Apple Watch vs Garmin Battery Test: How Long Does Each Last?
I charged both to 100%, disabled always-on, and ran the same route. The results weren't even close — but the Apple Watch had one clever trick up its sleeve.
Day 30: Apple Watch vs Garmin Battery Showdown
Same starting charge (100%), both with always-on disabled. Same route, same day.
The test
I wore both simultaneously for a full day including a 1-hour GPS run. At the end of the day, I checked remaining battery on both.
Results
The Apple Watch dropped significantly more over the same period. Garmin retained dramatically more battery after both the activity and a full day of smartwatch use.
The clever Apple Watch trick
I noticed the Apple Watch was using my phone's GPS during the run rather than its own GPS chip. This is a battery-saving trick Apple employs — when your iPhone is nearby, the Watch offloads GPS computation. Smart engineering, but it means the "GPS workout" battery numbers Apple advertises assume your phone is in your pocket.
The takeaway
Garmin's battery advantage is real and significant. For casual daily use the Apple Watch is fine — you charge it every night anyway. But if you want to forget about charging for days at a time, Garmin is the only choice.
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