The Breaker Times

The Apple Watch Series 10 has arrived with a thinner and lighter design and an even larger screen, once again shaking up the smartwatch world. Apple’s smartwatches have been solid wearables for so long that they’ve become the standard against which most competing Android smartwatches are measured, and this year’s Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is no exception.

Samsung has often beaten Apple to the punch lately in terms of offering new health features, even if they’re not always fully baked at release, but that’s likely only because it can read the writing on the wall. Apple matches most of what Samsung comes up with only a few weeks later, keeping the two wearables neck and neck at most things. Apple and Samsung may be able to measure the same metrics, but each takes its own approach to how it presents and interprets them — and those approaches are as different as the designs of the wearables themselves.

The choice between the Apple Watch Series 10 and Galaxy Watch 7 is more likely to be dictated by whatever smartphone you’re already using — you can’t use an Apple Watch with an Android phone and vice versa — but it’s always interesting to explore how the other side lives. Plus, the Apple Watch Series 10 and Galaxy Watch 7 each have enough unique features to be a determining factor for anyone thinking about switching platforms. Let’s take a look at how this year’s two flagship smartwatches measure up.

Apple Watch Series 10 vs. Samsung Galaxy Watch 7

Apple Watch Series 10 vs. Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: design

Anyone who has ever seen an Apple Watch should be familiar with the Apple Watch Series 10 at first glance, but closer examination will show that Apple has made some subtle, but significant changes to this year’s model.

While the overall aesthetic remains the same, the Apple Watch Series 10 gets both a larger screen and a thinner body. The screen on the largest 46mm model jumps to a 1.96-inch diagonal, making it slightly larger than the display on the bulkier app Apple Watch Ultra 2. However, the design gets even more svelte, shaving a millimeter off the thickness. That might not sound like much, but it makes a huge difference for something you wear on your wrist all day, as does the four-gram weight reduction that comes with it. That works out to a 10% reduction in both thickness and weight.

By comparison, the Galaxy Watch 7 doesn’t change at all on the outside compared to its predecessor, but we think that’s a good thing as it signals that Samsung has hit its design stride. Apple’s smartwatches have become iconic over their 10-year lifespan, while Samsung has struggled to find its stylistic niche. It also didn’t need to shed any thickness or weight, as it was already thinner and lighter than last year’s Apple Watch Series 9; Apple had to slim down its wearable to match Samsung’s already thinner design

Nevertheless, the Apple Watch Series 10 and Galaxy Watch 7 couldn’t be more polarized in their designs. While Samsung leaned a bit into Apple’s style with its new Galaxy Watch Ultra, the Galaxy Watch 7 remains refreshingly different, with an attractive round design that sets it apart from Apple’s squarish look. While platform compatibility means that style may not be the most essential factor in choosing between these two wearables, that’s a shame as we really think it makes a difference.

The Galaxy Watch 7 retains its two-button side controls. There’s no Digital Crown here like you’ll find on the Apple Watch, nor do we get the fun physically rotating bezel of the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic. Instead, you get a touchscreen virtual bezel to help you navigate and scroll quickly through longer lists.

This year, the Apple Watch Series 10 replaces Apple’s traditional matte black aluminum finish with a sleek new Jet Black finish. However, it lacks the more colorful options of prior models, with only rose gold and silver alternatives. A higher-end version uses a titanium casing and comes in slate, gold, and natural shades. The Galaxy Watch 7’s case uses Samsung’s Armor Aluminum, with green, silver, and cream colors — although the latter two are limited to specific sizes.

Samsung uses sapphire crystal on all Galaxy Watch 7 models, which should offer more scratch resistance over the aluminum Apple Watch Series 10, which uses Apple’s Ion-X glass formulation. Apple reserves sapphire glass for its pricier titanium Series 10 models. The Apple Watch Series 10 and Galaxy Watch 7 provide 5ATM and IP68 dust and water resistance, respectively, plus a MIL-STD-810H rating for protection against outdoor elements.

At the end of the day, design is subjective, and these two smartwatches couldn’t be more different, so we’re calling this one a tie.

Winner: Tie

Apple Watch Series 10 vs. Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: display

The different styles of the Apple Watch Series 10 and Galaxy Watch 7 also results in the starkest contrast between their displays: the shape.

