Apple Watch Series 10 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: preview of the upcoming battle
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Intro
Samsung's Galaxy Watch series has grown so much over the years (including its previous branding — the Galaxy Gear), and now we are up to Galaxy Watch 7. Often criticized for not being a huge improvement over the Watch 6, but what's left to add?
Well, that criticism can be levied doubly so against Apple Watch Series 10, which Apple announced as a "complete redesign", only to show us something that looks like Apple Watch 7.2.2.2.
It's very obvious that these products are settled into their niches, the manufacturers are happy with them (or maybe users are), and the improvements they get year-on-year are marginal. Though, don't get us wrong — we see and appreciate the various health sensors and measurements they receive each year, and the lifestyle benefits they can bring.
This year, Samsung simplified its Galaxy Watch lineup. Unlike the previous year, which featured both standard and Classic models, we now have only one Galaxy Watch 7 available in two sizes. While the Classic model is absent, Samsung has introduced the Galaxy Watch Ultra, a premium option with an extra-large battery and advanced fitness features.
Apple skipped refreshing the Ultra — save for giving the Apple Watch Ultra 2 a new black color — but brought out the Apple Watch 10. How does it compare to the Galaxy?
This year, Samsung simplified its Galaxy Watch lineup. Unlike the previous year, which featured both standard and Classic models, we now have only one Galaxy Watch 7 available in two sizes. While the Classic model is absent, Samsung has introduced the Galaxy Watch Ultra, a premium option with an extra-large battery and advanced fitness features.
Galaxy Watch 7 vs Galaxy Watch 6: Main differences
| Apple Watch Series 10 | Galaxy Watch 7 |
|---|---|
| 46mm, 42mm sizes, new Titanium option | 40mm, 44mm sizes |
| Soft rectangle display | Circular display |
| Always on mode refreshes once per second | Always on mode refreshes once per minute |
| S10 SiP | Samsung's new W1000 chip (3nm) |
| 64GB storage | 32GB storage |
| 282mAh for 42mm 308mAh for 46mm | 425mAh for 44mm 300mAh for 40mm |
| New watchOS 11 | New Wear OS 5 platform |
| Dual-band GPS | Dual-band GPS |
| Custom workout plans | Race feature to compare your time against your previous workout |
| No emphasis on automatic workout or sleep tracking | New sleep tracking algorithm |
| ECG | ECG, Blood Pressure monitoring |
*Expected, teardowns will confirm exact capacity
The Galaxy Watch 7 really benefitted from the jump from a 5nm chip to a 3nm one. The Exynos W1000 offers a much-needed boost in snappiness when interacting with the wearable. It also got a boost in storage up to 32GB (from 16GB in the past)
These upgrades bring it closer to the Apple Watch, which has been quite snappy, responsive, and pleasing over the past years. Apple's new S10 SiP looks like it doesn't upgrade the processor at the core of the system — on paper, it seems like it's the same dual-core processor that can be tracked back to the Apple Watch Series 6. Of course, it's not all about the processor with these devices — their surrounding sensors and the displays are much more important for their fitness and lifestyle role.
Table of Contents:
Design & Sizes
The two watches will be quite different in design, again. Apple didn't do much with the Apple Watch shape, save for making the Series 10 thinner. That's something that many will appreciate — a lot of people are still on the fence about a smartwatch due to their bulky and protruding designs. The new Ionic Glass front also now tapers further down to the side of the watch, and we admit — it looks clean... so, so clean.
The Apple Watch Series 10 also now comes in two flavors — you can buy either an aluminum or a titanium edition, with the latter costing you a $220 premium. Also, the titanium versions can only be the cellular models, so that inflates their starting price more.
The round shape of a Galaxy Watch 7 is a nice response from Samsung — for those that prefer a more classic look. It, too, has rather large displays at 44mm and 40mm — choose wisely, depending on wrist size. Samsung allows you to navigate the interface via the round bezel on the side — though, it's not mechanical this year around. It's a digital "touch the edge of the screen" scroll wheel.
