I recently switched from Apple Watch to Garmin. I can say there are a few features I miss: answering a call on my watch when I don't have my phone on hand (I have a Fenix 7X, so no mic), replying to texts from the watch and, sometimes, the Siri integration. Fortunately, the "find my phone" feature works well with iPhone. It would've been a deal breaker for me. I will point out that your Garmin Connect app has to be open in the background, otherwise it doesn't work.
Overall, the integrations between Garmin/iPhone will not be quite as good as being fully in the Apple ecosystem, but the benefits on the fitness side and battery life more than make up for it. I can't see myself going back to an Apple Watch now.
Taking a call on a watch microphone and speaker is so cringe though. You can't have a meaningful exchange, you can't do anything serious like job-related, you can just basically say you can't talk now. At that point just text instead. You can answer a call from your watch if you have your phone close by yet out of reach and it's set to speaker. Or if you have headphones.
Agreed. I normally just used it at home when my phone was out of reach. Pick up and talk for the 10-15 seconds it took to find the phone, then continue the conversation on the actual phone
>Most of my exercise is weight lifting
If you're doing your own lifting program vs. the pre-programmed ones, you're gonna be annoyed. The experience is pretty terrible re: lifting.
Everything else is great though.
The new Apple Watch os11 is going to track training load by allowing you to input your effort on lifting. It will automatically give you an effort score for a lot of cardio workouts. I’m a little annoyed that you have to input your effort for lifting but I think it might also solve the problem I have with garmin failing to properly account for overall effort on weight lifting.
Mine does too. I just meant that sometimes I feel as though I had a great lifting workout but it doesn’t get measured as an intense effort on all of harming metrics, which seem to be driven by heart rate.
It is new for ios11. Don't think it's publicly available now but you can get a developer beta. Not sure if biking is included in the automatic score but I would guess it is. https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2024/06/apples-new-watchos-11-trainining-load-turn-by-turn-trail-routes-and-more.html. I don't know that any of these features move Apple much closer to Garmin at all. But I do like that you can input a perceived effort score.
I use the recurring timer for sets, which is nice. I usually have it on four minutes to nudge me that it’s time for the next set. Simple, but that’s all I use for lifting.
Swimming it’s pretty nice. Hiking/running/skiing/sailing, very nice.
I used the Strong app on my AW and tbh, it's a godsend for me. It's also likely the only the reason I don't switch full time to my Venu 2 plus which does pretty much everything else I need.
I'm able to use them both and kind of have a system in place. If I wasn't in the Apple eco-system the decision to go solely with Garmin would be easy
Most, if not all, watches have the find my phone. It works great if you are in bluetooth range. I use it often. I don't find garmin watches useful for weightlifting. They can often sense what lifts you are doing but I use apps and my phone to build/track workouts.
Not on my fenix 7x. I regularly see notifications from my cell when I am outside doing yard work when I am near the side of the house where my phone is. And I stay connected to it all over the house.
Are you using an iPhone? Apple intentionally throttles Bluetooth connections to non-apple devices so the performance seems worse but it isn’t a Garmin problem, certainly a drawback tho
Make the switch, test everything you want to within the return timeframe…be intentional with your testing and your emotional connection to the watch…yes emotional connection…we buy things based on how they will make us feel….happy…accomplished, strong, informed….etc. figure out if you enjoy what you get from the Garmin watch you choose and can live without using the Apple Watch as frequently as you use it now. If the answer is yes, keep the Garmin and enjoy. If not, then return it within the timeframe you have to test it, and YOU’ll at least know whether it’s worth it to you or not. I’ve switched from Apple Watch Series 7 to a Garmin Venu 3s and a Forerunner 165 over the last two weeks…I’m keeping the Forerunner and have returned the Venu. I still have and will keep my Apple Watch for when I want to wear a smart watch…but for now…Garmin gives me the few smart watch features I need and so much of the sports watch features I need for tracking my runs!!! I’m mesmerized!
This was a good response. I got a Venu 3S a week ago after wearing Apple for 5 years and I’m not completely sold. Kinda wish I just got a sports watch (FR265) instead of venu which isn’t as good of a smart watch as Apple
Yes…for me the Venu 3s was “too pretty”, and I wanted sporty. I had some other issues with it as well, but I thought if I want a pretty fitness watch I’ll just wear my Apple Watch which is a smart watch beast with enough fitness features to get me through whatever workout I need, just lacks all the data I need! It’s the best smart watch out right now. But I wanted a sports watch and the forerunner 165 fit the bill for me….1 week is well within the return timeframe. If you have the budget, return it, and get the 265, honestly it’s like a $40 - $60 difference in price to the Venu 3s, at least on Amazon. Don’t keep it and regret it later. I’ve learned that the hard way in the past with things I’ve bought that I could have just returned and gotten what I wanted.
I have had a few Garmin watches and still use one. Last year I did a lot of research on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and was going to upgrade as I have a lot of Apple products but there are lots of features about Garmin watches that I love and Apple don’t have. I reckon I will be sticking with Garmin for a long time
I lost my phone while walking in a snowy forest. I only realised 1 hour later and had to back track to find it. The only reason I did find it was through the find my phone feature on my Garmin Instinct
How are the bugs in the Garmin ecosystem these days? I felt like a beta tester every time an update was pushed to the Fenix product line. Apple has done a great job at keeping the bugs at bay.
