Apple is far behind Garmin in workout and training metrics, support for connected devices, and battery life. I have an Apple Watch, it's great for managing messages, and email without needing to pull out my phone, that's about it.
My main reason is the battery and the looks. I really like the app also. Just a note: you can set challenges and check on your friends on garmin, you can set steps challenges etc. Also they recently added some kind of a Garmin communicator, but since it is not for my I haven't checked that one.
Main reason would be battery life. Next would be fitness tracking and the way they present data. I don't care much about phone notifications and integration with the Apple ecosystem. I always bring my phone during my runs and I rarely care about notifications during my runs. Last one would be price. Okay, there are a lot of Garmin watches that are far more expensive than an Apple Watch, but the thing is there are a lot of options out there that are far more affordable than an Apple Watch, but are still better at fitness tracking, depending on the activities you do.
I'm a Forerunner 965 user and I love it. My VO2 max recorded by the watch and the one from the lab got a 0.1 difference. And the battery life is unmatched, today, for instance, I went for a short one hour bike ride with 11% battery remaining, I shared HR data to my bike computer, came back home and it's still at 9% and I know it could last a couple more days if needed.
I think the big mistake that many people makes is thinking on Garmin watches as Smartwatches, they are just not. Garmin builds the best fitness trackers which are not really good as smartwatches. Same happens when people expects Apple Watch as a good fitness tracker which is not, it is a good smartwatch but not a good fitness tracker.
I agree, I bought a Garmin 6 sapphire and sold off my Apple Watch. The Garmin does everything I want and none of the other nonsense that a computer on my wrist would do. Plus I don’t have to charge it every day.
As an Apple guy (I have iphones, apple tv, macbook, airpods) i can clearly say that Garmin is ahead of Apple a light year; especially in terms of health tracking, battery life and overall build quality. I’ve used several Garmin watches, also tried Apple Watch in the past and now have an Epix Pro 51 mm. First of all, all apple watch models are calculator shaped and they look like a calculator or 80’s Casio watches, which is awful. Yes, Apple has better OHR but it’s pointless because it’s not always on, only takes samples approx. every 10 min. You sell a watch with an Ultra tag but it’s battery life barely hits 2 days. I’ve really forgotten when i charged my Epix Pro last, i charge it once a month. Everyone criticize Garmin’s sleep tracking but it works like a charm for me. Continous stress tracking, HRV tracking, continous HR recording, Body Battery; those are all incredible and where Apple fails.
I still have an old Fénix 6 Pro (and various high end “analog” watches) and it works great. It is super light and always wear it. And yes, I do track my sleep and it’s shockingly accurate… 😮 The only downside of my Garmin is the 1980’s style MIP display. Yes, it’s very visible in direct sun but you can barely see it inside a room, without hitting the backlight to read the display. The battery usage is literally insane! Like, 2 or 3 weeks without charge??? Awesome! I think I am going to get the 8 Pro AMOLED 51mm the next time I am ready to drop coin on a new watch 😅
I've been using the Garmin Venu 3 for little over a month now, and I am really enjoying the long battery life, amazing health tracking/data, and fact that the watch is smart enough to be a great smartwatch, but not smart enough to be an extension of my phone. I value the fact the watch is not connected to my phone all of the time, and provides some separation from smart devices.
I've had the 45mm Series 9 Apple watch, non-cell, for over a year now and I really like it. It was affordable, and it fits nicely in my Apple ecosystem.
@@bryans8656 I just bought a new Apple iWatch SE. I'm going to turn it back in cuz of battery life is less than a day. My iWatch 7 rusted out last week after only 3 years. Torn between higher end iwatch and a Garmin. Watching these videos to figure it out. I have a cell year iWatch. I love the phone capability, particularly, the satellite capability in the backlands
I have a Forerunner 955 and a Series 9 AW. As an iPhone user, only reasons to get a Garmin imo are battery, buttons, slightly better GPS tracking, and circular form factor. AW has better sensors (heart rate, sleep tracking), better notification control, better third party app access, better accessories, remote control of your music, TVs, phone camera etc, and Apple Pay is a dream….Garmin Pay is useless here in Canada as they don’t work with any major bank or credit union. And for fitness, you still get VO2 max, blood ox, training load in Apple Health. For fitness tracking they’re very comparable (with Garmin it’s all built in but Apple has the App Store so you can get what you don’t have). If you’re an athlete who needs to track 30+ hour runs then a Garmin or Coros is a no brainer. The battery life is a game changer. But honestly charging the AW is no biggie if you’re on a schedule. I use mine for sleep tracking so I slap it on the charger for 20 mins every morning while I have my coffee and it tops up.
I have the AW Ultra, series 10 and Fenix 7 Solar. My favorite is the series 10 because of the comfort. It’s almost the weight of a whoop band which is crazy.
@@mikehellinger1 I can't agree that aw sensors are better (they are just not). Also apple's algorithms are far from been accurate, specially the vo2 max estimation. Apple has a lot of work to do related to fitness, and it's something they'll probably never do as they rely on the apple store. Again I think it's a better smartwatch but not a great fitness tracker. And personally I stopped using the aw8 because I felt I was using one of my sons toys, the design is terrible
หลายเดือนก่อน +8
@@nicowernli While I agree Apple needs to step up its fitness game, its sensors are probably the best in the industry. The Quantified Scientist's TH-cam channel has great comparison (even though he's n=1)
I love the arguments about which is better. Especially the "I was always" and "I've never looked back" convincers....! Brilliant! It's just about use case. Get over the FOMO of not having the best. Buy the one that suits what you need it to do. They are both very expensive mistakes otherwise!
I was also a Samsung and Apple Watch user as well but have switched to Garmin and has been the best switch I've ever done. Easy to move back and forth and has much more data. The basic notifications are fine don't need all the smarts of a smart watch and prefer the battery life and health tracking more.
I was recently upgrading my watch and was looking at Coros, but it was the integration with Vitality that kept me with Garmin! Ended up getting the Fenix 7x and I’m very happy with it ☺️
Garmin are amazing! The battery life, the community, the warranty, and the fact that they aren’t algorithmic addiction machines like the Apple Watch are all huge reasons to get one! It’s a shame they’re so gimped on iOS compared to Android, but that’s Apple’s typical behavior…
I'm still rocking the Garmin Vivoactive 4 after four years. It does all the health stuff, gives me notifications and controls my tunes. That's really all I need.
