Coming from Garmin 6S Pro .. Series 9 or AWU

[Cremerhm]

Okay, so I've got an Garmin FENIX 6S Pro and for me there are 3 reason to go for an Apple Watch after not having one multiple years

1: the GPS on my Fenix is not great, when I am running under some trees the GPS loses track of speed
2: there are close to 0 smart features
3: I really want an Apple Watch again

That being said, at this moment I am struggling to make a decision about which watch would be the best.
At first I had my mind set for the AWU2, but since there will be an "X" probably next year and I know myself ... that might not be the best short term investment. Other than this, my 17cm wrist might be to small for the AWU2

Second thought was a second hand AWU1, but now that Apple reduced the price in Europe with €100 for the AWU2 the gap between used AWU1 and new AWU2 makes less sense.

Option number 3: Series 9, aluminum. This has a lower price point, offers most of what the AWU does as well but of course has a lower battery capacity. Main concern here is the GPS, since it is not MultiBand and I wonder how it will hold up when running under trees/in the forest. Does anyone use their Series 8 for this purpose and like to educate me?
My runs will be 5 hours tops (in the future, not now) but I read this should not be an issue based on the Series 8, is that correct?

 

[Cremerhm]

For now, I have pre-ordered the series 9 (aluminum, Nike loop and Apple Care) and I think I made a good decision.
Should there be any runners here with the Series 8 that could share some information about running, that would be awesome.

 

[Drock1119]

For now, I have pre-ordered the series 9 (aluminum, Nike loop and Apple Care) and I think I made a good decision.
Should there be any runners here with the Series 8 that could share some information about running, that would be awesome.

Definitely check out the app WorkOutDoors!

 

[Howard2k]

I have the S8. I only run on city streets so no coverage issues. But I do hike regularly and sometimes under dense tree cover. I've had no issues that I can recall. Not that I regularly check my route for accuracy, but I have, on occasion, made a mental note and checked the tracks in some wooded areas and haven't seen any problems. For hiking I'm not as concerned about the precision as I would be if running of course.


Five hours with GPS would put a big dent in it but you should be ok, although as the battery ages that will diminish fairly swiftly. But maybe by the time you're doing five hour runs you will have upgraded or replaced the battery anyway. A four and a half hour hike on my S8, drained a good 40% to 50% from what I recall. Although some of that time it was under a sleeve, and it was also rainy and overcast. If I'd been wearing a short sleeved shirt and in direct sunlight that would have drained the battery faster.

 

[BenGoren]

You should be just fine with five hours of activity with the S8 and WorkOutDoors.

But … if you simply want to not care about the state of charge, get an Ultra. You could, easily, charge to 80% the night before, do a five-hour workout that afternoon, and have plenty left by bedtime.

(Of course, it’s possible to suck down the Ultra’s battery in a real hurry — if you do something like make a two-hour phone call in the middle of a GPS run through Manhattan. But you really, really, really have to try so very hard to do so. In the almost-year I’ve had my Ultra, I’ve yet to see single-digit battery percentage remaining, and I do nothing whatsoever to baby the battery.)

b&

P.S. Consider WorkOutDoors a non-negotiable essential application. While the native activity app is perfect for Apple’s general target audience, it quickly falls flat once you push beyond its boundaries. But WorkOutDoors does not seem to have boundaries … b&