Compare Garmin MARQ Gen 2 vs Garmin Approach S62

Activity auto-detection received limited but mixed-positive evidence: Free Train movement detection was pretty accurate, though some edits were still needed.

Automatic shot and activity detection was usually praised, but reviewers noted manual club entry and missed chips or putts kept it from being fully automatic.

The Garmin app ecosystem was useful for many tasks, but reviewers said it remains behind Apple and Google app stores.

The Garmin app ecosystem was viewed positively when Garmin Golf and Garmin Connect worked together for golf and fitness data.

Band quality was mostly positive for nylon, leather, silicone, and integrated designs, but one Athlete reviewer disliked its stiff strap.

Band quality was generally good, with praise for the silicone strap, but not everyone found it luxurious.

Battery life was broadly praised as strong for AMOLED and smartwatch use, though always-on display, GPS, music, and Pulse Ox reduce it.

Battery life was one of the clearest strengths, with repeated praise for multiple rounds, long GPS use, and minimal charging needs.

Blood oxygen tracking was treated as useful when measured carefully, but reviewers also warned that Pulse Ox can drain battery heavily.

Bluetooth connectivity was praised indirectly through fast, first-time pairing and auto-connection behavior.

Brightness was widely praised, with reviewers emphasizing vivid AMOLED contrast and easy viewing.

Brightness was strong enough for practical use, with one review calling the screen super bright and another saying it was not too bad.

Build quality was consistently premium, with reviewers highlighting robust construction, confidence, and high-end execution.

Build quality was mostly premium, but one video reviewer felt the S62 did not feel meaningfully higher quality than cheaper models.

Button controls were repeatedly praised as intuitive, sturdy, tactile, polished, and useful alongside the touchscreen.

Button controls were appreciated for gloved use and click feel, though the touch-button mix sometimes caused confusion.

Call handling evidence was limited to absence: one reviewer found missing call features disappointing, while another did not miss them much.

Call handling was limited because reviewers noted you cannot take calls on the watch, with some response options restricted to Android.

Charging convenience was mostly improved by the magnetic cradle and fast top-ups, though the unique proprietary cable drew some concern.

Charging convenience was a repeated complaint because Garmin's proprietary connector frustrated reviewers.

Charging speed was a major highlight, with several reviewers praising the roughly one-hour full charge.

Charging speed was positive where mentioned because the dedicated cable was said to juice up fast.

Coaching features ranged from Training Readiness and suggested workouts to golf caddie guidance, and reviewers generally found them helpful or impressive.

Coaching features were divisive: some praised Virtual Caddie, PinPointer, and wind-adjusted suggestions, while others distrusted the caddie or found early recommendations inaccurate.

Comfort was mixed: several reviewers found it comfortable or light, while others found the size and weight noticeable or bulky.

Comfort was consistently positive; reviewers said it was light, wearable, and did not interfere with golf swings.

Companion app quality received limited direct evidence, with one golfer reviewer calling the app setup familiar and simple to understand.

Companion app quality was mostly strong, especially Garmin Golf's stat review, though one review found course updates missing and another warned data needs care.

Contactless payments were appreciated for phone-free outings and setup ease, though bank support and PIN friction limited convenience.

Contactless payments were useful in principle, but bank compatibility limitations made Garmin Pay less compelling for one UK-focused reviewer.

Cross-platform compatibility was positively judged in one review as good for both iPhone and Android users.

Cross-platform compatibility was strong, with support for both iOS and Android called out positively.

Customization was a strength, especially for activity screens, sport profiles, settings, and watch faces.

Customization was mixed: straps and faces were appreciated, but notification tailoring, especially with iPhone, was criticized.

Display quality was one of the strongest consensus positives, especially the AMOLED screen and domed lens, though older MARQ reviews criticized the first-gen display.

Display quality was usually praised for color, size, and clarity, with some caveats versus Apple Watch-level display quality.

Durability was praised through scratch resistance, rugged trail use, and solid construction.

Durability was supported by praise for Gorilla Glass, scratch resistance, and outdoor-ready construction.

