The Apple Watch 7 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 are probably the two most prominent smartwatches on the market. They could also be the best two.
They are also made by two companies that are fierce rivals and frequent collaborators. Apple and Samsung have been laughing at each other for years, whether they like to admit it or not.
Basically, when it comes to smartwatch matchups, they don't get any tastier than this. We've even given them both four out of five reviews in 2021, which tells you it's an uphill battle.
So which smartwatch is better of the two, the Apple Watch 7 or the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4? Let's take a closer look.
Apple Watch 7 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 4: price and availability
The Apple Watch 7 hit stores on October 15, 2021. Prices start at $399 / £369 / AU$599 for the 41mm non-cellular model, while $429 / £399 / AU$649 will get you covered. the 45mm model. non-cellular model.
For cellular models, the 41mm model will set you back $499 / £469 / AU$749, and the 45mm model is £529 / £499 / AU$799. On top of that, you'll need to factor in the price of a data plan.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is now available to purchase in the US and UK, where it will go on sale on August 26, 2021, and on September 10 in Australia. There's also a Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic model that gives you a more premium design with a physical rotating bezel.
The smaller 40mm non-cellular version of the Galaxy Watch 4 is just €250 / €249 / AU$399, while the cellular version is €300 / €289 / AU$499. The 44mm non-cellular model is € 2809 / €269 (around AU$500), while the LTE unit costs €330 / €309 (around AU$580).
Finally, the top-of-the-line Galaxy Watch 4 Classic starts at $349 / £349 / AU$549 for the 42mm Bluetooth model and €399 / £389 / AU$649 for the 42mm LTE model. Upgrading to the 46mm model is available in a Bluetooth version for €379 / £369 / AU$599, or an LTE variant for €429 / £409 / AU$699.
If you can get a distinct flavor out of this soup model, well done. All you really need to know is that the Apple Watch 7 is the more expensive of the two lines, and the Galaxy Watch 4 gives you more options depending on your budget.
Apple Watch 7 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 4: design and display
Apple and Samsung have taken fundamentally different approaches to designing smartwatches. The Apple Watch is square, while the Samsung Watches are round.
Yes, Samsung offers two different versions of the Galaxy Watch 4. They are very similar, so we will refer to them in the singular for much of this functionality.
Essentially, the Galaxy Watch 4 is smaller, lighter, and has a capacitive touch sensing strip, while the larger Galaxy Watch 4 Classic has a physical rotating bezel for navigation. The Apple Watch 7, of course, uses a much more understated crown that is used to a similar effect.
In terms of size, the Apple Watch 7 is available in 41mm and 45mm, while the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is available in 40mm and 44mm. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic is even bigger at 42mm and 46mm.
Both Samsung and Apple wearables are dust and water resistant to 50 meters.
When it comes to the available colors, the Apple Watch 7 gives you Starlight, Midnight, Blue, Green, and Product Red.
With the Galaxy Watch 4, Samsung has divided the color options between the two sizes. The 40mm model is available in black, gold, and silver, while the 44mm model is available in black, green, and silver. All of them are relatively inconspicuous.
It's hard to compare the screens of these two devices since one is square and the other is circular, but we'll try. The 1,9-inch display on Apple Watch 7 is 20% larger than its predecessor, and it's also larger than the 1,4-inch equivalent on the Galaxy Watch 4.
They're just as pixel-dense, at 326 ppi for the Apple Watch and around 330 ppi for the Galaxy Watch 4. Both are stunning AMOLED and are two of the clearest smartwatch displays on the market.
Another difference is that the Apple Watch 7's screen curves around the edges, while the Galaxy Watch 4's is much flatter and more utilitarian.
Apple Watch 7 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 4: Fitness and Features
With its stronger body, Apple Watch 7 is better equipped for sports use than previous models. Despite this, something is still missing in a few key areas.