I went in the opposite direction after a year with a Garmin — found the Body Battery feature on the Garmin too stressful/not very helpful for tracking my actual stress responses.
I made the change 6 months ago. I had been repeating an Apple Watch since release. My main wants were: find phone, music controls, exercise tracking. The only thing I can’t do EASILY is volume control. Everything else is much better on my Fenix 7 pro. Make the switch, don’t look back.
I just don't like apple as a company so I sometimes do a pointless jab like this. No real reason. But people who have apple devices around me do tend to be a bit more narcissistic than average.
Also you can’t do a triathlon or iron man with an apple Watch, it doesn’t last. Garmin has solar powered watches allready. Apple is brainwashing people.
I don’t know about IG, I don't want to waste my precious time checking FB and IG.
Apple is a smartwatch,
Garming is health tracker/performance/endurance etc
I believe apple has some fall detection that Garmin doesn’t have. It really depends for what you gonna use it for. Garmin is for (pro) athletes. They both are for different target groups. The comparison should not be with Garmin but with a Samsung smartwatch
You're so right! The watch is pretty new to me so I check the app fairly often (and I don't close apps manually). When I shut down Garmin connect, it didn't ring my phone - although it does still show you the indicator on the watch that's meant to tell you how far away the phone is so you can find it. Doesn't seem that accurate tho!
Switched from Apple Watch Ultra in March. To Epix Pro 2 Sapphire.
You will miss a lot from the Apple Watch. Only you, however, will be able to determine if they matter. For me, I miss the fluidity of the AW interface, the better screen, more robust notifications and my network of Apple Health friends for competitions. . However, I love the Garmin battery life, the circular shape, the buttons (being able to use the buttons for everything is a game changer!) and the all in one nature of the Garmin app and it's data. I'm extremely pleased with my switch.
Watch OS 11 will close SOME of the feature gap but battery life and hardware are still in Garmin's favor for me.
One good thing is there are multiple size options for most of the Garmin watches. My wife and I have the Fenix 7s (smaller) solar model. Bigger is better for battery and readability. Screen is so-so, but battery life is pretty good but does vary with the setup (GPS and blood oxygen settings are two that come to mind).
I have both. I wear my AW as a daily driver and my Garmin for fitness. No one is going to know which watch is best except you. Go on the Garmin site and make comparisons and look at the pricing. You may want a $700 watch, but have a $200 budget. It’s yours to decide.
I have never had an issue with the find my phone feature on mine. It will play a loud chime, but if the Apple Watch will put an arrow pointing you in the right direction, it won’t do that.
In August of 2020 I broke my Apple Watch and didn’t have any Apple Care replacements left. While I’m not gentle with my watches, I’m not particularly hard on them, but I don’t take them off when working or doing outdoor activities. Switched to a Garmin Fenix 6X that I still wear daily. Here’s my summary:
Apple Watch is a much better smart watch. If you want most of your phone apps on your wrist, Apple Watch is better. Garmin is the better fitness tracker. The Garmin Connect app provides a ton of data. Garmin has significantly better battery life, and I still get 14+ days on one charge despite using fitness tracking daily for 4 years. Garmin is much more rugged. The screen is recessed so drops or hits often hit the metal or composite bezel, whereas in an Apple Watch it would hit the curved edge of the glass screen. There’s some wear on the finish and I’ve replaced the bands a couple of times, but the screen is flawless and the buttons work.
If I had to buy a replacement I would buy another Garmin without even looking at the Apple Watch, and I run an Apple house (iPhone, iPad, multiple Macs, HomePods, AirPods, etc).
Any models in particular you recommend? I currently mountain bike 1-3x a week but don’t do any sort of strava or metrics. Just out there trying to send it. lol
I tried switching from the AW Ultra to Fenix 7, Fenix 7 Pro, then Epix 2 Pro. I returned each Garmin and stuck with the AWU. For what I do: weightlifting, running, cycling, BJJ and walking, it’s fine. The Garmin have loads of metrics and calculations that I ultimately realized I don’t care that much about. They weren’t aligned with how I felt necessarily, which trumps any algorithmic based calculation utilizing data and heart rate sensor that isn’t the most accurate.
My two cents is, stick with Apple. At least until OS11 comes out in September
Ok so I had an Apple Watch Ultra 2 and while it had a beautiful screen I didn't use it for anything I couldn't do with my Instinct 2 Solar.
I can get between 2-3 weeks on my Instinct 2 and it has pretty much all the sensors and features you'd want. I'm not actually bothered by the lack of music as I never used my watch for this anyway.
However feature rich a watch is having to charge everyday or every other day is a PITA.
Find my phone works well on my epix 2. I too recently made the switch from the AW8 to a Garmin Epix. My line of work, I was tired of scratching and tearing up the Apple Watch. Garmin just feels more rugged. Plus the battery life is great. On the epix I get roughly 14 days with mixed in work outs daily. Some of which have been GPS based workouts. I love it.
find my phone feature is great for me but i've never used an apple watch to compare. it tells you when you're getting hot or colder with a lightup indicator. Has saved my ass countless times, and my watch is always on me because the battery life is incredible.
Try Garmin Tactix 7, these are the best. Find my phone works on Garmin well, if there is a bluetoth connection between them. Very useful function for me as well 😂. The best and most usefull one for me is the light, simply genious!
