Apple Watch Series 2 vs. Samsung Gear S3 vs. Fitbit vs. Android Wear vs. Garmin vs. Pebble
Here's how the new Apple Watch compares to other smartwatches and smart fitness trackers on the market.
Dan Graziano Associate Editor / How To
Dan Graziano is an associate editor for CNET. His work has appeared on BGR, Fox News, Fox Business, and Yahoo News, among other publications. When he isn't tinkering with the latest gadgets and gizmos, he can be found enjoying the sights and sounds of New York City.
Apple introduced the second-generation Apple Watch, known as the Series 2, alongside the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus this week. The new model keeps the same design as the original, but adds GPS, a brighter display and is now swim-proof.
All of these features make the new Apple Watch an appealing buy, but there may be other watches out there that better fit your need. Smartwatches and trackers from Samsung, Fitbit, Garmin, Pebble and a variety of Android Wear partners offer many of the same features as the Apple Watch, and in some cases even more.
Here's how the new Apple Watch compares to the competition,
Apple Watch Series 2 vs. the competition
| Apple Watch Series 2 | Samsung Gear S3 | Fitbit Blaze | Polar M600 | Garmin Vivoactive HR | Pebble Time 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | 38mm starts at $370, £370, AU$529; 42mm starts at $400, £399, AU$579 | N/A | $200, £160, AU$330 | 330, £300 (converts to around AU$435) | $250, £210, AU$400 | $200 (coverts to about £135 or AU$275) |
| Release | September 2016 | Q4 2016 | February 2016 | September 2016 | February 2016 | November 2016 |
| Operating system | WatchOS 3 | Tizen | Fitbit | Android Wear | Garmin | Pebble OS |
| Display | 38mm 1.3-inch OLED; 42mm 1.5-inch OLED | 1.3-inch Super AMOLED | 1.6-inch LCD | 1.3-inch TFT | 1.3-inch Chroma display | TBD; Color e-paper |
| Resolution | 38mm: 340x272 pixels; 42mm: 390x312 pixels | 360x360 pixels | 240x180 pixels | 240x240 pixels | 205x148 pixels | 228x200 pixels |
| Protection | Ion-X glass; Sapphire crystal on Steel and Ceramic models | Gorilla Glass SR+ | Gorilla Glass 3 | Gorilla Glass 3 | Scatch-resistant | Curved Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Always-on | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Interchangeable bands | Yes; Proprietary | Yes; Standard 22mm straps | Yes | Yes; Proprietary | No | Yes; Standard 22mm straps |
| Waterproof | 5ATM | IP68 water resistance; no swimming | No | IPx8; suitable for swimming up to 10 meters (32 feet) | 5ATM | 3ATM |
| Battery life | Up to 18 hours | Up to 4 days | Up to 5 days | Up to 2 days | Up to 8 days | Up to 10 days |
| Battery life with GPS | Up to 5 hours | TBD | N/A | Up to 8 hours | Up to 13 hours | N/A |
| Accelerometer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Heart-rate sensor | Yes; Every 10 minutes; continuous in workout mode | Yes; Every 10 minutes; continuous in workout mode | Yes; Continuous | Yes | Yes; Continuous | Yes |
| GPS | Yes | Yes | No; Must use smartphone | Yes | Yes | No |
| GLONASS | No | TBD | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Altimeter | No | Yes | Yes | No; GPS-based | Yes | TBD |
| Compass | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | TBD |
| LTE | No | Yes; select models | No | No | No | No |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| NFC | Yes (only for Apple Pay) | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No |
| Steps | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Distance | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Floors Climbed | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | TBD |
| Calories Burned | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sleep | Through third-party apps | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Running | Yes | Yes | Yes (no GPS) | Yes | Yes | Yes (no GPS) |
| Biking | Yes | Yes | Yes (no GPS) | Yes | Yes | Yes (no GPS) |
| Swimming | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes (no GPS) |
| Android | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Coming later | Yes | Yes; no third-party app support | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Phone | No | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Third-party apps | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes; limited selection | Yes |
| Watch faces | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Notifications | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Music storage | Yes; 2GB (about 500 songs) | Yes; 4GB (about 1,000 songs) | No | Yes; 4GB (about 1,000 songs) | No | No |
| Speaker | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Microphone | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes |