Are you confused choosing between the Garmin Forerunner 945 and the Apple Watch 6? Both of them come with high-end features, sensors, etc, However, it is picking the right one that’ll make the experience much better.
The premium smartwatch users are divided into few categories. There are the iPhone owners who are looking to get an Apple Watch, then there are Android users who want a great non-Apple smartwatch as WatchOS watches aren’t compatible with Android phones (Pixel, Samsung, OnePlus, Motorola, LG, etc.)
For the first group of users, the choice is obvious but, for the second type of users, there are a huge number of devices to consider, coming from a large number of different brands.
Garmin and Apple are both known for making premium and high-quality products and previously I even compared the Fenix 6 with the Watch Series 6. The Fenix series has all those high-end features, however it is not the only Garmin watch that can be compared with Apple’s top-end flagship. That’s why in this article, I’m comparing the Forerunner 945 and the Apple Watch 6.
The Garmin Forerunner 945 is a great choice for a lot of users on both iOS and Android ecosystems. A large number of people interested in sports such as swimming, mountain biking, golfing, prefer watches from Garmin.
The specialized running mechanisms, golfing, and other sports-centric features have been a user favorite and as more and more people realize that, the Forerunner 945 is getting more and more eyes.
The Apple Watch Series 6 on the other hand is the best watch from Apple that has ever made. In this case, it is the ecosystem and its seamless integration, coupled with excellent health and fitness features. Not only that, the Cupertino-giant even introduced the much-awaited Blood Oxygen (SpO2) sensor this year.
In case you’re trying to decide between one of these, you definitely take your fitness seriously. But, how do you choose between the Garmin Forerunner 945 and the Apple Watch 6? Even trying to compare them on a basic level is going to be confusing for many people, and if it is for you too, I can’t blame you for that. These devices are great at their job and it’s hard to ditch one for another.
Well, you don’t have to do the hard work. I’ve done that for you. As you move ahead, you’ll see that I’ve taken the most important aspects of both the devices and compared them in detail. These aspects include built-in health & fitness features, raw hardware, design & build quality, battery life, and more.
To give you a quick idea, iOS users who need the best Apple Watch they can get for their money with almost all the advanced tech improvements Apple has done over the years, are gonna be looking for the Apple Watch Series 6.
But, others in the iOS and of course Android ecosystems may find the Garmin Forerunner 945 to be more compelling. To find out what these devices have to offer and if they are a good fit for you, please keep reading.
Contents
- Garmin Forerunner 945 vs Apple Watch Series 6: Comparison Chart
- Design & Build
- The Display
- Activity & Fitness Tracking
- OS and Interface
- Hardware & Performance
- Battery Life
- Connectivity Options
- Extra Features
- Warranty
- Garmin Forerunner 945: The Pros & Cons
- Apple Series 6: The Pros & Cons
- Value and Price
- Who Should Buy These Watches?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Verdict
Garmin Forerunner 945 vs Apple Watch Series 6: Comparison Chart
Before I jump into the more detailed comparison, here are all the major specifications and features, stacked side by side, for your convenience. This will give you a head start as you start exploring the specific sections one by one.
Going through this list makes it easier for you to understand what’s going on and catch up on the facts quickly. So, check the comparison chart below:
| Garmin Forerunner 945 | Apple Watch Series 6 | |
|---|---|---|
| Companion app | Garmin Connect | Watch |
| Compatibility | iOS, Android | iOS |
| Interchangeable strap | Yes | Yes |
| Voice command | No | Siri |
| Find my phone | Yes | Yes |
| Box content | Watch, Strap, Charging Cable, Documentation | Watch, Magnetic Charging Cable, Strap, Documentation |
| Starting Price | $599.99 (GPS) | $399 (GPS), $499 (GPS+Cellular) |
| Type | Fitness | Fitness |
| Gender | Unisex | Unisex |
| Shape | Circular | Rectangular with Rounded Corners |
| Case Material | Fiber-reinforced Polymer with Metal backplate | Aluminum, Stainless Steel & Titanium variants |
| Strap Material | Nylon, Silicone & Leather | Silicone, Nylon, Fiber, Leather & Metal options |
| Bezel Material | Stainless steel | No Bezel |
| Screen Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass DX, Sapphire | ion-X Glass, Sapphire |
| Water Resistance | 5 ATM (up to 50 meters) | 5 ATM (up to 50 meters) |
| Display Size | 1.2 inch | 1.78 inch (44mm), 1.57 inch (40mm) |
| Display Type | Transflective MIP LCD | LTPO OLED, 1000 nits |
| Resolution | 240 x 240 px | 448 x 368 px (44mm) , 394x324 px (40mm) |
| Always On | Yes | Yes |
| Custom Watch Face | No | Yes |
| SOC | N/A | Apple S6 (Dual-core) |
| RAM | N/A | N/A |
| Storage | 16GB | 32GB |
| Accelerometer | Yes | Yes |
| Altimeter | Yes | Yes (Always-on) |
| Ambient light | Yes | Yes |
| Barometer | Yes | Yes |
| Compass | Yes | Yes |
| ECG | No | Yes |
| Gyroscope | Yes | Yes |
| Heart Rate Monitor | Yes | Yes |
| Blood Oxygen | Yes | Yes |
| Hand Wash Detection | No | Yes |
| Thermometer | Yes | No |
| Blood Pressure | No | No |
| Calories Monitor | Yes | Yes |
| Distance Monitor | Yes | Yes |
| Sleep Tracking | Yes | No |
| Steps Tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Fall Detection | Yes | Yes |
| Swim Tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Menstrual Cycle | No | Yes |
| Sport modes | Yes | Yes |
| Battery type | Non-removable Li-ion battery | Non-removable Li-ion battery |
| Battery Capacity | N/A | N/A |
| Battery Life | N/A | Around 18 Hours of Daily Use |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes |
| Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes, v5.0 |
| Bluetooth Calling | Yes | Yes |
| GPS | Yes | Yes |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n | Wi-Fi 802.11, b/g/n |
| ANT+ | Yes | No |
| SMS alert | Yes | Yes |
| Calls alert | Yes | Yes |
| SIM type | None | e-Sim (on Cellular model) |
| OS | Garmin OS | WatchOS 7 |
Design & Build
Let’s kick this off with the design and build quality differences Both the brands have a very different approach when it comes to design and the choice of materials.
Firstly the shape of the case is different. Garmin has gone with the circular case design while Apple has chosen to go with a rectangular case with rounded corners. Now, this comes down to personal preference, so you may prefer one over another.
The Forerunner is using a fiber-reinforced polymer as the build material while the Watch Series 6 offers three choices including Aluminum for the base variant and Stainless Steel or Titanium for the premium variants. For the top Apple has actually used ion-X glass while Garmin has used Corning Gorilla Glass DX.
If you’re buying the premium cases of the Apple Watch 6 then they’ll come with a Sapphire to layer instead. The Series 6 also comes in two sizes at 44mm and 40mm. So, when it comes to overall build quality, Apple definitely has the upper hand.
The protection is more or less the same. Both of these watches come with a 5 ATM water resistance rating. That means the devices can survive under a maximum 50 meters depth, underwater. It means the devices will survive swimming or surfing sessions but, if you take them skin diving, under the ocean, they’ll definitely die.
When it comes to the bands (straps), the Forerunner has two default silicone options but, their entire range of QuickFit 22mm bands are compatible with a variety of options including Silicone, Leather, Nylon, Stainless Steel, and Titanium options.
Apple Watch Series 6 actually has a lot more band choices and you can configure your watch at the time of purchase if you buy on their website. They also offer Silicone, Nylon, Metal, Leather, Stainless Steel & Titanium, alongside Fiber made bands. So, this might be a toss-up depending on your personal preference.
