What’s everyone’s thoughts on the new Garmin watches?

[Monkswhiskers]

I wrote a longer post over on the Garmin forums about this but the TLDR version is.

To get a version of the Fenix that I'd want would mean sapphire glass, which is hard to see. I much preferred the Gorilla Glass on my 6X.

The Epix is the better answer but it's battery life is a stretch largely because music / podcasts eat Garmin batteries. Definitely better than an AW however.

Then I thought, any of these are at least $900 to get a version I would want. I can buy 2 AW's, non cell for the same money, and one would always be charged. In other words, charging problems solved.

And Garmin just doesn't offer that much, even in the fitness metrics, that are better than an AW at this point. 3 years ago I had a lot of craziness with Apple tracks but not any more.

Had Garmin included Siri support (like the Venu 2) this would be a different discussion but these are pretty close to a F6 except things like GPS and HRM are supposed to actually be reliable on these versions. I'm just not feeling the $900 this time around.

I originally was going to buy a Garmin and bought an AW3 when it came out, I thought I was missing out on sport metrics so sold it and bought a Garmin, then realised that I missed the the smartwatch features that I never initially wanted.

The Epix 2 has piqued my interest but then I saw the price! In reality all the firstbeat stuff is reliant on accurate HR readings, have maybe a couple of bad readings (cold outside etc.) and it skews the whole algo.

I don't like round watches, I want seamless integration with IOS and my AirPods, (I'm guessing there would be a few dropouts issues with the Garmin). With Workoutdoors I have all the maps anyway. The only downside is I charge everyday, is it REALLY that big a deal?

Conclusion - I'm staying with the AW!

 

[almostinsane]

I definitely like the look of them a lot more than the AW. The square design is just tiring and ugly.

 

[Cheefy]

My first and only smart/activity watch so far has been the basic Garmin Instinct. It’s super rugged, inexpensive (paid $160 on sale), and gives you enough of the Garmin functionality without all the added bells and whistles. The Fenix series never really interested me due to price (but I understand the appeal) and I desperately wanted the Venue2/2+ to be my next upgrade. For some very odd reason they both lack an open water swim option, which really irritated me, and the 2+ tips the scales at $450 just to provide some basic phone connectivity. Since I just got a 13 Pro Max, I figured what the heck and bought my first AW this week (SE 44mm LTE) to try out. Mentally preparing myself for a battery life adjustment?……….

The SE should last at least two days but just pop it on the charger once a day while you’re in the shower and you’ll never have a problem with battery life. I use AOD on my AW 7 - I’ve done a three hour GPS activity today after charging early this morning to 85% and now it’s at 50% 12 hours later. Tomorrow morning it’ll be at about 35% when I’ll charge it back to 85% while I’m in the shower and having breakfast. It’s not a big problem. The smart watch features are brilliant and the integration with IPhone is seamless.

 

[Monkswhiskers]

I originally was going to buy a Garmin and bought an AW3 when it came out, I thought I was missing out on sport metrics so sold it and bought a Garmin, then realised that I missed the the smartwatch features that I never initially wanted.

The Epix 2 has piqued my interest but then I saw the price! In reality all the firstbeat stuff is reliant on accurate HR readings, have maybe a couple of bad readings (cold outside etc.) and it skews the whole algo.

I don't like round watches, I want seamless integration with IOS and my AirPods, (I'm guessing there would be a few dropouts issues with the Garmin). With Workoutdoors I have all the maps anyway. The only downside is I charge everyday, is it REALLY that big a deal?

Conclusion - I'm staying with the AW!

I forgot to add, my AW can call emergency services even though I don’t have a cell plan. Handy if I’m out on a run (no phone) or out on my bike (phone backup) and I need help.

 

[DontGetTheCheese]

I originally was going to buy a Garmin and bought an AW3 when it came out, I thought I was missing out on sport metrics so sold it and bought a Garmin, then realised that I missed the the smartwatch features that I never initially wanted.

