Garmin Approach X10 vs X40 – Differences between Garmin Approach X10 and X40
There are big differences between the Garmin Approach X10 and X40. The Garmin Approach X40 hit the market in April 2016 while the Garmin X10 came out later in January 2018 as a stripped down version of the X40. The main differences between the Garmin Approach X10 and X40 are that only the X40 has a fitness tracker with a heart rate monitor, step counter and sleep monitor, and shot and club trackers but the X40 is 47% more expensive than the X10.
Also only the Garmin X40 has an AutoShot round analyzer that will display your shot locations and shot distances on a 2D overhead map, smartphone notifications, and it will vibrate whenever you get a notification or alert. On the other hand, the battery life for the Garmin X10 is a little longer because it has no fitness tracking features or vibrating notifications or alerts. It will give you about 10 hours or 2 rounds per charge. None of these watches have the color touchscreen, aerial course maps, touch targeting or advanced swing training metrics of the Garmin Approach S60 or S6.
Both the Garmin X10 and X40 look like a Fitbit but only the X40 comes with any type of fitness tracking features including a wrist-based heart rate monitor, step counter for tracking steps and calories burned, a sleep monitor, and running app that will keep track of your distance, time and pace.
They both do not have slope compensation but they do come with hazard information, stat tracking, green view with manual pin positioning, a touchscreen and digital scorecard. However, the Garmin X40 has many more golfing features than the X10 including shot and club tracking and an automatic shot distance calculator.
Garmin Approach X10 or S10?
Both the X10 and S10 come with hazard information, green view with manual pin positioning, a digital scorecard, and stat tracking. But they do not have the fitness tracking features (step counter, sleep monitor, etc.) or the shot and club tracking technology found in the X40 and S20. They also do not have an alarm clock or a vibration feature.
However, tThese are several minor differences between the the X10 and S10. The S10 does not have a touchscreen like the X10 does but it does have a longer battery life and the S10 costs much less than the X10. But the X10 is more comfortable than the S10 because it has the slim design of a Fitbit while the S10 has a square shape.
Listed below are features missing in the Garmin X10 and S10 (that are found in the Garmin S20 and/or X40)
The Garmin Approach S20 is better than the S10 because only the S20 has a step counter, sleep monitor, shot and club tracking and longer battery life but the Garmin S10 is 25% cheaper than the S20.
Garmin S20 Club TrackingLearn MoreBoth the Garmin X10 and S10 have no fitness tracking features – The X10 and S10 only have an odometer that tracks time elapsed and distance traveled.
No pedometer for counting steps – Only the Garmin S20 and X40 have a pedometer for counting steps and has an automatically adjusted daily step goal. However, the Garmin Approach X40 is better than the S20 because only the X40 has a heart rate monitor and running app but the Garmin S20 is 20% cheaper.
No sleep monitor or move bar inactivity alerts – Only the S20 and X40 have sleep monitors and move bar inactivity alerts.
No heart rate monitoring – Only the Garmin X40 has a wrist based heart rate monitor
No running app for tracking distance, time and pace – Only the Garmin Approach X40 has a running app that will keep track of your distance, time and pace.
Both the Garmin X10 and S10 have no shot or club tracking technology – Only the S20 and X40 can detect and track your shots and you can view the shot locations and distances on a 3-D overhead course map after your round is over. Also both the S20 and X40 will allow you to manually keep track of which club you used for each shot. After you take your shot, the watch will present you with a club selection menu to choose the club you just used.
No automatic shot distance calculator – must calculate shot distance manually by pressing a button and walking to your ball
No smart notifications – The S20 will give you an audio alert and X40 a vibration when you have a notification from your smartphone
Not TruSwing compatible – cannot use the Garmin TruSwing golf swing sensor to provide metrics to improve your swing consistency
No alarm clock – Only the Garmin X40 has a vibration alarm and the Garmin S20 has an alarm with an audio tone.
Why You Should Purchase the Garmin X10 instead of the X40, S10 or S20
Garmin X10 Green ViewLearn MoreBoth the Garmin Approach X10 and X40 look like a Fitbit watch band. The physical dimensions of the Garmin Approach X40 are similar to those of the Garmin X10. The Garmin X10 has a longer battery life than the X40 because it has none of the fitness tracking features of the Garmin X40.