You yourself said it - "Garmin just works". Yep. I don't care if the Garmin is not as pretty. Functionality and dependability are much more important to me. My Fenix 7 Solar has at least 30 features that the AW "Ultra" does not have.
Have always used an IPhone. Tried an AW ultra 2. Within a month, I understood that I didn't use my watch as a smartwatch. It's a timekeeping tool that tracks my workouts and runs/rides.. And in that regard, the Garmin does it far better! Who really sleeps with a huge lump on their wrist?? Who wants to?🤷♂️ Sold the AW Ultra and got a F955 solar.
The Garmin watches do have crash detection and subsequent notifications to your specified contacts built in. Maybe you haven't configured them in the Connect app?
I use both the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and the Garmin 265. While I like the Garmin, one thing that’s consistently a bit of a hassle is the charging cable-it’s not quite user-friendly to me...
Indoor training will mess with the VO2Max, it requires outdoor training with GPS data to work correctly. It wont be bang on, but it will get close after more outdoor training.
I appreciate the thorough reviews. Just wanted to share that the quantified scientist channel does a thorough analysis for accuracy on these devices. I rely on his channel to make my decision, which usually leads me back to the Apple Watch for wrist tracking.
I too, have an AWU2 cellular and a Garmin Tactix 7 Pro, 2 things keeping me from going 100% Garmin is the lack of cellular connectivity and Garmin Pay is only supported by a handful of banks of which the two banks that I bank with are not on that list. I do enjoy being able to leave my phone and wallet at home and still be to stream music, make phone calls and purchases. Fitness and Navigation and battery life is Garmin’s hands down.
It's interesting to see how, even though you mention that "Garmin just works", you describe a very typical Garmin glitch. And that is my experience with Garmin, after having owned a Fenix and an Edge bike computer. It works... Until it doesn't... For no reason. Garmin software is incredibly unreliable, and bugs widely reported stay for years. My Garmin watch had an HR sensor that was totally inacurate in cold weather, something that apparently was the case on that particular model (Fenix 5). I bought an Apple Watch and never looked back. For any single feature a Garmin might have, there's an app in the AW ecosystem that covers it. Athlytic is a prime example, giving you information and insight that is way ahead of Garmin. And the "smart" features make it even more useful. As of 2025, I just don't get how it is possible that Garmin has no LTE watch, or why Garmin Pay is so cumbersome to use and is so restricted to a tiny number of banks.
I have an AWU and a Garmin Epix Pro Gen 2. I get up everyday and look at them both and walk out the door with my Garmin. I thought I would enjoy having iOS on a watch, but I just don’t get enjoyment out of a watch telling me time to stand up when I’m already standing lol. Or getting my steps in while I’m driving down the road. To me that is a dumb watch. Garmin doesn’t do any of that from my experience and the light on it is well….epic and unmatched. Garmin all day for me.
I‘m coming from the apple eco system and I also had an Apple Watch. Biggest issue for me: battery life. The smart features are quite nice but as I started excercising (smart trainer, bike, hiking, trekking), the apple watch wasn‘t the right thing to go with anymore. I even was not able to track my sleep due to the poor battery life. I was finally purchasing a Garmin Enduro 2 which was a game changer for me. It just offers all the features I need during my day and night. Yes of course, the display is not as bright compared to an apple watch and you do not have all these useful/useless smart features. But at end, the garmin allows me to better focus on my everyday tasks while being a faithful companion.
Excellent review. As someone who has had both the Apple Watch Ultra and now the Garmin Epix Pro 51mm, I totally agree with Pete. My Garmin gives me 31 days of battery life. With heavy GPS use, I get about 2 weeks. Love the Garmin.
I've got the forerunner 945. I didn't see battery issues for the first 4 years. Used to last 2 weeks on a single charge and with daily runs. Now I get about a week. The apple watch isn't a fitness watch. You need physical buttons when sweating, jumping, cycling or doing water sports. Touchscreen is too finicky.
That's definitely a drawback, however I've found routines that work. E.g. charge it while showering, if you don't wear it through the night just charge it while sleeping...
Happy New Year. How to get an honest review. Right, use the devices 6 months or longer. Then you really get to know all pros and cons. Good video, Pete. I still have an Apple Watch, but done with it. Main reason: its poor battery life. If you use it during workouts, battery drain will be quick. I often have times that I'm wearing a dead watch. So silly. Notifications? Too many. Do you need to be informed by every single app? Anyway, next watch will be Garmin. PS. Grey days in Amsterdam are over. 😉
I upgraded from the Series 5 to the Apple Watch Ultra and the jump in battery life was huge. I can easily wear it for a full 24 hours (overnight for sleep tracking) and still have 50%+ of battery life left. I'll then pop it on the charger while I hit the shower and get dressed and it's nearly back to 100% before I walk out the door. As for notifications, those can easily be deactivated with a few taps in the watch app 😉
The latest Garmin watches like the Fenix 8 has assistant and phone features (uses your phone though) .. I myself don't want any of these features.. but they are there now.
I have the Fenix 7x solar sapphire and AWU2 I keep switching back and forth. Here is the thing I don’t use any of the features or apps on the watch. Also the AWU2 software works sometimes. I keep coming back to the garmin watch. I love the health metrics and data. Although i have Athlytics there is a huge delay when reporting information and it’s not the same as garmin.
For the VO2 max to be decently accurate, you need to do cardio regularly for quite a while. Also you need to cover the three different types of cardio that Garmin is looking for.
Just got a Garmin Fenix 8 and it does connect to you phone's personal assistant (Siri, etc) and you can start and receive phone calls with it (with your phone in your pocket or somewhere) as it has a built-in microphone and speaker, so it has more functionality than the Garmin Fenix 7 or Epix watches you've used.
