Samsung and Google claim the top spots for smartwatches and wearable tech (alongside Apple), and for good reason. While the war between the Galaxy and Pixel smartwatches continues, with many smartwatch wearers picking their favorite out of those two, there’s another contender in the ring that gets criminally overlooked: Garmin.
Here are five things Garmin does better than Google and Samsung models.
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The superior GPS precision
One of Garmin’s many trackers
This feature may not seem like a huge factor for the average smartwatch wearer, but if you’re looking to upgrade your Fitbit or spend a large amount of time outdoors (hiking, walking, and running), this is worth noting. Garmin is renowned for its superior in-built GPS tracking, which has been praised for being a lot better than your average smartphone’s GPS. Speaking from personal experience, my iPhone’s GPS leaves plenty to be desired.
Garmin is hailed as the best for fitness tracking, for other reasons we’ll get into later in the article. But, for right now, there’s one standout that Reddit users have pointed to, making it significantly better than the likes of Samsung Galaxy watches. The GPS on Garmin watches is “significantly more accurate”, especially in areas where conditions aren’t ideal. So if you spend a lot of time in wooded areas or less-traversed paths, Garmin is the better choice for knowing exactly where you are.
Specialist training metrics
Watches with a bazillion sensors
Kelly Hodgkins / Review Geek
In Kelly Hodgkins’ review, the Garmin Enduro 2 smartwatch takes the cake for sports modes and health tracking. Filled to the brim with sensors, the Enduro 2 is prepared to track anything and everything you do, from a game of ping pong to a mountain hike.
Each Sport Mode that’s built into the watch is designed to work with sport-specific metrics, allowing you to closely track your health data while you’re exercising, including the expected pace, distance, time, and heart rate. The Enduro 2 also has plenty of connectivity (Bluetooth, ANT+ and Wi-Fi connectivity), so if there’s any other wearables you want to add to your workout routine, you can easily sync them with the Garmin watch.
In a Reddit forum comparing a Galaxy and a Garmin smartwatch, one user said there’s “no contest” when it comes to comparing the fitness tracking capabilities, “it’s Garmin.”
Offline health tracking
No need to depend on your phone
Kelly Hodgkins / Review Geek
Garmin is a clear winner for those looking for what is essentially a Fitbit on steroids, but does it come with limitations? Can you use the Garmin offline? Yep — it does that too. Compared to the Apple Watch Ultra 3, Garmin smartwatches are one of the few models on the market that let you use the watch pretty much exactly the same way while “offline”. You can still use all of its features without relying on the cloud.
Essentially, you can use this watch and its nifty features (like recording GPS activity or monitoring heart rate) without relying on your smartphone or internet connection.
Fun fact, Garmin smartwatches are compatible with Samsung, Apple and Google smartphones — even newer models! This trumps the likes of newer Samsung smartwatches, which are not compatible with iPhones thanks to their Wear OS.
“Unlimited” battery
This thing can last for weeks
Kelly Hodgkins / Review Geek
Galaxy Watch Ultras boast an impressive battery life of up to 100 hours, the Google Pixel Watch 4 promises up to 40 hours, and the Apple Watch Ultra 3 promises up to 72 hours. All of these numbers are dependent on how you use your smartwatch and can vary from day to day depending on how much you use the watch on any given day.
Garmin’s Instinct 2 smartwatch boasts improved solar technology that is said to deliver an “unlimited” battery life. Well… this isn’t strictly true.
To get an “unlimited” battery life, it would require you to use the Garmin watch in “smartwatch mode” and not for tracking your fitness whatsoever, and you’d have to spend at least 3 hours in direct sunlight every day to ensure its battery can be replenished. That doesn’t mean Garmin’s battery isn’t the most impressive. The Enduro 3 model lasts up to 36 days, with that figure stretching to the area of 90 days while utilizing the solar functions.
Heart Rate Monitor
Yes
Onboard GPS
Yes
The Garmin Instinct 2X Solar is a rugged smartwatch with tons of great features, including exercise tracking, health and sleep metrics, contactless payments, solar charging, and more.
Military grade design
Without skimping on style
Credit: Garmin
I’ve personally found it very difficult to damage any of the smartwatches I’ve owned — and I’m notorious for never using screen protectors. That said, I don’t spend a lot of time climbing mountains or traversing rugged terrain, so it’s unlikely my smartwatch is at high risk of being damaged. If you’ve had issues with this in the past, you might want to consider a Garmin for your next watch.
Unlike Google, Samsung and Apple smartwatches, Garmin wearables are designed more like outdoor tools than lifestyle accessories, so most of them are specifically constructed to withstand heavy outdoor use. Most models are created from durable materials that can face the elements without risk, and all models are crafted with military standards of thermal and shock resistance, so you can wear your watch wherever you go, without any need to worry about its safety.
How to know if Garmin is the smartwatch brand for you
For passive wearers like myself (who spend a shockingly little amount of time outside), a Garmin watch may not be a necessity. I don’t need a watch that can track my every step, but I’m not training to run a marathon or climb Mount Everest. For users looking for a smart accessory that doesn’t lose any of its quality-of-life features like contactless payments, but which can keep up with their fitness-focused lifestyle, there’s no competition.
Garmin can compile all of your health data, track your workouts, and provide training assistance, creating the ultimate fitness accessory.