Smartwatches are the ultimate tech accessory for your smartphone. Today’s models instantly update notifications right to your wrist. They can also allow you to search the internet, track your exercise with built in GPS, and allow you to pay for coffee or groceries without pulling out your wallet. Some smartwatches still require the user to be within a certain radius of their smartphone, but advancements in technology are changing that. Apple and Samsung continually fight for the top spot when it comes to smartwatches.

Samsung Galaxy Watch

As one of the most refined smartwatches on the market today, the Samsung Galaxy Watch has a cohesive user interface and an aesthetically pleasing design. The design of the watch looks exactly like a high-end wrist watch and comes in a stainless steel case. With any smartwatch, the small screen make it hard to navigate. The updated bezel (the grooved ring holding the watch face in position) is the easiest way to navigate the watch.  

The Galaxy Watch runs on Samsung’s Tizen software which is an update from other Samsung watches. The updated operating system adds an extra day of battery life to the watch. The 46mm watch lasts four days with normal use while the 42mm watch lasts three days.

The watch is also more fitness-focused with the addition of extra sensors and the revamped Samsung Health app. It automatically detects six of the 39 exercises and nudges the user when they are too sedentary.

Apple Watch 3

It seems like Apple updates their devices every single year and the update from the Apple Watch 2 to the Apple Watch 3 is no different. The Apple Watch 3 is perfect watch for the fitness obsessed. The on board tracking makes the device the perfect fitness buddy to wear when running or cycling. The watch is also protected in a water-resistant casing and can be worn while swimming.

While Apple has not seen a reason to update the design of the watch, they have made some internal changes to the chip and the cellular connectivity of the watch. They’ve integrated an antenna into the screen and update the digital crown on the side of the watch.

Apple also created two versions of this watch. They kept one version with the standard GPS which allows the wearer to only travel so far from your phone. They also released a version with cellular connectivity that allows the wearer to go completely phone free while wearing the watch.  

This was written before Apple’s release of the Apple Watch 4