What phone you use might make the choice for you
Shopping for a smartwatch? You might be wondering if you should get an Apple Watch, or try a more affordable Samsung watch instead.
At BestReviews, we’ve had a lot of experience with both of these smartwatches, and we can tell you a lot about them, from their features to their design to what it’s like to wear them all day. But the most important factor in choosing an Apple Watch versus a Samsung Watch may be what kind of phone you have. You need an iPhone to set up an Apple Watch, while a Samsung watch works best with phones that run Android.
The BestReviews Testing Lab took a look at four models of Apple and Samsung smartwatches: the Apple Watch Series 9, the second-generation Apple Watch SE, the Samsung Galaxy Watch6 and the Galaxy Watch6 Classic. Overall, the Apple Watch Series 9 edged out the Galaxy Watch6 as the best smartwatch you can buy, but you can only set it up with an iPhone.
Apple vs. Samsung watch: What they do well
Prior to adopting Wear OS, Samsung smartwatches could connect in a limited fashion to iPhones. These older Samsung watches also could be set up as standalone devices. Current Samsung watches don’t work with iPhones and need an Android phone to set up.
If you want to know the time, get notifications, track your heart rate and steps, and maybe take a call on your wrist, both these brands of smartwatches have got you covered. They also have some benefits particular to each brand.
Apple Watch benefits
- Seamless operation with iPhones: No surprise here. An Apple Watch is a seamless extension of an iPhone, mirroring settings, notifications, music, photos and apps.
- OS and apps: Apple’s watchOS is now in its tenth version and is stable, fast and mature, with a diversity of apps available.
- Accuracy: While we hasten to say that no smartwatch should take the place of actual medical devices, Apple’s health and fitness sensors and algorithms have proven to be helpful and accurate over many years.
Samsung Watch benefits
- Price: The top-line Samsung Galaxy Watch models start at a hundred dollars cheaper than comparable Apple Watches, and last year’s top models cost the same or less than the low-cost Apple Watch SE.
- Android compatibility: If you have an Android phone, you can’t set up an Apple Watch, or use it to its full capability. A Samsung watch makes a much better choice for Android phone users.
- Classic look: With a round face and, in some models, a smart bezel, Samsung’s Galaxy Watches resemble classic wristwatches, which many people may find more attractive compared to the Apple Watch.
What they could improve
Based on our testing, Samsung could improve on its software and sleep tracking with the Galaxy Watch series, while the Apple Watch’s drawbacks include the price and battery life.
Apple Watch drawbacks
- Needs iPhone: Apple Watches require an iPhone to set up — even the ones with their own cellular radios. A family member with an iPhone can set up an Apple Watch for someone else, but that’s it.
- Battery life: While we got a reasonable day’s worth of usage from our Apple Watch test units, we wish they could last longer between charging sessions.
- Expensive: Apple Watches are expensive in general and particularly more expensive than Samsung watches.
Samsung Watch drawbacks
- Not iPhone compatible: It’s hard to get a Samsung watch to work with an iPhone, and the workarounds and limitations may not be worth the hassle.
- Software: Based on our experiences, we think WearOS can be a little overwhelming and not as polished or easy to use as Apple’s watchOS.
- Accuracy: While important metrics like heart rate seemed accurate, we had issues with achieving accurate results with sleep tracking.
Top Apple Watch models
We tested the Apple Watch Series 9 and the lower-cost second-generation Apple Watch SE, as well as the specialized Apple Watch Ultra 2, which Samsung didn’t have a competitor for until 2024. All three are excellent, with the Series 9 being the best smartwatch overall in our opinion and the SE delivering key features at a compelling value.
Apple Watch Series 9
The Apple Watch Series 9 offers the most storage in an Apple Watch at 64GB.
