Comparing the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 vs Galaxy Watch 3: Which Smartwatch is Best For You?

If you’re looking to purchase a Samsung smartwatch, you likely have the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 3 on your radar. Both top-tier wearables have attractive designs, robust health tracking capabilities, and snappy performance. But with a year between their release dates, there are some key differences to consider before deciding which one best fits your needs and budget.

In this comprehensive comparison guide, we’ll analyze how these smartwatches stack up across 5 main factors:

• Design and Display: The Galaxy Watch 4 has a sportier look in 40mm and 44mm sizes, while the Watch 3 resembles a classic wristwatch at 41mm and 45mm options. Displays are vibrant on both.

• Performance and Software: With its new Exynos W920 chipset, 1.5GB RAM and 16GB storage, the Galaxy Watch 4 is super speedy. Its Google/Samsung Wear OS also allows more apps than the Watch 3‘s older Tizen OS.

• Health Sensors and Tracking: Both smartwatches provide extensive activity tracking and heart health monitoring. However, the Watch 4 adds new BioActive sensors for body composition analysis and more precise readings.

• Battery Life and Charging: Approximately 40 hours of battery is available on either wearable, but the Galaxy Watch 4 ekes out a bit more during real-world usage. Both utilize wireless charging.

• Pricing and Availability: Launching at $399, the Galaxy Watch 3 retailed for $150 more. Today the Watch 4 costs $299, while the Watch 3 can now be found heavily discounted as it‘s succeeded by newer models.

Let‘s explore the details on each smartwatch and see how they compare…

At a Glance: Galaxy Watch 4 vs Galaxy Watch 3 Standout Features

Before we dive deeper, here is a high-level overview of some of the most notable features on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 3:

You‘ll notice that while the Galaxy Watch 4 model brings improved internal specs and a software change, both smartwatches share robust health sensors, activity tracking, battery performance and connectivity. Now let‘s explore more about how these watches compare in greater detail across the key factors tech enthusiasts care most about…

Design and Display: Sporty vs. Classic Looks

Perhaps the most obvious visual difference comes in the overall design and display size options.

While looks certainly come down personal taste, the Galaxy Watch 4 sports a slimmed-down modern aesthetic reminiscent of the Apple Watch. Its bezels and lugs flow cleanly into the rounded body for a seamless feel when worn. You‘ll have your choice between a 40mm or 44mm watch case to best fit your wrist size.

Galaxy Watch 3, on the other hand, carries forward tradition with the familiar round watch design complete with rotating bezel popularized by earlier Galaxy watches. Its refined style resembles a classic wristwatch for those wanting smart features without the “tech on my wrist" look. The Galaxy Watch 3 is offered in 41mm and 45mm sizing.

Both smartwatches utilize Samsung‘s vibrant Super AMOLED displays for crisp details and vivid colors. Expect gorgeous visuals on the Galaxy Watch 4’s 1.19” or 1.36” touchscreens, or the slightly larger 1.2” or 1.4” displays on the Galaxy Watch 3. Brightness up to 1000 nits ensures excellent visibility even under sunny skies.

An area where the Galaxy Watch 3 pulls ahead, however, comes in its build materials. Constructed from premium 316L stainless steel, the watch case and buttons provide a substantive heft that oozes luxury. By comparison, the regular Galaxy Watch 4 utilizes an aluminum alloy metal—high grade but not quite as opulent. The Galaxy Watch 4 Classic edition does match stainless steel construction if you prefer that design.

So when choosing between aesthetics and display for your Samsung smartwatch, selecting between the sporty modern styling of the Galaxy Watch 4 or classic sophistication of the Galaxy Watch 3 comes down personal taste. Both watches deliver striking, highly visible displays for your viewing pleasure.

Performance and Software: Snappy Speeds on Watch 4

A smartwatch lives and dies by how smoothly its software runs apps and tracks data. Slow response times or laggy interfaces simply have no place on your wrist regardless how attractive the hardware may look.

By the spec sheet alone, Samsung has upped their game when it comes to the hardware performance powering the intuitive software experience on these watches:

As you can see, Samsung made meaningful strides fitting the Galaxy Watch 4 series with the Exynos W920 processor and 50% more memory (1.5GB RAM) compared to the capable but aging chipset in the Galaxy Watch 3. Increasing onboard storage space to 16GB allows you to load more music and apps than the 8GB limits of before.

In real world-usage, expert reviewers unanimously praised the "stunningly smooth performance" of the Galaxy Watch 4 as a huge step above earlier Galaxy watches thanks to the faster Exynos W920. Menus snap open instantly, apps launch without delay, and navigating the interface feels fluid.

On the Galaxy Watch 3, apps still run smoothly but occasionally exhibit short lag times common among older processors. Its 1GB RAM adequately powers core functions yet leaves less room for advanced capabilities compared to the Watch 4. For this reason, the newer Galaxy Watch 4 clearly pulls ahead for those wanting maximum speed.

Alongside the improved hardware, Samsung also developed the intuitive Wear OS software powering the Galaxy Watch 4 in partnership with Google—a departure from the Tizen OS utilized on previous Galaxy watches including the Watch 3.

Integrating the best aspects of Google‘s Wear OS ecosystem opens the Galaxy Watch 4 to a wider range 85% more selection of third party apps and watch faces compared to the relatively limited catalog on Tizen. Key apps like Google Maps, Messages, YouTube Music are preloaded direct from Google alongside Samsung‘s own suites like SmartThings, Bixby, Samsung Health and more.

Yet Galaxy Watch 3 owners can rejoice knowing Samsung committed to provide software support with updates through 2022. Tizen OS continues offering a polished experience focused on Samsung services. But Wear OS likely indicates the future direction of Samsung watches moving forward.

