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2026 comparison
Updated Jan 16, 2026
|Sources: Amazon, ManufacturerApple Watch Ultra 3 vs Garmin fēnix 8 (47mm AMOLED)
Time to compare Apple Watch Ultra 3 with Garmin fēnix 8 (47mm AMOLED). We will cover the essentials so you can buy with confidence.
Ratings: 4.7★ vs 4.6★
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Apple Watch Ultra 3
★4.7
(425)•Amazon
Compatibility:iPhone Xs or later (incl. iPhone SE 2nd gen+) with iOS 18 or later
Operating System:watchOS
Case Size:49mm (49mm H x 44mm W x 14.4mm D)
Case Material:Aerospace-grade titanium (Natural or Black)
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Garmin fēnix 8 (47mm AMOLED)
★4.6
(1,856)•Amazon
Compatibility:iPhone, Android (Garmin Connect app required)
Operating System:Garmin OS (Proprietary)
Case Size:47mm x 47mm x 13.8mm
Case Material:Fiber-reinforced polymer with metal rear cover; Bezel: Titanium or Stainless Steel; Lens: Sapphire Crystal or Corning Gorilla Glass
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Comparison: Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs Garmin fēnix 8 (47mm AMOLED)
Apple Watch Ultra 3
★4.7(425)Amazon
Garmin fēnix 8 (47mm AMOLED)
★4.6(1,856)Amazon
| Criterion | Apple Watch Ultra 3 | Garmin fēnix 8 (47mm AMOLED) |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ★4.7(425)Amazon | ★4.6(1,856)Amazon |
Compatibility | iPhone Xs or later (incl. iPhone SE 2nd gen+) with iOS 18 or later | iPhone, Android (Garmin Connect app required) |
Operating System | watchOS | Garmin OS (Proprietary) |
Case Size | 49mm (49mm H x 44mm W x 14.4mm D) | 47mm x 47mm x 13.8mm |
Case Material | Aerospace-grade titanium (Natural or Black) | Fiber-reinforced polymer with metal rear cover; Bezel: Titanium or Stainless Steel; Lens: Sapphire Crystal or Corning Gorilla Glass |
Display Type | Always-On Retina display (LTPO3 OLED) with flat sapphire crystal | AMOLED; Always-On Mode available; 1000 nits peak brightness |
Display Size | 1245 sq mm display area | 1.4 in (35.56 mm) diameter |
Resolution | 422 x 514 pixels (326 ppi) | 454 x 454 pixels |
Always On Display | Yes | Yes (optional) |
Water Resistance | 100 m (ISO 22810); EN13319 recreational scuba diving to 40 m (130 ft) | 10 ATM (water pressure equivalent to 100 meters); Dive rated (EN13319) to 40 meters |
Durability | IP6X dust resistance; MIL-STD 810H tested | MIL-STD-810H thermal/shock/water tested; Leakproof inductive buttons; Metal sensor guard |
GPS | Precision dual-frequency GPS (L1 and L5) | Multi-band GNSS with SatIQ technology; GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou |
Connectivity | LTE and UMTS; Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n); Bluetooth 5.3; U2 Ultra Wideband chip | Bluetooth; ANT+; Wi-Fi |
NFC Payments | Apple Pay | Garmin Pay |
Sensors | Electrical heart (ECG), optical heart (Gen 3), temperature (body/water), blood oxygen, depth gauge, altimeter, accelerometer, gyroscope | Elevate Gen 5 optical heart rate sensor; Pulse Ox blood oxygen saturation monitor; Barometric altimeter; Compass; Gyroscope; Accelerometer; Thermometer; Ambient light sensor; Depth sensor (up to 40m) |
Health Features | ECG, Blood Oxygen, Heart Rate zones, Sleep Tracking/Apnea notifications, Vitals app, Cycle Tracking with retrospective ovulation estimates | Body Battery energy monitoring; Sleep Score and advanced sleep monitoring; HDR (High Dynamic Range) Heart Rate; HRV Status; Pulse Ox; Nap detection; Jet Lag Adviser; Health Snapshot |
Workout Modes | Multisport, Running (Advanced Metrics), Hiking (Topographic Maps), Ocean Diving, Swimming, Cycling | Advanced Strength Training (sport-specific); Recreational Scuba Diving (Single Gas); Apnea Diving; HIIT; Trail Run; Ultra Run; Triathlon; Skiing; Surfing; Golf (43,000+ courses); and 100+ others |
Storage | 64GB | 32GB |