In terms of water protection, we have IP68 and ATM5 rating on the Galaxy Watch 7 — you can shower with it and maybe swim, but it's not advised. The Apple Watch Series 10 is IP6X rated for dust-resistance and also has water resistance rating of 50 meters under ISO standard 22810:2010. You can use it for shallow water swimming or snorkeling up to 6 meters.
Bands
(Image by PhoneArena)
The Apple bands are easy to swap out with a quick-release latching mechanism. And there are tons to pick from — from the expensive ones on the Apple Store to a plethora of 3rd party retailers.
The Galaxy Watch 6 introduced a brand-new way to swap bands, and Samsung achieved that while still allowing compatibility with the old-style Galaxy Watch bands. That said, we weren't too impressed with the new button-release system, as the button was somewhat small and hard to press. Unfortunately, it's the same design on the Watch 7, but at least you get to use all your bands.
Software & Features
The Apple Watch Series 10 does not have blood pressure tracking — that's what leaksters were saying it would. But there have been reports that Apple is having some issues with implementing it. The consensus was that we may, at the very least, get a "blood pressure elevation" alert, but that also was not shown off or talked about by Apple. So, for the time being — no dice on the blood pressure features.
To sum up what we know — the Apple Watch Series 10 is expected to bring these new features with watchOS 11:
- Sleep apnea detection. This is present on the Galaxy Watch 7
- Water temperature measurement with temp sensor
- New Tides app to show global tidal data
- Voice calling automatic background noise removal
The Galaxy Watch 7 arrives as the first smartwatch running Google's new Wear OS 5 platform, which is good to see.
Here's a breakdown of the notable new features:
- New "Energy Score" provides daily insights into your overall well-being.
- Personalized workouts: Galaxy AI will recommend personalized workout routines for seamless transitions between exercises, keeping your workouts engaging.
- Challenge yourself: Runners and cyclists can use the "Race" feature to compare their performance on favorite routes, adding a competitive edge to your training.
- Smarter sleep tracking: Look forward to more comprehensive sleep analytics with detailed "Sleep Score" metrics, helping you understand your sleep quality better.
- Advanced running metrics: Get insights into your running performance with features like "Aerobic Threshold (AT) / Anaerobic Threshold (AnT) Heart Rate Zone," allowing you to optimize your training zones.
Battery and Charging
The Apple Watch Series 10 changes in shape and size a bit, but we still don't know how that would affect the little batteries inside. We assume it will hover around the 282mAh and 308mAh cells found in the Series 9 41mm and 45mm models. They typically have about a day-and-a-half of use in them, but that will be bolstered by the Apple Watch Series 10's new fast charging — it now goes up to 80% in only 30 minutes of charging.
The battery size on the Galaxy Watch 7 remains the same as before, but some software bugs on launch have caused some extra drainage. You should be able to expect up to two days of regular use, but right now — it's kind of up in the air. Standby as Samsung sorts it out.
Summary
In general, these smartwatches are very closely tied to their ecosystems. If you own an iPhone, you can't sync to a Galaxy Watch 7. If you are on an Android phone — forget about using an Apple Watch Series 10.
If a smartphone is an afterthought to your digital purchases — you are pretty much locked to buying what will work with your already-obtained stuff. If you are measuring the whole ecosystem — iOS or Android — before choosing to dive in, then yes, you may want to consider your watch options.
The Android side has some choices — the Google Pixel Watch, the Galaxy Watches. They will vary a lot, they will evolve and change through the years.
On the iOS side, you have the Apple Watch. And it's set in stone — it hasn't changed its iconic look since the original was introduced 9 years ago. But, it's widely loved, and sells like hot cakes. For a reason — the Apple Watch has been snappy, responsive, useful, and intuitive for years. We'd say Samsung only hit its stride with its watches a year or two ago.
But at this point, both are super-useful. We kind of like the Apple Watch a bit more right now, but we have to see and judge the Series 10 on its own, as it hasn't shipped yet. Pre-orders are open, shipping begins on the 20th of September.
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