Apple needs to take a page out of Garmin’s playbook

[ndouglas]

Now you're clutching at straws with that disingenuous comment. The AW7 is hard to read indoors/ in the dark unless you use the always-on display (which each individual pixel is lit) or gesture based. Sitting here right now, in low light, my AW display is completely off - the very definition of hard to read.

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All MIPS display Garmin's have gesture based backlighting so reading it in low light/ complete darkness absolutely is not an issue and work in exactly the same gesture based way as AW. The big difference is the MIPS display is always on and incredibly readable during good lighting conditions and with incredibly low battery consumption.

Here's a pic of my Tactix Delta with MIPS display (since replaced with Epix 2), in low light, nil backlight and showing it's SpO2/ HR accuracy against 2 different, medical grade, $30k monitors. It's as readable as an AW always on display.

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And outdoors, in good sunlight, the Apple Watch just cannot compete with the MIPS display where no backlight is needed at all....which is useful for Garmin's target market - the outdoor enthusiast:

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Very interesting! Nice to see its performance in those pics. Thanks for sharing.

 

[ndouglas]

I might give one of these a try sometime, personally, not only due to <$300 price, also just I think all the features it has seems really good for my personal uses, no need to get to the $800 range. I’m not in a hurry to get one but in the future, seems like a lot of great features for such a price, not to mention the crazy-good battery life which is a big plus for me. It’s not that I am or need to be out in the wilderness for days not charging it. It’s just nice to not have to worry about so many things to charge daily.

 

[xDKP]

So Garmin has to put all of the same features in every single watch model? I'm not sure that makes a whole lot of sense. Just because Apple does it doesn't make their model better. I'd rather pay more from Apple for a watch that does more over paying for the material of the watch. If Apple comes out with a Pro model this year will it just have the same software? I'd rather it have different software that does more on a pro model.

Software should never be limited, but additional sensors can be something they can put in pro models

 

[xDKP]

That’s awesome, congratulations! I’ve ran two marathons with Garmin and some half marathons with the AW. I used LTE to stream via Spotify during the HM and never had battery issues. What time are you putting in for the marathon?

Actually going for a HM in two weeks from Sunday, so a little tight while training for the full three weeks later (should run 25K this weekend but think I'll do a easy HM instead).

The September HM target is 1:35:00 and 3:30:00 for the full... You?

 

[DMG35]

Software should never be limited, but additional sensors can be something they can put in pro models

Why? What good are additional sensors if they don't have additional software to do something with those sensors?

 

[mongobongo]

I’ve been an Apple Watch user since Series 0 and have upgraded every other year to the new one. I wear it every day and have always loved it, so please don't take this as me being any type of hater. Recently, I was training at a gym and I noticed someone wearing a Garmin watch while we were talking. I asked her how she liked it and she said she had been an Apple Watch user for years, but decided to give the Garmin a try due to its advanced workout features. She was explaining to me all of the things it did and it got me curious.

I decided to go over to Best Buy to see what they had and I noticed the Epix 2 was in stock. I purchased it just to see if it might be something I liked.

I have to say, I'm pretty blown away by it. Don't get me wrong, it doesn't do a lot of things that the Apple Watch does. I can't answer a phone call on it (which I never did anyway), I can't reply to a message on it (which I rarely did). It doesn't have a lot of crazy apps you can download and the integration to iOS while not bad, isn't what the Apple watch is.

But, from a fitness standpoint it kills the Apple Watch, and I mean kills it. When working out it auto counts the number of reps you are doing when lifting weights (I don't know how it does it, but its spot on). It constantly shows my heart rate, body temperature, VO2 Max, along with any other metric you might want to know. It reads terrain so much better than the Apple watch and the step counter is so much more accurate as well as floors climbed. It also calculates recovery time and shows you rest time between sets when training. The GPS/Satellite tracking is so precise it seriously blows my mind.

The screen is also miles better outdoors than the Apple Watch and has a super bright OLED display. And battery life? Amazing. I'm on day 6 of heavy (and I mean heavy) use of the watch and it shows that I have 4 days of battery still remaining. With that being said I realize that the Apple watch is crammed with a lot of features that drain the battery quicker. Its just nice wearing a watch that I know is going to last for over a week and not have to be charged.

