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Wordwise

macrumors newbie
Aug 8, 2008
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Garmin has reacted to Apple's new rugged Apple Watch Ultra, saying in a tweet following the iPhone 14 and Apple Watch event that it measures battery life in "months" and "not hours," promoting its latest Enduro 2 watch for athletes.

apple-watch-ultra-2.jpg

While the Apple Watch Ultra has the longest battery life of any Apple Watch to date, with Apple promising up to 36 hours of normal use and up to 60 hours with watchOS 9's new Low Power Mode setting and other optimizations, the Enduro 2 can last significantly longer depending on usage scenarios.


Despite Garmin's claim that it measures battery life in months, the company actually advertises the Enduro 2 as having "up to 150 hours of battery life in GPS mode with solar charging" and "up to 34 days of battery life in smartwatch mode." The Enduro 2 has a 1.4-inch solar-powered display, compared to the nearly 2-inch display on the Apple Watch Ultra that can reach a peak brightness of 2,000 nits, the brightest ever in an Apple Watch.

The Apple Watch Ultra also has a wide range of advanced sensors, including the ability to take an ECG, measure blood oxygen level, alerts for high and low heart rates, and a new body temperature sensor focusing on women's health.

The Apple Watch Ultra is offered in a 49mm case and costs $799, while the Enduro 2 costs $1,099. The Apple Watch Ultra was made available for pre-order earlier this week and will begin shipping on Friday, September 23.

Article Link: Garmin Reacts to Apple Watch Ultra: 'We Measure Battery Life in Months. Not Hours.'
I measure the battery life of my Timex watch in years. Doesn't mean it's a better watch. I'm always surprised at these corporations that shoot from the hip in response to Apple product announcements...
 
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MallardDuck

macrumors 68000
Jul 21, 2014
1,606
2,961
That's why you'd carry a Garmin InReach with you. We have a couple of people die hiking the White Mountains every year. Of course some of them can get a cellular signal and call for help but some can't.
^^^ This. The satellite feature in the iphone is a nice backup, but if you're in extreme conditions it's much easier to have a personal beacon that you hit a button on and it just works. No scanning the sky, no slow text. There's a place for both companies and both products for sure.

Honestly, the first time i had to listen to idiots at 14,000 feet loudly talking on their phones I was really irritated - ruined the experience. Now I hike shorter mountains, preferably out of range of any tower, without crowds of people on them (and the cell phone is in the car, where it belongs...and the InReach is on my pack strap).
 

TeamMojo

macrumors regular
Feb 3, 2004
191
250
Garmin will not end like fitbit as garmin is a way more diverse company. Garmin still has running & cycling specific equipment that Fitibit does not, like footpods, cycling computers, power meter pedals, & radar lights(Varia). Plus, there is the Garmin InReach line of devices that many ultra endurance backpackers, bikepackers & expedition folks still use.
Not to mention, Aircraft, Boating, etc. That said, I would like to see Garmin sell an app for iOS. I'm an athlete and I'd pay $99 for an app so that I didn't have to wear a Garmin for endurance sports and an Apple Watch for everything else.
 

NinjaHERO

macrumors 6502a
Aug 29, 2008
972
1,253
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I still miss my Pebble. It didn't do nearly as much as my apple watch, but the battery lasted forever and the screen was always on. Also it didn't have a touch screen which I loved. The number of times I accidentally bump my watch, or my nephew presses the screen. I loved the non touch screen.
But obviously the Apple watch does a million more things. I'm looking forward to when I upgrade and get the always on screen version.
 

Cpuiulet

macrumors newbie
Apr 19, 2016
6
10
If you don't know you need a Garmin, you don't need one. Garmin begins where the Apple Watch Ultra ends. People that disagree with me, don't really need a Garmin and they can probably wear a Rolex and a phone app during their workouts. If you don't know what TSS, IF, TE, NP, ANT+, don't have a power meter on your bike or don't connect your bike to your iPad and watch and head unit at the same time, and you don't need to pair your Varia or magene radars to your bike, and you can navigate all the functions on your watch with 3 buttons and a touch screen while you're exercising, and you care more about AMOLED display than battery life, you don't need a Garmin.
 

