Amazon now has the Fenix Pro 51mm case and the Apple Watch Ultra too: Garmin Fenix 7 Pro 51mm: amzn.to/43orxPr Apple Watch Ultra: amzn.to/44jZ5zm These are affiliate links

Terrific video Julian. I'm an Apple Watch user and have enjoyed using several iterations of the device; the flawless connection to my AirPods, unlocking my other apple devices, and Apple Pay to name a few. I've been researching Garmin watches so I can take advantage of the much longer battery life and as I become less interested in 'staying connected' at all times the Garmin lineup has become more attractive, since I don't want notifications popping up while exercising. One of the most appealing features Garmin has that Apple does not (yet) are the coaching features. I would love my watch to recommend training plans based on my recovery and 'training readiness'. If Apple solves the battery issue (maybe 3-4 days on a single charge at a minimum) and adds some training support, I will stick around, but if they do not provide these features in the near future a switch to Garmin might be needed. Looking forward to your videos on this topic.

@ThisIsJulianC

26 күн бұрын

Thanks! I made a follow up video recently that might cover some of your points: kzread.info/dash/bejne/eGZkrqeiaaW8qtI.html I am much clearer today that I will stick with Garmin watches and not go down the Apple Watch path.

Honestly, apples’s Achilles heel, is the battery life. They really need to crack that. Nice video. Thanks

@ThisIsJulianC

10 ай бұрын

Thanks for the comments. Agree… once that gets extended even to say a week, the AWU proposition starts to feel more appealing

I’ve always had a Garmin, currently have the EPIX Gen 2. It’s outstanding. However, being in the Apple ecosystem system, I have just purchased the Ultra and It fits perfectly in my daily use. Short runs and walks I’ll use the AWU. If I’m on the hills all day or mountain biking, I’ll use the EPIX. Go with what suits you best.

@ThisIsJulianC

10 ай бұрын

Thanks Mark. How do you find the overall fitness data tracking when switching between two watches on different systems?

@marksharp

10 ай бұрын

@@ThisIsJulianC I have to admit, I am quite enjoying the limited data the stock apple workout/health apps give. With the Epix I was constantly trying to improve Vo2 max, observing stress levels etc. now I just use the Garmin when I know I will need the battery and stats for time on the hills and MTB. The AWU, I’ll just go on a run and go on how I feel without thinking about stats. Also, with it being linked to Strava, if I need those stats, it’s there.

Hi Julian! (I got your comment on the other video and watched this one). Great work and valid points. A few things I thought of as you were talking, one important thing you mentioned one of your other videos is that when you look down at your wrist often times this can help make that choice easier. For me, personally I am not (anymore) in the Apple camp. I was from the early 2000's until around the time that Job's past away. From that point on, I have not been impressed with Apple and in 2017 when it was time to re-invest into my production equipment, it was silly looking at Apple anymore and built out an amazing Windows 10 server that has been flawless all this time, with non of the headaches, restrictions and most importantly cost that was involved with Apple. It was then when I learned about there are personal choices and business choices. For me the latter is what I had to move on with and I have no regrets. Honestly, when I see the "general population" with an Apple watch strapped to their wrist it's generally telling the same story (with some exception of course). Granted that is my narrow view on it, but I can't deny that whenever I see someone with a Garmin watch, they are *actually* fit and into fitness. I hear you echo this when you attend professional events. Just like Rolex has the "perception" of the "best" (so silly as well), Garmin has that going for them in full spades. Apparently, Apple thinks so too otherwise they would have deployed a dedicated team to crush Garmin and take the market before now. I don't like Apple because I feel trapped into an eco-system, while nice and "works" somehow, I have grown to dislike that feeling. You're also correct, Garmin Connect is the real win here. The device (front end) is almost not important. lol. Pick whatever speaks to your personal taste and your good to go (is how I feel now, having owned a 245, F6, Marq Aviator, the 955 and now the Epix). Having the round watch case, having buttons on the case so I DONT have to touch the screen and get my finger grease all over it is huge too. I also think to a point Garmin feels a little of "If it's not broken don't fix it". Yes, they were forced to do AMOLED and I think that was a good move. They did it and they did it better than Apple on many objective levels. Subjectively I think most people would agree that they also look nicer, more like a real watch would too (especially the Epix & Marq). I would take out a whiteboard... make two columns and draw out what you love and don't about each and assign them a value from 1 - 10. See where you land. I thought I would HATE an AMOLED screen. Here I am now on my first day with the new Epix Pro and (so far) I am sold. Why? Because I reflected on my feelings and saw that I was holding on to the amazing look / performance of the MIP in direct Miami sun. True. But.. how many hours a day (on average) am I in the sun? 1 maybe 2 at most. 1/12th of my active day. The rest of the time I am under a roof of some type. (see where I am going here)? So, I simply flipped the "amazing experience" from the 1/12 to the almost all part of my day and I can see now that was really huge. Often, we hold on to one or more key thing, thinking it's best.. when in fact if we experiment and try new things it may end up working out much differently. One more thing.. like you I HATE the idea of charging the watch (any of them). The less the better and like you have been obsessed with battery for as long as I have been into Garmin (2019). With that being said, now with the Epix, I need to once again face that and come to terms that it's not going to be the same. I decided that I can simply keep a plug in the bathroom at all times and when I take the watch off to shower I can just plug it in as I get ready for my day. I mean, (as of now) it just sits on the same counter anyway. So.. 15min / 20min of charge will undo whatever was taken out of it. Something to also think about.

