With the Fitbit Charge 4 entering the market, going for previous models of popular wearables becomes a more questionable plan. Fitbit adds several key features that seriously upgrades the Charge series, making it a very attractive budget option. However, some smartwatches, such as the Apple Watch Series 3, remain a fantastic choice simply because of how great they are. How do you choose between the two? Check our comparison and recommendations below.
With built-in GPS and 24/7 heart rate monitoring, the Charge 4 is an essential upgrade for fitness fans.
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Fitbit Charge 4 vs Apple Watch 3 Fitness Smartwatch Comparison Chart
Model | ||
![]() | ![]() | |
Price | Check Price at Walmart.com | Check Price at Amazon.com |
Display | LED | Retina |
Always-on | No | No |
Screen Size | 1.36″ | 1.78″ |
Dimensions | 1.4″ x 0.9″ x 0.5″ | 1.73″ x 1.5″ x 0.42″ |
Weight | 0.7 oz | 1.01 oz |
Colors | 4 | 2 |
Call & Text Alerts | Yes | Yes |
Water Resistance | Up to 50 meters | Up to 50 meters |
Heart Rate Monitor | Yes | Yes |
Pedometer | Yes | Yes |
Altimeter | Yes | Yes |
Calorie Burn Tracker | Yes | Yes |
Sleep Tracking | Yes | No |
Swim Tracking | Yes | Yes |
Female Health Tracking | Yes | No |
Compass | No | No |
GPS | Built-in | Built-in |
Cellular | No | Yes |
Wi-Fi | No | Yes |
Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
NFC | Yes | Yes |
Storage | No | Yes |
Compatibility | iOS, Android, Windows | iOS |
Battery Life | 7 days | 18 hours |
Design
The

You can’t fault either Fitbit or Apple for not straying too far from the success of their original fitness smartwatch designs. Both the
Where the Charge 4 is slim and narrow and looks like it’s a single band wrapping around your wrist, the Apple Watch 3 has a more traditional watch-like form, except that it has a rounded square display. Fitbit designed the Charge fitness tracker to minimize its impact on your movement, so it’s lightweight and unassuming. Meanwhile, Apple wanted their smartwatch to wow onlookers with its gorgeous display and striking form.
If you like full color, high resolution screens, you’ll love the
In short, the Apple Watch 3 clearly has the upper hand in terms of overall looks, but the Charge 3 gets plus points for ease of use and ergonomics.
Activity Tracking
The

As the much newer device, the
While the
Equipped with extensive fitness tracking features, the Apple Watch 3 remains an excellent smartwatch option today.
One previous advantage of the Apple Watch over the Charge devices is that it came with built-in GPS so you can check your real time pace, distance traveled and route taken. That’s not the case anymore with the Charge 4, which now has GPS integrated into the tracker so you can leave your phone while on a run. You’ll still need to use your phone to see a map of the path you took though.
Both are waterproof up to 50 meters, allowing you to wear them during swimming workouts.
Smart Features
The Apple Watch 3 has a deeper app library and better connectivity options than the

The larger and full color display of the
You can download apps directly onto the Apple Watch 3 via Wi-Fi and even store songs in it. Even better, the GPS+Cellular variant featured in this comparison is capable of LTE connections. You can leave your iPhone at home and enjoy the same connectivity as if you had it with you. It also has a mic and speaker that lets you speak with Siri, as well as NFC to enable contactless payments with Apple Pay.
Meanwhile, the
Battery Life and Other Features
The

With its high-end display and CPU-intensive apps, the
Now, if you want a wearable you won’t need to take off except on occasion, the
In terms of controls, you’ll find the
Verdict
The Apple Watch 3 is a more flexible smartwatch while the
With extensive smartwatch and activity tracking features, it’s easier to recommend the Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS+Cellular) to the majority of users who want a versatile wearable. With it, you can both track your exercises and calorie burn, and utilize its bevy of apps to enrich your non-fitness related activities. It has all of the connectivity options you could ask for and you’re likely going to enjoy its crisp, bright display so much that you’re going to check the time on it much more than on your phone.
Now if you’re really after a device that can help push you to reach your fitness goals, the highly focused design of the Fitbit Charge 4 will be much, much better. It’s got an immense reserve of battery life to draw from so you’d barely need to take it off your wrist, which means you can track health and workout metrics all the time. You can take advantage of its built-in GPS and NFC now, and you also get a free 3-month trial for Fitbit Premium to get you started on the right foot.
FAQs
While their accuracy is comparable, Apple Watches are typically more accurate than Fitbit fitness trackers and smartwatches.
Yes, an Apple Watch can track your steps, heart rate, and calorie burn, among many other metrics.
No, Fitbit was recently acquired by Google.
The