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Classic timepiece design
Samsung Galaxy Watch 7
$239 $300 Save $61
The Galaxy Watch 7 is Samsung’s flagship smartwatch; it’s available in two sizes and has a traditional watch design. The watch also packs the new Exynos W1000 SoC and a beautiful OLED display.
Pros- Gorgeous display
- Classic design and supports standard straps
- Powerful processor and refined software
Cons- Inconsistent GPS performance
- Works only with Android phones
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Modern squircle face
Apple Watch Series 10
$349 $399 Save $50
The Series 10 is Apple’s new flagship. It has an updated design, a powerful S10 chip, and an LTPO OLED display. The watch is available in aluminum and polished titanium casings.
Pros- Available in aluminum and titanium
- Excellent hardware and software
- Support for crash detection
Cons- Disabled SpO2 sensor in the US
- Works only with iPhones
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is arguably the best Wear OS smartwatch for most Android owners. It has a sleek design, refined software, and a beautiful display. It also delivers decent battery life, and you can choose from Wi-Fi and LTE variants. But how does it stack up against the new Apple Watch Series 10, which also has a gorgeous display, faster charging, a powerful chip, and an impressive selection of health and fitness tracking features? Let’s find out.
Read our ranking
Best smartwatches for Android in 2024
Our favorite smartwatches for any Android phones
Price, availability, and specs
The Galaxy Watch 7 starts at $300 for the 40mm Wi-Fi model, $329 for the 44mm Wi-Fi model, and $50 more for the LTE model of each size.
The Series 10 is available in even more variants. The base 42mm model with Wi-Fi costs $400, and the 46mm model with Wi-Fi will cost $430. Cellular connectivity costs $100 more. Apple also offers the Series 10 in titanium, but it comes in only Wi-Fi + cellular models, with the 42mm model costing $700 and the 46mm model costing $750.
Both smartwatches are widely available from the usual suspects, including Amazon and Best Buy. You can also purchase the cellular variants from all three major carriers.
Here’s a look at their raw specifications.
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Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 Apple Watch Series 10 Case size 40mm, 44mm 42mm, 46mm Case Material Aluminum Aluminum or Titanium Display 1.3″ AMOLED (40 mm); 1.5″ AMOLED (44 mm) 1.7-inch LTPO OLED (42mm); 1.92-inch LTPO OLED (46mm) CPU Samsung Exynos W1000 Apple S10 SiP Storage 32GB 64GB Battery 300mAh (40 mm); 425mAh (44 mm) 18-36 hours Cellular connectivity LTE (optional) LTE (optional) Software Wear OS 5 with One UI 6 Watch watchOS 11 Health sensors Optical bio-signal; electrical heart signal; bioelectrical impedance; skin temperature Optical heart rate, SpO2 (disabled in the US), ECG, continuous EDA, skin temperature Dimensions 40.4 x 40.4 x 9.7mm (40mm); 44.4 x 44.4 x 9.7mm (44mm) 42 x 36 x 9.7mm (42mm); 46 x 39 x 9.7mm (46mm) Weight 28.8g (40mm); 33.8g (44mm) 30g (42mm, aluminum, Wi-Fi); 29.3g (42mm, aluminum, cellular); 36.4g (46mm, aluminum, Wi-Fi); 35.3g (46mm, aluminum, cellular); 34.4g (42mm, titanium); 41.7g (46mm, titanium) IP Rating IP68 IP6X Display resolution 432 x 432 (40mm); 480 x 480 (44mm) 374 x 446 (42mm); 416 x 496 (46mm) Wi-Fi connectivity Wi-Fi 5 Wi-Fi 4 Connectivity NFC NFC Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.3 Bluetooth 5.3 Colors Green; Cream (40mm); Silver (44mm) Aluminum: Jet Black, Rose Gold, Silver; Titanium: Slate, Gold, Natural ATM Rating 5ATM 5ATM Always on display Yes Yes Speaker Yes Yes Mic Yes Yes
Read our review
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is still the best ecosystem smartwatch on Android
Iterative? Only compared to the last Galaxy Watch
Read our review
Review: The Apple Watch Series 10 is a great watch that’s starting to feel the same
Not a huge step up
Design and display
Distinct design with beautiful OLED screens
The Galaxy Watch 7 and the Watch Series 10 have very different designs. While Samsung has opted for a classic circular watch face look, the Apple Watch has its squircle design. Moreover, the Galaxy Watch 7 has two regular buttons on the right side of an aluminum casing, two visible lugs that support standard watch bands, and a digital bezel. However, you get a choice of aluminum or titanium casing with the Series 10, a rotating crown, recessed lugs with a proprietary connector, and a regular flush button.
