Stiftung Warentest tested a whole range of current smartwatches – the winner shouldn’t surprise anyone.
The original test dates back to December 2021. However, Stiftung Warentest has now delivered Apple’s current smartwatch – the Watch Series 7 – and 14 other new products. A total of 69 smartwatches and fitness trackers are part of the product test.
Apple smartwatches form double top in the product test
The Apple Watch Series 7 made it to first place in the test with a test score of 2.0. It shares the position with its predecessor Series 6, which also achieved a grade of 2.0. Advantages of the Series 7 are a dust-proof housing and a larger screen, which even now has room for a keyboard. The new Galaxy Watch 4, which is now coming with Google’s Wear OS for the first time, still manages to get a 2.4. This is significantly better than the predecessors, which were still running Samsung’s own Tizen operating system. The Galaxy Watch 4 delivers poorer results in heart rate measurement, which is less accurate than the Apple Watch. In addition, despite the many improvements in Wear OS 4, the operation is still notchy in places. However, the Galaxy Watch 4 is only about half as expensive as the Watch Series 7 at around 200 euros.
In the current test, the Garmin fenix 6 Pro is still in second place with a grade of 2.1. Of all the smartwatches that Stiftung Warentest examined, it is the most expensive model at around 440 euros. The testers praised the precise route guidance and very long battery life of the watch, which does not run on Garmin’s own operating system. In third place is the Polar Grit X with a grade of 2.2, which also lasts a long time and is very resistant.
Looking for cheaper fitness trackers? Here you will find an overview of the best models.
Stiftung Warentest primarily tests the fitness aspect of smartwatches and fitness trackers. It depends on how precisely the watches collect fitness data for certain workouts. But communication with the smartphone and operation are also important criteria. Data protection and possible harmful substances are also taken into account – things that can lead to the devaluation of a product.