I’m fully in on Apple products for my phone, computer, pads, etc. I gave up the Apple Watch a few years ago because I felt it was just too fragile and dainty looking. Purchased a Phenix 6 instead…much more masculine looking, better battery life (by weeks) and I like how functional and programmable the buttons are. Also much easier to navigate with cold or gloved hands.

That said…

I miss the ability to leave my phone and still be able to read/respond to texts or email, make or answer phone calls, quickly check something on the internet.

Apple Watch Ultra has been out for a while now and seems to be a game changer for Apple over their 8 and possibly a legit competitor to the Garmin line.

Anyone out there with Experience with both?

Thoughts on giving up the Garmin and going back to Apple?

I have a version 8 but my SIL bought an Ultra and love it. My whole family are Apple whores.

I love my Apple Watch Ultra.

Yeah, I wasn't a big fan of the Apple Watch 7 I had. I could take it or leave it. The Ultra is a different story. I love it.

I am an Apple fan in general, the the Ultra is glitchy in duration IMO. I try to use Strava and Spotify. Forget it. In a 2 hour run, it always glitches at least once. I'll stick with Garmin and streaming from my phone when it matters.

I had an instinct rather than the Phoenix but I recently made the switch to the ultra. Battery life is definitely a downside but the functionality of the garmin was always clunky and difficult in my opinion. I am happy with the switch so far.

I train with Fenix and daily wear Apple. No reason to pay $800 for Ultra when Fenix 5X cost $80.

My son is unhappy, he wanted the watch to be able to leave his phone at home and just use the watch, he has the version with a phone number.

He says the apps are too glitchy. He hardly uses it for his phone for calls, all app stuff. text and snap that sort of thing.

I really like my Apple watch but I also almost always carry a phone.

I use it mostly for the medical and fitness stuff.


so it really would depend on what you watch the watch to do.

My series 3 watch just bit the dust because I dropped it face down on cement and I didn't notice the hairline crack on the edge of the screen. I went swimming shortly after and my watch died later that day.

I bought it new in 2018 and it's been on hunting trips, freshwater and saltwater fishing trips. I wore it every day in the shop, countless them park trips, gym times, air travel and swimming. There's no telling how long it would have lasted if I didn't drop it in such a manner to have cracked the faceplate. I had no faceplate guard or protective layer over it and any watch would have been damaged from that kind of fall.

I just got a series 8 and I love it so far. It's much improved over the series 3 and doesn't seem fragile to me. I use mine to track my steps, heart rate, set timers, alarms, occasionally check messages, and skip songs that are streaming from my phone to my UE Boom bluetooth speaker. I sometimes use it to check the weather, but not much.

I think I paid $500 for my series 8. Give it a try.

Tony.

Happy with my Series 7. Cellular model yields the flexibility to leave my phone home & take/make calls with my watch. Outstanding. Tyvm.

The flashlight on the Phoenix 7 might be the greatest innovation in utility watches known to man!