The Apple Watch Series 10 maintains the square design that’s been the mainstay of Apple’s wearables since their inception, while Samsung opts for a more traditional watch-like circular design. This makes it difficult to compare the screen dimensions on an even footing. For instance, while the 1.96-inch (49.8mm) diagonal of the Apple Watch Series 10 may cause it to seem as if it has a much larger display than the 1.5-inch (38.1mm) diameter of the Galaxy Watch 7, the display area on Apple’s wearable is only 80mm greater than that of the Galaxy Watch 7 — or slightly under a single square centimeter.

Both watches have similar resolutions — 416 x 496 pixels for the Apple Watch Series 10 and 480 x 480 pixels across the center of the Galaxy Watch 7 — which work out to densities of 330 pixels per inch (ppi) and 320 ppi, respectively.

This means both screens should be equally crisp. The Apple Watch Series 10 retains the same 2,000 nits of peak brightness as its predecessor. While Samsung hasn’t offered up a brightness spec for the AMOLED panel on its Galaxy Watch 7, the consensus is that it’s essentially the same 2,000-nit screen as the one for last year’s Galaxy Watch 6. While neither reaches the 3,00-nit level of their respective Ultra counterparts, we had no problems seeing the display on either under even the brightest conditions we encountered.

However, Apple has another useful trick up its sleeve for this year’s model. The Apple Watch Series 10 has a new wide-angle OLED display, a technology pioneered by Apple for its wearable that it claims makes the screen up to 40% brighter when viewed at all angles. That’s an important bonus for a device that you’re more likely to be looking at from an off-axis angle. Both wearables have great and bright screens, but those better viewing angles give the Apple Watch the edge here.

Winner: Apple Watch Series 10

Apple Watch Series 10 vs. Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: performance

The Apple Watch Series 10 gets the expected boost from Apple’s latest S10 chip, but oddly, Apple didn’t have as much to say about that new chip this year. That’s likely because it’s merely a repackaged version of last year’s S9 chip. Apple increments its S-series chip names with each year’s Apple Watch, but only upgrades the underlying silicon every two or three generations. The S9 and S10 are believed to use the same T8310 architecture.

That means we shouldn’t expect significant performance bumps over last year’s Apple Watch Series 9 (or Apple Watch Ultra 2). However, that’s not surprising since those older models have received many of the same features introduced on the Series 10. It’s also largely irrelevant as we’ve never had performance issues with any Apple Watch models we’ve reviewed, and that’s not about to start with the Apple Watch Series 10, which handled everything we threw at it with aplomb.

On the other hand, some of Samsung’s previous Galaxy Watch models have been on the sluggish side when compared to the “gold standard” of the Apple Watch. That changes with this year’s Galaxy Watch 7, which can finally hold its own. That comes courtesy of the new five-core Exynos W1000 chip in this year’s model, which provides a threefold boost in performance over the Exynos W930. It’s a noticeable boost that makes navigating through the Galaxy Watch 7 as smooth as glass; apps open almost instantly, there’s no hint of lagginess, and notifications come in immediately. The Apple Watch Series 10 may still come out slightly ahead, but we don’t think there’s a difference here anyone will notice unless you’re comparing them side by side with a stopwatch. Nevertheless, Apple’s S10 chip is built on a lineup of solid performers.

Winner: Apple Watch Series 10

Apple Watch Series 10 vs. Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: software and features

The Apple Watch Series 10 runs Apple’s latest watchOS 11 operating system and requires an iPhone running iOS 18 or later. However, many of the new features of the Apple Watch Series 10 have more to do with the software than the hardware, and few of the changes in watchOS 11 are specific to Apple’s latest wearable.

For instance, watchOS 11 brings new Vitals and Tides apps to all Apple Watch models, plus the new Training Load for workouts. Even this year’s marquee health feature, sleep apnea notifications, comes to last year’s Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2.

The Vitals app tracks five important metrics while you sleep (more on that later), while the Tides app is intended to help folks who enjoy oceanfront water sports like surfing check forecasted tide levels, weather, and wind speed at any of 100,000 beaches worldwide. There are a dozen other smaller quality-of-life improvements in watchOS 11, but none are specific to the Apple Watch Series 10.

The two most significant hardware-related improvements unique to this year’s Apple wearable are an upgraded external speaker that can now be used to listen to music and podcasts and the previously Apple Watch Ultra-exclusive depth gauge.

While you can’t expect spectacular sound from such a small wrist-mounted speaker, we were pleasantly surprised at how well it performed for listening to podcasts and other spoken-word audio. It’s loud enough that it’s easy to hear, and particularly useful for situations like working around the house where you really can’t be bothered taking the time to find your AirPods, or just don’t feel like wearing them.

