Which is better Samsung or Apple smart watch

Galaxy Watch 6 vs. Apple Watch Series 8: Battle of the Smart Wearables

Last week's Galaxy Unpackedevent brought the official release of theGalaxy Watch 6, Samsung's latest smartwatch. How does the new wearable stack up with industry-leadingApple Watch Series 8? Let's take a look at the specs, features and price.

The big physical difference is that Samsung uses a round face for its watches, while Apple keeps its square look. But both are available in two sizes that are only a millimeter in difference, so there's little to go on here. Both are waterproof to around 50 meters (roughly 165 feet), use aluminum in their construction and have interchangeable bands.

Watch this: Samsung Unveils Galaxy Watch 6 Series at Unpacked in Seoul

The features are closely matched too, with both models offering GPS tracking, heart-rate sensing, fall detection, sleep tracking, automatic workout detection and more. Both also offer contactless payments using either Samsung Pay or Apple Pay. The Galaxy Watch offers 16GB of onboard storage for saving songs locally to work out with, while the Apple Watch doubles that to 32GB. Samsung reckons its watch will last up to 40 hours between charges however, while Apple only promises 18. How that stacks up in real-world testing remains to be seen.

One of the biggest differences, though, is the price: the Apple Watch Series 8 costs nearly $100 more than Samsung's Galaxy Watch 6, in both sizes. We'll be putting these through their paces in the full review soon to see whether it's worth saving that money, but you can check out the full specs comparison below.

Apple Watch vs. Samsung Galaxy Watch: Which should you buy?

The Apple Watch Series 4 and Samsung Galaxy Watch are both excellent smartwatches that can do everything from fitness tracking to mirroring notifications on your phone. But which one should you buy?

We tested the Apple Watch Series 4 and Galaxy Watch side-by-side to see which one best fit our needs. For this test, we wore the smaller versions of each: 40mm and 42mm respectively. If you're looking for the latest Apple Watch 5 vs. Galaxy Watch Active 2 you can find our comparison here.

Watch this: Apple Watch Series 4 vs. Samsung Galaxy Watch: Smartwatch battle

Design and durability

The obvious difference between these two watches is their shape: The Apple Watch has a square face, while the Galaxy Watch is round.

We like the eye-catching round screen of the Galaxy Watch because it more closely resembles an analog watch. There's also a rotating bezel around the screen to change settings or navigate through notifications. It has a really pleasing tactile sensation that "clicks" each time you turn it, unlike the digital crown on the Apple Watch that only has a limited amount of haptic feedback. The Galaxy Watch bezel feels like a more natural way to interact with the watch than the tiny crown.

But the Galaxy Watch is thicker than the Apple Watch, which means it's more prone to get caught on coat sleeves. The extra thickness and weight was most noticeable during workouts, as it didn't sit snugly on my wrist and was heavier, though those with larger wrists may not have the same experience.

The Galaxy Watch comes in a black or silver finish in both sizes, plus a rose gold option for the 42mm version. The Apple Watch has gold, space gray or silver options for all sizes.

If you like to change up your look by changing the straps, there are fewer official straps for the Galaxy Watch than the Apple Watch -- but many third-party straps are available for both.

Both screens are easy to see in outdoor situations. The Super AMOLED screen on the Galaxy Watch may look slightly brighter when looking at it in direct sunlight, but it's also less responsive when you raise your wrist to wake it up.

Winner: Galaxy Watch

Smartwatch features are neck and neck

The Galaxy Watch is compatible with both Android and iOS, while the Apple Watch can only be used with an iPhone.

