Apple - Watch Series 11 (45mm) vs Garmin - vívoactive 5
Between the Watch Series 11 (45mm) and vívoactive 5, the Watch Series 11 (45mm) comes out ahead in peak brightness / display size, while the vívoactive 5 wins on battery life / weight. Overall, the Watch Series 11 (45mm) scores 60.5 and the vívoactive 5 scores 53.3 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The Watch Series 11 (45mm) edges ahead on the Mars Score (60.5 vs 53.3), but the 7.2-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the Watch Series 11 (45mm) if the display is what you stare at all day — refresh rate, brightness, or sharpness is where the difference will be most visible. The biggest gaps in its favor are peak brightness, display size, ecg, among others.
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.
Both ship with comparable spo2, water resistance, so those specs do not separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the Watch Series 11 (45mm) is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why Apple - Watch Series 11 (45mm) wins
- ▲Peak brightness — 200.00% more. 3000 nits vs 1000 nits.
- ▲Display size — 60.00% more. 1.92 " vs 1.2 ".
- ▲Has ECG.
- ▲Has Cellular.
Why Garmin - vívoactive 5 wins
- ▲Battery life — 633.33% more. 264 h vs 36 h.
- ▲Weight — 12.00 g less. 26 vs 38.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - Watch Series 11 (45mm) | Garmin - vívoactive 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Case size | 45 mmlead | 42 mm |
| Weight | 38 g | 26 glead |
| Case material | aluminum | polymer |
| Water resistanceⓘ | 5 ATM | 5 ATM |
Display
| Spec | Apple - Watch Series 11 (45mm) | Garmin - vívoactive 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Display size | 1.92 "lead | 1.2 " |
| Always-on display | true | true |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 3000 nitslead | 1000 nits |
Health & Fitness
| Spec | Apple - Watch Series 11 (45mm) | Garmin - vívoactive 5 |
|---|---|---|
| ECG | truelead | false |
| SpO2 | true | true |
| Temperature sensor | truelead | false |
| Sleep tracking | true | true |
| Blood pressure | false | false |
Battery & Connectivity
| Spec | Apple - Watch Series 11 (45mm) | Garmin - vívoactive 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 36 h | 264 hlead |
| GPS | true | true |
| Cellular | truelead | false |
| NFC | true | true |
| OS | watchOS | Garmin OSlead |
Frequently asked
Which has longer battery life, Watch Series 11 (45mm) or vívoactive 5?+
vívoactive 5 lasts 264 hours vs 36 hours.
Do Watch Series 11 (45mm) or vívoactive 5 support ECG?+
Watch Series 11 (45mm) supports ECG; vívoactive 5 does not.
Which has cellular, Watch Series 11 (45mm) or vívoactive 5?+
Watch Series 11 (45mm) offers a cellular variant; vívoactive 5 is Wi-Fi only.
Spec-level deep dives
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