@ThisIsJulianC

10 ай бұрын

Hey Travis - thanks for the comments. Casio managed to maintain the image (and sales) of the G-Shock watch range for many years after the LCD watch tech that they used was obsolete, the brand success was driven by the image (tough, unbreakable) and the appearance (rugged, means business). Sales of G-Shcok to date are well over 100 million units. Garmin could do the same, and continue to push the on the marketable image and appearance to extend the life of the Fenix in particular focusing on adventure, extreme sports, action, toughness, endurance. I like how the Fenix looks on my wrist, it looks WAY more like an athlete's serious device than an AW, even the AWU. I know many people agree with the sentiment. If the Fenix range does get to a Fenix 8 (I am on the fence if Garmin does that in the future, or just merges Epix and Fenix to one product line) and can achieve the looks, battery life and endurance of Fenix with an AMOLED display, it would remain a compelling choice but probably a more niche product with lower sales than Fenix has today. Which probably means they would push the price up too. Appreciate all the comments - thanks

I went from an Apple Watch Ultra to a Garmin Epix Pro. I’m really enjoying the Garmin but I absolutely agree with everything you’ve said in this video. Give it another two iterations of the Ultra and it will be very difficult to justify going with a Garmin.

@ThisIsJulianC

9 ай бұрын

I am looking forward to seeing what Apple does with the Ultra this Fall, but for now I am happy with the Garmin

I hear you. I want to like the apple ultra, but I do a lot a lot of trail running. I need to be able to define my running routes before I head out and receive route guidance. I need to be able bring up maps while I'm out on a trail if I find that I need to alter that route part way through walking or running a trail. Sometimes things happen and I need to change a route while I have no access to mobile data. I need solid multi-day battery life for multi-day hikes. I also don't want to need to plan these things around charging my watch. I really want to like the apple ultra, unfortunately it feels a long way off right now.

@ThisIsJulianC

10 ай бұрын

So are you using the Fenix for route guidance when you are trail running or your phone?

@randomtextidontcare

10 ай бұрын

@@ThisIsJulianC I use the Fenix for route guidance and heart rate monitoring (when running). I sometimes have my phone with me incase needed, but there is rarely any mobile data (or phone reception) where I run up in the mountains and I can be quite isolated. Having the topo maps on the watch is a huge plus. Being able to have on my wrist; hrm, predefine routes, route guidance, on device topo maps and multiday battery life for multiday hikes. I'm happy to concede that my requirements are very specialised, but for myself, right now, there's no real competition to Garmin. Competition from Apple can only be a good thing.

