Compare Garmin Approach S70 vs Garmin Enduro 3

Automatic tracking and shot detection are useful and often praised, but reviewers also report missed shots and only acceptable performance without extra sensors.

Garmin’s broader app ecosystem receives clear praise from one reviewer who liked how Garmin Golf and related apps tie product data together.

The app ecosystem gets some credit for a large library of watch faces, but the broader smartwatch-app story is not the product’s main strength.

Band quality is mixed because reviewers liked the feel and comfort but preferred older straps that laid flat.

Band quality was mostly praised for comfort and lightness, but sweat retention and wet fabric were recurring drawbacks.

Battery life is one of the strongest consensus wins, with reviewers reporting multi-day or multi-round use and very little drain.

Battery life was the strongest consensus point, with reviewers repeatedly describing weeks of use and endurance-event confidence.

Blood oxygen tracking receives limited but positive usefulness evidence as another health metric the reviewer liked monitoring.

Brightness is strongly praised, with reviewers highlighting vivid colors, clarity, and easy readability.

Brightness was improved, especially versus older solar MIP designs, though AMOLED displays remained brighter in many conditions.

Build quality is mostly positive, with confidence-inspiring design but one reviewer only calling the quality about right for the price.

Build quality took a hit for one reviewer because replacing some metal with plastic made it feel less robust than the predecessor.

Button controls are generally useful and easy, though one reviewer still noted a learning curve.

Physical button controls were praised as reliable and satisfying, with the touchscreen-button blend described as the best of both worlds.

Call handling is limited because the Enduro 3 lacks mic and speaker hardware; one reviewer did not miss it, while another missed wrist-call support.

Charging convenience is the main hardware annoyance, with proprietary charging, USB-C adapter needs, and awkward face-down charging drawing criticism.

Charging convenience was criticized because the proprietary four-pin cable remains a hassle despite the long intervals between charges.

Charging speed has limited positive evidence from one reviewer who said it does not take long to charge fully.

Charging speed was only directly judged in one long-term review, where the slow full charge was a minor nitpick because charging was rare.

Coaching features are a signature strength, especially PlaysLike, Virtual Caddie, tempo help, and shot-planning guidance, though paid features reduce value for some.

Coaching and training-plan features were praised for actionable strength plans, readiness guidance, and useful endurance-focused training support.

Comfort is consistently praised, with reviewers saying it disappears on the wrist, fits well during swings, and can be worn around the clock.

Comfort was better than expected for a 51mm watch thanks to low weight and nylon straps, though sleep comfort and bulk remained caveats.

The Garmin Golf app is praised as a strong all-in-one hub, but another reviewer said it could use an overhaul.

The companion app and Garmin Share workflow were praised for saving time when distributing routes and workouts.

Contactless payments are limited by bank support in the evidence, especially for the UK reviewer who could not test Garmin Pay with his bank.

Contactless payments were strongly praised by reviewers who used Garmin Pay frequently and treated it as part of daily use.

Cross-platform compatibility has a weakness around Apple Health syncing, where one reviewer wanted more imported data.

Cross-platform compatibility is mixed because Android users can reply with presets, while iPhone users lose reply functionality.

Customization is a strength, especially watch-face data fields and widget organization that reviewers found easy to tailor.

Customization remains a Garmin strength, especially customizable data fields, stat widgets, and quick-access tools.

Display quality is the clearest consensus strength, with reviewers repeatedly praising the AMOLED screen as beautiful, crisp, bright, and golf-changing.

Display quality improved over prior solar Garmins and is clear outdoors, but several reviewers still preferred AMOLED sharpness and color.

Durability was strong in the reviewed evidence, with praise for the long-lasting body and a six-month report of no visible screen scratches.

Fit is praised by reviewers who found the watch nonrestrictive during swings and valued the smaller size option.

Fit was secure and wearable for some reviewers, but the large case still looked or felt oversized on smaller wrists.

Fitness tracking accuracy has a clear caveat: one reviewer saw golf-cart movement distort distance and stair-related activity data.

Fitness tracking was broadly viewed as accurate and dependable across real workouts, runs, hikes, and multisport use.

The flashlight was one of the most consistently loved extras, described as handy, underrated, and hard to live without.

GPS and yardage accuracy are a major strength, with reviewers praising fast locks, accurate yardages, and highly precise on-course distances.

GPS accuracy drew strong agreement, with reviewers reporting precise tracks, solid distance totals, and reliable performance even in challenging terrain.

Review evidence supports Garmin-level sensor confidence overall, with health tracking described as accurate for a high-end Garmin watch.

Reviewers found the Enduro 3’s health metrics credible and useful, with one noting it flagged underlying illness signs before the reviewer noticed them.

Heart-rate accuracy was usually strong, especially for steady running and baseline tests, but several reviewers saw misses during intervals, climbs, strength work, or fast intensity changes.

Mapping and navigation are major strengths, with detailed hole maps, PinPointer, dispersion views, and wrist-based planning repeatedly praised.

