As a wearable technology specialist, I‘ve had the Apple Watch and Garmin‘s sports watches on my radar for years. Both make compelling cases to strap to your wrist daily to enhance health, fitness, connectivity and more.
But if you could choose just one smartwatch right now, which comes out on top? Read on as I pit Apple‘s best-selling Watch Series 8 head-to-head against Garmin‘s lifestyle-focused Venu 2.
The Contenders: Apple Watch and Garmin Venu 2 Overview
Before diving into the details, let‘s set the stage on each smartwatch‘s strengths and target consumer:
Apple Watch Series 8
When the original Apple Watch launched in 2015, it catapulted smartwatches into the mainstream. Apple masterfully shrunk advanced computer hardware into a fashionable wrist-based accessory.
Seven generations later, Apple Watch has only tightened its grip as the top-selling smartwatch globally. The latest Series 8 design remains iconic while packing the new dual-core S8 SiP (System in Package) delivering 20% quicker app launches over Series 7‘s S7 chip.
Apple continues leading smartwatches in FDA-cleared health monitoring like ECG and Blood Oxygen while adding new sensors to track temperature and better monitor cycles. Sophisticated cycle tracking combined with crash detection and fall detection showcase Apple‘s focus on providing special care and insight to women.
For iPhone owners, Apple Watch‘s seamless integration, from texting to Apple Pay, remains unmatched. But all users benefit from the polished watchOS interface and thriving Apple ecosystem of health and wellness apps.
If you want the very best extension of your iPhone on your wrist plus leadership in personal health insights, Apple Watch Series 8 makes a superb choice.
Garmin Venu 2
While Apple commands smartwatch market share overall, Garmin remains a giant in dedicated fitness tracking and sports watches. For performance athletes and data nerds tracking every aspect of training, the depth of Garmin‘s analytics is hard to beat.
But in recent years, Garmin has translated their fitness heritage into more lifestyle-focused wearables with the Venu family. Venu 2 distills top-level metrics into an attractive, round watch design better suited for all-day wear.
Inside you get Garmin‘s usual cornucopia of sensors and tracking. GPS, heart rate monitoring, sleep scores, stress levels, respiration, blood oxygen, hydration tracking and advanced cycle analytics give a complete picture of health and performance.
With the Venu 2 series specifically, Garmin also adds an AMOLED display for vivid colors, optional always-on mode and support for offline music (hourly playlist sync from Spotify, Deezer etc). Pair that big, beautiful screen withmuch longer battery life than Apple Watch, and the Venu 2 makes a great crossover for iPhone and Android users.
If hardcore fitness analytics in a smarter, lifestyle design appeals over a full smartwatch experience, the Garmin Venu 2 warrants a close look.
Now let‘s scrutinize how these two watches compare across all the features that matter most day to day.
Apple Watch vs Garmin Venu: Side-by-Side Spec Showdown
I‘ve distilled the key technical specifications in the table below to get an at-a-glance sense of each watch‘s capabilities:
| Specs | Apple Watch Series 8 | Garmin Venu 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Launch | September 2022 | April 2021 |
| Dimensions |
|
|
| Display | 41mm: – 1.69" LTPO OLED – 352 x 430 pixels – 326 PPI 45mm: |
43mm: – 1.1′′ AMOLED – 416 x 416 pixels – 331 PPI 45mm: |
Even from the high-level view, we begin seeing meaningful differences that may sway you one way or another:
- Display – Both make compelling cases but come down to rectangular vs circular preferences
- Dimensions – Apple offers more size options though Garmin is thinner
- Software – watchOS provides tighter iPhone integration while Garmin connects cross-platform
Let‘s explore the full experience of using each watch in greater depth across the functionality you‘ll actually notice day to day.
Apple Watch vs Garmin Head-to-Head Feature Comparison
Here I‘ll break down how Apple Watch Series 8 and Garmin Venu 2 stack up across health tracking, fitness & performance, smart features and overall utility.
Health Monitoring and Wellness Tracking
Wearables like these introduce an exciting new era where our devices monitor vital signs and provide greater insight than ever before into our physical and mental health on a 24/7 basis.
