The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 has been on the market for about two months longer than the Apple Watch Series 11 – time for an in-depth comparison!
Contents
Apple Watch Series 11 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 8
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 came onto the market with a suggested retail price of 379 euros, the Apple Watch Series 11 initially had a price tag of 449 euros. You can now buy them for 208.95 euros and € 379 respectively. We list the most important differences between both smartwatches for you.
Housing
The housings of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 and the Apple Watch Series 11 are clearly distinctly different from each other. Apple also remains true to its recognizable square housing with the Series 11, Samsung opts for one runder screen. The Galaxy Watch 8 is slightly less round than previous models and now has sleeker lines and subtle angles. The housing of the Samsung is made of aluminum, with Apple you can choose between aluminum and titanium.
The watches also differ in size. The Apple Watch Series 11 is available in two sizes: 42 millimeters and 46 millimeters. Samsung keeps it slightly more compact with housings of 40 millimeters and 44 millimeters for the Galaxy Watch 8. Furthermore, the Galaxy Watch 8 is 8.6 millimeters thinner than the Apple Watch Series 11. This makes Samsung’s smartwatch look and feel more compact on the wrist.
| Apple Watch Series 11 | Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 |
|---|---|
| 42mm or 46mm | 40 or 44mm |
| Thickness of 9.7 mm | Thickness of 8.6 mm |
| 34.6g or 43.1g | 30g or 34g |
| Aluminum or titanium housing | Aluminum housing |
| Aluminum: Rose Gold, Silver, Space Gray and Jet Black Titanium: Gold, Natural and Slate |
Silver and Graphite |

Screen
Both the Apple Watch Series 11 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 have an always-on display, so you can see the time and the most important information at a glance. Yet there are also clear differences. For example, the Apple Watch Series 11 uses an OLED display, while Samsung opts for a more advanced AMOLED screen. Amoled uses less energy, shows deeper black tones and offers higher contrast. In addition, AMOLED screens are generally brighter, so the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 achieves a higher peak brightness than Apple’s smartwatch.
| Apple Watch Series 11 | Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 |
|---|---|
| 1.77 inch or 1.96 inch screen | 1.34 inch or 1.47 inch screen |
| OLED screen | Amoled screen |
| Always on | Always on |
| 330 ppi | 327 ppi |
| Peak brightness of 2000 nits | Peak brightness of 3000 nits |

Performance
There are also clear differences in storage space and working memory. The Samsung smartwatch has 32 GB of storage space and 2 GB of RAM. Apple takes a different approach: the Apple Watch Series 11 is equipped with 64 GB of storage space, but has 1 GB of RAM.
In practice, this means that you can store more apps, music and other files on the Apple Watch Series 11. The Galaxy Watch 8 has slightly more RAM, which can especially help with running multiple apps smoothly at the same time. View more specifications here:
| Apple Watch Series 11 | Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 |
|---|---|
| watchOS 26 | OneUI 8 |
| 64 GB storage space | 32 GB storage space |
| 1GB RAM | 2GB RAM |
| S10 chip | Exynos W1000 |
| Bluetooth 5.3 | Bluetooth 5.3 |
| IP68 | IP68 |
| Support for 5G | Support for 4G |
Sensors
Tracking workouts and health data is one of the top reasons to wear a smartwatch. In this regard, the Apple Watch Series 11 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 are close to each other, because both watches offer an extensive package of sensors and functions. Yet there are also differences. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 goes one step further with automatic notifications in case of prolonged stress. This function is missing from the Apple Watch Series 11. In addition, Samsung is focusing more on artificial intelligence for health functions.
It is striking that the Galaxy Watch 8 can also measure the carotenoid level in your body. This will give you insight into the amount of antioxidants in your body. This feature is exclusive to Samsung and is missing from the Apple Watch Series 11, giving the Galaxy Watch 8 a slight edge in terms of health.
| Function | Apple Watch Series 11 | Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 |
|---|---|---|
| Heart rate monitor | Yes | Yes |
| ECG | Yes | Yes |
| Saturation meter | Yes | Yes |
| Fall detection | Yes | Yes |
| Sleep monitoring | Yes | Yes |
| Movement reminder | Yes | Yes |
| Blood pressure monitor | Yes | Yes |
| Temperature gauge | Yes | Yes |
| Carotenoid meter | No | Yes |
| Crash detection | Yes | No |

Battery
Do you attach great importance to the battery life of your smartwatch? Then the differences between the Apple Watch Series 11 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 are definitely worth a look. The Apple Watch Series 11 lasts up to 24 hours with normal use. If you enable energy saving mode, the battery life will be extended to approximately 38 hours. Apple also offers fast charging, which charges the smartwatch to 80 percent in about thirty minutes.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 does a lot better on this point. With normal use, the smartwatch lasts up to 48 hours, which is considerably longer than with Apple. With energy saving mode enabled, this even increases to about three days without charging. So if you are looking for a smartwatch that lasts as long as possible on a single battery charge, then the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 is clearly the better choice.
| Apple Watch Series 11 | Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 |
|---|---|
| Lasts up to 24 hours | Lasts up to 48 hours |
| Energy saving mode: up to 38 hours | Energy saving mode: up to 3 days |
| From 0 to 80 percent within 30 minutes | From 0 to 50 percent within 30 minutes |
| Wireless charging | Wireless charging |
| 327 mAh battery | 325 mAh battery |

Conclusion: Apple Watch Series 11 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 8
The Apple Watch Series 11 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 are both excellent smartwatches, but clearly differ in approach. With the Galaxy Watch 8, Samsung is focusing more on advanced health functions, in which artificial intelligence plays an important role. The Apple Watch Series 11 runs on watchOS 26, which integrates perfectly with other Apple devices.
Which smartwatch suits you best depends greatly on the ecosystem you use. The Apple Watch Series 11 only works with an iPhone, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8, on the other hand, is more flexible and can work with multiple Android smartphones, not just Samsung devices.
Do you have an iPhone and are you looking for a larger smartwatch with more storage space and a seamless connection with iOS? Then the Apple Watch Series 11 is the logical choice. If you want a more compact and affordable smartwatch with a long battery life and extra health insights, then choose the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8.
Want to buy Apple Watch Series 11?
Are you planning to purchase an Apple Watch Series 11? Be sure to keep an eye on the deals below to ensure you don’t pay too much!
Apple Watch Series 11 deals
Compare all Apple Watch Series 11 prices