Wear Radar

Apple WatchvsGarmin Forerunner 570

11d vs 1d
battery life
Garmin Forerunner 570 lasts longer
$150
price gap
Apple Watch cheaper
0.2 Hz
HR sampling
Apple Watch only — Garmin Forerunner 570 undisclosed
10g
lighter
Apple Watch
Apple Watch
Buy/Wait:good

Current model just released

Full details →
Garmin Forerunner 570
Buy/Wait:neutral

Reaching maturity, next model expected soon

Full details →
Apple WatchGarmin Forerunner 570
Pricing
Starting price$399★$549
Subscription✓ Noneℹ️ Optional — $70/yr
Hardware
Weight32g★42g
Water resistance50m5ATM
Battery1 days11 days★
Always-on display✅★❌
GPS✅✅
Cellular✅★❌
PlatformiOS onlyiOS & Android
TierSmartwatchSports GPS
Buy timing
ReleasedSep 18, 2026May 15, 2025
Cycle advicegood★neutral
Deals advicegoodgreat★
Next model——

Health Sensors

Apple Watch only
6 exclusive sensors
Irregular RhythmBackground optical check for irregular heart rhythms
Fall DetectionAuto-calls emergency services after a hard fall
Crash DetectionDetects vehicle crashes and alerts emergency contacts
Sleep ApneaFDA-cleared detection of signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea
ECGDetects irregular heart rhythms (AFib)
Blood PressureDetects hypertension patterns — trend tracking, not clinical mmHg
Both
4 shared
Heart RateContinuous or on-demand pulse tracking
SpO2Blood oxygen saturation, tracked during sleep
Skin TempOvernight changes linked to illness or cycle tracking
HRVHeart rate variability — stress & recovery scores
Garmin Forerunner 570 only
3 exclusive sensors
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

Why buy each?

Apple Watch

Heart rate every five seconds

The new health sensing system samples heart rate every five seconds all day — 60x more often than the Series 11 — and measures HRV every five minutes.

Readiness score

A daily 0–10 readiness score combines sleep, vitals, training load, and activity to suggest how hard to push.

ECG, SpO2 and hypertension notifications

On-demand ECG, blood oxygen monitoring, sleep apnea detection, and hypertension notifications carry over from the Series 11.

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 wins

$399 vs $759 over 3 years.

For battery life
Garmin Forerunner 570 wins

11 days vs 1 days battery.

For health depth
Apple Watch wins

10 sensors · 0.2 Hz HR sampling.

For daily comfort
Apple Watch wins

32g.

Bottom Line

Technical gaps
  1. Watch-only sensors: Irregular Rhythm, Fall Detection, Crash Detection, Sleep Apnea, ECG, Blood Pressure.
  2. Forerunner 570-only sensors: Stress Tracking, Body Battery, Training Readiness.
  3. Weight. Watch is 10g lighter — relevant for all-day comfort and sleep.
Commercial gaps
  1. Hardware cost. Watch is $150 cheaper upfront ($399 vs $549).
Pick the Apple Watch if…

iPhone users who want the most capable smartwatch health experience available. Ideal for anyone who values medical-grade monitoring (ECG, blood pressure, SpO2), a premium always-on display, and the best Apple Watch workout tracking. If health is your priority, this is the one to get.

Full details →
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 →