Apple Watch vs Garmin for Runners - Don't Waste Your Money!
Summary
TLDRThis video tackles the common dilemma of choosing between an Apple Watch and a Garmin for fitness and smartwatch needs. It compares design, user interface, activity profiles, GPS accuracy, heart rate sensor accuracy, and battery life, highlighting the strengths of each brand. Apple Watches excel as smartwatches with a vast app ecosystem, while Garmin dominates in fitness tracking and battery longevity. The verdict? It depends on whether you prioritize smart features or fitness-focused capabilities.
Takeaways
- π The Apple Watch offers smartwatch capabilities with cellular connectivity and a wide range of apps, while the Garmin watch is more focused on fitness tracking.
- π° Both Apple and Garmin offer a range of models at different price points, from budget-friendly to high-end options.
- π Garmin provides a variety of watch sizes and models catering to different activities and preferences, while Apple offers fewer models with some size variations.
- π Apple Watches have a consistent user interface across all models, similar to an iPhone, while Garmin's UI varies by model and prioritizes health and fitness data.
- β Apple Watches primarily use a touchscreen interface, with some models offering additional buttons for specific functions, whereas Garmin Watches often rely on physical buttons for navigation.
- π Garmin excels in navigation with built-in offline maps and advanced route guidance, a feature that Apple Watches have started to incorporate but with some limitations.
- π Both brands offer a multitude of activity profiles for various sports and exercises, but Garmin may have more niche options for specific activities.
- β€οΈ The accuracy of heart rate sensors varies between models, with the latest Garmin Gen 5 and Apple Watch Series 9 offering ECG capabilities.
- π Garmin watches are known for their superior battery life, lasting from days to weeks on a single charge, whereas Apple Watches typically require daily charging.
- π The Apple App Store provides a vast selection of apps to enhance the functionality of the Apple Watch, while the Garmin Connect IQ store focuses more on watch faces and data fields.
- π Ultimately, the choice between an Apple Watch and a Garmin watch comes down to personal preference, with Apple catering to smartwatch users and Garmin to fitness enthusiasts.
Q & A
What is the main topic of the video?
-The main topic of the video is comparing Apple Watch and Garmin watches, focusing on their features, suitability for different users, and deciding which one to choose based on various factors.
What are the three different models of Apple Watches mentioned in the video?
-The three different models of Apple Watches mentioned are the Apple Watch SE, Apple Watch Series 9, and Apple Watch Ultra 2.
How does the video describe the variety of Garmin watches compared to Apple Watches?
-The video describes Garmin watches as having a wide variety of models at different price points and for different activities, while Apple Watches have a simpler lineup with fewer models and more focus on smartwatch capabilities.
What factors does the video suggest considering when choosing between an Apple Watch and a Garmin watch?
-The video suggests considering factors such as design and size options, user interface preferences, activity profiles, GPS and heart rate sensor accuracy, app availability, and battery life.
How does the video address the user interface differences between Apple Watch and Garmin watches?
-The video explains that Apple Watch has a consistent user interface across all models, resembling an iPhone, while Garmin watches have varying interfaces depending on the model, with some prioritizing health and fitness data and others focusing on smart functions.
What is the video's stance on GPS accuracy for beginners choosing between an Apple Watch and a Garmin watch?
-The video suggests that for beginners, GPS accuracy should not be a major concern as most recent generation watches from both Apple and Garmin are quite accurate.
How does the video compare the heart rate sensor accuracy between Apple and Garmin watches?
-The video indicates that both Apple and Garmin watches have improved heart rate sensor accuracy, with the latest generation sensors offering additional features like skin temperature and ECG. However, individual factors can affect accuracy, so it may vary from person to person.
What is the video's opinion on battery life for Apple Watch Ultra 2 compared to Garmin watches?
-The video states that Garmin watches generally have a significant advantage in battery life, with some models lasting up to a month on a single charge, while the Apple Watch Ultra 2 can last 2 to 3 days, and other Apple Watch models typically last about a day.
