For pretty much as long as smartwatches have been a thing, the Apple Watch has been treated by many as the gold standard.

Incredibly smooth software experience; Great look and feel

You have to own an iPhone; No ECG in Australia

If you take a look at the smartwatch market, Apple and Samsung are currently the two manufacturers that stand out most from the crowd. And it's exactly these two that have now launched new models, the Watch Series 4 and the Galaxy Watch , respectively, which of course are supposed to be better than...

Apple's smartwatch has finally hit its stride

Stunning looking display; Best smartwatch out there; watchOS 5 is great

Expensive; Lack of third-party Watch Faces; Unclear when ECG features will come to Canada

Just as Samsung, Google and the Wear OS gang look like they're catching up to Apple, it goes and streaks ahead. The truth is that the Apple Watch Series 4 is in a different league right now, and balances style, features and specs to make an excellent smartwatch.

Better design; Lifesaving metrics; Top sports features

More expensive; Battery life still short; Siri integration still not great

“It looks like you’re working out,” the watch face reads. That’s followed by a big, yellow button, suggesting I start an indoor run. I tap the neon button and the clock starts, comping me a reasonable approximation of the time it took for the Watch to be sure what sort of activity it was detecting.

Apple Watch Series 4 has moved the smartwatch to an all-new level and it provides an excellent companion for anyone who wants to keep an eye on their health, their fitness and wants to stay connected with or without their iPhone by their side.

Great design; Larger screen; Cellular connection; Heart sensors; Fast and responsive

No third party watch faces; No roaming with cellular

Apple Watch Series 4 is the best reason yet to buy a smartwatch

Sleek redesign, Huge, gorgeous screen, Novel health features

Significantly more expensive than Series 3, No always-on display option

If you already have an Apple Watch, should you upgrade That depends. If you own a Series 3, I wouldn't rush to trade it in unless you use it to make calls all the time or see the upcoming ECG feature as a must-have feature.

Large screen; Good call quality; ECG capability; Fall detection; WatchOS 5 brings numerous improvements; Stylish

Expensive; Battery life remains unchanged; No built-in sleep tracking

The Apple Watch Series 4 contains the most significant improvements since the Series 2 brought onboard GPS to the smartwatch. Most notable out of all the new features are fall detection and ECG readings, as these have the potential to change people's lives or, quite literally, save them.

Bigger; better screen; All old Watch bands fit on the Series 4; Good battery life; Faster performance; Fall detection has the potential to be lifesaving; ECG features give users more control to monitor their health on a daily basis; Accurate auto workout detection and ending feature; WebKit support...

ECG app isn't available yet; WatchOS 5 drops support for Series 0 devices; New complications are only compatible with new watch faces; Still no support for third-party watch faces; Still no native sleep tracking; Siri has trouble completing Shortcuts; More expensive than any other Apple Watch; and...

The Apple Watch has been updated for the fourth time in as many years, bringing with it a number of new features , and for those looking to upgrade from the first-generation model , there's a tweaked design which features a bigger screen and other cool new tech .

Bigger and more immersive screen looks superb; Same strap size despite new design; Will last you through a day

Electrocardiogram feature not available at launch; Some WatchOS 5 nitpicks; No battery improvement