Consumer Reports Tests Apple Watch for Readability, Water Resistance, Fitness Tracking and More

Consumer Reports has crowned the Apple Watch as its top-rated smartwatch in its test of 11 smartwatch models from eight manufacturers, including the Asus ZenWatch, LG G Watch R, Moto 360, Pebble Steel, Samsung Gear S and Sony SmartWatch 3. The not-for-profit organization tested the Apple Watch and competing devices for step count accuracy, screen readability, ease of use, scratch resistance, water resistance, heart rate tracking and more.


In particular, the stainless steel Apple Watch scored the highest among the smartwatches tested because of its high readability in bright and low light, ease of use, ease of pairing with an iPhone, durable scratch resistance, IPX7 water resistance rating and accurate heart rate and step count tracking. Meanwhile, the Sony SmartWatch 3 finished at the bottom of the rankings, primarily because it failed the 24-hour water immersion test.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 10
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)

Popular Stories

Generic iOS 18

iOS 18.1 With Apple Intelligence: New Features, Release Date, and More

Thursday October 10, 2024 8:26 am PDT by
iOS 18.1 will be released to the public in the coming weeks, and the software update introduces the first Apple Intelligence features for the iPhone. Below, we outline when to expect iOS 18.1 to be released. iOS 18.1: Apple Intelligence Features Here are some of the key Apple Intelligence features in the iOS 18.1 beta so far: A few Siri enhancements, including improved understanding...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature Single Camera 2

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 17

Tuesday October 8, 2024 5:45 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we sometimes get rumored feature leaks so far ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different – already we have some idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you plan to skip...
space black mbp

Apple Potentially Facing Worst Leak Since iPhone 4 Was Left in a Bar

Monday October 7, 2024 3:03 pm PDT by
Alleged photos and videos of an unannounced 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M4 chip continue to surface on social media, in what could be the worst product leak for Apple since an employee accidentally left an iPhone 4 prototype at a bar in California in 2010. The latest video of what could be a next-generation MacBook Pro was shared on YouTube Shorts today by Russian channel Romancev768, just...
iPad mini review thumb

iPad Mini 7 Coming Next Month: What to Expect

Tuesday October 8, 2024 6:16 am PDT by
Rumors strongly suggest Apple will release the seventh-generation iPad mini in November, nearly three years after the last refresh. Here's a roundup of what we're expecting from the next version of Apple's small form factor tablet, based on the latest rumors and reports. Design and Display The new iPad mini is likely to retain its compact 8.3-inch display and overall design introduced with...
apple tv 4k yellow bg feature

Waiting for a New Apple TV? Here's What the Latest Rumors Say

Tuesday October 8, 2024 8:57 am PDT by
The current Apple TV was released two years ago this month, so you may be wondering when the next model will be released. Below, we recap rumors about a next-generation Apple TV. In January 2023, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that a new Apple TV was planned for release in the first half of 2024:Beyond the future smart displays and new speaker, Apple is working on revamping its TV box....
When Will Apple Launch More M4 Macs Feature

Will Apple Release M4 Macs Soon? Here's What the Latest Rumors Say

Thursday October 10, 2024 6:22 am PDT by
Apple often releases new Macs in the fall, but we are still waiting for official confirmation that the company has similar plans this year. We're approaching the middle of October now, and if Apple plans to announce new Macs before the holidays, recent history suggests it will happen this month. Here's what we know so far. As of writing this, it's been 220 days since Apple released a new...

Top Rated Comments

wigby Avatar
123 months ago
Meh maybe not.
Just looked up my wife's Garmin, https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/into-sports/running/forerunner-910xt/prod90671.html
waterresistant to 50m

Maybe that's Garmin's over engineering or Apple's lack thereof.

The first feature listed on the Garmin's product page is "Designed for open water and pool swimming". It also tracks swimming strokes. Two completely different products for two completely different markets.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
djgamble Avatar
123 months ago
Meh maybe not.
Just looked up my wife's Garmin, https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/into-sports/running/forerunner-910xt/prod90671.html
waterresistant to 50m

Maybe that's Garmin's over engineering or Apple's lack thereof.

It's not a smart watch and it's a sports watch rather than a dress watch. To be expected IMO.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Joe Rossignol Avatar
123 months ago
IPX7 is for immersion upto 1m.

Where does Apple claim this?
There is fine print on the Apple Watch website:

"Apple Watch is splash and water resistant but not waterproof. You can, for example, wear and use Apple Watch during exercise, in the rain, and while washing your hands, but submerging Apple Watch is not recommended. Apple Watch has a water resistance rating of IPX7 under IEC standard 60529. The leather bands are not water resistant."
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Gasu E. Avatar
123 months ago
IPX7 is for immersion upto 1m.

Where does Apple claim this? I thought they only supported brief spray from shower/hand washing?

X7 should be enough for say a tri swimmer doing laps.

The recommend use should be more conservative than the maximum rating.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Bigsk8r Avatar
123 months ago
Finally, an article about an organization doing some real world tests.

I might forget and swim with it (if I buy one), or I might inadvertently hit a doorknob or other surface. But I am not going to take a cheese grater, knife, peanut butter, soy sauce, or boiling water to it.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rickdollar Avatar
123 months ago
I've been very happy with the battery life (38mm) and utilize almost every feature of the watch but THE standout feature to me is the Taptic Engine.
Neither my phone or my watch has made one audible sound since my watch arrived.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)