Apple Watch Ultra 2 vs Garmin Epix Pro: The NYC Test Gauntlet!
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- čas přidán 9. 01. 2024
- Which GPS is the most accurate in one of the world's toughest GPS conditions: The Apple Watch Ultra 2 or the Garmin Epix Pro? In this test, I take them both for a spin on my standard route to see how well they hold up from a GPS accuracy standpoint.
In addition, I also include the Garmin Venu 3 and Apple Watch Series 9, to see whether these non-multiband (non-dual-frequency) GPS units can hold their own.
Here's the old Concorde trip report: www.dcrainmaker.com/2011/07/t...
As well as the NYC Triathlon Race Report: www.dcrainmaker.com/2010/07/n...
#GarminEpixPro #AppleWatchUltra2 - Sport
This guy is having a jet lag during his entire run, which he did while reviewing, talking and holding a Go Pro in his hand. Yet, he still managed to run at a faster pace than I did With 100% concentration.. Amazing..
Hahaha...thanks!
Wow I love how you did the gps tracking against a 3D map! Great work!
Thanks - appreciate it! It's a fair bit of work in Google Earth Studio, but it looks cool in the city!
It's a crazy performance from the Apple Watches considering Garmin's core technology is GPS!
I enjoyed this tremendously, thank you! Welcome to my home! I’m a native New Yorker and loved your comments. My Venu 2s has a similar path as your Venu 3 along the city streets especially down Broadway. It was a relief to see that it wasn’t just my watch that veered. I can’t believe you ran under the West Side Highway. I guess it gave you a greater challenge than the open path along the Hudson River. Hope you had a great time with your father!
The visualiztion of this is fantastic!
Thanks!!! Every once in a while I break out the good stuff! 😂
@@Dcrainmakeranywhere you could point to on how to view workout files on google earth, or is this a secret sauce thing?
Brilliant Ray. Enjoy your trip. Thanks for sharing.
Great review. Thanks for taking us along!! 🎉
Nice work Ray. Cool video and commentary.
That's dedication! Thanks for doing that comparison!
Thanks for watching!
Cool tour of NYC !
Welcome to NYC. Love your channel!
Love the use of flyover.
Nice summer footage!
thanks for doing this test!
Thanks!!
Hi.. I enjoy hiking in the Alps and am looking for the best Garmin watch with the best GPS accuracy. Could you recommend a model that suits my needs? I intend to use the watch to track my hikes in the mountains, export GPX files, and import them into Google Earth Studio and After Effects for path animation. I'm leaning towards purchasing the Fenix 7X Pro Sapphire Solar Edition Carbon Grey DLC Titanium with Black Band, what do you think?
All seem good enough to me. How about altimeter and ascent/decent measurement accuracy? As a trail runner (and cyclist who loves mtn routes), I pay a lot of attention to them but have seen some really odd readings at times across various watches.
It's something I usually briefly touch-on in reviews, but actually provide all the data linked in every review for those who want to dig deeper (you can click on any data set in any of my written reviews to access all the raw data, and the video reviews are basically just a subset of my much larger written review data set). Most of the time I find the altimeters between the top Garmin/Apple watches exceptionally close.
Generally speaking, when people have accuracy issues, it's due to junk/salt/mud/gel/etc clogging up an altimeter hole. The best way to keep that from happening is simply to shower with the watch after every workout. But, if still problematic, putting a watch in a bowl of warm soapy water for about 15-20 minutes, then give it a good shake in the water, and rinse a bit. If that fails still, you can use a very soft toothbrush to try and get anything else in there out. Beyond that, it'll generally need replacement.
@@Dcrainmaker Thank you, this is a great help!
I was waiting for this video. Buying Apple ultra 2. 👍
How are you syncing and keeping track / log of all of your workouts with different watches? I know you also use a Pelton too so all the data goes where?
Wow, you rode on the Concord? Very fun GPS test gauntlet as always. Hope you're having a great trip! (unless this is old, weather looks too warm)
Indeed! Best use of a stupid-silly amount of magazines donated to the local library ever (you had to buy magazines, including kids magazines, which got you crazy amounts of points, which you could convert and redeem for British Airways flights, including the Concorde). These days, bean-counters would have been smarter. 20 years ago? Not so much. Even took my Dad along!
@@DcrainmakerEvery aviation (me included) fan envies you 😛 I always enjoy these tests, keep them annual if possible 🙂
Loved it. Thank you.
Thanks!!
Great video!
I was so confused about your outfit and was about to get my bike dusted off …aaaaand then I realized this is an older video 😂 UW2 is always reliable for me in this city 🌆 👍
Dude you’re a beast 💪🏻
This guy is the best and it’s not even close.