The Display
Both Apple Watch 6 and the Garmin Forerunner 945 come with different types of displays that are good, However, the right one depends on your usage.
| Garmin Forerunner 945 | Apple Watch 6 | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 1.2 inch | 1.78 inch (44mm), 1.57 inch (40mm) |
| Type | Transflective MIP LCD | LTPO OLED, 1000 nits |
| Resolution | 240 x 240 px | 448 x 368 px (44mm) , 394x324 px (40mm) |
| Always On | Yes | Yes |
| Custom Face Watch | No | Yes |
Garmin uses a technology called Transflective Memory-In-Pixel and it is backed by an LED backlighting. Apple, on the other hand, uses LTPO OLED panels which is their take on smartwatch OLED displays. Thanks to the organic self-lit pixels in the panel that offers better colors, infinite contrast ratio, and better battery efficiency.
The circular panel of the Forerunner 945 is actually a 1.2-inch one with a resolution of 240 x 240. The Apple Watch 6 comes in two sizes, so it also has two display sizes. A 1.78-inch one with a resolution of 448 x 368 for the 44mm size and a 1.57-inch one with a resolution of 394 x 324 for the 40mm size.
The Apple Watch is also brighter in both regular and always-on modes. Energy efficiency is also a big part here. Apple’s LTPO technology is great and of course, the self-lit pixels help to keep the power consumption at bay.
The LED-backlit Transflective MIP panel, on the other hand, isn’t as power efficient but, because of the lower brightness levels and lower resolution with smaller screen size, the battery life is actually better on the Forerunner. More on that in the Battery Life section.
Apple Watch 6 comes with a better display than the Forerunner 945
Overall, I’ll say Apple takes the crown in this section. A brighter, sharper & bigger display with OLED technology on the Apple Watch Series 6, just trips out the display on the Garmin Forerunner 945.
Activity & Fitness Tracking
| Garmin Forerunner 945 | Apple Watch 6 | |
|---|---|---|
| ECG | No | Yes |
| Blood Oxygen Monitor | Yes | Yes |
| Heart Rate Monitor | Yes | Yes |
| Sleep Tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Swim Tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Distance Tracking (Running) | Yes | Yes |
| Step Tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Fall Detection | No | Yes |
Both devices have the necessary sensors to do all the basic activity and fitness tracking. However, there are some big differences as they have different priorities. For instance, The Apple Watch Series 6 focuses more on the health side while the Garmin Forerunner is more focused on fitness.
Let’s hit the common ground first. Both devices can track your Heart Rate & Sleep. Also, they don’t come with Stress monitoring (found in Fitbit Sense) which is kind of disappointing considering their price. Activity tracking is also great in both as they can track a lot of them including running, swimming, hiking, walking, and a bunch of other sports.
Now, Garmin has a better feature set in place for Running and sports like Golf, Biking, and stuff like that. However, the Apple Watch 6 also does all of these things really well, and hopefully, you won’t have many complaints. For golfers though, the Garmin Forerunner 945 is a better choice any day.
Digging deep into the health stuff, both devices come with Blood Oxygen Monitoring which can be really important while you’re on a higher altitude during those hiking trips. The Apple Series 6 can also take an ECG which the Forerunner lacks the hardware for alongside, Fall Detection.
Garmin Forerunner 945 for Sports, Apple Watch 6 for health
So as mentioned earlier, the Apple Watch is better when it comes to focusing on Health. So, if you are concerned about your health, the Apple Watch Series 6 is the better choice.
However, you may require those extra running & golfing features or any of the other Garmin specific stuff, in which case, the Forerunner 945 is a no brainer for you.
OS and Interface
| Garmin Forerunner 945 | Apple Watch 6 | |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Garmin OS | WatchOS 7 |
| Voice Control | Activated by saying "Voice Command" | Siri |
| Companion App | Garmin Connect | Watch |
Both companies do operating systems well.
Garmin’s own operating system (Garmin OS) and ecosystem are tuned towards health & fitness. Apple’s WatchOS 7 does all that but, it’s also trying to be useful for some productivity at the same time.
Coming to the user interface and customization first, Apple does have a slightly more user-friendly UI compared to Garmin but, some users actually prefer the UI of Garmin OS instead. So, that’ll be more of a personal preference thing.
You can customize both devices with different watch faces but Apple will let you create & customize and even share your customized watch face directly from the watch. So, that might be something you’re into.