Also, from a durability standpoint this Garmin watch can definitely take a beating. Its just water, dust, and environment-proof out of the box and you don't need to turn anything on to make it so. You just wear it. The Apple watch is also durable but the titanium casing and sapphire screen on the Garmin watch are definitely going to stand up to the elements. I've extensively tested the durability and it comes out looking brand new without a single issue.

The Garmin watches are also not as pretty as the Apple Watch (probably an understatement). I actually like the look of the Garmin Watch, but not nearly as much as the Apple Watch. You can dress up the Apple Watch for business and dress it down for casual/workouts while the Garmin watch is pretty much going to look like a workout device no matter what kind of band you put on it.

With all of that being said, I do miss some of the features of the Apple watch. Would I give up the Apple watch and switch exclusively to this Garmin Watch? Probably not. Honestly, it depends on what the Series 8 brings and if they bring that Pro model we keep hearing about. I will for sure buy it, but this Garmin watch has opened my eyes to what's possible in a watch from a fitness standpoint and I hope Apple takes a page or two out of Garmin's playbook in future OS's.

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How did you figure out that “the step counter is so much more accurate”?

 

[Aniseedvan]

I might give one of these a try sometime, personally, not only due to <$300 price, also just I think all the features it has seems really good for my personal uses, no need to get to the $800 range. I’m not in a hurry to get one but in the future, seems like a lot of great features for such a price, not to mention the crazy-good battery life which is a big plus for me. It’s not that I am or need to be out in the wilderness for days not charging it. It’s just nice to not have to worry about so many things to charge daily.

The solar instinct has potentially unlimited battery life in the right outdoor conditions. My partner wanted a Garmin and I pointed him to this one. We had a week away to Cornwall in one of our recent UK heat waves, and it kept fully charged with the time out in the sun. You miss out on some of the more higher end functions but it's a lot of watch for relatively little money.

 

[Madonepro]

Actually going for a HM in two weeks from Sunday, so a little tight while training for the full three weeks later (should run 25K this weekend but think I'll do a easy HM instead).

The September HM target is 1:35:00 and 3:30:00 for the full... You?

Can I offer some advice, as someone who has done a few of both, plus a couple of Half IM's. Decide which is the one out of the two, that you want to set your best time in. If it's the Marathon, then treat the half as a 'training run', where you can do it as a 'progression run', or a tempo.
If the half is the one you want to do best in, smash it, and then do some light, short runs in the week following and then another HM distance as your long run, then taper to the marathon from there. The benefits for the full, if you do it this way, is you get a good hard workout in before, you recover by simply turning the legs over, and whilst there is still load in the legs, you add some volume to tip you over, and then you can wind down until the day.

 

[Madonepro]

I might give one of these a try sometime, personally, not only due to <$300 price, also just I think all the features it has seems really good for my personal uses, no need to get to the $800 range. I’m not in a hurry to get one but in the future, seems like a lot of great features for such a price, not to mention the crazy-good battery life which is a big plus for me. It’s not that I am or need to be out in the wilderness for days not charging it. It’s just nice to not have to worry about so many things to charge daily.

Have a look at the forerunner 255 series, good bang for your buck. And check out this site for all you need to know about sports watches. www.dcrainmaker.com

 

[Drock1119]

Actually going for a HM in two weeks from Sunday, so a little tight while training for the full three weeks later (should run 25K this weekend but think I'll do a easy HM instead).

The September HM target is 1:35:00 and 3:30:00 for the full... You?

Half typically around 1:40:00-1:45:00. Full around 3:45:00.

 

[xDKP]

Can I offer some advice, as someone who has done a few of both, plus a couple of Half IM's. Decide which is the one out of the two, that you want to set your best time in. If it's the Marathon, then treat the half as a 'training run', where you can do it as a 'progression run', or a tempo.
If the half is the one you want to do best in, smash it, and then do some light, short runs in the week following and then another HM distance as your long run, then taper to the marathon from there. The benefits for the full, if you do it this way, is you get a good hard workout in before, you recover by simply turning the legs over, and whilst there is still load in the legs, you add some volume to tip you over, and then you can wind down until the day.