I wonder if these watches log number of satellites seen and gdop and hdop (dilution of precision) might make some interesting graphs.
Do you prefer an epic pro or ultra 2 as a hardcore runner and reviewer?
Back to the future musical is brilliant!
That aircraft carrier behind you is epic 😂 Great content!
Thanks!!
Great video & review of the watches. Thanks. But the biggest take home point is…you flew on Concorde!!!
Hahaha…thanks!
Goat status for this guy
Cool test
Thanks!
@@Dcrainmaker I sometimes still think about the woman cycling over your drone. The sea wall part of that was epic too, thank you for the effort you put in.
Hi, what app are you using on the Apple watches to record the run? The native Workout app? Or Strava? Or another? Are there any differences in accuracy based on the app that's used?
Native workout app. I just find that on the whole, Apple has done a better job than most 3rd party apps in ensuring data quality/accuract there.
Awesome video. You should have asked the group runners to join you. That way, you will have a lot more hands to test more watches. Maybe even SatIQ vs Dual Band vs All Satellites.
A vs G. LFG!
When was this taped. It looks nothing like NYC in the last few weeks. It’s cold here now. Also right after the carrier is the Manhattan Cruise Terminal, and the overpass is the MCT Viaduct.
In October, a wee bit behind on editing these days. Cheers!
Was that an 8 minute mile while talking, shooting the vid and navigating NYC? Impressive!
Looks like the end of September or early October in NYC, we had nice weather, had to keep mowing the lawn!
Yup, back in October. Was an amazingly nice day for it. Just a bit behind in editing. Cheers!
Thanks! Great video! What about battery? Which watches was spent less battery for this run?
Any garmin watch will have better battery than an Apple Watch
Very Interesting!
Idea: would be cool to retest all in an area where Apple cannot take advantage of Apple Maps correction (some dense forest?).
Yeah, I've done some of that in my main reviews with mountains and stuffs. In those areas, I found the Garmin/Apple multi-band watches mostly a wash. No meaningful differences.
Same with Series 9?
Thx for the answer!
How do you put all your information on the computer where it shows the stats in your videos?
I normally use the DCR Analyzer (www.dcrainmaker.com/analyze) - but for this video I broke out the fancy silverware, and used Google Earth Studio. It takes about 30x longer, but here and there I do it.
@@Dcrainmaker thanks, I appreciate it. It’s cool to see the info like that.
Great!!!! Congrats!!! Fantastic video, wonderfull city!!
Congratulations for your video! Overall, do you think? Apple Watch ultra2 is better than Garmin in GPS test.? Also, is it better for indoor running on a treadmill??
In this city test, Apple did better than Garmin. Likely due to the Apple Maps data alignment. Out in the mountains/etc, I haven't seen any differences between the two multiband units, a wash. For treadmill running, it's been kinda hit or miss for me on Apple paces, I've had some weird stuff lately that I didn't have previously.
Hi Ray, I didn't realise that you ran down the middle of the road and/or off the sidewalk for most of the sections between skyscrapers. Would you say that was realistic to how we run in built up areas? It's not for me in any case. I would have liked to have seen more running between the tall building than the time spent in Central Park. Maybe next year?
The first section was along either sidewalk, the second section was down the middle - mostly to show it didn't matter. The results were the same. What mattered was the height of the buildings. Last year I did a massive section from the tip of Manhatten - and ultimately, the hardest section (year after year) is that bit down Broadway. Everything else is honestly easy these days: czcams.com/video/M5uRJKCxaiA/video.html
I'm still on the fence between Epix Pro 51 and Fenix 7X Pro SS. I have them both, just deciding on which one I wanna keep. I'll obviously like OLED, but since I already own an ULTRA, I feel like the MIP might be the move.
I prefer the Epix series, but, my wife prefers her Fenix series. To each their own!
@@Dcrainmaker I have both with me at work and I keep putting on the MIP Fenix. I like how much more subdued it is and feels more like a watch. I also like the white background, it gives me old game boy or Rolex vibes. Backlight colors aren’t great but who cares? It’s an outdoor watch so the ambient lighting of the fenix does great. Plus battery life. To have always on with epix you drop that battery life to 7-8 days compared to 31 on fenix.
I also have the Ultra 2 on the left. The Epix Pro 51 at the right arm. I never ever would go back to a Fenix with the MIP Display.
Did you say you ran in New York City? Isn't that cold out there these days to wear the clothes you did?