The app situation is better on the Apple Watch as the WatchOS app store currently sits right behind the Google Play Store in terms of the number of available apps. But, Garmin has surprisingly moved a lot closer now. Anyway, both devices will let you access all the important 3rd party apps you may need with Garmin now also supporting Amazon Music.
At the end of the day, it’ll come down to what your personal needs require. In case you want a smartwatch that has better customization options with more third-party app support, the Apple Watch Series 6 does that better. But, it’s surprising to see how close the Garmin Forerunner 945 has come and honestly, I think there will be a good number of users who’ll prefer Garmin’s ecosystem over Apple.
Hardware & Performance
| Garmin Forerunner 945 | Apple Watch 6 | |
|---|---|---|
| SOC | N/A | Apple S6 |
| RAM | N/A | 1GB |
| Internal Storage | 16GB | 32GB |
Hardware is another area where Apple is kinda unbeatable right now. They make the most powerful hardware for smartwatches and that hardware just blows away what Garmin is using for the Forerunner 945.
Apple is using its latest S6 SOC with 1GB RAM and 32GB of Internal Storage. Although it is not clear what SOC and how much RAM Garmin is using here, I do know that it has 16GB of Internal Storage.
As expected, Apple blows away Garmin in the performance department. The Watch Series 6 is way faster compared to the Forerunner 945 and thanks to twice the internal storage, it can also store way more music and apps.
Garmin doesn’t perform badly by any means but, the Apple Watch is just that much better. Apple has also included two extra chips including the W3 chip for better wireless connectivity and the U1 chip for spatial awareness. So overall, Apple takes the crown for the hardware & performance section.
Battery Life
Battery life is one area where the Forerunner 945 pulls ahead of the Watch Series 6. The Apple Watch undoubtedly has great hardware but the Forerunner doesn’t have so many features, so it also doesn’t need to push the hardware very hard which might have drained the battery faster.
As mentioned earlier, the lower resolution display, combined with a lower brightness level, also drains less battery.
The Garmin 945 provides up to 14 days of long battery life in smartwatch mode which can come down to a day and a half (36 hours) if you’re using GPS continuously. If you’re also streaming music (from the watch to your Bluetooth headphones), the battery will only last you up to 10 hours.
| Garmin Forerunner 945 | |
|---|---|
| GPS | Up to 36 hours |
| Smartwatch | Up to 14 Days |
| GPS + Music | Up to 10 hours |
The Apple Watch Series 6 will do up to 18 hours of mixed usage on a single charge. That reduces to 11 hours while doing indoor workouts and 7 hours while doing outdoor workouts. By the way, if you’re also using cellular connectivity during outdoor workouts, the battery will last an hour less. While taking calls, the device can last around 1.5 hours on LTE.
| Apple Watch 6 | |
|---|---|
| Daily Rated | Up to 18 hours |
| With Family Setup | Up to 14 hours |
| Talktime (LTE) | Up to 1.5 hours |
| Audio Playback | Up to 11 hours (Local) or 8 hours (Streaming) |
| Indoor Workout | Up to 11 hours |
| Outdoor Workout | Up to 7 hours (GPS) or 6 Hours (GPS+LTE) |
Garmin Forerunner 945 lasts longer than the Apple Watch 6
So, the Garmin Forerunner 945 definitely has the upper hand when it comes to battery life. If that’s something you want, then it’s an easy choice. If you don’t have a problem with charging your battery every day, then the lesser battery in the Watch 6 isn’t really a big deal.
Connectivity Options
| Garmin Forerunner 945 | Apple Watch 6 | |
|---|---|---|
| Navigation | GPS, GLONASS, Galileo | GPS/GNSS |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11 b/g/n | 802.11 b/g/n |
| Bluetooth | Available, v4.2 | Available, v5.0 |
| Cellular | No | LTE & UMTS (on Cellular model) |
| ANT+ | Yes | No |
The connectivity section is a bit of a mixed bag. The base variant of the Watch Series 6 and the Forerunner 945 are both equipped with GPS, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi. The Apple Watch Series 6 also has an optional cellular model.
