Apple Watch 6 vs. Fitbit Sense vs. Samsung Galaxy Watch 3: Which is Best for You?

Smartwatches Buying Guide

If you're struggling to choose a smartwatch, here are a few things to consider:

• Compatibility: Apple Watches only work with iPhones. Smartwatches running Wear OS, Garmin and Fitbit are compatible with both Android and iPhone.

• Price: Smartwatch prices can range from very affordable to pretty expensive. Paying more will get you enhanced health and fitness tracking and build quality. Anything more expensive than an Apple Watch and you're paying for prestige branding and exclusivity. 

• Battery life: Most smartwatches last around two days, if that's not enough for you, then opt for Huawei, Fitbit or Garmin, which offer slightly impaired functionality for vastly improved battery life.

• Fitness tracking: All smartwatches will do basic tracking, but if you're training for a marathon or triathlon then you'll want a more serious running watch from Garmin or Polar.

• Communication: All smartwatches have Bluetooth – that's how they connect to your smartphone. Some have a 4G/Cellular connection as well, which means you can stream music, receive messages and calls, even if you've left your phone at home. It costs extra, and probably isn't worth it for most.

• Size: Size is important. If you've got slender wrists you're going to want a smaller smartwatch, this is not due to looks, but due to comfort.

What is the Best Smartwatch?

• After testing dozens of the best smartwatches, thetop pick is the Apple Watch Series 6, which builds on the always-on display and built-in compass of the Series 5, and all of the advanced health features we loved about the Series 4, with a SpO2 monitoring and a faster charging.

• Samsung's Galaxy Watch 3 is a worthy Apple Watch contender — in fact, it's the best smartwatch for Android users. It offers a rotating bezel, plus a larger display with slimmer bezels. It introduces some life-saving features like FDA-approved ECG tracking and trip detection, all wrapped up in a stylish shell. However, its successor, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, could be coming soon. 

• The best smartwatch from Fitbit is the Fitbit Sense . We like how it gives you a more rounded view of your body, rather than expecting you to self-administer readings and tests. 

Compare Apple Watch Series 6 VS. Fitbit Sense VS. Samsung Galaxy Watch 3

Apple Watch Series 6

Price & Where to Buy: From $499.99 + up to 10% cashback @ Verizon

Apple Watch Series 6 is Apple's greatest smartwatch yet and hosts many notable upgrades from its predecessors. It features ample storage, an always-on altimeter, ECG scans, advanced sleep, and activity tracking, faster processing and charging, and a built-in cellular system so you can make calls, send texts, and check emails completely phone-free.

Pros

• Built-in cellular

• Safety tracking

• Preloaded maps and navigation

• All-day Sp02 monitoring

• ECG and heart rate

• Advanced sleep and activity tracking

Cons

• iPhone-only still

• Not a big leap forward from Series 5

• New sleep tracking is basic

• Won't satisfy truly hardcore fitness fans

Design and Display

The Apple Watch Series 6 has a rectangular display with rounded corners, and features a strap attachment that is unique to Apple. Thankfully, a huge range of third-party companies sell replacement straps, and you can also buy adapters to fit regular straps too, so customisation is still easy and affordable.

The most affordable Apple Watch Series 6 has an aluminium case and is offered in silver, space grey, gold, blue and red, the latter being part of the (Product) Red charity. Next comes the stainless steel model, which is available in silver, graphite and gold, and a premium titanium Watch Series 6 is sold in natural titanium and space black.

Fitness and Features

The Apple Watch Series 6 has GPS plus a compass, altimeter, blood oxygen sensor, electrical heart sensor, heart rate sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, an ambient light sensor, and NFC for contactless payments using Apple Pay. It is also the first Apple Watch to feature the company’s U1 chip, which uses ultra-wideband technology to communicate precisely with other compatible devices, like the company’s upcoming Tile-like trackers, rumoured to be launching soon.

