Fossil's last Wear OS smartwatch, and it has no cellular option. Listings advertising a "Gen 7" are for a product that was never released; most of them ship a Gen 6.
Conclusion
The short version: buy the cellular version of the watch, buy it from a Canadian seller, and confirm your carrier sells a watch plan before you commit. On Rogers, Bell or Telus you are covered. On a flanker or prepaid brand the watch still works over Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, but it will not have a connection of its own.