The original
Apple Watch Series 12
$399
Search on Amazon ↗These two watches don't compete for the same buyer: the Apple Watch Series 12 ($399) needs an iPhone, and the Samsung Galaxy Watch8 ($300) needs an Android phone. If your phone has already decided for you, the Watch8 saves $99, with a brighter screen and a lighter case. The Apple Watch lasted longer in review testing and has twice the storage.
The original
$399
Search on Amazon ↗Close match
Samsung
$300Save $99 (25%)
Search on Amazon ↗| Spec | Apple Watch Series 12 | Galaxy Watch8 |
|---|---|---|
| Typical price | $399 | $300 |
| Phone needed | iPhone 11 or later, iOS 27 | Android 11 or later (1.5GB+ RAM) |
| Case sizes | 42mm, 46mm | 40mm, 44mm |
| Weight (smaller size) | 32.2 g (42mm aluminum, GPS) | 30.0 g (40mm, no band) |
| Peak brightness | 2000 nits | 3000 nits |
| Rated battery | Up to 24 hours (38 in Low Power Mode) | Up to 30 hours with always-on display (Samsung, per Engadget) |
| Battery in review tests | 45.5 hours on average (Macworld) | About 26 hours, 40mm, always-on display (Engadget) |
| Water and toughness | Water resistant to 50m | 5ATM + IP68, MIL-STD-810H |
| Storage | 64GB | 32GB |
| Heart and blood pressure | ECG, hypertension notifications, sleep apnea notifications | ECG, blood pressure (needs cuff calibration), sleep apnea detection |
Does not work with iPhone.
Apple Watch Series 12: You use an iPhone and want the longer real-world battery, more storage and hypertension notifications without a cuff.
Galaxy Watch8: You use an Android phone and want a brighter, lighter watch for $99 less.
Samsung's page says the Watch8 needs a smartphone running Android 11 or later with at least 1.5GB of memory, and it doesn't list iPhone support. The Apple Watch Series 12 is the reverse: it needs an iPhone 11 or later on iOS 27.
In review testing the Apple Watch went longer. Macworld averaged 45.5 hours from the Series 12 across two tests, though it called the results inconsistent. Engadget got about 26 hours from the 40mm Watch8 with the always-on display on, a little under Samsung's 30-hour claim.
The Watch8 shows blood pressure readings after you calibrate it with a cuff sold separately, according to Samsung. The Series 12 doesn't give readings. Apple says its hypertension notifications look for patterns of high blood pressure over 30 days, and the feature isn't for people already diagnosed, pregnant people or anyone under 22.
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