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Samsung Galaxy Watch vs Fitbit Versa 3 – In-depth Review

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I don’t really know if I should be doing this comparison between the 2year old Samsung Galaxy Watch and the newly released Fitbit Versa 3. If you recall the Versa 3 was released last month alongside Fitbit Sense, it succeeds Versa 2 and comes with an inbuilt GPS, longer battery life, loudspeaker, and fast charging. This is very similar features with Galaxy Watch which is now succeeded by the Galaxy Watch 3. Having used both Galaxy Watch and Versa 3, I think it will be worthwhile to tell you about my experiences with each of these two and how they differ. Compare the differences between Samsung Galaxy Watch vs Fitbit Versa 3 to find out which is a better smartwatch for you.

Samsung Galaxy Watch vs Fitbit Versa 3 Full Specifications Compared

Fitbit Versa 3Samsung Galaxy Watch
Fitbit Versa 3 full specsSamsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 vs Galaxy Watch vs Gear S3

ABOUT DEVICE

Device nameFitbit Versa 3Samsung Galaxy Watch
Device typeSport/Fitness smartwatchClassic/Fitness/Standalone smartwatch
PredessesorFitbit Versa 2Samsung Gear S3
SuccessorFitbit Versa 4--
Released dateSeptember, 2020August, 2018
Ideal forUnisexMen (46mm)
Women (42mm)

DISPLAY

Display typeAMOLEDSuper AMOLED
Full color
Display size1.58 inches1.3 inch (46mm)
1.2 inch (42mm)
Display resolution336 x 336 pixel360 x 360 pixels
Pixel density300.74 PPI300.74 PPI278 ppi
Input typeTouchscreen
Haptic button
Touchscreen,
2 physical buttons
physical rotating bezel
Always-onYesYes
Customizable watch faceYesYes

BODY

ShapeSquare/curvedCircular
Dimension40.5 x 40.5 x 12.4 mm41.9 x 45.7 x 12.7 mm (42mm)
46 x 49 x 13 mm (46mm)
Weight--63 grams (46mm)
49 grams (42mm)
Casing materialAluminumStainless steel/glass reinforced with polycarbonate
Strap/band materialSiliconeSilicone
(leather straps also available)
Bezel MaterialAluminumCeramics
Strap size140 - 180 mm (small)
180 - 220 mm (large)
22 mm (46mm)
20 mm (42mm)
Interchangeable band YesYes, 22mm/20mm
Screen protectionCorning Gorilla Glass 3Corning Gorilla glass DX+
Water resistant/ProtectionYes, 5ATMYes, IP68, 5ATM
MIL-STD-810G
Swim-proofYes, recommendedYes, recommended
Color(s)Pink clay/soft gold
Midnight/soft gold
Black
Black, silver, rose-gold

MEMORY

RAM--1.5GB (LTE),
0.75GB (Non-LTE)
Internal storageAbout 4GB4GB
Memory card slotNoNo

CONNECTIVITY

BluetoothBluetooth v5.0 LEBluetooth v4.2
Bluetooth callingYesYes
Wi-FiYesYes
NFCYesYes
Payment systemFitbit PaySamsung pay
GPSGPS/GLONASSGLONASS/GPS

CELLULAR TECHNOLOGY

TechnologyNoGSM/HSPA/LTE
SIMNoYes, e-SIM
BandNoGSM 850/900/1800
WCDMA B1/2/5

NOTIFICATIONS

Email alertYesYes
SMS alertYesYes
Calls alertYesYes
Event reminderYesYes
WeatherYesYes
Third-party appsYesYes
Text responseYesYes

FITNESS TRACKING

Sleep apneaNoNo
Sleep trackingYesYes
StepsYesYes
Floors climbedYesYes
Heart rate monitoringYesYes
CaloriesYesYes
DistanceYesYes
StressYesYes
VO2 Max.YesYes
Blood oxygenYesNo
Blood pressureNoNo
Menstrual cycle trackingYesNo
Swim trackingYesYes
Under-water heart rate trackingNoNo
Preloaded mapsNoYes
On-screen workout modesYesNo
Triathlon modeNoYes
ECG TrackingNoNo
Preloaded sport modesYes, 20Yes
Safety trackingNoNo