The only gripe I have with the Apple Watch and I have tried this with my earlier watches is I have to download 4-10 different apps to track the metrics the garmin or other comparable watch does and also hope that these apps play nice with each other. Then some of these apps have their own subscriptions too. It ends up just making sense just for me to spend the money on the running/multi sport watch and also have all the data in one place that all works together. So I went from the Apple Watch to the COROS actually for the battery life.

@ThisIsJulianC

10 ай бұрын

I hear good things about Coros but have not tried one yet. All the features I use on my Fenix 7X are native to the watch, there is a Garmin Connect IQ store but I no longer use it or any of the apps from it, so I can see where you are coming from with the AWU app system. Which Coros are you using?

@RenM908

10 ай бұрын

@@ThisIsJulianC The simple pace 2. I wanted mostly for the battery life and the low bar entry price for elevation data for upcoming attempts at trail running sold me on it.

Having both, I’m returning the ultra. The constant accidental touches and button pushes on the Apple watch is quite annoying. The use of the flashlight on the garmin is surprisingly so useful for me.

@ThisIsJulianC

8 ай бұрын

That flashlight is probably a bigger hit than Garmin expected - credit to them for introducing it to more versions in the past few months

The only time I use my Fénix 6 Pro Solar is when I go on big adventures where I need mapping, course navigation and long battery life. Once the AW brings course navigation and routing to the watch I suspect I won’t use my Fénix any more. Yes, yes, I know I can get mapping and course navigation on my AW with WorkOutDoors and FootPath, I’ve tried them and they don’t provide as good of an experience as my Garmin. For it to work and make me a believer it will have to be native and robust.

@ThisIsJulianC

10 ай бұрын

Native & Robust is a good mantra

Thank you very much for posting up 2 excellent videos. Just like you, I am an Apple ecosystem guy. I own a Garmin Fenix 5X and I’m having difficulty charging its battery these days. Therefore, I need to replace it and I am very much caught up in the Apple Ultra 2 versus Garmin 7X decision. I agree with everything that you’ve said about Garmin and Apple. I did not see a specific comment on 1 item in particular. The list of “active living” things that I do includes Hiking. Based on the pre-purchase research that I’ve done so far on both the Fenix 7 and the Ultra, a significant fail of the Ultra for me is that (unlike my Fenix 5) it does not seem to have its mapping features integrated into its activities such as Hiking, MTB and so forth. Garmin’s map integration provides better metrics when desiring to return to a waypoint or the Start of a hike without backtracking the same route. Based on what I have read and seen on reviews so far, on the Ultra one needs to leave the activity app and open the Maps app in order to get contour, lines, and other features for navigation. My understanding is that there might be third-party apps that do this; however, not having mapping and activity features fully integrated in the basic Ultra watch is a shortcoming. If Apple had incorporated that functionality now, then I’d purchase the Ultra for sure. Hopefully Apple will fix that in time but it will not be soon enough for the decision that I must make imminently. Thanks again for your great reviews.

@ThisIsJulianC

8 ай бұрын

Appreciate the feedback on the videos. I use my Fenix for hiking, with turn-by-turn directions created on the All Trails app and sync'ed to the Fenix through Garmin Connect. It's very easy to work with and does not rely on a cellular signal to be able to work once out on the trail. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 was launched since this video was made. For an active lifestyle the Garmin Fenix watches remain the better choice, I do not see anything in the new AWU2 that would change my mind.

I have both the fenix 6 pro and apple ultra I mainly wear the Garmin for long runs (use polar h10) and for sleep. Besides the long battery life, I love Garmin training status and for recovery. Use my apple ultra throughout the day and use ultra when I am lifting weights. Two things if apple change I will go completely to apple 1) training status 2) longer battery Another annoying thing about Apple Watch is that it does get old wearing fast and it’s gets laggy in few years and in hot tub, sauna or steam it is frustrating to use since it’s touch screen. For example if you have need timer in sauna. Fenix 6 pro still feels like new and not laggy like my old iwatches.

@ThisIsJulianC

8 ай бұрын

The new Apple Watch Ultra 2 shows that Apple really wants the fitness smart watch market but I am still going to stick with my Fenix, mainly for the same reasons you have here.