Thanks for the sightseeing tour and testing! Is there any possibility to get the gps-track as a file from you? Keep running and testing! 🏃🏻🙏🏻
Yup, they're all here: analyze.dcrainmaker.com/#/public/81fbd705-62f2-4f36-52ba-67d074f39511
@@Dcrainmaker Thank you, Ray. 🙏🏻
So imm switch gears reL hard and guess you filmed the running scenes with the action 4?
And imma need you to do a full test on that new Ace Pro. Ive been witing for your video(s) on that camera for ages now
Nevermind. I just heard the part where you said "the GoPro" lol
Yup, Hero 12 for this, as it was before the Ace Pro came out.
@@Dcrainmaker ahhhh ok ok. I'll still be waiting for your AcePro video 👀
Also.....
When you are not running test, which fitness watch is your actual "GO-TO" daily driver? I am an Enduro 2 watch user with the HRM Plus and as a combo I am in love.
Like you I would have Strava, Garmin connect and relive for playback to my activities and I find it super accurate (at least I think it is) when I zoom in to the sections where I might change from l e lane to another or maybe I'll walk around the other side of a light pole and it shows those small changes in my workouts.
But.....what watch is your ACTUAL "daily driver"?
When was this recorded? The weather looks really nice and there are still leaves on the trees...
October, just a bit behind in editing.
is it annoying that all the bands on your phone/watch are not always compatable between USA and EURO lte bands etc?
Yeah, all of the phone communication bands are fully cross-compatible these days. But unfortunately, none of the watch bands are. :( Maybe one day...
Would you expect any difference between the AWU1 and the AWU2?
Zero. Here's last year's test: czcams.com/video/M5uRJKCxaiA/video.html
Create the watch routes with the 3D maps was very cool.
Thanks! It takes a fair bit of work, but is fine for videos here and there!
Cool test. Would love to see something with the pace 3 since it has dual band gps at such a great price point
I actually did some deep building tests with the COROS Pace 3 in that review. I had planned to bring out the Pace 3 in this run or the run the day after, but ended up needing data on other watches at the time.
I love my apple watch h except when doing CrossFit. Handstand walks and gymnastics sets off the alarm because of the dumb placement of the buttons. If I go back to garmin I’m wearing a chest or arm strap which is annoying..
how well does optical heart rate work when you have a watch that far up your arm?
Better actually. You don’t want it over the wrist bone, that’s the worst possible spot.
@@Dcrainmaker Thank you!
Wow! All of the trees regrew their leaves, just for DC! 😉
I bring rain...and leaves! ;)
Need to do the same with Suunto Vertical / Race next 👍
Interesting if Wahoo Rival with 100 euro price tag is till resonable option in 2024. I do occasional running with my bike computer but 200+ euro watch looks overpriced for it)
At $100/EUR, it's a solid deal for sure. But, at the same time, Wahoo has confirmed there will be no future RIVAL, and thus you'd want to buy it for the features it has today, not for the future.
It wasn’t mentioned in the video, but was this the Epix pro gen 2 or the gen 1? Just wondering because perhaps the gen 2 would have had better performance.
There is the OG epix, then the Epix gen 2 then the Epix gen 2 pro or pro gen 2. The pro is only gen 2.
Correct, Epix Pro is basically the 2nd version of Epix. Confusing AF, I agree. Here's a whole post I just wrote about this/product cycles/etc...: www.dcrainmaker.com/2023/12/garmin-fenix7-epix-release-history-explained.html
If Apple really wanted to separate itself from the competition, they would add on-board solar. Sure Garmin does this, but Garmin does not have Apples infrastructure. For me this would be a true game changer.
I'm not sure it'd add much battery-wise. For example, we don't see Garmin add it on AMOLED models. Rather, it tends to do better with slower-burning MIP-based models that are specifically designed for weeks/months of battery. Even Garmin's Fenix series with solar is kinda blah when it comes to actual gains (whereas their Instinct series is legit huge in gains with Solar).
Don't tell me you shot the video in January 2024 ? Tee-shirt in NYC at this time of the year ? 😄
Haha...no, just a bit behind in editing.
Wow, that's disappointing for Epix Pro owners. What's the point of owning a Garmin if they can't excel at GPS tracking?
And don’t forget sleep tracking on the Garmins is bad as well and on wrist heart rate even more worse
I guess the Apple Watch and the iPhone benefit from the cell tower triangulation as well, as I’ve seen them be slightly more correct consistently for the paths than my Garmin. I’m still leaning towards replacing my Apple Watch with Epix or Fenix, but the Ultra 2 really does seem like it’s there feature wise, just shitttttay battery life compared to Garmin
As of the Series 8 (and 9), and the Apple Watch Ultra 1/2, and the 2nd gen Apple Watch SE, Apple no longer leverages the phone in any GPS offloading, it's all in-watch. However, what Apple does leverage is the maps in GPS accuracy.
