In last week’s column I mentioned that – for the time being at least – I’ve switched from Android to iPhone and, because iPhone doesn’t support my Pixel Watch, I’m now wearing an Apple Watch Series 10.
There is a lot I love about the Apple Watch including its elegant design and watch faces, its seamless integration with iPhone and other Apple devices and its services, including the ability to find items with an Apple AirTag for finding lost items. Like my Pixel Watch, I can also use it to make credit card payments and, like the Pixel, there are lots of third party apps, including quite a few that are not available for Android watches. Because Apple makes the most popular phones and watches in the US, developers sometimes release iPhone and Apple Watch products before developing for Android. It’s also a good way to interact with Siri because you can easily put your wrist by your mouth so Siri can hear you.
In many ways it’s comparable to the Pixel Watch 3 that I was wearing. They both have health and fitness apps, payment systems and the ability to run apps.
Like the Pixel Watch, Apple has some excellent health features, including the ability to take an electrocardiogram and analyze your sleep. Unfortunately, newer models of the Apple watch currently don’t report blood oxygen (SpO2) levels due to a patent dispute with a medical device company, but it does report sleep disturbances and suspected sleep apnea, which are sometimes related to overnight oxygen issues. Pixel Watches and some Fitbit devices do record SpO2 while you’re sleeping. It’s not as precise as medical grade SpO2 devices like the Wellue O2Ring Oxygen Monitor that you can wear while sleeping, but it’s pretty close.
The Apple Watch does have some good fitness features but it’s missing some metrics I’ve come to depend on with my Pixel Watch and Fitbit devices. Fitbit is now owned by Google but, with the exception of the Pixel Watch, Fitbit products are compatible with both iPhones and Android devices. Pixel Watch is only for Android users.
Apple Watch doesn’t show total calories
Unlike Google watches and Fitbit bands, the Apple Watch does not show total calories you’ve burned during the day. It does report “active” calories, and the exercise app displays the number of calories you burn during workouts, but a lot of people who are trying to control their weight rely on total calories to keep them on track. As far as I can tell, the only way to find your total calories is to go through the cumbersome process of getting out your iPhone, looking at the phone’s Fitness App, clicking on summary and clicking in the Activity Rings section. On my Google Pixel watch total calories are displayed on some watch faces and prominently in the Fitbit app.
My Pixel Watch and most Fitbit devices report pulse in real time. With some watch faces you view your pulse without having to load any apps or even touch the watch face. But unless you’re using one of the Apple’s watch’s exercise trackers, to view your pulse on an Apple Watch you have to click on the Heart Rate App and wait several seconds for it to measure your pulse. It does show you heart rate in real time if you’re tracking an exercise.
Both the Apple and Pixel watches along with most Fitbit devices can track numerous exercises and are capable of automatically detecting the exercise you’re doing and offer to track them for you. What I’ve noticed is that the Apple Watch tends to recognize the exercise quicker than the Fitbit and also alerts you sooner after you’re done exercising.
One thing I like about the Apple Watch is that it gives you broader statistics. Such as average speed and elevation gained on a bicycle ride. Both watches will track and map your walking, running and cycling. I’ve also used both to track time, heart rate and approximate calories on my daily elliptical workout. I wish I could report more of the exercises it tracks, but I’m not that athletic.
A fitness tracker for all smartphones
Although the Pixel Watch is for Android users only, Google’s Fitbit devices work with both Android and iOS. So, to experience the best of both worlds, I have a Fitbit Charge 6 on one wrist and an Apple Watch on the other. I realize that very few people will do this, and I’ll stop soon, but it has helped me compare Fitbit’ best-selling Fitbit tracker with the newest Apple Watch.
Although not as versatile as the Apple or Pixel watches, it has many of the features that people want and need and want.
Using Fitbit Charge and an Apple Watch
Even if you’re not obsessive enough to wear both a watch and a fitness tracker during the day, a case can be made for wearing the Fitbit Charge while sleeping and the Apple Watch during the day. For one thing, it enables you to charge your Apple Watch overnight and the Fitbit Charge 6 gives you more detailed sleep analysis, including SpO2, which Apple currently doesn’t offer because of that patent dispute. It’s also lighter, smaller and more comfortable to wear than smartwatches, which might make it a better choice for sleeping. The Charge can also be used to an ECG and the Fitbit app, will alert you to any atrial fibrillation (AFib) events. .
The Charge 6 also monitors heart rate, has an EDA Sensor that measures electrodermal activity for stress management, tracks your skin temperature, your sleep with stages, score, and insights and reports step and distance tracking and calories burned. Even though it doesn’t run third party apps, it can be used with Google Wallet to make payments, play YouTube Video and access Google Maps and shows you smartphone notifications. Both Google and Apple advise, you should never rely on any fitness device for medical diagnosis. I know that’s boiler plate, but I’ve learned from experience that it’s also true.
Having made the case for a Fitness band and a smart watch, I am fully aware that most people don’t want to shell out more than $300 for a watch and another $120 or so for a fitness band, so here’s my bottom-line advice. If you’re an Android user who wants a full-function smart watch, consider the Pixel Watch. Likewise with the Apple Watch for iPhone users. But if you mainly want to track your fitness and get some health metrics with the ability to receive notifications use Google Wallet and Google Maps, the Fitbit Charge 6 is a good investment.