Apple Watch vs Garmin: Which Smartwatch Wins in 2026?
Based on real-world marathon testing from Tom's Guide, expert reviews from TechRadar and Runner's World, plus long-term user experiences
The short answer: Garmin wins for fitness enthusiasts and serious athletes thanks to unmatched battery life, superior GPS accuracy, and deeper training metrics. However, Apple Watch is the better choice for iPhone users who want health monitoring, smart features, and daily convenience over dedicated fitness tracking. Garmin Forerunner 265 on Amazon for $449 →
The Fighters
| Apple Watch | Garmin | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $399+ on Amazon | $200+ on Amazon |
| Best For | Smart features, health alerts, iPhone users | Athletes, battery life, GPS accuracy |
| Battery Life | 18-42 hours | 7-48 days |
| GPS Accuracy | Good | Best-in-class |
| Phone Compatibility | iPhone only | iPhone + Android |
The Death Match: 6 Rounds, 1 Winner
We're scoring each round from 1-10. Higher score wins the round. Let's fight!
Round 1: Battery Life
This isn't close. Garage Gym Reviews reports the Garmin Forerunner 965 lasts "up to 23 days between charges in smartwatch mode." The Garmin Fenix 8? Up to 48 days.
Meanwhile, the Apple Watch Series 10 offers 18 hours. Even the Ultra 3 stretches to only 42 hours normally—and Tom's Guide notes that "once you fire up full GPS and heart-rate tracking, you're closer to 14 hours."
As Good Housekeeping puts it: "Garmin watches are miles ahead of their Apple counterparts when it comes to battery life. Adventure-oriented models can last for days on end, and some can technically go on indefinitely due to a handy solar-charging feature."
| Apple Watch | Garmin |
|---|---|
| 4/10 | 10/10 |
Round 1 Winner: Garmin — 48 days vs 42 hours. Not even a contest.
Score after Round 1: Apple 4 | Garmin 10
Round 2: Smart Features & Daily Use
Apple built a smartwatch that happens to track fitness. It shows. WatchOS is "buttery-smooth" with gesture controls, raise-to-speak Siri, and a "smorgasbord of third-party apps."
You can reply to texts, make calls with LTE, use Apple Pay everywhere, get turn-by-turn haptic navigation on your wrist, and ask Siri to set timers while your hands are dirty cooking.
Garmin? Good Housekeeping notes the limitations: "No voice assistant. No LTE. No fall/crash detection. You can't reply to text messages on Garmin." Garmin Pay exists but is less widely accepted than Apple Pay.
| Apple Watch | Garmin |
|---|---|
| 10/10 | 5/10 |
Round 2 Winner: Apple Watch — A true smartwatch vs a fitness tracker with notifications.
Score after Round 2: Apple 14 | Garmin 15
Round 3: GPS Accuracy
For runners and outdoor athletes, GPS accuracy is critical. Vertu's analysis declares Garmin's Multi-Band GNSS with SatIQ technology "the champion."
Why? "SatIQ automatically selects the optimal satellite mode to balance accuracy and battery life, resulting in cleaner GPS tracks with less drift when running under tree cover, next to tall buildings, or in remote areas."
Garage Gym Reviews confirms: "Garmin excels in fitness tracking, offering robust metrics for runners, cyclists, and outdoor adventurers. Its GPS accuracy is unmatched, making it a favorite among athletes."
Apple Watch GPS is fine for casual use, but Reddit users have noted it "was always a bit off from friends" during runs.
| Apple Watch | Garmin |
|---|---|
| 7/10 | 10/10 |
Round 3 Winner: Garmin — Best-in-class satellite technology for serious athletes.
Score after Round 3: Apple 21 | Garmin 25
Round 4: Fitness Tracking Depth
Garmin was built for athletes. Good Housekeeping explains: "Garmin watches are generally considered better than the Apple Watch for fitness tracking because they offer a wide range of more accurate fitness metrics and comprehensive tools to track your body's overall health."
The feature list is staggering: Training Effect, Workout Load, VO2 Max estimates, Recovery Time recommendations, Performance Condition, real-time stamina, Training Readiness, Body Battery, Hill Score, and Endurance Score.
