Apple Watch or Garmin? What I Chose After 2 Years

Summary

In this detailed comparison, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Garmin Epix Pro are evaluated for fitness enthusiasts and outdoor adventurers. The Apple Watch shines with its sleek interface, smooth performance, and seamless integration with the Apple ecosystem, but its battery life and ruggedness lag behind. The Garmin Epix Pro, in contrast, excels in durability, battery life, and health tracking, making it ideal for intense outdoor activities. While the Apple Watch offers smartwatch versatility, the Garmin is better suited for athletes focused on performance and exploration, offering intuitive navigation and extensive health insights.

Takeaways

• 😀 The Garmin EPIX Pro and Apple Watch Ultra both excel in outdoor and health-focused features, but each has its own strengths and weaknesses.
• 😀 The Garmin EPIX Pro has a simpler button system, which allows for easier navigation during workouts and outdoor activities, especially when sweaty or wearing gloves.
• 😀 The Apple Watch Ultra's touchscreen is ideal for daily use but can be challenging during physical activities or in harsh conditions like rain or cold.
• 😀 The Garmin EPIX Pro offers better battery life, lasting up to a week with daily workouts, while the Apple Watch Ultra typically lasts about 2 days before requiring a recharge.
• 😀 Both watches have high-quality screens, with the Apple Watch Ultra having a slight edge in terms of display quality, especially for maps and graphics.
• 😀 The Garmin's ecosystem offers more in-depth health tracking and features, such as body battery, sleep score, and HRV, which the Apple Watch lacks natively but can replicate via third-party apps.
• 😀 The Garmin includes a flashlight feature, useful in a pinch during hikes or other outdoor activities, while the Apple Watch Ultra relies on a screen-based flashlight.
• 😀 The Garmin watch includes offline maps and navigation features, making it ideal for outdoor activities like hiking, while the Apple Watch requires third-party apps or workarounds for offline navigation.
• 😀 The Apple Watch Ultra is a more comprehensive smartwatch with seamless integration into the Apple ecosystem, offering features like Apple Pay, text messaging, and LTE connectivity for untethered use.
• 😀 Despite the Apple Watch Ultra's advantages in smartwatch capabilities, the Garmin EPIX Pro is favored for its reliability as a dedicated sports and health tool, with a longer-lasting battery and easier interface for outdoor use.
• 😀 The choice between the Garmin EPIX Pro and the Apple Watch Ultra ultimately depends on the user's priorities—those focused on outdoor activities and health tracking may prefer the Garmin, while those seeking a versatile smartwatch experience may opt for the Apple Watch Ultra.

Q & A

What are the key differences between the Garmin Epix Pro and the Apple Watch Ultra in terms of user interface?

The Garmin Epix Pro relies heavily on physical buttons to control most functions, making it easier to operate during workouts, especially in challenging conditions like sweating or wearing gloves. The Apple Watch Ultra, on the other hand, requires a combination of touchscreen and buttons to interact with apps, which can be difficult in such conditions.

How does the screen quality of the Garmin Epix Pro compare to the Apple Watch Ultra?

Both watches have excellent screens, especially in bright sunlight, but the Apple Watch Ultra is considered superior in terms of display quality, especially for graphics like maps. The screen on the Garmin Epix Pro is also good but not as visually striking as the Apple Watch Ultra.

What are the differences in battery life between the Garmin Epix Pro and the Apple Watch Ultra?

The Garmin Epix Pro offers a much longer battery life, lasting about a week even with daily workouts and long hikes. In comparison, the Apple Watch Ultra typically lasts about two days before requiring a recharge.

What unique feature of the Garmin watches does the reviewer find surprisingly useful?

The reviewer finds the LED flashlight feature on Garmin watches unexpectedly useful. While not a replacement for a headlamp, it works well in a pinch compared to the screen-based flashlight on the Apple Watch Ultra.

How does Garmin’s health tracking functionality compare to the Apple Watch Ultra?

Garmin offers a deeper and more comprehensive health tracking system, including features like body battery (a fuel gauge for your energy levels based on biomarkers) and Morning Report, which provides workout recommendations. Apple Watch Ultra provides similar features, but they are less integrated and require third-party apps for a comparable experience.

What is the benefit of Garmin’s built-in navigation for outdoor activities?

Garmin watches come preloaded with maps for your continent, including trail maps, and allow for offline navigation without needing to sync anything. This is particularly useful for activities like hiking and running. In contrast, the Apple Watch Ultra requires third-party apps for offline maps and navigation, which can be less seamless.

Why does the reviewer prefer the Garmin Epix Pro over the Apple Watch Ultra for sports and outdoor activities?

The Garmin Epix Pro is simpler, has better battery life, and functions more reliably as a sports and health tool, especially in outdoor environments. It’s designed for rugged use and long-term outdoor activities without worrying about charging or screen issues.

How does the user experience differ when using the Apple Watch Ultra as a smartwatch compared to the Garmin Epix Pro?

The Apple Watch Ultra excels as a smartwatch, offering deeper integration with the Apple ecosystem. It allows for functions like Apple Pay, notifications, LTE service, and offline Siri, making it a powerful mini-phone on your wrist. Garmin lacks this level of integration and is more focused on fitness and outdoor tracking.

What is the issue with charging both the Garmin Epix Pro and the Apple Watch Ultra?

Both watches require a special charger, which can be inconvenient as the user needs to carry separate chargers for each device. The reviewer wishes one of the watches could simply use a standard USB-C charger.

What does the reviewer think of Garmin’s app ecosystem compared to Apple’s App Store?

Garmin’s app ecosystem is much smaller and niche, but it is sufficient for the watch’s functionality. In contrast, the Apple App Store offers a much larger selection of third-party apps, which can be used to extend the Apple Watch's capabilities, although it often requires more setup and customization.