While the Watch 7 has about the same durability as the aluminum variant of the Series 10, the titanium variant is more durable than both. The smartwatches are also 5ATM water-resistant.
Although the Galaxy Watch 7 and the Series 10 have an always-on OLED display with a peak brightness of 2,000 nits, the latter uses an LTPO panel, allowing it to adjust its refresh rate depending on the need. The Series 10 also has a bigger 1.77-inch or 1.96-inch display than the 1.3-inch and 1.5-inch available on the two sizes of the Watch 7.
Software and health & fitness
It’s Wear OS vs watchOS
The Galaxy Watch 7 and the Series 10 are quite different on the software front, as the smartwatches use a different platform. While you get Wear OS 5 with One UI 6 Watch on the Watch 7, the Series 10 has watchOS 11. Both platforms are capable and include many apps, excellent health and wellness features, and activity-tracking abilities. As you can expect, the smartwatches can also mirror the notifications from your smartphone, play and store music, and support contactless payments.
However, the Galaxy Watch 7 is only compatible with Android devices, whereas the Series 10 is restricted to iPhone owners. The Samsung smartwatch also works best with Samsung smartphones; however, you can use most of its features with other Android smartphones.
Samsung will release four generations of One UI Watch and Wear OS upgrades for the Galaxy Watch 7. Although Apple doesn’t reveal a specific number of updates a smartwatch will get, it typically supports its devices for several years. So you can expect it to match, if not surpass, the Galaxy Watch 7’s support period.
In terms of health tracking, these smartwatches can monitor heart rate, ECG, sleep, and stress. The two also have a SpO2 sensor for blood oxygen tracking. However, only the Galaxy Watch 7 can currently track blood oxygen levels in the US. Unfortunately, Apple had to disable that functionality because of legal troubles. And you can track various indoor and outdoor workouts, including running, walking, cycling, swimming, and more.
But there are also some exclusive features for each watch. For example, Samsung’s Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (or BIA) sensor can measure body composition. This includes details such as body fat percentage, body water content, and skeletal muscle mass. The Series 10 can’t do this.
However, the Apple Watch includes Crash Detection. It can detect when you’ve been in a car crash and help you connect with emergency services. You also get the new Training Load feature in the watchOS 11 that helps measure how the intensity and duration of workouts impact your body over time.
Performance and battery life
Two solid performers with okay battery life
The Galaxy Watch 7 uses a new five-core Exynos W1000 chip. It’s powerful, delivering a responsive and snappy experience. Everything runs smoother, and the W1000 makes the Watch 7 sufficiently substantial for future Wear OS updates. The dual-core S10 chip in the Watch Series 10 is equally impressive and renders a zippy experience.
Since they’re high-performance smartwatches, the Galaxy Watch 7 and the Series 10 aren’t particularly great on the battery front. The bigger sizes have bigger batteries and, as such, offer a longer battery backup on a single charge. But in any case, either smartwatch will give you a full day of backup on a single charge. But don’t expect more, especially if you are a heavy user. That said, the smartwatches support fast charging. So, you won’t have to wait long to get a quick top-up.
The Watch 7 also has a dual-frequency GPS, whereas the Series 10 has a single-frequency GPS. However, the Apple Watch still performs better than the Samsung offering. The two watches also include dual-band Wi-Fi 5, NFC, and Bluetooth 5.3.
Finally, the Apple Watch has 64GB storage compared to the Galaxy Watch 7’s 32GB.
Which is right for you?
Things are cut and dry when it comes to shopping for a smartwatch between these two. If you own an Android phone, the Galaxy Watch 7 is an easy decision because there are no simple ways to use an Apple Watch with Android. The Watch 7 is the best smartwatch for most Android owners. It delivers excellent performance and is chock-full of health and fitness tracking capabilities. It also supports contactless payments, has a decent battery life, and will receive four Wear OS updates.
Editor’s choice
Samsung Galaxy Watch 7
Best for most Android users
$239 $300 Save $61
The Galaxy Watch 7 continues Samsung’s dominance in the Wear OS smartwatches. It’s responsive, chock-full of health and fitness features, and looks great.
The Apple Watch Series 10 is the best smartwatch for most folks with an iPhone. It’s a fantastic smartwatch with excellent performance, a great app library, and tons of health and fitness features. Like other Apple smartwatches, it’ll likely have a long software support period. Depending on your needs, you can also choose between aluminum and titanium casings.
Runner-up
Apple Watch Series 10
Best for most iPhone owners
$349 $399 Save $50
The Series 10 is an excellent smartwatch and a no-brainer for most iPhone owners. It has almost everything you’d want in a smartwatch, with a sleek design and refined software.
