Bushnell iON Edge Golf GPS Watch
The Bushnell iON Edge is Bushnell’s newest Golf GPS Watch (released in June 2021). It will give you pretty accurate distances to the pin and hazards. Also the Bushnell iON Edge golf watch has a step counter just like their older models. However, it also comes with many improvements over the Bushnell Neo Ion 2 and Excel.
The main differences between the Bushnell iON Edge and the Bushnell Neo Ion 2 and Excel are that only the Bushnell iON Edge has a touchscreen, digital scorecard, and Greenview technology (graphics of the putting greens) with movable pin locations. Also the Bushnell iON Edge has a much longer battery life than the Neo Ion 2 and Excel.
The Garmin S20 and Bushnell Neo Ion 2 and Excel have been discontinued by their manufacturers which means they are no longer making these models. Based on this, it is fairly obvious that you should purchase the Bushnell iON Edge.
The main differences between the Garmin Approach S20, Bushnell Neo Ion 2 and Bushnell Excel are that only the S20 comes with automatic shot tracking, manual club tracking, sleep monitoring and a scorecard while the Neo Ion 2 has a longer battery life than the S20 and both the Neo Ion 2 and Excel costs less than the S20. They don’t have some of the advanced features that the Garmin S6 and Garmin S60 and S60 Premium watches or the Garmin G80, G8 and G30 handheld units have, such as slope compensation technology, but they will give you accurate distances to the greens and hazards.
Bushnell Neo Ion 2 vs Excel
Swing Pro – This feature allows the user to monitor the swing speed and swing tempo. If the watch is connected to the mobile app on your smartphone, this swing data will be uploaded to your smartphone after each swing. The app on this mobile device will display and store this swing data.
Bluetooth-enabled Smartphone notifications with audio tone alerts (no vibration alert feature)
Lighter Weight: 1.6 ounces (Excel) vs 1.8 ounces (Neo Ion)
Thinner: 13.75 mm (Excel) vs 15 mm (Neo Ion)
poor battery life – Less than 2 rounds on a single charge (Bushnell Neo Ion will give you more than 3 rounds on a single charge)
flimsy wrist strap – The watch band on the Bushnell Neo Ion is much more durable
hard to read LCD screen – The Excel screen can be hard to read in sunlight. The Bushnell Neo Ion has a basic black and white monochrome screen that is much easier to read even in direct sunlight
Bushnell Neo Ion 2 vs Garmin S20
Reasons to Buy the Garmin S20 – Features found in the Garmin S20 (that are missing in the Bushnell Neo Ion 2)
List of Hazard distances – The Garmin S20 has more comprehensive hazard information than the Bushnell Neo Ion 2. It will display the layup and carry distances to the front and back of all water hazards and sand traps for each par 4 and 5 hole. The distances are almost as accurate as the distances from the best low budget golf rangefinders.
List of Layup Marker and Dogleg distances – Displays a list of layup marker and dogleg distances for each par 4 and 5 hole
Fitness Tracking features – The Garmin S20 comes with a move bar inactivity alert, sleep monitor, step counter, automatic daily step goal and displays calories burned and distance traveled. The Bushnell Neo Ion only comes with a step counter.
Dedicated Green View button with manual pin placement – displays the shape and layout of the greens
Bluetooth-enabled Smartphone notifications with audio tone alerts – The S20 does not come with a vibration alert feature
Automatic shot tracking (AutoShot round analyzer) – tracks shots, measures distance and records shot locations for analysis online with the free-to-join Garmin Connect golf community
Digital Scorecard – easily keeps track of your score throughout your round (Bushnell Neo Ion 2 has no scorekeeping feature)
Stat tracking – strokes, putts per round, greens in regulation and fairways hit (Bushnell Neo Ion 2 has no stat tracking feature)
Garmin TruSwing sensor compatible – swing metrics that will help improve your golf swing consistency
Lighter Weight: 1.5 ounces (S20) vs 1.8 ounces (Neo Ion 2)
Thinner: 11.3 mm (S20) vs 15 mm (Neo Ion 2)
Garmin S20 vs Bushnell Excel
List of Hazard distances – The Garmin S20 has more comprehensive hazard information than the Bushnell Excel.