Now, although these might look similar but, they are not.
The Watch Series 6, although it has the same 802.11 b/g/n hardware, supports both 2.4GHz and the 5GHz bands while the Forerunner 945 only supports the 2.4GHz band. The Bluetooth version is also different with Bluetooth 4.2 on the Forerunner and the newer 5.0 on the Series 6.
There is no cellular option for the Forerunner 945 but there is one for the Watch Series 6. Also, the iWatch 6 is one of the best-rated LTE smartwatches in the market. It supports cellular connectivity through an e-sim. However, you’ll need to spend a bit extra to get the cellular variant.
The Apple Watch Series 6 Aluminum variant has cellular connectivity as an optional feature. However, the Stainless Steel and Titanium variant come with cellular by default. This lets you take calls or reply to messages, even when you don’t have your phone with you.
The navigation on maps is more or less the same. The Apple Watch Series 6 supports the full GPS/GNSS while the Forerunner 945 misses on Beidou which shouldn’t be a huge issue. So, overall, unless you need cellular connectivity, both devices are more or less the same but, Apple does have a slight edge.
Extra Features
Garmin Forerunner 945
Pace Pro for Running: The Forerunner 945 is made for running and Garmin’s Pace Pro feature is one of the best running features out there. It lets the user choose a suitable distance from the courses available in the Garmin Connect app. It can also provide personal dynamic grade-adjusted pace guidance by analyzing the distance you’re covering on a regular basis.
Integrated Golfing Features: The golfing features on the Forerunner are also one of the best, available on the market right now. Garmin has preloaded the device with the information of around 41000 golf courses around the world. The device can measure shot distance, show a digital scorecard, and more.
Apple Watch 6
Electrocardiogram (ECG): The ECG feature on the Apple Watch Series 6 can be a lifesaver for people with pre-existing heart conditions and for elderly people. Even if you don’t fall into that category, you can still keep your heart in check with the ECG feature.
Fall Detection: This is another feature that can be really helpful & can even save lives at times. If the user collapses, the device can detect that and send an SOS to pre-selected contacts. This feature also works outdoors, if you have the cellular model.
Warranty
Both Apple & Garmin are providing a 1-year International warranty with their products. So, in case you’re one of those people who travel a lot for work or go on vacations outside the country, you’ll still be covered by the warranty. This is something that may or may not be important to you but, you’re going to get it anyway.
Apple also has its AppleCare+ program which will extend the warranty to 2 years and also cover accidental damage. If you want, you can avail the service by paying an extra fee. Even if you don’t get the plan during purchase, you can avail of it directly from your phone for a limited time. Sadly Garmin doesn’t have any additional plan to cover accidental damage.
Garmin Forerunner 945: The Pros & Cons
- Running specific features and Pace Pro
- Blood Oxygen Monitoring
- Supports both Android and iOS ecosystems
- Great for various sports professionals
- Impressive battery life
- Some users may prefer the circular shape
- Smaller and low-res display
- Half the storage of the Apple Watch Series 6
- No ECG or Fall Detection
Apple Series 6: The Pros & Cons
- WatchOS 7 is one of the best smartwatch operating systems out there
- Supports Fall Detection and SOS
- Powerful Hardware
- ECG & Blood Oxygen Monitoring
- Option to choose from a 40mm or a 44mm case size
- Custom Watch Faces and a larger selection of watch bands
- Does not support Android smartphones
- Costs $100 extra to upgrade to the LTE variant
- Needs charging every day with mixed usage
Value and Price
Finally, it is time to talk about the price. Just like the Fenix 6, the Garmin Forerunner 945 has a starting price of $599.99. There aren’t any premium variants but you can get a bundle that includes the HRM-Tri & HRM-Swim monitors (bands) with the device.
The Apple Watch Series 6 has a lot of price variations though. It starts at $399 (40mm) or $429 (44mm) for the GPS variant and steps up to $499 (40mm) or $529 (44mm) for the GPS+Cellular variant. The Stainless Steel and Cellular variants will start at $699 and $749.