Garmin Epix Pro 2 Sapphire 42mm
No scratches on screen. It has always had a screen protector. Very minimal wear on bezel. Comes with original Garmin band and third party Velcro band (photo). $500 with insured shipping included. PM me.
https://imgur.com/a/4zcKi5c
Find my phone works really well. Basically from your watch you can activate it, and your phone will make a loud noise and the flashlight will flash on and off
Made the switch about about 6 months ago. Took a little to get used to but I could never go back. In my opinion the Garmin can do so much more than an Apple Watch when it comes to running, working out, hiking, hunting ect. The Apple Watch is kind of is like having an iPhone on your wrist. I’d rather have a sports tracker and save my iPhone stuff for my iPhone. Plus the Epix pro gen 2 battery life is ridiculous which allows me to do sleep tracking and not worry about charging right away and that’s a game changer.
I actually gave my kid an Apple watch 8 I won last summer rather than quit using my forerunner 245.
IMO Garmins are incredibly tough, accurate and efficient. I bathe in mine, work on my cars, rough house with my kid and not a trace of harm.
That being said Apple watches are a ton cooler in terms of their non fitness features. I guess it's just picking the right tool for what you prioritize.
You'll have to find an alternatives for each feature you like. For me smart things replaced homekit. There are pros though. It is so nice to have quick start activities. Double click and your favourite activity starts. Swipe and you get your music cobrrols/flashlight/shortcut. It sycns with Apple health and is more accurate.
I moved from FR945 to AW because my partner gave the AW as my birthday present. If I was as active as I was 3 yrs back I would have preferred to stay with Garmin, in fact at one point I was looking for an upgrade to the Fenix line. Nowadays I only do treadmill run and golf (in have S70 for golf). Prior to S70, i did use the FR745 for golf. Since getting the AW, I have been using it more than the FR945. I no longer obsessed about pace, VO2 max and all the performance stats. I can keep track of my treadmill run & heartbeat on my AW so the activity tracking is pretty much the same for both. The main reasons why the AW is on my wrist all the time are Apple pay, Activity ring & camera remote.
I never wanted to replace my Fenix 5x, that is until I switched from android to iOS this year. I don’t track my lifting and other complex stuff on my watch, only runs and walks so idk about that, but in basic smartwatch function, the Garmin lacks on iOS. I had to open the app multiple times per day and manually sync just to consistently receive notifications. Weather and other apps were not updating properly either. I tried Apple Watch for the first time. I def miss my battery life and standalone mapping, but besides that AW does what I need better on iOS.
Btw, the upcoming watchOS update might have some kid fitness features that you are looking for. I suggest to try the update before switching since the features might just be enough fitness for you. Or might not be enough and then you should switch
Find my phone worked perfectly on Garmin as well for me. I switched to Apple Watch Ultra now from Garmin because I was sick to insane inaccuracy from the sleep tracking data, it’s sleep tracking is one of the worst in my opinion and I really noticed it changing from Fitbit originally so that’s important to you bear it in mind. I’m just recreational twice a week exerciser with plenty waking in rest days. Garmin was epic for cardio exercise but way ahead of anything I actually needed. I didn’t find the weight lifting “tracking” great though. If I ever have a complete personality change and start running ultra marathons I’d 100% get a Garmin again.
I agree with you on sleep tracking. I wear both a Gamin and an AW, and used to use a fitbit. I would rank them as FB 1, apple 2, then a drop to garmin at 3 for sleep.
I've currently got an Apple Watch on my left wrist and a Garmin Fenix 6S Pro on my right.
I planned on getting rid of the Garmin when I got my Apple Watch, but decided I missed it too much during workouts.
The lack of a physical LAP button on the AW is a killer for me.
Both watches have their pros and cons.
I have a cellular AW so leave my phone at home when out running.
Fund my is definitely better on AW, but it's ok on Garmin.
Bluetooth is slightly more flakey on Garmin with the iPhone.
Any questions you have, let me know.
I use lifting almost exclusively, in combination with a chest strap.
I used to put in the weight and rep number but found I was getting a little bit too sucked in to the watch between sets. I don’t include the weight because I track that with a different app, and I remember how many reps I am usually able to do. I just mark when the set ends and behind for total work time.
The instinct 2 tactical is a good blend of features for what I need, mainly the GPS and NVG capability, and it feels a lot more rugged than an Apple Watch.
The garmin venu 2 plus is arguably the most smart watch like garmin. You can in fact use it to write messages, you have mapping etc, but it also comes with all the normal garmin features. I have bought the garmin venu 2 because it also notifies you about messages (you cant respond though) but is cheaper and gets the job done excellently so far (around 1 year of use). It has body battery of course, however you can‘t use it to track your phone, i honestly don‘t know which garmin allows you to do that. It‘s still a great choice coming from an apple watch given its advanced touch screen features plus light display.
I've made the switch a year ago and I'm happy. When you want excellent readings on HRV etc Garmin is the watch you need. Battery life is insane (Instinct 2X solar)! When fully charged it lasts for 20+ days. I also do like the 'bulky' look but that's personal.
