I walked 7,000 steps with the Apple Watch Ultra 2 vs. Garmin Venu X1 — and the winner is clear – 1v1 Video Chat & LIve Streaming & Influencer Subscription

Tom’s Guide

Search Tom’s Guide

View Profile

Newsletters

Best Picks

Entertainment

Prime Day Deals
Switch 2 Restock

Galaxy Z Fold 7
Wordle Today

Best Mattress
Best laptops

You may like

I walked 8,000 steps with the Apple Watch 10 vs Garmin Vivoactive 6 — and there’s a clear winner

I walked 5,000 steps with the Apple Watch 10 vs Garmin Instinct 3 — and there’s a clear winner

I walked 5,500 steps with the Garmin Forerunner 570 vs Apple Watch 10 — this smartwatch won

Apple Watch Ultra 2 vs. Garmin Venu X1: Compared

Apple Watch Ultra 2: $799 at Best Buy
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is one of the best full-featured smartwatches money can buy, boasting a tough-as-nails design with 100 meters of water resistance, a programmable Action button, loads of holistic and fitness tracking tools, a virtually endless number of third-party apps, first-rate communication and safety features, and the best battery of life of any Apple Watch.

Garmin Venu X1: $799 at Garmin
The Garmin Venu X1 is the brand’s latest high-end smartwatch, sporting the largest screen of any Garmin wearable to date, along with the thinnest case design. Like the Apple Watch Ultra 2, it offers plenty of workout and wellness tools, along with safety features and some smart features. Where it beats the Ultra 2 is in training and recovery tools. It also tracks a much wider range of workout types.

I’ve already covered how the Garmin Venu X1 could finally be the Apple Watch Ultra 2 alternative I’ve been hoping for, though further testing of the former is needed to confirm its bona fides.

That said, one key advantage the Ultra 2 might have over the Venu X1 is when it comes to location tracking accuracy. This is because the Apple Watch has a comparatively more sophisticated multiband GPS antenna versus the single-band GPS in the Garmin.
Multiband is especially helpful when using GPS in locations with obstructed skies, like cities or forests. And as a resident of Seattle, Washington, I’m fortunate to have access to both via a short walk out my door.
I’m also fortunate to have just gotten my hands on a Garmin Venu X1 review unit, which means that it’s time for a classic Tom’s Guide smartwatch walk test showdown between two titans of the wearables world: Apple versus Garmin.

Sign up to get the BEST of Tom’s Guide direct to your inbox.
Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.
Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
Apple Watch Ultra 2 vs. Garmin Venu X1: Walk test
Most of you probably know the drill by now, but for any newcomers, the following is how we test smartwatch tracking accuracy head-to-head. One device is worn on either wrist; in this case, the Garmin was on my left and the Apple Watch on my right.
The main metric we’re comparing here is step count accuracy, followed by distance and elevation gain. As a control for the first, I manually count each step taken during my walk. With my left foot only taking odd-numbered steps and my right foot taking only even-numbered ones, I keep tally until the total hits on hundred. Then, I click my old-timey manual tally counter and start the process over again at one.
Meanwhile, Strava (run on a trusty iPhone 12 mini) acts as a control for distance and elevation data.
So which of these two powerhouses turned in the more accurate set of metrics, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 or the Garmin Venu X1? Check out the table below for results, followed by my analysis.
Apple Watch Ultra 2 vs. Garmin Venu X1: Walk test

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Apple Watch Ultra 2 vs. Garmin Venu X1

Header Cell – Column 0

Apple Watch Ultra 2

Garmin Venu X1

6,959 steps

7,056 steps

7,000 steps (manual count)

4.07 miles (Strava)

Elevation gain

478 feet (Strava)

Average pace

17 mins, 17 secs per mile

17 mins 26 secs per mile

15 mins, 46 secs per mile (Strava)

