Garmin Vivoactive 3 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch : Smartwatch Comparison

Garmin and Samsung are top players in the smartwatch markets in the subcontinent with products suited for customers looking for mid to high price range smartwatches. While most users will be familiar with the Samsung brand with the wide range of products available in the market from mobile phones to refrigerators, Garmin probably is a brand unfamiliar among the average consumer in the subcontinent. Here we compare two smartwatches that are priced above 20K INR on their design, connectivity, and features.

 

Design

• Both the watches from Samsung and Garmin are dustproof and water-resistant up to 50m.
• They have branded Damage Resistant Glass and are sweat-resistant making them ideal companions on jogging or for Gym.
• The watch bands are replaceable for both brands.
• Garmin has a screen resolution of 240 x 240 pixels whereas the Galaxy watch has a resolution of 360 x 360 pixels.

• The Vivoactive 3 has a thickness of 11.7mm whereas the Galaxy watch has a  thickness of 13mm.
• Samsung watch also has a 1.3″ screen size compared to the 1.2″ screen size of Garmin.
• The Galaxy watch is slightly on the heavier side weighing in at 63 grams compared to the 43 gm of Garmin watch.
• The Galaxy Watch has an OLED display which is absent in the Vivoactive3.

Connectivity

• The Garmin Vivoactive 3 and the Samsung Galaxy watch are capable of syncing with your mobile phones wirelessly.
• Both are compatible with Android and iOS but only the Galaxy watch is equipped with a Wi-Fi connection.
• The NFC wireless payment facilities are installed in both watches.
• Another wireless service namely ANT+ is supported by Garmin but not the Galaxy watch.

Battery

• Garmin watch claims a battery life of 7 days on a single full charge whereas the Galaxy watch offers a battery backup for almost 3 days.
• Both watches come with rechargeable batteries and have a battery level indicator.
• Wireless charging is only supported by the Galaxy watch and not the Garmin Vivoactive 3.

Features

Sensors

• Both smartwatches have heart rate monitor sensors, GPS, accelerometer, and a Barometer.
• Garmin watch also has a compass that is missing in the Samsung watch.
• The Galaxy Watch has a Gyroscope which is missing from the Garmin watch.

Activity Tracking

• Both watches can track distance, steps taken and will provide activity reports.
• They can also track your sleep and provide sleep reports.
• Both smartwatches from Garmin and Samsung are also capable of tracking elevation.
• Garmin also has a route tracker that can add routes to your watches which is absent from the Galaxy watch.
• They also have a multi-sport mode capable of tracking various sports like cycling, swimming, running, etc. Both watches also are equipped with features that can count strokes

Other features

• Garmin and Samsung watch give you missed calls and message notifications and help you to locate your misplaced phones.
• They have silent vibrating alarms and alerts.
• Galaxy Watch can be used to answer phone calls using its speaker and mic facilities.
• Both watches have stopwatches and provide inactivity alerts.
• Only the Galaxy watch has voice commands, not the Vivoactive 3.
• Both watches sync automatically to their respective cloud servers which makes it easier to retrieve your data on other devices.
• Both watches also supports music playback.

Comparison

Verdict

Reasons to buy the Samsung Galaxy watch over the Garmin Vivoactive 3

• The Samsung smartwatch comes with Wi-Fi, an essential feature in this price range which is absent in Garmin.
• Samsung Galaxy watch has a higher screen resolution and bigger screen size than the Garmin Vivoactive 3.
• The smartwatch from Samsung can answer phone calls and has wireless charging. It also has a Gyroscope which is missing in Garmin.
• The Galaxy watch supports voice commands.

Buy the Samsung Galaxy watch from below.