Great video 👍🏼 I have a Epix pro and a Apple Watch ultra, and I like them both for different reasons. The Epix is in my opinion way better to use during intervals and fartlek. GC is also way easier to program intervals, and what about winter. During the winter I wear my Garmin on the outside of my jacket, and connected to my hrm. A Apple Watch can’t do that easily.

@ThisIsJulianC

10 ай бұрын

That a pretty awesome combination of watches you have there! When it comes to true endurance, weather elements and toughness, the Garmin is still going to win through. I am curious to know how Garmin will address the Apple competition now. Today, I am not sure they can bring anything new and compelling to their watches to compete with whatever comes along in 'Apple Watch Ultra 2'. Maybe focus on the overall toughness and image? Casio did a great job with their G-Shock watches for decades using this approach... don't try and compete on features and tech... just make the watches look super tough and cool. Thanks for the comment too - appreciated!

@macb.631

9 ай бұрын

Why not? I do have an old Apple Watch 6 and can wear it outside my jacket and connect it to any HRM I have... Works without any issues.

It seems to me like you are trying to convince yourself more than anyone else and I must say I feel you. I struggle between these two also like many people do. Right now I'm using Fenix 7XSS just for the sleep/recovery stuff. As I am a cyclist/bodybuilder I already have my edge 1040 solar. And I can say that solar on Fenix series of watches is pure gimmick. The amount of time it would take to recharge 1% battery is insane.

@ThisIsJulianC

10 ай бұрын

You are correct, even a year ago it was clearly Garmin for me. Today, as you can hear, I am more hesitant. I wear my 7X overnight so I am used to reading and using the sleep tracking data, I would miss that if I had to recharge it every night. But when (not if) Apple extend that battery life to a few days I think that will tip the balance for me. Interesting to read your take on the Edge 1040 Solar, I have it too and very happy with it. The battery life is already insane so I see no need for the Solar tech on that device at all... other than an opportunity for Garmin to (a) sell us a device with a 'feature' and (b) get real-user data on the capabilities and use of their solar technology.

@quest666PL

10 ай бұрын

@@ThisIsJulianC Regarding Apple Watch and Fenix I can say that we have very similar thoughts, almost exact same tbh. About Edge 1040 Solar is that I really like the concept of harvesting the power from the sun. And yes, you cannot charge your device purely from sunlight but after almost every ride I do (2-4hrs) it says that I gained 40-60mins of additional battery, and I like that, but I would totally agree that it is completly unnecessary, however I wouldnt call it a "gimmick" like on the Fenix watches.

@matrhein

10 ай бұрын

@@ThisIsJulianC I invested in an Apple Watch Ultra for a while and the were some things that absolutely drove me NUTS. There is no way using the watch without the touchscreen. The non-Apple sports apps all go in sleep mode while running and need that stupid flick of the wrist to show anything except the time. They also need to collect stuff from Apple Health while Garmin is a complete all-in package. Sleep data on the AWU is limited to the wake-up time you are setting with the alarm. Should you go to sleep after silencing the alarm- not counted as such! TLDR, went back to my Fenix and adore the simplicity and robust interface. There is no competition here IMHO.

@ThisIsJulianC

10 ай бұрын

@@matrhein There is a lot of work still to do for Apple but I think the trajectory they are on they will succeed in the next 1-2 years to make it compelling. Until then my Fenix stays on my wrist too.

@charlielimena3536

10 ай бұрын

The solar on garmin purpose is not to charge the battery. It wont add battery %age. Its only extending the battery life while its exposed to the sunlight.

I’m digging that IM running hat. 👌

@ThisIsJulianC

10 ай бұрын

👍😀

Meh... have the ultra 2 and went back to my Garmin. Garmin Connect is better at analyzing stats, recording adventures, being able to share stats from nearly any device, more charge cycles on the Ultra 2 will just wear the battery down quicker than the monthly or bimonthly charging on the Fenix. Another great selling point of the Garmin is the recovery metrics. The AWU2 mostly just feels like an iPhone extension that records fitness data. I like that the connect platform compares my age-group to others as well. Apple still has a ways to go for me. I can't stand amoled displays either. I have a variety of choices with Garmin. I wear a watch mostly for health and fitness. I have my iPhone on me most days and I don't need to tether an iPhone dependent device on me as well. I mostly miss being able to take photos with my iPhone from the watch, but I have a bluetooth remote to do that for me with my tripod to take family photos. Anyhow, to each their own.