How does the video summarize the target audience for Garmin watches?
-The video summarizes that Garmin watches are designed for fitness and wellness-focused individuals, particularly those who are avid runners, cyclists, climbers, or trail runners.
What is the video's final recommendation for choosing between an Apple Watch and a Garmin watch?
-The video's final recommendation is that the choice between an Apple Watch and a Garmin watch should be based on personal preference, lifestyle, and specific use cases, as both have their strengths and can be customized with apps to suit individual needs.
Outlines
π€ Choosing Between Apple Watch and Garmin
The video starts by addressing the common dilemma of whether to choose an Apple Watch or a Garmin watch. The host aims to provide a deep dive into the differences between these two types of watches, focusing on their suitability for different users. The discussion will cover aspects such as smartwatch capabilities, fitness focus, design, user interface, activity profiles, and battery life. The host emphasizes that there are no bad options, but the choice depends on individual needs and use cases.
π‘ Design and Size Options
This paragraph discusses the design and size options available for both Apple and Garmin watches. The host highlights that Garmin offers a wide range of models at different price points, which can be confusing, while Apple has a simpler lineup with fewer models. The focus is on how the size and form factor of the watches can affect the user's comfort, especially depending on wrist size. The host also notes the difference in aspect ratio between the round Garmin watches and the rectangular Apple watches, and how this might influence the user interface experience.
π User Interface and Interaction
The host compares the user interfaces of Garmin and Apple watches, noting that Garmin's interface can vary between models, while Apple's is consistent across all models. The discussion covers how users interact with the watches, with Apple relying heavily on touchscreen and offering a hybrid of buttons and screens, while Garmin excels in tactile button-based interfaces. The host also mentions the differences in ease of use, especially in outdoor conditions, and the customization options available on each platform.
πββοΈ Activity Profiles and Recording
This section delves into the activity profiles and recording capabilities of both Apple and Garmin watches. The host points out that Apple offers a wide range of activity profiles and third-party apps for additional options, while Garmin provides niche activity profiles and more detailed fitness metrics. The paragraph also touches on the navigation and mapping features, where Garmin is noted for its advanced offline mapping capabilities, and Apple's reliance on phone-based mapping.
π Accuracy and Battery Life
The final paragraph addresses the accuracy of GPS and optical heart rate sensors in both Apple and Garmin watches. The host generalizes that most recent models from both brands are accurate enough for beginners and that differences in accuracy are minor. The discussion then shifts to battery life, where Garmin is highlighted for its superior battery performance, lasting from days to a month on a single charge, compared to Apple's shorter battery life, typically lasting a day.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Apple Watch
π‘Garmin
π‘Smartwatch
π‘Fitness Watch
π‘GPS Multisport Watches
π‘User Interface
π‘Activity Profiles
π‘Optical Heart Rate Sensor
π‘Battery Life
π‘Mapping and Navigation
π‘Third-Party Apps
Highlights
The video aims to help viewers decide between an Apple Watch or a Garmin watch, focusing on the differences and use cases for each.
Apple offers three models at different price points: the Apple Watch SE at $249, Series 9 at $399, and the Ultra 2 at $799.
Garmin provides a wide range of models and price points, starting at $249, with features tailored to specific activities like running or hiking.
Garmin watches are often siloed into categories such as adventure, running, and wellness, offering specialized features for each.
Apple Watch emphasizes smartwatch capabilities with cellular connectivity and a wide range of apps, while Garmin focuses on fitness tracking.
Design and size options vary between brands, with Apple offering different case sizes and Garmin providing smaller versions of larger models.
Garmin watches typically have a round design, whereas Apple Watches have a rectangular shape, affecting screen real estate and aesthetics.
The user interface on Garmin watches varies by model, with some prioritizing fitness data, while Apple's interface is consistent across all models.
