Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | Apple - Watch SE (2nd gen) | Garmin - vívoactive 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 18 h | 264 h |
| Display size | 1.78 " | 1.2 " |
| Weight | 33 g | 26 g |
| Cellular | true | false |
| SpO2 | false | true |
Between the Watch SE (2nd gen) and vívoactive 5, the Watch SE (2nd gen) comes out ahead in display size / cellular, while the vívoactive 5 wins on battery life / weight. Overall, the Watch SE (2nd gen) scores 55.9 and the vívoactive 5 scores 55.7 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (55.9 vs 55.7). The decision is not about overall quality — both clear the bar — it is about which specific trade-offs fit your use.
Pick the Watch SE (2nd gen) if you care most about display size / cellular. The biggest gaps in its favor are display size, cellular. The single most decisive one: Display size — 48.33% more. 1.78 " vs 1.2 ".
Pick the vívoactive 5 if your top frustration with your current device is running out of charge before the day ends — endurance is the lead spec here. Its strongest claims are battery life, weight, spo2. The single most decisive one: Battery life — 1366.67% more. 264 h vs 18 h.
Both ship with comparable ecg, water resistance, peak brightness, so those specs do not separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: there is no wrong answer here — match the spec advantages to how you actually use the product. The Mars Score parity says both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Which should you buy: Apple - Watch SE (2nd gen) or Garmin - vívoactive 5?
Apple - Watch SE (2nd gen) leads the current Mars Score by 0.2 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare display size, battery life against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose Apple - Watch SE (2nd gen) if…
Apple - Watch SE (2nd gen) has the measurable edge on display size in, has cellular.
Choose Garmin - vívoactive 5 if…
Garmin - vívoactive 5 has the measurable edge on battery life h, weight g, has spo2.
This is a structured comparison of the published catalog values. It is not a claim of identical real-world performance across every workload; use the linked spec drill-downs and methodology page to inspect the inputs.
Why Apple - Watch SE (2nd gen) wins
- ▲Display size — 48.33% more. 1.78 " vs 1.2 ".
- ▲Has Cellular.
Why Garmin - vívoactive 5 wins
- ▲Battery life — 1366.67% more. 264 h vs 18 h.
- ▲Weight — 7.00 g less. 26 vs 33.
- ▲Has SpO2.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - Watch SE (2nd gen) | Garmin - vívoactive 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Case size | 44 mmlead | 42 mm |
| Weight | 33 g | 26 glead |
| Case material | aluminum | polymer |
| Water resistanceⓘ | 5 ATM | 5 ATM |
Display
| Spec | Apple - Watch SE (2nd gen) | Garmin - vívoactive 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Display size | 1.78 "lead | 1.2 " |
| Always-on display | false | truelead |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 1000 nits | 1000 nits |
Health & Fitness
| Spec | Apple - Watch SE (2nd gen) | Garmin - vívoactive 5 |
|---|---|---|
| ECG | false | false |
| SpO2 | false | truelead |
| Temperature sensor | false | false |
| Sleep tracking | true | true |
| Blood pressure | false | false |
Battery & Connectivity
| Spec | Apple - Watch SE (2nd gen) | Garmin - vívoactive 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery lifeⓘ | 18 h | 264 hlead |
| GPS | true | true |
| Cellular | truelead | false |
| NFC | true | true |
| OS | watchOS | Garmin OSlead |
Frequently asked
Which has longer battery life, Watch SE (2nd gen) or vívoactive 5?+
vívoactive 5 lasts 264 hours vs 18 hours.
Do Watch SE (2nd gen) or vívoactive 5 support ECG?+
Neither supports ECG.
Which has cellular, Watch SE (2nd gen) or vívoactive 5?+
Watch SE (2nd gen) offers a cellular variant; vívoactive 5 is Wi-Fi only.