Garmin Fenix 5 vs Apple Watch 4

[moops]

If money was no factor, which one and why (or why not the other)?


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[Shredhead]

I liked my Apple Watches, but they are kind of fragile. I’ve broken two crystals.
Still thinking of getting a 4 for the Fallsafety feature, since I ride remote trails solo, frequently.

[Pass Rat]

I cannot comment on is the usage of the features comparison between the two because I've owned and used neither but I will comment based on my experience with the Fenix 3 vs the Apple Watch 3. The best way to think of it in my mind is to consider the Apple Watch to be a computer that fits on the wrist while the Fenix is a wristwatch that happens to also be a computer. As other reviews will say, the Apple Watch is fragile. The Fenix, while fragile because of the fact that it has a large face that can be broken, can still be hit against things without too much worry. I would definitely be a lot more cognizant of an Apple watch and being broken.

The thing that personally would seal the deal for me is that the Fenix can be used on its own while the Apple Watch is largely designed to be used with an iPhone. Another thing which may or may not be important to you is waterproofness. The fenix is good to 10ATM (100M) while the Apple Watch is good to 50M. While both are not recommended for diving, I have used the Fenix 3 down to 100ft with no issues. I would not trust the Apple Watch to do the same.

Another thing is battery life, the Fenix battery will last at least 6 hours longer when running all the features from GPS, to heart rate, to activity tracking. The Fenix can also be used as an actual watch with the battery lasting a couple weeks whereas the apple watch cannot do that.

[bean]

How much battery life do you need and how important are the smart-watch features to you?

I had a 935 (Fenix5 with a plastic bezel) because I was doing lots of long runs and races and liked the notifications but don't run any more, it got replaced under warranty and I sold it because I don't run anymore and have an AW4 now. I like it, a normal day without any tracking only has me down ~25% on battery.

I haven't done any longer days on it but plan to soon and see how long it can go. I've also got an old 220 I can use when I need 10 hours of tracking.