Author Topic: Anyone moved from Garmin Fenix to Apple Watch Ultra?  (Read 2718 times)

oceanAddict

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Anyone moved from Garmin Fenix to Apple Watch Ultra?
« on: March 08, 2023, 07:07:25 PM »
  I'm Garmin watches user for 6+ or so years.  I had F3, now on Fenix 5.  I take them off pretty much for charging only, and if you are familiar with Garmin watches you know it doesn't happen often. Not I'm not super athlete, I just like these, because of their features. When Fenix were introduced Apple watch were not intended for any kind of water sports activities. Now it's different. Without going into details now I have a feeling that Apple watch Ultra have all features I need.  The ability to make/receive calls become more important to me. I can live with shorter battery life now, when it's 2-3 days now. 
  So I wonder if any long time Garmin user switched to Apple Ultra watch and what's the impression.   
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PonoBill

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Re: Anyone moved from Garmin Fenix to Apple Watch Ultra?
« Reply #1 on: March 09, 2023, 12:34:09 AM »
I have an Ultra, love it, but I haven't had a Garmin watch for years.
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StellaBlu

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Re: Anyone moved from Garmin Fenix to Apple Watch Ultra?
« Reply #2 on: March 09, 2023, 06:19:21 AM »
I have an ultra, but I use it differently than I used the Garmin.  When I had the Garmin I pretty much only used it for sports and didn't wear it as an everyday watch.  I use Apple watch every day and find a lot of the features handy (Siri texting, tap to pay, etc...).  Those are the features that i bought it for, and it does them a LOT better than the Garmin did. I like being able to go for a run and buy a coffee or text my wife without carrying around a phone or a credit card.  I also like having the ability to make an emergency call on the water (although I haven't used it).

That said, I think you would be hard pressed to get three days out of the battery (it can be done, but you would probably have to change some settings).  It also isn't quite as good as the Garmin for some activities (running for example), but with some apps like Waterspeed and Workoutdoors I have made it almost as good, but the wrist HR sensor is unusable and totally inaccurate so you have to use a chest monitor if you want those features.

Overall I really like it.

Beasho

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Re: Anyone moved from Garmin Fenix to Apple Watch Ultra?
« Reply #3 on: March 09, 2023, 07:59:25 AM »
I love the Ultra for its battery.  Can handle a full 2 hour surf session with just 40% battery, the old iwatch would die unless it had > 80%.

BUT I just sent this Trouble Ticket to Dawn Patrol:

There are 2 things that have changed since my last iWatch:
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I have been using the iWatch Ultra since December.

1) The watch constantly goes into PAUSE mode.  I have missed most of my best waves because the watch just Pauses.  Why would ANYONE ever want to pause while surfing?  Please disengage this feature or make it ask the person like 5 times so that a bump of the wrist or wetsuit doesn't turn it off randomly

2) The speed algorithm has changed.  It appears you are using a smoothed average vs. more instantaneous speed.  The peaks and valleys have disappeared from the graphics, but so too have the fastest speeds.  I can 100% confirm this because Dawn Patrol and Waterspeed used to record the exact same MAX speeds.  Now Waterspeed is showing a speed 15% faster than Dawn Patrol.  On the exact same wave using the same iWatch.  This never happened until December 2022.

Please help and update. 

Dwight (DW)

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Re: Anyone moved from Garmin Fenix to Apple Watch Ultra?
« Reply #4 on: March 09, 2023, 02:47:42 PM »
The waterspeed app was pausing on me all the time too.

I screwed around with settings so much I can’t be 100% certain what fixed it. I’m guessing the issue fixed itself when I engaged lock on start. Waterspeed must have done an update that kept it unlocked by default. My wetsuit sleeve was pausing it, I think.

 


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