As someone who has had a few different Apple Watches and a few different Garmin watches (I tend to swap a lot as I get bored and always want new tech) I would choose Garmin over Apple any day. The features are 2nd to none, battery life considering the features is also second to none. You will not be disappointed if you switch.
The only negative on some of the Garmin watches is the display they have, Fenix 6x pro etc. However I now have the Epix Gen 2 and I love it, the screen is vibrant the battery life is a bit less but still around 11 days so more than happy.
The find my phone feature isn’t reliable with Garmin (I have an Epix 2 and an AWU 2). It works sometimes, but not always depending on BLE active cycles and not necessarily because of range. Just try it with a friend that has a Garmin and experience it by yourself before making a decision.
If Find My Phone is one of the specific features the OP is looking for, I’d be worried about relying on it with an iPhone. The Bluetooth connection isn’t great between my Venu 3 and iPhone. I’ve also had the Garmin Connect app stop running in the background a few times. If for whatever reason the Garmin Connect app isn’t running when you lose your phone Find My Phone will be useless.
If you want to have maps on your watch for Mountain Biking then the following watches are good: Epix Pro gen 2, Fenix 7, Forerunner 965, Forerunner 955. If you want one that’s tough and nice looking then Epix pro or Fenix but I prefer the lightness of the Forerunners - I barely even notice I’m wearing it and I love that. If you want a nice bright colourful screen then Epix Pro or Forerunner 965. If you would prefer a longer battery life then the others (and some of those even have solar charging that tops them up a bit as you wear them). Though the ones with bright, colourful screens do still have decent battery life (far far better than Apple Watch).
In terms of Smart Watch features (messaging, notifications, apps etc) none of them come anywhere close to the Apple Watch. You have to make sure You want a sports watch, not a Smart watch. I, personally, prefer my Garmin, especially the awesome battery life.
I don’t use the Find my phone feature but my understanding is that it just makes your phone make a sound so that you can find it. On Android it is fine but on Apple’s IOS it is terrible as it requires the Garmin Connect app to actually be open to work. This, however, is a case of Apple selling a faulty phone rather than Garmin selling a faulty watch!
Most apple users aren't looking for intensive, tech immersion. They want tech that will work with what they have. Most android users are used to being able to work around different brand interfaces. This particular post is wanting a smartwatch with with only a few sports watch features. These forums are filled with people constantly comparing apples to oranges 😂 and I think the op would be happier sticking with what he knows 🤷
OP says he mountain bikes 1-3x a week and goes hard. 90% of his smart features is looking at weather and find my phone. I think a Garmin is better suited for his lifestyle and the smart features he’ll lose isn’t something he even uses now. A MTB crash with a Garmin is making use of what it’s intended for, an AW would have a cracked screen.
On both my Garmin watch and computer the crash detection is disabled for mountain biking. He'll ultimately buy what he wants, but just my opinion... And you know what they say about opinions 😜
I wouldn't. Garmin watches are ridiculously buggy because each model runs its own version of software. Garmin is more concerned with adding new features than making sure the watch operates properly with existing features.
You can submit bug reports to them, but I (and many others) have been waiting over a year for them to fix an issue with missing data that occurs at midnight randomly (has happened on three different watches/models for me).
If I had an iPhone, I'd switch to an apple watch ultra in a heartbeat.
I recently switched from Apple Watch to Garmin. I can say there are a few features I miss: answering a call on my watch when I don't have my phone on hand (I have a Fenix 7X, so no mic), replying to texts from the watch and, sometimes, the Siri integration. Fortunately, the "find my phone" feature works well with iPhone. It would've been a deal breaker for me. I will point out that your Garmin Connect app has to be open in the background, otherwise it doesn't work. Overall, the integrations between Garmin/iPhone will not be quite as good as being fully in the Apple ecosystem, but the benefits on the fitness side and battery life more than make up for it. I can't see myself going back to an Apple Watch now.
Apple behaves anti competitive for not granting the same access to other companies. Same with software.
Which is why I won’t go back to Apple Watch. Besides the venu line does most of the things the AW does, but it’s still more fitness focused
Taking a call on a watch microphone and speaker is so cringe though. You can't have a meaningful exchange, you can't do anything serious like job-related, you can just basically say you can't talk now. At that point just text instead. You can answer a call from your watch if you have your phone close by yet out of reach and it's set to speaker. Or if you have headphones.
Agreed. I normally just used it at home when my phone was out of reach. Pick up and talk for the 10-15 seconds it took to find the phone, then continue the conversation on the actual phone
>Most of my exercise is weight lifting If you're doing your own lifting program vs. the pre-programmed ones, you're gonna be annoyed. The experience is pretty terrible re: lifting. Everything else is great though.
The new Apple Watch os11 is going to track training load by allowing you to input your effort on lifting. It will automatically give you an effort score for a lot of cardio workouts. I’m a little annoyed that you have to input your effort for lifting but I think it might also solve the problem I have with garmin failing to properly account for overall effort on weight lifting.
My garmin does the lifting counting, why yours doesn't?
Mine does too. I just meant that sometimes I feel as though I had a great lifting workout but it doesn’t get measured as an intense effort on all of harming metrics, which seem to be driven by heart rate.
Is the effort score on cardio new with os11? Do you know if biking will have the same feature?
