Apple Watch vs. Fitbit: and the winner is…
In this battle, Apple might seem the obvious winner. But if you look closely, things aren’t really as one would expect them to be.
A closer look at the apps
One glance at the Apple Watch and one will go thinking, “How is this smartwatch not better than a fitness tracker?”
For anyone looking for an efficient fitness tracker, however, it might be surprising to know that Fitbit may not be as far behind as everyone would expect it to be.
App-wise, the Apple Watch undoubtedly excels in such a way wherein it’s being a smartwatch brings in so much advantage.
But the fact that the Apple Watch is only compatible with iOS devices, on the other hand, only works to its disadvantage.
Fitbit, on the other hand, is supported by many apps that are available across all mobile platforms — be it iOS, Android, or Windows phones.
Check out Our Fitbit Blaze Review
Apple Watch vs. Fitbit: Heart rate monitoring
Both the Apple Watch and the Fitbit line of fitness trackers utilize a safe technology that uses green LED light placed on the underside of the devices’ wristbands to monitor changes in the users’ heart rate. The technology, called photoplethysmography, detects capillary-size changes in the users’ blood pressure as well as blood volume.
The only units in the Fitbit line possessing the ability to monitor users’ heart rate, however, are the Blaze, Charge HR, and Surge. All three devices were designed to monitor users’ heart rates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The Apple Watch, on the other hand, only checks the users’ heart rate every 10 minutes.
Counting the calories
Calorie-counting is perhaps one of the most important features a fitness tracker can possess. The Apple Watch’s ability to track potentially every calorie burned, paired with its Activity app gives the device an edge over its competitors, but Fitbit’s ability to monitor calories overnight gives it an advantage over the Apple Watch, which needs to charge overnight to optimize its battery’s capacity.
GPS
Watches from both Apple and Fitbit have one common disadvantage: neither of them have built-in GPS. For users who like to get fit indoors, this is no problem. But for users who like to stay fit by running, this can be a serious problem. Fitbit and Apple both rely on smartphones for GPS, but Fitbit has the advantage since the device can connect to smartphones across all platforms.
Apple Watch vs. Fitbit: Activity tracking
The most important feature of a fitness tracker is its ability to track users’ activities. Measuring the distance travelled, the number of steps taken, and total calories burned during the day are just some of the important functions a fitness tracker should possess in order for it to be able to come up with a reliable historical data that users can use as a reference in setting daily fitness goals.
Both Fitbit and Apple have incorporated technologies designed to give users accurate information about activities they undertook — Fitbit with its built-in altimeter and the Apple Watch with its Activity and Workout apps plus the iPhone’s Apple Health app.
Professional runners, however, have dismissed Apple’s product as something they don’t need.
Who do you think has the advantage in this Apple Watch vs. Fitbit battle? Let us know in the comments below! 🙂