The Galaxy Watch 7 is among the first smartwatches to ship with Wear OS 5 and Samsung’s One UI 6 Watch. In this case, the new software improves efficiency and supports a new Watch Face format that should make the Galaxy Watch 7 even more customizable. While much of what’s in Wear OS 5 will eventually come to other Android-based smartwatches, Samsung has added some of its own faces to provide a unique touch that’s all its own.

Samsung has also added a new Double Pinch gesture that was undoubtedly inspired by Apple’s Double Tap feature, which debuted on last year’s Apple Watch models. This lets you control your watch by tapping your index finger and thumb together, although the capabilities are limited to things like answering calls, dismissing alarms, controlling music playback, and taking photos with your paired Samsung phone.

Since Apple had a one-year head start, Double Tap has expanded on the Apple Watch Series 10 to provide even more capabilities in watchOS 11. It now works in water lock mode for when you’re swimming, surfing, or taking a shower, lets you scroll through lists and menus, and do much more with the Smart Stack of widgets. Developers can also now plug into it thanks to support in third-party apps.

Despite all the hype surrounding Apple Intelligence right now, Apple hasn’t expanded its AI features onto its wearables; they’re strictly iPhone-, iPad-, and Mac-only for now. That’s not the case with Samsung, which is leaning into Galaxy AI to provide deeper analysis of health and fitness data and give insight into how your health is affecting your daily life. This is reflected in a new Energy Score metric that pulls together stats from your sleep, activity, and heart rate. Apple’s new Vitals app delivers a similar concept, but shows only the raw data without attempting to draw any conclusions from it.

Wear OS and One UI 6 Watch are evolving nicely, making it a closer race every year. However, Apple’s watchOS platform is still more established, its Double Tap gestures are more powerful, and the external speaker is a very useful enhancement.

Winner: Apple Watch Series 10

Apple Watch Series 10 vs. Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: battery life and charging

The Apple Watch has never been the longest-lasting smartwatch out there, and the Series 10 sadly does nothing to change that trend. Apple promises the same “all-day battery life” with up 18 hours of normal use, whereby “normal” Apple means checking the time 300 times per day, receiving 90 notifications, using apps for 15 minutes, and doing a 60-minute workout while listening to music over Bluetooth. That includes no more than four hours of LTE use if you have a cellular Apple Watch.

As with prior models running watchOS 9 or later, the Apple Watch Series 10 also has a low-power mode that can double that to 36 hours. However, you’ll have to sacrifice the always-on display, Double Tap gesture, heart rate notifications, and background heart rate and blood oxygen measurements.

The bottom line is that your Apple Watch will still have to hit a charger at least once a day. In our testing, we got a little over 24 hours per charge and could push that to 28 hours if we didn’t work out at all. Those numbers are better than Apple’s estimates, but they’re still not great compared to the competition.

Unfortunately, the Galaxy Watch 7 isn’t exactly a strong competitor here. Samsung promises up to 30 hours of normal use with the always-on display enabled, which can be pushed to 40 hours if you’re willing to leave it off most of the time. Samsung doesn’t define typical usage in this case, but we found it frustratingly inconsistent, especially when you first start using it. The battery life eventually settled down a bit, but we still found it barely made it for much more than a day. That’s a letdown, considering last year’s Galaxy Watch 6 could get you through nearly two days on a single charge. By comparison, you’ll need to put the Galaxy Watch 7 on a charger at least once a day unless you’re willing to live without the always-on display or forgo other more power-hungry health-tracking features.

While the Galaxy Watch 7 offers the same charging speeds, taking around 85 minutes to hit a full charge, Apple has once again increased the charging speeds of its wearable. The Apple Watch Series 7 got a fast-charging boost three years ago, doubling the charging speeds to get you to 80% in 45 minutes, and the Series 10 can do the same in only 30 minutes. In our testing, we found it went from 7% to 32% after only 10 minutes on the charger. It will take an hour to get from flat to full, but that’s at least 25 minutes faster than the Galaxy Watch 7. Those fast-charging numbers may not matter if you don’t wear your watch to bed at night, but they’re crucial if you do. The Apple Watch Series 10 can quickly charge back up while performing your morning ablutions and be ready to face the day when you are. The Galaxy Watch 7 could have been a contender here if it weren’t for its disappointing battery life, but with the two almost neck and neck in terms of runtimes, Apple’s faster charging gives it the win.