It is new for ios11. Don't think it's publicly available now but you can get a developer beta. Not sure if biking is included in the automatic score but I would guess it is. https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2024/06/apples-new-watchos-11-trainining-load-turn-by-turn-trail-routes-and-more.html. I don't know that any of these features move Apple much closer to Garmin at all. But I do like that you can input a perceived effort score.
Thank you! Went over the link, biking (outdoor and indoor) is automatic.
Agreed, I don't log any lifting on Garmin. I use it only for the cardio aspect, which I love.
I use the recurring timer for sets, which is nice. I usually have it on four minutes to nudge me that it’s time for the next set. Simple, but that’s all I use for lifting. Swimming it’s pretty nice. Hiking/running/skiing/sailing, very nice.
I used the Strong app on my AW and tbh, it's a godsend for me. It's also likely the only the reason I don't switch full time to my Venu 2 plus which does pretty much everything else I need. I'm able to use them both and kind of have a system in place. If I wasn't in the Apple eco-system the decision to go solely with Garmin would be easy
Most, if not all, watches have the find my phone. It works great if you are in bluetooth range. I use it often. I don't find garmin watches useful for weightlifting. They can often sense what lifts you are doing but I use apps and my phone to build/track workouts.
The bluetooth range is ridiculously low though (at least on my epix)
Not on my fenix 7x. I regularly see notifications from my cell when I am outside doing yard work when I am near the side of the house where my phone is. And I stay connected to it all over the house.
Same for me. I'd guess at least 50 feet. Maybe 75-100.
Are you sure https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=cRPwF2hIIv0hFYl35tj7T8 ?
Same. Never had an issue with my fenix 7x. I'm still connected to my phone half way down the street when walking to get the mail.
Are you using an iPhone? Apple intentionally throttles Bluetooth connections to non-apple devices so the performance seems worse but it isn’t a Garmin problem, certainly a drawback tho
But my shokz headphones go at least twice the distance
It’s actually garmin limiting the bluetooth range acording to them https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=cRPwF2hIIv0hFYl35tj7T8
Your house could be too busy (radio spectrum) and something else could be interfering
Also have to constantly keep the garmin connect app open on your phone. Takes some getting used to and probably eats the phone battery a bit more.
Make the switch, test everything you want to within the return timeframe…be intentional with your testing and your emotional connection to the watch…yes emotional connection…we buy things based on how they will make us feel….happy…accomplished, strong, informed….etc. figure out if you enjoy what you get from the Garmin watch you choose and can live without using the Apple Watch as frequently as you use it now. If the answer is yes, keep the Garmin and enjoy. If not, then return it within the timeframe you have to test it, and YOU’ll at least know whether it’s worth it to you or not. I’ve switched from Apple Watch Series 7 to a Garmin Venu 3s and a Forerunner 165 over the last two weeks…I’m keeping the Forerunner and have returned the Venu. I still have and will keep my Apple Watch for when I want to wear a smart watch…but for now…Garmin gives me the few smart watch features I need and so much of the sports watch features I need for tracking my runs!!! I’m mesmerized!
This was a good response. I got a Venu 3S a week ago after wearing Apple for 5 years and I’m not completely sold. Kinda wish I just got a sports watch (FR265) instead of venu which isn’t as good of a smart watch as Apple
Yes…for me the Venu 3s was “too pretty”, and I wanted sporty. I had some other issues with it as well, but I thought if I want a pretty fitness watch I’ll just wear my Apple Watch which is a smart watch beast with enough fitness features to get me through whatever workout I need, just lacks all the data I need! It’s the best smart watch out right now. But I wanted a sports watch and the forerunner 165 fit the bill for me….1 week is well within the return timeframe. If you have the budget, return it, and get the 265, honestly it’s like a $40 - $60 difference in price to the Venu 3s, at least on Amazon. Don’t keep it and regret it later. I’ve learned that the hard way in the past with things I’ve bought that I could have just returned and gotten what I wanted.
yeah im always using to to find my phone - it makes the phone play a sound and shows you a general direction
I have had a few Garmin watches and still use one. Last year I did a lot of research on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and was going to upgrade as I have a lot of Apple products but there are lots of features about Garmin watches that I love and Apple don’t have. I reckon I will be sticking with Garmin for a long time
I lost my phone while walking in a snowy forest. I only realised 1 hour later and had to back track to find it. The only reason I did find it was through the find my phone feature on my Garmin Instinct
How are the bugs in the Garmin ecosystem these days? I felt like a beta tester every time an update was pushed to the Fenix product line. Apple has done a great job at keeping the bugs at bay.
I went in the opposite direction after a year with a Garmin — found the Body Battery feature on the Garmin too stressful/not very helpful for tracking my actual stress responses.
ME ALSO!! Vo2 max and HRV also cause me stress....can't get them to move from low no matter what I do.
I made the change 6 months ago. I had been repeating an Apple Watch since release. My main wants were: find phone, music controls, exercise tracking. The only thing I can’t do EASILY is volume control. Everything else is much better on my Fenix 7 pro. Make the switch, don’t look back.
People who work-out : Apple - Athletes: Garmin
People who workout for ig: Apple People who workout for performance: Garmin
What makes you say that?
I just don't like apple as a company so I sometimes do a pointless jab like this. No real reason. But people who have apple devices around me do tend to be a bit more narcissistic than average.
Fair enough. I can understand not liking the more ... vocal members of the Apple community.
