Can Garmin Venu 3 or Fenix 8 answer phone calls when paired to an iPhone?

Yes. Both the Garmin Venu 3 and Garmin Fenix 8 include a built-in speaker and microphone, allowing you to answer Bluetooth phone calls and trigger Siri on your paired iPhone directly from your wrist. However, Apple restricts third-party watches from replying to iMessages via canned texts on iOS.

Is Apple Watch Ultra 3 GPS as accurate as Garmin's dual-frequency SatIQ?

In open sky and suburban running, Apple Watch Ultra 3's dual-frequency L1+L5 GPS matches Garmin Forerunner 965 and Fenix 8 almost stride for stride. Garmin pulls ahead on multi-day alpine routes where SatIQ dynamically switches satellite bands to preserve 40+ hours of continuous GPS battery.

WhichGarmin watch feels closest to an Apple Watch for everyday wear?

The Garmin Venu 3 ($449) is the closest everyday transition: it features a bright 1.4-inch AMOLED touchscreen, sleek 45mm or 41mm (Venu 3S) profile, FDA-cleared ECG, speaker/mic calling, Nap Detection, and 14-day battery life without the heavy rugged bezel of the Fenix line.

Apple Watch vs Garmin watches (2026)

#1 pickBuyFair at retail

Apple Watch Series 11

Strong critic consensus on sensor accuracy, battery endurance, and everyday software experience.

Editor's Take: The Apple Watch Series 11 remains the undisputed everyday smartwatch benchmark for iPhone owners, pairing its ultra-thin wide-angle LTPO3 OLED display and S11 SiP responsiveness with FDA-cleared sleep apnea notifications and rock-solid optical heart-rate tracking. Its 24-hour normal battery life still requires a quick daily top-up during your morning shower, and it won't pair with Android—but no rival matches its seamless watchOS app ecosystem, UWB car-key support, and wrist ergonomics.

$399S11 SiP / Wide-angle OLED / Sleep Apnea1y 1m oldTarget $379

Battery Life: Up to 24 hrs normal / 36 hrs Low Power Mode, fast charge (0-80% in 30 min)
Sensors & GPS: 3rd-gen optical HR, ECG, sleep apnea notifications, wrist temp, compass, GPS
Display: Wide-angle LTPO3 OLED Always-On Retina (up to 2,000 nits)
Water & Durability

#2 pickBuyWait for 10% off

Apple Watch Ultra 3

Strong critic consensus on sensor accuracy, battery endurance, and everyday software experience.

Editor's Take: Encased in 49mm aerospace titanium with a flat sapphire crystal, 3,000-nit wide-angle LTPO3 OLED display, and EN13319 40-meter dive certification, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is the most capable smartwatch Apple has ever built. Dual-frequency L1+L5 GPS tracks urban marathons with surgical accuracy and 36-to-72-hour battery life comfortably clears weekend adventures, making it the definitive choice for iPhone athletes who want one watch for the trail and the boardroom.

$799S11 SiP / Dual-frequency GPS / Titanium1y 1m oldTarget $719

Battery Life: Up to 36 hrs normal / 72 hrs Low Power Mode
Sensors & GPS: Electrical & optical HR, ECG, SpO2, wrist temp, depth gauge, dual-frequency L1+L5 GPS
Display: Wide-angle LTPO3 OLED Always-On Retina (up to 3,000 nits)
Water & Durability: 100m water resistance, EN13319 recreational dive to 40m

iPhone userswatchOS appsdaily health & safetytrail & outdoor athletes

Full review Worth it?

#3 pickValueFair at retail

Garmin Venu 3

The review score is high relative to street price. Prioritise seasonal deals and bundle discounts.

Editor's Take: The Garmin Venu 3 is the ultimate crossover watch for buyers who want a vibrant 1.4-inch AMOLED touchscreen, Bluetooth phone calling, and FDA-cleared ECG without being tethered to a nightly charging cable. Delivering up to 14 days of battery life alongside Garmin's Sleep Coach, Nap Detection, and Elevate Gen 5 sensor array across both iOS and Android, it trades third-party app-store breadth for genuine multi-week freedom.

$449Elevate V5 HR / ECG / 14-day battery3y 2m oldTarget $427

Battery Life: Up to 14 days smartwatch mode (10 days on Venu 3S) / up to 26 hrs GPS
Sensors & GPS: Garmin Elevate Gen 5 optical HR, FDA-cleared ECG, Pulse Ox, skin temp, multi-GNSS
Display: 1.4-inch (454x454) or 1.2-inch (3S) AMOLED touchscreen
Water & Durability: 5 ATM (50m swimproof)

runners & triathletesdual-band GPSmulti-week battery

Full review Worth it?