Both the Garmin X10 and X40 have touchscreen displays – You must use the side buttons on the Garmin S10 and S20 watches to make menu selections.
Garmin Approach X10 and X40 have similar physical dimensions as a Fitbit band – The Garmin X10 has similar physical dimensions to a Fitbit watch band so it will feel more comfortable on your wrist than the Garmin S10 or S20 because it is lighter, narrower and thinner.
Garmin X10 costs less than the X40 or S20 – The manufacturer’s suggested retail price for the Garmin X10 is much cheaper than the S20 or X40 because it has no shot tracking, club tracking, fitness tracking or heart rate monitoring features. However, it is more expensive than the S10 because it has a touchscreen and has the same physical dimension as a Fitbit. So if you just want a comfortable watch to wear that will give you accurate distances to the greens and hazards and you don’t care very much about activity tracking features, smart notifications, and shot and club tracking, then you should definitely purchase the X10.
Garmin X10 has a longer battery life than the X40 but it is shorter than the Garmin S10 and S20 – The Garmin X10 does not have any fitness tracking features so it has a longer battery life than the X40. However, the X10 has a shorter battery life than the S10 and S20 because they do not have touchscreens and they have different-size batteries. The X10 will give you 12 hours in GPS mode and up to 23 days in watch mode. The X40 has lots of additional fitness tracking features, including step counter and wrist-based heart rate monitor, that drain the battery and significantly shortens the battery life.
Reasons to purchase the Garmin S10 instead of the X10, S20 or X40
Garmin S10 costs less than the X10, X40 and S20 – The manufacturer’s suggested retail price for the Garmin S10 is much cheaper than the X10, S20 or X40 because it has no touchscreen, shot tracking, club tracking, fitness tracking or heart rate monitoring features. So if you just want a comfortable watch to wear that will give you accurate distances to the greens and hazards and you don’t care very much about fitness tracking features, smart notifications, and shot and club tracking, then you should definitely purchase the S10.
Garmin S10 has a longer battery life than the X10 and X40 – The S10 has a longer battery life than the X10 and X40 because it comes with a different size battery and does not come with a touchscreen, shot tracking, club tracking, fitness tracking or heart rate monitoring features. It will give you 12 hours in GPS mode and up to 14 weeks in watch mode. The X10 will only give you up to 23 days in watch mode and the X40 has lots of additional fitness tracking features that drain the battery and shortens the battery life. However, because the S20 costs more and comes with a different size battery, the Garmin S10 has a shorter battery life than the S20 even though the S20 has more features.
Battery life comparison Garmin Approach X10 vs X40 vs S10 vs S20
Garmin X10 battery life: up to 12 hours in GPS mode, up to 23 days in watch mode
Garmin X40 battery life: up to 10 hours in GPS mode, up to 5 days in smartwatch mode
Garmin S10 battery life: up to 12 hours in GPS mode, up to 14 weeks in watch mode
Garmin S20 battery life: up to 15 hours in GPS mode, up to 8 weeks in smartwatch mode
Comparison Chart – Garmin Approach X10 vs X40 vs S10 vs S20 Golf GPS Watch Comparisons
| Features and Specifications |  Learn More |  Learn More |  Learn More |  Learn More |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Release Date: | January 2018 | April 2016 | June 2018 | February 2016 |
| Strong Points | *Hazard Information - List of distances to the front and back of hazards along the fairway for par 4 and 5 holes | *Wrist-based Heart Rate Monitor | *Hazard Information - List of distances to the front and back of hazards along the fairway for par 4 and 5 holes | *Hazard Information - List of distances to the front and back of hazards along the fairway for par 4 and 5 holes |
| Weak Points | *Black and White Display | *Black and White Display | *Black and White Display | *Black and White Display |
| Display resolution | 160 x 68 pixels | 160 x 68 pixels | 128 x 128 pixels | 128 x 128 pixels |
| Display Size | 1.00” x 0.42” (25.4 x 10.7 mm) | 1.00” x 0.42” (25.4 x 10.7 mm) | 0.9” x 0.9” (23 x 23 mm) | 0.9” x 0.9” (23 x 23 mm) |
| Product Dimensions (in inches) | 45 x 45 x 14.2 mm | 2.5 x 0.5 x 0.8 inches Width: 0.83” (21.1 mm) Regular: 5.4”-7.7” (137-195 mm) circumference X-large: 6.4"-8.9" (162-225 mm) circumference | 1.4” x 1.6" x 0.44" (35.5 x 40.7 x 11.3 mm) | 1.47" x 1.87" x 0.44" (37.4 x 47.6 x 11.3 mm) |
| Weight (in ounces) | 1.6 oz (45.36 g) | 1.1 oz (31.18 g) | 1.28 oz (36.29 g) | 1.5 oz (42.52 g) |
