However, professionals who rely on technology during intense activities are no strangers to these features. For example, Garmin, one of the leading navigation companies before the dominance of Google Maps, has provided intelligent and durable wearables to athletes and other professionals since 2012.

So, how does the Apple Watch Ultra compare to other smartwatches of its caliber? Let’s check them out below.

Rugged Smartwatch Model Comparison

While many smartwatches are on the market today, we’ll only look at those at or above the Apple Watch Ultra price point. We’ll also only look at wearables with a similar purpose, so there won’t be any luxury smartwatch models here.

This comparison features these smartwatches:

Apple Watch Ultra Casio G-Squad Pro Garmin Enduro 2 Garmin epix (Gen 2) Garmin fēnix 7

Explore the best features of the Apple Watch Ultra, see which other models also have them, and compare their prices to determine which models have the best value for the money.

Use for Sports and Extreme Activities

The Apple Watch Ultra is primarily designed for activities like long-distance running, mountain climbing, water sports, and scuba diving. Aside from that, it’s also equipped to track less demanding sports, like cycling, swimming, and indoor workouts.

Casio’s G-Squad Pro is also designed for most of those activities, plus other sports, like fishing, sailing, kayaking, and snowboarding. Garmin also markets its smartwatches for most of these activities. The built-in dive computer is Apple’s only feature over Casio’s and Garmin’s offerings.

Fall Detection

Since the Series 4, Apple Watches have been known for detecting if its wearer suffers a fall, making the Apple Watch great for emergencies. This is a handy feature, especially if you experience an accident on an outdoor track. However, this isn’t exclusive to the Apple Watch line. All the Garmin models included in this comparison also have this feature, which Garmin calls Incident Detection.

The only advantage that the Apple Watch has over Garmin devices in this regard is that it will connect you to emergency services directly. Garmin will only send a message with your location to your contacts. That means your contacts must pay attention to their phones.

Dive-Ready Water Resistance

There is a difference between a device being water-resistant and “dive ready”. Water resistance means a smartwatch can keep the water out at the specified depth for a short period, while “dive ready” watches can resist water for many hours.

The Apple Watch Ultra is dive-ready for 40 meters—that’s around 5 ATM, according to the EN13319 engineering standards. On the other hand, all of Garmin’s offerings are rated for 10 ATM, for diving as deep as about 100 meters. Lastly, the Casio G-Squad Pro is listed at 20 ATM, allowing it to withstand depths up to 200 meters.

Although the Apple Watch Ultra is the only diving-certified device in this comparison, the other smartwatches’ 10 and 20 ATM ratings are nothing to sneeze at.

ECG and Blood Oxygen Level

ECG and blood oxygen sensing features are a few reasons you should choose the Apple Watch Series 8 or Ultra over their competitors. Although Garmin also features blood oxygen sensors in the Enduro 2, epix (Gen 2), and fēnix 7 smartwatches, they do not have an ECG sensor. Lastly, Casio’s G-Squad Pro has neither an ECG sensor nor a blood oxygen sensor.

Screen Size

One of the most critical things in a rugged smartwatch is the display size. That’s because this is the primary way you can easily interact with your wearable device while on the go. And if you compare all the smartwatches we’re looking at, the Apple Watch Ultra easily comes out on top.

The Apple Watch Ultra features a 49mm display with up to 2,000 nits brightness. While all the other competitors don’t list their screen brightness, they do disclose their sizes. The Garmin Enduro 2 has a significantly smaller screen at just 35.56 mm, followed by the fēnix 7 at 33.02 mm and the epix (Gen 2) at 33 mm. Lastly, Casio’s G-Squad Pro has a screen size of only 30.48 mm, making it the smallest of the bunch.

Price and Compatibility

The Apple Watch Ultra isn’t the most expensive device on our list. The Casio G-Squad Pro is the most affordable option but also the smallest one. On the other hand, Garmin offers the three most expensive smartwatches.

These are the list prices of the wearables we compared:

Casio G-Squad Pro - $699. 00 Apple Watch Ultra - $799. 00 Garmin fenix 7 - $899. 99 Garmin epix (Gen 2) - $999. 99 Garmin Enduro 2 - $1,099. 99

As you can see, the Apple Watch Ultra is at the less expensive end of the list. The Casio G-Squad Pro runs Google’s Wear OS, and the Apple Watch runs WatchOS. Garmin, on the other hand, uses its own proprietary Garmin Watch OS.

If you want an Apple Watch Ultra, you’ll need to pair an iPhone with it. But if you choose any of the other wearables, you can pick between iOS and Android-powered phones.

The Apple Watch Ultra Provides Great Value in a Rugged Fitness Tracker

Unless you’re looking for something niche, like a watch designed for fishing, the Apple Watch Ultra can do just about everything that more expensive options offer and then some. It also has some extra features that the other wearables don’t have, like a larger screen and ECG.

And for the other features that aren’t available natively on the Apple Watch, you can probably download them from the App Store. If you’re using an iPhone, Apple’s top-spec smartwatch is your best option. But if you’re running an Android phone, it may be time to consider switching to the dark side.