Average heart rate

Max heart rate

Total calories burned

547 calories

445 calories

Device battery usage

Across the board, this was a very close one, with both smartwatches performing admirably. However, with a total step count that’s just 41 steps shy of my actual total, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 beats the Garmin Venu X1, which overcounted by a still reasonable 56 steps.
For what it’s worth, Strava bested both devices with a step count total of 7,004 steps.
Apple and Garmin both measured roughly the same distance covered, which is — interestingly and oddly enough — a full quarter-mile less than Strava’s metric.
Meanwhile, Garmin’s elevation gain data more closely aligns with the control, with just 8 feet separating the two; Apple undercounted by a more notable 20 feet.
Pace data is also roughly the same between the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and the Garmin Venu X1, while Strava’s elapsed pace metric is quite a bit faster. This makes sense given Strava calculated a further distance covered in the same amount of time as the other two.
Heart rate data is additionally a near match between these two premium wearables, while the Apple Watch noted slightly more calories burned during my roughly one-hour walk. On the flip side, Garmin burned through more than twice the battery capacity as Apple, using GPS to track my trek.
Apple Watch Ultra 2 vs. Garmin Venu X1: Winner

(Image credit: Dan Bracaglia/Tom’s Guide)
As predicted, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 had a slight upper hand when it comes to tracking accuracy. However, both devices produced step count totals that I’d consider well within a margin for error. More importantly, across the board, both the Garmin and Apple Watch largely produced the same data, from heart rate to pace.
There are a few exceptions. This is far from the first time I’ve encountered an Apple Watch that undercounts my climb data compared to the competition. Still, I’d consider either smartwatch to be a rock-solid fitness tracker and more than worthy of your wrist.
Which wearables should I test head-to-head next? Let me know in the comments below.
More from Tom’s Guide

I walked 6,000 steps with the Apple Watch 10 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 — this one was more accurate
I walked 6,500 steps with the Fitbit Charge 6 vs Pixel Watch 3 — and I’m surprised by the winner
I test smartwatches for a living — and these are my 5 favorite models when I go hiking

$779 at Amazon

$799.99 at Apple

$799.99 at T-Mobile

Apple Watch

Dan Bracaglia

Social Links Navigation
Senior Writer, Fitness & Wearables

Dan Bracaglia is the Tom’s Guide editorial lead for all things smartwatches, fitness trackers and outdoor gear. With 15 years of experience as a consumer technology journalist testing everything from Oura Rings to instant cameras, Dan is deeply passionate about helping readers save money and make informed purchasing decisions. In the past year alone, Dan has assessed major product releases from the likes of Apple, Garmin, Google, Samsung, Polar and many others.

An avid outdoor adventurer, Dan is based in the U.S. Pacific Northwest where he takes advantage of the beautiful surroundings every chance he gets. A lover of kayaking, hiking, swimming, biking, snowboarding and exploring, he also makes every effort to combine his day job with his passions. When not assessing the sleep tracking and heart rate accuracy of the latest tach gadgets, you can find him photographing Seattle’s vibrant underground music community.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

I walked 8,000 steps with the Apple Watch 10 vs Garmin Vivoactive 6 — and there’s a clear winner

I walked 5,000 steps with the Apple Watch 10 vs Garmin Instinct 3 — and there’s a clear winner

I walked 5,500 steps with the Garmin Forerunner 570 vs Apple Watch 10 — this smartwatch won

I walked 7,000 steps with the Apple Watch 10 and Garmin Forerunner 265 — and one was way more accurate

I walked 8,000 steps with the Apple Watch 10 vs Garmin Forerunner 570 — and one was more accurate

I biked 12 miles with the Apple Watch 10 vs Garmin Vivoactive 6 — here’s the winner

Latest in Smartwatches

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 and Ultra 2 fully revealed in leaked renders

Should you buy the Garmin Forerunner 570 or the Forerunner 965 in the Prime Day sale?

I thought Pixel Watch 3’s pulse loss detection was a gimmick — until I read this study

I just went hands-on with the Amazfit Balance 2 — this new multisport smartwatch boasts 21 days of battery life

5 reasons why the Garmin Venu X1 could be my new favorite Apple Watch Ultra 2 alternative

I walked 5,500 steps with the Garmin Forerunner 570 vs Apple Watch 10 — this smartwatch won

Latest in Features

The average person spends $50 a month on streaming services — here’s what I’d get for that money

Midjourney’s video generator is behind the competition — here’s why I love it anyway

Want an insect-free kitchen? 9 expert tips to keep them away this summer

Forget running — this 15-minute walking workout burns fat and boosts your metabolism

I swapped the Calm app for ChatGPT Voice — here’s what surprised me

Should you buy the Garmin Forerunner 570 or the Forerunner 965 in the Prime Day sale?