Key Takeaways
- The Garmin S62 comes with slope compensation, shot and club tracking, and a virtual caddie for club recommendations for no extra cost. If you want access to these advanced golfing features in the Apple Watch 7, you will have to pay a monthly fee.
- The Apple Watch 7 has more advanced fitness tracking features not found in the Garmin S62 including an electrocardiogram app for checking for atrial fibrillation, pilates workout tracker, and customized workouts.
- The Apple Watch 7 has a built-in microphone and speaker, unlike the Garmin S62, so you can use it to make or receive phone calls without a smartphone.
- The Apple Watch 7 allows you to store more than 2000 songs so you can use it to listen to your Spotify playlist without a smartphone. The Garmin S62 does not allow you to store any songs so you cannot use it to play music without your phone. However, Garmin’s newest golf watch, the Garmin S70, has 32 gigabytes of memory (the S62 only has 1 GB) which enables it to store 2000 songs. Read this article to learn how the Garmin S70 compares to the S62: Garmin s70 vs s62 specs.
The Garmin Approach S62 and Apple Watch 7 are two of the best watches for golf and fitness. They both have a lot of great golfing and fitness features including a heart rate monitor and pulse oximeter. However, there are many differences between these two watches in terms of these types of features.
The Garmin Approach S62 has the best golf features of any smartwatch while the Apple Watch 7 has the best fitness features of any smartwatch. One difference between the Garmin S62 and Apple Watch 7 is that the S62’s golfing features are built-in and do not require the use of your smartphone while the golfing features of the Apple Watch come from a third-party app that requires a monthly fee and the use of your Apple iPhone.
Both the Garmin S62 and Apple Watch 7 come with a wrist-based heart rate monitor, pulse oximeter, step counter, sleep counter, and inactivity alert. Both can also track your running, cardio, and strength training workouts.
However, only the Apple Watch 7 will let you create your own workouts, track tai chi and pilates workouts, and take an electrocardiogram (or ECG) anytime you want to see if you are showing signs of atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat).
Unlike the Garmin S62, the Apple Watch 7 has a built-in microphone and speaker which will allow you to make or receive phone calls without a smartphone, as long as your watch is connected via Wi-Fi or LTE cellular network.
Garmin Approach S62 vs Apple Watch 7 Comparison Chart
| Features and Specifications |  Garmin S62 |  Apple Watch Series 7 (GPS) |  Apple Watch Series 7 (GPS + Cellular) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Release Date | January 2020 | September 2021 | September 2021 |
| Display Size | 1.3” diameter | 1.61” diagonal | 1.61” diagonal |
| Display resolution | 260 x 260 pixels | 352 x 430 pixels | 352 x 430 pixels |
| Listen to Spotify playlist or Podcast without phone | No | Yes | Yes |
| Memory Storage | 1 GB | 32 GB (stores up to 2000 songs) | 32 GB (stores up to 2000 songs) |
| Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) Recording | No | Yes | Yes |
| Siri voice assistant | No | Yes | Yes |
| Make Phone calls | No | Yes (with your iPhone nearby) | Yes (without your iPhone nearby) |
| Receive Phone calls | Yes (with your iPhone nearby) | Yes (with your iPhone nearby) | Yes (without your iPhone nearby) |
| Send text messages | Yes (with your iPhone nearby) | Yes (with your iPhone nearby) | Yes (without your iPhone nearby) |
| Receive text messages | Yes (with your iPhone nearby) | Yes (with your iPhone nearby) | Yes (without your iPhone nearby) |
| Call emergency services with Emergency SOS | Yes (with your iPhone nearby) | Yes (with your iPhone nearby) | Yes (without your iPhone nearby) |
| Virtual Caddie Club Recommendation Feature | Yes | Yes (with the purchase of a golf app) | Yes (with the purchase of a golf app) |
| Slope compensated distances (PlaysLike) | Yes | Yes (with the purchase of a golf app) | Yes (with the purchase of a golf app) |
| Distances to the back/middle/front of the green | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| List of hazard layup and carry distances to each hazard | Yes | Yes (with the purchase of a golf app) | Yes (with the purchase of a golf app) |
| Wind Speed and Direction | Yes | Yes (with the purchase of a golf app) | Yes (with the purchase of a golf app) |
| Wrist-based Heart Rate Monitor | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Contactless payment solution | Yes (Garmin Pay) | Yes (Apple Pay) | Yes (Apple Pay) |
| Blood oxygen saturation level readings | Yes | No | No |
| Color touchscreen | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Overhead view of each hole displays bunkers, water hazards, etc | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Touch Targeting (distance to any target) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic Shot Tracking (except for putts and chip shots) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic Shot Tracking with Garmin Approach CT10 club tracking sensors that track putts and chip shots | Yes (CT10 club tracking sensors purchased separately) | Yes | Yes |