Apple has improved—Series 10 finally added Training Load—but Runner's World notes it's "still not a true rival to the breadth and depth you'll get from Garmin's top watches."
| Apple Watch | Garmin |
|---|---|
| 6/10 | 9/10 |
Round 4 Winner: Garmin — Decades of fitness expertise vs a smartwatch learning to run.
Score after Round 4: Apple 27 | Garmin 34
Round 5: Health Monitoring
Here's where Apple strikes back. Good Housekeeping states: "When it comes to monitoring for serious health conditions, Apple has Garmin beat."
Apple Watch offers: - Sleep apnea detection (Garmin doesn't have this) - Hypertension alerts (unique to Apple—no other smartwatch offers this) - ECG/AFib detection - Fall and crash detection with automatic emergency calls
Garmin has Body Battery and stress tracking, but lacks the life-saving health alerts that have genuinely rescued Apple Watch users. The FDA-cleared ECG and irregular heart rhythm notifications are compelling for health-conscious buyers.
| Apple Watch | Garmin |
|---|---|
| 9/10 | 6/10 |
Round 5 Winner: Apple Watch — Medical-grade health alerts could save your life.
Score after Round 5: Apple 36 | Garmin 40
Round 6: Value & Compatibility
Two factors matter here: price and phone compatibility.
Price: Garmin starts lower. The Forerunner 55 costs $200—$50 less than Apple's cheapest model. Mid-range Garmins match Apple Watch pricing, while premium Fenix models ($999-1,999) exceed Apple Watch Ultra ($799).
Compatibility: This is huge. Apple Watch works exclusively with iPhones. Good Housekeeping explains: "If you've got a Google Pixel or Android phone, you'll be unable to connect." Garmin works with everything—iPhones, Android, any smartphone.
For the ~44% of US smartphone users on Android, Garmin is the only viable premium option.
| Apple Watch | Garmin |
|---|---|
| 6/10 | 8/10 |
Round 6 Winner: Garmin — Works with any phone and offers more pricing options.
Final Score
| Product | Total Score | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Garmin | 48/60 | WINNER |
| Apple Watch | 42/60 |
The Winner: Garmin
Garmin wins this Death Match because its core strengths—battery life, GPS accuracy, and fitness tracking—are what dedicated athletes actually need. You can train for a marathon, hike for a week, or run every day without charging anxiety.
TechRadar gave the Garmin Fenix 8 five stars versus four-and-a-half for the Apple Watch Ultra 3. The difference? "Battery life is a huge difference between the two... runners can complete battery-sucking GPS workouts and hikers can go on multi-stage trips off-grid for days, and never run out of juice."
And crucially, Garmin works with any phone. Half the smartphone market can't even use Apple Watch.
Ready to buy the winner? Get Garmin Forerunner 265 on Amazon →
When Apple Watch Actually Wins
Apple Watch isn't right for everyone, but it's the better choice if:
- You're deep in the Apple ecosystem: AirPods, iPhone, Mac—the integration is seamless. Texts, calls, Apple Pay, Siri all work beautifully.
- Health monitoring is your priority: Sleep apnea detection, hypertension alerts, and ECG could literally save your life. Garmin can't match this.
- You want a smartwatch first, fitness second: Third-party apps, LTE connectivity, and voice assistant make Apple Watch a wrist computer.
- You run casually, not competitively: Apple Watch tracks runs fine. Most people don't need Garmin's elite training metrics.
Apple Watch might be right for you: Check Apple Watch Series 10 on Amazon →
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Apple Watch with an Android phone?
No. Apple Watch requires an iPhone—period. If you use Android, Garmin is your only premium smartwatch option. This alone makes the decision for nearly half of smartphone users.
Which is more accurate for running?
Garmin. Its Multi-Band GNSS with SatIQ technology delivers "cleaner GPS tracks with less drift" according to multiple sources. Apple Watch GPS is adequate for casual runners but trails Garmin for serious athletes.
Is 18-hour battery life really a problem?
Depends on usage. If you sleep track, work out, and use smart features, you'll charge daily. For multi-day hiking or ultramarathons, Apple Watch simply can't compete with Garmin's week-plus battery life.
Which has better sleep tracking?
Both track sleep well. Apple offers sleep apnea detection—a genuine health feature. Garmin integrates sleep data into its Body Battery and Training Readiness ecosystem. Choose based on whether you want health alerts (Apple) or training optimization (Garmin).