Apple Watch Series 11 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 8
Apple Watch Series 11 (#1, best overall) vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 (#2, best premium): in our Health Monitoring scoring the Apple Watch Series 11 totals 9.3/10 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 8.8/10, the Apple Watch Series 11 leading on FDA Clearances and Continuous Monitoring.
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TopsFive comparison scores
Side by side
| Apple Watch Series 11 | Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $329 | $259 |
| Display | Always-on OLED | 1.5" Super AMOLED |
| Chip | S11 | — |
| Battery | 18 hours | 1-2 days |
| Sensors | ECG, HR, SpO2, temperature, BP trends | ECG, BIA, BP, HR, SpO2, temperature |
| Water Resistance | 50m | 5 ATM + IP68 |
| OS | — | Wear OS 5 |
How they differ in real use
Built from our health monitoring smartwatches scoring, each product's published specifications, and verified owner feedback — not hands-on testing.
Both the Apple Watch Series 11 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 made our Top 5 Health Monitoring, at #1 (best overall) and #2 (best premium). Most comprehensive FDA-cleared health platform. Industry-first hypertension notifications monitor blood pressure trends over 30 days. ECG achieves 98.3% sensitivity, 99.6% specificity for AFib detection. Most comprehensive sensor suite including FDA-cleared ECG, blood pressure monitoring, BIA body composition, and industry-first Vascular Load and Antioxidant Index metrics. 13-LED BioActive sensor with ±1.5% accuracy improvement.
We score health monitoring on Health Sensors (35%), FDA Clearances (25%), Continuous Monitoring (20%), Battery Life (10%) and Ecosystem (10%). On that basis the Apple Watch Series 11 totals 9.3 out of 10 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 8.8. The widest gap is FDA Clearances, where the Apple Watch Series 11 scores 10 against 9 for the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 — clinically validated features. Continuous Monitoring also separates them: 9 for the Apple Watch Series 11 versus 8 for the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8.
On paper, the specifications that actually differ: Display — Always-on OLED on the Apple Watch Series 11 versus 1.5" Super AMOLED on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8; Battery — 18 hours on the Apple Watch Series 11 versus 1-2 days on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8; Sensors — ECG, HR, SpO2, temperature, BP trends on the Apple Watch Series 11 versus ECG, BIA, BP, HR, SpO2, temperature on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8; Water Resistance — 50m on the Apple Watch Series 11 versus 5 ATM + IP68 on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8.
Pricing as of January 27, 2026: $329 for the Apple Watch Series 11 and $259 for the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8, a $70 difference in the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8's favor. Owners praise the Apple Watch Series 11 for fDA-cleared hypertension monitoring and ECG 98.3% sensitivity; the most common complaint is 18-hour battery life. Owners praise the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 for fDA-cleared ECG and BP and BIA body composition; the most common complaint is BP requires Samsung phone.
Apple Watch Series 11
- FDA-cleared hypertension monitoring
- ECG 98.3% sensitivity
- Temperature sensing
- Crash/fall detection
- 18-hour battery life
- Requires iPhone
- Premium pricing
Samsung Galaxy Watch 8
- FDA-cleared ECG and BP
- BIA body composition
- Vascular Load metric
- 13-LED BioActive sensor
- BP requires Samsung phone
- Short battery life
- Samsung-centric features
Which should you buy?
The Apple Watch Series 11 is the better fit for health-conscious iPhone users and aFib monitoring — it is the higher-scoring pick here, chiefly for FDA Clearances and Continuous Monitoring. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 is the better fit for samsung phone owners and body composition tracking. If the $70 saving matters more than FDA Clearances, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 is the better value. The Apple Watch Series 11 is a poor fit for android users; the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 is a poor fit for iPhone users.
Choose the Apple Watch Series 11 if
- Health-conscious iPhone users
- AFib monitoring
- Blood pressure tracking
Skip it if
- Android users
- Long battery life needs
Choose the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 if
- Samsung phone owners
- Body composition tracking
- Comprehensive health metrics
Skip it if
- iPhone users
- Non-Samsung BP monitoring
Common questions
Is the Apple Watch Series 11 better than the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8?
In our Health Monitoring ranking the Apple Watch Series 11 scores higher overall, 9.3 to 8.8, with the biggest advantage in FDA Clearances. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 does not out-score it on any criterion we weigh.
How much more does the Apple Watch Series 11 cost than the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8?
$70 more as of January 27, 2026: $329 for the Apple Watch Series 11 against $259 for the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8. Prices move, so the merchant page shows the current figure. What the extra buys is mostly FDA Clearances — 10 versus 9 in our scoring.
What is the main difference between the Apple Watch Series 11 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8?
The headline spec difference is Display: Always-on OLED on the Apple Watch Series 11 versus 1.5" Super AMOLED on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8. In use, the gap that matters most is FDA Clearances (10 vs 9 in our scoring): clinically validated features.