Power and Battery

While we would’ve liked to see the Apple Watch improve its 18-hour battery life, the Series 6 does benefit from faster charging. You can completely juice it up in just 90 minutes, which comes in handy for wearing, instead of charging, it overnight. 

Smartwatch features

The latest version of Apple's smartwatch operating system, watchOS 7, offers a number of useful features, including automatic handwashing detection with a 20-second countdown timer, sleep tracking, new workout types (dancing, core training, cooldown, and functional strength training), and cycling directions in select cities (including Beijing, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco Bay Area, and Shanghai). WatchOS 7 also features several new watch faces. 

Conclusion

The Apple Watch Series 6 keeps its predecessor's place as the best smartwatch still, but the gap is closing when it comes to health tech in particular, with some competing devices offering similar sensors for less.

The Series 6 feels like more of a premium price than its predecessors in that context, but the overall quality of its design, plus its screen quality and smooth operation, all leave it feeling worth the cost. It's simply the best and most comprehensive experience smartwatch experience when everything is taken into account – other devices challenge it in specific areas (and we've made some gripes in this review) but it's all about the whole.

Fitbit Sense

Price & Where to Buy: $299.95 + 3% cashback @ Fitbit

Fitbit Sense is Fitbit's most advanced smartwatch to date. It offers some excellent upgraded features such as EDA scans and stress management scores, ECG scans via the app, Sp02 monitoring when you use an Sp02 watch face, on-screen workouts, advanced sleep and activity tracking, and up to six days of battery life depending on how you use it.

Pros

• EDA scans and stress management scores

• ECG and heart rate

• Sp02 monitoring with Sp02 face

• Advanced sleep and activity tracking

• Up to six-day battery life

• Less expensive

Cons

• No built-in cellular

• No safety tracking

• No preloaded maps or navigation

• Sp02 tracking only works with Sp02 watch face

Design and Display

The Sense has a similar design to the Versa, except with a stainless steel edge around the square watch face instead of aluminum and a host of new sensors inside, which does make it a tiny bit thicker. Along with the touchscreen, you interact with the Sense through an indented haptic side button, which can do everything from launching Alexa (or the Google Assistant) to starting a workout. It feels more comfortable than the Versa 2, especially during workouts and at bedtime, thanks to its more rounded finish. Those fiddly toggles used to switch out straps on earlier Fitbits are gone, thank goodness. They've been replaced with quick release buttons to make swapping bands out a lot easier on the Sense. 

Fitness and Features

If you've used any other Fitbit in recent years, the rest of the fitness tracking features on the Sense will seem familiar. You'll still be able to track your steps, start a goal-based workout, see your heart rate zone and keep an eye on calories burned. What is new is the addition of Active Zone Minutes, which we first saw in the Charge 4. This uses your age and resting heart rate to show you how hard you worked out during an activity. You'll also receive real-time alerts when you've changed zones, which can help you take action during your workout, whether that's pushing yourself a bit more or easing off depending on your goals. 

Power and Battery

With the always-on display active, two 30-minute workouts, a few stress measurements and a full night of sleep tracking, the Sense met the two-day battery life claim. Turning off that always-on display and just using raise to wake helped boost the battery to around 4.5 days between charges. That said, outdoor workouts seem to be a pain point for the battery. 

 Smartwatch Features 

• Supplied with Alexa voice controls; Google Assistant coming soon

• Daily stress tracking and mood logging

• Wide range of mindfulness and meditation tools

Conclusion

The Fitbit Sense hits the mark in many ways: It has strong battery management, excellent sleep tracking and an array of new sensors that could be helpful to some people. It feels like it's trying to do a little too much at once, with features like stress management seeming more confusing than helpful. That said, in the months since its launch, Fitbit has added new features including automatic SpO2 tracking at night, Google Assistant support and the ability to take calls from your wrist that has improved the overall experience.

But unless you need an ECG and the stress tracker, you might be better off with a more basic and capable Fitbit Versa 3, which has many of the same features as the Sense. That way you'll save some dollars and wait for Fitbit to iron out the kinks for the next generation of Sense.