Case size: 41 and 45 mm | Battery Life: 14 hr (tested) | Operating System: watchOS 10 | Processor: Apple S9 SiP | Storage Capacity: 64GB
The Apple Watch Series 9 scored highly in our testing, which is not surprising considering its status as the flagship Apple Watch model of 2023. Outwardly it’s not a huge advance from 2022’s Series 8, but its S9 processor gives it added speed and capabilities earlier Apple Watches lacked.
The Series 9 comes in 41- and 45-millimeter case sizes in either aluminum or stainless steel, with ion-X or sapphire crystal faces, respectively. It’s available in Wi-Fi only or Wi-Fi and cellular models, with both offering GPS location tracking, swim-proof water resistance, bright, sharp 2000-nit OLED always-on screens, and a slew of sensors: heart rate, ECG, skin temperature, gyroscope, altimeter and more.
All this, plus the most storage yet in an Apple Watch at 64GB, a four-core Neural Engine processor for increasing speed, onboard Siri for faster responses and increased privacy, and a double-tap hands-free gesture — which we particularly appreciated whenever our hands were full. In short, the slim and elegant Series 9 is the complete package.
Apple Watch SE (2nd Generation)
The Apple Watch SE (2nd generation) features a heart rate sensor and movement and location tracking.
Case Size: 40 and 44 mm | Battery Life: 12 hr (tested) | Operating System: watchOS 10 | Processor: Apple S8 SiP | Storage Capacity: 32GB
The second-generation Apple Watch SE is the value-priced Apple Watch. You can do essentially everything you’d expect to do with a smartwatch when you get an Apple Watch SE, although you have an older-style case and slightly less powerful processor.
The second-generation SE runs on an S8 chip, the same as the Apple Watch Series 8. It’s available in 40- and 44-millimeter case sizes, similar in looks to those of the earlier Series 3 to 5 Apple Watches, with a thicker bezel around the usable screen than the Series 9. Its screen is a little dimmer, at 1,000 nits maximum, and turns off unless you raise your wrist. It also has half the storage, 32GB instead of 64.
The SE (2nd generation) doesn’t have an electric heart sensor or skin-temperature sensor, but it has a heart rate sensor and movement and location tracking. It’s also swim-proof and comes in Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi plus cellular models. As for its appearance, it only comes in aluminum with a glass face and nylon back, but these compromises help it maintain its attractive price point.
Top Samsung Watch models
Samsung’s smartwatches come in two models, with differing sizes and designs. We tested the Samsung Galaxy Watch6 and Watch6 classic; Samsung released the Watch7 and Watch Ultra in 2024.
Samsung Galaxy Watch6
The testing team found the Samsung Galaxy Watch6’s Wear OS interface easy to navigate.
Case Size: 40 and 44 mm | Battery Life: Up to 40 hr (tested) | Operating System: wearOS 4 | Processor: Exynos W930 | Storage Capacity: 16GB
The Samsung Galaxy Watch6 impressed us with its looks, comfort and functionality in our testing. In many ways it beats the Apple Watch SE and rivals the Apple Watch Series 9, while starting at a lower price point than the latter.
Samsung made the choice to use a round face design for its Galaxy watches, a choice we appreciated, as it helps the Watch6 stand out against its competitors. We found its WearOS interface easy to navigate, although we could’ve done without what we thought was excessive animation on some features. As for health and fitness tracking, we found it generally accurate except for its sleep tracking, which couldn’t detect when we awoke in the night and went back to bed. Battery life was clearly superior to an Apple Watch, lasting a full day with 40% still remaining on its battery.
For its bright AMOLED always-on screen, the Watch6 has a sapphire crystal face, so it’s tougher and less susceptible to scratching or shattering than glass. It comes in two sizes, 40 and 44 millimeters, and is available in Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi plus cellular options. It’s almost impossible to pair the Watch6 to an iPhone, but with an Android device, especially a Samsung phone running Samsung’s OneUI interface, it’s a breeze to set up and use.
Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Classic
The testing team was impressed by the Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Classic’s rotating bezel, which you can control its apps and functions with.
