Fenix 6 v. Apple 6

As you mentioned you will get tons of responses ranging from rage to love.  While I do use it for activities like running and cycling, I also use it for hiking and other outdoor activities in the mountains.  Based on your altitude range, we may even be neighbors... I will also say that I stopped using an Apple Watch back with original one so some of my points may no longer apply but here is where I think the Fenix 6 is superior:

1) Long battery life.  Not a problem if you are doing shorter hikes but for multi-day trips there is nothing more to say.

2) Built-in maps.  I will often download my planned hikes from AllTrails in to my F6.  I generally won’t keep the map screen on all the time as it drains the battery quickly but it is my second screen so with one button press I can quickly see where I am compared to the route on the trail.  Also, I do not have to worry about cell service because this is all preloaded.

3. Very customizable screens.  My main screen for hiking has the following: Compass heading up top, Distance and timer in the next row, elevation and time of day in the third row and the Ascent/Descent graphical data field in the bottom.  Second screen is the map (as mentioned above) and third screen is just two fields - sunrise and sunset.  I then have a full screen compass, the elevation graph screen and finally a screen with coordinates.  Just a note, having the coordinates screen as the last screen also means with one button press (screen up) I can see exactly where I am and compare it to a paper map if that is what I am following).  There may be an Apple Watch app that can allow this level of functionality and customization but this is all built right in on the Fenix 6.

4. Sight N Go and other ad hoc navigation tools.  See a water tower that you want to get to?  Sight and Go easily helps you get there.  Is there a landmark in the POI database you want to get to?  Again, built-in maps let you do all of this with no cell service and even without having to plan anything.

I am sure there are other things that I am missing or that others use that I do not, but for me other than a short day hike on a well-marked trail I would feel safer with the F6 than with the Apple Watch.  At least for my use case.

your threads are hilarious 

Apple watch shouldn't even be considered in the same category as the Fenix. 

One is a cute multimedia/social smart watch that you gotta charge every day

The other is a fully mapped multifunctional sports watch geared towards triathletes 

I too really wanted to like the Apple Watch as I have the full Apple eco-system. I purchased a top of the range series 4, in black stainless steel/ sapphire with stainless Milanese loop and a few other straps which totalled $1,400 AUD.

I literally wore it for less than a month before going back to my Garmin for the reasons other users have already posted.

The problem has been that I have just been unable to sell it, even after dropping the price to $500. Still boxed and immaculate condition. This is unusual for Apple products as they usually sell very well with minimal depreciation.

The opposite has been true when I’ve sold my previous Garmin Fenix/ Marq/ Tactix models…they sold with in a week and for a good price.

It seems that people who buy Apple watches generally opt for the cheaper aluminium models and have no interest in the more expensive, premium material models. If you want to try an Apple Watch, I’d suggest buying the cheapest model first to see if you like it before moving to the top end models. You may be able to sell it more easily then.

I don't know anything about the Apple Watch 6 - did they design it so the battery lasts 3+ weeks yet, or does it still not even last 24 hours? Did they replace touchscreen with mechanical buttons yet?

If not, I'll take a hard pass on the AW6.

Not even.  Around 18 hours.  Definitely the Achilles heel, though if I start the hike fully charged, 18 hours is plenty.  More intuitive interface, more compact design, 3rd party software would handle most hiking trails, more practical as an everyday watch, but not as able as the Fenix.  I had a bad experience with the Fenix 5, some people say the 6 is better, others say it has the same issues as the 5 (see parallel thread).

Coming to a Garmin-focused forum group (full of dedicated Garmin fans for the most part) expecting to get a balanced response is....well, surely you had to know what types of responses you'd get. Perhaps posting something in a neutral group or forum or social media site will get you the types of evenly balanced responses you are seeking. Good luck!!

Neil_Rosser said:

Coming to a Garmin-focused forum group (full of dedicated Garmin fans for the most part)

You think? Far from it. Doesn't take too long to see the forum is more heavily biased towards anti-Garmin folk.

But to respond to the OP - there is no sensible comparison between the F6 and an AW6. As noted one is a smartwatch with some sports features, the other a sports watch with some smart features.

Buy what ever works best for your needs/wants.

The Fenix 6 won’t get you even close to three weeks if you use it for activities. I have been wearing my Pro for skiing the last 11 days, even though I don’t ski that many hours a day I have to charge every three days.

Just tossing this in here, but I would think that a closer comparison for the AW6 would be to compare it to the Venu.

Well yes, obviously battery life depends on how much time you spend recording activities on a single battery charge. In my experience, recording 1-2 activities per week, for a few hours each, I easily get 3+ weeks out of a single charge. As would be expected, when I record more or longer activities, I get less than 3 weeks. Also, the settings you use are a huge factor. I use battery saver during sleep hours, no gesture backlight, backlight at 5% and off during daylight hours, and I never use music.

In any case, I think we can all agree that a 6X lasts a lot more than 7 to 18 hours.