Apple vs. Google: Which brand makes the better smartwatch for fitness tracking? To find out, I strapped the best smartwatch model from each to different wrists and went on a 6,000 mile walk around my neighborhood.
As a control for step count data – the primary metric we’ll use to find our fitness tracking champion – I calculated my own pace; clicking on my trusty, old-school counter marked every hundred taken.
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Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs Google Pixel Watch 4 XL
| Header Cell – Column 0 |
Apple Watch Ultra 3 |
Pixel Watch 4 XL |
|---|---|---|
|
Price |
$799 |
$399 |
|
OS compatibility |
iOS |
Android |
|
Battery life (tested) |
42 hours |
60 hours |
|
Water resistance |
100 meters |
50 meters |
|
Speaker/mic |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Cell phones |
Yes |
A matter of choice |
Unlike Apple and Samsung, Google does not offer an ‘Ultra’ model in the brand’s current range of smartwatches. This means that the Pixel Watch 4 XL (45mm), which has better battery life but is more expensive than its smaller sibling (41mm), is Google’s most capable and expensive model.
Starting at $399 for the non-cellular model or $449 for LTE connectivity, the Pixel Watch 4 is significantly cheaper than the $799 Apple Watch Ultra 3. However, you get better battery life from the Google option, as well as support for Google’s AI-powered Gemini assistant, while Ultra 3 owners are stuck with the older, non-AI version of Siri.
That said, the Ultra 3 is a solidly built device, with 100 meters of water resistance and a titanium case, compared to 50 meters with aluminum. Ultimately, though, none of these differences should affect the model’s ability to accurately count my steps.
With that, on to the walking test!
I walked 6,000 steps with Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs Google Pixel Watch 4 XL
For this walking test, I wore the Apple Watch Ultra 3 on my right wrist and the Google Pixel Watch 4 on my left wrist. For more details to compare the results with, I ran Strava on my iPhone 16 Plus.
With the Seattle cherry blossoms in full bloom and sweet blue clouds overhead, I drove up and down the hills, past manicured lawns, fancy bakeries, and no less than ten Little Free Libraries. ‘
When I reached exactly 6,000 steps, I parked on a park bench, finished tracking all three devices, and took notes. Find out the results of my Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs. Pixel Watch 4 XL below.
Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs Google Pixel Watch 4 XL: Walkthrough test results
| Header Cell – Column 0 |
Apple Watch Ultra 3 |
Pixel Watch 4 XL |
Control |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Number of steps |
5,896 steps |
6,016 steps |
6,000 steps (number of hands) |
|
Location |
3.2 miles |
3.2 miles |
3.24 miles (Strava) |
|
The lift |
356 feet |
370 feet |
305 feet (Strava) |
|
Medium speed |
17 minutes 18 seconds per mile |
17 minutes 47 seconds per mile |
16 mins 50 secs per mile (Strava) |
|
Average heart rate |
119bpm |
112 bpm |
n/a |
|
High heart rate |
148bpm |
144bpm |
n/a |
|
Total calories burned |
439 calories |
459 calories |
n/a |
|
Device battery usage |
2% |
1% |
n/a |
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 dwarfed my efforts by just 104 steps, an impressive result and certainly within a reasonable margin of error. However, the Pixel Watch 4 was even closer, a total of just 16 steps more than my actual number. Strava, for its part, noted an even closer number of 6,012 steps.
All three tracking systems average a distance of about 3.2 miles, but Apple and Google have seen a bigger gain than Strava. Assuming, for the time being, that the climbing data of Strava is correct (the tool is often in the money in this case), Apple overcalculated by 51 feet, and Google raised the climb by 65 feet; nor is it an insignificant sum.
While it was running, Strava registered a faster pace overall, but this may be due to the app’s aggressive tendency to stop tracking during very short breaks. Apple and Google are also self-sustaining when they stop, often more often than Strava.
In terms of heart rate, Apple measured a slightly higher rate and max compared to Google, but the Pixel Watch 4 recorded a tad more calories burned than the Ultra 3. In the end, the Apple Watch used 2% of the battery according to my journey of about 55 minutes compared to 1% for the Pixel Watch.
Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs Google Pixel Watch 4 XL: And the winner is…
As is often the case with these trials of mobility, this battle was close. Finally, I’m impressed whenever the watch’s step count is within a few hundred steps of my actual count, as was the case with the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Pixel Watch 4 XL here.
However, let’s give credit where it’s due: With a count of 6,016 steps – well within the appropriate margin of error – the Google Pixel Watch 4 wins this show for reading well.
Does this make the Pixel Watch 4 a better fitness tracker than the Apple Watch Ultra 3? Certainly not! I have tested both of these devices many times against their peers, and I can say with confidence that they are both very accurate and reliable in monitoring not only your exercise, but also your sleep and recovery.
Which smartwatches should I check out next? Let me know in the comments below.
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