Apple Watch relies primarily on touchscreen interaction, with the Ultra 2 introducing an additional action button for specific functions.
Garmin watches often use a button-based interface, allowing for tactile control and disabling of the touchscreen for simplicity.
Apple Watch integrates tightly with the iPhone, offering apps for messaging, music, and phone calls directly from the wrist.
Garmin watches prioritize health and fitness data, with features like body battery, training readiness, and recovery metrics.
Both Apple and Garmin have app stores, but Apple's offers a broader range of apps, while Garmin focuses on watch faces and data fields.
Apple Watch and Garmin both offer a variety of activity profiles, but third-party apps on Apple can provide additional options.
Garmin excels in navigation and mapping with built-in offline maps and advanced route guidance, surpassing Apple's capabilities.
GPS accuracy is generally reliable across recent models of both Apple and Garmin watches, making it less of a concern for beginners.
Optical heart rate sensor accuracy can vary due to factors like tattoos and skin color, with both brands offering ECG on select models.
Battery life is a key differentiator, with Garmin watches lasting from days to weeks on a single charge, while Apple Watches typically last a day.
The choice between Apple Watch and Garmin depends on whether the user prioritizes smart features or fitness and wellness tracking.
Transcripts
okay today we're going to tackle that
age-old question that I get asked on a
routine basis from friends and family
and here on YouTube in the comments
which one should you go for an Apple
Watch or a Garmin this is going to be a
deep dive let's talk about it this video
is designed for the person just starting
to explore the options when it comes to
GPS multisport watches smart watches
that sort of thing and one of the
questions that you'll quickly realize
when you're getting into this mess is
that it's really hard to decide which
way to go should you go for an Apple
Watch with all the Smartwatch
capabilities and cellular connectivity
and apps or should you go for something
like a Garmin which is a little bit more
focused on being a fitness watch rather
than a smartwatch now truth be told
there are no bad options here all the
watches I have on the table here are
really nice the thing is when it comes
to either a Garin or an Apple Watch
there's always going to be a sacrifice
there's going to be pros and cons to
both and it's really going to boil down
to your specific use case as to which
one's right for you now my goal in this
video today is to run through all the
differences all the variables and try to
help you decide which one is the right
tool for the job and keep in mind as we
go through this that I'm not going to be
talking about specific models in general
we're going to keep this pretty high
level so we can actually get through
this video so looking at my table here
you can see there's a lot of garments on
the left side of the screen here and
that's because Garmin makes a lot of
different watches at a lot of different
different price points it's very
confusing now if we look at the right
side of the table here it's it's much
simpler I've got two apple watches out
of the three current models that are
available from them they've got the base
model which is the Apple watch SE coming
in at
$249 that's retail price then the middle
of the road would be the Apple Watch
series 9 which comes in at around
$399 and then finally the most expensive
option would be the Apple watch Ultra 2
which comes in at $800 or $799 here in
the USA keep keep in mind that's not
sale pricing that's going to vary
wherever you are in the world so Apple
basically offers three different models
at three different price points and
within those three different models
there's even more variables like a
stainless steel version of the Apple
Watch series 9 versus the aluminum and
cellular versus versus non- cellular and
all of that will change the pricing
accordingly on the other hand if we go
over to the Garmin side of things Garmin
just makes a lot of different models for
example they have watches starting at
$249 like this Vivo active 5 I have here
but on the same token they also have the
Garmin Foreigner 165 which again is $249
both watches are the same price they
just vary in what features are offered
so on the Vivo active 5 for example it's
more of a wellness device while on the
Gman forigner 165 it's more designed for
runners the point I'm trying to get at
here is you're going to notice in the
Garmin camp that there's going to be
silos there's going to be like Adventure
oriented watches like this Garmin
Instinct 2x here that's going to going
to be lumped in with something like the
Garmin epics Gen 2 or the Phoenix 7
these are all like hiking outdoor style
watches that can sort of do it all then
there's the forer lineup which is the
Garmin forigner 265 or the 965 I'm
wearing here which are more in the
