Apple Watch is considered one of the best wearables out there right now, and the go-to smartwatch for those in the iOS ecosystem. The Apple Watch models are also regarded to be very accurate with tracking metrics like heart rate, sleep and calories burnt. However, a new report suggests the Apple Watch Series 6 may not be the best with the latter.
Research conducted by a team from the Université du Québec à Montréal, spotted first by Gadgets360, assessed the accuracy of these wearables for measuring various body data. Based on the findings, the team concluded that three popular wearables offered poor tracking accuracy when it came to energy expenditure.
The three wearables used in the study included the Apple Watch Series 6, the Polar Vantage V, and the Fitbit Sense. For determining the accuracy of these wearables, the research team used the Polar H10 chest strap and the MetaMax 3B spiroergometer as reference devices.
The research test was conducted on 60 young individuals comprising 30 men and 30 women of around 25 years of age. Subjects engaged in activities including walking, running, sitting, cycling, and resistance training to calculate energy expenditure ratings.
The research also suggested that health professionals, athletes/coaches and general fitness enthusiasts should not expect accurate calorie readings from these devices “during the implementation of an exercise training or nutritional programme.”
Heart-rate and step count readings accurate
However, the Apple Watch 6 offered much higher accuracy while tracking heart rate, while the Polar Vantage V and Fitbit Sense offered some variations with readings, depending on the activity. All three wearables also reported accurate step count readings.