| Manual Club Tracking | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic Club Tracking with Garmin Approach CT10 club tracking sensors | Yes (CT10 club tracking sensors purchased separately) | Yes | Yes |
| AutoShot round analyzer - view shot distances and locations and clubs used on a 2-D overhead course map on the free-to-use Garmin Connect website. | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Green View (layout and shape of the green) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Move flag location | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Step counter (Pedometer) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Inactivity alert | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Calories burned counter | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sleep monitor | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Distance traveled and time elapsed | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Apps for Running, Indoor Track Running | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Apps for Biking, Indoor Biking | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Apps for Pool Swimming | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Apps for Skiing, Snowboarding, XC Skiing, Stand Up Paddle Boarding, Rowing | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Apps for Strength, Cardio, Treadmill and Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Indoor Rowing and Walking, Yoga | Yes | No | No |
| Smartphone notifications, including incoming calls, texts, emails and alerts | Yes (vibrates) | Yes (vibrates) | Yes (vibrates) |
| Vibrating smartphone notifications and alarm | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| PinPointer blindshot assistance | Yes | Yes (with the purchase of a golf app) | Yes (with the purchase of a golf app) |
| Save distances for up to 5 unmapped targets per hole | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic shot distance measurement | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Manual shot distance measurement | No | No | No |
| Digital Scorecard | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Stat tracking | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Time/Date/Alarm | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Countdown Timer/Stopwatch | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bezel Material | Yes (scratch-resistant ceramic bezel) | No | No |
| Watch band material | Yes (silicone) | Yes (silicone) | Yes (silicone) |
| Touch-targeting - displays distance to any location | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| list of layup and dogleg distances | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Shot history for each hole | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 41,000+ Preloaded Golf Course Maps | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Free Lifetime Course Updates | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Auto hole advance | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Handicap Scoring Options | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Swing Strength comparison with your normal full swing | No | No | No |
| Re-synchronize Your Swing Tempo | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Preloaded run profiles | Yes (Running, Indoor Running) | Yes (Running, Indoor Running) | Yes (Running, Indoor Running) |
| GPS-based distance, time and pace | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Clock Features (includes time, date, GPS Time Sync, Automatic daylight saving time, Alarm clock, Sunrise/sunset times) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Face It watch face creator - download a watch face or upload your own photo | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Battery life in GPS mode | Up to 20 hours | Up to 7 hours | Up to 7 hours |
| QuickFit watch bands - change your stylish watch band without tools to match your activity | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Waterproof | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Water rating | 5 ATM (50 meters) | 5 ATM (50 meters) | 5 ATM (50 meters) |
Golfing Features
Garmin wanted to make the S60 a watch that would fit the needs of both golfers and Fitbit users. It was the best golf watch when it was released in July 2017. At the time, it was the only watch with slope compensation, overhead views, shot tracker, club tracker, pedometer, and sleep monitor. It had a lot of great fitness features but it was missing key features found in other dedicated fitness watches including a heart rate monitor and pulse oximeter.
With the release of the S62 in January 2020, Garmin wanted to upgrade the S60 to add enough golf and fitness features to meet the needs of the most advanced golfers and Fitbit users. The main difference between the Garmin s60 and s62 is that, unlike the Garmin S60, the S62 has a virtual caddie and wind gauge. The virtual caddie will act like a real caddy on the golf course by recommending which club to use for each of your shots. It will also take into account the wind speed and direction when making club recommendations.