Winner: Apple Watch Series 10

Apple Watch Series 10 vs. Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: health tracking

In recent years, Apple and Samsung have been playing a game of leapfrog when it comes to new health features, and this year, we’re seeing more of the same. Samsung gets features out slightly before Apple due to the earlier release cycle of its Galaxy Watch lineup, but inevitably introduces new health features that show up on Apple’s wearables a few weeks later. We saw it with the temperature sensor on the Galaxy Watch 5 and Apple Watch Series 8 (although it took Samsung a few more months to make its temperature sensor useful), and this year, the big one is sleep apnea monitoring.

The Galaxy Watch 7 beat out Apple to become the first sleep apnea monitoring technology to be De Novo approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It’s clear Apple already had a similar feature in development, as it had applied for a “Sleep Apnea Notification Feature (SANF)” on April 4, 2024. However, in its usual secretive style, Apple likely arranged for the FDA to hold off on clearing the technology until it was ready to announce it.

While the two technologies sound similar on the surface, there are some subtle, but important differences in how they work. Samsung’s version is only enabled for users over the age of 22 and is intended to detect signs of “moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea” after at least two nights of monitoring within a 10-day period. Apple’s implementation works for anyone over 18 and provides an assessment of breathing disturbances each night you wear your watch to bed.

However, the Apple Watch won’t notify you of possible sleep apnea until enough elevated breathing disturbances have been detected over a 30-day period, which also requires wearing your Apple Watch to sleep for at least 10 nights. Neither is designed to replace a proper medical diagnosis, nor should they be used by anyone who has already been diagnosed with sleep apnea.

Apple and Samsung have also improved their usual sleep-tracking algorithms in this year’s hardware and software updates. Samsung has a more advanced AI algorithm for sleep analysis that should provide more accurate results.

It’s also worth noting that Apple has brought its sleep apnea notifications to last year’s Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 as part of watchOS 11. There’s also a new Vitals app to track key metrics of heart rate, blood oxygen levels, sleep duration, wrist temperature, and respiratory rate and alert you to significant changes. This isn’t specific to the Apple Watch Series 10, but rather part of watchOS 11. It is available on all Apple Watch models that support the latest software update (although the individual vitals will depend on the availability of sensors, such as wrist temperature and the controversial blood oxygen sensor that’s currently banned in the United States).

Samsung has a new Energy Score feature thatserves a similar purpose to Apple’s Vitals in keeping track of your daily health trends. However, the Galaxy Watch 7 performs a more in-depth AI analysis to provide insight into what that score means rather than just showing the raw data. Samsung has also added a new capability in this year’s Galaxy Watch 7 to monitor AGEs (advanced glycation end products). Sadly, this is one of these features that may sound better in theory than in practice. The application of this is a bit vague — it’s supposed to help you monitor diet and lifestyle and provide insight into how your body is aging, but we found it difficult to understand and of questionable accuracy. Perhaps Samsung will improve it with future software updates, but it’s of dubious value at this stage.

Samsung’s BioActive Sensor provides the same capabilities as in prior models, providing data for metrics like heart rate, muscle and fat mass, body water, body fat, and basal metabolic rate (BMR), but now boasts under-the-hood changes that should result in better accuracy for all these readings. Samsung also still offers blood oxygen tracking on the Galaxy Watch 7, as it hasn’t found itself embroiled in the same patent dispute that’s caused Apple’s version of the sensors to be banned in the U.S. Samsung also gets an edge here with its bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) that provides a more comprehensive profile of your body composition, including fat and muscle mass. The Apple Watch has nothing equivalent, so you’ll have to rely on other hardware like smart scales to fill the gap.

Besides the new sleep apnea detection, Apple’s health sensors are on par with last year’s Series 9 and include the usual collection of ECG, high and low heart rate notifications, irregular rhythm notifications, wrist temperature, and blood oxygen sensing (for non-U.S. models). There don’t appear to be any hardware changes here. Apple has improved the algorithms that interpret the data in watchOS 11, but those changes will also improve the accuracy of the metrics on older models.

Health monitoring and analysis is an essential area in which Samsung has surpassed Apple. The ban on Apple’s blood oxygen monitoring is a huge mark against the Apple Watch Series 10 in the U.S.. However, the Galaxy Watch 7 still gets the edge even where that tech is available, thanks to its BioActive Sensor, bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), and Galaxy AI features that give you a more holistic view of your health.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Watch 7

Apple Watch Series 10 vs. Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: fitness

On the fitness side, the Apple Watch Series 10 has a new Training Load feature, courtesy of watchOS 11, that compares the intensity and duration of your workouts so you can more easily see if you’re performing below or above your potential. Along similar lines, Samsung now offers a Race mode to let you compete against your previous outdoor running and cycling workouts that were done along the same route. There’s also a Functional Threshold Power (FTP) feature that uses AI-powered metrics to help users reach their optimum cycling power, roughly matching features that arrived for the Apple Watch in last year’s watchOS 10 update.