Case Size: 43 and 46 mm | Battery Life: Up to 40 hr (tested) | Operating System: wearOS 4 | Processor: Exynos W930 | Storage Capacity: 16GB
The Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Classic stands apart from other models in that it’s designed to look and feel like a classic wristwatch, and we appreciated how fantastic it looked on the wrist. If you miss that classic watch look but still want a full-featured smartwatch, the Watch6 Classic is your best bet.
The Watch6 comes in two case sizes of 43 and 46 millimeters in stainless steel with sapphire crystal faces and larger AMOLED always-on displays to match. Its most innovative feature, and one we liked to use the most, is its rotating bezel with which you can control its apps and functions, giving us the feel of being in a spy movie. Like the Watch6, the Watch6 Classic provided us with almost two days of usable battery life, with solid health sensor results and noticeably sharp haptic feedback.
If we had a complaint, it was that the Watch6 Classic is a bit bigger and heavier than we’d like for a sleep tracker. But its design and cool bezel makes it stand out in a sea of similar-looking smartwatches. If you have a Samsung phone, the Watch6 Classic should provide a smooth and elevated experience.
Apple Watch Series 9 vs. Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Classic
Putting the Apple Watch Series 9 and Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Classic face to face, we see some clear differences. The Apple Watch’s OS and software felt smoother and more put-together than the Samsung’s, and it had more storage capacity and, on paper, a more powerful processor. The Samsung, on the other hand, had better battery life and a design that looked more eye-catching than the simple Apple design.
Usage-wise, both had similar health features, but the Apple model had better sleep tracking and, not coincidentally, was more comfortable to wear in bed. For pure performance, the Apple Watch Series 9 takes the cake, but we love the Galaxy Watch6 Classic’s looks.
Apple Watch SE (2nd Generation) vs. Samsung Galaxy Watch6
The Samsung Galaxy Watch6 is a better smartwatch than the second-generation Apple Watch SE in certain areas. It’s got a stronger face made of sapphire crystal compared to the SE’s ion-X glass, and its round design stands out next to the SE’s older case. It’s got longer battery life as well, and an always-on screen, which the SE doesn’t have. It used to be only $50 more expensive than the Apple Watch SE as well, and now has dipped below that, so if you have an Android phone, you’ll get more value out of the Watch6.
Apple vs. Samsung watch functionality
When it comes to smartwatches, you should know whether they’re compatible with your smartphone, how well they track your health and fitness, and if they can help you stay connected and informed on the go without needing to take out your phone (or have your phone around at all). Both Apple and Samsung watches have these bases covered to a greater or lesser extent.
Setup and pairing comparison
Apple Watches need Apple iPhones. There’s no way to set up an Apple Watch for use without starting with an iPhone — not even an iPad or Mac computer will do. Once set up, you can use an Apple Watch without the iPhone it’s paired to, especially if your Apple Watch has cellular as well as Wi-Fi connectivity. But to get it started, to back up its data, to keep it updated — it’s got to be paired to an iPhone.
Samsung Galaxy watches that use Wear OS also need a phone to set up, but it’s less important which phone they use as long as they run the Android operating system. A Samsung Galaxy smartphone is the best choice, as setup and other features will work seamlessly, which we experienced firsthand in our tests.
Setting up Apple Watches took some time during our testing, involving keeping the watch and phone close together and responding to prompts either on the watch or on the phone. Setting up the Samsung watches seemed simpler to us, although all tested watches needed time to fully charge during the setup process.
Notifications and apps comparison
We think that Apple’s watchOS, now in its tenth generation, is a full-featured and mature system with a smooth and fluid interface and plenty of third-party apps available. Wear OS seemed a little less polished to us in comparison during our Samsung tests, with some unwelcome design choices, although we had no real complaints when sticking to the Samsung apps.
In our experience, we’ve found Apple’s Workout app a little too intrusive with its notifications, particularly when it comes to reaching specific daily movement and fitness goals. By comparison, we liked the way we could modify the notifications on the Samsung Galaxy watches to be less annoying.