MEDIA

Audiomp3/mp4mp3/mp4
Music streamingNoYes
Bluetooth musicYesYes
RadioNoNo
LoudspeakerYesYes
MicrophoneYesYes
CameraNoNo

SENSORS

PLATFORM

Operating system (OS)Fitbit OSTizen OS 4.0
Chipset--Exynos 9110
CPU--Dual core 1.15GHz
GPU----

BATTERY

Type of batteryNon-removable lithium polymerNon-removable Li-ion battery
Battery capacity --472mAh (46mm)
270mAh (42mm)
Battery lifeMixed usage: up to 6 days+Standby :5 days+,
Mixed usage: 3 days+
Charging typeUSB based charging dockCharging dock
Charging timeAbout 1-30 minsAbout 1-2 hours
Battery saver modeYesYes
Solar powerNoNo
Rapid chargingYes_

CLOCK FEATURES

Time/DateYesYes
StopwatchYesYes
AlarmYesYes

OTHER FUNCTIONS

Control cameraYesYes
Music controlYesYes
Find phoneYesYes

MISC

Compatibility Android 8.0+, IOS 14.0+

Check supported devices
Android 5.0+ & RAM 1.5GB+
iPhone 5+ and iOS 9.0+
Companion appFitbit AppSamsung Gear app
Voice commandYes (Alexa & Google Assistant)Yes

BOX CONTENTS

Fitbit Versa 3Samsung Galaxy Watch
Strap (small and large)Straps
Charging cableCharger
Quick start guideQuick start guide
NOTE: We can't guarantee that all the information on this table are 100% correct. Read full disclaimer. Please, report an error.
Official SiteOfficial Site

The Differences?

Samsung Galaxy Watch vs Fitbit Versa 3 Features compared
  • Design
  • Mere looking at the appearance of these two smartwatches, you can clearly see that the Galaxy Watch is bulky, while Versa 3 is very compact. Both smartwatches spot a very decent and attractive design, although Versa 3 is more compact and sleek than Galaxy Watch.

    However, I will say the Galaxy Watch has a more sophisticated design made of stainless steel case and ceramics bezel with silicone straps compared to the aluminum case of Versa 3. This is the more reason it’s heavier than Versa 3.

    Navigation
    As per navigation, Galaxy Watch features an iconic physical rotating bezel alongside 2 physical buttons and touchscreen support that makes it very easy to access unlike Versa 3 which is only touchscreen with a haptic button by the side. I’m not a fan of the haptic button, it is unresponsive most times except when pressed real hard. Nevertheless, accessing Versa 3 is still very easy.

    Watch Faces
    You can install as many Watch faces as you like from the Fitbit app or Galaxy store respectively. There are lots of options to choose from as watch faces from third parties populate the platforms. However, you can only store a maximum of 5 watch faces at any time on Versa 3, while Galaxy Watch allows you to store as many Watch faces as you want depending on storage, you can even install watch faces directly from the watch which you can’t do with Versa 3.

    Waterproof Rating
    Both smartwatches are rated 5ATM which represents 50 meters waterproof. I haven’t had the time to swim with any of these two, but I did a simple 2-minutes water test by deeping these two into a 2-meter cup, and both smartwatches worked great afterward. I like that you can remove water from Galaxy Watch through its water eject mode feature.

  • Fitness Tracking
  • Each of these two smartwatches tracks all the basics that include your sleep, heart rate, steps, calories, distance, and also count floors climbed.

    Sleep Tracking
    Both smartwatches track sleep in four stages; awake, deep, light, and REM, as well as shows you your sleep trend overtime.

    sleep tracking of Versa 3 vs Galaxy watch

    Galaxy Watch vs Versa 3 – Sleep Tracking

    Heart Rate Tracking
    Both smartwatches track your heart rate continuously. It’s unfortunate that you can’t set Versa 3 to track your heart rate manually which you can do with Versa 3. Both smartwatches also show my resting heart rate and my heart rate range.

