I’ve never owned an Apple Watch, not because I’ve had anything against them but because I’ve never felt the need to replace my Garmin Fenix 7X Sapphire Solar. Four years on it's still powering along without missing a beat, and for the most part it ticks every box I need from one of the best sports watches.
That’s not to say it’s perfect. The Fenix is on the chunky side and doesn’t exactly disappear on the wrist when I swap running shorts for something smarter. Every so often, I glance over at the best Apple Watches with their sleek lines and seamless everyday look and wonder what it would be like to switch.
When Apple announced this week that the new Apple Watch Ultra 3 is available to preorder, I’ll admit it caught my eye. But then I think about all the miles my Garmin has put in with me. Two marathons, three half marathons, and countless hikes across different countries. It has tracked my training, monitored my recovery, and been just as reliable on a rugged mountain trail as it is for tracking my sleep.
So while the Ultra 3 looks great, there are several reasons I’m sticking with my Garmin. Here’s a closer look at why it’s still my go-to watch.
What are the key highlights from the Apple Watch Ultra 3
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 brings some worthy updates. The case is slimmer, the bezel has shrunk by 24 percent and the display is the brightest yet, making it easier to see on sunny runs or hikes. Battery life has jumped to 42 hours, and it has added a daily sleep score, putting it more in line with competitors like Garmin.
Another new addition is hypertension alerts, which monitor patterns in your heart rate over time and can notify you if potential high blood pressure is detected. Satellite messaging is another welcome feature, letting you send messages even when cell service is out.
I’m not buying the Apple Watch Ultra 3 — here’s why my Garmin Fenix is staying put on my wrist
All of this makes the Ultra 3 a tempting package, but for me, it's not enough to unstrap my Fenix 7X Sapphire Solar. Four years on, that watch has earned its place on my wrist, and the Ultra 3, shiny as it is, has not quite done enough to convince me otherwise.
Battery life
Battery life is one of the dealbreakers for me. My Garmin Fenix 7X Sapphire Solar is like that friend who can go camping for a week and never complain, while the Apple Watch Ultra 3 needs to sneak off and find a power outlet after two days (42 hours to be precise).
Even with heavy GPS use, my Garmin can stretch past a week on a single charge, and solar charging gives me even more freedom if I'm outdoors. On long runs, multi-day hikes, or trips far from a plug, that peace of mind makes all the difference.
GPS performance
I lean on GPS a lot, whether it’s tracking a marathon or following a trail in the Alps or the Highlands, and my Fenix 7 has always kept me on course. Sure, it has had the odd hiccup in a packed city running race, but overall it has been rock solid. Apple has upped its game with dual-frequency GPS in the Ultra 3, which is handy if you are darting between skyscrapers, but for now I don't need a new watch to get accuracy I already trust.
Safety features
Thankfully, I have never been in serious trouble on a run or hike, but my Garmin Fenix 7 has already saved me from a few mini panics. The Back to Start feature guides you back to where you began a route and has bailed me out after wandering off the trail on a big hike and losing my way on a run through the maze-like fields of rural France. Meanwhile, fall detection, emergency alerts, and live location sharing all reassure me when heading out alone or on a bigger adventure.
Apple’s Ultra 3 adds crash detection, which works much like Garmin’s fall detection, and satellite messaging, which lets you send messages even when there’s no cell signal. The latter is certainly a clever feature, and I can see how it would be a game-changer for some, but the battery life on my Fenix matters more for me when venturing further afield.
Durability
Four years in, my Garmin Fenix 7X Sapphire Solar is still going strong, just like the day I first strapped it on. It’s weathered rain, sea, snow, surf, countless marathons and half marathons, and more than a few questionable adventure choices.
Only this year did it finally pick up a few scratches on the casing after a particularly dramatic fall on concrete. Aside from that, the screen is still flawless, and the waterproofing is yet to let me down.
The Fenix 7X Sapphire Solar (originally $899) costs more than the Apple Watch Ultra 3 ($799), though, being a few years old it’s often on sale. I feel like I’ve already got my money’s worth, and hopefully, there’s another long stint ahead. I can’t speak for the Ultra 3’s longevity yet, but maybe in four years I’ll be writing about how it’s holding up too.
Flexibility with both iOS and Android
Garmin’s cross-platform compatibility is not something to be overlooked. Any Garmin watch, including my Fenix, pairs with both iPhone and Android.
The Apple Watch can technically connect to Android, but good luck actually using it as intended since functionality is significantly limited. I like knowing I could swap phones without having to replace my watch, and I can gift or recommend a Garmin to friends and family without worrying whether they are on iPhone or Android.
Health alerts are useful, but limited (with all fitness trackers!)
Apple’s new hypertension alerts in the Ultra 3 are impressive, but it’s important to keep perspective. My Garmin once alerted me to an abnormally low heart rate, which prompted me to get checked out, and it flagged an underlying issue I didn’t know about.
That said, these watches can only highlight potential problems, and they don’t always get it right. They should never be relied on as your only source of health information and are not a substitute for professional advice. It's important to keep this in mind as we become more reliant on fitness trackers.
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