Apple Watch Series 7 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 4: Key differences revealed

Smartwatches have come a long way over the years. The first smartwatch, the Ruputer, was released way back in 1998 by Seiko and could write memos and make calendar appointments. Today, smartwatches support eSIM technology that lets you send text messages and make phone calls. Some are even able to monitor heart rhythms and detect oxygen levels in your blood that can quite literally save your life.

With that in mind, it’s not surprising that wearables have seen such a tremendous rise in popularity.

According to data from Statista, sales of smartwatches in the US increased from 9 million units to 23 million units between 2016 and 2020. And there are still just the beginnings.

Some of the biggest tech companies have released smartwatches. This includes Garmin and Huawei, but it is Apple and Samsung who have emerged as the most prolific and popular smartwatch manufacturers. Their latest and greatest offerings are the Apple Watch Series 7 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 4.

In this post, we compare the two new devices in terms of specs and performance, overall design, features and software, price and cellular plans, storage, and battery life.

Apple Watch Series 7 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 4: technical specs

Two very different designs

While many aspects of their smartwatches may be similar, the design of Apple and Samsung smartwatches are like night and day.

Apple prefers a sportier look while Samsung favors a more sophisticated design.

There were rumors that Series 7 might come with flat sides but in the end we got the same familiar design. The main change is the larger display area. This was achieved by shrinking bezels and increasing available sizes to 41mm and 45mm. The device is also more robust than before thanks to better display protection and a IP6X certification for dusty environments in addition to the 50 meter water-resistance. Apple has introduced five new aluminium colors and some new strap options are surely to follow.

On the other end of the spectrum is the stylish Galaxy Watch 4. A round watch face with a precision rotating bezel, premium leather straps, and Corning Gorilla Glass gives it a touch of elegance that will look good whether you’re dressing up or down. It is available in 40mm and 44mm sizes for the regular variant and 42mm and 46mm sizes for the Classic option.

Both offer fast processors and seamless performance

The Apple Watch Series 7 is the latest generation smartwatch by Apple. It is the successor to the Apple Watch Series 6. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is the fifth in Samsung’s Galaxy series. Its predecessors are the Galaxy Watch Active 2 and Galaxy Watch 3. The regular variant updates the former, the Classic variant the latter.

At the core of the Apple Watch 7 is a Silicon S7 chipset with a high-performance 64-bit dual-core processor that is based on the A13 Bionic in iPhone 11 but optimized for the smartwatch. The chip is mostly the same as the S6. This is 20% faster than Series 5 so the difference is almost imperceptible. However, users upgrading from a Series 3 and 4 will notice quite a bit of a difference.

Powered by an 5 nm Exynos W920 (5nm) processor designed by Samsung, the Galaxy Watch 4 is fast and reactive, quicker than most other CPUs out there. It is a powerful piece of tech that performs well and is capable of handling more intensive apps.

Starting up third-party apps is smoother than ever – the performance is seamless and the improvements are obvious.

Apple has more storage space but Samsung can keep going for longer

The Apple Watch 7 is the clear winner when it comes to storage. It boasts 32GB of internal storage while the Galaxy Watch 4 has 16 GB. However, the Samsung device has an additional 1.5 GB of RAM versus the 1.0 GB of the Apple Watch.

There aren’t major differences in terms of battery life. Apple says the Apple Watch 7 lasts for about 18 hours, but many users have been able to get up to a day and a half of usage. The Galaxy Watch 4 can last around 40 hours depending on your GPS usage and how hard you push the watch. So it does have a slight advantage over the Apple device.

Enhanced charging capabilities on the Apple Watch Series 7 mean you can get an 80% charge in just 45 minutes, which is 33% faster than the previous generation. The Galaxy Watch 4 also has fast wireless charging capabilities but takes about 2 hours to fully charge, only slightly longer than the Apple Watch Series 7.

Apple Watch Series 7 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 4: Features

The Apple Watch Series 7 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 are very similar in terms of features. Both smartwatches have an Always-On Display (Retina and Super AMOLED respectively). Water-resistance is up to 50 meters in depth, excellent fitness-tracking features, and the option of an embedded SIM (eSIM).

The duo also has an SpO2 reader (blood oxygen), ECG sensor (records the electrical signal from your heart), accelerometer (fall detection) and sleep tracking. However, although Apple is undeniably the leader when it comes to health tracking features, it lacks the ability to measure blood pressure.

This can be done on a second app on Galaxy Watch 4.

The Samsung smartwatch also offers a more comprehensive analysis of your sleep cycles. To this end, it has a partnership with the National Sleep Foundation to include educational content that helps you understand the data and ultimately improve your sleep.

Finally Galaxy Watch 4 introduces a BioActive sensor. This has the addition of analysing your body composition, i.e. your body fat, skeletal muscle, body water and more.

Two very different operating systems

Both watches operate on proprietary operating systems. Each system offers an array of customization options.

The Apple Watch 7 runs on watchOS 8 while the Galaxy Watch 4 runs on a fused platform. More precisely, Samsung has placed a One UI Watch skin over Wear OS 3.0. Previous editions of Galaxy watch run on Tizen. The new platform has benefits in that Google apps are tightly integrated and should work better.

Apple Watch Series 7 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 4: Price & cellular plans

The Galaxy Watch is much cheaper than the Apple Watch. It starts at $299 whereas the Apple Watch Series 7 will run you an extra $100. If you want a GPS and Cellular model the price goes up from there.

Another difference between the two smartwatches in this category is cellular plans. Although the Apple Watch 7 has an eSIM, you are restricted to using the same carrier as your iPhone. The other option is to get a separate plan from an eligible carrier. This is not the case with the Samsung Watch 4.

Apple Watch Series 7 Gadgets & Wearables may get a commission

Samsung is not new to eSIM technology. They were the first to introduce eSIM to mobile devices (the Gear S2 smartwatch in 2016) and were also the first to offer standard eSIM service on smartwatches.

This means you can buy an eSIM plan online and use it in over 200 countries. There are almost no limitations on which networks you can connect to (including 5G networks).

If you travel often or want to experience the true power of eSIM technology, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 wins hands down in this category.

Note: Available features may vary by region, carrier, and device.

So, which smartwatch is better – Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 or Apple Watch Series 7?

The Apple Watch Series 7 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 are both powerful smartwatches with fantastic features and beautiful designs. But which one is better?

That depends on what you want from the watch.

Both have excellent health tracking capabilities and are great watches for active lifestyles. However, Apple is more focused on creating a health device that can capture essential vitals with greater accuracy. Samsung, on the other hand, is more focused on everyday functionality and overall style.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Classic Gadgets & Wearables may get a commission

If you own a Samsung phone, its a no-brainer. Go for the Galaxy Watch. It combines great health tracking technology with smartphone productivity and offers more freedom with mobile plans. If you own an iPhone we suggest going for Apple Watch Series 7 or 6. Those with an Android phone will need to decide between two great options. 

Technical specs comparison

Like this article? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter and never miss out!