Between the vívoactive 5 and Watch S4, the vívoactive 5 comes out ahead in weight, while the Watch S4 wins on peak brightness and battery life. Overall, the vívoactive 5 scores 53.3 and the Watch S4 scores 63.9 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The Watch S4 is the clear pick on raw spec strength, leading by 10.6 points on the Mars Score. The margin is wide enough that the underdog only makes sense if its individual strengths line up with what you specifically need.
Pick the vívoactive 5 if you carry the device everywhere and weight or thickness has been the deciding factor before. The biggest gaps in its favor are weight.
Pick the Watch S4 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 peak brightness, battery life, display size, among others.
Both ship with comparable spo2, water resistance, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the Watch S4 is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why Garmin - vívoactive 5 wins
- ▲Weight — 18.00 g less. 26 vs 44.
Why Xiaomi - Watch S4 wins
- ▲Peak brightness — 120.00% more. 2200 nits vs 1000 nits.
- ▲Battery life — 36.36% more. 360 h vs 264 h.
- ▲Display size — 19.17% more. 1.43 " vs 1.2 ".
- ▲Has ECG.
- ▲Has Cellular.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Garmin - vívoactive 5 | Xiaomi - Watch S4 |
|---|---|---|
| Case size | 42 mm | 47 mmlead |
| Weight | 26 glead | 44 g |
| Case material | polymer | stainless steel |
| Water resistanceⓘ | 5 ATM | 5 ATM |
Display
| Spec | Garmin - vívoactive 5 | Xiaomi - Watch S4 |
|---|---|---|
| Display size | 1.2 " | 1.43 "lead |
| Always-on display | true | true |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 1000 nits | 2200 nitslead |
Health & Fitness
| Spec | Garmin - vívoactive 5 | Xiaomi - Watch S4 |
|---|---|---|
| ECG | false | truelead |
| SpO2 | true | true |
| Temperature sensor | false | truelead |
| Sleep tracking | true | true |
| Blood pressure | false | false |
Battery & Connectivity
| Spec | Garmin - vívoactive 5 | Xiaomi - Watch S4 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 264 h | 360 hlead |
| GPS | true | true |
| Cellular | false | truelead |
| NFC | true | true |
| OS | Garmin OSlead | HyperOS |
Frequently asked
Which has longer battery life, vívoactive 5 or Watch S4?+
Watch S4 lasts 360h vs 264h.
Do vívoactive 5 or Watch S4 support ECG?+
Watch S4 supports ECG; vívoactive 5 does not.
Which has cellular, vívoactive 5 or Watch S4?+
Watch S4 offers a cellular variant; vívoactive 5 is Wi-Fi only.
Spec-level deep dives
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