Apple VS Garmin - Which watch is best for hiking/navigating?

You have the right to have your own opinions but I don’t think you have the right to say everyone wants the Apple Watch to be her/his daily driver.
I like several of the functions the AW provides but I never wore mine for just a few hours for some days until I finally sold it. The main reason was the absolutely sad battery life. But its screen was also a bit small and too delicate.
I have been using Garmin for more than 3 years and can’t really wear anything else except a dress watch for a party or similar. Before that I had Casio watches because of their quality and toughness.
They lack several of the nice functions of the AW but they still work good with an iPhone.

I don't get why people even argue about this. I sell outdoor watches, but not apple watches. Because they're not outdoor watches. they're great for everyday wear and sports, but if you're going on an adventure, get a proper outdoor brand that builds their products for this use.

I did my own little experiment, testing the Apple Watch Compass app as if it were my one and only navigation guru. No WorkOutDoors, no Footpath apps – just the built-in compass app. Don't get me wrong, those other apps are slick, and I'm quite fond of them. But the Apple Watch Ultra , seems to have been promoted as a potential Garmin stand-in (even if it hasn't quite reached the throne yet...). So, off I went, on a wild 10-mile trail run, in a land I barely knew, armed with nothing but the compass app and a bunch of preset waypoints and Gaia GPS on my phone in case I got into trouble. I'd typed in the coordinates from Gaia GPS (but any map app would do the trick). Surprisingly, the compass app, with those waypoints in tow, proved more than adequate. It was like a blast from my Garmin Fenix 5 past – where I also found the mapping features a bit like a riddle without a solution, just hard to navigate.

Battery life... I'm finding that battery life on several Garmin devices I've owned lasted a little longer than the AWU but not significantly longer. I'm not sure where or how people are getting amazing battery lives out of Garmins but I never did. My Fenix 5 could get me through a marathon and the battery was toast, even with battery saving features. So far, the AWU lasts about the same.

So, my conclusion? As long as you've got your trusty waypoints and a watch that knows how to get you to them, you're golden. No need to clutter your Apple Watch with more stuff.

The anti-apple wannabe different crowd always gets so bitchy it’s hysterical

I can’t see the texts on ultra 2 in dark room due to auto dimming and their is no manual settings.

Half of all Americans don't have an iPhone.

Does AllTrails or ONX app from my iPhone work on the watch?

apple watch ok for iphone users, what for android users?

I really want the new epix pro 51mm but I have the ultra and a 14 pro max. They work so well together, I feel like I’d just be wasting money. I already have the garmin instinct, for longer trips. I just love the look of the epix 51mm.

The garmin forerunner 305 or 310 were the best for trail running but garmin stopped supporting both

Here to say Chris Hazzard has aged REALLY well, from kind of nerdy to legitimately....hot.

Love my Garmin

I was so excited for AW Ultra. Bought it and been wearing it since it's release. Went on a weekend trip with family and after a single day filled with mountain biking, battery dropped to 20% within 12 hours. I did not bring a charger (who brings a watch charger for outdoor activities), and by midnight even at battery saver mode activated the Ultra was dead. I am sorry to say it but AW while packed with stunning features, is just no longer my go to outdoor watch.

Why 4-500 dollars extra. If you buy the Apple Watch 8 Stainless steel it is 100 dollars different.
At least in Austria it is 100€

Can someone explain to me how a one day battery can make sense in any watch?
I have garmin instinct 2, because it has 30 days battery life and even that imo should be better, but at least it charges from sun (if you spend 3hours in full sun a day, like when riding a motorcycle for example). The watch itself is meh, but it has awesome monochrome screen without touch capabilities which is my fav feature - buttons ftw.

Suunto :))

Apple watch is a toy, not a watch or it a ipod touch mini if some one gonna do serious hiking cycling , maping, gps tracking it gotta he garmin also garmin battery life last much longer especilly model with solar charing support will last even longer

To each their own, but something to think about: there are more runners and outdoorsy people who switch from AW to a Garmin watch; and, the battery in even the cheapest Garmin watch blows anything Apple puts into the AW (expect for full-on GPS mode). Only needing to charge once a week or two is far better than having to charge daily. I am pretty sure that if you were not a content creator, you might find more utility in a Garmin, but doing what you do, an AW likely has more value to you. This is not a slam against you, but you are also a person who is more likely to carry 2 - 3 back-up battery chargers. Not to mention, Garmin was doing GPS long before anyone else.

