Galaxy Watch 9 vs. Apple Watch Series 11: Fitness Flagships Compared - CNET

What the report says

CNET compared Samsung’s newly announced Galaxy Watch 9 with Apple’s Watch Series 11, framing both as the mainstream, nonpremium models in their respective smartwatch lines. The report says Samsung’s latest watch adds more fitness tools, a newer processor and a bigger battery than its predecessor, while Apple’s Series 11 remains a highly rated model in CNET’s testing, including recognition for heart-rate accuracy. The most immediate deciding factor is platform: Apple Watch works with iPhones, while Galaxy Watch is for Android phones.

On price, CNET reports the Galaxy Watch 9 starts at $380 for the 40mm Bluetooth version and reaches $460 for the 44mm LTE model. The aluminum Apple Watch Series 11 starts at $399 for the 42mm GPS version and rises to $529 for the 46mm cellular version. Apple also sells pricier titanium and Hermès versions, plus the lower-cost Apple Watch SE 3, but CNET’s main comparison focuses on the standard Galaxy Watch 9 and aluminum Series 11.

The watches differ most visibly in shape: Samsung uses a circular screen on a rounded base, while Apple keeps its rounded-rectangle design. CNET notes both are relatively slim, with the Galaxy Watch 9 listed at 8.6mm thick and the Series 11 at 9.7mm. Samsung’s AMOLED display is rated up to 3,000 nits, while Apple uses an LTPO OLED Retina display designed to conserve power by varying refresh rate.

Battery life is a key contrast. Samsung estimates up to 30 hours with the always-on display enabled, or 40 hours with it off. Apple lists up to 24 hours, or 38 hours in Low Power Mode, but claims faster charging to full capacity. For cellular models, CNET says Apple includes power-efficient 5G, while Samsung uses 4G LTE.