Yesterday, Apple announced the final details of its first entry into the smartwatch market.
Let’s take a look at how the Apple Watch stacks up against the best that Android Wear has to offer.
Both platforms work as a companion to their smartphone counterparts, with Apple Watch supporting iOS 8 smartphones and Android Wear covering Android 4.3 handsets and up.
The table below, complied by Android Authority gives you an overview of the different specifications.
| Asus Zenwatch | LG G Watch R | Moto 360 | Apple Watch | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 1.63″ 320×320 AMOLED | 1.3″ 320 x 320 P-OLED | 1.56″ 320×290 LCD | 340 x 272 or 390 x 312 |
| SoC | 1.2 GHz Snapdragon 400 | 1.2 GHz Snapdragon 400 | TI OMAP 3 | Apple S1 |
| RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB | 512 MB | unknown |
| Storage | 4 GB | 4 GB | 4GB | unknown |
| Battery | 360 mAh (2 days) | 410 mAh (2+ days) | 320 mAh (12 hours) | unknown (18 hours) |
| Size | 51 x 39.9 x 7.9 ~ 9.4 mm | 46.4 x 53.6 x 9.7 mm | 46mm diameter x 11.5mm | 42mm or 38mm (height) |
| Weight | 50g | 62g | 49g | unknown |
| Resistance | IP55 | IP67 | IP67 | no |
| Extras | pedometer, heart rate monitor | pedometer, heart rate monitor | pedometer, heart rate monitor | pedometer, heart rate monitor, GPS |
| Charging | Dock | Dock | Wireless | MagSafe Wireless |
| Price | $199.99 | $299 | $250 | $349 or $399 |
Software: When it comes to operating systems, both have been built around smartphone notifications and a selection of apps designed specifically for wearables.
Android Wear arranges these into swappable cards while Apple’s OS arranges apps on a single home screen with full screen pop-up notification. However, rather than relying solely on touch to navigate your way around, Apple’s crown dial is also used to hop in and out of apps and alter some settings.
Health and Fitness: Both platforms offer a lot of similar functionality. Most Android Wear smarwatches come with a heartrate monitor and can link up with your smartphone to track location and distances. The Apple Watch comes with a heartrate monitor and built in GPS, like some more of the recent-gen Android Wear devices such as the Sony Smartwatch 3, which means that you can leave your phone at home while going out for a run.
Hardware: The wonderful thing about Android is its wider range of hardware. While Apple’s has a range of variations on the same design, Android Wear’s hardware has a selection of completely different looks available. The Moto 360 come with a choice of leather or metallic straps, while the G Watch R and Zenwatch offer a selection of leather options or Sony’s latest smartwatch can come encased in stainless steel.
