GadgetClash decision platform
Smartwatches
Apple Watch 38mm (1st gen) vs Samsung Galaxy Watch8
See the meaningful differences, category strengths and community preference using the product data currently available.
Quick verdict
There is not enough scored evidence for an overall winner yet.
This matchup is too close to call from the available scored specs.
Buy Apple Watch 38mm (1st gen) if
- You care about battery life for long days.
- You want more performance headroom for multitasking.
- Its price makes sense for what you get.
Buy Samsung Galaxy Watch8 if
- You prefer Android customization and Google services.
- You want the better screen for media, reading, or gaming.
- You want the stronger hardware value.
- Its price makes sense for what you get.
Personal fit
Which one should you buy?
Best fit if you want Android customization, Google services, and more control over defaults.
Better endurance for heavy daily use.
The stronger price-to-hardware choice.
Category score
Where each product wins
Performance
Apple Watch 38mm (1st gen)
1
Samsung Galaxy Watch8
0
Display
Apple Watch 38mm (1st gen)
0
Samsung Galaxy Watch8
1
Battery
Apple Watch 38mm (1st gen)
1
Samsung Galaxy Watch8
0
Design
Apple Watch 38mm (1st gen)
0
Samsung Galaxy Watch8
0
Software
Apple Watch 38mm (1st gen)
0
Samsung Galaxy Watch8
0
Connectivity
Apple Watch 38mm (1st gen)
0
Samsung Galaxy Watch8
0
Value
Apple Watch 38mm (1st gen)
0
Samsung Galaxy Watch8
1
Evidence
Detailed comparison
| Spec | Apple Watch 38mm (1st gen) | Samsung Galaxy Watch8 |
|---|---|---|
| Product Details | ||
| Release Date Verified release date for this exact product variant. | 20230923 | 2025 |
| Design | ||
| Weight The product's weight, measured in g. | 40 g | — |
| Dimensions The product's listed dimensions specification or capability. | — | 46.4 x 46 x 10.6 mm |
| Display | ||
| Display The product's listed display specification or capability. | AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors | Super AMOLED, 3000 nits (peak) |
| Screen Size The product's screen size, measured in in. |
1.50 in
|
1.34 in
|
| Resolution The product's listed resolution specification or capability. | 340 x 272 | 438 x 438 |
| Smartwatch Display Size The product's smartwatch display size, measured in in. | — | 1.34 in |
| Smartwatch Resolution Width The product's smartwatch resolution width, measured in px. | — | 438 px |
| Smartwatch Resolution Height The product's smartwatch resolution height, measured in px. | — | 438 px |
| Performance | ||
| Processor The product's listed processor specification or capability. | 520 MHz Cortex-A7 | Exynos W1000 (3 nm) |
| RAM The product's listed ram specification or capability. | — | 2GB |
| Storage The product's listed storage specification or capability. |
8GB
|
64GB
|
| Os The product's listed os specification or capability. | — | Android Wear OS 6 |
| Smartwatch Processor The product's listed smartwatch processor specification or capability. | — | Exynos W1000 (3 nm) |
| Smartwatch GPU The product's listed smartwatch gpu specification or capability. | — | Mali-G68 |
| Smartwatch Operating System The product's listed smartwatch operating system specification or capability. | — | Android Wear OS 6 |
| Power | ||
| Battery The product's listed battery specification or capability. |
205 mAh
|
445 mAh
|
| Charging Wired The product's listed charging wired specification or capability. | — | 10W |
| Network | ||
| Network The product's listed network specification or capability. | — | GSM / HSPA / LTE |
| Connectivity | ||
| Wifi The product's listed wifi specification or capability. | — | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band |
| Bluetooth Version The product's listed bluetooth version specification or capability. | Bluetooth 4.0 | Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Nfc Whether the product supports or includes nfc. | Yes | Yes |
| Gps The product's listed gps specification or capability. | — | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS |
| Pricing | ||
| Price The product's listed price specification or capability. |
About 650 EUR
|
$479.99
|
Release Date 
Weight 
Dimensions 
Display 
Processor 
RAM 
Os 
Battery 
Network 
Wifi Community decision
Who wins this showdown?
0 matchup votes. Choose one winner.
Apple Watch 38mm (1st gen)
50% · 0 votes
Samsung Galaxy Watch8
50% · 0 votes
Upgrade logic
Coming from another smartwatches?
Pick your current product to see which option is the stronger upgrade path.
User opinions
What owners and readers are saying
No community opinions yet. Be the first to add one on the product pages.
Prices and availability