Apple Watch Series 10 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: ecosystems in battle

So, back in September 2024, Apple did its usual fall dance — this time under the sparkly banner of "Glowtime." New iPhones? Check. AirPods? Sure. Apple Watch? Of course. Enter the Apple Watch Series 10, which Apple proudly called a “complete redesign.” Critics, though? Not quite buying it. Let’s be honest — if you squint just a little, it still looks a whole lot like a Series 7. Yep, another year, another Apple Watch.

But hey, it’s not like Samsung is blowing minds either. The Galaxy Watch 7 showed up a few months earlier, and let’s just say it didn’t exactly reinvent the wrist. Same look, same core features — the tech world kind of shrugged.

To be fair, both of these watches are deep into their maturity phase. Groundbreaking innovation? That ship has mostly sailed. But that doesn’t mean they’re standing still — we’re still getting better sensors, tighter health tracking, and small but welcome lifestyle upgrades with each cycle.

Samsung did some cleanup this time, too — no more splitting the lineup between standard and Classic models. Now it’s just the Galaxy Watch 7 in two sizes, and if you want the fancy stuff, there’s the Galaxy Watch Ultra — bigger battery, tougher build, more fitness-focused.

Apple, on the other hand, didn’t do much with the Ultra line. No Series 3 Ultra or anything wild — just a new black color option for the Ultra 2. But we did get the Watch Series 10, and that raises the big question: how does Apple’s latest wrist candy stack up against Samsung’s newest?

Let’s take a closer look.

Galaxy Watch Ultra: save $325 at Samsung.com

$324 ⁹⁹

$649 ⁹⁹

$325 off (50%)

The Galaxy Watch Ultra is here! You can get the exciting wearable for $325 off its original price. You must provide an eligible trade-in to get the discount. Alternatively, you can save $200 with Samsung Instant Savings, no trade-in required.

Buy at Samsung

Galaxy Watch 7 (40mm): save up to $175 at Samsung

$124 ⁹⁹

$299 ⁹⁹

$175 off (58%)

The Galaxy Watch 7 sells for peanuts at Samsung.com with eligible trade-ins. The $299.99 smartwatch with Wi-Fi connectivity can be yours for $175 off with trade-ins. Alternatively, you can buy it for $100 off with Samsung Instant Savings.

Buy at Samsung

Galaxy Ring: up to $150 off with trade-ins

$249 ⁹⁹

$399 ⁹⁹

$150 off (38%)

The incredible and ultra-innovative Galaxy Ring is now available at Samsung. The wearable is up to $150 off with eligible trade-ins.

Buy at Samsung

The Galaxy Watch 7 really benefitted from the jump from a 5nm chip to a 3nm one. The Exynos W1000 offers a much-needed boost in snappiness when interacting with the wearable. It also got a boost in storage up to 32GB (from 16GB in the past)

These upgrades bring it closer to the Apple Watch, which has been quite snappy, responsive, and pleasing over the past years. Apple's new S10 SiP looks like it doesn't upgrade the processor at the core of the system — on paper, it seems like it's the same dual-core processor that can be tracked back to the Apple Watch Series 6. Of course, it's not all about the processor with these devices — their surrounding sensors and the displays are much more important for their fitness and lifestyle role.

The two watches are quite different in design, again. Apple didn't do much with the Apple Watch shape, save for making the Series 10 thinner. That's something that many will appreciate — a lot of people are still on the fence about a smartwatch due to their bulky and protruding designs. The new Ionic Glass front also now tapers further down to the side of the watch, and we admit — it looks clean... so, so clean. 

The Apple Watch Series 10 also now comes in two flavors — you can buy either an aluminum or a titanium edition, with the latter costing you a $220 premium. Also, the titanium versions can only be the cellular models, so that inflates their starting price more.

The round shape of a Galaxy Watch 7 is a nice response from Samsung — for those that prefer a more classic look. It, too, has rather large displays at 44mm and 40mm — choose wisely, depending on wrist size. Samsung allows you to navigate the interface via the round bezel on the side — though, it's not mechanical this year around. It's a digital "touch the edge of the screen" scroll wheel.

In terms of water protection, we have IP68 and ATM5 rating on the Galaxy Watch 7 — you can shower with it and maybe swim, but it's not advised. The Apple Watch Series 10 is IP6X rated for dust-resistance and also has water resistance rating of 50 meters under ISO standard 22810:2010. You can use it for shallow water swimming or snorkeling up to 6 meters. 

Let’s be honest — these smartwatches aren’t just accessories anymore. They’re deeply married to their ecosystems. Got an iPhone? Sorry, no Galaxy Watch 7 for you. Rocking Android? Forget pairing it with an Apple Watch Series 10 — not happening.

So, if your smartphone choice is already locked in, your watch options are basically chosen for you. But if you’re still weighing which ecosystem to join — iOS or Android — then yeah, your smartwatch pick should absolutely be part of that conversation.

On team Android, you’ve got a bit of variety: the Pixel Watch, Galaxy Watch, and a few others floating around. It’s a flexible landscape — different looks, different feels, always evolving.

On the iOS side? It’s Apple Watch or bust. And Apple’s been sticking to that original square-ish look for nearly a decade now. No surprises, but people still love it. And honestly, with good reason — it’s fast, smooth, and gets the job done without fuss. Apple nailed the formula early, while Samsung only really got their watch game dialed in during the last couple of years.