GadgetShowdown

Gadget comparisons, model by model

Pick the two models you’re deciding between and get a straight answer first. The specs come from the makers’ own pages; we don’t run lab tests or make up scores.

Maker spec sheets
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Methodology

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Watches

Series 12 and Ultra 4 share S11 and the Health Sensing System; the Ultra's extra $400 buys a 49mm titanium case, satellite, scuba diving and twice the battery.

Watches

Get Apple Watch Ultra 4 for the new heart sensors and the longer battery; Ultra 3 already has satellite and the once-a-second Always On screen.

Watches

Ultra 4 adds S11, the Health Sensing System and a 50-hour battery to the same 49mm case; Ultra 3 already has satellite and the 42-hour battery. Both launched at $799.

Phones

Get Pixel 11 Pro for Google's Pro cameras in a smaller phone: the same 5x telephoto and 120x Pro Zoom as the 6.8-inch Pro XL, at 6.3 inches.

Phones

Galaxy S26 Ultra trades titanium for a thinner aluminum frame and adds Privacy Display, an F1.4 main camera and 60W charging, keeping Galaxy S25 Ultra's 5,000mAh battery and $1,299.99 launch price.

Earbuds

AirPods Pro 3 adds a heart-rate sensor, foam tips, IP57 and 8 hours per charge; AirPods Pro 2 already has Hearing Aid, and its case holds 30 hours to Pro 3's 24.

Fitness Rings

Oura Ring 5 is the smaller, slimmer ring, in sizes 6–13 from $399; Oura Ring 4 covers sizes 4–15 from $349 and stores seven days of data to Ring 5's three, with the same membership on both.

VR / Spatial

Quest 3 and Quest 3S share the XR2 Gen 2 chip, 8 GB of memory and color passthrough; Quest 3 adds sharper 2064 × 2208 screens, pancake lenses, a 110° view and a depth sensor.

Headphones

Get the WH-1000XM6 if you travel and want Sony's flagship noise cancelling in headphones that fold again.

Handheld Gaming

Get Nintendo Switch 2 for Nintendo's current games on a bigger, sharper 7.9-inch 1080p screen, with 256GB of storage and 4K output on a TV.

How GadgetShowdown works

The answer comes first

Every comparison opens with which one to get and why, with both prices. The spec table, the differences and the details follow for anyone who wants them.

The makers’ specs, with sources

Figures come from the makers’ own spec sheets, support pages and announcements. Every guide and comparison lists its sources and the date we checked them. We don’t run lab tests or make up scores.

Older models, too

Plenty of people are deciding whether to upgrade. Guides to older models say whether to keep one, buy it used or move to the current model, and what the newer one actually adds.