Both watches deliver robust wellness tracking foundations – from sleep and heart rate to blood oxygen, stress levels and respiration tracking. Each ties the metrics together into holistic health snapshots and scores right on your wrist rather than just raw data.
But Apple leans further into preventative health with a few standout advantages:
- Temperature sensors in Series 8 provide deeper insights for women‘s health. Enhanced cycle tracking plus temperature data aids identifying ovulation windows while better managing periods.
- ECG/EKG heart monitoring and irregular rhythm notifications bring clinical-grade cardiac assessments.
- Fall detection and the breakthrough new crash detection (using motion sensors plus GPS, microphone and barometer) provide an extra layer of protection that‘s quite literally lifesaving.
Make no mistake – Garmin still offers best-in-class tracking for advanced athletes. But for more casual users prioritizing a simplified health experience, Apple Watch has the edge.
Fitness Tracking and Performance Monitoring
Here is where Garmin‘s sports technology heritage shines through in depth and breadth of analytics. While Apple excels at friendly fitness tracking for the Average Joe, Garmin Venu 2 satisfies data-hungry performance athletes obsessed with analytics.
Both watches will serve you well counting steps and calories, monitoring background heart rate and suggesting movement goals. Each features preloaded activity profiles for everything from yoga to skiing that provides relevant tracking metrics. You can also create custom workouts combining different disciplines.
But Garmin dials the detail past 11 for runners, cyclists, golfers and other sports. Niche performance indicators like Training Load Focus, Recovery Time, PacePro and Heat/Altitude Acclimation cater specifically to human performance.
Another advantage of Garmin is onboard GPS to accurately track pace, distance and route without carrying a smartphone. Apple Watch requires pairing an iPhone to leverage phone GPS.
For multi-sport competitive athletes or serious hobbyists, I‘d go Garmin without question. But Apple Watch activity tracking will fully satisfy more casual exercisers.
Smart Features and App Ecosystem
One significant dilemma for prospective smartwatch buyers is just how "smart" they really need their watch to be.
If you just want the essential notifications, music controls and fitness/health tracking, both these watches deliver. But people upgrading from a traditional timepiece often have loftier expectations for the versatility of computer on the wrist.
This is where Apple Watch Series 8 pulls far ahead as the best-in-class smartwatch extension of your iPhone:
- Send messages via dictation, scribble or smart replies right from your wrist
- Use Apple Pay for transactions without your wallet at millions of retailers
- Control your smart home devices like lights, locks and more through Apple‘s Home app
- Use Find My to help locate a lost or misplaced iPhone
- Enjoy 30M+ songs from Apple Music or offline playlists from Spotify/Pandora
- Launch apps easily with as little as a tap or swipe
- Leverage Siri intelligence hands-free via "Hey Siri" voice commands
- Capture epic selfies remotely using your iPhone‘s camera
- Access release notes, weather, stocks, news and more at a glance
Beyond the deep iOS integration, I‘m extremely impressed by how proactively Watch surfaces relevant information as you need it via notifications and Apple‘s Focus mode. Interface navigation feels fluid with the digital crown, buttons and quality haptics.
That‘s tough to compete with for non-Apple platforms. Still, Garmin makes the most of Android/iPhone compatibility and connections across their broader ecosystem of fitness gear. You get notifications and music controls quickly, plus offline playlist storage for listening sans phone. But the experience feels more passive unless you‘re drilling into the copious training data.
For the ultimate wrist-top computer interplay with your iPhone, Apple Watch wins easily. But I applaud Garmin for squeezing full-fledged smart features into the Venu 2 without excess bulk.
Battery Life
One pain point that has plagued smartwatches is less than stellar runtime compared to traditional timepieces or fitness trackers. Numerous advanced sensors and bright displays tax smaller batteries.
Apple has slowly stretched day-to-day endurance with each new generation, eking out 18 hours of mixed usage for Series 8 under normal conditions. That gets you comfortably from morning to bedtime unless you push GPS or LTE heavily.
Garmin‘s sports watch background pays dividends with substantially longer operation between charges. The Venu 2 lasts an incredible 11 days (10 for smaller model) in full smartwatch mode including activity tracking. Enable GPS and playback music directly from the watch, and it still achieves a respectable 8 hours before needing a top up.