Thanks a lot. My thought was exactly that as well. The HM I have a pace bet so need to hit that and smash it. Full marathon is just having a great time running Munich this year.

 

[SnooChickens6278]

You paid $1400 for a Fenix 6? LOL. Also base Garmin Epix is $900 with 16gb. If you want 32 gb that’s another $100. Also base model Epix doesn’t use all 3 satellites only 2. You want all 3? Another $100. I could go on about all the lower end models if you want. I’ve used Garmin for years and participated heavily in their forums for years. Shady Company.

I bought it first year it was released. Canadian dollars are different than wherever you're from. That's right, $1400 for the premium model.

 

[SnooChickens6278]

Ha! Not to mention the GPS and HR accuracy on the Fenix 6 is 🗑 had one for a couple months and switched back to AW.

Canadian dollars and first year it was released. Ha!....

 

[SnooChickens6278]

Ha! Not to mention the GPS and HR accuracy on the Fenix 6 is 🗑 had one for a couple months and switched back to AW.

You had it only for a couple months? What a waste of money... How can the gps be trash? Garmin are experts in GPS lol. I use the GPS on every walk. I use it in real time when on a trail if I want to see exactly where I'm walking turn by turn lol.

 

[PsykX]

But, from a fitness standpoint it kills the Apple Watch, and I mean kills it. When working out it auto counts the number of reps you are doing when lifting weights (I don't know how it does it, but its spot on).

Lifting weights has always been the Achilles' heel of the Apple Watch.

Not only does it not count the reps, but also the calories counter and heart rate monitor are completely wrong when lifting weights. The heart rate monitor simply does not work when lifting with your arm because your blood does not circulate the same way. I believe the Garmin watch has the same problem, because it's intrinsically linked to where you put the monitor (on your wrist), but if it could at least count the reps and count calories more precisely, it would be awesome.

 

[SnooChickens6278]

It is the more expensive device, although this is not to its advantage. It doesn’t look like a $1K watch. An AW Hermes version looks much more luxurious.

^ 😭😂 guess I better agree with you this time so you don't report me again for disagreeing with you

 

[The_Interloper]

Stainless Steel got chipped on a golf bag? Or on a club?

On a club. Hit by the head of 7 iron being placed back in - thought for sure the screen would crack, but no - a chip off the stainless steel.

How angry were you on your double bogey and how hard did you throw the club into the bag relative to that?

You clearly play golf too... 😆

 

[Indianwin2001]

You had it only for a couple months? What a waste of money... How can the gps be trash? Garmin are experts in GPS lol. I use the GPS on every walk. I use it in real time when on a trail if I want to see exactly where I'm walking turn by turn lol.

If you want to know how it can be trash, just read Garmin forums. Full of complaints about the GPS tracks.

 

[Indianwin2001]

Lifting weights has always been the Achilles' heel of the Apple Watch.

Not only does it not count the reps, but also the calories counter and heart rate monitor are completely wrong when lifting weights. The heart rate monitor simply does not work when lifting with your arm because your blood does not circulate the same way. I believe the Garmin watch has the same problem, because it's intrinsically linked to where you put the monitor (on your wrist), but if it could at least count the reps and count calories more precisely, it would be awesome.

There’s an app on Apple called strong that tracks sets and reps.

 

[xDKP]

If you want to know how it can be trash, just read Garmin forums. Full of complaints about the GPS tracks.

While I love my Apple Watch, I would really love if Apple would give me a GPS signal strength bar before starting. If you just open the app and go it can be too short my run, but there is really no way of securing a good signal

 

[Drock1119]

While I love my Apple Watch, I would really love if Apple would give me a GPS signal strength bar before starting. If you just open the app and go it can be too short my run, but there is really no way of securing a good signal

WorkOutDoors has a GPS signal bar that you can use before starting your workout. I also use the Stryd pod with the AW and it’s 💰

 

[Drock1119]

You had it only for a couple months? What a waste of money... How can the gps be trash? Garmin are experts in GPS lol. I use the GPS on every walk. I use it in real time when on a trail if I want to see exactly where I'm walking turn by turn lol.

