I chose Garmin over Apple Watch Ultra: Here’s why I don't regret it
Six months after switching to a Garmin watch, I couldn't be happier.
This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
The debate between the Apple Watch Ultra and Garmin's top-tier watches usually feels like a choice between the trendy option and the workhorse for serious athletes.
Well, I might not be running marathongs, but after six months, I can confidently say I made the right choice, even if my Garmin journey started with a return trip to the store.
The Battery Advantage
My biggest motivation to go with a Garmin watch was always the battery life. On the Apple Watch Ultra, you're looking at two to three days between charges, but never more. After half a year with my Garmin Venu X1, I consistently get eight to nine days of battery life.
But keep in mind that if you want to use the AOD function, your battery life will drop drastically and you will end up with the same up to three day use you get with an Apple Watch.
Form Factor: Goodbye, brick
The Apple Watch Ultra I was eyeing alongside the Venu X1 is a masterpiece of engineering, and thanks to the all titanium case and its intricate curves it looks a bit more premium. However, let's be frank — on the wrist, it feels like a bulky brick. It's heavy, it's thick, and you never quite forget it's there.
The Garmin is the opposite: surprisingly light and thin. It's the first high-performance watch I've owned that doesn't snag on sleeves or feel like a weight during a long run. Despite the slim profile, the screen is massive and incredibly bright, so it's easily readable in the harshest sunlight.
The Garmin is the opposite: surprisingly light and thin. It's the first high-performance watch I've owned that doesn't snag on sleeves or feel like a weight during a long run. Despite the slim profile, the screen is massive and incredibly bright, so it's easily readable in the harshest sunlight.
Titanium bottom plate and a sapphire glass for the screen
Make no mistake: this is an expensive watch, and while I can deal with it not being the absolute prettiest, I expect it to be durable. At this price, I expect tough materials that withstand the test of time and the Venu X1 covers them: it comes with a titanium back plate, nice and durable against scratches (the sides are still plastic though), and it has a sapphire screen which is so much better than regular toughened glass. Given the exposed glass on the front, this is very important.
I'm happy to report that after six months, the X1 looks and feels almost brand new.
Excellent Tracking
As someone who loves hiking and trekking, Garmin's software is in a different league. Having moved up from the Garmin Instinct, I was already familiar with their ecosystem, but I was missing the offline maps feature.
Garmin typically charges a pretty penny for those features, and they are missing from the company's cheaper models. The Venu X1 has offline mapping and thanks to the massive 2-inch display, it's an absolute gem for outdoor adventures and navigation. I have to stress that these are offline maps, which is super important when you are out on a hike in the mountain and you like taking a bunch of pictures, so your phone might die sooner than the hike ends. With this Garmin, I never worry I might get lost if my phone's battery dies.
Speaking of conveniences and dire situations, I really appreciate having a built in flash light on the Venu X1. From the "dire" difficulty of a mid-night trip to the rest room with the lights out to real situations like a night time walk around the park, a built-in flagshlight is much more useful than it sounds. Some watches try to emulate the effect by turning on the screen to its max brightness, but the effect is not even close to a dedicated light like you have here.
My Android Exit Strategy
I currently use an iPhone, but I hate being locked in one particular ecosystem. Next year, a great Android phone might arrive and I might want to switch phones. If I decide to do that, I can easily transfer this Garmin watch to a Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel or whatever Android phone you have there.
Not so with the Apple Watch Ultra, which feels like an expensive "golden handcuff", and once you buy it, you're tied to the iPhone as it simply doesn't work with Android smartphones.
Dealing with a defect and customer service
I have to mention that my transition to the Venu X1 was off to a bit of a rough start. I was so happy to receive the X1, but it turned out that my first unit was defective. I looked it up and this wasn't an isolated incident. If you spend five minutes on Reddit, you'll see "Quality Control" is a hot topic in the Garmin community with many users reporting issues. Common complaints include:
- Button Failures: Many users report "mushy" or "sticky" buttons that lose their tactile click or stop registering presses entirely.
- Screen Issues: On AMOLED models, some users have reported early-life dead pixels or software-driven "freezes" (the infamous "Triangle of Death").
- Connectivity: Occasional reports of sensors failing to sync right out of the box.
In my case, the first unit I received would get stuck in boot loops and just wouldn't work properly. Thankfully, Garmin support was super quick and helpful, and they replaced the watch with a new one within 24 hours, and from there on it was smooth sailing.
My Biggest Gripe
Apart from those initial troubles, the only real complaint I have is about the Apple ecosystem and its relationship to Garmin. Let me be specific: I really wish I could use some form of Apple Pay on the watch, instead of having to set up Garmin Pay. Setting up Garmin's payment system felt like a bit of a chore. You have to manually set up your cards in a separate "wallet" within the Garmin Connect app. It works, but the experience is definitely not as slick as the native Apple one.
Final Words
Six months in with the Garmin Venu X1 and I'm a happy camper. The solid battery life, the sleek design and light weight, the giant screen, the offline maps, and even little things like the built-in flash light are definitely the stand-outs of my time with this watch. Plus, I really like the freedom of knowing I can switch to an Android phone anytime in the future and not have to buy a new watch.
I'm happy I didn't just settle for the obvious and popular choice that was the Apple Watch Ultra. It has its advantages, but the sub-par battery life and its bulky case would have irked me constantly.
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