For road warriors and outdoorsmen, that‘s a potential game changer not having to pack a special charging cable and plug. I also appreciate how Garmin supports rapid charging – plug in for just 10 minutes to extend smartwatch mode by a full day or 1 hour of GPS runtime.
This round goes to Garmin in a landslide. Kudos for the vastly longer endurance that better fits an active lifestyle.
Which Smartwatch is Best for You: Apple or Garmin?
Let‘s recap the key factors you should weigh when choosing between Apple Watch Series 8 vs Garmin Venu 2:
Integrated experience — Apple if you live and breathe the iOS/Mac ecosystem, Garmin for flexibility across platforms
Fitness focus — Garmin if hardcore performance stats rule all, Apple for friendly fitness tracking
Display and design — Apple wins on quality and dazzle though some prefer Garmin‘s round watch face
Battery life — Garmin stands head and shoulders above for lasting weeks between charges if needed
Price — Both start around $399 for base models targeting premium shoppers
For me, the Apple Watch Series 8 strikes the ideal balance across the above criteria while pushing smartwatches forward with innovative health analysis and connectivity. Unless hardcore athletics take priority or cross-platform ties matter, I believe Apple offers the best blend of form and function.
That said, don‘t underestimate Garmin‘s outstanding Voy IQ ecosystem for multi-sport training combined with much longer battery life than Apple between charges. Hopefully the side-by-side breakdown gives clarity around the strengths of each watch for your individual needs and tastes.
I‘m eager to hear if you have any other questions I can address about Apple Watch vs Garmin! Please leave a comment below with your top priorities for picking a smartwatch or any other feedback.
Now let‘s cover some frequently asked buying considerations as you weigh these two impressive options.
Apple Watch vs Garmin Buying FAQs
Still debating between Apple and Garmin‘s top smartwatch contenders? These answers to commonly asked questions should help tilt you one way or the other:
Is the new Apple Watch Ultra better than the Series 8?
Apple Watch Ultra targets extreme athletes with a rugged titanium chassis, bigger brighter display and longer 36+ hour battery. Most buyers don‘t require the overkill design or special strap/button locks. Save $200+ sticking with Series 8 unless you really beat up watches pursuing hardcore adventures.
How does the Garmin Venu 2 compare to other Garmin watches?
The Venu 2 strikes an excellent balance of Garmin‘s in-depth fitness tracking in a lifestyle-focused package. Compared to flagship Fenix/Epix watches, you sacrifice some hardcore metrics and modes for a slimmer design profile and AMOLED display. But still far more advanced analytics than entry Forerunner/Vivo watches.
Can the Apple Watch detect AFib or other heart conditions?
Using the ECG app, Apple Watch Series 8 can detect atrial fibrillation (AFib) which causes irregular rhythm. You won‘t suddenly learn you have AFib out the blue, but the ECG provides early warning signs directing you to cardiology care. It can‘t diagnose other specific conditions – it‘s ultimately a monitoring/risk detection tool supplementing doctor visits.
Does the Garmin or Apple watch track blood pressure?
Unfortunately neither watch directly support cuff-less blood pressure tracking currently – that remains an elusive holy grail! But both use heart rate variability as a general stress and cardiovascular health indicator. Apple Watch notably provides push notification if rhythm becomes concerning.
Can I respond to emails on Apple Watch or Garmin Venu?
Due to the smaller screen real estate, neither watch supports composing traditional emails. But Apple Watch does allow responding to simple text-based messages with dictation, handwriting recognition or preset smart replies. For productivity, you‘ll still need to leverage the paired phone.
Which is smarter for notifications and communication?
No contest here in Apple‘s favor for going beyond notification mirroring. View images or embedded info right on your wrist. Then utilize dictation, scribbles or smart replies to respond without pulling out your iPhone. Garmin allows quick notifications too but response options very limited.
Let me know if you have any other questions arise! I‘m always happy to lend my smart wearable expertise to match buyers with the perfect device.
Josh Smith, Wearable Technology Analyst