Here's what both of them can do:

• Mirror most notifications from your phone
• Run third-party apps
• Make mobile payments using Apple Pay or Samsung Pay. Note the Galaxy Watch only has NFC, rather than full MST support like Samsung Pay on Galaxy phones.
• Track activities manually and automatically
• Track your route with GPS
• Summon Siri (Apple Watch) or Bixby (Galaxy Watch) voice assistants
• Receive and make calls, send messages and get notifications without your phone via LTE, if you pay extra for the cellular models
• Raise to wake the watch, although sometimes it doesn't activate on the Galaxy Watch

The cheapest Galaxy Watch is currently $280 in the US (279, AU$549). Add another $70 for LTE.

The cheapest Apple Watch is $399 (399, AU$599) and you have to pay $100 more for LTE.

Although the Samsung is compatible with both iOS and Android, there are some limitations to what you can do if you connect it to an iPhone. For example, you won't be able to respond to messages if the Galaxy Watch is tied to an Apple phone.

It's easy to see notifications on both, but the rotating bezel makes it super simple to keep track of notifications on the Galaxy Watch -- just swipe the screen and swivel the bezel. The Galaxy Watch is also the only one that lets you keep the display on at all times if you want to be able to see the time.

Although both watches limit what their voice assistants can do compared to the phone versions, Siri is much faster and more responsive than Bixby.

Winner: Apple Watch

Health and fitness tracking excels on the Apple Watch

Both the Apple Watch and the Galaxy Watch have plenty of features to keep an eye on your vitals.

On the fitness front, the Apple Watch has 14 workout types built-in, while the Galaxy Watch has 39. Both also let you track any other type of workouts under the "other" category.

Each watch gives you an alert and vibration when they automatically detect some sort of workout happening, usually in the first 5-10 minutes of activity. But they're limited on the number of activities they can detect for you. They both do running, walking and some gym machines, but only the Apple Watch will autodetect swims, and only the Galaxy Watch can autodetect cycling.

The Apple Watch has an FDA-cleared ECG app on board. It also can alert you when it detects an abnormality such as high or low heart rate, or an irregular rhythm that could signal atrial fibrillation. Another feature alerts your loved ones and emergency services if it detects you've taken a bad fall.

The Galaxy Watch uses the heart rate sensor for fitness purposes and for tracking stress levels. And the Galaxy Watch automatically tracks your sleep if you wear it to bed, unlike the Apple Watch. It breaks down the duration and quality of sleep.

Here are the other fitness features on these watches:

• The Apple Watch has a three-ring system to quantify your activities during the day: a move, exercise and stand ring
• The Galaxy Watch gives you suggested exercises to do when you've been inactive for a period of time, like a torso twist
• The Apple Watch has custom pace alerts that tell you when you're ahead of or falling behind your target pace
• Share your activity with friends on both watches and participate in competitions
• The Apple Watch divides health tracking between two apps on the phone: Activity and Health. The Galaxy Watch has the Samsung Health app

Winner: Apple Watch

Music and podcasts

Both the Apple Watch and Galaxy Watch let you listen to tunes during a workout, with or without your phone using wireless headphones.

You can store songs from your library directly on the Apple Watch, or stream over LTE if you subscribe to Apple Music. The Apple Watch also lets you listen to podcasts in the native app. Spotify is also available, but at the time of writing, functionality is basic: You can use the Watch to control playback when your phone is within reach, but you can't store songs for offline listening.

The Galaxy Watch has more robust Spotify support if that's your streaming platform of choice, like downloading playlists to listen to offline if you're a premium subscriber.

The Galaxy Watch also lets you transfer songs you own from your computer, as long as they're on the same Wi-Fi network. You'll have to transfer podcasts this way and listen to them in the music app, rather than through a standalone podcast app.

Winner: Tie

The Galaxy Watch has stellar battery life

There's no contest here when it comes to battery life. We wore both watches simultaneously, getting the same notifications on each and using them both to track an indoor workout without LTE.

With this normal usage, the Apple Watch died after a day and a half, although it's possible to get almost two full days out of the smaller 40mm Apple Watch if you turn on battery saving features.

But the 42mm Galaxy Watch lasted at least another day, so it gave us almost three full days of battery before it needed a charge.