running lineup and then there's Wellness
devices like the Garmin venue series I
have here or the Vivo active 5 I have
here which are more designed to help
with like day-to-day wellness and
fitness and the moral of the story here
is that both apple and Garmin offer
devices ranging from $250 all the way up
to like ,000 so it's really gonna depend
on your budget and what you're looking
for okay I hope that helps hey there
quick Interruption if you're finding
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make sure to check out the links in the
description to the products I'm showing
in this video and over to my merch store
where you can get a pretty sweet hat
like that all right let's move on moving
right along into the next topic let's
talk about design and size options and
the form factor so again between these
two different brands there's going to be
various sizes to choose from and that's
going to be important depending on the
size of your wrist for me for example I
have 16.5 cm circumference wrist and
this is the Garmin Foreigner 965 which
comes in at 47 mm in diameter however if
I was to take the Garmin Epix Pro 51 mm
here you can see it's quite a bit bigger
it's a much chunkier watch and on my
wrist it's a little bit big and that's
really going to boil down to your
personal preference and how big your
wrists are and the nice thing about
Garmin is that they actually make small
versions of most of their bigger watches
for example there's a 265 and then a
265s which is 42 mm in diameter when it
comes to sizing when we jump over to the
Apple side of things you do have some
sizes to choose from there as well if
you go with that Apple watch SE or an
Apple Watch series 9 both of those
models do have two different size op
options to choose from now this one here
is an Apple Watch 45 mm form factor and
you can see on my 16.5 cm circumference
wrists it fits me pretty well now
jumping all the way up to the Apple
watch Ultra 2 here this watch only comes
in one size form factor and that is 49
mm so it is quite a bit bigger than the
smaller Apple watches but then again
it's still not like crazy bulky for my
size wrist so I can wear this day today
without a problem the other thing to
consider when it comes to size though is
the form factor or the aspect ratio of
the watch where Garmin are typically
round for the most part they do have one
square watch but generally all of their
modern day watches are round this is the
Epic Pro 51 mm on the left here while
apple on the other hand makes
rectangular watches there are some pros
and cons to both for me I do like the
look of a standard round watch however
the Apple watch does provide a little
bit more screen real estate because of
that square shape design moving right
along into the next top topic let's talk
about the user interface between Garmin
and Apple watch and how they differ the
user user interface on the Garmin
watches will vary depending on the model
that you purchase you can see here I've
got a 4Runner model and an epics model
but if I scroll down between these two
models the user interface like looks a
little bit different it's very similar
but like the animations are slightly
different now on the Apple side of
things the user interface across all
Apple watches is the same you could have
an Apple Watch series 5 or like a really
old Apple watch it'll look nearly
identical to how this Apple watch Ultra
2 looks when you're using it and
scrolling through the menus the next
thing I want to talk about is actually
interacting with these watches and how
that differs between Apple and Garmin as
well so for example on the Apple watch
it basically leverages the touchcreen
for everything you do not everything
we'll talk about that in a minute but
most things you do on the Apple watch
you're going to need to use the
touchscreen for example if I'm scrolling
through the menu here and I want to
select I don't know the sleep app for
example there's no button here to select
that particular thing I can't just like
push a button on the side here to select
sleep I have to physically tap on sleep
and that will open the app not a huge
deal but if you're out on a hike or a
run for example and you've got wet
sweaty hands using a touchcreen can be a
little bit of a hassle on the other hand
on the Apple watch Ultra 2 for example
you do get an extra button on this watch
and as you can see on the side here this
orange button that they call the action
button can be mapped to various things
so for me I've actually map that to
launch my my workout activities so I can
click on that it'll open up the workout
app now I can choose run for example
again I can't just select run by using a
button I have to physically tap on it
but now that I'm in there I can actually
use the the action button to start my
workout as you can see there it just
started I can Mark a segment with that
button and I can even pinch two buttons
at the same time to pause my workout
however I can't end my workout with
