MARQ Captain (Gen 2)

Amen.....I have a marq captain that lasts a month and a galaxy watch ultra that lasts 1.75 days.

Marq gen 2.. It is a good looking watch (I got it at a discount at REI with other credits).

They are paid apps, but your TCO is less than a Garmin if you want something that gives you Siri/voice commands etc (by which I mean cost over 3/4 years inc purchase, apps and resale value). Yes to HRV/VO2 etc. And much more. WorkOutDoors is the other app you’ll need if navigating outdoors matters to you. No argument from me - this is less seamless than Garmin’s all in one solution. I also won’t argue that the Ultra doesn’t go far enough to bridging the gap with Garmin in this regard. Battery life is also a major factor. Hardcore adventurists need multi-day battery. 95% of users do not. Upsides with AWU is of course, cell/data, seamless Apple integration, voice commands etc. Your choice is determined by how much Garmin’s inbuilt solution matter to you vs how much you use /will lament Apple functionality. FYI, I’m wearing my beloved Marq2 as I write this. I’m a total Garmin fanboy, but I’m also realistic about the AWU being a perfect solution for most people.

Garmin has to be one of the most stubborn refuse to change companies out there. I mean has anyone looked at their executive team lately. Bunch of clueless old guys that don’t appear to have any athletic ability anymore & never had any fashion sense. We ask for a whoop competitor & we get an index sleep monitor. However don’t worry we’ve released a screenless tracker for your horse. I’ve had a ton of Garmins over the years. Including multiple Marqs. Now because Garmin won’t listen to their customers I’ve moved over to Amazfit & Whoop(have had one for like 7 years) I’d gladly go back to Garmin if they would release what we’ve asked for, a proper screenless Whoop competitor. Garmin wake up already. Of course I’ll be checking out Polar’s offering next week. Hope they nail their band.

it was all about battery life for me. And in that case it's the garmin and not even close. I had a 1st gen Ultra and switched to the Marq with zero regrets.

for battery life, you can't really go wrong with Garmin. really good watches, although they might lack a bit on the actual 'smart' side of functionality in comparison to something like an Apple Watch. for stylish design, I would go for either the Forerunner or Fenix line (forerunners are simpler/sleeker, while Fenix watches look slightly more rugged but still pretty nice). If you really want the most stylish option, I feel obligated to also mention the Marq line, but I would not recommend those to anyone unless the look is a MUST because those are crazy expensive for features comparable to a previous gen Fenix model.

I personally can't provide the difference in 'smart' features as I've never owned a Pixel watch or something similar, my current Garmin fenix 7 pro is the 'smartest' watch I've had. I think the main selling point of those other watches is that they are basically replacements of your phone, with a lot of functionality being possible on there. something like a Garmin (Coros and Amazfit also go this route I believe) doesn't have that but does win significantly when looking at things like battery life or 'outdoor' functionality. Garmin does seem to be moving into the 'smart' side more with products like the Fenix 8 (that one now has microphone/speaker) and the Venu, but they are still behind Apple and Samsung on that front. There are a lot of videos on Youtube comparing Garmin to the Apple Watch products, so I think that might be something to look at if you are unsure which way to go.

Forerunner 970 and call it a day. It's specifically designed for a cost no object triathlete. You can get a Fenix or MARQ if you like but they're heavier. Might be better at golf, scuba and flying if any of those are relevant to you.

With all due respect, the MARQ and Fenix are both nuts to me. The subscription stuff seems to be happening in a few directions - Connect+, which sounds pretty awful, but it's not like you need to subscribe, and I think you need subscription service for the connectivity on the LTE watch. Also, anything satellite requires a subscription with terms that got worse a couple years ago but you can use a different service that has friendlier billing. I haven't run into a battery life bug personally but I've seen some chatter about it. Lately I think Garmin's current models are a bad deal. I follow the Forerunner series a little more closely but I think this applies across the board - everything got a price hike going to AMOLED and everything that's had an additional new model since then got another price hike. I actually had a Fenix 6X Pro Solar briefly myself before returning it in favor of an Edge 840 and a FR 165. I'm claiming I'm going to wait for the FR 970"s successor to come out and then maybe pick up a 970. I'm curious about maps on my wrist for hiking, I just hate to buy twice within the same generation and I'm feeling kinda done with current-model pricing.