I already ditched Apple Smart Watch Ultra for Garmin Fenix 7 Pro Solar Sapphire 1 year ago and I love it. I already bought Fenix 8 to be more happy. :D
You forgot to mention how annoying using the knob on the Apple watch is if you wear your watch on your right wrist. Garmins are easy to use on either wrist. As for why I switched to a Garmin watch, it's because Casio are unable to make watches with durable cases and straps (I have 2 Casios that still work perfectly from an electronic point of view, sitting at home because on both of them the case has cracked where the pins to hold the straps on attach - one is solar powered, so it will probably run till 2049 when the built in calendar runs out, the other has been running at least 15 years on the original battery so far). Apple never made it anywhere near my short list because as a company they've spearheaded every anti-consumer, anti-repair trend over the past 20 years, which other manufacturers have copied, which as a result has made owning and especially repairing or customising any electronic device a nightmare. I used an iphone for work for a few years and it was awful compared to my cheap Android phone, specifically because Apple removed functionality from the third party keyboard apps to make the Apple keyboard the least awful option, but it was still awful compared to what I was used to on Android - and I actually put time into learning how to use the hidden features on the Apple keyboard, without them it would be even worse.
Vo2 max only works with outdoor walks, hikes or runs. It needs the GPS to calculate it. I find it frustrating as someone who does a lot of HIIT and kettle bells. It's unfortunately just how it is.
If you don't run a power meter it also doesn't give decent information for VO2 from mountain biking either - it just assumes the low speed is low fitness rather than higher rolling drag and harder terrain. I'm only assuming a power meter will improve this as I run too many different bikes for it to be anything like worth my while trying to add power meters to even the most used 3. My VO2 figure increased by about 10 while my fitness was actually decreasing, when I injured my neck a few months back and did a bunch of walking instead of cycling for a few weeks.
I have the Garmin Fenix 7 Solar. I like the battery life. But the app UI is ridiculously bad after the recent update and kills the whole user experience for me.
13:32 VO2max was pretty accurate for me when i was running outside In the summer but now in Winter it is degrading since it is only able to measue vo2 max with GPS ON activity type. I'm doing crossfit and most of the scores are useless for me in Garmin. I feel like this watch is strictly built for runners only. We'll see how my scores will trend when I'll be back to running outside instead of treadmill. With GPS I had 57 vo2 max Now 50 and dropping 😂
What I was surprised that Garmin doesn't have is built in maps, or at least built in directions, I walk a lot to different things, and would love to get directions while doing that and track it, but I have to pull out my phone for it
you need to set your sauna power profile to one you have created without gps and or change the gps setting for the activity to turn off gps. Actually does have crash detection for certain activities (they did pull it off some about 8 months ago as too inaccurate for some activities); they also do offer ability to challenge and see friend data, but again they need to be garmin users, just like apple needs apple friends - guess why so many use strava etc. Loads of built in challenges for garmin users, and can also create your own goals (though goals is connect web option only).
For those already in the Apple ecosystem, it's a pretty steep climb to consider other watches outside of Apple. In this case, these Garmin watches are just as, or even more, expensive than the highest end Apple Watches while missing out on a number of capabilities such as LTE, messaging, etc! If you don't want distractions while lying in your sauna, simply switch the focus mode! I leave my phone in my gym bag and able to stream unlimited music and podcasts while tracking my health stats while I exercise at the gym. It's just so easy to link to solid apps for music and podcasts its not even funny (and I'm not even using LTE, this is strictly over WiFi without any direct bluetooth connection to my iPhone).
That insurance is crazy, so much discounts they make life affordable. Also I love my apple watch ultra. Much faster and better then my galaxy watch 6 classic. Even tho i miss the round design
As a french runner, I don't know any runners who use a AW. 1 day battery life is nogo for me. And 1 day for what, Do you do 15 times more than with a Garmin watch?
Had a pixel watch 1, fell apart on the back. Gone back to heart rate Bluetooth chest strap or arm bands. Linked to phone strava app. I can see these watches are great for people who want to maximise their fitness by monitoring the best days for rest or pushing. Also joggers or wet weather. I only want to know if theres something badly wrong. A once a year check is all I want. If nothing else for me my broken pixel watch history has shown me the importance of getting a HRV, ECG and VO2 max once a year. I may investigate apps that do this with my HR Bluetooth strap. Or get a clip in finger device. I only ride 20 to 35km on the weekend. A phone mounted heart rate strava app does the trick. Monitoring 220 minus age for heart rate. And pop 10,000IU of D3 twice a week to compensate for too much indoor office stuff. I'm 55.
I am on my 2nd Ultra 2 and it is the most capable and frustrating watch I have ever owned. This is simply because when I use the Workout app for a run and have the elevation displayed, it randomly drops out and instead of the elevation I get --ELEV. I have spent two hours with tech support. They sent me a replacement watch which had the same problem. No issues with two Garmin watches, one Coros watch, and my wife's Apple Watch 9. So far Apple have not resolved my problem and don't seem to be responding anymore. I really want to use the Ultra 2 with cellular so I can leave my phone at home, but now I leave my $800 "Ultra" watch at home and use a Garmin or Coros watch for running and have to carry my phone with me. For everything else the Ultra 2 is what I use. Overall it is a great watch with the one elevation dropout problem that is super frustrating. For interval workouts I also use my Garmin Forerunner 945 because the buttons are so much easier to use. Is there any other brand of smart watch out there with cellular?
Garmin has fall detection. I pay for an account, and they actually call to check on me when I’ve fallen. If I don’t answer, they’ll send EMS to my location.
I think it’s unfair to judge a non Apple product on smartwatch features based Apple’s locked down infrastructure. Review the fitness features, price, features…. Not the smartwatch features
I do disagree with a few of your claims about the Apple Watch. You can send workouts directly to strava, you can see your steps,and you can see your v02 max on the watch.
I just ran a 5k with Garmin Enduro 3 and AW series 10Ti. The AWS10Ti was 12 seconds behind, which is a pretty big gap on the competitive times I am running. I had the AWU2 (and Instinct 2x), and even then it wasn't getting my running course distance correctly (not as bad as my series 10... ya more accurate GPS, but still not a close as the Garmin from my experience)... I suspect because the Apple Watches smooth out the routes, which adds up... Not sure what the deal is. I prefer wearing my Apple Watch when I am not training and looking for Gaines, but just maintaining for fun and competing with my family to close rings... I also prefer the ecosystem for accessing training data and maps with Garmin connect over the fitness/health apps that are fairly restricted to the iPhone with a piecemeal Health app when using the iPad. I can definitely say don't bother with the series 10 for distance and time accuracy if you're getting down to seconds. Also worth considering, if you are concerned about such things, the Apple Watches place a lot more non-ionizing radiation exposure on the body than Garmin watches do to the constant syncing and large data exchanges... I also greatly appreciate the fitness/health trends that Apple offers when wearing the watch for a considerable amount of time (months and years).
