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WILL THE GPS-EQUIPPED APPLE WATCH 2 KILL GARMIN’S MOJO?

MOBILE MAPPING WAS GARMIN’S GAME before the world’s most valuable company threw its hat in the ring by sticking a GPS chip into its second-generation iPhone. Now, Apple is cutting into Garmin’s wearables game too. Not only does the Apple Watch have a built-in heart-rate monitor, the latest release has its own GPS/GLONASS chip (GLONASS is Russia’s GPS satellite network). Add in the power of the App Store, and the possibilities are limitless. But, there’s one thing that Garmin has over Apple: purpose. Everything about the FĤnix 3 HR watch is designed for the backcountry user, whereas the Apple Watch is a mainstream device. It’s a great fitness tracker, but can it and the current app offerings hold a candle to Garmin’s backcountry expertise?

GARMIN F NIX 3 HR | $550

The FĤnix 3 HR will get by in the city—when paired with a phone, it’ll show your texts, phone calls, calendar appointments, control your music and more—but what this mountain-smith is really amped on is being in the woods, preferably for extended periods of time. If you’re the same way, keep reading.

I haven’t peeked inside the 51-millimeter waterproof (up to 100 meters) case, but it’s probably mostly battery in there. Garmin claims the FĤnix 3 HR will last up to two weeks without tracking any activities. Very impressive, but this watch isn’t made for not tracking activities. The real question is, whose battery will drain faster on a ride: yours or the watch’s? Likely, the FĤnix will still be recording your heart rate long after you’ve blown up. Garmin accurately claims 16 hours of GPS recording time. The watch lasts me typical week of living, working and riding. Put it in its battery-saving UltraTrack mode, and it can get through a long weekend of bike packing.