In order to satisfy Fitbit users, they included a wrist-based heart rate monitor and pulse oximeter to measure your blood oxygen saturation levels.
If you want to use golfing features with your Apple Watch 7, you will have to first download a third-party golf app from the Apple App store. The Android apps from the Google Play store are not compatible with any of the Apple Watches. The best third-party Apple Watch golf GPS apps include Hole19, 18Birdies, GolfLogix Golf GPS + 3D Putts, and Golfshot.
One problem with these apps is that the free version only comes with limited features. The free version will come preloaded with 43,000 golf courses from 201 countries. It will usually give you accurate distances to the front, middle, and back of the green, water hazards, and sand bunkers. It also comes with a digital scorecard, a stats tracker for keeping track of your putts and short game, and a live leaderboard with golfers from around the world.
If you want access to the more advanced golf features, such as club recommendations, slope-adjusted (‘Plays Like’) distances, blind shot compass, and shot tracking, you will have to pay a monthly fee. Only the 18Birdies and GolfLogix Golf GPS + 3D Putts apps come with slope-adjusted distances.
The paid version of Hole19, Hole19 Premium, costs $7.49 per month, $29.99 per 6 months, or $49.99 per year. You can access the more advanced features in the 18Birdies app for $19.99 per month or $99.99 per year and in the GolfLogix app by paying $9.99 per month or $49.99 for 1 year.
The more advanced golf features are built-in to the Garmin S62 and you get free access to these features all in one place with a one-time purchase of the watch. Some of the third-party apps have features not found in the other apps, like augmented reality, so you might have to switch between apps to get all of the information that you are looking for.
Another problem is that with the free version you will have to view ads while you are playing which can be really annoying. Unfortunately, you cannot pay a one-time fee to get rid of the ads. The only way to get rid of them is to pay a monthly fee for the premium version of the app.
A third problem is that you need to keep your phone nearby in order to use these apps. If your Apple Watch is not within the range of your Bluetooth connection to your smartphone, you will not get access to these golf features.
Fitness Tracking Features Comparison
Both the Garmin S62 and Apple Watch 7 come with an accelerometer and gyroscope to track your movements and they come with a heart rate sensor and ambient light sensor to track your heart rate and blood oxygen level, respectively. They have the same standard fitness tracking features that would expect to find in any smartwatch including a wrist-based heart rate monitor, pulse oximeter, step counter, sleep counter, and inactivity alert. You can even set the watches to notify you if you have an irregular heartbeat which might be an indication that you should seek medical attention. Both watches can track all of this data without using a Wi-Fi or cellular network.
Both the Garmin S62 and Apple Watch 7 can also track your workouts on cardio gym equipment including treadmills, ellipticals, rowing machines, stair climbers, and indoor bikes.
However, the Apple Watch 7 has several extra fitness tracking features that give it the edge in this category. Both the Garmin S62 and Apple Watch 7 come with apps for tracking running, cycling, walking, and strength training activities but only the Apple Watch 7 can track tai chi and pilates workouts. It also comes with a meditation app.
Unlike the Garmin S62, the Apple Watch 7 allows you to create your own workouts from different activities including bike rides, runs, hikes, or swims.
Another unique feature found in the Apple Watch 7 is the ability to take an electrocardiogram (or ECG) anytime you want to check the health of your heart because of a rapid heartbeat or any other reason. The Apple Watch 7 comes with an ECG app that records the electrical signals that make your heart beat and tell you if you have a normal sinus rhythm or are showing any signs of atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat).
Display Comparison
The Apple Watch has a much better display than the display of the Garmin S62. This is because the Garmin S62 has a smaller screen and lower resolution than the Apple Watch. The Garmin S62 has a 1.3-inch diameter circular touchscreen while the rectangular screen of the Apple Watch 7 has a 1.61-inch (41mm) diagonal.
The Apple Watch has much better-looking graphics than the Garmin S62’s graphics because the larger screen packs more pixels. The extra pixels give the graphics brighter colors and more details. The display of the Garmin S62 has a resolution of 260 x 260 pixels while the display of the Apple Watch 7 has a superior resolution of 352 x 430 pixels.