Speaker Mic | Dual speakers; three-microphone array with beamforming and wind noise mitigation; 86dB Siren | Built-in Speaker; Built-in Microphone (Voice Assistant & Voice Notes) |
Calls | Yes (via Cellular or Wi-Fi) | Yes (Make and take calls via Bluetooth connection to smartphone) |
Battery | Up to 36 hours (normal use); Up to 72 hours (Low Power Mode) | Smartwatch mode: Up to 16 days (7 days always-on); GPS Only: Up to 47 hours (37 hours always-on); Expedition GPS: Up to 14 days |
Charging | Fast charging (0–80% in approx. 1 hour) with USB-C Magnetic Fast Charger | Garmin proprietary plug charger (clip-on data cable) |
Weight | 61.8 g | Stainless Steel: 80g (Case only: 59g); Titanium: 73g (Case only: 52g) |
Band Sizes | Fits 130–210mm wrists (Alpine Loop, Trail Loop, Ocean Band) | Fits wrists 125–208mm (Silicone); QuickFit 22mm compatible |
Extras | S10 SiP, Double Tap gesture, On-device Siri, Precision Finding for iPhone, Flashlight/Night Mode, Crash Detection, Fall Detection | Built-in LED Flashlight (Red/White strobes); Dynamic Round-Trip Routing; Garmin Messenger app; Outdoor Maps+ (subscription optional); SkiView Maps |
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Apple Watch Ultra 3
Rating:★4.7(425)Amazon
Compatibility:iPhone Xs or later (incl. iPhone SE 2nd gen+) with iOS 18 or later
Operating System:watchOS
Case Size:49mm (49mm H x 44mm W x 14.4mm D)
Case Material:Aerospace-grade titanium (Natural or Black)
Display Type:Always-On Retina display (LTPO3 OLED) with flat sapphire crystal
Display Size:1245 sq mm display area
Resolution:422 x 514 pixels (326 ppi)
Always On Display:Yes
Water Resistance:100 m (ISO 22810); EN13319 recreational scuba diving to 40 m (130 ft)
Durability:IP6X dust resistance; MIL-STD 810H tested
GPS:Precision dual-frequency GPS (L1 and L5)
Connectivity:LTE and UMTS; Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n); Bluetooth 5.3; U2 Ultra Wideband chip
NFC Payments:Apple Pay
Sensors:Electrical heart (ECG), optical heart (Gen 3), temperature (body/water), blood oxygen, depth gauge, altimeter, accelerometer, gyroscope
Health Features:ECG, Blood Oxygen, Heart Rate zones, Sleep Tracking/Apnea notifications, Vitals app, Cycle Tracking with retrospective ovulation estimates
Workout Modes:Multisport, Running (Advanced Metrics), Hiking (Topographic Maps), Ocean Diving, Swimming, Cycling
Storage:64GB
Speaker Mic:Dual speakers; three-microphone array with beamforming and wind noise mitigation; 86dB Siren
Calls:Yes (via Cellular or Wi-Fi)
Battery:Up to 36 hours (normal use); Up to 72 hours (Low Power Mode)
Charging:Fast charging (0–80% in approx. 1 hour) with USB-C Magnetic Fast Charger
Weight:61.8 g
Band Sizes:Fits 130–210mm wrists (Alpine Loop, Trail Loop, Ocean Band)
Extras:S10 SiP, Double Tap gesture, On-device Siri, Precision Finding for iPhone, Flashlight/Night Mode, Crash Detection, Fall Detection
✓ Pros:
- • Class-leading 3,000-nit display brightness
- • Rugged titanium build with 100m water resistance
- • Excellent battery life relative to category (up to 72h low power)
- • Precision dual-frequency GPS ideal for outdoor sports
✗ Cons:
- • Large 49mm case may be too bulky for smaller wrists
- • High price point
- • Exclusive to iPhone ecosystem
- • Minimal design changes from previous generation
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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Garmin fēnix 8 (47mm AMOLED)
Rating:★4.6(1,856)Amazon
Compatibility:iPhone, Android (Garmin Connect app required)
Operating System:Garmin OS (Proprietary)
Case Size:47mm x 47mm x 13.8mm
Case Material:Fiber-reinforced polymer with metal rear cover; Bezel: Titanium or Stainless Steel; Lens: Sapphire Crystal or Corning Gorilla Glass
Display Type:AMOLED; Always-On Mode available; 1000 nits peak brightness
Display Size:1.4 in (35.56 mm) diameter
Resolution:454 x 454 pixels
