Apple Watch Series 12 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch9
It depends on your phone. iPhone? Get the Apple Watch Series 12. Samsung Galaxy phone? Get the Galaxy Watch9.
Apple Watch Series 12
The best smartwatch for iPhone owners: excellent health and heart-rate tracking, a new daily Readiness score and a bright screen. Battery still lasts about a day.
Samsung Galaxy Watch9
Thin, light and full of health features, with a bright screen and useful coaching. But the battery barely lasts a day and a half, and some features need a Samsung phone.
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The Series 12 only works with an iPhone, and the Galaxy Watch9's ECG and blood-pressure features need a Samsung phone, so your phone decides. Neither lasts much more than a day; the Galaxy is thinner and lighter, while the Series 12 adds a daily Readiness score and charges faster.
- —You have an iPhone.
- —You'd use a daily Readiness score to plan workouts.
- —You want it to charge quickly.
- —You have a Samsung Galaxy phone.
- —You want a thin, light watch.
- —You'd use sleep apnea checks and body composition.
Key differences
Pros and cons
- +Accurate heart-rate and health tracking
- +Daily Readiness score
- +Bright, always-on screen
- −Battery lasts about a day, so it charges nightly.
- −Looks almost identical to the last two models.
- −Some new features arrive later in software updates.
- −Its GPS isn't as precise as the Ultra's dual-band GPS.
- +Thin and light
- +Lots of health features
- +Bright screen
- −Battery lasts about a day to a day and a half.
- −Slow to charge.
- −ECG and blood pressure need a Samsung phone.
Ready to choose?
- Is the Apple Watch Series 12 worth it?
- Is the Galaxy Watch9 worth it?
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- Apple Watch Series 12 vs Apple Watch Ultra 4
- Apple Watch Series 12 vs Pixel Watch 5
- Pixel Watch 5 vs Galaxy Watch9
- Best smartwatches
How we reached this verdict
We compared independent expert reviews with the manufacturer's specifications, then checked it's sold at a major retailer where you live. We don't test products ourselves.
Sources: Tom's Guide, TechRadar, TechRadar, manufacturer specifications.