Apple Watch 11 vs Galaxy Watch 8: Which Should You Buy?
The two most popular smartwatches in the Baltics. One thing decides between them — the phone in your pocket.
Choosing a smartwatch is usually decided not by the watch but by the phone in your pocket. The Apple Watch 11 works only with an iPhone, while the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 pairs with Android phones — and best of all with a Samsung Galaxy. That is the first thing to settle before comparing any specs.
Design and durability
The Galaxy Watch 8 gets a new cushion-shaped case and an improved strap-mount system, so it sits more securely and looks slimmer at 8.6 mm. It comes in 40 mm and 44 mm sizes, with a sapphire front crystal. The case meets IP68, 5ATM and the military MIL-STD-810H standard.
The Apple Watch 11 keeps its familiar rounded-square shape in 42 mm and 46 mm cases. The glass on aluminium models is now twice as scratch-resistant, while titanium versions are covered in sapphire.
Display
Both watches have bright OLED screens with an always-on mode. The Galaxy Watch 8 wins on brightness — up to 3000 nits — making it easier to read in direct sunlight. The Apple Watch 11 reaches 2000 nits; in practice both are perfectly visible outdoors, but Samsung has a slight edge.
Health features
Here the two makers take different paths. The Apple Watch 11 introduced notifications for possible chronic high blood pressure (hypertension) and a new sleep score, on top of ECG, blood-oxygen readings and a wrist-temperature sensor. The Apple Health ecosystem remains the most complete on the market.
Samsung answers with its own additions: an Antioxidant Index (measured by pressing a finger to the sensor), a Vascular Load metric during sleep, plus ECG and blood-pressure readings. Runners get an AI coach that helps build training plans.
Performance and battery
The Galaxy Watch 8 runs on a 3 nm Exynos W1000 chip with 2 GB of memory — the interface is smooth, and the 435 mAh battery lasts about 30 hours. The Apple Watch 11 runs on the S10 chip; battery is rated up to 24 hours, but 15 minutes of charging gives you up to 8 hours of use. If you want longer endurance, Samsung offers the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, which lasts 40+ hours.
Price
The Galaxy Watch 8 is more affordable — it starts below the Apple Watch 11. Browse every variant in the Samsung smartwatches and Apple smartwatches sections.
Verdict
The decision is simple. If you own an iPhone, choose the Apple Watch 11: a richer app selection and blood-pressure alerts. If you use Android, especially a Samsung Galaxy, the Galaxy Watch 8 gives you a brighter screen, longer battery, a smaller 40 mm size for narrow wrists and a lower price. Active sports users should look at the tougher Apple Watch Ultra 3 or Garmin Fenix 8. More options are in the smartwatches category.
