Premium Smartwatches for Athletes
Both the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Garmin Fenix 8 target active users who demand more than basic step counting. We spent four weeks with each.
Design and Build
Apple Watch Ultra 3: 49mm titanium, 3,000-nit sapphire display. Garmin Fenix 8: 47mm or 51mm options with AMOLED or MIP display. Both are rugged, but Garmin feels more tool-watch oriented.
Fitness Tracking Accuracy
GPS accuracy within 1 percent for both across 20 runs. Heart rate accuracy comparable during steady-state exercise, but Garmin showed faster response during intervals.
Sport-Specific Features
Garmin leads with 50+ sport profiles, training readiness, body battery, recovery advisor, and offline maps. Apple excels in workout detection and third-party app integration.
Battery Life
Garmin Fenix 8: 29 days smartwatch mode, 48 hours GPS. Apple Watch Ultra 3: 36 hours normal use, 12 hours GPS. For multi-day adventures, Garmin is the only option.
Smart Features
Apple wins: cellular connectivity, app ecosystem, Apple Pay, Find My. Garmin offers basic notifications, Garmin Pay, and music storage.
Health Monitoring
Both offer ECG, blood oxygen, sleep tracking. Apple adds FDA-cleared sleep apnea detection and blood pressure trends. Garmin provides more granular recovery metrics.
Price
Apple Watch Ultra 3: $799. Garmin Fenix 8 AMOLED: $999.
Verdict
Choose Apple for the best smartwatch with good fitness. Choose Garmin for serious athletes needing multi-day battery and training analytics.