buttons I still have to swipe over and
click the end button physically there to
end the workout so as you can see it's
kind of like a hybrid of using buttons
and screens to get things done now if we
go over to the Garment side of things
that's where things are a little bit
simpler so if you're looking to use more
of a tactile button-based user interface
that's where Garmin excels so as you can
see here if I scroll through this epics
Pro I can do everything with the buttons
I can go into my last activity there
click on that now I can scroll down and
I can look into different activities I
can open up the maps from that activity
or look at my heart read zones
everything on this watch can be done
from the buttons and not only that I can
actually disable the touchscreen
entirely if I don't want to use it again
though this is going to vary depending
on what Garmin watch you choose for
example the Garmin venue 3 here which is
more of like a smartwatch Wellness watch
kind of situation only has three buttons
on the side so you can't do everything
on this watch from the buttons on this
Garmin occasionally you will need to use
the touchcreen so it's going to boil
down to what model you choose if it's an
epics or a 4Runner it can be completely
button based and touchcreen based if
it's a venue 3 or a Vivo active then
you're going to have to use the
touchcreen for most things and if you
have an instinct series that's where
there's no touchcreen at all and you
will be using the buttons for absolutely
everything confused yet I am too let's
move on now let's talk about the actual
user interface between Apple and Garmin
because they are very very different so
on the Apple watch it could be an Ultra
2 a series 9 a series 8 series 7 they're
all kind of the same their user
interface is quite different it's
basically like having an iPhone strapped
to your wrist if I dive into my app menu
here you can see that it's really
reactive and there's lots of animations
and colors and everything just looks
really nice the controls are super
smooth there's no delay no lag no
waiting for anything to happen this is a
really Snappy user interface however in
here you'll find things like you know
Apple music or messages to check your
text messages you can scroll down and
you can open up the phone app to make a
phone call right from the watch without
even having your phone on you you can
open up Apple photos and look at recent
photos you took with your iPhone and it
ties into the Apple ecosystem really
tightly so if you get a text message on
your phone it's going to pop up on here
instantly you can reply to your text
messages from your watch you can stream
music to your watch using cellular data
again just keeping this pretty high
level to keep things moving I'll just
summarize the Apple watch by saying it's
a lot like your phone just really tiny
and strapped to your wrist now jumping
over the Garmin watches here here that's
where the user interface is a little bit
different because if you scroll down
you'll notice that the Garmin watches
prioritize your health and fitness over
everything else so the first thing you
see are things that will assist you in
your health and fitness here we've got a
weather widget then we've got the sunset
and sunrise widget but if I scroll down
you'll see my weekly mileage here this
is my last activity which was running
you'll see uh Health which will show me
my body battery which is a metric used
to try to help you identify how much
energy you have left in your day you've
got my sleep data there my heart rate
throughout the day my HRV status that's
heart rate variability that'll let you
know how your HRV is doing from dayto
day and whether or not it's declining or
going up you've got your step count and
your spo2 data there as well but it
doesn't just end there with like
wellness data if I scroll down you've
also got things like your estimated V2
Max here this is a good gauge on your
Fitness level and how your training is
helping your Fitness improve if I back
out of there I've even got things like
the hill score and then there's this
metric here called training readiness
which is one of my favorite metrics on
Garmin watches if I dive into this you
can see it says my training readiness is
moderate and if I scroll down it shows
all the factors that play a role into my
training readiness so that's my sleep my
recovery my HRV status my training load
my sleep history my stress history and
all those things roll up into that one
score that is training readiness to help
you identify how ready you are to take
on more training on a given day and then
on the the garments you do have tools
like training status and training status
will basically aggregate all of your
recent activities and let you know if
it's improving or productive to your
Fitness or decreasing or you know
straining your Fitness level because
you're overtraining or you're not doing
enough to be clear even though the Apple