So, as far as price goes, the Apple Watch Series 6 is a better value compared to the Garmin Forerunner 945. Even if you want premium builds or a more versatile collection of watch bands, you have to go for the Watch Series 6. But, if you find the extra features on the Garmin, being more useful for you, that device is great too. But, you’ll get a less feature-rich device for a higher price.
Who Should Buy These Watches?
It is clear that the Garmin Forerunner 945 and the Apple Watch Series 6 are targeted towards a different set of users. Now, there is some common ground as well. So, do you fall into these categories of users? Well, let’s find that out in the list below:
People who will benefit from the Apple Watch Series 6
→ Older people and people with pre-existing heart conditions will benefit from the Fall Detection and SOS feature Apple Watch Series 6. It can even be life-saving in some cases.
→ Users who need to monitor the activity of their kids can do it through the Family Setup option in the Apple Watch.
→ People invested in the Apple Ecosystem will definitely find the Apple Watch Series 6 to be more useful compared to the Forerunner or any other smartwatches for that matter.
People who will benefit from the Garmin Forerunner 945
→ Users who want extra Garmin specific features for running, golfing, biking, etc, will benefit from the inbuilt feature of the Forerunner 945.
→ People who are used to Circular cases will find the Forerunner to be right at home.
→ Users who don’t have an iPhone can’t go with an Apple Watch, so they have to go with the Forerunner instead.
All you need to do now is, figure out which of these user descriptions, match you the best. Once you have that figured out, you’ll have a clear idea of which of these devices is going to be the best fit for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Apple wants to keep you in their own ecosystem, so the products can work seamlessly, and eventually, you buy more & more Apple products. That’s why the Apple Watch doesn’t even work with an iPad. You need an iPhone to even set it up. So, supporting Android smartphones is definitely out of the question here.
If you plan on going running without your phone, an active cellular network on your watch allows you to take calls or receive messages, directly on the device. It also ensures that it can do Fall Detection and send the alerts to specific people if it detects the user collapses outdoors. Of course, the device will need to support fall detection to use this feature.
This comes down to personal preference. If you have always worn circular watches, you’ll find the circular shape to be more comfortable that’s obvious. However, some users won’t mind or maybe they’ll rather find the rectangular shape to be more comfortable. If you are confused about this one, go to a store and try out the watches before you make a purchase.
Faster hardware makes the UI smoother, lets you install and open apps a lot quicker and if the software is properly optimized, it’ll have less to no stutters at all. So yes, you’ll get a better smartwatch experience if it has faster hardware.
If there is proper hardware, the ECG feature should work properly, most of the time. In the Apple Watch Series 6, it works without issues. However, shining a light on your wrist and getting the reflected light back to determine Blood Oxygen isn’t the most efficient way to do it. So, that measure might not be perfect all the time.
It does work better if you place the sensor at the bottom of your watch, on top of your finger, so you can definitely do that to get more accurate readings. This actually applies to all the smartwatches who are using a mechanism like this including the Forerunner 945 and the Watch Series 6.
Verdict
The time has finally arrived to conclude this comparison and give you my final verdict on the same. So let’s list out the major takeaways from this comparison between the Garmin Forerunner 945 and the Apple Watch Series 6.
- None of the devices are cheap but, the Apple Watch is a better value than the Forerunner.
- Garmin has a better set of features when it comes to specific sports and activities.
- Apple’s Fall Detection and ECG features are way more reliable for health monitoring.
- Both devices have Blood Oxygen Monitors but, neither of them is going to be as accurate as a medical-grade pulse oximeter.
- Apple does have better ecosystem integration but it won’t support Android devices.
- Garmin does support both Android and iOS but, its ecosystem is not as polished as Apple.
- The Apple Watch is way more customizable compared to the Forerunner
- The Forerunner 945 will give you better battery life. However, battery life is going to be slightly different for different use case scenarios and that applies to both devices.
So, you have to take into consideration these things before you make the purchase. If you’ve found your match already, then congratulations. You can now pick the device that suits you the most. But, in case you’d like to consider a few more models, we have more comparisons and other articles on the website. So, maybe consider checking those out.
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