The Epix 2 has piqued my interest but then I saw the price! In reality all the firstbeat stuff is reliant on accurate HR readings, have maybe a couple of bad readings (cold outside etc.) and it skews the whole algo.

I don't like round watches, I want seamless integration with IOS and my AirPods, (I'm guessing there would be a few dropouts issues with the Garmin). With Workoutdoors I have all the maps anyway. The only downside is I charge everyday, is it REALLY that big a deal?

Conclusion - I'm staying with the AW!

I struggle with the sport metrics. I definitely do a better job of losing weight with a Garmin on my wrist. I think it's mostly because the watch kind of focuses me more than the AW does. But then I try to figure out what sport metrics I'm getting on Garmin vs the AW, and it's not much. Now you get stamina, I like the running dynamics with a Garmin HRM, Pace Pro is nice and a couple of other things. It's better at running, and presents the stats better, a lot better than the native workout app, I'm just not sure it's a lot better when you add something like WorkOutdoors to the mix.

On the other hand, the strength program in Garminland is terrible. The Strong app is far better.

Music / podcasts was a real problem with the F6. My Air Pods Pro would drop after 10 minutes. Known problem, solution, wear the watch on the other wrist or mess with the bluetooth version. And music destroys battery life. With full GPS and music, an Epix is 10 hours of life. Since I always run with headphones, and an AW7 will do 6+ hours with headphones, especially with the native workout app, there isn't a huge difference.

However, I'm pretty certain I could get the Epix to 7 days between charges with gesture mode off. And a F7 pretty easily to 2 or 3 weeks if I turned SpO2 off (not sure about the Epix and SpO2).

Then there are other things. I've had Apple Pay miss, but it's rare, Garmin Pay missed more often, and is harder to use with having to click the password (probably fixed with the touch screen). My home is Home Kit all over the place and a Garmin isn't opening any of my doors. Overcast syncs, Garmin I have to use MusicBee, which is actually pretty good, maybe even better as a solution as you charge / sync at the same time while controlling what is sync'd. Weather works, reminders are on the watch (handy for shopping lists), answering calls is more useful than you think, SpO2 is accurate, don't need a HRM (may not on the new Garmins), etc.

Anyways, I might still buy one, I usually do, but this is the first time since I bought an F5 that I'm having second, third, fourth thoughts about it.

 

[PatrickNSF]

I’m primarily a runner and (indoor) cyclist and have both an AW 7 and Fenix 6. I like the F6 running metrics and recovery data but the Fenix has always been overkill for my needs. I bought it for the build quality over my previous Forerunner 935. I mostly wear the AW as my day-to-day watch, and for music and LTE while running.

I’d give Garmin another go as a day-to-day watch if they combine a Forerunner 945/745/245 with LTE, the AMOLED screen and voice integration with Siri. I’m intrigued by how Garmin recovery features combine workout, sleep and stress data to come up with its recommendations, but not enough at this point to wear the F6 24/7.

 

[Fthree]

Ive got an epix coming in tuesday. I own a Apple Watch s4 and have tried the s7 but didn’t see much of an upgrade using it over my garmin tactix delta. Watching The reviews on the new Epix makes it sound pretty much the perfect watch that i have been wanting. I love the fenix/tactix line but have HATED the displays just ended up putting up with them because apple is so far behind garmin in the running etc metric dept. I may be a bit different than most who own a Apple Watch here as I really have come to the conclusion that i dont want to get all my notifications on my watch. I do in theory like the LTE ability on the AWs but when I’m running and doing my workouts and just hanging out without my phone i love that I’m not being bothered with the things that LTE brings Makes me just enjoy the moments more. I dont even turn on the phone notifications on my garmin. The new Epix could be the watch many Apple Watch users have been waiting for.