watch doesn't present all the same data
that the Garmin do front and center
right on the watch itself it still does
collect all of that data including your
sleep your daily Wellness your step
count and even more advanced metrics
like the V 2 max for example and that's
all viewable within the Apple Health app
however it's still missing features like
body battery and training load but
that's where third-party apps come in to
sort of fill the gaps so even though the
Apple watch prioritizes smart functions
like phone calls and text messages and
streaming and all that stuff it can do a
whole lot more because the Apple App
Store has thousands of apps that you can
download to your Apple watch there's
just about an app for everything
imaginable I have an app on mine to like
open up my garage doors so like I said
the appw watch doesn't prioritize the
health and wellness data like right off
the bat but if you download an app like
athletic or Elite HRV they can get the
job done too in a very similar way to
Garmin watches they're just doing it
with a third-party app and that's kind
of what Apple does with everything Apple
basically gives you the foundation which
is the Apple watch itself with a really
slick looking user interface and then
they rely on thirdparty developers and
apps to kind of fill in the gaps for
what you want to do jumping back over to
the Garmin watches here there is an app
store for Garmin as well it's called
connect IQ or Garmin Connect IQ the
difference here is that on Garmin
Connect IQ first of all there's a lot
less offerings there there's not a lot
of thirdparty Developers for Garmin but
if you are looking for a watch face
there are thousand thousands of them you
can download to your watch another thing
you can download is data fields and data
fields are little Snippets of
information that can show up during an
activities so if you're out on a run and
you want a data field to show your
elevation data on a little graph you'll
probably find that on the connect IQ
store and that just allows you to
customize your activity data Pages what
you actually see when you're out on a
run so to summarize the Apple App Store
with the Apple watch there's a ton of
apps out there thousands of them to do
just about everything you can imagine
where on the Garmin Connect app store
it's really focused on watch faces and
some simple apps along with data fields
moving along to the next topic let's
talk about activity profiles and
recording activities with the Apple
watch and the garments so again this
ation will tie into Apps a little bit as
well because you know for the most part
I like to use the built-in default app
for working out from Apple which does
have a lot of activity profiles from
indoor running outdoor running and
everything in between you can even go
down and click add workout and you'll
see things like badminton bar basketball
soccer dancing American football archery
you name it apples probably got it
there's a lot of activity profiles here
for just about everything now the nice
thing about Apple is that if it's
missing an activity profile you can
probably find an app for that so if
you're somebody who's like playing
pickle ball or something and you
couldn't find that in this list you'll
probably be able to find a pickle ball
app on the App Store to fill that Gap
and another nice thing about the Apple
App Store is that there's thirdparty
apps for recording activities like
workout doors which is one of my
favorites for example it costs like five
bucks and it's a way better workout
experience compared to the native
built-in workout app on the Apple watch
in my opinion at least because it does
have built-in mapping and navigation
when you're out on your trail run or
hike which I find really valuable again
there's just a lot of flexibility when
it comes to the Apple watch and the App
Store there's a lot more you can do
there now on the Garment side of things
again there are a ton of activity
profiles to choose from within the
workout app here so if I scroll down
you're even going to see things like
soccer and football American football
basketball baseball team sports but more
simple things like running and cycling
as well and then on top of that you will
find you know crazy things like X
edition if you're climing climbing Mount
Everest this particular activity profile
will only ping a GPS satellite every few
hours to conserve battery life so you
can go on a super long hike without
killing your battery so there's more
like Niche activities I think on the
Garmin side of things where the Apple
watch is a little bit more basic when it
comes to activity recording and on the
activity tracking side of things let's
talk about navigation and mapping if you
are a hiker a trail Runner somebody who
goes off the beaten path and you want to
navigate around by using your watch
instead of getting your phone out every
2 seconds that's where it's sort of a
landslide victory for Garmin because
they have built-in offline maps that are