#4 pickValueFair at retail

Garmin Forerunner 965

The review score is high relative to street price. Prioritise seasonal deals and bundle discounts.

Editor's Take: The Garmin Forerunner 965 is the gold-standard GPS running and triathlon watch, marrying a brilliant 1.4-inch AMOLED touchscreen and lightweight 53-gram titanium-bezel chassis with 32GB of full-color offline TopoActive mapping. With dual-frequency SatIQ GNSS, 23-day smartwatch stamina, and Garmin's complete Training Readiness and chronic load suite, it gives competitive marathoners Fenix-grade navigation without the brick-like wrist weight.

$599AMOLED / Full offline maps / Triathlon readiness3y 8m oldTarget $569

Battery Life: Up to 23 days smartwatch mode / up to 31 hrs GPS-only / 19 hrs multi-band GNSS
Sensors & GPS: Garmin Elevate Gen 4 optical HR, Pulse Ox, multi-band GNSS with SatIQ, barometric altimeter
Display: 1.4-inch (454x454) AMOLED touchscreen + 5 physical buttons
Water & Durability: 5 ATM (50m swimproof)

runners & triathletesdual-band GPSmulti-week battery

Full review Worth it?

#5 pickShortlistDeal only

Garmin Fenix 8

A strong wearable choice, though compare battery runtime, GPS accuracy, sleep coaching, and phone compatibility against nearby rivals.

Editor's Take: The Garmin Fenix 8 is the undisputed king of rugged multisport expedition watches, merging AMOLED and Solar options across three sizes while adding leakproof inductive metal buttons rated for 40-meter scuba diving, a built-in multi-LED flashlight, and speaker/mic voice commands. With 16-to-29 days of AMOLED battery life (up to 48 days on Solar) and 32GB of offline TopoActive maps, nothing else matches its off-grid self-sufficiency.

$999AMOLED or Solar / Dive-rated / Multi-band GNSS2y 2m oldTarget $819

Battery Life: Up to 16 days (47mm AMOLED) / up to 29 days (51mm AMOLED) / 21-48 days Solar
Sensors & GPS: Garmin Elevate Gen 5 optical HR, ECG, Pulse Ox, multi-band GNSS with SatIQ, barometric altimeter
Display: 1.4-inch AMOLED touchscreen or MIP Solar display + built-in LED flashlight
Water & Durability: 10 ATM + EN13319 dive-rated to 40m with leakproof inductive metal buttons

runners & triathletesdual-band GPSmulti-week batterytrail & outdoor athletes

Full review Worth it?

#6 pickValueFair at retail

Apple Watch SE 3

The review score is high relative to street price. Prioritise seasonal deals and bundle discounts.

Editor's Take: At $249, the Apple Watch SE 3 delivers 85% of the flagship Apple Watch experience for roughly 60% of the price—combining fast S10-class processor responsiveness, 50m swimproofing, Apple Pay, iMessage integration, and life-saving Crash and Fall Detection. You give up the Always-On display, ECG, and blood oxygen/apnea sensors, making it the unbeatable value pick for first-time iPhone watch buyers and Family Setup kids' watches.

$249S10 SiP / Crash Detection / watchOS1y 1m oldTarget $237

Battery Life: Up to 18 hrs all-day battery life with fast charging support
Sensors & GPS: Optical heart sensor, high/low HR & irregular rhythm alerts, Crash & Fall Detection, GPS
Display: Retina LTPO OLED display (up to 1,000 nits)
Water & Durability: 50m water resistance (swimproof)

iPhone userswatchOS appsdaily health & safetyvalue buyers

Full review Worth it?

#7 pickValueFair at retail

Garmin Forerunner 265

The review score is high relative to street price. Prioritise seasonal deals and bundle discounts.

Editor's Take: For road runners and triathletes who don't need onboard topographic maps, the Garmin Forerunner 265 hits the sweet spot of the entire endurance market. Available in both 46mm and compact 42mm (265S) sizes, it delivers the same dual-frequency SatIQ GPS accuracy, 5-button wet-weather control, and morning Training Readiness scores as the 965 while saving $150.

$449AMOLED / Dual-frequency GPS / Training Readiness3y 8m oldTarget $427

Battery Life: Up to 13 days smartwatch mode (15 days on 265S) / up to 20 hrs GPS-only
Sensors & GPS: Garmin Elevate Gen 4 optical HR, Pulse Ox, dual-frequency multi-band GNSS with SatIQ
Display: 1.3-inch (416x416) or 1.1-inch (265S) AMOLED touchscreen + 5 buttons
Water & Durability: 5 ATM (50m swimproof)

runners & triathletesdual-band GPSmulti-week battery

Full review Worth it?