I use my Apple Watch for health monitoring, staying productive, and taking advantage of its integration with the Apple ecosystem. The fitness tracking works well, and the GPS and heart rate monitoring are comparable to other smartwatches including Garmin's models. I also find notifications and Apple Pay very convenient. At night, I use it for sleep tracking, heart rate analysis, and the discreet alarm provides a perfect way to wake up. If you're using an iPhone, there's no reason to look elsewhere ;-)
I was convinced then I saw right away you was lying when you mention you track sleep with a Apple Watch.. It's not possible most of the time since you need to be charging it while you are sleeping since the battery on them don't last. I went out of my way to get a Garmin because of the sleep tracking.
You review *free* items that are quite expensive. In the U.S. you'd have to pay Self Employment tax on these items, over $600 combined. Is it the same in the UK?
Still on Fenix 3 HR .. no real reason to change outside of wanting change. Apple watch just dont have battery life for my normal usage habit. I tried Huawei GT4 for a day and they were fine just looked small on me and except ability to take calls with them they didnt offer much functionality.
I disagree with you on Siri. It’s much much better. Not sure which Siri you are talking about. Especially on 18.2, I love it. However, I prefer Android more and hence struck with Google Assistant on S24 Ultra. Don’t get me started on Gemini. It’s 100% useless on phone. Whatever it does is terrible and slow Love Garmin, except for the price. It’s very expensive
Can you share the metrics for sleep? I know its voodoo science but I still like looking at it. For me Apple barely registers any deep sleep whereas Garmin feels much more accurate.
Honestly I find them fairly similar between both. I have an Eight Sleep though so I usually just stick with that. Sometimes I wear both watches, sometimes it’s just a smart ring!
The downside for sleep monitoring on the Apple watch is the battery life being so low that to make it through the next day, many watch owners have to charge them while they sleep every night.
I dont use apple watches any more. I use other smart watches. I also have a garmin watch as well ticwatch pro 5. I have everything else apple besides the smartwatches and pc and laptop.
You clearly do not know how to use an Apple Watch, I have an Ultra and 3 specific apps that give me all this data from a Garmin and more, this coming from someone that was a Garmin user, there is only 1 metric that Garmin beats Apple Watch on and thats Battery life, besides that, Apple Watch Ultra is a way better device. Apple is a Tech company as such depends on 3rd party app developers to create apps that interpret the data from your watch, you cannot expect them to be natively imbedded within the OS.
The MIPs display is not a saturated as an OLED display but, it does mean you get up to 28-days+ of battery life with an always on display. It gets better the brighter and surprisingly more colourful in direct sun. I switched from the AWU2 to the Tactix 7 Pro and haven’t looked back.
No, didn’t see that. Garmin is better at a lot of stuff than Apple, especially when it comes to fitness data collection. The Apple Watch is the much better smartwatch however, Garmin watches are better tool watches which is what they are.
@@pauljnelson the Apple Watch wipes the floor with Garmin when it comes to accuracy on metrics and data gathered, in all categories of fitness and sleep. There's literally not one category where the Garmin comes close, except of course on GPS. Check it out. However, Garmin's software is much more centered on sports and athletics, which is also a factor.
What' are your reasons for switching to a Garmin watch?
Apple is far behind Garmin in workout and training metrics, support for connected devices, and battery life. I have an Apple Watch, it's great for managing messages, and email without needing to pull out my phone, that's about it.
My main reason is the battery and the looks. I really like the app also. Just a note: you can set challenges and check on your friends on garmin, you can set steps challenges etc. Also they recently added some kind of a Garmin communicator, but since it is not for my I haven't checked that one.
Apple Eco-System…my factor for deciding for apple watch…Garmin is great
battery life, better features/stats for fitness. Apple Watch is seriously lacking in both those areas.
Main reason would be battery life. Next would be fitness tracking and the way they present data. I don't care much about phone notifications and integration with the Apple ecosystem. I always bring my phone during my runs and I rarely care about notifications during my runs. Last one would be price. Okay, there are a lot of Garmin watches that are far more expensive than an Apple Watch, but the thing is there are a lot of options out there that are far more affordable than an Apple Watch, but are still better at fitness tracking, depending on the activities you do.
I'm a Forerunner 965 user and I love it. My VO2 max recorded by the watch and the one from the lab got a 0.1 difference. And the battery life is unmatched, today, for instance, I went for a short one hour bike ride with 11% battery remaining, I shared HR data to my bike computer, came back home and it's still at 9% and I know it could last a couple more days if needed.
At 10%, my iWatch dies out in about 9 minutes in low power mode😢
I think the big mistake that many people makes is thinking on Garmin watches as Smartwatches, they are just not. Garmin builds the best fitness trackers which are not really good as smartwatches. Same happens when people expects Apple Watch as a good fitness tracker which is not, it is a good smartwatch but not a good fitness tracker.
@@nicowernli 100%
I agree, I bought a Garmin 6 sapphire and sold off my Apple Watch. The Garmin does everything I want and none of the other nonsense that a computer on my wrist would do. Plus I don’t have to charge it every day.
As an Apple guy (I have iphones, apple tv, macbook, airpods) i can clearly say that Garmin is ahead of Apple a light year; especially in terms of health tracking, battery life and overall build quality. I’ve used several Garmin watches, also tried Apple Watch in the past and now have an Epix Pro 51 mm.
First of all, all apple watch models are calculator shaped and they look like a calculator or 80’s Casio watches, which is awful.
Yes, Apple has better OHR but it’s pointless because it’s not always on, only takes samples approx. every 10 min. You sell a watch with an Ultra tag but it’s battery life barely hits 2 days. I’ve really forgotten when i charged my Epix Pro last, i charge it once a month.
Everyone criticize Garmin’s sleep tracking but it works like a charm for me. Continous stress tracking, HRV tracking, continous HR recording, Body Battery; those are all incredible and where Apple fails.
