Apple Watch Series 9 (45 mm, GPS, aluminium) / Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Classic (47 mm)

Apple Watch Series 9 (45 mm, GPS, aluminium): 45 mm aluminium case, GPS model; Pink, Midnight, Starlight, Silver and (PRODUCT)RED. The 41 mm, GPS + Cellular and stainless steel (sapphire crystal) versions differ in size and materials.

Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Classic (47 mm): Galaxy Watch6 Classic 47 mm (2023); the Bluetooth version is SM-R960, and the LTE version is sold under a separate model code. The 43 mm Classic, the flat-bezel Galaxy Watch6 and the later Watch8 Classic are separate models.

SpecificationApple Watch Series 9 (45 mm, GPS, aluminium)Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Classic (47 mm)
Release year20232023
DisplayAlways-On Retina LTPO OLED; up to 2000 nits, as low as 1 nit; 326 ppi

LTPO is a panel technology that can lower the refresh rate dramatically, letting the display stay dimly on when the wrist is down. The 1-nit minimum avoids glare in a dark room.

Apple		1.5-inch (37.3 mm) Super AMOLED, 480 × 480 pixels; full-colour Always On Display; sapphire crystal glass

According to Samsung, the display is larger than on the Watch4 Classic and the rotating bezel is 15% thinner. Sapphire crystal resists scratches; the bezel partly surrounds the edge of the screen.

Samsung
ChipS9 SiP; 64-bit dual-core processor, 4-core Neural Engine Apple—
Storage64 GB Apple—
ControlsDigital Crown with haptic feedback, side button, double tap gesture

Double tap lets you answer notifications or calls by tapping the thumb and index finger of the watch hand together twice, without touching the screen.

Apple		—
Health sensorsElectrical heart sensor, third-generation optical heart sensor, temperature sensing

The electrical sensor is for ECG recordings; the optical sensor measures pulse with light. Temperature sensing tracks overnight changes in wrist temperature.

Apple		—
Blood Oxygen (US)On watches sold in the US without the feature, a redesigned version arrives with iOS 18.6.1 and watchOS 11.6.1; the reading is calculated on iPhone

The watch collects sensor data, the paired iPhone calculates the value and shows it in the Health app. Watches bought outside the US are not affected.

Apple		—
Other sensorsCompass, always-on altimeter, high-g accelerometer, high dynamic range gyroscope, ambient light sensor Apple—
LocationL1 GPS, GNSS, Galileo and BeiDou

It is a single-frequency (L1) receiver; drift in cities can be more likely than with dual-frequency watches.

Apple		—
WirelessWi-Fi 4 (802.11n), Bluetooth 5.3, second-generation Ultra Wideband

Ultra Wideband lets you locate an iPhone 15-family phone with Precision Finding showing direction and distance; availability varies by region.

Apple		—
Battery and chargingUp to 18 hours normal use, up to 36 hours in Low Power Mode; fast charge to about 80% in 45 minutes

Fast charging requires Apple’s fast-charging cable and a suitable adapter.

Apple		425 mAh; up to 40 hours with Always On Display off, up to 30 hours with it on; WPC-based fast wireless charging

Samsung’s fast-charge testing used the magnetic fast-charging cable and a separately sold 25 W adapter. Battery life varies with network, usage and watch face.

Samsung
Durability50 m water resistant (ISO 22810:2010); IP6X dust resistant; Ion-X front glass

Suitable for swimming. Ion-X is the strengthened glass used on aluminium cases; steel cases use sapphire crystal.

Apple		5ATM + IP68, MIL-STD-810H

5ATM corresponds to 50 metres for 10 minutes; it is not suitable for diving or high-pressure water. IP68 covers 1.5 metres in fresh water for 30 minutes.

Samsung
Size and weight45 × 38 × 10.7 mm; 38.7 g; fits 140–245 mm wrists Apple46.5 × 46.5 × 10.9 mm; 59.0 g (without band)

Thickness is measured without the health sensors.

Samsung
CompatibilityiPhone XS or later with iOS 17 or later

It cannot be used with Android phones.

Apple		—
Rotating bezel—Physical rotating bezel; menu, notification and app control

Turning the bezel moves between notifications and tiles without touching the screen; its position is sensed by a 3D Hall sensor.

Samsung
Case—Stainless steel; quick-release band button Samsung
Processor, memory and storage—Exynos W930 dual-core 1.4 GHz; 2 GB memory, 16 GB storage Samsung
Operating system—Launched with Wear OS 4 (Wear OS Powered by Samsung) and One UI 5 Watch

Setup needs a phone with Google Mobile Services, Android 10 or later and more than 1.5 GB of memory; it does not work with an iPhone.

Samsung
Sensors—Samsung BioActive Sensor (optical heart rate + electrical heart signal + bioelectrical impedance analysis), temperature, accelerometer, barometer, gyro, geomagnetic, light and 3D Hall sensor

Bioelectrical impedance analysis passes a weak current through the body when two fingers rest on the buttons to estimate muscle, fat and water; it should not be used with a pacemaker or during pregnancy. ECG and blood pressure work only in approved markets through Samsung Health Monitor.

Samsung
Connectivity—Bluetooth 5.3, Wi‑Fi 2.4 + 5 GHz, NFC, GPS/GLONASS/BeiDou/Galileo

LTE is only on the LTE version; on the Bluetooth version internet and notifications come through the paired phone.

Samsung