cannaqueers

macrumors newbie
Sep 9, 2022
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California
Not to mention, Aircraft, Boating, etc. That said, I would like to see Garmin sell an app for iOS. I'm an athlete and I'd pay $99 for an app so that I didn't have to wear a Garmin for endurance sports and an Apple Watch for everything else.
what would you want the app to do? Sync between Apple health & Garmin Connect?
 

jimbobb24

macrumors 68040
Jun 6, 2005
3,381
5,415
Garmin specs are for when using gps. It gets 34 hours using gps without solar if i remember correctly. Apple is 36 hours in general.
Thanks. I had read it wrong and had deleted my post. The garmin is actually days and the AW hours.
 

unclemax

macrumors 6502
Sep 25, 2015
289
247
Even when my 4 was new it wouldn't make it on an overseas flight without dying. I'll settle for daily charging.

I do wonder though, why apple bothers to put sleep tracking in it, when you can't wear it while sleeping because you have to charge it for a few hours. Do they think people are going to charge in the middle of the day?
I have AW7 and while I’m not impressed with battery life or how fast it deteriorated (it now shows 88% of original capacity, with normal usage - daily charging for 10 months or so), fast charg helps somewhat. E.g. if I need to charge it before sleep, usually 15-20 minutes is enough to boost it past 50% where it has enough juice for the night)
 

Jason2000

macrumors 6502
Jul 19, 2019
359
727
Planet Earth
Generally companies will comment when they are concerned with an Apple product. Just like the other watch companies that laughed at the Apple Watch to only watch (no pun intended) their sales drop I am sure Garmin is concerned. But really who cares. Use whatever device works best for you.
 

pshufd

macrumors G3
Oct 24, 2013
9,983
14,460
New Hampshire
I measure the battery life of my Timex watch in years. Doesn't mean it's a better watch. I'm always surprised at these corporations that shoot from the hip in response to Apple product announcements...

I used a Timex Ironman Triathlon Flix in the 1990s and some of the 2000s. Same watch that Treasury Secretary and former Goldman CEO used:

Screen Shot 2022-09-09 at 1.46.59 PM.png
 

jmgregory1

macrumors 68040
I remember Garmin’s gps devices for cars, it was nice, but it’s gone now, soon the whole company may go the way of Blackberry.
No, Garmin isn’t going away like Blackberry. Even when they offered car GPS units, it was just a segment of their overall business. They’re into TONS of markets including avionics and other professional-use mapping/tracking technologies. They’ve also been selling running/activity watches for ~20 years. There is no doubt that Apple getting more into one segment of their business could have a negative effect, but it also could benefit them as people compare performance/looks/pricing between brands.
 
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NeoSe7en

macrumors regular
Apr 21, 2017
204
352
Here comes another scared and insecure company that’s watching themselves become irrelevant.

Also, who needs their smart watch to last MONTHS on a single charge? Yeah, it would be nice I guess but it’s definitely overkill.
 

MauiPa

macrumors 68040
Apr 18, 2018
3,432
5,083
The lady doth protest too much, methinks. I know people with Garmin's, days, maybe up to 2 weeks, or maybe Garmin means .07 months or some other fractions. Of course if you don't use it for anything except a watch, maybe, but the people I know use it for running, and no way it would last several months, sorry Garmin - not believable.

That being said, yah different technology, different uses, different target markets. So not the same thing, but those with the gamins, do like them, mostly
 

TimmKook

Suspended
Sep 1, 2020
156
368
I find their tweet to be 100% accurate. At least it's not below-the-belt like Samsung's ads.

Garmin has a legitimate point. I sometimes go 2 weeks without charging my Garmin Fenix 6S Pro Solar... and it's fantastic. Before I gave away all my Apple Watches, I was lucky to get to the end of the day, and no way I could do sleep tracking AND have enough charge for the next day.

Then again, Garmins are geared towards real athletes (or at least very active people), and not the average consumer/fashion type of customer.
 

schuhlelewis

macrumors newbie
May 2, 2012
23
86
I’ve never owned Garmin, is having a battery that lasts weeks really an improvement or is it like range anxiety for electric vehicles?

My experience with an s3 watch is that I put it on to charge every evening by habit (even though I’d often get through the day with more than 50% left).

I’d love a longer battery life (5+ hour swims kill it), but I feel like I just need it to last a day whatever I do with it?

Feels like a daily habit is easy to form, but remembering to charge once a month is paradoxically something I’m more likely to forget?
 
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