I still have an old Fénix 6 Pro (and various high end “analog” watches) and it works great. It is super light and always wear it. And yes, I do track my sleep and it’s shockingly accurate… 😮 The only downside of my Garmin is the 1980’s style MIP display. Yes, it’s very visible in direct sun but you can barely see it inside a room, without hitting the backlight to read the display. The battery usage is literally insane! Like, 2 or 3 weeks without charge??? Awesome!
I think I am going to get the 8 Pro AMOLED 51mm the next time I am ready to drop coin on a new watch 😅
Yep, plus resting period and nap tracking working flawless for me.
I've been using the Garmin Venu 3 for little over a month now, and I am really enjoying the long battery life, amazing health tracking/data, and fact that the watch is smart enough to be a great smartwatch, but not smart enough to be an extension of my phone. I value the fact the watch is not connected to my phone all of the time, and provides some separation from smart devices.
I've had the 45mm Series 9 Apple watch, non-cell, for over a year now and I really like it. It was affordable, and it fits nicely in my Apple ecosystem.
@@bryans8656 I just bought a new Apple iWatch SE. I'm going to turn it back in cuz of battery life is less than a day. My iWatch 7 rusted out last week after only 3 years. Torn between higher end iwatch and a Garmin. Watching these videos to figure it out. I have a cell year iWatch. I love the phone capability, particularly, the satellite capability in the backlands
I have a Forerunner 955 and a Series 9 AW. As an iPhone user, only reasons to get a Garmin imo are battery, buttons, slightly better GPS tracking, and circular form factor. AW has better sensors (heart rate, sleep tracking), better notification control, better third party app access, better accessories, remote control of your music, TVs, phone camera etc, and Apple Pay is a dream….Garmin Pay is useless here in Canada as they don’t work with any major bank or credit union. And for fitness, you still get VO2 max, blood ox, training load in Apple Health. For fitness tracking they’re very comparable (with Garmin it’s all built in but Apple has the App Store so you can get what you don’t have). If you’re an athlete who needs to track 30+ hour runs then a Garmin or Coros is a no brainer. The battery life is a game changer. But honestly charging the AW is no biggie if you’re on a schedule. I use mine for sleep tracking so I slap it on the charger for 20 mins every morning while I have my coffee and it tops up.
Totally agree about the charging, it just isn't an issue for me. I charge my AW every other day.
I have the AW Ultra, series 10 and Fenix 7 Solar. My favorite is the series 10 because of the comfort. It’s almost the weight of a whoop band which is crazy.
@@mikehellinger1 I can't agree that aw sensors are better (they are just not). Also apple's algorithms are far from been accurate, specially the vo2 max estimation. Apple has a lot of work to do related to fitness, and it's something they'll probably never do as they rely on the apple store. Again I think it's a better smartwatch but not a great fitness tracker. And personally I stopped using the aw8 because I felt I was using one of my sons toys, the design is terrible
@@nicowernli While I agree Apple needs to step up its fitness game, its sensors are probably the best in the industry. The Quantified Scientist's TH-cam channel has great comparison (even though he's n=1)
Yeah exactly, might be the best HR sensors on his skin only but they literally not better than any other watch
I love the arguments about which is better. Especially the "I was always" and "I've never looked back" convincers....! Brilliant! It's just about use case. Get over the FOMO of not having the best. Buy the one that suits what you need it to do. They are both very expensive mistakes otherwise!
I was also a Samsung and Apple Watch user as well but have switched to Garmin and has been the best switch I've ever done. Easy to move back and forth and has much more data. The basic notifications are fine don't need all the smarts of a smart watch and prefer the battery life and health tracking more.
I was recently upgrading my watch and was looking at Coros, but it was the integration with Vitality that kept me with Garmin! Ended up getting the Fenix 7x and I’m very happy with it ☺️
My daughter switched from AW to Garmin for health tracking, and hasn't looked back.
Garmin are amazing! The battery life, the community, the warranty, and the fact that they aren’t algorithmic addiction machines like the Apple Watch are all huge reasons to get one!
It’s a shame they’re so gimped on iOS compared to Android, but that’s Apple’s typical behavior…
I'm still rocking the Garmin Vivoactive 4 after four years. It does all the health stuff, gives me notifications and controls my tunes. That's really all I need.
You yourself said it - "Garmin just works". Yep. I don't care if the Garmin is not as pretty. Functionality and dependability are much more important to me. My Fenix 7 Solar has at least 30 features that the AW "Ultra" does not have.
I would say Apple just works. I’ve never had any bugs. Garmin fixes 10 bugs and 20 new ones show up.
The AW Ultra also has at least 30 features that Garmin does not.
@@MayTheSchwartzBeWithYou Do you have a list that you would like to share with me?
@@VernL4 After you.
@@chriscarpunky You are 10000% right . Bugs . Like 3 days ago , global garmin crash , garmagedon ! 😂
Have always used an IPhone. Tried an AW ultra 2. Within a month, I understood that I didn't use my watch as a smartwatch. It's a timekeeping tool that tracks my workouts and runs/rides.. And in that regard, the Garmin does it far better!
Who really sleeps with a huge lump on their wrist?? Who wants to?🤷♂️
Sold the AW Ultra and got a F955 solar.
I wear the Apple Watch Ultra every night. It’s only “huge” if you’re a little girl.
@
Or a fanboy
@@ubergaard
I don’t think you said what you think you said.
@ he thinks!!
The Garmin watches do have crash detection and subsequent notifications to your specified contacts built in. Maybe you haven't configured them in the Connect app?
Not for mountain biking. It’s the reason I’ve ended up back in AWU2
I find flashlight on Fenix 7 to be super useful
I use both the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and the Garmin 265.
While I like the Garmin, one thing that’s consistently a bit of a hassle is the charging cable-it’s not quite user-friendly to me...
Indoor training will mess with the VO2Max, it requires outdoor training with GPS data to work correctly. It wont be bang on, but it will get close after more outdoor training.
I appreciate the thorough reviews. Just wanted to share that the quantified scientist channel does a thorough analysis for accuracy on these devices. I rely on his channel to make my decision, which usually leads me back to the Apple Watch for wrist tracking.
I too, have an AWU2 cellular and a Garmin Tactix 7 Pro, 2 things keeping me from going 100% Garmin is the lack of cellular connectivity and Garmin Pay is only supported by a handful of banks of which the two banks that I bank with are not on that list. I do enjoy being able to leave my phone and wallet at home and still be to stream music, make phone calls and purchases. Fitness and Navigation and battery life is Garmin’s hands down.