Health Tracking and Sensors: Going Beyond the Basics

For health and fitness-focused smartwatch shoppers, both the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 3 series deliver extensive tracking capabilities thanks to an array of built-in sensors:

As you can see in the chart above, both Galaxy smartwatches provide extensive health tracking capabilities:

• Continuous heart rate monitoring offers real-time pulse readings during workouts and daily activity.

• ECG sensors can take on-demand electrocardiogram readings to detect signs of atrial fibrillation (AFib) common in heart arrhythmias.

• SpO2 blood oxygen saturation measurements indicate how well your lungs circulate oxygen through your body.

However, the Galaxy Watch 4 adds an additional BioActive Sensor which unlocks an intriguing new health tracking capability lacking in the previous Watch 3—Body Composition Analysis.

Thanks to its new BIA sensor, the Galaxy Watch 4 provides insights into body composition by utilizing bioelectrical impedance analysis to estimate metrics like:

• Skeletal Muscle Mass — Estimate the total muscle mass on your body.

• Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) — Calculate the minimum number of calories your body needs to survive at rest.

• Body Water Percentage — Determine your level of fluid in tissues.

• Body Fat Percentage — Estimate fat compared to lean mass on your body.

While less precise than clinical grade devices, Samsung designed this body composition tracking as an informative guide to gain insight into overall health and fitness levels over time. I particularly appreciate the ability to track progress month-over-month.

Beyond the hardware sensors, both Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 3 leverage Samsung‘s excellent SmartThings and Samsung Health software for intuitive display of health metrics pulled from your heart rate variability, sleep pattern analysis and activity tracking.

Overall the Galaxy Watch 4 pulls ahead in health tracking capabilities thanks the addition of the new BIA sensor and body composition analysis. But rest assured either Galaxy Watch still provide an industry-leading suite of health monitoring functionality.

Battery Life and Charging: On Par Performance

No matter how splendid its design or stellar its smart features, any wearable quickly becomes useless if it can‘t hold a charge long enough on your wrist. Both the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 3 promise approximately 40 hours of battery life between charges:

On paper, Samsung quotes virtually identical battery performance between these two watches. However in actual usage, the Galaxy Watch 4 frequently exceeds the 40 hour mark thanks to software optimization on the newer hardware.

By comparison, heavier usage tends to draw Galaxy Watch 3 battery life closer to the 30 hour mark at times based on aggregating numerous in-depth reviews. Both watches enable handy battery saving modes to eke out a bit more juice when running low by limiting functionality.

As the specced battery capacities detail above, the Galaxy Watch 4‘s charging cells represent a minor bump, notably on the larger 44mm size. Otherwise charging performance remains similar, with both models leveraging Qi wireless charging pads to conveniently power up without fussing with cables.

For most buyers, 40+ hours should comfortably provide enough flexibility between charges—just expect to drop the Galaxy Watch 4 on a charger a little less often.

Pricing and Availability: Great Value Prop for Watch 4

With the Galaxy Watch 5 recently released in late 2022, Samsung wasted no time discounting the Galaxy Watch 4 significantly while also continuing sell remaining inventory of the Galaxy Watch 3. This makes now an opportune time for savvy shoppers to score an incredible deal.

Upon launch in August 2020, the flagship Galaxy Watch 3 carried a premium $399 starting price tag. For that sum, buyers still obtained the most advanced Samsung smartwatch available a respectable value given the stellar feature set.

The following year brought the Galaxy Watch 4 in August 2021 at a notably lower $249 launch price point reflecting Samsung‘s aggressive shift to reach more consumers. The impressive Galaxy Watch 4 delivered equal if not better performance than the preceding Watch 3 at a $150 discount off the bat.

Today in 2023, the cost gap has widened further between these two exceptional smartwatches:

• Galaxy Watch 4 – Now $199
• Galaxy Watch 3 – Now $209 on average when found refurbished or renewed

As you can see, the Galaxy Watch 4 provides even more compelling value having subsequently declined to only $199 new given its older status. And yet it retains class-leading design, performance and health tracking capabilities.

Meanwhile Galaxy Watch 3 remains available only through third party renewed/refurbished listings at around $209 on average. Savings spread is now just $10 difference despite being the older tech.

For shoppers seeking the latest model at the absolute lowest investment, Galaxy Watch 4 simply can‘t be beat. But if longing for the ylabely refined aesthetics of the Watch 3, grabbing one renewed makes for a sharper value than when originally released.

Either way, right now marks a buying sweet spot if eyeing these top-tier Samsung smartwatches! Act quick while limited supply lasts.

The Verdict: Watch 4 Wins on Key Upgrades

When comparing the stellar Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 vs Galaxy Watch 3, the newest Galaxy Watch 4 secures victory through key upgrades like:

• Modern streamlined design with slimmer bezels
• Speedy app performance via upgraded processor
• Additional health sensors like innovative Body Composition Analysis
• More apps and watch faces supported by advanced Wear OS
• Higher value proposition with current discounted pricing

Make no mistake—the Galaxy Watch 3 still stands tall amongst the cream of the smartwatch crop thanks to its beautiful classic design, vivid circular display, robust activity tracking suite and smooth user experience.

But across the categories that matter most, from hardware design to health tracking and especially value proposition, the Galaxy Watch 4 simply comes out ahead as Samsung‘s best-in-class wearable…for now!

Ready to Pick Your Perfect Samsung Smartwatch?

Hopefully this comprehensive side-by-side comparison has helped you better understand whether the impressive Galaxy Watch 4 or timeless Galaxy Watch 3 makes for the right Samsung smartwatch for your lifestyle.

Both represent outstanding blend of stylish design, intuitive operation and helpful health insights. As Samsung‘s premiere wearables, you‘ll likely be very happy with either choice. We welcome you share any additional questions in comments below!