Early in release cycle
Best for: iPhone users who want Apple Watch's core experience — activity tracking, notifications, crash detection, and Apple Pay — at a lower price point. Ideal for kids, teens, or anyone upgrading from a much older watch without needing the advanced health sensors.
Full details →Overdue for a refresh — no successor announced yet. Prices should be at their lowest
Best for: Garmin users and health-focused individuals who want Body Battery, HRV, and advanced sleep analytics in a slim, discreet wristband rather than a sports watch. Compatible with both iPhone and Android via Garmin Connect.
Full details →| Apple Watch SE | Garmin vivosmart 5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Tier | Smartwatch | Fitness Tracker |
| Platform | iOS only | iOS & Android |
| Battery | 18h | 7 days |
| Always-on display | ❌ | ❌ |
| GPS | ✅ | ❌ |
| Cellular | ✅ | ❌ |
| Health sensors | hr, irregular rhythm, crash detection, fall detection | hr, spo2, hrv, stress, body battery, pulse ox |
| Released | Sep 19, 2025 | Apr 26, 2022 |
| Cycle length | 1098 days | 700 days |
| Cycle advice | good | bad |
| Deals advice | neutral | good |
| Next model | Apple Watch SE 4 (Expected fall 2027) | — |
Access the entire watchOS app ecosystem, Apple Pay, Siri, and Family Setup — for $150 less than the Series 11.
Emergency SOS, fall detection, and Crash Detection give real safety value even without premium health sensors.
Available in Midnight, Starlight, Silver, and (PRODUCT)RED with a wide range of Apple Watch-compatible bands.
Body Battery energy monitoring — the feature Garmin is known for — in a wristband that's thinner than most fitness trackers.
Continuous heart rate variability monitoring and all-day stress tracking give a more complete picture of recovery and readiness than step counts alone.
All data syncs to Garmin Connect, compatible with thousands of third-party apps, coaches, and integrations across the Garmin platform.