The Android Watch vs. Apple Watch comparison article will take a look at both of these well-established platforms and try to determine which one is the best for you. Of course, the choice is pretty much clear if you have already invested in one ecosystem. Most Apple fans are not willing to even look at other devices at all, so they already have their mind made up. Android Wear, or Wear OS, can work on Apple watches. However, most of the important features are missing. So, in a pinch you can use it with your Apple smartphones but not as a daily driver. Let’s take a deeper look at the Android Watch vs. Apple Watch comparison and see which one will serve you the best.
1. Design
When it comes to design, Apple simply loses because there are so many different Android watches in the market that you can easily get one that suits your needs. Meanwhile on the Apple side, you’re stuck with the same rectangular looking design and maybe a few colors here and there. Sure there are 2 different sizes of Apple watches but that is absolutely peanuts compared to the sheer number of different Android watches available. All you need to do is take a look at our best Android watches for men or best Android watches for women articles and you’ll know that there are a lot of options available. Personally, I have always preferred the circular dials of traditional watches and thankfully, Android Wear delivers them as well. Apple does provide you some customization when it comes to their watches. There are several different watch faces which you can choose that come in different colors as well. You can also choose from a wide range of different bands to go with your Apple watch. Apart from that there are not many customization options available. Some Android watches don’t allow this level of customization, but they are very small in number. Usually, when you purchase an Android watch, you can attach almost any band, even from third-party manufacturers, on it without any hassle. There is also a variety of different watch faces to choose from.
2. Notifications
Android Wear 2.0 made notifications on your Android watch a lot easier to understand and interact with. Previously watches with the rounded dials had a little trouble displaying content but Google really stepped up with the latest version of their wearable operating system. Now you can simply take a look at your smart watch and get information at a glance. The widget like interface allows you to interact with the notifications as well. These actions are called complications and they work really well with a lot of different apps. Apple watches work exactly like that. Sure there are some design changes in the user interface but overall both of them worked remarkably well when it comes to displaying notifications. Sure the squarish design of the Apple watch allows it to display a little bit more content than some rounded Android watches but it is not a big concern at all.
3. Fitness Features
The Apple watches come with the dedicated Apple Health App that allows you to track your fitness progress. There are 3 different categories that it will track: move, stand, and exercise. Easily identifiable colored rings will tell you where you stand when it comes to your fitness targets. There is also a workout app that makes it easier to log activities like running, cycling, and walking. It also has the capability of showing you real time statistics during the workout, so it’s really good when it comes to fitness tracking. Depending on the manufacturer of the Android watch, they can be several fitness related features baked into the hardware. You can check out the best Android smart watches with heart rate monitor or the best Android smart watches with fitness tracking to have a general idea how much Android has to offer. Many of the third-party apps also have integrated features and dedicated smart watch apps to help you keep track of your fitness. For example, the top apps on the best pedometer apps for Android list all have some form of smart watch integration. Again, on the Android side, it all depends on the manufacturer so you have a lot of different options at your disposal.
4. Voice Assistance
Google Assistant comes with every Android watch and you can easily bring it up by saying, “Okay Google”. It works perfectly fine on the smart watch, just as it does on a smartphone so there are no corners cut here. You can easily ask it questions about your schedule, make it write text messages, send emails, or set up alarms. Apple’s Siri comes with the Apple watch and it works identically. However, there are some functionalities that are missing from Siri, but they are not mainstream so you won’t be needing them a lot. Apple’s Siri is also integrated with third-party apps like Lyft and PayPal. Overall, it’s fundamentally the same voice assistant experience on both platforms.
5. Phone Interactions
Both Android watches and Apple watches work equally well with smartphones. Both of them allow you to dismiss notifications that appear on your smart watch. This will also dismiss the notification of your smartphone, so you won’t see the same notification again. You’ll be able to easily control music playback with your smart watch, adjust the volume, and even change tracks. One good thing about Apple smart watches I noticed is that if you’re actually using the smartphone, you won’t receive any notifications on your smart watch. This feature is available on Android watches as well, but depending on the manufacturer it may be missing. Both the rival smart watches can keep track of your location and give you updates that are contextual and relevant to that. If you have an application downloaded on your smartphone, the synced smart watches will be able to download them as well. They will be kept updated so both versions can interact with each other without any problems. Android smartwatches have the advantage of working on Apple smartphones, but many Apple-exclusive features won’t work well. It’s Apple’s own closed-off approach that hinders compatibility; otherwise, Android wear is very inclusive.
6. Text and Calls
Most Android smart watches come with built-in speakers and microphones that allow you to easily place voice calls. Some of the Android Wear OS smart watches come with cellular capabilities, you can put a SIM inside the smart watch itself and it will become a miniature smartphone on your wrist. Apple watches can do calls as well. However, if you have an older version of the smart watch, you won’t be able to leave your smartphone behind. Cellular capabilities are only available on the Series 3 models. When it comes to messaging, Android Wear operating system comes with AI replies. The smart replies use artificial intelligence and machine learning to generate responses that are tailored to your personal style. This feature improves over time as the machine learning takes place and learns your personal writing style. This allows you to simply tap on the screen and send a reply back to incoming messages. Apple watches, on the other hand, don’t have smart replies, but they do come with additional options. For example, you can easily send your heart rate to someone or even send a sketch you’ve made. This can be sweet if used appropriately or you can just spam your friends with useless information for laughs.
7. Price
Apple watches are notorious for being priced high. But if you are already invested in the Apple ecosystem, you are used to paying exorbitant prices already, so it won’t hurt that much. It would be amazing if Apple launches a relatively affordable version of their smart watch, but we won’t hold our breath. On the other hand, Android watches can be equally expensive, but thankfully there are also plenty of lower budget options available. That’s one of the advantages of Android devices being produced by so many different companies.
8. Payments
Wear OS comes with Google Pay support and uses NFC technology to make secure payments. Meanwhile Apple smart watches come with Apple Pay and uses the same NFC technology. Check out our Android Pay vs. Apple Pay article to learn the minute differences between the technologies. Spoiler: They are essentially the same.
End of the Watch
Android Watch vs. Apple Watch is an interesting comparison but the choice is pretty much clear at this point. If you like the Apple ecosystem and own several Apple devices, you have no choice but to go with the Apple watch if you want to get a robust experience. Same goes with Android, however the options are different and varied so at least you have the freedom of choosing what you actually like. What are your thoughts about the Android Watch vs. Apple Watch comparison? Hopefully it helped you make the perfect choice for your personal needs. Tell us your opinions, experiences, and suggestions in the comments section. Feature Image Credits