List of Layup and Dogleg distances
No sleep monitor, move bar inactivity alerts
Dedicated Green View button with manual pin placement – displays the shape and layout of the greens
Automatic shot detection and tracker (AutoShot round analyzer)
Digital Scorecard
Stat tracking
Garmin TruSwing sensor compatible – swing metrics that will help improve your golf swing consistency
Longer Battery life: Garmin S20: 15 hours vs Bushnell Excel: 10 hours
Comparison Chart – Bushnell Neo Ion 2 vs Excel vs Garmin S20 Golf GPS Watch Comparisons
| Features |  Learn More |  Learn More |  Learn More |  Learn More |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Points | -Pre-mapped Hazards (displays distances to the front and back of the nearest hazard along the fairway for par 4 and 5 holes) | *Best battery life (16+ hours; play about 4 rounds of golf on one charge) | *Long battery life (12+ hours; play more than 3 rounds of golf on one charge) | -Up to 4 Hazard Distances Per Hole |
| Weak Points | -Black and White Display | *Black and White Display | *Black and White Display | -No Touchscreen |
| Hole View - Displays Current hole number; By default, the device calculates the distance to the back, middle and front of the green (if you know the location of the pin, you can set it more precisely); Par for the hole. The number with the biggest font is the middle distance to the green. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Green View - Green View shows you the true shape and layout of greens so even if you have an obstructed view, you’ll know where to aim. The number in the middle of the green is the distance to the pin location. Also with the Garmin S20, you can move the pin or flag manually to position it to the days’ location where you see it for even more accurate yardage. With the Garmin S4, you can touch the display and drag the pin or flag to the proper location. | Yes | Yes | Feature not available in the Busnell Neo Ion 2 | Feature not available in the Busnell Excel |
| Layup and Dogleg Distances - View a list of layup and dogleg distances for par 4 and 5 holes. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hazard Information - Displays the distances to the front and back of the nearest hazard along the fairway for par 4 and 5 holes. Hazards that affect shot selection are displayed individually or in groups to help you determine the distance to layup or carry. You can use the up or down button to view the other hazards for the current hole. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Customized Target Distances - Approach S4 already gives you the distances to the front, back and center of the green, as well as distances to doglegs. This feature will allow you to input and save customizable yardage points — such as water hazards or bunkers — from anywhere on the course. | No | No | No | No |
| Smartphone Notifications - This feature will act as a wireless extension of your compatible smart device, displaying smart notifications, right on your watch. Never miss another important text, email or alert just because your smartphone is hidden somewhere in your bag. With the Garmin S20, you can use Bluetooth technology to read that email or text you’ve been waiting for even if you are in the middle of the fairway. | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| AutoShot Round Analyzer with Garmin Connect - tracks shots, measures distance and records shot locations for post-round analysis on Garmin Connect. You can view the details for each round or analyze your cumulative stats over time or by club, and view your swing data. | Yes | No | No | No |
| Shot History Analysis - Analyze your shots in post-game analysis on the MySports app. See what's working for you and what you can change to improve. Very similar to the AutoShot Round Analyzer feature found in the Garmin Approach S20. | Feature not available in the Garmin S20 | No | No | No |
| Digital Scorecard - Approach S20 golf watch easily keeps track of your score throughout your round. When you’re done, you can save, review and even use the Garmin Connect Mobile fitness app with your smartphone to upload and share that great round with your golfing buddies online. Auto-Scorecard - The TomTom Golfer 2 has an Auto-Scorecard feature that will adjust your score automatically as you play your shots and it will include manually tagged shots. | Yes | No | No | No |
| Fitness Tracking - Step Counter (pedometer), move bar alerts, Sleep Monitor, Calories Burned, Distance Traveled | Yes | Yes (only contains a step counter) | Yes (only contains a step counter) | Yes (only contains a step counter) |
