I have been going back and forth between a Garmin 965 and an AWU2 since the U2 came out (used an AWU1 before that).
I am mostly a trail runner in the Pacific NW (Portland) and am currently training for a 50K in June. I run a lot of trail miles.
I have always been an Apple Watch user and apologist, although I feel like the limitations for running (and other sports) are incredibly frustrating. I won't get into all the reasons but over the years, the watches and ecosystems have gotten closer and my reasons have become more nitpicks, although still relevant. Im also older and just dont care about some of the things that I used to.
But after using the Garmin 965 (a great watch) since last June, something is compelling me back to the Ultra full time.
Any of you have similar thoughts?
I am mostly a trail runner in the Pacific NW (Portland) and am currently training for a 50K in June. I run a lot of trail miles.
I have always been an Apple Watch user and apologist, although I feel like the limitations for running (and other sports) are incredibly frustrating. I won't get into all the reasons but over the years, the watches and ecosystems have gotten closer and my reasons have become more nitpicks, although still relevant. Im also older and just dont care about some of the things that I used to.
But after using the Garmin 965 (a great watch) since last June, something is compelling me back to the Ultra full time.
- I'm tired of wearing 2 watches. First world problems I know, but I just am. The Garmin is only on for running, but I dislike using mulitple platforms, syncing w RunGap, and using my AW for only music.
- GPS and tracking are basically the same. There is not a significant difference that I can tell after over a thousand miles of testing on roads and trails.
- Battery life? Yes, Garmin wins. But not enough to keep me there. This is a minor annoyance only for me, as the U2's battery lasts long enough for all of my adventures and then some. Charging isn't an issue for me personally.
- Mapping. OH MY GOD here we go...... It was the single reason I moved over to the Garmin and honestly, it has failed me miserably. Something changed when Garmin updated the 965, and even on the Garmin forums, people complain about the mapping. It has not been a great experience. The lack of zooming to where you are is atrocious. I don't know why they broke that feature, but that, coupled with the lack of a scroll button makes the main advantage (for me) less and less attractive. I use Footpath on the AWU2 and although it is not native, it is leaps and bounds better than my Garmin experience over the last 8 months. I hope that Apple integrates some of these features into running and mapping in ios18. Please!
5. Recovery + Coaching - The recovery, analytics and coaching features on the Garmin are well documented, and while nice, have lost a bit of their luster with me. I get that information on my AWU2 via Athlytic or Healthfit, and it's mostly fine. I also subscribe to Strava and most of the data is there and is ok with me. I have used the Daily Suggested Workouts with the Garmin, and while they are good, I have other resources that I can use when training. I am hoping that Apple integrates some AI coaching options in the next version of WatchOS. - I wanted the Garmin because all this stuff was baked in and I didn't have to go looking for apps to fill the gaps. But I have realized over time that the apps aren't that bad and sometimes leave me with a better experience.
Any of you have similar thoughts?