@@Dcrainmaker didn't know that! I'm still on a series 6. i'm charging it 2x a day 🤣it's time to upgrade. quick question / hot take - would you take the current gen Zwift Hub at retail ( $599 ) , or a essentially unused ( only 2x ) Garmin TacX Neo 2T for $500 from a friend? they're both an upgrade from my old-school classic fluid trainer, but i'm in analysis paralysis. I have almost all Garmin devices ( aside from the apple watch ) and I do use Zwift 4-5x a week. What do you think?
Apple lock-in? Nope. Plus garmin just rocks. No contest.
I really noticed the 25fps on the 3D pans over the map - 30fps would be way more pleasant for me
Btw. I'm really jealous of that concorde trip! :D
Fun tidbit: It was actually rendered at 30FPS...but then some of the sections I talked to long, and had to slow it down about 50% or so. Blah. Re-doing all my timings would have taken forever, since the export of the rendered file from Google took about 2 hours. :-/
I feel like the apple watch ultra cheats a little using the map data to essentially snap to the road giving you the impression that its gps is more accurate when it is not. @Chasethesummit noticed this when he deviated offroad on a trail not in apple maps and the ultra did not track that at all. That being said I wonder why Garmin hasnt't added the same function. They have map data too but do not leverage it in tracking a run.
worth mentioning chasethesummit was doing a test in low power mode where it only takes a gps recording every few minutes. unless i’ve missed it i haven’t seen this in normal recording modes.
IIRC Chasethesummit was testing in low power mode. The sampling was very low so it heavily rely on the Apple Maps.
Why is that cheating? The goal of gps while running is to provide continuous coordinates. Using maps data to filter out coordinates that aren’t realistic isn’t faking the accuracy. I am sure both systems have thresholds for coordinates that are outliers, using a map just enhances and makes that threshold more realistic.
I thought after all those years of development top of the line Garmin watch would be miles ahead in GPS technology over the likes of Apple but boy was I wrong. Very disappointing results from Epix pro IMHO.
In general most of the time Apple Watch Ultra 2 vs Garmin Epix Pro are a wash for GPS accuracy (especially in mountains/trails/etc...). It appears though for more city-type super dense environments, Apple's abiltiy to leverage mapping as a cross-verification tool, is helping them.
@@DcrainmakerIs that kind of cheating on Apple’s part though? They assume you’ll stay on the road so they track that. It’s not really a pure GPS vs GPS test.
@@paulc1978by that logic using additional bands and satellites would be cheating. As long as he’s running on the watch alone with no additional paired device, then it’s just another tool Apple leverages for greater accuracy. IF I wanted a more accurate watch for city life running, I’m not going to say “Apple is technically cheating”. If the fight is unfair bc Apple has more technology and money, that’s just the nature of the beast, but it’s a perfectly legitimate win.
@@seanlinehan1136That’s not true at all. This is like clicking the route to a map not using GPS at all. It seems to not be using GPS technology in that sense.
@@paulc1978 In places where you can’t run off the road or trail, why wouldn’t you want the greater accuracy provided by the map? In the mountains or woods Ray said the pure GPS results are similar.
Watch comparison was meh, but your mapping overlayed with Google Earth so cool
Yeah, the Google Earth bits are fun/cool, but take a silly-long amount of time. It's one of those things that seems like it'd be easy to do, but becomes an avalanche of small items that takes what was a 30-second task and makes it many many hours. Still, for some videos it's fun to break out!
@@Dcrainmaker whenever I'm doing troubleshooting or implementing for tech, I figure my best estimate, then triple the effort, maybe in you case with GE, it's 30x
Garmin beats Apple, especially when you take into consideration battery life
You can’t start your car unlock your house door, answer a phone call and a multitude of other functions with a garmin. Not everyone is running for 24hrs.
@@icarusc44I always carry my phone anyway so that doesn’t matter. Also, you can answer a call on your Garmin.
@@icarusc44 But you can use a Garmin on iPhone and Android. Not everyone uses iPhone.
@@icarusc44 How did we get to a point where getting a phone out of your pocket is such a huge problem?🤦
@icarusc44 but you can own a Garmin without fear of the sales of the device being banned by the government for stealing patents like the current generation of apple watches
Apple beats Garmin, especially when you take into consideration usefulness.