Apple Watch Series 7 vs. Fitbit Versa 3: Which should you buy?

Choosing between theApple Watch Series 7 and Fitbit Versa 3 is tough. On the one hand, the Series 7 offers an abundance of high-tech features and is about as tricked out as a smartwatch can get. On the other, the Fitbit Versa 3 holds its own in the smartwatch world and is a lot less expensive. So, which one is best for you?

Apple Watch Series 7 vs. Fitbit Versa 3: Breaking down the differences

If you want the king of all smartwatches, you can't do better than the Apple Watch Series 7. If you're looking for a great value smartwatch that hosts the basics in terms of smart tech and can cover all the bases when it comes to general health and fitness tracking, the Fitbit Versa 3 is a great choice. Let's break down the specs to see how these devices stack up.

The Apple Watch Series 7 offers a lot more when it comes to features and internal storage. However, those advanced features come with a premium price tag. The Fitbit Versa 3 has you covered with basic smart tech, health, and fitness tracking if you don't need all those bells and whistles. Let's break it down further.

Apple Watch Series 7 vs. Fitbit Versa 3: All hail the smartwatch king

The Apple Watch Series 7 reigns supreme in smartwatch land, and it's easy to see why. It offers everything you need for comprehensive health and fitness monitoring. Features you'll get with the Series 7 that you won't get with the Versa 3 include a full keyboard, advanced navigation, directions, safety tracking, ECG, 24/7 Sp02, and optional built-in cellular.

The Series 7 boasts Apple Watch's largest, most advanced display ever. It can fit 50% more text on-screen than its predecessor Series 6, and it's larger than the Fitbit Versa 3. It provides a new way to input text with Apple Watch's first full keyboard. You can tap out your words or slide from letter to letter with QuickPath.

Advanced navigation enables this watch to communicate with four satellite systems: A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS. It can pinpoint your location, map your routes, and provide turn-by-turn directions worldwide.

Safety tracking is a notable feature the Series 7 has over the Versa 3. While both will give you high and low heart rate alerts, the Series 7 alerts you to loud sounds that can damage your hearing. It also supports emergency SOS, international emergency calling, and fall detection — it will automatically call for help if you're unable to after a hard spill.

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The Apple Watch Series 7 offers optional built-in cellular, so you can make calls, send emails, and write texts while doing just about anything. However, keep in mind that this service is sold separately.

Both wearables offer Sp02 monitoring, but the Series 7 performs on-demand and background readings day and night, whereas Fitbit Versa 3 needs an Sp02 specific watch face to take a measurement. Your blood oxygen level is a key indicator of your overall wellness. Keeping tabs on it could alert you to significant changes in your health.

Finally, the Series 7 offers ECG, whereas Versa 3 does not. You can take an ECG anytime, anywhere. Electrodes built into the digital crown and back crystal work together with the ECG app to read your heart's electrical signals. Simply touch the digital crown to generate an ECG waveform in 30 seconds. The app alerts the wearer to any rhythm irregularities.

Apple Watch Series 7 vs. Fitbit Versa 3: Lighter on price but lacking features

The Versa 3 is much less expensive than the Apple Watch Series 7; there's almost a $200 difference. That's a huge chunk of change. However, at that lower price, you're going to miss out on many advanced features. It will give you all the smartwatch basics, and does offer built-in GPS, Active Zone Minutes, Workout Intensity Maps, Sp02 (with an Sp02 watch face), and media control.

The Fitbit Versa 3 is the first member of the Versa family to offer built-in GPS. You can see your pace and distance sans phone during outdoor runs, rides, hikes, and walks. Active Zone Minutes will give you a buzz when you reach target personalized heart rate zones. Then, you can see a map of your workout route and how your heart rate changed in your workout intensity map in the Fitbit app.

Store and play music and podcasts on Deezer or Pandora with Versa 3, and control Spotify directly from your wrist. The Versa 3 offers about 4GB of internal storage, while the Series 7 offers 32GB. You can download your favorite media on both, but Apple Watch Series 7 can store a lot more.

The Versa 3 is an excellent tracker, but it doesn't stack up features-wise.

Apple Watch Series 7 vs. Fitbit Versa 3: Customization, battery, compatibility

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You have a lot of options to customize both these wearables. You can choose from hundreds of different clock faces. Series 7 offers some new watch faces explicitly created for this model's softer edges. The Series 7 and the Versa 3 offer interchangeable bands. There are tons of different materials and colors to choose from. Both support Wi-Fi, so you can personalize them further with your favorite apps. Remember, you're going to need room for all of that, and the Versa 3 has 4GB internal storage; the Series 7 has 32GB.

When it comes to battery life, the Fitbit Versa 3 is the obvious winner by a landslide. It offers six-plus days of battery life depending on your usage, while the Apple Watch Series 7 offers up to 18 hours. Remember, if you operate either in GPS, media, or Wi-Fi mode a lot, the battery will drain much faster. Still, that's a long-lasting battery.

When it comes to compatibility, the Versa 3 has the edge again. It's compatible with both iOS and Android operating systems. The Series 7 is only compatible with iOS. This isn't so much a big deal if you are already in the Apple ecosystem, but if you are an Android user, the Versa 3 is your only option of the two.

Apple Watch Series 7 vs. Fitbit Versa 3: Which should you buy?

Choosing between the two comes down to budget, operating system, and usage. If you can expense it, you'll get a lot more advanced features with the Apple Watch Series 7. However, the Fitbit Versa 3 is the obvious choice if you're an Android user.

If you feel like you'd take advantage of all the things the Series 7 offers and are already settled into the Apple ecosystem, it's worth the investment. However, if you just need the basics in your smartwatch and want to save a nice chunk of change, the Fitbit Versa 3 is a great choice.