Both Apple and Samsung watches offer notification mirroring with compatible apps, so you don’t miss anything with your phone in your pocket or bag. Apple and Samsung watches offer navigation, directions, music playback, photo viewing, email, messaging and even voice calling as long as your phone is paired or the watch has its own cellular plan. We noted that the Apple Watch Series 9 had the smoothest, fastest performance overall, with responsive Siri running onboard as opposed to in the cloud.
Health and fitness comparison
Measuring health and fitness has become the killer app of smartwatches, taking their cues from fitness trackers by counting not just steps but overall movement, workout types and vitals, such as heart rate and skin temperature.
Heart rate
All our tested Apple and Samsung smartwatches tracked heart rate, which is one of the bedrock metrics from which Apple and Samsung build their more advanced health estimates. In our testing, we saw no reason to doubt the accuracy of either brand’s heart rate tracker, which both use optical measuring technology.
Heart function
The Apple Watch Series 9 and Samsung Galaxy Watch6 and Watch6 Classic have an electrical heart sensor that can run a 1-lead electrocardiogram (ECG). This helps give you an idea of your heart function and sinus rhythm — although it’s no replacement for an ECG administered by a medical professional. The Apple Watch SE doesn’t have this capability.
Blood oxygen
Both Samsung Galaxy Watch6 models can measure blood oxygen (pulse ox or blood O2), although we couldn’t vouch for their accuracy compared to a medical device. The Apple Watch Series 9 used to be able to measure blood oxygen as well, but legal issues have led to the deactivation of that capability in models sold by Apple in the United States. The Apple Watch SE (2nd generation) doesn’t have blood O2 capability.
Blood pressure
Samsung Galaxy smartwatches can estimate blood pressure from the data gathered by its sensors. Apple has yet to introduce a blood pressure feature in Apple Watches.
Steps
We found all the Apple and Samsung watches we tested reasonably accurate and trustworthy when it came to this most basic fitness feature.
Body composition
Samsung watches can estimate body composition using their sensors, giving you an idea of the amount of muscle, bone and fat in your body. Apple Watches don’t yet have this capability.
Cycle tracking
Ovulation cycles can be tracked by all the watches we tested, but models with a skin-temperature sensor, including both Samsung Watch6 models and the Apple Watch Series 9, can also estimate fertility.
Sleep
The ability to track sleep stages is common to all four tested smartwatches, but we found the Samsung watches to be less accurate than those from Apple, mistaking when we woke or returned to sleep during the night. Samsung’s Sleep Coach offers tips, however, while Apple’s sleep tracking is more purely informative. Sleep tracking means wearing the watch to bed, and we found all the watches except the 41-millimeter Apple Watch Series 9 to be less than comfortable to wear overnight.
Pricing
With the introduction of the Galaxy Watch7, the Samsung Watch6 has reduced in price, now starting at $199 for the smaller Wi-Fi-only model. This makes it cost less than the second-generation Apple Watch SE, which starts at $249 for the smaller Wi-Fi model.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Classic hasn’t been replaced by a newer model. Its starting price is $399 for the smaller model, the same starting price as the smaller Apple Watch Series 9 with aluminum case. The Apple Watch Series 9 can cost as much as $799 for the stainless steel model in the larger 45-millimeter case and even more with a designer band.
Bottom line
Smartwatches need to combine utility, fashion and health into a single device. Based on our tests and experiences, Apple watches edge out Samsung watches when taking all these things into account. The Apple Watch Series 9 is fast, elegant and powerful, and the best overall smartwatch we’ve seen. That said, for classic looks and innovative features, the Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Classic may be a better bet. Still, there’s no escaping the reality that what kind of smartphone you use may decide this question for you. Apple Watches need iPhones, and Samsung watches prefer Android.
Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.
Check out our Daily Deals for the best products at the best prices and sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter full of shopping inspo and sales.
Copyright 2024 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved.
