My friend recently purchased a Garmin Fenix Solar watch, and he told me that he only needs to charge it once a month. The watch has superior workout apps and precisely measures all fitness metrics. I decided to get one as well, and I have to say, it’s been incredibly convenient not having to charge it daily or even twice a day like my apple watch.
Since I need music for my runs, I also got Spotify. I have to say, I’m really impressed with the user interface, the ease of managing my favorites and adding new music, and the personalized daily playlists. It just feels more modern and better suited for my needs.
Additionally, I purchased a pair of Bose Sport Buds, which have a great feel and amazing sound quality.
It feels like the entire Apple ecosystem is now being challenged as I’ve ventured outside of their “garden.” I know that expressing these thoughts here is akin to blasphemy, but the fact is, there are some impressive alternatives out there worth considering.
6 Likes
Strong competitors are great for Apple, it makes them try harder. While Spotify and your Bose Buds are direct competitors to Apple products, I wouldn’t say the same of your Garmin.
But if the Garmin meets your needs then that’s great. 
Similarly, I’m loving the Remarkable 2, it’s a vastly better writing experience than the iPad, but the Remarkable is not a tablet competitor and won’t be leading me to get rid of my iPad.
1 Like
I came to the conclusion that I’m not using the Apple Watch for any productivity tasks. Occasionally, I may use it for dictation, but the rest - email, messages, and so on - can wait. I was using the Apple Watch purely as an activity tracker. In this regard, I will say that the Garmin is in a different league. Dimention even.
2 Likes
I am envious of your Fenix Solar, as I’m still sporting an old Forerunner 245. But you know what? It’s still a great watch, lasts a lot longer than an AW on a single charge, and it has great training programs paired with Garmin Connect. I’ve dusted off my runners and am back onto a 10k programme, which comes free via the Garmin site, includes some ‘trainer videos’, and the programme is adjusted for my levels of fitness and pace. These have really come on since the older training programmes of a few years back (I completed several, but this one is the most fun to interact with). I still often find myself lusting after the AW Ultra, but frankly, after more than a decade or so on Garmin Forerunners, I’d find it very hard to leave them behind.
Crazy! One of my colleagues is still using a Fenix 4 or 5 after all these years, and it’s still going strong with excellent battery life. The build quality and overall durability of those Garmin watches is another level.
In contrast, my experience with the Apple Watch has been quite different. I had a Series 5 that took a tumble in the gym locker room and completely shattered. I then got a Series SE and added a protective cover, but the cover was so tight that it was a struggle to open it every time. A few weeks ago, when I was trying to remove some moisture, the whole display came off when I opened the cover.
Additionally, I’ve had issues with the Apple Watch’s battery life and GPS reception during my 10K runs. The watch has just shut down on me due to the battery draining when it couldn’t find a GPS signal, ruining my entire run. Compared to the reliability of the Garmin watches, the Apple Watch is a joke. It just doesn’t measure up in terms of quality and performance.
1 Like
Competition is good! I used Garmin for a long time, but even with Spotify, I couldn’t get it to operate as easily for music…I would lose the connection or songs wouldn’t download…and then I needed another subscription.
Also, I like the safety aspect of being able to call someone from my watch while I run.
Garmin is superior for built-in workout functions in my opinion…Apple Watch can get close with other apps. But like you said, it requires so much more charging.
I think it’s great to look outside Apple to make sure there aren’t better options out there for you. And if there are, go for it! That’s not blasphemy because these are just companies. Use what works for you!
I finally broke down and got a pair of AirPods Max to replace my Sony XM5s for one reason only: the Sonys were a bear to switch from one device to another. (I had to manually disconnect them from my Mac if I wanted to use them reliably on my iPhone.) The AirPods aren’t as comfortable as the Sonys and not appreciably better in sound quality given the price difference, but switching from one Apple device to another is seamless. If it weren’t for that, I’d still be using the Sonys.
That AirPods Max case though 
I can see that, isn’t it funny how relatively little friction it can take for some of us to spend hundreds of pounds.
I love the fact that I can easily swap my Airpods Pro from my iPad to iPhone, Mac, Apple TV…
1 Like