| Swing Metrics - Truswing Compatible - When paired, Garmin TruSwing golf swing sensor provides metrics to improve your swing consistency | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Clock Features (includes time, date, GPS Time Sync, Automatic daylight saving time, Alarm clock, Sunrise/sunset times) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| More than 40,000 courses; free lifetime course updates; no annual membership fees | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic Shot Detection and Recording - Each time you take a shot along the fairway, your location is recorded so it can be viewed later on. It will not record putts. | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Manual Shot Tagging - sometimes small variations in the swing can cause the shot to go undetected so you can manually tag shots by putting your palm over the watch | Feature not available in the Garmin S20 | Feature not available in the Bushnell Neo Ion 2 | Feature not available in the Bushnell Neo Ion 2 | No |
| Shot Distance Calculator - Displays the distance of the last shot | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Heart Rate Monitor | No | No | No | No |
| Smartphone Notifications for incoming calls, texts and other alerts | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Clock Features (includes time, date, GPS Time Sync, Automatic daylight saving time, Alarm clock, Sunrise/sunset times) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Display Size | 0.9” x 0.9” (23 x 23 mm) | 1.08" (27.4mm) diameter | 0.9” x 0.9” (23 x 23 mm) | 25mm x 25mm |
| Display resolution | 128 x 128 pixels | |||
| Display type | sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) | sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) | sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) | sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) |
| Product Dimensions (in inches) | 1.47" x 1.87" x 0.44" (37.4 x 47.6 x 11.3 mm) | 54mm x 46mm x 16mm | 54mm x 45mm x 15mm | 13.75mm x 45mm x 54mm 1.6 x 0.1 x 3.1 inches |
| Weight (in ounces) | 1.5 oz (42.2 g) | 32.5g | 1.7oz / 48g | 1.6oz / 46g |
| Color display | No (Monochrome) | No (Monochrome) | No (Monochrome) | Yes - Full front optical mounted color LCD Display with auto Backlight brightness adjustment - Backlight is activated with any button push. The backlight will remain lit for 10 seconds after last button push. |
| Touchscreen | No | Yes | No | No |
| Yardage to front, middle and back of green | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Yardage to layups/doglegs | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Auto course recognition | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Auto hole advance | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Round odometer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Shot distance calculator (calculates exact yardage for shots from anywhere on course) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Touch-targeting (touch target on display to see the distance to any point) | No | No | No | No |
| PinPointer blind shot assistance | No | No | No | No |
| Dedicated Green View button with manual pin position | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Digital scorecard | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Custom targets | No | No | No | Yes |
| Stat tracking (strokes, putts per round, greens and fairways hit and average shot distance) | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Preloaded Golf Course Maps | 40,000+ worldwide golf courses | 38,000+ worldwide golf courses | 36,000+ worldwide golf courses | 36,000+ worldwide golf courses |
| Course preview (see detailed, hole-by-hole preview) | No | No | No | No |
| SwingTempo | No | No | No | No |
| Tempo Training | No | No | No | No |
| TruSwing compatible | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Memory/history | 64 MB | |||
| Waterproof | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Water rating | 5 ATM (50 meters) | 5 ATM (50 meters) | 5 ATM (50 meters) | 5 ATM (50 meters) |
| Free Lifetime Course Updates | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Annual Fees Or Subscriptions | None | None | None | None |
| Battery Life | Smart mode: Up to 8 weeks GPS mode: Up to 15 hours | more than 16 hours; play about 4 full rounds on a single charge | more than 12 hours; play about 3 full rounds on a single charge | Watch mode: up to 6 weeks GPS mode: up to 10 hours |
| Legal For Tournament Play | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