| Battery Life | Watch mode: Up to 20 weeks GPS mode: Up to 10 hours | Smart mode: Up to 5 days GPS/HR mode: 10 hours | Smart mode: Up to 14 weeks GPS mode: Up to 12 hours | Smart mode: Up to 8 weeks GPS mode: Up to 15 hours |
| Hole View - displays current hole number, distances to the back, middle and front of the green, par for the hole | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Green View - displays the true shape and layout of greens and you can move the flag manually to position it to the days’ location for even more accurate yardage | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| CourseView - Get full-color hole-by-hole details for more than 40,000 courses around the world. Preview doglegs, hazards and green shapes from wherever you are on the course, or even from the clubhouse. | Feature not available in the Garmin X10 | No | No | No |
| Layup and dogleg distances for par 4 and 5 holes - Layup and Dogleg distances appear on the left on the screen and the distances required to reach each layup or dogleg appears on the right. Layup distances are given for the 250, 200, 150 and 100 yard markers. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hazard Information - List of distances to the front and back of the nearest hazard along the fairway for par 4 and 5 holes. Use the up or down button to view the other hazards for the current hole. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Shot Tracking (AutoShot Round Analyzer with Garmin Connect) - Automatically tracks and records your shot locations along the fairway, measures distances for each club and records shot locations for post-round analysis on Garmin Connect. | Feature not available in the Garmin X10 | Yes | No | Yes |
| Club Tracking - Enables you to track the clubs used and set the driver distance | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Smartphone Notifications - Displays smartphone notifications, such as texts, emails or alerts, right on your watch. | Feature not available in the Garmin X10 | Yes | No | Yes |
| PinPointer blind shot assistance - Gives you a directional arrow to the green | No | No | No | No |
| Manual shot distance measurement - hold the OK button and walk to your ball location to get the shot distance measurement. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic shot distance calculator (calculates exact yardage for shots from anywhere on course) | No | Yes | No | Yes |
Fitness Tracking Features | Garmin X10 | Garmin X40 | Garmin S10 | Garmin S20 |
| Step Counter | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Step Counter Daily Summary - displays daily steps and daily step goal | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Step Counter Weekly Summary - displays total steps and total distance traveled | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Automatic step goal - learns your activity level and assigns a daily step goal | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Move bar alert (displays on device after a period of inactivity; walk for a couple of minutes to reset it) | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Sleep monitoring (monitors total sleep and periods of movement or restful sleep) | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Calories burned Counter | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Odometer - Distance traveled and time elapsed | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Intensity minutes tracker | No | Yes | No | No |
| TrueUp | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Digital Scorecard - keeps track of your score throughout your round. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Handicap Scoring Options | No | Feature not available in the Garmin X40 | Feature not available in the Garmin S20 | Feature not available in the Garmin S20 |
| Heart Rate Monitor | No | Yes | No | No |
| SwingStrength - Allows you to compare how hard you swing with your normal full swing. This can be used on the driving range to practice consistency or on the course if you’re preparing to take a little off your shot. | Feature not available in the Garmin X10 | No | No | No |
| TempoTraining - Conveys the ideal 3:1 upswing to downswing times with audible tones to which you can synchronize your swing. Re-synch your tempo on the driving range and even on the tee box. | Feature not available in the Garmin X10 | |||
| Truswing Compatible - When paired, Garmin TruSwing golf swing sensor provides metrics to improve your swing consistency | Feature not available in the Garmin X10 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Clock Features (includes time, date, GPS Time Sync, Automatic daylight saving time, Alarm clock, Sunrise/sunset times) | Yes | Yes | ||
