Samsung Galaxy Watch6 (40 mm) / Apple Watch Series 8 (45 mm, GPS)

Samsung Galaxy Watch6 (40 mm): Galaxy Watch6 40 mm: SM-R930 (Bluetooth) and SM-R935 (LTE); Graphite and Gold. The 44 mm Galaxy Watch6 and the Galaxy Watch6 Classic are separate models with different displays, batteries and weights.

Apple Watch Series 8 (45 mm, GPS): Apple Watch Series 8, 45 mm aluminium case, GPS model. The 41 mm case, GPS + Cellular and stainless steel versions are separate models; weight and screen size differ.

SpecificationSamsung Galaxy Watch6 (40 mm)Apple Watch Series 8 (45 mm, GPS)
Release year20232022
Display1.3-inch (33.3 mm) 432 × 432 Super AMOLED; full-colour Always On Display

The 44 mm model has a 1.5-inch, 480 × 480 display.

Samsung		Always-On Retina LTPO OLED; 396 × 484 pixels; 1143 sq mm display area; up to 1000 nits

The LTPO panel can lower its refresh rate a lot, so the screen stays on dimmed when the wrist is down.

Apple
GlassSapphire Crystal Samsung—
ProcessorExynos W930, dual-core 1.4 GHz Samsung—
Memory and storage2 GB memory + 16 GB storage Samsung—
Battery300 mAh (typical); up to 40 hours with Always On Display off, up to 30 hours with it on

According to Samsung, an 8-minute quick charge adds about 8 hours of use; charging is WPC-based wireless.

Samsung		—
Operating systemWear OS 4 (Powered by Samsung) with One UI 5 Watch at launch Samsung—
SensorsSamsung BioActive (Optical Heart Rate + Electrical Heart Signal + Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis), temperature, accelerometer, barometer, gyro, geomagnetic, light sensor

ECG and blood pressure work through the Samsung Health Monitor app only in markets where they are approved; blood pressure needs calibration with a cuff every four weeks. Body composition should not be used by people with implanted devices such as pacemakers or during pregnancy.

Samsung		—
ConnectivityBluetooth 5.3, Wi‑Fi 2.4 + 5 GHz, NFC, GPS/Glonass/Beidou/Galileo; LTE (SM-R935 only) SamsungWi-Fi 802.11b/g/n 2.4 and 5 GHz; Bluetooth 5.3 Apple
Durability5ATM + IP68, MIL-STD-810H

5ATM means water resistance to 50 metres for up to 10 minutes; the watch is not suitable for diving or high-pressure water. IP68 covers 1.5 metres of fresh water for 30 minutes.

Samsung		Water resistant to 50 metres under ISO 22810:2010; IP6X dust; ceramic and sapphire crystal back

Suitable for shallow-water activities in a pool or the sea; not for scuba diving, waterskiing or high-velocity water.

Apple
Phone compatibilityAndroid 10 or higher with more than 1.5 GB of memory

Some features, such as the camera controller and health measurements, need a Galaxy phone.

Samsung		—
Size and weight38.8 × 40.4 × 9.0 mm; 28.7 g Samsung45 × 38 × 10.7 mm; aluminium GPS: 38.8 g Apple
Chip—S8 SiP with 64-bit dual-core processor; W3 wireless chip; U1 (Ultra Wideband)

Ultra Wideband is used for close-range location with an iPhone; availability varies by region.

Apple
Health sensors—Blood oxygen sensor; electrical heart sensor (ECG app); third-generation optical heart sensor

The Blood Oxygen app is not for medical use. The ECG app is not intended for people under 22 and may not be available in every country.

Apple
Motion and safety—High-g accelerometer up to 256 g (Fall Detection and Crash Detection); high dynamic range gyroscope; Emergency SOS; international emergency calling

On the GPS model, Emergency SOS needs a nearby iPhone or Wi-Fi Calling; international emergency calling works only on cellular models.

Apple
Location—L1 GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS and BeiDou; compass; always-on altimeter

This is single-frequency (L1) GPS; drift between tall buildings can be higher than on dual-frequency models.

Apple
Storage—32 GB Apple
Battery and charging—Up to 18 hours; built-in lithium-ion battery; USB-C magnetic fast charging cable

Apple’s 18-hour figure is based on 90 time checks, 90 notifications, 45 minutes of app use and a 60-minute workout with music; sleep tracking is not part of that scenario.

Apple
Compatibility—Requires iPhone 8 or later with iOS 16 or later

It cannot be used with Android phones.

Apple
Colours—Aluminium: Midnight, Starlight, Silver, (PRODUCT)RED Apple