If you are happy with your watch that’s all that matters but it’s a known issue with the Fenix 6. Just Google Fenix 6 Sony chip. Have a good day.

 

[Madonepro]

Thanks a lot. My thought was exactly that as well. The HM I have a pace bet so need to hit that and smash it. Full marathon is just having a great time running Munich this year.

Just recover the week after the half, don't just sit around, get out and keep the legs moving. I'd even do a hill repeats session during the week, and then make sure you tap out a long run on the weekend. And Taper, taper, taper...

 

[JM]

I’ve been an Apple Watch user since Series 0 and have upgraded every other year to the new one. I wear it every day and have always loved it, so please don't take this as me being any type of hater. Recently, I was training at a gym and I noticed someone wearing a Garmin watch while we were talking. I asked her how she liked it and she said she had been an Apple Watch user for years, but decided to give the Garmin a try due to its advanced workout features. She was explaining to me all of the things it did and it got me curious.

I decided to go over to Best Buy to see what they had and I noticed the Epix 2 was in stock. I purchased it just to see if it might be something I liked.

I have to say, I'm pretty blown away by it. Don't get me wrong, it doesn't do a lot of things that the Apple Watch does. I can't answer a phone call on it (which I never did anyway), I can't reply to a message on it (which I rarely did). It doesn't have a lot of crazy apps you can download and the integration to iOS while not bad, isn't what the Apple watch is.

But, from a fitness standpoint it kills the Apple Watch, and I mean kills it. When working out it auto counts the number of reps you are doing when lifting weights (I don't know how it does it, but its spot on). It constantly shows my heart rate, body temperature, VO2 Max, along with any other metric you might want to know. It reads terrain so much better than the Apple watch and the step counter is so much more accurate as well as floors climbed. It also calculates recovery time and shows you rest time between sets when training. The GPS/Satellite tracking is so precise it seriously blows my mind.

The screen is also miles better outdoors than the Apple Watch and has a super bright OLED display. And battery life? Amazing. I'm on day 6 of heavy (and I mean heavy) use of the watch and it shows that I have 4 days of battery still remaining. With that being said I realize that the Apple watch is crammed with a lot of features that drain the battery quicker. Its just nice wearing a watch that I know is going to last for over a week and not have to be charged.

Also, from a durability standpoint this Garmin watch can definitely take a beating. Its just water, dust, and environment-proof out of the box and you don't need to turn anything on to make it so. You just wear it. The Apple watch is also durable but the titanium casing and sapphire screen on the Garmin watch are definitely going to stand up to the elements. I've extensively tested the durability and it comes out looking brand new without a single issue.

The Garmin watches are also not as pretty as the Apple Watch (probably an understatement). I actually like the look of the Garmin Watch, but not nearly as much as the Apple Watch. You can dress up the Apple Watch for business and dress it down for casual/workouts while the Garmin watch is pretty much going to look like a workout device no matter what kind of band you put on it.

With all of that being said, I do miss some of the features of the Apple watch. Would I give up the Apple watch and switch exclusively to this Garmin Watch? Probably not. Honestly, it depends on what the Series 8 brings and if they bring that Pro model we keep hearing about. I will for sure buy it, but this Garmin watch has opened my eyes to what's possible in a watch from a fitness standpoint and I hope Apple takes a page or two out of Garmin's playbook in future OS's.

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Get on outtttttaaaa heeeerrrrre!

You can’t praise anything but Apple around these parts! Haha

Yeah, you wrote. A pretty good sales pitch for the Garmin actually. But the dress down and up part of the Apple Watch is really great.

 

[Madonepro]

The Garmin watches are also not as pretty as the Apple Watch, probably an understatement.

Take a moment to consider what the most expensive watches out there look like, you know; the Rolex's, the Tag Heurs, the Breilings etc. Yep they are all rugged, with bezels and roundness. And cost an awful lot more that the AW and Garmin.