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Is theGarminInstinct 3 a better smartwatch for tracking workouts and outdoor adventures than theApple WatchUltra 2?
The answer isn’t a simple yes or no.
Both the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Garmin Instinct 3 are available now.
Both devices feel well-built in hand.
Rather than titanium, the Instinct 3 has an aluminum chassis.
It also sports a new metal-reinforced bezel to better protect the screen.
The Apple Watch Ultra 2, on the other hand, offers little by way of screen protection.
Physical buttons adorn the sides of both watch cases.
The Instinct 3 offers five physical buttons but the screen is not touch-sensitive.
Of course, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 also boasts an AMOLED screen.
Still, I had no trouble reading it even in thebright Las Vegas sunlight.
That means that this category is too close to call.
With GPS tracking switched on, battery life is closer to 12 hours.
The 50mm model, meanwhile, lasts 24 days for AMOLED and 40-plus for Solar.
It can even parse time spent riding a ski lift fromtime spent snowboardingwith ease.
Location tracking should be excellent from either machine thanks to multi-band GPS.
On the flip side, for U.S. customers, only the Garmin watch offers blood oxygen saturation readings.
Users can create their own custom workouts or access training plans with either model.
Both models also provide insights intraining loadbut Garmin’s training and recovery tools are more extensive than Apple’s.
While Samsung,Googleand even Amazfit all offer something similar, this tool is absent on the Apple Watch.
Apple Watch Ultra 2 vs. Garmin Instinct 3: Smart features
Apple wins this category with ease.
It also supports cellular, unlike any of Garmin’s watches.
Apple also offers something similar called Backtrack.
Apple’s Check In safety feature is somewhat similar.
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