Always On Display:Yes (optional)
Water Resistance:10 ATM (water pressure equivalent to 100 meters); Dive rated (EN13319) to 40 meters
Durability:MIL-STD-810H thermal/shock/water tested; Leakproof inductive buttons; Metal sensor guard
GPS:Multi-band GNSS with SatIQ technology; GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou
Connectivity:Bluetooth; ANT+; Wi-Fi
NFC Payments:Garmin Pay
Sensors:Elevate Gen 5 optical heart rate sensor; Pulse Ox blood oxygen saturation monitor; Barometric altimeter; Compass; Gyroscope; Accelerometer; Thermometer; Ambient light sensor; Depth sensor (up to 40m)
Health Features:Body Battery energy monitoring; Sleep Score and advanced sleep monitoring; HDR (High Dynamic Range) Heart Rate; HRV Status; Pulse Ox; Nap detection; Jet Lag Adviser; Health Snapshot
Workout Modes:Advanced Strength Training (sport-specific); Recreational Scuba Diving (Single Gas); Apnea Diving; HIIT; Trail Run; Ultra Run; Triathlon; Skiing; Surfing; Golf (43,000+ courses); and 100+ others
Storage:32GB
Speaker Mic:Built-in Speaker; Built-in Microphone (Voice Assistant & Voice Notes)
Calls:Yes (Make and take calls via Bluetooth connection to smartphone)
Battery:Smartwatch mode: Up to 16 days (7 days always-on); GPS Only: Up to 47 hours (37 hours always-on); Expedition GPS: Up to 14 days
Charging:Garmin proprietary plug charger (clip-on data cable)
Weight:Stainless Steel: 80g (Case only: 59g); Titanium: 73g (Case only: 52g)
Band Sizes:Fits wrists 125–208mm (Silicone); QuickFit 22mm compatible
Extras:Built-in LED Flashlight (Red/White strobes); Dynamic Round-Trip Routing; Garmin Messenger app; Outdoor Maps+ (subscription optional); SkiView Maps
✓ Pros:
- • Stunning 1.4" AMOLED display with efficient 16-day battery life
- • Legitimate dive computer features (rated to 40m) with leakproof buttons
- • Built-in LED flashlight and speaker/mic add massive daily utility
- • Comprehensive offline mapping and best-in-class GPS accuracy
- • Advanced strength training plans tailored to specific sports
✗ Cons:
- • High price point compared to previous generations and competitors
- • No LTE/Cellular option for standalone calls (requires phone nearby)
- • Titanium models with Sapphire glass command a significant premium
- • Proprietary charging cable (not wireless/Qi standard)
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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Which one is better?
Looking at user satisfaction (Garmin fēnix 8 (47mm AMOLED): 4.7★ vs Apple Watch Ultra 3: 4.6★), Garmin fēnix 8 (47mm AMOLED) pulls ahead. The gap is small—choose based on the priorities below.
Who should buy each?
Apple Watch Ultra 3 excels at: Class-leading 3,000-nit display brightness, Rugged titanium build with 100m water resistance
Watch for: Large 49mm case may be too bulky for smaller wrists
Garmin fēnix 8 (47mm AMOLED) excels at: Stunning 1.4" AMOLED display with efficient 16-day battery life, Legitimate dive computer features (rated to 40m) with leakproof buttons
Watch for: High price point compared to previous generations and competitors
Conclusion
With the key differences outlined, the decision should be clearer. Both options deliver quality—choose the one that fits your priorities.
Frequently Asked Questions
+Which has better value?
Apple Watch Ultra 3 excels if you value class-leading 3,000-nit display brightness. Garmin fēnix 8 (47mm AMOLED) is better if you prioritize stunning 1.4" amoled display with efficient 16-day battery life. Pick based on your budget and daily use.
+Is this an independent review?
Yes. We use affiliate links for monetization, but recommendations are research-driven and unbiased.
+Do newer models exist?
Check release timelines from the manufacturers and compare pricing before you buy. We refresh this page when major updates land.
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