Things like interval sessions and heart rate alerts, for example, are still missing. Provides blood oxygen sensor, electrical heart rate sensor, third generation optical heart rate sensor, GPS, and barometric altimeter. Its GPS and heart rate monitoring accuracy is on par with some decent dedicated trackers.
However, the Apple Watch 2's electrocardiogram (ECG) and blood oxygen (SPO7) monitoring facility is not medical grade and therefore of no particular value.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 has a new three-in-one bioactive sensor that allows the watch to monitor heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and body composition. The latter is done using a unique bioelectrical impedance (BIA) sensor and allows you to monitor things like skeletal muscle mass and body fat percentage.
It's this body composition tracking feature that sets the Galaxy Watch 4 apart from the Apple Watch 4 when it comes to health tracking.
Meanwhile, the Apple Watch 7 ace card here is Apple Fitness+. Apple's trainer-based workouts have been put together at great expense and give you a clear edge over your rival if you need a little extra motivation to stick with a fitness routine.
We found the GPS tracking capabilities of the Galaxy Watch 4 to be similar to those of the Apple Watch 7.
It's worth noting that the fitness facilities of these two smartwatches only work to their full potential when you also own a smartphone from the same manufacturer. We're used to Apple's walled garden approach, but the Galaxy Watch 4 makes a similar loop of its ECG and blood pressure monitoring facilities for Samsung smartphones.
(*7*)Apple Watch 7 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 4: operating system, energy and battery
Apple equipped the Apple Watch 7 with an S7 chip, which is apparently a new custom processor. However, this is actually the S6 chip from the Apple Watch 6 with a slightly different design.
We'd like to complain more about this somewhat tricky movement, but the truth is that the Apple Watch 7 is fluid enough. You don't get any of the unwanted effects you often get on lesser smartwatches.
Of course, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 isn't one of those lesser smartwatches. It also uses custom silicon in the form of the Samsung Exynos W920, and we found it to be one of the smoothest and most responsive wearables we've ever used.
One of the ways the Apple Watch is clearly winning is with built-in storage. At 32GB, it's twice the capacity of the Galaxy Watch 4, giving you much more free space for offline apps and music.
Both watches have very powerful software, at least compared to other smartwatches. Apple's WatchOS 8 is arguably the best operating system for smartwatches, but Samsung has provided a strong rival. It ditched its own Tizen operating system and reverted to Google's WearOS, albeit with its own Tizen-like UI.
Both are a joy to use, with finely refined interfaces and richly populated app stores. If you like to enter entire messages from your watch, both watches will provide full keyboard functions in the meantime.
When it comes to endurance, the Apple Watch 7 has always given us a full 24 hours on a single charge. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 got even better, going two to three full days between charges, depending on the frequency and intensity of your exercise program.
It should be noted that this is for the 44mm model of the Watch 4, with its larger 361mAh battery. We haven't tested the 40mm model for strength yet, so it may not fare as well. The Apple Watch 7 has a 309mAh cell, but direct capacity comparisons don't mean much since they use completely different operating systems.
Wear
Apple Watch 7 packs a wide variety of amazing features and offers an amazing second screen for iPhone users. It's not a huge upgrade from the Apple Watch 6, but it's the best smartwatch for iOS users.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is a more impressive upgrade than its own predecessor, with a superior Wear OS-based operating system and excellent battery life.
Both watches offer solid fitness features and silky-smooth performance, along with comfortable fits. The Apple Watch 4 has the most premium design, but you'll have to pay a bit more for this privilege. Really, they're pretty close when you stack up the pros and cons.
It sounds obvious, but it really boils down to this: If you have an iPhone, the Apple Watch 7 is the best smartwatch around. If you have a Samsung phone, the Galaxy Watch 4 is better.
Both have compatibility issues with non-branded phones, although the Galaxy Watch 4 performs better in terms of Android smartphone operability. For this reason, it's safe to call the Galaxy Watch 4 the best option for most people, even though the Apple Watch 7 is arguably the better smartwatch, all things being equal.