Samsung claims the 46mm Galaxy Watch can get up to four days of battery life, although we only tested the smaller version.

Having LTE active drains the battery faster, as you would expect. During an outdoor run, both watches drained at about the same rate, going from 100 to 90 percent after 35 minutes. We didn't listen to music during the workout, but if you stream over LTE, expect the battery to drain even faster.

Charging each watch is simple, as they both come with their own charging pads. The Apple Watch magnetically attaches itself to the charging pad, while the Galaxy Watch sits in a cradle that holds it sideways. The Galaxy Watch takes longer to reach a full charge than the Apple Watch.

Winner: Galaxy Watch

So which one is the best smartwatch?

Both are great smartwatches that help keep an eye on your fitness, get notifications and (gasp!) tell the time. If you want the watch with the greatest compatibility across platforms, plus extended battery life, the Galaxy Watch is the way to go. For iPhone users who want extensive fitness tracking and the added health features -- especially for heart-related issues -- go for the Apple Watch.

Apple Watch Series 4 review: Bigger, faster, even more health-conscious.

Samsung Galaxy Watch review: A worthy Apple Watch alternative.

Apple Watch vs. Samsung Galaxy Watch: Which Smartwatch Is Best?

Apple just announced its newest smartwatch, the Apple Watch Series 4. Currently the leader in wearables, Apple looks to further solidify its position with new features such as a larger display, a built-in electrocardiogram, and fall detection.

But Samsung too has a new smartwatch, the Tizen OS-based Galaxy Watch, which has such advancements as a four-day battery life and built-in LTE. For those reasons and others, we named it the best smartwatch for Android users.

Read on for the full breakdown of which smartwatch is worth your money, and stay tuned for our hands-on with the Apple Watch Series 4.Editor's note, March 7:Samsung just released the $200 Galaxy Watch Active, a sleeker, sportier version of the Galaxy Watch that emphasizes health and fitness. It's our favorite smartwatch for Android users.

Galaxy Watch vs. Apple Watch: Specs compared

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Price

The Apple Watch Series 4 will command a premium over its older models. The Series 4 will start at $399, while the LTE version will start at $499. However, Apple is dropping the starting price of the Series 3 to $279, a decrease of $50.

Samsung kept the price of the Galaxy Watch pretty much in line with previous versions. The 42mm Bluetooth model is $330, and the 46mm version is $350. The 42mm LTE Galaxy Watch costs $379, and the 46mm model will cost $399, at least through T-Mobile, which is the first carrier to have announced pricing. The watch will also be available on Sprint, Verizon and AT&T.

Advantage: Samsung

Design

Samsung and Apple have taken drastically different approaches to smartwatch design, with Samsung favoring the classic circular style of a traditional timepiece and Apple fully leaning into the smartphone-on-your-wrist aesthetic. However, the Series 4s display takes up more of the faceabout 30 percent larger than beforeso theres less of a bezel.

Apple is offering the Series 4 in two sizes, 40mm and 44mm (it will still offer the Series 3 in a 38mm and 42mm size.) The smallest Galaxy Watch is 42mm, though because it's a round device, it doesn't feel much larger than the Apple Watch. The largest Galaxy Watch is a sizeable 46mm.

Samsungs watch comes in three colors, though it restricts the 46mm to silver, with black and rose gold available only in the 42mm version. Like the Series 3, the Series 4 will come in silver, space gray and gold, but Apple will also offer three stainless steel finishes: polished, space black, and gold stainless.

For navigation, both watches use buttons to complement their touch screens. The Apple Watch has a Digital Crown, which you press to view your app screen and turn to scroll down a page. Its been updated with haptic feedback, which should make scrolling through lists more precise. A side button beneath it calls up your dock of most-used apps.

The Galaxy Watch sports a rotating bezel for scrolling, a unique design decision carried over from past generations of Samsung smartwatches. A button on the top right of the watch case is a back key, and beneath it is a home key for returning to the main screen.