Apple upped its game with the Apple Watch Series 10 this year by bringing the depth gauge over from the Apple Watch Ultra, with support for related apps like Oceanic+ to let you use it as a dive computer. It’s only certified to 6 meters, compared to the Ultra’s 40-meter depth, and the Series 10 only has a 5ATM water resistance rating — the same as the Galaxy Watch 7. Apple says this is intended to support shallow-water activities like snorkeling; divers will still want to opt for the more rugged Apple Watch Ultra 2, which is EN13319-certified for recreational scuba diving.

Beyond those specific improvements, you’ll find the Apple Watch Series 10 and Galaxy Watch 7 remain about evenly matched in the number and types of workouts they support, so you shouldn’t have any trouble tracking everything from running and swimming to bowling and badminton. There are no subscription fees to either company’s standard fitness and health features; Apple offers a subscription-based Fitness+ service with guided workouts, but that’s a complementary service to the Apple Watch that’s entirely optional.

Samsung is catching up in fitness, making it a closer race each year. However, the Apple Watch Series 10 still retains a healthy lead with new features like Training Load, and anyone who enjoys exercising in or around water will appreciate its new focus on water sports.

Winner: Apple Watch Series 10

Apple Watch Series 10 vs. Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: price and availability

The Apple Watch Series 10 starts at $399 for the GPS model without cellular connectivity in the smaller 42mm size with an aluminum finish, or $499 for the GPS + Cellular version. Moving up to the 46mm model adds another $30 to those base prices. The aluminum models are available in Jet Black, silver, and rose gold. Apple also offers a more premium titanium finish in natural, gold, and slate colors starting at $699 for the 42mm version or $749 for the 46mm. All titanium models include cellular capabilities. The base prices include a choice of basic rubber and textile band options; those can be swapped out for more premium band options for an additional cost.

The base model 40mm Galaxy Watch 7 sells for $300, while the larger 44mm is $330. Both are available with LTE connectivity for an additional $50 on top of those base prices. The Galaxy Watch 7 is only available in a standard aluminum finish, and the colors vary between the sizes; both are available in green, while the silver is limited to the 44mm version and the cream is exclusive to the smaller 40mm model. Your choice from a selection of fabric, sport, and “Athleisure” bands is included in the purchase price. Unlike Apple, Samsung doesn’t let you pay the difference to swap these out for more premium bands, so if you want the Milanese band, you’ll have to purchase it separately at full price.

Apple Watch Series 10 vs. Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: verdict

While the Apple Watch Series 10 and Galaxy Watch 7 are both excellent smartwatches in their own right, most people will find that the real choice between them is dictated by their ecosystem. Both smartwatches need to be paired to a smartphone to function, and it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Apple Watch only works with an iPhone and the Galaxy Watch 7 only works with an Android device — and it works best with a Samsung smartphone.

If you’re on the fence between platforms, the features of Apple’s and Samsung’s wearables will likely be a factor — and may even be enough to nudge you to one side or the other. Beyond the obvious style differences, which are entirely subjective, the Galaxy Watch 7 comes out ahead in overall health tracking, with more advanced bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) features and a blood oxygen sensor that still works in the U.S. The Apple Watch is no slouch in that area, but it doesn’t provide quite the same holistic experience that Samsung does in tying different aspects of your health together, especially now that the Wear OS smartwatch maker has thrown Galaxy AI into the mix.

Nevertheless, the Apple Watch Series 10 stands out in every other category. It holds its own in core fitness features with robust workout tracking, and the new Training Load feature takes things up a notch. The new Tides app and depth gauge are unique features for water sports enthusiasts that you won’t find on Samsung’s smartwatch, and the external speaker is very helpful if you like to listen to podcasts on the go without popping in a set of earbuds. Apple’s watchOS ecosystem is also far more polished than Wear OS, which still seems like it’s trying to find its footing.

The Apple Watch Series 10 is a solid upgrade to an already excellent smartwatch platform with only one bothersome caveat: if you’re buying one in the U.S., you’ll have to live without the blood oxygen monitoring due to ongoing patent litigation that’s forced Apple to disable it until it can either successfully challenge those patents or they simply expire in four years. However, that’s only a problem in the U.S.; the Apple Watch Series 10 includes blood oxygen monitoring in every other country where it’s sold.