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Apple Watch SE 3 vs Garmin Forerunner 70: which is the better smartwatch for fitness tracking? Both devices start at $249, and even though the SE 3 has more smart features and the Forerunner 70 has more training tools for runners, when it comes to basic fitness tracking chops, the two are pretty evenly matched.
So, to determine which smartwatch is best, I tracked a 5,500-step walk with one device on either wrist while manually counting my steps as my primary control. As a control for climb, pace, and distance, I also logged the walk using the Strava app on my iPhone 16 Plus.
Which smartwatch, the Apple Watch SE 3 or Garmin Forerunner 70, aligned more closely with the control data? Read on.
I walked 5,000 steps with the Apple Watch SE 3 vs Garmin Forerunner 70
While the Garmin Forerunner just arrived this month and is currently being reviewed, the SE 3 debuted last fall and is already considered one of the best budget smartwatches of 2026. Moreover, I’ve already had the chance to compare its fitness-tracking abilities head-to-head with the competition.
For example, and much to my surprise, when I tested the Apple Watch SE 3 vs the Series 11, a more premium device, the former proved (slightly) more accurate. Of course, that’s just one test. However, when I pitted the SE 3 vs the Amazfit Active Max, Apple’s entry-level watch again came out on top.
Does the trend continue when the Apple Watch SE 3 goes up against the newer Garmin Forerunner 70? Find the results of my 5,500-step walk test below.
Apple Watch SE 3 vs Garmin Forerunner 70: Test results
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Apple Watch SE 3 | Garmin Forerunner 70 | Control |
|---|---|---|---|
Step count | 5,434 steps | 5,528 steps | 5,500 steps (manual count) |
Distance | 2.80 miles | 2.76 miles | 2.83 miles (Strava) |
Elevation gain | 457 feet | 381 feet | 437 feet (Strava) |
Average pace | 18 mins 24 secs per mile | 18 mins 09 secs per mile | 17 mins 51 secs per mile (Strava) |
Average heart rate | 129 bpm | 125 bpm | n/a |
Max heart rate | 157 bpm | 158 bpm | n/a |
Total calories burned | 394 calories | 341 calories | n/a |
Honestly, there's no real surprises here: Both the Apple Watch SE 3 and Garmin Forerunner 70 produced remarkably accurate totals, each within one hundred steps of my manual count. By comparison, Strava noted 5,518 total steps during the duration of my roughly 50-minute walk.
Distance data is consistent enough for my liking across the board. Apple's elevation gain data — this was on a hilly walk — appears slightly inflated compared to Strava, but it's still within the ballpark of acceptable.
The Garmin Forerunner 70, meanwhile, appears to have significantly undercounted my upward efforts. This is likely because the device lacks an onboard barometric altimeter for tracking changes in elevation with precision. The SE 3 sports this valuable piece of tech, as do most modern smartphones.
Strava and Garmin report your average moving pace (shown above) and average elapsed pace for outdoor workouts like walks, runs, and hikes. Apple, meanwhile, only offers one pace metric and doesn't specify which, though I suspect it's the latter. As a result, pace data from even the best Apple Watch models tends to be a tad more sluggish than the competition, as is the case here.
The SE 3 calculated a slightly higher average heart rate, but both smartwatches noted roughly the same maximum. Calorie data is also pretty similar, with the Apple Watch reporting a bit more effort; a sensible conclusion given its higher average heart rate.
Apple Watch SE 3 vs Garmin Forerunner 70: Winner
Going on step count alone, the Apple Watch SE 3 undercounted by 66 steps, while the Garmin Forerunner 70 overcounted by just 28 steps. This makes Garmin's new entry-level running watch the official winner of this Apple versus Garmin showdown.
That said, Apple's distance, and more notably, elevation data lines up better with the control data than Garmin's.
Ultimately, both watches performed remarkably well, but if you're choosing between the two and tend to run/walk/hike in hilly locations, then the SE 3 will almost certainly be a better choice than the Forerunner 70 thanks to its onboard altimeter.
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