| 40,000+ Courses and Free Lifetime Updates - Before you play golf, you must wait until the device acquires satellite signals and calculates your location, which may take up to 30 to 60 seconds. Then you can select a course from the list. You will get access to more than 40,000 courses, free lifetime course updates and you will not have to pay any annual membership fees | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Clock Features (includes time, date, GPS Time Sync, Automatic daylight saving time, Alarm clock, Sunrise/sunset times) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 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) |
| Color display | No | No (LCD) | No (Monochrome) | No (Monochrome) |
| Touchscreen | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Running Features | No | Yes | No | No |
| Preloaded run profiles | No | Yes (Running) | No | No |
| GPS-based distance, time and pace | No | Yes | No | No |
| Foot pod capable | 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 |
| Touch-targeting (touch target on display to see the distance to any point) | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| PinPointer blind shot assistance | No | No | No | No |
| Dedicated Green View button with manual pin position | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Stat tracking (strokes, putts per round, greens and fairways hit and average shot distance) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Preloaded Golf Course Maps | 40,000+ worldwide golf courses | 40,000+ worldwide golf courses | 40,000+ worldwide golf courses | 40,000+ worldwide golf courses |
| SwingTempo | Yes | No | No | No |
| Tempo Training | Yes | No | No | No |
| Memory/history | 512 MB | 64 MB | 64 MB | 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 |
| Legal For Tournament Play | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Common Features found in the Garmin Approach X10, X40, S10 and S20
Yardages to the green – Displays distances to the front, back and middle of the green as well as yardages to hazards, doglegs and layups
Hazard Distances – Accurately shows layup & carry distances for sand traps (bunkers), water hazards and out of bounds or other hazards. 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.
Accurate layup and dogleg distances for par 4 and 5 holes – Layup distances to the pin are given for the 250, 200, 150 and 100 yard markers. Layup and Dogleg distances appear on the left on the screen and the distances required to reach each layup or dogleg appears on the right.
Shot Distance Measurement – The Garmin Approach X10, X40 and S20 will allow you to manually determine the distance of each of your shots. The Garmin Approach X40 and S20 has the ability to determine the shot distance for you automatically. You will finally be able to measure how far your driver, or irons go. With this technology you can accurately determine who got the long drive in your group.
Automatic course and hole recognition
Green View with manual pin positioning – Displays the true shape and layout of the green and you can manually place the pin to reflect that day’s flag location for more accurate yardage
Stat Tracking – Enhanced Stats Keeps Track Of Fairways Hit, Greens In Regulation And Putts Per Round
Digital scorecard feature – Allows you to keep track of your score hole-by-hole
Hole View – Each of these devices will show the current hole you are playing, and automatically transitions when you move to a new hole. While in hole view, the device, by default, will calculate the distance to the front, middle (pin location), and back of the green from your present location. If you know the location of the pin, you have the ability to set it more precisely. The hole view will display the current hole number, par for the hole, distance to the back of the green, distance to the pin location (biggest number on the middle of the screen) and distance to the front of the green.
Changing Holes manually – You can change holes manually from the hole view screen. While viewing hole information, just tap the screen and select a hole.
Moving the Pin location – You can take a closer look at the green and move the pin location to reflect today’s pin location.
Measuring a Shot – While playing golf, select the shot measurement feature and walk to your ball to get the distance. You can select Reset to reset the measurement. The X40 and S20 will allow you to view previous shot measurements.
No club recommendation feature – Only the Garmin G8 handheld device has a club recommendation feature. The X10, X40, S10 and S20 do not have this feature
Common Features found in the Garmin Approach X10 and X40 and not found in the S20
Touchscreen – Swipe left, right, up or down to scroll through features, data screens, and menus. Tap on the touchscreen to select any items shown on the screen.
Device key – Hold to turn the device on and off. Press to open and close menus. Press to return to previous screens within menus.