... and also...
Do you really think that most people use apple products?
Your crazy!
If you Apple... then everything has to be Apple approved..
What a pain ... give me some freedom... and usb-C 😅

Thanks for the great chat.
I think you both missed a bit by not mentioning the garmin 965.
Cheaper due to it being less back country than the Fenix and higher.
Yet... bigger screen and just as capable as it's more expensive siblings.
Still expensive. 😮

nobody wants apple watch to be "the watch"

That Garmin could be collecting dust on my wrist instead of collecting dust in your gear closet.

Seriously? Lmao.

Why can’t Garmin and Apple partner up to make an “all in one” line. If the Apple Ultra 2 could ever have a battery life like the Garmin products I’d be all over it since I would benefit more from the smartwatch use of a Apple Watch.

Regarding hiking/navigating, Apple isnt even on the same playing field as Garmin. Apple doesnt even compete with Coros and Sunnto in hiking/navigating.

coros bro

Watch OS 10 Will come with topo maps and offline use of Apple Maps with downloaded maps

Other than superior battery life, Garmin is also more straightforward and structured in terms of workout and fitness. Not only u got training suggestions, it also record your training load throughout the weeks and suggest when you have to rest. No need to install tons of third party apps

I think Apple watches are for people who like to sit in coffee shops and talk about being outdoors. I'm going with the Garmin Instinct 2X Solar.

Probably would have been better to save this talk for just a couple weeks haha. Would love to see an update to this video now that Apple just released offline maps, topo maps, upgraded compass, and the two new waypoints for last cell signal and emergency. Also the ability to search for nearby trails.

I fell for the Apple Watch hype ok the first generation of it. After that, I saw a lot of folk buying Garmin. I honestly thought they were crazy, and quickly realized that Apple Watch was just hype. They’ve been creating beautiful looking watches for 8 years claiming that are hardcore devices.

dude acted like an apple fanboy and i saw the bias and finally unsubscribed. all the best yall

Garmin works great as day to day too with notifications and incoming calls. You could call out too if ear pods in ear plus phone on you. Garmin has fall warning too to send emergency text.

The new fenix 7 x Pro looks great
Again on my wild about watches channel I have info on last years 7x which is beautiful.

Your 6x beats apple Outdoors too. I never use touchscreen Outdoors.

I own an Apple Watch Ultra and I have just bought the new Epix Pro 51. I have really tried to use the Apple Watch but the fact is it’s just not up to the standard of Garmin when it comes to fitness. It doesn’t even have a health app to the watch. This is just mind boggling for a health watch. It gives you basic health data but Garmin is so much better. I kills me to say this as I just love the AW Ultra looks but under the hood it’s not there for me.

Garmin supports all platforms and doesnt do this bs vendor lock in that Apple does. It works with Android and iOS equally well.

Not everyone has an iPhone Dan. Android has way more market share than iOS.

Wow. Guess I'm a caveman. I came to this video to look for reasonable hiking watches. But I cannot justify spending hundreds on a watch for hiking, running etc. As I have gotten older I can appreciate the SOS functions some of these watches have. I still rely on an old-school analog compass and paper trail maps. The Garmin Instinct seems like a reasonable alternative

I had an apple watch and it was my daily driver as Dan said until I fell in love with the outdoors and started spending more time in the outdoors. I get outdoors 3-4 times/week doing aver 30 miles a week and my go to trusted watch is GARMIN. I use a Garmin Fenix 6 Sapphire and I would swear by it. I still carry my Iphone 14Pro Max though, lol.

Garmin is better only for hiking. For everything else the AWU is better, there’s no comparison.

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Looking forward for a Google competitor in this area

Well im a fan of Suunto watches. Garmin in South Africa is way to much money and with Apple watches even more so.
For me Suunto watches is budget friendly and performs just as well as Garmin if not better

Bleeehhhh. Apple cult

This is the video I’ve been waiting for! Thanks for all the great info ❤

What if you're a casual hiker/backpacker that goes out 2 or three times a year and you HATE Apple products? Then what should your buy? I think the Fenix is too much watch for my needs...

I bought a Garmin Fenix 5x a few years ago. Never looked back. The battery life is incredible.

WorkOutDoors is great.

I also recommend putting it in “water mode” as well as low power mode. This keeps sun shirts from turning it off.

There's nothing like spending almost 1k on a watch then spending more money to make it work. I'll take the garmin for the win