 

[PaladinGuy]

Ive got an epix coming in tuesday. I own a Apple Watch s4 and have tried the s7 but didn’t see much of an upgrade using it over my garmin tactix delta. Watching The reviews on the new Epix makes it sound pretty much the perfect watch that i have been wanting. I love the fenix/tactix line but have HATED the displays just ended up putting up with them because apple is so far behind garmin in the running etc metric dept. I may be a bit different than most who own a Apple Watch here as I really have come to the conclusion that i dont want to get all my notifications on my watch. I do in theory like the LTE ability on the AWs but when I’m running and doing my workouts and just hanging out without my phone i love that I’m not being bothered with the things that LTE brings Makes me just enjoy the moments more. I dont even turn on the phone notifications on my garmin. The new Epix could be the watch many Apple Watch users have been waiting for.

Once they get the size a little smaller with the same battery life (like Fenix 7s size), I think they’ll sell more Epix watches.

It’s still a hard sell for someone that does want better integration with their phone, but I doubt Apple will ever change that unless they’re somehow forced to do so.

If my wrists were bigger, I might consider it a little more.

 

[VideoFreek]

You can find a decent comparison of the 3 watches (Fenix, Epix, AW 7) here:

This guy is no DCrainmaker, but I think his reviews are objective, fair, and well-presented. This review in particular is spot-on and covers the major pros and cons of each platform, though mainly from the perspective of an elite athlete. I think another important use case for Fenix and even Epix is outdoor adventure (hiking, trekking, mountaineering, etc.). While the Garmin watches are made for this stuff, I wouldn't dare take an Apple Watch into the back country for an extended period. It can certainly be pressed into service for light day hiking, but beyond that you are going to want something more robust.

 

[Marli]

After 3 Apple Watches I gave up on them, bought an Epix pro and haven’t looked back. 31 day battery life, best tracking and sports features out there, looks like a real watch, not a toy. Best of all I finally broke the charging shackles. Not having to keep charging a watch is a game changer.

 

[d3vp0ll]

After 3 Apple Watches I gave up on them, bought an Epix pro and haven’t looked back. 31 day battery life, best tracking and sports features out there, looks like a real watch, not a toy. Best of all I finally broke the charging shackles. Not having to keep charging a watch is a game changer.

Right, but GarminOS is a lot closer to a calculator than a smartwatch. I get that battery life is always welcomed, but we charge our other devices on the daily, is charging a watch that big a deal?

Not to mention Garmin metrics are mostly pointless. You'll reach a point where you'll wake up, complain your sleep score was wrong and say your body battery is too low vs reality and get frustrated that your training status will perpetually be unproductive or maintaining lol.

 

[Marli]

Yes. Charging a watch every day is impractical, basically turns a watch into a gadget. I travel and spend more than a day on a plane, or longer in remote regions.

The Apple Watch is full of pointless and basically unusable apps. If you like this then goodo. But for a workhorse of a smart watch there are better options. And if you know how to read the fitness metrics ima Garmin, they are extremely useful, I guess a lot of people probably don’t.

If it says unproductive you need to listen to it. My rarely does when correctly training. Read up on what this actually means.

 

[d3vp0ll]

Yes. Charging a watch every day is impractical, basically turns a watch into a gadget. I travel and spend more than a day on a plane, or longer in remote regions.

The Apple Watch is full of pointless and basically unusable apps. If you like this then goodo. But for a workhorse of a smart watch there are better options. And if you know how to read the fitness metrics ima Garmin, they are extremely useful, I guess a lot of people probably don’t.

If it says unproductive you need to listen to it. My rarely does when correctly training. Read up on what this actually means.

I agree with your point, but Garmis aren't smart watches. They're strictly fitness watches.

 

[Marli]

I agree with your point, but Garmis aren't smart watches. They're strictly fitness watches.

Apple Watch notifications are slightly better, and unlocking the Mac was cool, when it worked and wasn’t to slow.

But the apps are pointless. They are usually to limited or slow and you pick up the phone anyway.

And I love having a real and robust watch. Even the Apple ultra looks like a kid’s toy.

 

[d3vp0ll]

Apple Watch notifications are slightly better, and unlocking the Mac was cool, when it worked and wasn’t to slow.

But the apps are pointless. They are usually to limited or slow and you pick up the phone anyway.

And I love having a real and robust watch. Even the Apple ultra looks like a kid’s toy.