    However, while Galaxy Watch shows my heart rate in vigorous and moderate zones, Versa 3 shows my heart rate in fat burn, cardio, and peak zones. It uses the time spent in each of these zones to calculate Active Zone Minutes (AZM) which is 1AZM in fat burn zone and 2AZM in cardio and peak zones for every minute.

    Stress Tracking
    Both smartwatches can help you manage stress levels with the respective stress apps that guide you through a breathing session. This comes in handy in helping you manage stress.

    Inbuilt GPS
    With inbuilt GPS on both smartwatches, you can track your routes, distance, and real-time pace. I did a 3.6Km run with these two, and the figures were about the same with slight discrepancies. Galaxy Watch however showed more stats like cadence and I can view my route directly on the watch without having to use the Samsung Health app.

    Galaxy Watch vs Versa 3 GPS tracking

    Preloaded Sport Modes
    Both smartwatches also feature preloaded sport modes which you can choose from your preferred choice, but the Galaxy Watch has 39 as against 20 on Versa 3.

    Fitbit Coach
    Versa 3 has a Fitbit coach app that features animated workout modes that can coach you as your train. Although not so many sport modes are available, it can save you some bucks on subscription.

    SpO2 Blood Oxygen
    Fitbit Versa 3 can track your SpO2 blood oxygen levels, but it’s not a complete feature as you can’t get your blood oxygen levels on-demand. It only tracks your blood oxygen levels when you sleep which you can see from the Fitbit Signature watch face. This feature is not available in every country.

    Companion Fitness Apps
    While the Fitbit app is the fitness companion for Versa 3, Samsung Health monitor is the fitness companion for Galaxy Watch. Both apps are quite intuitive and have a neat interface that lets you see your fitness metrics at a glance.

  • Media and Connectivity
  • Both the Galaxy Watch and Versa 3 have music storage features that allow you to store music on the watch. However, Galaxy Watch allows you to add your personal music which you cannot do with Versa 3. Versa 3 only allows you to control Spotify playlists and download Pandora stations or Deezer playlists.

    There’s is also a loudspeaker and microphone on both smartwatches. However, while you can make and receive calls, play media aloud, and hear Bixby reply aloud, Versa 3 lacks all these features. You can only answer calls on Versa 3 which you must continue on your phone. Galaxy Watch also allows you to share contacts with the phone, thus making it easy to call from the watch.

  • Notifications
  • Both smartwatches allow you to receive and reply to notifications. You can reply to notifications with your voice, text messages, and emoji.

    However, Galaxy Watch offers more preset replies and you can add more unlike Versa 3 that only has 5 preset replies which you can only modify.

  • Battery Life
  • The battery life of each of these two will see you through days from a single charge. I tested the battery life of Galaxy Watch against Versa 3, it was the same notifications settings for both smartwatches with the always-on display turned off, and I got 3 days long battery life with Galaxy Watch while Versa 3 lasted 4 days+.

  • Fitbit OS vs Tizen OS
  • I can say that both operating systems offer a neat UI that allows you to find the information that matters most to you. However, Tizen OS is a more sophisticated operating system than Fitbit OS which I consider too basic.

    You can install watch faces and apps directly from Galaxy Watch. You can also browse the internet with the Samsung internet browser, and you can also view your workout routes from the watch.

    There are 30 widgets on Galaxy Watch compared to 5 on Versa 3, and there are 21 options in the quick panel section in Galaxy Watch compared to only 6 on Versa 3. So, Tizen is better than Fitbit OS.

Which is Better?

It’s interesting to note that each of these two smartwatches costs about the same amount. However, I think the Galaxy Watch is a more sophisticated smartwatch that offers more features than Versa 3. It has a more durable design, a functional loudspeaker, and an impressive battery life. It’s however, a bit heavy and bulky.

On the flip side, Versa 3 has a longer battery life with more health tracking features and as well is very compact and lightweight.

So, the choice is yours to make.

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