Early in release cycle
Best for: Serious athletes, trail runners, triathletes, and outdoor adventurers who need the most durable, most accurate GPS watch Apple makes. Also for iPhone users who simply want the best Apple Watch regardless of sport, and value the extra battery life over the Series 11.
Full details →Overdue for a refresh — no successor announced yet. Prices should be at their lowest
Best for: Multisport athletes and outdoor enthusiasts who want the most visually impressive Garmin watch without sacrificing analytics. If you want Fenix-level capability with a beautiful display and don't need maximum battery life, the Epix Pro is the answer.
Full details →| Apple Watch Ultra | Garmin Epix | |
|---|---|---|
| Tier | Sports GPS | Sports GPS |
| Platform | iOS only | iOS & Android |
| Battery | 1.75 days | 16 days |
| Always-on display | ✅ | ✅ |
| GPS | ✅ | ✅ |
| Cellular | ✅ | ❌ |
| Health sensors | ecg, spo2, skin temp, hrv, blood pressure | hr, spo2, hrv, stress, body battery, training readiness |
| Released | Sep 19, 2025 | Aug 31, 2023 |
| Cycle length | 727 days | 590 days |
| Cycle advice | good | bad |
| Deals advice | neutral | good |
| Next model | Apple Watch Ultra 4 (Expected fall 2026) | — |
The Ultra 3 nearly doubles the Series 11 battery life, and satellite emergency SOS works even without cellular or WiFi coverage.
More precise GPS tracking in urban canyons and dense forests — critical for trail running, mountaineering, and triathlon.
The 49mm titanium case and 3000-nit display make this watch usable in full direct sunlight and water depths up to 100m (EN13319 certified for diving).
AMOLED always-on display with significantly higher resolution and brightness than the Fenix MIP display — a meaningful advantage for readability in all conditions.
Running dynamics, full TopoActive maps, training load, advanced sleep, race predictor — the complete Garmin suite in a less bulky package than the Fenix 8.
The Epix Pro Sapphire Solar edition achieves 31 days in smartwatch mode via solar charging — near-Fenix endurance with superior display quality.