#8 pickValueFair at retail

Apple Watch Series 10

The review score is high relative to street price. Prioritise seasonal deals and bundle discounts.

Editor's Take: At just 9.7mm thin, the Apple Watch Series 10 introduced the sleekest chassis redesign in Apple Watch history along with a wide-angle LTPO3 OLED display that stays 40% brighter when viewed off-axis. Sharing FDA-cleared sleep apnea detection, ECG, and 30-minute fast charging with the newer Series 11, it becomes one of the smartest value buys in the iOS ecosystem whenever street prices dip below $329.

$399S10 SiP / 9.7mm thin profile / Wide-angle OLED2y 1m oldTarget $379

Battery Life: Up to 18 hrs all-day / 36 hrs Low Power Mode, fast charge 0-80% in 30 min
Sensors & GPS: 3rd-gen optical HR, electrical heart sensor (ECG), sleep apnea notifications, wrist temp, compass
Display: Wide-angle LTPO3 OLED Always-On Retina (up to 2,000 nits, 1Hz refresh)
Water & Durability: 50m water resistance with 6m depth gauge & water temperature sensor

iPhone userswatchOS appsdaily health & safety

Full review Worth it?

#9 pickValueFair at retail

Garmin Instinct 3

The review score is high relative to street price. Prioritise seasonal deals and bundle discounts.

Editor's Take: With its bolt-reinforced aluminum bezel, MIL-STD-810 thermal/shock armor, built-in multi-LED torch, and a choice between vibrant AMOLED (up to 24 days) or unlimited Solar MIP battery life, the Garmin Instinct 3 is the ultimate G-Shock-style field watch. You give up full-color downloadable topo maps and touchscreen panning, but gain indestructible simplicity and SatIQ multi-band GPS for $449.

$449Metal-reinforced bezel / AMOLED or Unlimited Solar / LED Torch1y 10m oldTarget $427

Battery Life: Up to 24 days (AMOLED) or Unlimited battery life in smartwatch mode with Solar charging
Sensors & GPS: Garmin Elevate Gen 4 optical HR, Pulse Ox, multi-band GNSS with SatIQ, 3-axis compass & altimeter
Display: 45mm / 50mm high-contrast MIP Solar or vibrant AMOLED display + built-in multi-LED flashlight
Water & Durability: 10 ATM (100m) + MIL-STD-810 thermal & shock resistance

runners & triathletesdual-band GPSmulti-week batterytrail & outdoor athletes

Full review Worth it?

#10 pickValueFair at retail

Garmin Forerunner 165

The review score is high relative to street price. Prioritise seasonal deals and bundle discounts.

Editor's Take: The Garmin Forerunner 165 democratizes Garmin's modern running experience, bringing a crisp 1.2-inch AMOLED touchscreen, 5-button physical lap controls, barometric altimeter, and adaptive Garmin Coach race plans down to $249. While it omits dual-frequency L1+L5 GNSS and Training Readiness to protect the Forerunner 265, its 11-day battery life and 39-gram comfort make it the best entry-level running watch available.

$2491.2-inch AMOLED / Adaptive Race Plans / 11-day battery2y 8m oldTarget $237

Battery Life: Up to 11 days smartwatch mode / up to 19 hrs GPS-only / 17 hrs all-systems GNSS
Sensors & GPS: Garmin Elevate Gen 4 optical HR, HRV status, Pulse Ox, barometric altimeter, multi-GNSS
Display: 1.2-inch (390x390) AMOLED touchscreen + 5 traditional runner buttons
Water & Durability: 5 ATM (50m swimproof)

runners & triathletesdual-band GPSmulti-week battery

Full review Worth it?

Apple Watch vs Garmin watches (2026)

What Matters Before You Buy

How We Rank These Wearables

Apple Watch Series 11

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Garmin Venu 3 or Fenix 8 answer phone calls when paired to an iPhone?

Is Apple Watch Ultra 3 GPS as accurate as Garmin's dual-frequency SatIQ?

WhichGarmin watch feels closest to an Apple Watch for everyday wear?

Editorial Team

Sanjiv Sathiah

Apple Watch Ultra 3

Garmin Venu 3

Garmin Forerunner 965

Garmin Fenix 8

Apple Watch SE 3

Garmin Forerunner 265

Apple Watch Series 10

Garmin Instinct 3

Garmin Forerunner 165