A Race To The Top - Apple Watch Vs Fitbit Smartwatch

If you are considering buying a Smartwatch to track your fitness or increase productivity, Apple and Fitbit are the two giants that usually come to mind. Both brands produce some premium quality devices although any consumer product always has some pros and cons.

A few factors to keep in mind when considering getting a smartwatch, making sure most of the key features are covered.

Here are some of the features you should look out for:

Built-in GPS + Cellular ability.
Built-in microphone.
A Pedometer ( a device or feature that counts each step you take.)
Sleep Tracking.
Heart Rate Monitor (typically used for cardiovascular exercises, such as walking, running, hiking, climbing, etc.)
Heart rate monitor, generally improving wellbeing and fitness.
Different Clock Faces (Watch layout or interface.)
Water Resistant.

Since the first release back in April 2015, the Apple Watch has become one of the most popular smartwatches on the market. The company currently offers three variants, Apple Watch Series 6, Apple Watch Series 3, and the Apple Watch SE.

The current operating system comes with new features like more watch faces, animations, and much more. Including Apple Fitness +, which, according to apple, is a program that provides mentorship of fitness coaches tailored to suit your body needs. Existing Apple users get this feature for free, and new users have to pay $9.99 per month after a trial of three months.

Apple Fitness + is a service where you can choose from a catalog of workouts and have in-session metrics, like heart rate and calories burned. The metrics or tracking coordinates are synced to your iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV, so you don’t have to take your eyes away from your workout to check your progress.

Fitness Features of the Apple Watch

The Apple watch is loaded with fitness tracking features alongside an onboard GPS to track your activities even when your phone is not nearby, and you can compare your fitness progress with other users. You also get exclusive fitness goals that challenge you to achieve even more.

You still get all the other standard features such as workout tracking, sleep tracking, ECG (although not so common in all Smartwatches), and many more.

Difference Between Versions

Apple provides three versions that broadly fit the good, better, best connotation. All of them offer great features, and you have the flexibility to choose the one that meets your needs.

Series 3 is an excellent option for those who want to enter the smartwatch paradigm at the lowest price. It is, however, a little outdated design-wise with a smaller screen.

The SE is an option in between which provides excellent value for money but does not have the ECG feature. The top-notch device is undoubtedly the Apple Watch 6, loaded with an ECG monitor, blood oxygen monitor, etc. Fitness is the primary focus of this device, but it comes at a hefty price.

Overall, Apple is currently one of the Smartwatch leaders when it comes to design and functionality, with features like Always-On Retina display, Blood Oxygen monitoring, Supports Family Setup, and provide Water-resistant Watches for up to 50 meters.

However, Fitbit had initially been on the market as a fitness tracker.

In May 2013, Fitbit released the Fitbit Flex, the first Fitbit tracker worn on the wrist. It was able to track movement 24 hours a day, including sleep patterns.

Before then, it was a clip-on device with a pedometer and sleep tracker.

Fitbit entered the smartwatch market in 2015 as well, and Google announced plans to acquire Fitbit. The devices are not just meant for Android but also work seamlessly with iOS.

Fitbit also offers a wide range of options to all users ranging from heart rate monitors, pedometers, and even full-fledged smartwatches. There is one that can fill every user’s needs. The closest rival to the Apple Watch can only be the Fitbit Sense.

Fitbit Versa 3 offers tons of features such as responding to messages, calls, notifications, etc. The higher-end option is the Fitbit Sense with a stress detector, skin temperature monitor, oxygen monitor, Fitbit Pay, breathing rate, Smart wake, Biosensor core, and many more.

The Fitbit smartwatch Versa 3 has a battery life of up to 2 days.

Note that Apple only offers up to 18 hours before having to charge the watch again.

Fitness Features

Fitness is the forte of Fitbit. Fitbit offers tons of fitness features such as heart rate monitor, sleep activity, tracking your water intake, weight goals, Menstrual health tracking, and many more.

However, you have to download the app on your phone of choice, and the available data will be synced.

It is also important to note that both devices offer a 3-month subscription to Fitbit Premium, which costs $7.99 a month after the trial is over.

If fitness seems to be your only concern, it is better to go for other Fitbit options that offer specialized trackers at a much affordable price.

Although Apple remains a giant in the Smartwatch market, it is partially because Apple also makes phones, and the average person today in the US at least uses an iPhone.

Overall, 54 percent of respondents chose iOS as their smartphone OS of choice and 42 percent chose Android, 2 percent chose Other, and 2 percent chose None. According to a study led by the PCMAG team.

It does come down to a few factors. If the iPhone is your device of choice, it makes perfect sense to go for an Apple Watch due to the user interface, the famous Apple ecosystem, and the functionality. The integration is seamless, and the features are immaculate. Apple is leading the smartwatch industry with an all-rounded set of features. Fitness tracking is not as good as Fitbit, but Fitness Plus takes wellbeing to the next level.

While Fitbit is still trailing apple in the Smartwatch market, it is important to note that the gap is being closed significantly year after year. Fitness tracking remains Fitbit’s forte although they still rely on other phones to nest their apps for a better experience.

Now that Google is currently in the process of buying Fitbit, we should see what improvement will be made by the Google team. And maybe the Fitbit app will have a standard platform with Google’s phone (Pixel device) as Apple smartwatch with the iPhone.

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