I compared Apple and Samsung’s best smartwatches – here’s who wins for now

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Apple unveiled its Watch Series 11 throughout this week’s iPhone occasion, alongside two different smartwatch fashions. The Sequence 11 will get Sleep Scores (crowd roars), an extended battery life, and all of Apple’s WatchOS 26 software program, which is predicted to be launched to the general public quickly.

Additionally: I tried the Apple Watch Series 11, Watch Ultra 3, and SE – what the keynote didn’t tell you

However how does it examine to its closest Android rival, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8? I am evaluating two smartwatch icons and their specs. So, who wins? Preserve studying to seek out out. 

Specs

You should purchase the Apple Watch Sequence 11 if…

1. You need to monitor your blood stress

Are you shopping for a smartwatch for its well being options? Apple introduced at its September iPhone occasion that the Apple Watch Sequence 11 provides hypertension detection and can obtain FDA clearance by the tip of the month. It may possibly’t carry out blood stress readings, but it surely does monitor your blood vessels’ response to heartbeats throughout sleep. It screens your blood stress for 30 days utilizing the watch’s optical coronary heart sensor to ship a median score that’s both inside vary or above the edge. 

If the 30-day score is above the edge, Apple advises customers to take the information collected to a physician for medical assessment. Neither Samsung nor Google has developed this function into their current lineup of smartwatches, and it addresses a significant well being situation that’s usually underdiagnosed. 

2. You desire a decrease profile AI method

Apple infuses AI into a number of facets of its smartwatch — however you would not actually discover in case you weren’t paying consideration. Because of a complicated prediction algorithm, you will get extra related Sensible Stack ideas that take your historic location and watch exercise into consideration. If Apple Watch registers customers recording a pilates exercise each time they go to a studio, the Sensible Stack will extra often counsel initiating a Pilates exercise on the Exercise app. 

Because of AI, the smartwatch’s notification pings change into self-aware: The system registers the noise quantity of your setting to ship pings that are not blaring in quiet areas or too quiet in noisy ones. Sensible Replies get smarter with its on-device language mannequin, which offers “exact” and “related” responses to conversations.

Additionally: Should you upgrade to Apple Watch Series 11? Here’s how it compares to older models

AI powers these options — and plenty of extra — however Apple is not excited by calling consideration to it. That is a considerably completely different method from Samsung and its Galaxy Watch 8, which drips with AI. Extra on that later.

This low-key AI method may very well be a hit or Apple’s Achilles heel in the long term. If and when AI’s hype cycle dies down, Apple will proceed making related options powered by superior know-how, as per common. It will likely be revered for not taking the hype bait and centering its product round a function that got here and went. But when high-power AI options are the way in which of the longer term, Apple may very well be falling behind within the AI rat race. 

3. You are an iPhone person, clearly

You probably have an iPhone, Android smartwatches just like the Galaxy Watch 8 aren’t appropriate along with your smartphone. So, clearly, you will need to seize the Apple Watch to maintain every thing throughout the identical ecosystem. 

You should purchase the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 if…

1. You need longer battery life

Samsung takes the battery capability cake with its Watch 8, which provides 30 hours of battery life with All the time-On Show enabled and 40 hours with it disabled. Apple’s Sequence 11 will get a battery improve, to make sure. But it surely upgrades to 24 hours with AOD enabled and 36 hours in battery-saving mode. 

2. AI exercise assistants

Each Apple and Samsung rolled out AI exercise assistants throughout their summer time product launches. Apple unveiled Exercise Buddy, an in-ear assistant that gives stats, encouragement, and historic knowledge throughout your exercise, and is offered on eight completely different exercise modes, together with Out of doors and Indoor Run, Out of doors and Indoor Stroll, Out of doors Cycle, HIIT, and Practical and Conventional Energy Coaching. Samsung’s Operating Coach is extra particular to, you guessed it, working, however offers extra actionable suggestions for individuals coaching for his or her first or subsequent race.

Additionally: Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max vs. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: I compared both, and here’s the winner

Customers take a working check, and Samsung grades them out of 10. Then it offers an in depth coaching plan to assist them advance to the subsequent coaching stage. Utilizing restoration and train knowledge, Samsung tailors its exercise suggestions to the person. This feels extra customized than Exercise Buddy, and I hope Apple takes notes from Samsung when creating its subsequent health-oriented smartwatch options. 

3. You possibly can profit extra from Gemini

The good thing about being an Android watch is that it is powered by Google’s Gemini. Which means you possibly can name upon the AI assistant to lookup eating places in your space, name and make a reservation for 2, and inquire about dietary restrictions — all with the raise of a wrist. The Galaxy Watch can deal with a number of instructions with shorter compute instances. Apple’s AI is extra simplistic and rather less superior. 

Options to contemplate