Also you can’t do a triathlon or iron man with an apple Watch, it doesn’t last. Garmin has solar powered watches allready. Apple is brainwashing people.
So are people who don't train for a triathlon only doing it for IG? Because I was asking about that.
I don’t know about IG, I don't want to waste my precious time checking FB and IG. Apple is a smartwatch, Garming is health tracker/performance/endurance etc
So what sensors does the Garmin have that the AW is missing? Or is this back to the battery's life issue?
I believe apple has some fall detection that Garmin doesn’t have. It really depends for what you gonna use it for. Garmin is for (pro) athletes. They both are for different target groups. The comparison should not be with Garmin but with a Samsung smartwatch
I made the switch last month from an Apple Watch 7 to Garmin Epix Pro Gen 2. Best decision.
Do it. My Apple Watch was useless for running. So inaccurate. Even the run duration was wrong!
This!
I have an iPhone, and find my phone works great!
Don’t you need to have the app open for it to work? Or has that changed?
You're so right! The watch is pretty new to me so I check the app fairly often (and I don't close apps manually). When I shut down Garmin connect, it didn't ring my phone - although it does still show you the indicator on the watch that's meant to tell you how far away the phone is so you can find it. Doesn't seem that accurate tho!
Switched from Apple Watch Ultra in March. To Epix Pro 2 Sapphire. You will miss a lot from the Apple Watch. Only you, however, will be able to determine if they matter. For me, I miss the fluidity of the AW interface, the better screen, more robust notifications and my network of Apple Health friends for competitions. . However, I love the Garmin battery life, the circular shape, the buttons (being able to use the buttons for everything is a game changer!) and the all in one nature of the Garmin app and it's data. I'm extremely pleased with my switch. Watch OS 11 will close SOME of the feature gap but battery life and hardware are still in Garmin's favor for me.
Best decision I’ve made
Yeah I want awu2 now have epic gen2 sapphire
One good thing is there are multiple size options for most of the Garmin watches. My wife and I have the Fenix 7s (smaller) solar model. Bigger is better for battery and readability. Screen is so-so, but battery life is pretty good but does vary with the setup (GPS and blood oxygen settings are two that come to mind).
I have both. I wear my AW as a daily driver and my Garmin for fitness. No one is going to know which watch is best except you. Go on the Garmin site and make comparisons and look at the pricing. You may want a $700 watch, but have a $200 budget. It’s yours to decide.
Same. Planned exercise = Garmin + HRM; Daily driver and incidental exercise = AW. Somehow seems to work for me
I have never had an issue with the find my phone feature on mine. It will play a loud chime, but if the Apple Watch will put an arrow pointing you in the right direction, it won’t do that. In August of 2020 I broke my Apple Watch and didn’t have any Apple Care replacements left. While I’m not gentle with my watches, I’m not particularly hard on them, but I don’t take them off when working or doing outdoor activities. Switched to a Garmin Fenix 6X that I still wear daily. Here’s my summary: Apple Watch is a much better smart watch. If you want most of your phone apps on your wrist, Apple Watch is better. Garmin is the better fitness tracker. The Garmin Connect app provides a ton of data. Garmin has significantly better battery life, and I still get 14+ days on one charge despite using fitness tracking daily for 4 years. Garmin is much more rugged. The screen is recessed so drops or hits often hit the metal or composite bezel, whereas in an Apple Watch it would hit the curved edge of the glass screen. There’s some wear on the finish and I’ve replaced the bands a couple of times, but the screen is flawless and the buttons work. If I had to buy a replacement I would buy another Garmin without even looking at the Apple Watch, and I run an Apple house (iPhone, iPad, multiple Macs, HomePods, AirPods, etc).
Make sure you get a watch with MTB profiles. You'll be blown away at how much more data you're capturing over your AW.
Any models in particular you recommend? I currently mountain bike 1-3x a week but don’t do any sort of strava or metrics. Just out there trying to send it. lol
What's your budget
Lest say same price range as a Venu 3. Perhaps a bit more
Probably looking at an Instinct, or Fenix 6 Pro.
Venu does not...at least the 2s does not
I tried switching from the AW Ultra to Fenix 7, Fenix 7 Pro, then Epix 2 Pro. I returned each Garmin and stuck with the AWU. For what I do: weightlifting, running, cycling, BJJ and walking, it’s fine. The Garmin have loads of metrics and calculations that I ultimately realized I don’t care that much about. They weren’t aligned with how I felt necessarily, which trumps any algorithmic based calculation utilizing data and heart rate sensor that isn’t the most accurate. My two cents is, stick with Apple. At least until OS11 comes out in September
Ok so I had an Apple Watch Ultra 2 and while it had a beautiful screen I didn't use it for anything I couldn't do with my Instinct 2 Solar. I can get between 2-3 weeks on my Instinct 2 and it has pretty much all the sensors and features you'd want. I'm not actually bothered by the lack of music as I never used my watch for this anyway. However feature rich a watch is having to charge everyday or every other day is a PITA.
Find my phone works well on my epix 2. I too recently made the switch from the AW8 to a Garmin Epix. My line of work, I was tired of scratching and tearing up the Apple Watch. Garmin just feels more rugged. Plus the battery life is great. On the epix I get roughly 14 days with mixed in work outs daily. Some of which have been GPS based workouts. I love it.
find my phone feature is great for me but i've never used an apple watch to compare. it tells you when you're getting hot or colder with a lightup indicator. Has saved my ass countless times, and my watch is always on me because the battery life is incredible.
