With its Watch 3, Apple’s flagship wearable is now capable of making calls over an LTE cellular signal. It also lets you talk directly to Apple’s Siri voice assistant, and stream music directly from Apple Music.
But there are tons of other smartwatches and fitness trackers you can buy right now that are likely cheaper than the Watch 3 and are capable of many of the same things. This includes the Fitbit Ionic and the Samsung Gear Sport.
If you want to know how these wearables compare in terms of hardware, check out the spec chart below.
Apple Watch 3 comparison chart
| Apple Watch 3 | Apple Watch Series 2 | Fitbit Ionic | Samsung Gear Sport | Garmin Vivoactive 3 | |
| Display | 38mm: 1.3-inch OLED; 42mm: 1.65-inch OLED | 38mm: 1.3-inch OLED; 42mm: 1.65-inch OLED | 1.42-inch LCD | 1.2-inch AMOLED | 1.2-inch |
| Resolution | 38mm: 340×272 (290ppi); 42mm: 390×312 (302 ppi) | 38mm: 340×272 (290ppi); 42mm: 390×312 (302 ppi) | 348×250 (302 ppi) | 360×360 (424 ppi) | 240×240 (283 ppi) |
| Dimensions | 38mm: 38.6×33.3×11.65mm; 42mm: 42.5×36.4×11.65mm | 38mm: 38.6×33.3×11.4mm; 42mm: 42.5×36.4×11.4mm | 29.21×21.09mm | 44.6×42.9×11.6mm | 43.4×43.4×11.7mm |
| Protection | Ion-X glass; Sapphire crystal on steel and ceramic models | Ion-X glass; Sapphire crystal on steel and ceramic models | Gorilla Glass 3 | Gorilla Glass 3 | Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Strap size | Interchangeable | Interchangeable | Interchangeable | Interchangeable 20mm | Interchangeable |
| Build | Aluminum; stainless steel, ceramic options | Aluminum; stainless steel, ceramic options | Aluminum, stainless steel | Stainless steel, fiber-reinforced polymer | Stainless steel, fiber-reinforced polymer |
| Processor | Apple S3 | Apple S2 | Unknown | 1GHz dual-core processor | Unknown |
| Memory | 512MB | 512MB | Unknown | 768MB | Unknown |
| Storage | 16GB cellular and GPS, 8GB GPS only | 8GB (2GB for music) | 2.5GB | 4GB | 7 timed activities, 14 days activity tracking data |
| Battery | “Up to 18 hours” | 38mm: 273mAh; 42mm: 334mAh | “4-plus days” | 300mAh | Smartwatch mode: up to 7 days, GPS mode: up to 13 hours |
| Operating system | WatchOS 4 | WatchOS | Fitbit OS | TizenOS 3.0 | Proprietary |
| Scroll wheel | Yes | Yes | No | Rotating bezel | Side Swipe |
| Microphone | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Vibration | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| NFC | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| GPS | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| LTE | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Heart-rate sensor | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Ambient light sensor | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Water-resistant | 5 ATM; 50 meters | 5 ATM, up to 50 meters | Up to 50 meters | 5 ATM, up to 50 meters | 5 ATM, up to 50 meters |
| Price | $399 with cellular and GPS, $329 GPS only | 38mm starts at $370, £370, AU$529; 42mm starts at $400, £399, AU$579 | $299.95 | Unannounced | $299.99 (stainless); $329.99 (slate) |
This is a developing story that will be updated as information rolls out throughout the day. For more, follow CNET’s live blog and read our complete coverage of today’s Apple event.
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