@ThisIsJulianC

5 ай бұрын

Since publishing this video I have become more and more convinced that Garmin is still the best solution for me and for most other athletes

Not to mention Apple Ultra has: Personalized Reminders Personalized Alarms ECG Standing hours tracked Standing minutes tracked Trends on the Health App not a monthly report. Accurate Heart Rate Better Sleep tracking Siren Phones calls on wrist and texting 2000 night brightness You can get Apple Care for $5 a month so it’s always warranted You can trade it in and get over 50 percent back what you paid for it (Garmin you have to find a buyer) Loud Microphones Lighter than Fenix 7x Accurate Blood Oxygen (Garmin always shows me at 100 percent or 99). I could bore you with more reasons to go with Apple like better customer service, if you have an issue you can take it in to an Apple Store, bugs yes but not like Garmin when they fix one thing 20 more bugs pop up.

@chriscarpunky

10 ай бұрын

As far as charging it’s never a big deal for me. It has a two day battery life but I charge mine while I’m in the shower in the morning, shaving and grooming. After 25-30 minutes it will last me all day. If I want to throw it on the charger at night when prepping for bed (10-15 minutes) while washing my face, brushing my teeth and getting on my Pajamas my battery never goes below 50 percent during the day.

@ThisIsJulianC

10 ай бұрын

Thanks - those are very useful insights. That Apple trade in is often an attractive deal - I have used it to trade up iPhones a few times. When I sell old Garmin watches however (usually I keep them but I feel them occasionally, like the Fenix 3 HR) they sell really well on eBay, and generally at higher than expected prices. I have had to use Garmin customer service a number of times, for watches, heart rate straps and bike computers. Even when they have been out of warranty I have had good interaction with their technical support team on the phone. I do have examples where they have replaced a unit even though it was out of warranty (Forerunner 910XT). I really want to be an Apple Watch Ultra user, partly for some of the integration benefits within the Apple system that you list here, but today the Garmin case as an endurance athlete is still too compelling. My feeling (and the point of this video) is that Apple is closing the gap fast and will do so in the next 1-2 years. At which time I will have a tough decision to make.

@ThisIsJulianC

10 ай бұрын

Good point on the charging real-world use - thanks for sharing

@romanmclean5425

8 ай бұрын

I am a Garmin Fenix user, you have a lot of great points in favour of the Apple Ultra and I used to own one, I couldn’t get used to the look of the Apple Watch, like having a small computer 🖥️ on my wrist. If Apple made a watch that was round and rugged like the Fenix or Epic and even just 3 or 4 days battery life I think 20% of Garmin users would jump to the Apple Watch ⌚️ maybe make a Apple Ultra round rugged along side with the AU. Just my opinion.

@dimi-88

8 ай бұрын

@@romanmclean5425we make an edition for you to climb everest😂We called it Apple watch romanmclean everest.

Nope, I am NOT updating to the Garmin Fēnix 7X Pro for I already have the EPIX 2, the Fēnix 7X sapphire solar, and several others. The endurance score and another 11 days of battery life would be awesome, but not worth dropping another $999.99 USD. Nice video, Juilian, I subscribed to your channel.

@ThisIsJulianC

10 ай бұрын

Thanks for your comments and feedback. Agree it is not worth upgrading to the Fenix Pro unless you are coming from the Fenix 5 or earlier.

@ThisIsJulianC

10 ай бұрын

...thanks for the sub too :-)

@chriscarpunky

10 ай бұрын

I already have the endurance score and hill score on my Garmin 955. They released the beta a couple of days ago.

@ThisIsJulianC

10 ай бұрын

@@chriscarpunky Like it?

@chriscarpunky

10 ай бұрын

Yes

too big a gap between accounting for sports performance. the garmin app is much more functional than what is scattered in the apple

@ThisIsJulianC

10 ай бұрын

The Garmin watch OS and the Garmin Connect app are both very well designed.