Mapping and navigation were a major strength, especially route following, off-course alerts, ClimbPro, and backcountry use, though some UI flow remains clunky.

Materials quality is acceptable rather than premium in the available evidence, with the straps described as nice enough but not special.

Materials quality was mixed: reviewers liked the practical comfort and price effects of plastic, but one initially felt it seemed cheap.

Menu navigation ranges from intuitive and easy to frustrating, with the touchscreen-heavy golf-map controls creating the sharpest complaint.

Menu navigation improved overall, but added button presses and a learning curve kept it from feeling completely effortless.

Music controls are positively framed in limited evidence, with one reviewer calling music performance a strength.

Music controls were a weak spot: reviewers found the control page hard to avoid and phone music control clunky.

Onboard music storage is supported, but one reviewer had repeated Spotify download failures, hurting confidence in the feature.

Operating system experience is mixed: one reviewer found it intuitive, while others preferred competing smartwatch platforms or criticized the OS.

The updated software experience makes the Enduro 3 feel closer to a smartwatch while keeping its sports-watch focus.

Outdoor visibility is excellent in the evidence, including no issues in sun, glare, or bright conditions.

Outdoor visibility was mostly praised in sun and bright conditions, but one reviewer found the map hard to see in dim forest without backlight.

Pairing reliability receives strong positive evidence from a reviewer who said phone pairing was easy and app-guided.

Recovery-style explanations are praised because the watch does not just show metrics but helps explain what they mean.

Recovery and training-readiness insights were repeatedly praised as useful for pacing training, race preparation, and deciding when to push or rest.

Long-term reliability was praised in one six-month review, where the watch lived up to expectations through demanding use.

Safety features received positive evidence through off-course alerts that prevented extra race mileage.

Size options are a meaningful improvement, especially for smaller wrists, though the large model may still be too big for some.

Size options were the clearest weakness because the Enduro 3 only comes in one large 51mm case.

Sleep tracking is generally treated as interesting or strong, though one reviewer questioned how beneficial its daily sleep-quality warnings are.

Sleep tracking was described as solid, though comfort and size may limit how many users want to wear it overnight.

Notifications are useful but divisive: reviewers liked getting alerts, yet several found them distracting, limited, or poorly ordered.

Notifications work, and Android replies are useful, but the evidence also points to platform limits rather than a rich messaging experience.

Smartwatch features are versatile but not best-in-class, with reviewers praising breadth while preferring dedicated smartwatch platforms for everyday use.

Smartwatch features are adequate for essentials but limited versus Apple, Samsung, or Garmin’s own Fenix 8 voice-enabled models.

Software smoothness has a notable criticism from one review that described panning and zooming as not particularly smooth.

Software smoothness was mixed, with reviewers liking the direction but noting sluggishness, laggy post-run stats, and polish still needed.

Step counting gets limited positive evidence, with one reviewer finding the advanced step counter useful in daily use.

Stress tracking is mostly valued and sometimes described as accurate, though one reviewer found little personal value in the metric.

Style and design are positive overall, with reviewers calling it stylish, high-end, social-setting friendly, and lightweight.

Design reactions were mixed: some liked the sleek rugged look, while another found the changes polarizing and subjective.

Third-party app support is positive but not seamless, with Spotify/Connect IQ setup described as smooth and straightforward rather than Apple-like.

Third-party app support was judged weak compared with Apple’s ecosystem, with reviewers saying the Connect IQ offering does not rival fuller smartwatches.

Touchscreen responsiveness is mixed, ranging from nice and responsive to fiddly and frustrating on course.

Touchscreen responsiveness was viewed positively, with reviewers praising touch unlock, responsiveness, and the touchscreen/buttons mix.

The user interface is polarized: it can feel intuitive, but one review said the S70 feels unlike previous Garmins in a bad way.

The revised interface was generally seen as easier and more coherent, though not perfectly polished across all reviewers.

Value depends heavily on use case: many reviewers justify the price for serious golfers, while others say it is too expensive for basic yardages.

Value for money was repeatedly praised because the Enduro 3 costs less than several Fenix alternatives while keeping key sports features.

Watch faces are liked, with praise for beautiful faces and the default face, though evidence is limited.

Watch face quality was criticized by one reviewer as visually weak compared with Apple or Samsung options.

Water resistance performs well in limited real-use evidence, including showering and swimming without issues.

Water resistance is good for swimming and snorkeling, but reviewers noted it is not intended for diving.

Wellness insights are one of the strongest non-golf positives, with reviewers saying the data is useful, in-depth, and motivating.

Wellness metrics such as Body Battery, Training Readiness, sleep, and health trends were seen as genuinely helpful rather than just decorative data.

Workout variety is viewed as broad and useful, though one review frames the sports tracking as basic but solid rather than elite.

Reviewers consistently praised the wide sport coverage, describing the Enduro 3 as capable across nearly every activity and especially strong for endurance athletes.