There is also a 1.77-inch (45mm) version of the Apple Watch 7 with a resolution of 396 x 484 pixels.
Music Playback, Spotify Playlist, and Podcasts
The Garmin S62 cannot play music because it cannot store any songs and it has no speaker. The Garmin S62 only has 1 GB of storage so it was not designed to store and play your Spotify playlist. If you want to listen to your playlist, you will have to use your smartphone to access your playlist and then you can use the S62 to control the volume and other functions.
The Apple Watch 7 has 32 GB of storage which allows it to store more than 2000 songs so you will be able to listen to several of your Spotify playlists without maintaining a connection to your phone.
However, if you want to listen to new music or podcasts on Spotify or Apple Music, you will have to use a Wi-Fi or cellular network connection to stream anything new that is not downloaded to your watch.
Phone Calls, Text Messages, and Siri
The Apple Watch 7 comes with a built-in microphone and speaker so you can use it like a phone to speak to Siri, make or receive phone calls, or send or receive text messages, even if your smartphone is not nearby, as long as your watch is connected via Wi-Fi or LTE cellular network.
When you hear your Apple Watch ring or vibrate to notify you of a call, you can answer the call in a few different ways. You can send the call to voicemail, tap the Answer button to answer the call on your Apple watch by using the microphone and speaker, or tap the Answer on iPhone button to answer the call on your iPhone.
The Apple Watch has a Messages app that will enable you to write and send text messages that contain text, images, emojis, Memoji stickers, or even audio clips. The Garmin S62 only allows you to send a text message in only plain text.
The Apple Watch 7 is the first Apple Watch to come with an on-screen QWERTY keyboard that will make it much easier to type your text messages.
Apple Watches that have LTE cellular capabilities cost about $100 more than watches that can only connect to a Wi-Fi network. They also require the purchase of an additional cellular plan that costs about $15 per month.
In contrast, if you want to use the Garmin S62 to receive phone calls or to receive and send text messages, you will have to connect your iPhone or Android smartphone to the S62 via Bluetooth connection. None of the text messages are actually stored on the watch so you won’t be wasting any memory storage.
As mentioned above, you cannot use the Garmin S62 by itself to write and send a text message like you can with the Apple Watch 7. However, you can use the S62 alone to send pre-written responses that are already loaded onto the watch. All you have to do is choose the option to respond to the text message and select a response from the list. You can only use this option with an Android phone. You will have to set this up in the Garmin Connect app before you start using it. The Garmin Connect app will even allow you to customize the wording of these responses.
The Garmin Approach S62 does not come with a built-in microphone so you cannot use it to make phone calls or talk to Siri or any other voice assistant to get directions or send text messages.
However, if the S62 is connected to your smartphone, the screen will display text messages or the name or phone number of any person that calls your phone. If you want to speak to the caller, you will have to use your smartphone.
Contactless Payments with Apple Pay and Garmin Pay
The Apple Watch 7 allows you to use Apple Pay to pay for your items at retail or grocery stores by holding your watch near an NFC (Near Field Communication) payment reader until you hear a sound.
You cannot use Apple Pay with the Garmin S62 but you can use Garmin Pay, which is Garmin’s version of Apple Pay.
You can use contactless payments with either watch without having your phone nearby as long as you add your credit or debit card information to your watch.
Battery Life Comparison
The Garmin S62 has a much longer battery life than the Apple Watch 7. The Garmin S62 has a battery life of up to 20 hours operating in GPS mode, which is the mode that provides you with the distances to water hazards, sand bunkers, and the front, center, and back of the putting green. On the other hand, the Garmin S62 can last much longer in smartwatch mode, which means the watch is not used to track any sports activities. In smartwatch mode, the S62 can last up to 14 days.
The battery life of the Apple Watch 7 can last up to 11 hours for any indoor workout that does not involve the use of your GPS. If you participate in outdoor workouts that involve the use of your GPS, such as running and cycling, the battery life will drain away a little faster. The battery life of the Apple Watch 7 can last up to 7 hours for any outdoor workout that involves the use of your GPS. The battery life will last up to 6 hours for any outdoor workout that involves the use of GPS and LTE.