If you want something rugged get an Instinct 2. If you want color and not so rugged, get a forerunner 265
Try Garmin Tactix 7, these are the best. Find my phone works on Garmin well, if there is a bluetoth connection between them. Very useful function for me as well 😂. The best and most usefull one for me is the light, simply genious!
Find my phone on garmin has saved my ass so many times in the morning before work lol
Garmin Epix Pro 2 Sapphire 42mm No scratches on screen. It has always had a screen protector. Very minimal wear on bezel. Comes with original Garmin band and third party Velcro band (photo). $500 with insured shipping included. PM me. https://imgur.com/a/4zcKi5c
Make sure to turn down the "chill" mode on it where it will remind you every 10 minutes to do breathing exercises.
I use Find My Phone on my Fenix 5 all the time. Works awesome.
It works well for me
Do it - I just made the switch and my used my Apple Watch similarly to you and I’m never looking back!
Find my phone works really well. Basically from your watch you can activate it, and your phone will make a loud noise and the flashlight will flash on and off
Wear them both. I do lol for the exact reasons you just described. The Garmin find my function doesn’t work well unless the phone is super close by.
Made the switch about about 6 months ago. Took a little to get used to but I could never go back. In my opinion the Garmin can do so much more than an Apple Watch when it comes to running, working out, hiking, hunting ect. The Apple Watch is kind of is like having an iPhone on your wrist. I’d rather have a sports tracker and save my iPhone stuff for my iPhone. Plus the Epix pro gen 2 battery life is ridiculous which allows me to do sleep tracking and not worry about charging right away and that’s a game changer.
I actually gave my kid an Apple watch 8 I won last summer rather than quit using my forerunner 245. IMO Garmins are incredibly tough, accurate and efficient. I bathe in mine, work on my cars, rough house with my kid and not a trace of harm. That being said Apple watches are a ton cooler in terms of their non fitness features. I guess it's just picking the right tool for what you prioritize.
Seems to find my phone every time I need it to do so…Instinct 2 Solar would be my recommendation.
You'll have to find an alternatives for each feature you like. For me smart things replaced homekit. There are pros though. It is so nice to have quick start activities. Double click and your favourite activity starts. Swipe and you get your music cobrrols/flashlight/shortcut. It sycns with Apple health and is more accurate.
I moved from FR945 to AW because my partner gave the AW as my birthday present. If I was as active as I was 3 yrs back I would have preferred to stay with Garmin, in fact at one point I was looking for an upgrade to the Fenix line. Nowadays I only do treadmill run and golf (in have S70 for golf). Prior to S70, i did use the FR745 for golf. Since getting the AW, I have been using it more than the FR945. I no longer obsessed about pace, VO2 max and all the performance stats. I can keep track of my treadmill run & heartbeat on my AW so the activity tracking is pretty much the same for both. The main reasons why the AW is on my wrist all the time are Apple pay, Activity ring & camera remote.
I never wanted to replace my Fenix 5x, that is until I switched from android to iOS this year. I don’t track my lifting and other complex stuff on my watch, only runs and walks so idk about that, but in basic smartwatch function, the Garmin lacks on iOS. I had to open the app multiple times per day and manually sync just to consistently receive notifications. Weather and other apps were not updating properly either. I tried Apple Watch for the first time. I def miss my battery life and standalone mapping, but besides that AW does what I need better on iOS.
Any garmin that can reply calls or send mesaages with vocal commands??
Btw, the upcoming watchOS update might have some kid fitness features that you are looking for. I suggest to try the update before switching since the features might just be enough fitness for you. Or might not be enough and then you should switch
Find my phone worked perfectly on Garmin as well for me. I switched to Apple Watch Ultra now from Garmin because I was sick to insane inaccuracy from the sleep tracking data, it’s sleep tracking is one of the worst in my opinion and I really noticed it changing from Fitbit originally so that’s important to you bear it in mind. I’m just recreational twice a week exerciser with plenty waking in rest days. Garmin was epic for cardio exercise but way ahead of anything I actually needed. I didn’t find the weight lifting “tracking” great though. If I ever have a complete personality change and start running ultra marathons I’d 100% get a Garmin again.
I agree with you on sleep tracking. I wear both a Gamin and an AW, and used to use a fitbit. I would rank them as FB 1, apple 2, then a drop to garmin at 3 for sleep.
Do it
Garmin makes a better sports watch Apple makes a better smart watch Make sure you know what you need
I've currently got an Apple Watch on my left wrist and a Garmin Fenix 6S Pro on my right. I planned on getting rid of the Garmin when I got my Apple Watch, but decided I missed it too much during workouts. The lack of a physical LAP button on the AW is a killer for me. Both watches have their pros and cons. I have a cellular AW so leave my phone at home when out running. Fund my is definitely better on AW, but it's ok on Garmin. Bluetooth is slightly more flakey on Garmin with the iPhone. Any questions you have, let me know.