Pete it's been a while happy new year and thanks for making quality tech content if you hit a 1M Subscribes this year i won't be surprised 🎉😏😉🥁📈🤣🔥📝
It's interesting to see how, even though you mention that "Garmin just works", you describe a very typical Garmin glitch. And that is my experience with Garmin, after having owned a Fenix and an Edge bike computer. It works... Until it doesn't... For no reason. Garmin software is incredibly unreliable, and bugs widely reported stay for years. My Garmin watch had an HR sensor that was totally inacurate in cold weather, something that apparently was the case on that particular model (Fenix 5). I bought an Apple Watch and never looked back. For any single feature a Garmin might have, there's an app in the AW ecosystem that covers it. Athlytic is a prime example, giving you information and insight that is way ahead of Garmin. And the "smart" features make it even more useful. As of 2025, I just don't get how it is possible that Garmin has no LTE watch, or why Garmin Pay is so cumbersome to use and is so restricted to a tiny number of banks.
I have an AWU and a Garmin Epix Pro Gen 2. I get up everyday and look at them both and walk out the door with my Garmin. I thought I would enjoy having iOS on a watch, but I just don’t get enjoyment out of a watch telling me time to stand up when I’m already standing lol. Or getting my steps in while I’m driving down the road. To me that is a dumb watch. Garmin doesn’t do any of that from my experience and the light on it is well….epic and unmatched. Garmin all day for me.
I‘m coming from the apple eco system and I also had an Apple Watch. Biggest issue for me: battery life. The smart features are quite nice but as I started excercising (smart trainer, bike, hiking, trekking), the apple watch wasn‘t the right thing to go with anymore. I even was not able to track my sleep due to the poor battery life. I was finally purchasing a Garmin Enduro 2 which was a game changer for me. It just offers all the features I need during my day and night. Yes of course, the display is not as bright compared to an apple watch and you do not have all these useful/useless smart features. But at end, the garmin allows me to better focus on my everyday tasks while being a faithful companion.
Happy New Year Pete
I've been wearing round face watches since the 60's. Now love
the square look of my apples. Wearing Ultra 1st Gen. Rotate it
with a series 8.
Excellent review. As someone who has had both the Apple Watch Ultra and now the Garmin Epix Pro 51mm, I totally agree with Pete. My Garmin gives me 31 days of battery life. With heavy GPS use, I get about 2 weeks. Love the Garmin.
I've got the forerunner 945. I didn't see battery issues for the first 4 years. Used to last 2 weeks on a single charge and with daily runs. Now I get about a week. The apple watch isn't a fitness watch. You need physical buttons when sweating, jumping, cycling or doing water sports. Touchscreen is too finicky.
My issue is battery life on the Apple Watch. My Garmin goes a week per battery charge.
That's definitely a drawback, however I've found routines that work. E.g. charge it while showering, if you don't wear it through the night just charge it while sleeping...
The battery life on Garmin smartwatches are just epic gold. It lasts several days on a single charge.
Happy New Year. How to get an honest review. Right, use the devices 6 months or longer. Then you really get to know all pros and cons. Good video, Pete. I still have an Apple Watch, but done with it. Main reason: its poor battery life. If you use it during workouts, battery drain will be quick. I often have times that I'm wearing a dead watch. So silly. Notifications? Too many. Do you need to be informed by every single app? Anyway, next watch will be Garmin. PS. Grey days in Amsterdam are over. 😉
I upgraded from the Series 5 to the Apple Watch Ultra and the jump in battery life was huge. I can easily wear it for a full 24 hours (overnight for sleep tracking) and still have 50%+ of battery life left. I'll then pop it on the charger while I hit the shower and get dressed and it's nearly back to 100% before I walk out the door. As for notifications, those can easily be deactivated with a few taps in the watch app 😉
The latest Garmin watches like the Fenix 8 has assistant and phone features (uses your phone though) .. I myself don't want any of these features.. but they are there now.
You can do heaps of challenges in the Garmin app and also add friends and compete with them
I have the Fenix 7x solar sapphire and AWU2 I keep switching back and forth. Here is the thing I don’t use any of the features or apps on the watch. Also the AWU2 software works sometimes. I keep coming back to the garmin watch. I love the health metrics and data. Although i have Athlytics there is a huge delay when reporting information and it’s not the same as garmin.
VO2 max has been great with my Garmin forerunner tbh. I’m a middle distance runner so mine is about 68-69, which seems fairly accurate.
I think that because he is not doing outdoor runs, his VO2 Max is not accurate. Indoor workouts are not used to calculate for VO2 Max.
For the VO2 max to be decently accurate, you need to do cardio regularly for quite a while. Also you need to cover the three different types of cardio that Garmin is looking for.
What did you mean by 3 different types of cardios? Anaerobic, high aerobic, and low aerobic?
@@Fionn-Greyship Yes!
Just got a Garmin Fenix 8 and it does connect to you phone's personal assistant (Siri, etc) and you can start and receive phone calls with it (with your phone in your pocket or somewhere) as it has a built-in microphone and speaker, so it has more functionality than the Garmin Fenix 7 or Epix watches you've used.
@@bartsimpsonhead2790 so you rather that over the 7 price wise. ?
I already ditched Apple Smart Watch Ultra for Garmin Fenix 7 Pro Solar Sapphire 1 year ago and I love it. I already bought Fenix 8 to be more happy. :D
Did you use a heart rate strap or relied on the wrist based HR during workouts? If wrist… that explains the VO2 max being so massively off.
I have venu 3. Main reason is battery life. Really happy with it.
You forgot to mention how annoying using the knob on the Apple watch is if you wear your watch on your right wrist. Garmins are easy to use on either wrist. As for why I switched to a Garmin watch, it's because Casio are unable to make watches with durable cases and straps (I have 2 Casios that still work perfectly from an electronic point of view, sitting at home because on both of them the case has cracked where the pins to hold the straps on attach - one is solar powered, so it will probably run till 2049 when the built in calendar runs out, the other has been running at least 15 years on the original battery so far).
