Apple Watch vs. Garmin represents the top tier of smartwatches and wearable fitness devices. Their products offer quality and mobile features like calling, texting, and GPS. Smartwatches are becoming trendier as more people continue moving away from traditional analog watches.
Even so, choosing the best product on the market is tricky. People may ask questions like how much they cost. What special features do they offer?
How long will they last? This article will explain the differences between Apple Watch and Garmin, so find out which model suits you best.
Table of Contents
Apple Watch Overview
Most people are familiar with Apple’s range of smartwatches, the Apple Watch. Their emphasis on wearable fitness technology has led many iOS users to snap them up. Apple watches also help users track their health and fitness goals by logging their workouts and daily activity.
Moreover, Apple watches offer personalized coaching and awards to incentivize physical activity.

Young girl timing her workout performance with her touchscreen device
Apple Watch Essential Features
Multi-Role Fitness Tracker
Apple watches can track all your preferred ways to work out, meaning whether you’re into pilates, yoga, strength training, and HIIT, Apple watches can do it all. They also provide the metrics you need to meet all your fitness goals.
Enhanced Workout Apps
You can find new ways to train and push past plateaus with advanced metrics like Elevation, Heart Rate Zones, and Power can help do so. In addition, the Multisport feature allows you to transition through different workouts seamlessly.

Man lifting kettlebell against fitness interface
Heart Health Notifications
The Heart Rate App measures your heart rate instantly and tends to alert you of unusually high or low heart rates. It also monitors blood pressure and tracks other symptoms related to circulatory ailments. It’s easy to check your stress levels, see trends and insights, and get your heart rate in 10 seconds.

Woman’s hand with smartwatch and phone monitoring heart rate
Emergency Rescue Services
Apple watches have a crash detection feature that detects if you’re in a serious car accident, thereby contacting nearby emergency services. Moreover, it provides your location and notifies all your listed emergency contacts.
Apple watches can also detect if you’ve collapsed or fallen hard. They do this by connecting with emergency services. If you’re traveling or need immediate help in an emergency, you can press and hold the side button for help.
Pros | Cons |
Responsive touchscreen | Only compatible with iPhones |
Stylish and comfortable design | Limited battery life |
Useful health and fitness apps | Can’t change watch faces |
Garmin Fenix Overview
Garmin is a long-established brand in the wearable fitness device industry. This multinational, founded in 1989, got plenty of experience in the field and is well known for its combination of ruggedness and smart connectivity.
The watches have served fitness enthusiasts, soldiers, police officers, and outdoors people for years. Therefore, the Garmin Fenix is a great choice for the newest range of watches.

Fitness tracker with running function
Garmin Essential Features
Extended Battery Life
Garmin watches last at least 1 week without needing a recharge, with some newer models lasting up to 18-22 days. . It’s, therefore, perfect for those long hikes and camping trips.
Durable Casing
They’re built for rough use, so Garmin’s can take a beating. Again, it’s the reason why they’re so popular with sports enthusiasts.
Customizable
When it comes to customization, Garmin exceeds expectations. They’ve got a range of materials, colors, metals, and bands so that you can choose a unique, personalized look. If fashion is one of your concerns, they’ve covered you.
Superior Tracking Capabilities
Unlike Apple Watches for general health and fitness, the Garmin design delivers in-depth and accurate data to the user. Furthermore, GPS tracking features are superior to their competitors by leaps and bounds.
Pros | Cons |
Long battery life | Limited smartphone features |
Rugged and durable design | Doesn’t come cheap |
Superb navigation apps | Requires a paired smartphone for mobile network connectivity |
Apple Watch GPS vs. Garmin GPS: Accuracy
Both watches got designed for the fitness crowd, but when it comes to accuracy, Garmin takes the top spot. Their GPS systems beat Apple Watches as they quickly lock onto signals and offer more precise tracking data. Besides, Garmin uses more than one system, GPS, the Russian GLONASS, and the European Galileo.
Moreover, an Apple Watch will do if you want a watch that logs your distance covered. If you’re looking for something with the best possible navigation features, then you should consider Garmin.
Apple Watch vs. Garmin: Which Is the Better Option?
The Apple Watch and Garmin offer similar features and have similar applications. However, they differ in the degree of intensity. Apple Watches are best suited to those who want to track and improve their health and fitness goals.
Garmins are for the more ‘extreme’ user, so if you like spending several days out in the elements or pushing yourself to the limit during workouts, this is the right option. Its ruggedness, amazing GPS metrics, and great battery life suit your needs perfectly.
FAQs
Can I use my Apple Watch GPS without an iPhone?
Yes, you can still stay connected. Apple watch has an inbuilt Gps that will enable you to get accurate directions or distances even when you’re away from your phone.

Apple watch sport edition
Why Are Garmin Watches So Expensive?
Garmin watches use premium materials in their construction. Materials like Fiber-reinforced polymers are quite expensive. They also have accurate and advanced sensors and GPS tracking features.
Which Garmin watch has the most accurate GPS?
The Garmin Venu 2 takes the lead. It has a sleek design and Galileo and GLONASS to support its GPS.
Conclusion
Apple and Garmin watches are excellent tools to help you take control of your health and fitness. Their special features and precise metrics make them industry leaders in wearable technology. Whichever you settle on, you’re guaranteed value for your money because both are practical and useful devices.
Therefore, weigh your options and consider your future uses before picking your next timepiece.