The latest generation of the Apple Watch is now official, bringing new health and fitness features alongside new watch faces, better sleep tracking and less intrusive notifications. But it’s not the only one – Samsung also launched a wearable recently. Is the Apple Watch Series 8 the best or does the Galaxy Watch 5 beat it?
We’ve compared specs and prices, and added a healthy dose of opinion to help you choose the right watch for your wrist.
Apple Watch Series 8 vs Galaxy Watch 5: Price and Availability
| Apple Watch Series 8 | Galaxy Watch 5 | |
|---|---|---|
 | $329.00 | $299.00 |
The Apple Watch Series 8 is available as of September 16, 2022. It is available in 41mm and 45mm sizes, with a choice of two case metals: aluminum and stainless steel. Prices start at €499 for a 41mm aluminum Watch with GPS. They rise to €619 for a 45mm stainless steel version in gold, with cellular connectivity.
The Galaxy Watch 5 is available for purchase now in 40mm and 44mm sizes. Prices start at €279 for the 40mm Wi-Fi only model, and rise to €329 for the 44mm Watch 5 with 4G connectivity. All models include 16GB of built-in storage. Available colors are rose gold, graphite and silver for the 40mm model, and sapphire, graphite and silver for the 44mm watch.
Apple Watch Series 8 vs Galaxy Watch 5 design
The Apple Watch 8 features a distinctive rectangular display that has been favored by Apple since the beginning. Depending on the size you choose, it has a 1.57 or 1.73 inch screen with a resolution of 352 x 430 or 396 x 484. It is an OLED screen, which is also always on, making it easy to look at.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 has a circular screen, more like a classic watch. The 40mm model has an always-on 1.2-inch OLED display with a resolution of 396 x 396, with the larger model expanding to 1.4 inches and a resolution of 450 x 450. Its case is made of armored aluminum.
Both watches offer IP68-certified protection against dust and water. They are also swim-proof up to 5 ATM.
Features and performance Apple Watch Series 8 vs Galaxy Watch 5
The Apple Watch 8 offers typical fitness and workout tracking, including the popular activity ring method to encourage you to do more throughout the day. It tracks how far you run, walk and do other exercises like tai chi and yoga, as well as HIIT.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 does the same, but it goes further. It has more advanced sensors, which means it does a better job. Even when it comes to sleep tracking, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 offers better information, with a month-long sleep plan developed to help you sleep better.
It also uses your sleep cycle to enhance your connected smart home. SmartThings integration can help your lights dim when it notices you’re falling asleep. You can control your smart home with the Apple Watch 8, but it’s not smart enough to detect when you’re falling asleep and react accordingly.
The Apple Watch 8 does have a unique feature, however: car accident detection. If you are in a serious car accident, it can automatically connect you to emergency services and notify your contacts.
Which watch has the best sensors?
Both watches have plenty of sensors, but the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 beats the Apple Watch 8 hands down. The Apple Watch 8 has a blood oxygen sensor, an ECG setup and notifications if your heart rate is abnormally high or low.
Like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5, it also has a temperature sensor for those who are ovulating. One sensor is on the back crystal, close to your skin, while the other is under the screen, ensuring a high level of accuracy. It can sample your wrist temperature every five seconds overnight and detect differences as subtle as 0.1 centigrade.
The Apple Watch 8 also has new motion sensors to aid in accident detection, capable of detecting extreme shocks, with the microphone also able to pick up unusual noises.
However, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 has sensors that you are probably more likely to use every day. It features Samsung’s BioActive Sensor, which tracks sleep, as well as heart rate and blood oxygen. It also includes a body composition analysis tool to track water retention and bone density. Samsung says this will allow for more personalized workouts and a tailored approach when setting goals.
Which one has the best interface and user experience?
One of the deciding factors in choosing between the Apple Watch Serie 8 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 is your choice of phone. The Apple Watch 8 requires the iPhone and will not work with Android phones, while the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 will only work with Android phones.
Both of these models offer an iOS or Android-friendly experience, so they’re a perfect match for your choice of phone, literally and figuratively.
As far as battery life is concerned, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 ensures you up to 50 hours. It also comes with a new USB-C charger that will get you up and running faster.
The Apple Watch 8 has improved on the past with a new low power mode. In standard mode, it reaches 18 hours, with that figure rising to 36 hours when the low power mode is active. But it’s still a long way from the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5.
Which watch should you buy?
| Apple Watch Series 8 | Galaxy Watch 5 | |
|---|---|---|
| $329.00 | $299.00 |
Both the Apple Watch 8 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 are refined, well-designed versions of their predecessors. Ultimately, your decision-making process is likely to depend heavily on which smartphone you already own.
However, while you can opt for Android or iOS, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 continues to offer more features than the Apple Watch 8. With its many health sensors and body composition analysis tools, it simply has more everyday features than the Apple Watch 8.
The only unique feature of the Apple Watch 8 compared to Samsung’s is its car accident detection tool. Useful, yes, but I hope no one will need it on a daily basis. With better battery life and a lower price, it’s hard to say no to the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5.
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