So, right off the bat, the biggest sticking point is the ecosystem. Apple Watch? It’s basically glued to your iPhone. Like, it *needs* it. Android Wear – now Wear OS, thanks Google for the confusing names – plays nice with Android. But, honestly, that’s not the *whole* story, is it? I mean, if you’re already neck-deep in the Apple world, with your AirPods and your iPad and all that jazz, then sticking with an Apple Watch is probably the path of least resistance. It just *works* together. But if you are like me, and hate the way Apple controls everything, then go for Android, that is what I would do.
And, of course, there’s the whole interface thing. Apple WatchOS, it’s smooth, it’s polished, it’s… well, it’s Apple. Wear OS has come a *long* way, though! Remember those clunky old Android Wear watches? Yikes. Now it’s actually pretty decent, especially on the newer Samsung Galaxy Watches and, of course, the Pixel Watch. Speaking of the Pixel Watch… I’m still kinda on the fence. It looks cool, but I’ve heard mixed things about the battery life. And, honestly, I’d expect a bit more from a Google-made watch.
Then, let’s talk features. Both sides pack a punch. Heart rate tracking? Check. Sleep monitoring? Check. Notifications? Check. But Apple usually throws in a few extra bells and whistles, like ECG functionality and, like, fall detection. Whether you *actually need* those is another question entirely. Do you *really* need your watch to call emergency services if you take a tumble? Maybe. Maybe not. Depends if you are accident prone, I guess.
Performance-wise, the newer watches on both sides are pretty snappy. The Galaxy Watch 6, for example, got a nice RAM bump, which supposedly makes it way faster switching between apps. Which, okay, is nice. But I’m not exactly launching spreadsheets on my wrist, ya know?
Now, and this is a big one, is software support. Samsung promises like four years of updates for their watches. Which is pretty good. Apple, well, they tend to keep their devices supported for a *while*. So, if you’re planning on rocking your smartwatch for the next five years, that’s definitely something to consider.
And let’s not forget Garmin. Oh, Garmin, you rugged beast. They aren’t mentioned much above, but they are great for fitness.
