During a walk test by Tom’s Guide, the $180 Fitbit Edge tracked steps and missed the manual count by just eight steps. Meanwhile, the $800 Apple Watch Ultra 4 overcounted by 51 steps on the same test.
Accelerometers Track Arm Movements for Step Counting
Both wearable devices rely on an internal accelerometer to measure arm swing during movement, according to Tom’s Guide testing. Each swing registers as two steps regardless of dominant-hand wear or whether the user carries a cup of coffee.
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 does not show step counts for specific workouts natively, so testers downloaded a third-party application called Pedometer+ to track workout metrics, Tom’s Guide reported.
What the Walk Test Results Show
During a controlled 4,500-step walk test, testers strapped both devices to their wrists and tracked every movement with a manual clicker tool. Tom’s Guide reported that the manual clicker recorded 4,550 steps.
The Fitbit Edge recorded 4,558 steps, finishing eight steps above the manual total. The Apple Watch Ultra 4 recorded 4,601 steps, exceeding the manual count by 51 steps.
Are Small Step Discrepancies Significant?
An extra 51 steps does not indicate poor accuracy on Apple’s part, Tom’s Guide reported. The average person covers roughly 2,000 steps per mile, making a small variance negligible over daily use.
Tom’s Guide reported on a separate walk test published Nov. 1, 2026, where Jane McGuire tested the Apple Watch Series 12 against the Fitbit Edge. In that specific trial, the Apple Watch Series 12 recorded 8,293 steps against a manual count of 8,270, while the Fitbit Edge recorded 8,199 steps.
Why Device Design Changes the Comparison
These two wearables serve fundamentally different audiences and price points. Tom’s Guide noted that the Apple Watch Ultra 4 costs $800 and functions as an extension of an iPhone with rugged sports capabilities.
The Fitbit Edge costs $180 and occupies a middle ground between the $99 Fitbit Air released earlier in the year and Google’s top-tier Pixel Watch 5. It features a bright screen, built-in GPS, and a compact design focused entirely on daily health tracking.
Segment Breakdown of Comparative Walk Tests
During Jane McGuire’s reported walk test, absolute deviation measured the number of steps a device counted above or below the manual total without regard to direction. Across the three segments, the Apple Watch Series 12 recorded manual counts of 2,900, 2,990, and 2,380 steps, while its apple watch counts were 2,905, 3,000, and 2,388 steps with absolute deviations of 5, 10, and 8 steps respectively.
The Fitbit Edge recorded counts of 2,864, 2,964, and 2,371 steps with absolute deviations of 36, 26, and 9 steps across those same segments. The device totals differed by 94 steps, calculated from the Apple Watch total of 8,293 minus the Fitbit Edge total of 8,199.
Common Questions About Fitness Tracker Accuracy
Why did testers use a manual clicker tool?
Testers strap a device to each wrist and use a nightclub bouncer’s mechanical clicker to count every physical step manually, according to Tom’s Guide.
Do step counters track dominant hands differently?
No, the internal accelerometers measure arm movement whether the tracker sits on a dominant or non-dominant wrist, Tom’s Guide reported.
Why does the Apple Watch Ultra 4 hide workout-specific step counts?
Tom’s Guide suggested that the Apple Watch Ultra 4 shows overall daily step tallies rather than workout-specific counts, probably because step volume loses utility beyond certain thresholds.
Keep reading