Fitbit Sense vs. Apple Watch Series 6: Which is Better?

In a nutshell, Fitbit Sense does a great job when it comes to health and fitness tracking. However, if you're looking for a smartwatch that offers health and fitness tracking on top of features like built-in cellular, safety tracking, and navigation, the Apple Watch 6 is the way to go.

The Apple Watch 6 is inarguably the world's best smartwatch available on the market today. It just offers more than the Fitbit Sense when it comes to all-encompassing features, technology, and style. Still, if you're looking for a more affordable option with longer battery life, the Fitbit Sense offers excellent health and fitness tracking.

Both are great products, but if you're using an iOS system and you have the budget for it, we highly recommend springing for the Apple Watch Series 6.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 3

Price & Where to Buy: From $229.99 + 4% cashback @ Samsung 

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 is one of the most stylish smartwatches around, and one of the most functional, too. It's available in two sizes — 41 and 45 mm — as well as in LTE variants, so you can leave your smartphone at home. The Galaxy Watch 3's rotating bezel makes navigating the watch's interface easy, while access to thousands of watch faces lets you customize the display to your liking.

Pros 

• Bursting with features

• Intuitive rotating bezel

• Great performance

• Reliable fitness tracking

Cons

• Doesn’t come cheap

• No Third-party app support

• Battery not on par with competitors

Design and Display

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 is the more watch-like of the three, owing to its traditional lugs and industry-standard watch lugs, meaning you can swap out the included leather strap for any you like. The watch also has a circular touchscreen display and, while there are many digital faces to pick from, many are designed to look like a normal watch.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 is a simpler offering. It is available in stainless steel with 45mm black and silver options, plus a smaller 41mm model in bronze and silver. A premium titanium option is available exclusively in black and with the 45mm case size.

Fitness and Features

Keep an eye on your fitness and health with Sp02, V02 max11, and heart-rate monitoring . Use your Galaxy Watch3 to record ECG for 30 seconds, similar to standard single-lead ECG. Send for help if you experience a hard fall during a workout12 . And track your cycle in an easy and discreet way.

Galaxy Watch3’s automatic sleep tracker offers insights on how to get a better night's sleep. It also monitors your stress level and helps you recenter with breathing guides.

Power and Battery

The Galaxy Watch3’s long-lasting battery can go for more than a day on a single charge. And if you do need a sudden boost, simply place it on the back of a compatible Galaxy phone⁸ with Wireless PowerShare for a quick recharge.

Smartwatch Features

You can type, scribble, dictate or doodle a response and take calls from your wrist. It doesn't have a huge selection of third-party apps (Spotify and Strava are among the few), but it does receive notifications from most of them including Facebook, WhatsApp and even CNET news alerts.

Conclusion

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 offers one of the best smartwatch experiences out there. With a reliable and nippy interface boasting a host of health, fitness and lifestyle features, there’s little to complain about here. All this greatness is bundled into a solid design, which - unfortunately - lacks the air of sophistication we were looking for at this price point. 

Nevertheless, if you’ve got the dosh to spare you’re unlikely to be disappointed with this wearable. Unless third-party app support is a deciding factor for you, that is. Overall, it’s an exceptional smartwatch letdown only by a few minor things that most people won’t care about. 

Fitbit Sense vs. Samsung Galaxy Watch 3: Which is Better?

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 3 takes the crown in this comparison as the best smartwatch. However, the Fitbit Sense is not a smartwatch that you should not take into account that; In fact, it may be the opposite and, more than the Samsung smartwatch, it suits you, because there are points such as voice assistants that have a lot of influence, and those that the Fitbit Sense offers, which are Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant. They are one of the most used, even above Samsung’s Bixby.

In terms of price, the Fitbit Sense is better, but this is because it offers less. The Galaxy Watch 3, being more complete in every way, boasts more demanding users.

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