Garmin Versus Apple Watch Comparison

There’s certainly no lack of smartwatches to choose from these days. And all of the different options, features, and price points can be a little overwhelming.

For many shoppers, though, it boils down to two main brands — Garmin vs Apple watch. Here’s what you need to know about these two choices.

With an emphasis on exercise and fitness, Garmin offers a wide range of smartwatches for nearly every lifestyle. They also have a selection of fashion and hybrid smartwatches. And more recently, Garmin even added signature character-themed smartwatches like Captain Marvel and Darth Vader.

Garmin has three main selling points. One is the sheer number of products they have to choose from.

The Vivoactive, Venu, Forerunner, Instinct, and Fenix, for example, are some of their most popular smartwatches — each of which has a unique style that’s tailored for specific needs. The Forerunner, as its name suggests, is designed specifically for running, while the Fenix is geared toward multisports.

Another benefit is the long battery life of their products. Garmin smartwatches typically last a week to several weeks based on settings, fitness tracking, and GPS, whereas an Apple Watch only lasts a max of 18 hours. So if you don’t want to deal with the hassle of constantly recharging your smartwatch, Garmin is a great choice.

Finally, the variety of different products means there’s a Garmin smartwatch for nearly every budget. If you’re looking for a high-end watch with all the bells and whistles, you can find it. Or, if you’re looking for a quality watch with just the basics at a low price point, you can get that as well.

The Tactix 7, for instance, which features a “sapphire lens, tactical features, mapping, music, advanced training features, and more,” costs $1,099.00 and up. While the Vivosmart 5 — a basic fitness watch for beginners starts at just $149.99.

As for negatives, Garmin is a bit more limited with its features than an Apple Watch. While you get robust notifications, alarms, NFC payment support, Siri, and an extensive app store with Apple, it’s more basic with a Garmin smartwatch.

Also, Garmin’s OS doesn’t have the same firepower as Apple, which means menus and animations are more limited.

Being the first smartwatch brand to gain any real traction in the market, Apple Watch is often the first product that comes to mind for shoppers.

Apple has three smartwatch models currently available — the Series 7, SE, and Series 3, with pricing for the Series 3 starting at $199 and the Series 7 starting at $499. And that’s one of the main selling points, the reasonable pricing. While Garmin products can exceed $1,000, you can get a solid Apple Watch for just a few hundred bucks.

Next, there are the features. Again, Garmin is primarily intended for health and fitness. Although it certainly has features ranging beyond that, it can’t compare with everything Apple brings to the table and all the apps you can download through the app store. If you’re looking for a product that goes well beyond monitoring your health, Apple is probably the best option.

Also, many people simply love the “Appleness” of these smartwatches, with an elegant, minimalist design and fluid interface.

There are three main downsides. One is the limited options with only three models currently available. While these models get the job done for many people, Apple simply can’t compare with the wide array of smartwatch products that Garmin offers.

And as we touched on earlier, the battery life is vastly inferior, with all three products only lasting up to 18 hours per charge.

The third is compatibility. If you have an Android smartphone, an Apple Watch will technically work with it, but not as well as it should. You’d be better off with a different brand of watch.

With products beginning at around $150 and going over $1,000, it’s always recommended to buy an extended smartwatch warranty. Most manufacturer’s warranties last for one year. But after that, you’re no longer covered.

Getting extended smartwatch coverage through Upsie, however, ensures you stay covered from defects or mechanical failures once the manufacturer’s warranty lapses. Beyond that, Accidental Damage from Handling (ADH) coverage is also available for drops, spills, or other issues and gives you access to rapid repair or replacement.

Lastly, Upsie’s prices are up to 70 percent less than most in-store offers, making them the best warranty option.