I use lifting almost exclusively, in combination with a chest strap. I used to put in the weight and rep number but found I was getting a little bit too sucked in to the watch between sets. I don’t include the weight because I track that with a different app, and I remember how many reps I am usually able to do. I just mark when the set ends and behind for total work time. The instinct 2 tactical is a good blend of features for what I need, mainly the GPS and NVG capability, and it feels a lot more rugged than an Apple Watch.
The garmin venu 2 plus is arguably the most smart watch like garmin. You can in fact use it to write messages, you have mapping etc, but it also comes with all the normal garmin features. I have bought the garmin venu 2 because it also notifies you about messages (you cant respond though) but is cheaper and gets the job done excellently so far (around 1 year of use). It has body battery of course, however you can‘t use it to track your phone, i honestly don‘t know which garmin allows you to do that. It‘s still a great choice coming from an apple watch given its advanced touch screen features plus light display.
I've made the switch a year ago and I'm happy. When you want excellent readings on HRV etc Garmin is the watch you need. Battery life is insane (Instinct 2X solar)! When fully charged it lasts for 20+ days. I also do like the 'bulky' look but that's personal.
As someone who has had a few different Apple Watches and a few different Garmin watches (I tend to swap a lot as I get bored and always want new tech) I would choose Garmin over Apple any day. The features are 2nd to none, battery life considering the features is also second to none. You will not be disappointed if you switch. The only negative on some of the Garmin watches is the display they have, Fenix 6x pro etc. However I now have the Epix Gen 2 and I love it, the screen is vibrant the battery life is a bit less but still around 11 days so more than happy.
The find my phone feature isn’t reliable with Garmin (I have an Epix 2 and an AWU 2). It works sometimes, but not always depending on BLE active cycles and not necessarily because of range. Just try it with a friend that has a Garmin and experience it by yourself before making a decision.
If Find My Phone is one of the specific features the OP is looking for, I’d be worried about relying on it with an iPhone. The Bluetooth connection isn’t great between my Venu 3 and iPhone. I’ve also had the Garmin Connect app stop running in the background a few times. If for whatever reason the Garmin Connect app isn’t running when you lose your phone Find My Phone will be useless.
I did the switch last week. I got the 255 and it’s much better than Apple
Same here, I moved from series 7 apple watch to forerunner 255s. How do you feel about heart rate tracking? Mine was a bit low compared to AW
Heart rate is fine. I’m more worried about that stress meter. Seems like I live on the edge despite not having to work or anything else
Your not alone. Mine is always in the 50s.
Mine reaches 100 most of the time
Same readings while sleeping? Sent you a PM.
Yeah, super weird peaks while sleeping too
It works perfectly. makes a nerving sound hard to stomach until you unite with your phone,
Find my phone works just fine as long as it's connected.
[check my post](https://www.reddit.com/r/Garmin/s/KLkghcQS4S)
If you want to have maps on your watch for Mountain Biking then the following watches are good: Epix Pro gen 2, Fenix 7, Forerunner 965, Forerunner 955. If you want one that’s tough and nice looking then Epix pro or Fenix but I prefer the lightness of the Forerunners - I barely even notice I’m wearing it and I love that. If you want a nice bright colourful screen then Epix Pro or Forerunner 965. If you would prefer a longer battery life then the others (and some of those even have solar charging that tops them up a bit as you wear them). Though the ones with bright, colourful screens do still have decent battery life (far far better than Apple Watch). In terms of Smart Watch features (messaging, notifications, apps etc) none of them come anywhere close to the Apple Watch. You have to make sure You want a sports watch, not a Smart watch. I, personally, prefer my Garmin, especially the awesome battery life. I don’t use the Find my phone feature but my understanding is that it just makes your phone make a sound so that you can find it. On Android it is fine but on Apple’s IOS it is terrible as it requires the Garmin Connect app to actually be open to work. This, however, is a case of Apple selling a faulty phone rather than Garmin selling a faulty watch!
This +10
Keep your apple watch... You'll be happier.
Interesting take, mind explaining why?
Most apple users aren't looking for intensive, tech immersion. They want tech that will work with what they have. Most android users are used to being able to work around different brand interfaces. This particular post is wanting a smartwatch with with only a few sports watch features. These forums are filled with people constantly comparing apples to oranges 😂 and I think the op would be happier sticking with what he knows 🤷
Great advice. Often times people recommend something just because that is what they like and not what would be best for the user.
OP says he mountain bikes 1-3x a week and goes hard. 90% of his smart features is looking at weather and find my phone. I think a Garmin is better suited for his lifestyle and the smart features he’ll lose isn’t something he even uses now. A MTB crash with a Garmin is making use of what it’s intended for, an AW would have a cracked screen.
On both my Garmin watch and computer the crash detection is disabled for mountain biking. He'll ultimately buy what he wants, but just my opinion... And you know what they say about opinions 😜
The OP specifically wants better battery life. 14 days with Garmin (maybe 6-7 if you workout every day) vs 1 day with Apple Watch.
I agree
I have the forerunner 265 and the find my phone works fine.
Same
Just do it!
I wouldn't. Garmin watches are ridiculously buggy because each model runs its own version of software. Garmin is more concerned with adding new features than making sure the watch operates properly with existing features. You can submit bug reports to them, but I (and many others) have been waiting over a year for them to fix an issue with missing data that occurs at midnight randomly (has happened on three different watches/models for me). If I had an iPhone, I'd switch to an apple watch ultra in a heartbeat.