Let’s begin by saying we are big fans of smartwatches. Besides the aesthetics and fashion statement they have become, Smartwatches are very functional; they are an instant tool for monitoring our health while scoring cool points. Smartwatches have become a staple of the mobile technology ecosystem. For many, the trinity of a complete smartphone experience is the phone, the earbuds and the smartwatch. The two biggest players in the sector are Apple, the maker of the Apple Watch and Samsung, the manufacturer of the Samsung Galaxy Watch. We have given our opinion about the Apple Watch here. In this post, we will look at what makes the Samsung Watch a capable alternative to the Apple Watch.
Design
Samsung has been in the Smartwatch business since the days of the Samsung Gear, but we will focus exclusively on the Samsung Galaxy Watch series. The OG Galaxy Watch was released in 2018, and the design language (like that of Apple) has remained the same from the first Watch to the Watch 5 Pro. Renders of the upcoming Watch 6 show will maintain the same language. While Apple favoured the square design, Samsung has taken a more traditional approach with its round watch face. We are on the fence here; the design choice between both is largely subjective, but we must admit that we love Samsung’s rotating bezels on the older watches.
Features
The Samsung Watch is feature-packed. Apart from the regular tools for checking your blood pressure, the alerts if you have been inactive for a while, and the fitness and sleep trackers, Samsung has integrated nifty tricks to measure things like your BMI on Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and newer versions. The Samsung Watch also has built-in support for Spotify to listen to music on the fly. You can also use a Micro SD card on many models of Samsung Galaxy Watches.
Pricing
The Samsung Galaxy Watch, when placed side-by-side, is a far cheaper alternative to the Apple Watch. The Galaxy Watch is more affordable… Period! The latest and the greatest Apple Watch, the Series 8 Ultra, will buy 3 Samsung Galaxy Watch 5… Ridiculous!
Compatibility
If you use an Android phone, it’s a no-brainer; the Samsung Galaxy Watch is the smartwatch to get. The device is designed to take advantage of the Android ecosystem in ways the Apple Watch can’t. The Apple Watch is not a bad device, quite the opposite actually, but it’s designed for the iOS operating system, therefore, ill-suited for Android phones.
In 2023, we won’t recommend anything older than the Samsung Watch 3. The OG Watch and the Active Watch 2 are older devices and are no longer supported officially by Samsung.
Smartwatches are very functional and trendy devices. If you would like to get the Samsung Galaxy Watch or you are an iPhone user and you want the Apple Watch, please send us a message here.
