The simplest way to break it down is that the Apple Watch is a smartwatch first and a fitness tracker second. The Fitbit is first and foremost a fitness tracker, with some smartwatch offerings, depending on the device. — Pixabay
Christmas is over, and the New Year is basically here.
If you’re still trying to sort out your 2026 New Year’s resolutions, chances are you’re debating whether or not you need a Fitbit or an Apple Watch.
If you’ve somehow made it to 2026 without either device, kudos to you. It feels almost inevitable to get a fitness tracker these days.
Here’s everything you need to know to make the best choice for your needs.
Fitbit vs. Apple Watch: Why should you buy?
I’ve been a Fitbit user for 11 years, and I’ve been on the fence about getting an Apple Watch for years. I’ve stuck with Fitbit over an Apple Watch time and time again, but let me break down the differences between Fitbit and Apple Watch.
The simplest way to break it down is that the Apple Watch is a smartwatch first and a fitness tracker second. The Fitbit is first and foremost a fitness tracker, with some smartwatch offerings, depending on the device.
Similarities between Fitbit and Apple Watch
– Text and phone notifications
– Step counting
– Sleep tracking
– Health alerts
– Water resistance
To start, some models of Fitbit are nothing like the Apple Watch. The Fitbit Charge 6 and Inspire 3 are mainly fitness trackers, with limited smartwatch functions and are typically used for tracking steps, workouts and sleep. These are the Fitbit models with skinnier interfaces that don’t have a direct Apple Watch counterpart.
Then there are the Fitbit devices that double as smartwatches, which are the Sense 2 and Versa 4. These Fitbit models are more in line with Apple Watch models like the SE 3, Apple Watch 11 and Ultra 3. These are the Fitbit and Apple Watch devices that will allow you to answer calls, read text messages and use Apple Pay (or Fitbit Pay) directly from the watch.
A lot of health monitoring is similar between Fitbit and Apple. The Sense and Versa models have SpO2 monitoring to check your oxygen saturation and skin temperature readings, just like the Apple Watch 11 and Ultra 3.
The Sense is the most comprehensive Fitbit device, with health alerts, an ECG app for atrial fibrillation assessment and irregular heart rhythm notifications. You can set heart alerts on any of these models to be alerted if your heartbeat is deemed irregular.
Both Apple Watch and Fitbit devices track your heart rate. Over time, the data collected by Fitbit and Apple will track your resting heart rate and update you every 30 days if there are changes.
Fitbit and Apple Watch (series 2 and up) have water resistance.
They are not exactly waterproof; they are water-resistant for up to 50 meters. The Ultra 3 is water-resistant for up to 100 meters, which is the best waterproofing available for any Fitbit or Apple device.
Differences between Fitbit and Apple Watch
– Price
– Battery life
– Fall detection alerts
– Integrated apps
The prices are pretty different between Fitbit and Apple. The most basic Fitbit device is around US$80 (starts from RM498 locally), whereas the most basic Apple device is still around US$200 (starts from RM1,049 locally) unless you buy an old or refurbished model.
The most expensive Fitbit, the Sense 2 is US$250 (RM1,248 locally) full price. The most expensive Apple Watch is the Ultra 3, which is US$780 (RM3,699 locally) full price.
The biggest difference between Fitbit and Apple is battery life.
Most Fitbit devices have a battery life of five to six days. Some Apple Watch devices have a battery life of 24 hours. That means you’ll need to charge your Apple Watch every day, just like your iPhone. You can extend the battery life of your Apple Watch by using it in low power mode, but that means you can’t access several features like text messages.
The Fitbit and Apple Watch have a lot of the same health tracking and alerts for irregularities, but a few Apple Watch devices come with a fall detection feature that Fitbit devices do not offer. There are 44 apps built into the Apple Watch (with access to up to 20,000), whereas the Fitbit app has a much smaller range of apps that are available.
Really can’t decide? Here’s our advice: get one of the basic models, not something with all of the bells and whistles.
The Fitbit Inspire 3 isn’t going to read your text messages to you, but it will help you track workouts, sleep and stress levels. If you care more about the smartwatch features and less about the intense health and fitness notifications of the more high-tech models, get the Apple Watch SE. – nj.com/Tribune News Service