Apple never made it anywhere near my short list because as a company they've spearheaded every anti-consumer, anti-repair trend over the past 20 years, which other manufacturers have copied, which as a result has made owning and especially repairing or customising any electronic device a nightmare. I used an iphone for work for a few years and it was awful compared to my cheap Android phone, specifically because Apple removed functionality from the third party keyboard apps to make the Apple keyboard the least awful option, but it was still awful compared to what I was used to on Android - and I actually put time into learning how to use the hidden features on the Apple keyboard, without them it would be even worse.
Vo2 max only works with outdoor walks, hikes or runs. It needs the GPS to calculate it. I find it frustrating as someone who does a lot of HIIT and kettle bells. It's unfortunately just how it is.
If you don't run a power meter it also doesn't give decent information for VO2 from mountain biking either - it just assumes the low speed is low fitness rather than higher rolling drag and harder terrain. I'm only assuming a power meter will improve this as I run too many different bikes for it to be anything like worth my while trying to add power meters to even the most used 3. My VO2 figure increased by about 10 while my fitness was actually decreasing, when I injured my neck a few months back and did a bunch of walking instead of cycling for a few weeks.
I have the Garmin Fenix 7 Solar. I like the battery life. But the app UI is ridiculously bad after the recent update and kills the whole user experience for me.
13:32 VO2max was pretty accurate for me when i was running outside In the summer but now in Winter it is degrading since it is only able to measue vo2 max with GPS ON activity type. I'm doing crossfit and most of the scores are useless for me in Garmin. I feel like this watch is strictly built for runners only. We'll see how my scores will trend when I'll be back to running outside instead of treadmill.
With GPS I had 57 vo2 max
Now 50 and dropping 😂
Loved your video, but I also love a clean screen. 😂
What I was surprised that Garmin doesn't have is built in maps, or at least built in directions, I walk a lot to different things, and would love to get directions while doing that and track it, but I have to pull out my phone for it
The 955/965 has maps
The Fenix, Epix, Marq and Tactix series have maps built in.
you need to set your sauna power profile to one you have created without gps and or change the gps setting for the activity to turn off gps. Actually does have crash detection for certain activities (they did pull it off some about 8 months ago as too inaccurate for some activities); they also do offer ability to challenge and see friend data, but again they need to be garmin users, just like apple needs apple friends - guess why so many use strava etc. Loads of built in challenges for garmin users, and can also create your own goals (though goals is connect web option only).
For those already in the Apple ecosystem, it's a pretty steep climb to consider other watches outside of Apple. In this case, these Garmin watches are just as, or even more, expensive than the highest end Apple Watches while missing out on a number of capabilities such as LTE, messaging, etc! If you don't want distractions while lying in your sauna, simply switch the focus mode!
I leave my phone in my gym bag and able to stream unlimited music and podcasts while tracking my health stats while I exercise at the gym. It's just so easy to link to solid apps for music and podcasts its not even funny (and I'm not even using LTE, this is strictly over WiFi without any direct bluetooth connection to my iPhone).
My Fenix 7 has crash detection… as you put in your negatives. Also my VO2max is within the margins.
That insurance is crazy, so much discounts they make life affordable. Also I love my apple watch ultra. Much faster and better then my galaxy watch 6 classic. Even tho i miss the round design
As a french runner, I don't know any runners who use a AW. 1 day battery life is nogo for me. And 1 day for what, Do you do 15 times more than with a Garmin watch?
Hello mate, the Garmin Fenix 8 fixes all of those shortcomings you spoke about, save for LTE
Had a pixel watch 1, fell apart on the back. Gone back to heart rate Bluetooth chest strap or arm bands. Linked to phone strava app.
I can see these watches are great for people who want to maximise their fitness by monitoring the best days for rest or pushing. Also joggers or wet weather.
I only want to know if theres something badly wrong.
A once a year check is all I want.
If nothing else for me my broken pixel watch history has shown me the importance of getting a HRV, ECG and VO2 max once a year. I may investigate apps that do this with my HR Bluetooth strap. Or get a clip in finger device.
I only ride 20 to 35km on the weekend. A phone mounted heart rate strava app does the trick. Monitoring 220 minus age for heart rate.
And pop 10,000IU of D3 twice a week to compensate for too much indoor office stuff. I'm 55.
I am on my 2nd Ultra 2 and it is the most capable and frustrating watch I have ever owned. This is simply because when I use the Workout app for a run and have the elevation displayed, it randomly drops out and instead of the elevation I get --ELEV. I have spent two hours with tech support. They sent me a replacement watch which had the same problem. No issues with two Garmin watches, one Coros watch, and my wife's Apple Watch 9. So far Apple have not resolved my problem and don't seem to be responding anymore. I really want to use the Ultra 2 with cellular so I can leave my phone at home, but now I leave my $800 "Ultra" watch at home and use a Garmin or Coros watch for running and have to carry my phone with me. For everything else the Ultra 2 is what I use. Overall it is a great watch with the one elevation dropout problem that is super frustrating. For interval workouts I also use my Garmin Forerunner 945 because the buttons are so much easier to use. Is there any other brand of smart watch out there with cellular?
I have also forgotten to unpair a few Apple Watch models from my iPhone before trading in the iPhone lol
The struggle is real lol
Such a difference in vo2 max between the watches and lab is because your HD zones doesn't are settled properly.
I've had my quatix 7 for a year and you can't beat 2 weeks battery life
what WATCH FACE is that on the garmin at 16:12 into the video? THANKS!
@@doncoddington3246 if I'm correct, it is called Glance watch face
I can’t recall the name but it’s a free face from the store!
Hmmm somehow I don't see my reaction... So I'm going to try it again... The watch face is called: Glance watch face
DUUUUUUUDE..... where's the SIM RACING RIG that you promised ? Do I need to subscribe for that ? 🙃
Haha! It’s coming man! Been a mad busy few months!
Garmin has fall detection. I pay for an account, and they actually call to check on me when I’ve fallen. If I don’t answer, they’ll send EMS to my location.
I think it’s unfair to judge a non Apple product on smartwatch features based Apple’s locked down infrastructure. Review the fitness features, price, features…. Not the smartwatch features
They're both sold as "smart watches" though 🤷🏼
I do disagree with a few of your claims about the Apple Watch. You can send workouts directly to strava, you can see your steps,and you can see your v02 max on the watch.
