Wear Radar

Apple Watch SEvsGarmin Forerunner 570

11d vs 18h
battery life
Garmin Forerunner 570 lasts longer
$300
price gap
Apple Watch SE cheaper
16g
lighter
Apple Watch SE
2
more health sensors
Garmin Forerunner 570
Apple Watch SE
Buy/Wait:good

Early in release cycle

Full details →
Garmin Forerunner 570
Buy/Wait:good

Early in release cycle

Full details →
Apple Watch SEGarmin Forerunner 570
Pricing
Starting price$249$549
Subscription✓ Noneℹ️ Optional — $70/yr
Hardware
Weight26g42g
Water resistance50m5ATM
Battery18h11 days
Always-on display
GPS
Cellular
PlatformiOS onlyiOS & Android
TierSmartwatchSports GPS
Buy timing
ReleasedSep 19, 2025May 15, 2025
Cycle advicegoodgood
Deals adviceneutralneutral
Next modelApple Watch SE 4 (Expected fall 2027)

Health Sensors

Apple Watch SE only
3 exclusive sensors
Irregular RhythmBackground optical check for irregular heart rhythms
Crash DetectionDetects vehicle crashes and alerts emergency contacts
Fall DetectionAuto-calls emergency services after a hard fall
Both
2 shared
Heart RateContinuous or on-demand pulse tracking
HRVHeart rate variability — stress & recovery scores
Garmin Forerunner 570 only
5 exclusive sensors
SpO2Blood oxygen saturation, tracked during sleep
Stress TrackingStress estimate from HRV and physiological signals
Body BatteryGarmin's energy reserve — how much fuel left in the tank
Training ReadinessDaily recovery score — how ready you are to perform
Skin TempOvernight changes linked to illness or cycle tracking

Why buy each?

Apple Watch SE

Full watchOS at a lower price

Access the entire watchOS app ecosystem, Apple Pay, Siri, and Family Setup — for $150 less than the Series 11.

Crash and fall detection

Emergency SOS, fall detection, and Crash Detection give real safety value even without premium health sensors.

Aluminium in four colours

Available in Midnight, Starlight, Silver, and (PRODUCT)RED with a wide range of Apple Watch-compatible bands.

Garmin Forerunner 570

Multi-band GPS and Elevate Gen 5 sensor

L1+L5 dual-frequency GPS for precise tracking in cities and trails, paired with Garmin's most advanced heart rate sensor — adding skin temperature monitoring over the FR265.

Built-in speaker and microphone

A first for this price tier — take phone calls, use voice assistant, and hear Bluetooth audio directly from your wrist. A meaningful upgrade over the silent FR265.

Garmin Triathlon Coach

AI-powered triathlon training plans that adapt to your swim, bike, and run fitness — a key differentiator over the FR265 for multisport athletes.

Quick Winner

The right pick depends on what you optimize for.

For the budget
Apple Watch SE wins

$249 vs $759 over 3 years · no required subscription.

For battery life
Garmin Forerunner 570 wins

11 days vs 18h battery.

For health depth
Garmin Forerunner 570 wins

7 sensors.

For daily comfort
Apple Watch SE wins

26g · no required subscription.

Bottom Line

Technical gaps
  1. Watch SE-only sensors: Irregular Rhythm, Crash Detection, Fall Detection.
  2. Forerunner 570-only sensors: SpO2, Stress Tracking, Body Battery, Training Readiness, Skin Temp.
  3. Weight. Watch SE is 16g lighter — relevant for all-day comfort and sleep.
Commercial gaps
  1. Hardware cost. Watch SE is $300 cheaper upfront ($249 vs $549).
Pick the Apple Watch SE if…

iPhone users who want Apple Watch's core experience — activity tracking, notifications, crash detection, and Apple Pay — at a lower price point. Ideal for kids, teens, or anyone upgrading from a much older watch without needing the advanced health sensors.

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Pick the Garmin Forerunner 570 if…

Regular runners and triathletes who race 5K to marathon distances and want accurate multi-band GPS, detailed training load management, and Triathlon Coach structured plans. The speaker and microphone make it a more capable daily-wear watch than the FR265 it replaces.

Full details →