for your entire region so if you need to
find a waypoint you can look it up right
on your watch tap on it click go and
it'll actually give you turn BYT
directions without a cellular connection
to wherever you're trying to get to and
the mapping and navigation on Garmin is
really Advanced on the Apple side of
things it does have mapping and
navigation in fact a little while ago
they introduced offline mapping and
navigation to the Apple Watch series
however the offline mapping relied on
your phone I don't know why they did
this but instead of having the maps
downloaded right to the watch you still
needed your phone on you even if you're
like in the back country looking up a
map on your watch that being said if you
are used to something like Google Maps
or Apple Maps for example the mapping
experience on the Garmin watches can be
a little bit frustrating because as you
can see it's not like crazy fast
responsive it's a little bit laggy and
that's just the case because these
watches have a slower computer inside
slower Graphics handling and because of
that it's a little harder to navigate
through the mapping totally usable once
you get used to it but it is something
to consider if you're used to like an
Apple Watch or navigating on your phone
for example and finally on the topic of
navigation and mapping one more thing I
should mention is that it gets a lot
more confusing on the Garmin watches as
to which ones have mapping and which one
don't for example if you buy the Garmin
Vivo active 5 here this watch has no
mapping or navigation despite being a
Garmin watch but if you buy something
like the Garmin Foreigner 265 here this
has bra basic breadcrumb navigation
which means you'll be able to see a
little squiggly line of where you've
gone so far you'll be able to use that
line to get back to the beginning of
your activity but you won't have any
context around you you want to have a
base map that will show you like other
Trails or waterways or roads or anything
like that and then finally you do have
the Garmin Phoenix the epics the Garmin
forer 965 here and all these watches do
have that full-blown color mapping
capabilities so again it's important to
focus in on what product you're actually
looking at from Garmin and what features
you need and now that we've talked about
the activity tracking apps let's talk
about accuracy how accurate are the GPS
antennas on these watches and what kind
of tracks can you get from any of these
watches including all these other
garments I have here so instead of going
through every single model and telling
you how accurate or inaccurate it is I'm
just going to generalize this and say
that if you're a beginner looking to get
into a Garmin or an Apple Watch I
wouldn't even worry about GPS accuracy
at this point most of the watches on the
table here have something called dual
band multi-band multi signal
multifrequency it's a nice way of saying
that they're some of the most accurate
on the market and yes some are better
than others for example I've had really
good luck with the Apple watch Ultra 2
the Garmin forer 965 here the Epic Pro
are all really good when it comes to GPS
accuracy but largely all the watches I
have here are pretty good and if you buy
a recent generation Garmin or Apple
watch I would not worry about GPS
accuracy again there's going to be some
Nuance there like some are better than
others but if you're just getting into
this it's not something that's going to
really matter to you with GPS accuracy
out of the way let a good segue into
Optical heart rate sensor accuracy
because of course all these watches do
have a heart rate sensor on the back of
them however they're not all created
equal and that's where things again get
a little bit confusing on the Garment
side of things because they've had so
many different heart rate sensors
throughout the years now for the purpose
of this video we're just going to focus
on their latest generation of heart rate
sensors and here I have the Gen 5 sensor
on the left on this epics Pro and on the
right we have the Gen 4 heart rate
sensor there are some differences
between the two on the New Gen 5 sensor
there's a couple of new features for
example the Gen 5 sensor can pick up
your skin temperature while you're
sleeping throughout the night and that
can determine whether or not you're
coming down with something and getting
sick or even if you're overtraining the
Gen 5 heart rate sensor also has ECG or
electrocardio built-in while the Gen 4
heart rate sensor does not now in my
testing so far both of these sensors
have performed really well but again
there are a lot of variables that play
into accuracy with Optical heart rate
sensors from having tattoos to the color
of your skin to how dense the hair is on
your skin there's a lot that plays a
role in it so something that works well
for me might not work well for you all I
can do here is share my opinion and what
I've seen in my testing so far jumping
over to the Apple watch side of things