Yes

@ThisIsJulianC

10 ай бұрын

If the 7X broke today, I would still get a Fenix 7 Pro to replace it, the current battery life of the Ultra and the need to keep it topped up during the day doesn't excite me. I wear my watch overnight too so I cannot just leave it on the nightstand. But - when Apple launch Ultra 2, which they will for sure, and if the get the battery life to a number of days say 4 days, the rest of my list is going to disappear. And at that point I would replace my 7X with an Ultra.

@MavBam

10 ай бұрын

@@ThisIsJulianC valid points - I wear mine just during the day (the Milanese would rip my beard out overnight 😂)

No iPhone, no AWU 😅 no problems 😝 Used to be an iPhone user, but much like their Macs, its all about everyone having the same thing with no choices, and if you do like the apple watch for whatever reason, you are forced to get an ipad or iphone, even if the dang thing with LTE can almost replace your phone.

@ThisIsJulianC

10 ай бұрын

Which watch?

@WariWahab

10 ай бұрын

@juliancass I'm using Garmin, since I don't have an iPhone, and I'm not interested in using Android Wear based watches either.

@dimi-88

8 ай бұрын

@@WariWahabKeep your Huawei and let us to use apple.Ultra is not for everyone.You are only for huawei,Xiaomi and samsung😅

Who left their handphone at home when doing cardio sport? I dont think so too. So music still relevant coming from phone.

@ThisIsJulianC

10 ай бұрын

Yup agree... if I need to look at my phone... I reach for my phone. Taken some great photos over the years on my phone while running, I would never leave it behind.

👍

@ThisIsJulianC

9 ай бұрын

👍😀

Never apple ever for any reason

@ThisIsJulianC

7 ай бұрын

I’m good with Apple usually just not the watches

Apple Watches are so bad for fitness compared to garmin not even close

@ThisIsJulianC

8 ай бұрын

Since this video was made Apple Watch Ultra 2 was released. I don’t believe Garmin needs to worry yet.

@mikem4215

8 ай бұрын

@@ThisIsJulianC agree. Apple ultra 2 is ultra (1) basically.

😅 I feel what you mean garmin introduced 7 pro and epix 2 pro 51 mm with a hefty price tag 😅 So far since last comment enduro 2 left hand AWU right hand best both worlds I said to myself no more purchases. But if Apple brings the AWU 2 maybe 🤔 only if they bring something new to the table, if not skip a year. As for garmin 😆God dam nit the epix 2. Pro 51mm thank you dad lol I didn’t need it but now I’m loving it the data the statistics the feel big rugged very nice Okay back to the main Q AWU is a fantastic watch as much I h8 the 4 day battery life I love it it’s a improvement from charging everyday the daily usage Apple Pay texts & calls daily notifications nice (it does help keep off my phone sometimes days & days) Garmin I love it yes it doesn’t much smart features but the fitness & statistics is no.1 everything is perfect best part works both iOS & Android the even bigger reason 27/28 days battery life but I dislike when a new watch comes out the pricing is ridiculous yh you get what you pay but $1000 yh 😅will push anyone away unless you get a discount or money isn’t a issue Lastly let’s say you break your AWU unless you got Apple care it costs a a lot to repair The garmin harder to destroy lol okay seriously depending where you buy it either garmin website or third party amazon etc pretty sure it be fine from my experience I had protection plan on my garmin it covered everything so no problems In short I tell anyone get a standard AW 8 or se 2 cause the average person won’t care or take advanced features serious The biggest wait AWU 2 & garmin 8 what will they bring to the plate I talked too much 😅 Great video as always I enjoyed it 👍👏

@ThisIsJulianC

10 ай бұрын

I expect an AWU 2 later this year, it has been successful for Apple and has taken share from Garmin, I cannot imagine they will not take the opportunity to make some updates to it when they announce new hardware in a couple of months. My Fenix (and Forerunner) Garmin watches have all taken knocks very well, they feel more able to withstand damage than any of the Apple Watches. Thanks for the feedback - glad you like the videos!