Watch Series 3

I had an Apple Watch Series 3 and ended up getting the forerunner 965 earlier this year. I love the Garmin because it doesn’t have all the extra features of the Apple Watch and the battery life is outstanding. I realized I was only using my Apple Watch for exercise and didn’t like the extra notifications it gave me.

Hi, I hope people dont mind me asking here. I have an old apple watch now ( Series 3 I think? ) Its taken quite the battering but the battery barely lasts the day anymore. I want to upgrade and as you saw - took a battering, my work is quite active and so its at a high risk of scratches and superficial damage - my question is which would be more suitable series 11 or the ultra 3? The extra battery on the ultra 3 is attractive but I am not a mega sporty person that would benefit from the extra benefits. My key thing is the damage resistance, does anyone recommend any strong cases for an Apple Watch that means it will be more durable? Hopefully this makes sense and someone will be able to help me. TIA!

Apple Watch HIIT (so far, I’ve only done 2g/3g classes). If I were to do the specific row/functional training/treadmill I would probably forget to switch it accordingly.

I used Garmin and then switched to Apple when the series 3 came out. I’m currently using the U2 and love it. I do not care that I have to charge it every other day, it charges in 15-20 minutes. AppleWatch also has cycle tracking. I recently downloaded Kiira to help monitor training loads (it is free in the App Store) and am loving using that app so far.

I had an Apple Watch Series 3 for many years. Then I bought a FR645 to try alongside, just for running. Loved it so much I decided to go full Garmin with a FR745. Loved that watch so much, until I smashed it climbing 🤦‍♀️ Decided to upgrade to a Fēnix 7S SS because I wanted maps and I clearly needed the sapphire glass. I’ve had the Fēnix maybe 2.5 years now. Recently, I thought I might prefer an Apple Watch as I am now dealing with chronic illness and have not been able to engage in any of my usual sporting/outdoor activities for 6 months. I lasted 3 weeks with an Apple Watch Series 11 before coming back to my Fēnix. I just prefer the MIP display, the battery and the buttons. I don’t really care for smart features. Also the workout screens and maps but obviously not using those much right now. Sold the Apple Watch yesterday. No regrets.

I had an Apple Watch for a few years before I moved to Garmin (currently have a Fēnix 7S solar sapphire). Recently I tried returning to an AW (lasted 3 weeks as I now have a chronic illness and thought I might appreciate something less sports and fitnesses focused). The reasons I prefer my Garmin are… - Screen. MIP just feels less intrusive and in-your-face to me and is one less ‘computer screen’ type thing I have to look at each day. Also I was never overly keen on any of the stock AW faces. Either too much or too little information - Buttons. Buttons during activities are 100x better than a touch screen or the fiddly AW Digital Crown. You don’t have to look, you just press. Was walking out in the rain the other day - easier with buttons. Wearing gloves in winter - easier with buttons. Want to forward adverts in a podcast when I’m falling asleep and don’t want to open my eyes - easier with buttons - Maps. I know AW maps are improving all the time but I still prefer how maps show on my Fēnix compared to my partners AWU. We live in a rural area surrounded by trails and reliable maps are so useful - Battery. I ‘only’ get 11 days because my Fēnix is the smallest size but it’s so much better than charging every day. Never worry about my watch dying during an endurance activity, either - Data screens. The Garmin data screens during activities are so much more configurable and clearer to read than the Apple Workouts data screens. I know you can use 3rd party apps instead on AW, but I still prefer the Garmin ones - Constant HR monitoring and HRV calcs during sleep. More reliable and valid IMO - It’s bomb-proof. I do a lot of adventure sports (when I’m well) and need a watch that can take some whacks. I’m also just very clumsy. Granted, I have broken a Forerunner before but the Fēnix seems indestructible, whereas I always worry if I’m wearing an AW - it does the important stuff, but doesn’t overload me with ‘smart features’. I’ve learned I’m not really a fan of having a super smart watch when I have a phone anyway Things I do think are better on an AW: - Apple Pay. Garmin Pay works with so few UK banks and makes you faff putting in a passcode for payments so I just don’t bother - Voice control is sometimes handy, to add things to a shopping list or set a timer when cooking and not watching to touch my watch/phone - Doesn’t constantly insult me for poor sleep, high RHR or low HRV, all of which are associated with my chronic illness 😂