of course they do have Optical heart
rate sensors as well and if you buy an
Apple watch Ultra 2 or the Apple Watch
series 9 these will come equipped with
ECG or electroc cardiogram built in just
like on the Garmin gen5 sensor another
weird thing that happened on Apple watch
is that they were actually sued by a
company called Massimo a little while
ago they kind of blew up and they ended
up having to remove the feature of their
spo2 sensor or blood oxygen saturation
sensor from the back of the watch and
they did that from a software level if
you had a watch prior to this it would
still work and if you buy a used watch
with it enabled it'll still work for you
but if you go out to like Apple store or
Best Buy or whatever you're not going to
have that feature so again just keep
that in mind is it useful for everybody
some people yes but for me I never
really use the spo2 feature so I'm not
really worried about it and when it
comes to heart rate sensor accuracy from
both Garmin and Apple watch which one is
better well again this is kind of go
going to go back to the conversation I
had with GPS accuracy if you're just
getting into this and you're not
somebody who's going to be looking at
every little nitty-gritty detail you
know looking at every run or ride in
analyzing that heart rate track the
accuracy is not going to be something
you're even going to notice and the
final Topic in this video that we have
to talk about is going to be battery
life that's where Garmin is basically a
landslide Victory when it comes to
battery life because most of these
watches I have here will last you on a
single charge you know 5 days up to 30
days without even batting an eye they
they're really good in terms of battery
life now if we go over to the Apple side
of things that's where things get a
little less impressive because something
like the Apple Watch series 9 the series
8 the series 7 that'll last about a day
on a single charge so with these watches
you will need to charge them up every
single day to keep using them and on the
Apple watch Ultra 2 here you can get two
to three days out of it it has a much
bigger battery but again not super
impressive when you compare it to
something like the epics Pro 51 here
which can go about a month on a single
charge that's using it regularly for
runs as well okay with all that being
said with all those topics out of the
way which one is right for you and like
I said at the beginning of this video I
can't really answer that for you however
I can summarize in my opinion who these
two watches are designed for so on the
Garmin side of things Garmin are really
designed for Fitness and Wellness
focused people at their Forefront if
you're somebody who's an avid Runner
cyclist climber Trail Runner whatever
the Garmin watch is probably going to
suit you a little bit better than the
Apple watch on the other hand if you are
somebody who's very active maybe you are
a runner you're running a few times a
week but you also want a really useful
Smartwatch you don't want have to bring
your phone with you everywhere you want
to play back music to your earbuds phone
free and take and make phone calls
without having your phone on you that's
where the Apple watch is a really
compelling option because it does a lot
more as a smartwatch compared to a
Garmin but it's not quite as Fitness
focused first compared to a Garmin with
that said though that's not to say one
is better than the other or one can do
things that the other one can't because
again with the Apple App Store you can
download an app for just about
everything there's so many apps out
there to fill the gaps and with enough
apps on the Apple watch Ultra 2 you can
basically have the same functionality
between both watches and at the end of
the day it's really going to boil down
to your personal preference and which
one's right for you all I'm trying to do
here is lay out the facts and share my
opinions on who is right for these two
watches and hopefully hopefully that
helped you in some way okay that was a
lot that was a long- winded video and
I'm sorry for the dense nature of this
video but it had to be done I tried to
answer all the questions I'm sure I
missed some out there but hopefully you
found it helpful and if you did find it
helpful please consider going down and
giving me a thumbs up and subscribing to
my channel down below so you don't miss
more videos from me in the future I
would really appreciate that and while
you're down there checking out those
product links also check out the other
links down there which go over to my
other social media accounts like my
podcast my Instagram and my merch store
where you can buy some sweet merch like
this including the chase the summit
Nightfall hat and and the dad Pace hat
you like what I did there it's pretty
nice and with that friends that
concludes this video I hope you found it
helpful and uh I'll see you in the next
one bye
[Music]
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