MORE: 10 Most Surprising Uses for Fitness Trackers

For those who prefer their smartwatches to look more like watches, the Galaxy Watch is the hands-down winner. But clearly the Apple Watch's looks haven't deterred its sales; people don't seem to mind that the watch is a slightly rounded square.

Advantage: Samsung

Fitness

Apple has led health and fitness sensor tech in smartwatches, and the Series 4 has a few new features that set it apart even further.

The watch can already alert you when your heart rate has spiked outside of a workout. That's why you read so many stories about people whose Apple Watches have saved their lives and none about Samsung's watches doing that. Now, the Series 4 can also let you know if your heart rate is too low, too.

More precise accelerometers in the Series 4 can detect if youve fallen, and the watch can even start an emergency call automatically if you dont more for more than a minute after taking a spill.

Another advanced sensor in the Series 4 is an FDA-approved electrocardiogram; by holding your finger to the digital crown, the watch can measure your heart rhythm, and let you know if it detects atrial fibrillation.

The Galaxy Watch offers health features from past Samsung smartwatches, including a stress-management feature that detects when your heart rate is high and guides you through breathing exercises to bring that rate down. Fitbit has a similar feature, called Relax, and the Apple Watch has a related tool called Breathe.

The Galaxy Watch also automatically tracks six types of workouts, and it measures heart rate data even when you haven't launched a workout mode. This watch is also swim-proof and packs in GPS and GLONASS for more-accurate tracking of runs and bike rides.

MORE: Best Running Apps for iOS and Android

The Apple Watch offers all of those features, plus the aforementioned heart-rate alerts and motivational features. These include activity-sharing and badges that you'll get when you achieve a new goal or hit a new streak of consecutive workouts.

Samsung is trying to catch up to Apple, but it looks like the Apple Watch is still setting the bar for health-tracking smartwatches.

Advantage: Apple

Battery Life

In our tests, we were able get four days of battery life out of the Samsung Galaxy Watchwhich was in line with what the company claims. (Its also unclear how cellular connectivity will affect battery life.

Apple claims the slimmer design of the Series 4 wont affect its battery life, which is good considering the LTE Apple Watch Series 3 struggled to stay alive through a full 8-hour workday without a phone nearby. The Bluetooth model coasted through 18 hours, sometimes longer without heavy usage.

Advantage: Samsung

Smartphone Compatibility

The Galaxy Watch works with both iOS and Android phones, though owners of Samsung's Galaxy phones will get far more out of Galaxy Watches thanks to the watches' tighter integration with the Samsung and Android ecosystem.

The Apple Watch works only with iPhones, so Samsung wins on cross-platform compatibility, but just barely.

Advantage: Samsung

Apps

Samsung has stuck with the Tizen operating system for its smartwatch lineup rather than defaulting to Wear OS. And that might be to the company's advantage in many respects, such as performance and integration with Galaxy smartphones. But Samsung has struggled to gain app support for its watches, and many popular apps were missing from the platform.

It seems like Samsung has won over apps like Strava, which was noticeably missing when we reviewed Samsung's Gear Sport last year but has prime placement on the Galaxy Watch website. It remains to be seen if the Galaxy Watch can attract as many high-quality apps as the Apple Watch has. Samsung says its smartwatch has more than 10,000 apps, but the company includes watch faces in that count. Apple's watchOS App Store also has more than 10,000 apps, but those are actually apps.

Advantage: Apple

Bottom Line

Until we get a chance to test out the next generation of Wear OS watches, Samsungs Galaxy Watch remains our favorite for Android users. However, for iPhone users, the Apple Watch remains the obvious choice, given that device's tight integration with the iPhone. Even if you dont want to pay for the premium features of the Series 4, the Series 3s lower price makes the Apple Watch all the more compelling. We just wish its battery life were longer.

Credit: Tom's Guide