Which smartwatch actually works?

If you want the shortest answer first, the latest side-by-side tests did not crown one universal winner: CNET’s 30-mile trial picked Garmin’s Venu 3, while ZDNET’s 3,000-step test put Google’s Pixel Watch 4 first on step count. (cnet.com) (zdnet.com) Those results came from two different experiments published in April 2026. CNET tested five wrist devices over roughly 30 miles and compared heart-rate readings against a Polar H10 chest strap, while ZDNET compared the Apple Watch Series 11, Google Pixel Watch 4, and Oura Ring over three 1,000-step segments in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park. (cnet.com) (zdnet.com) A smartwatch does not literally “see” a step. It estimates movement with sensors such as an accelerometer and gyroscope, then combines that with heart-rate data and, during workouts, location data from Global Positioning System to decide whether a wrist motion was a real step. (support.apple.com 1) (support.apple.com 2) (support.google.com) That is why two devices can disagree even when they are on the same person at the same time. Apple says everyday activity tracking can rely on arm motion and an accelerometer, while workout tracking can also use heart rate and Global Positioning System; Oura says different wearables use different thresholds and methods for classifying motion as steps. (support.apple.com) (support.ouraring.com 1) (support.ouraring.com 2) In CNET’s test, the Garmin Venu 3 finished as the most reliable overall across step count, distance, and heart rate, ahead of models from Apple, Samsung, Google, and Amazfit. The article says the comparison used repeated outdoor runs and walks rather than a lab treadmill session. (cnet.com) In ZDNET’s smaller step-count trial, the Pixel Watch 4 came closest to the manually counted total over 3,000 steps. The Apple Watch Series 11 and Oura Ring both trailed it in that specific test. (zdnet.com) The split result is not as contradictory as it looks. CNET tested three things at once — steps, distance, and heart rate — while ZDNET tested one thing closely: whether the devices matched a hand-counted step total over a short walk-and-run routine. (cnet.com) (zdnet.com) Heart-rate accuracy is a separate problem from counting steps. Apple says its watch uses optical sensing, a light-based method called photoplethysmography, and CNET used a chest strap as its reference because chest straps are widely treated as a closer benchmark during exercise. (support.apple.com) (cnet.com) Oura is also measuring from a different place on the body. The company says its ring uses a three-dimensional accelerometer on the finger and estimates steps from daily movement patterns, which can diverge from wrist-based watches that lean more heavily on arm swing. (support.ouraring.com 1) (support.ouraring.com 2) So the practical takeaway is narrower than “buy brand X.” If you care most about all-around workout tracking, CNET’s April 13, 2026 test points to Garmin’s Venu 3; if you care most about raw step-count accuracy in a short real-world comparison, ZDNET’s April 11, 2026 test points to the Pixel Watch 4. (cnet.com) (zdnet.com)