I just ran a 5k with Garmin Enduro 3 and AW series 10Ti. The AWS10Ti was 12 seconds behind, which is a pretty big gap on the competitive times I am running. I had the AWU2 (and Instinct 2x), and even then it wasn't getting my running course distance correctly (not as bad as my series 10... ya more accurate GPS, but still not a close as the Garmin from my experience)... I suspect because the Apple Watches smooth out the routes, which adds up... Not sure what the deal is. I prefer wearing my Apple Watch when I am not training and looking for Gaines, but just maintaining for fun and competing with my family to close rings... I also prefer the ecosystem for accessing training data and maps with Garmin connect over the fitness/health apps that are fairly restricted to the iPhone with a piecemeal Health app when using the iPad. I can definitely say don't bother with the series 10 for distance and time accuracy if you're getting down to seconds. Also worth considering, if you are concerned about such things, the Apple Watches place a lot more non-ionizing radiation exposure on the body than Garmin watches do to the constant syncing and large data exchanges... I also greatly appreciate the fitness/health trends that Apple offers when wearing the watch for a considerable amount of time (months and years).
Is Garmin Marq’s absurd price justified by anything valid?
I use my Apple Watch for health monitoring, staying productive, and taking advantage of its integration with the Apple ecosystem. The fitness tracking works well, and the GPS and heart rate monitoring are comparable to other smartwatches including Garmin's models. I also find notifications and Apple Pay very convenient. At night, I use it for sleep tracking, heart rate analysis, and the discreet alarm provides a perfect way to wake up. If you're using an iPhone, there's no reason to look elsewhere ;-)
I was convinced then I saw right away you was lying when you mention you track sleep with a Apple Watch.. It's not possible most of the time since you need to be charging it while you are sleeping since the battery on them don't last. I went out of my way to get a Garmin because of the sleep tracking.
@@miketran4289it does indeed have sleep tracking. You pushing misinformation doesn’t change that fact.
Still got my trusty enduro 2 left hand AWU 2 black titanium right
😎best both worlds
5:30 oh hi there ;)
2:42 which phone and case is this please?
Is it a Samsung?
That’s actually a good question! 😂 Looks like the S23/S24?
@@PeteMatheson looks perfect size and no dynamic island etc could it be a s24 plus?
Vitality looks very bad deal to me. Give them all your data, pay them and then get discounts for things you do not need.
15:17 DAM, I can barely run a 5K with just a phone in my hand comfortably lol
Apple Watch Ultra 2 user here. I’ve seen Garmin Watches dying in a painful and cheap plastic way.
if you dont need EKG buy garmin cause battery lasts 15 days.....
Put your watch on do not disturb in the sauna!!
If you want two weeks battery you are going to have a bigger and weightier watch. May I watch charges in 30 min.
The Garmin watch is just a better watch in my opinion. After getting a Garmin i will never buy another Apple Watch.
You review *free* items that are quite expensive. In the U.S. you'd have to pay Self Employment tax on these items, over $600 combined. Is it the same in the UK?
How many runs did you do with both watches?
I’ve done quite a few over the years! 20+ or so?
Plus plenty of outdoor walks
@ interesting, logically the watch only gives an estimate vo2max but such a big difference is strange 🤔
Still on Fenix 3 HR .. no real reason to change outside of wanting change. Apple watch just dont have battery life for my normal usage habit. I tried Huawei GT4 for a day and they were fine just looked small on me and except ability to take calls with them they didnt offer much functionality.
I disagree with you on Siri. It’s much much better. Not sure which Siri you are talking about. Especially on 18.2, I love it. However, I prefer Android more and hence struck with Google Assistant on S24 Ultra. Don’t get me started on Gemini. It’s 100% useless on phone. Whatever it does is terrible and slow
Love Garmin, except for the price. It’s very expensive
😂 I’d like to think Gemini will improve faster than Siri will - here’s hoping!
Can you share the metrics for sleep? I know its voodoo science but I still like looking at it.
For me Apple barely registers any deep sleep whereas Garmin feels much more accurate.
Honestly I find them fairly similar between both.
I have an Eight Sleep though so I usually just stick with that. Sometimes I wear both watches, sometimes it’s just a smart ring!
The downside for sleep monitoring on the Apple watch is the battery life being so low that to make it through the next day, many watch owners have to charge them while they sleep every night.
I dont use apple watches any more. I use other smart watches. I also have a garmin watch as well ticwatch pro 5. I have everything else apple besides the smartwatches and pc and laptop.
garmin iq store!!! custom community made watch faces will never not be the best
12:59 VO2 max 💀
You clearly do not know how to use an Apple Watch, I have an Ultra and 3 specific apps that give me all this data from a Garmin and more, this coming from someone that was a Garmin user, there is only 1 metric that Garmin beats Apple Watch on and thats Battery life, besides that, Apple Watch Ultra is a way better device. Apple is a Tech company as such depends on 3rd party app developers to create apps that interpret the data from your watch, you cannot expect them to be natively imbedded within the OS.
600 quid a year to get discounts off things you may not want to buy , wow
And for private health insurance. Not just for discounts. The discounts are just a bonus.
that Garmin non-OLED screen looks so poor, maybe it’s just the camera causing it. Think I’ll stick to my AWU
They have models with OLED, like Garmin Epix
Looks gorgeous in reality.
@ I know I just meant the one in the video
The MIPs display is not a saturated as an OLED display but, it does mean you get up to 28-days+ of battery life with an always on display. It gets better the brighter and surprisingly more colourful in direct sun. I switched from the AWU2 to the Tactix 7 Pro and haven’t looked back.
This was a not so subtle Garmin ad.
@@DNGMaestro don’t sense that. Seems pretty sincere.
No, didn’t see that. Garmin is better at a lot of stuff than Apple, especially when it comes to fitness data collection. The Apple Watch is the much better smartwatch however, Garmin watches are better tool watches which is what they are.
@@pauljnelson the Apple Watch wipes the floor with Garmin when it comes to accuracy on metrics and data gathered, in all categories of fitness and sleep. There's literally not one category where the Garmin comes close, except of course on GPS. Check it out.
However, Garmin's software is much more centered on sports and athletics, which is also a factor.
Apple watch suck if you are out door person .
Coros >>> garmin
Garmin much better