Saying apps are pointless comes off arrogant. I use many watch apps, and they work. So well in fact I leave my phone at home and don't miss a beat. But I guess some people can't figure out how to use a smartwatch properly and that's fine.

 

[Marli]

Saying apps are pointless comes off arrogant. I use many watch apps, and they work. So well in fact I leave my phone at home and don't miss a beat. But I guess some people can't figure out how to use a smartwatch properly and that's fine.

Not arrogant. Just my experience. There is a very valid reason a lot of main line app developers pulled out of making watch apps. You are right. Some people probably don’t know how to use a watch.

 

[Marli]

Ive got an epix coming in tuesday. I own a Apple Watch s4 and have tried the s7 but didn’t see much of an upgrade using it over my garmin tactix delta. Watching The reviews on the new Epix makes it sound pretty much the perfect watch that i have been wanting. I love the fenix/tactix line but have HATED the displays just ended up putting up with them because apple is so far behind garmin in the running etc metric dept. I may be a bit different than most who own a Apple Watch here as I really have come to the conclusion that i dont want to get all my notifications on my watch. I do in theory like the LTE ability on the AWs but when I’m running and doing my workouts and just hanging out without my phone i love that I’m not being bothered with the things that LTE brings Makes me just enjoy the moments more. I dont even turn on the phone notifications on my garmin. The new Epix could be the watch many Apple Watch users have been waiting for.

I have the Epix Pro Titanium 51mm. The display is perfect. Nice and bright. I looked at the Fenix but the transflective displays put me off. Great battery life but just look dull.

I’ve had it a nearly a month. Haven’t charged it yet. I turn off all the always on display etc.

Being able to use real mapping with fitness activities is great. It’s a watch you can head out into the bush and rely on it to get you back.

 

[Marli]

The the techies or people interested in how things work. here is a link to a podcast with a Garmin software developer that works on their watches and some other products, where he explains how the OS works, and how it differs from other wearable OSs. It takes a few minutes at the start before the dive into the interesting parts.

Episode 234 : CppCast

Brad started programming in BASIC when he was 9, primarily on the Apple IIe, transitioning to QBASIC in high school. He graduated from Kansas State University in 2005 with a BS in Computer Science and a minor in Embedded Systems. While at K-State he enjoyed working on the solar car racing...

cppcast.com

 

[Jackbequickly]

Garmin makes a great product but being an Apple phone user, the Apple Watch is most productive.

 

[Monkswhiskers]

I think if you are a stat junkie, Garmin makes sense. Used to do triathlons and I had a Garmin 310xt when it came out and was blown away by the amount it could do, did I make use of it? did I heck. All I really needed was gps, and average pace. Probably only used 5% of it's capability. Move on 14years and the Epix probably does a whole lot more, but I would still only use the basics. So it's the Apple Watch for me.

 

[Smartwatchlover]

Guys, I'm so much confused on what's going to be my next smartwatch here...

One side of me is looking at AW Ultra 2 as a natural evolution of my AW6 while on the other side I have several friends that wear Garmin and they are just amazed by the battery life, their robustness and overall look (which is pretty cool, TBH).

My daily usage of AW6 contemplates sleep tracking, notifications from various apps, sport tracking, credit card payment, vibrating wake up call, occasionally reply to whatsapp messages, capturing music with Shazam. I do not play music from the AW as I use my phone for that.

Quite frustrated by the battery life that now is around 1 day (keeping the screen off unless I tap it), I'm trying to understand what may be the user experience if I move to Garmin (let's say to the fenix 7X).

Why Garmin? Because being not natively conceived for the Android (i.e. Samsung) or iOS environment, should be quite OS-agnostic

What am I going to lose if I move to Garmin?

1- Music from Apple Music - As I said, I don't really care about that
2- Ability to quickly reply from the watch to iMessage or Whatsapp messages - not crucial but sometimes annoying, I can live with that
3- Ability to pay through Apple Pay (used extensively): bad, but there is the equivalent, Garmin Pay (or I can use the iphone)
4- Ability to see my Outlook calendar from the watch using the specific complication? I fear that Garmin doesn't have it
5 - Ability to get the AW version of many other applications that I use on my iphone - may be annoying, depending on the specific application (i.e. say goodbye to the music captured from the AW using Shazam or to get the 2D boarding pass on your watch of a specific airlines supporting it)

I think that, more in general, the real question is if I need a wearable extension of my phone or a cool watch with a decent amount of iphone-integrated (and non integrated) applications and a massive battery life.

Not easy to get an answer, at least for me.

 

[BSG75]

I've been wearing an Apple Watch since the beginning, but am starting to get a little bored with it. I currently and the Ultra 1 and it's a very good watch, but I've been tempted by Garmin as well. When I comes to what is lost when moving to Garmin, I'm in a similar boat:

1. Don't use my watch for music or podcasts.
2. I still find myself fishing my phone out of my pocket to respond to texts, although I do respond from the watch on occasion.
3. I only use Apple Pay on occasion
4. Still use my phone and/or computer to manage my calendar
5. However, some of the features on the AW: crash/fall detection, heart rate notifications, seamless integration with the iPhone, might be missed.

I might find a Fennix or Epix at a deal price and give it a try. I don't see myself ditching the AW completely. Maybe I just need to try something different for a while.

 

[Marli]

1. Don't use my watch for music or podcasts.
2. I still find myself fishing my phone out of my pocket to respond to texts, although I do respond from the watch on occasion.
3. I only use Apple Pay on occasion
4. Still use my phone and/or computer to manage my calendar
5. However, some of the features on the AW: crash/fall detection, heart rate notifications, seamless integration with the iPhone, might be missed.

I might find a Fennix or Epix at a deal price and give it a try. I don't see myself ditching the AW completely. Maybe I just need to try something different for a while.

I have had an Apple watch since Version 2.. I found the apps pretty well useless for anything productive, so always pulled the phone out. Notifications are good to tell you to find your phone. Being able to answer the odd call and unlock the Mac were good..

Other than that, I just got sick and tired of the battery life.. I am about to head out for a week in remote area. I dont even take a Garmin charger. I havent changed it for a week at this point.. Might charge it sometime next month.. Battery charging doesn't even get thought about.. and that's how it should be

And the Garmin does nearly everything I used on the apple watch, except the unlocking of the mac.. which I can live without.. It does fitness, health, hiking, mapping far better than the Apple watch.. The Apple watch isnt even close. Also the calendar function isnt that good. just gives you your next appointment. There are apps available, but I think the AW wins here clearly, but I always picked up the phone anyway. so I dont miss this at all.

Yep, the Apple watch does some cool things on paper. but if you are the sort of person that even remotely pushes limits, you will get frustrated with battery life.. and its toy like build.

Garmin does fall detection, if I crash my bike it alerts the Mrs, not sure how it compares with the AW, Garmin does heart rate notifications, has basic integration with iPhone via its app.. this is where AW wins hands down. But it does mean it doesnt need the iPhone to exist.

The Garmin I got, Epix Pro Gen 2 titanium in 51mm, is more expensive than the Ultra.. But it looks more substantial, and like you are getting something for the ridiculous price.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Love my Instinct Crossover SO much

For me the Garmins are perfect as the vast majority of what I want is activity and health tracking, with insane battery life. (I charge every 7-10 days depending upon activities in particular)

I also really like their cloud/ecosystem and Apps

For those who want a lot of what an AW offers, but in a Garmin, the Venu 3 is a good choice

 

[TechRunner]

I've always gravitated towards Garmin watches regardless of my phone make/model. Currently using a Venu 2, but I also have an Instinct for those times when I do more rugged outdoorsy stuff because that watch can take a beating and delivers ridiculous battery life.

For those who like the square style of the AW Garmin has a square Venu:

Garmin Venu® Sq 2 | Fitness & Health Smartwatch

Venu Sq 2 is a budget-friendly fitness smartwatch that pairs with Apple & Android. Features include up to 11 days of battery life, and health tracking features like wrist-based heart rate.

www.garmin.com