Fit evidence was split between concerns over chunky sizing and praise for straps that can shape to the wrist.

Fit was mostly positive for swing use, though one reviewer noted the watch sits high on skinny wrists.

Fitness tracking accuracy was a major strength across running, golf, swimming, indoor training, and broader performance data.

General tracking accuracy was praised in the TechRadar verdict as accurate and feature-rich.

GPS accuracy drew strong praise across road, trail, city, golf, and multiband tests, with only minor caveats in difficult urban conditions.

GPS accuracy was one of the strongest areas, with reviewers repeatedly saying yardages matched lasers, rangefinders, or real on-course expectations.

Reviewers saw broad health metrics as generally realistic when compared with daily reality, though detailed evidence appeared in only one review.

Health-tracking accuracy was questioned in video reviews where abnormal or implausible heart-rate behavior made the wellness alerts feel unreliable.

Heart-rate evidence was mostly positive for steady workouts and general use, with caveats around wrist-based lag, cycling strain, and short intervals.

Heart-rate accuracy drew concern in two video transcripts, including a frightening abnormal-rate alert and a reading while the watch was not being worn.

Mapping and navigation were major strengths, with praise for TOPO maps, golf maps, turn-by-turn guidance, and route handling.

Mapping and navigation were major strengths, especially hazard views, hole maps, PinPointer, layup targeting, and on-watch course planning.

Materials quality was a core strength, especially grade 5 titanium, sapphire, carbon, and luxury-grade finishes.

Materials quality was mixed: the ceramic-bezel build was praised, but one reviewer felt it did not feel significantly higher quality than the S42.

Menu navigation was praised in golf use, with reviewers saying mode switching and course menus were simple and fast.

Menu navigation was mostly easy and intuitive, though one review found the mixed touch-and-button flow took some acclimation.

Music controls were viewed as good or part of the premium smartwatch package, with limited deeper critique.

Music controls were only mixed because the control widget worked but did not automatically surface when music was playing.

Onboard music storage and offline playlists were repeatedly praised as useful for phone-free workouts.

Onboard music storage was a clear weakness because one review listed lack of music storage as a con.

The operating system experience was powerful but dense, with one reviewer saying the menus and features take time to learn.

Operating system experience was limited versus Apple watchOS or Wear OS, and one reviewer said the smartwatch polish was not on that level.

Outdoor visibility was praised for direct sunlight, hikes, runs, and sunlight-readable use.

Outdoor visibility was generally strong in sun, though one reviewer said direct-sun readability was worse than other golf watches.

Pairing and connectivity reliability received a strong single-review endorsement with no connectivity issues.

Pairing reliability scored well because pairing and reconnecting were described as fast and dependable.

Recovery and readiness insights were repeatedly praised as useful for deciding when to train, though one reviewer noted bad sleep estimates could undermine them.

Recovery-style Body Battery guidance was described positively as clever when tied to energy and readiness insights.

Reliability received limited but strong praise from golfer reviews describing flawless performance and zero issues.

Reliability was mostly positive after setup, though one reviewer had initial GPS trouble before later trouble-free use.

Safety features had limited but positive evidence around accident detection and location messaging.

Score tracking was usually easy and straightforward, but fairway-hit accuracy and missed entries required cleanup for the best data.

Size options were a weakness because reviewers wanted smaller choices and noted the single 46mm case could be too much watch.

Size options and sizing were a caveat, with reviewers noting the thicker profile and 47mm case could suit some wrists better than others.

Sleep timing was praised by one reviewer as spot-on, but another reported frequent time-asleep mistakes that could skew readiness metrics.

Notifications were useful for basic reading and alerts, but several reviewers criticized limited interaction or on-course interruptions.

Smartphone notifications were useful for staying off the phone, but iPhone notification control was criticized as too limited.

As a smartwatch, reviewers praised the broad feature set and daily usefulness, while noting it still lacks some conventional smartwatch functions.

Smartwatch features were a major strength overall, though one reviewer felt the S62 lacked Apple Watch-style quality-of-life polish.

Software smoothness had limited evidence, but one reviewer noted Garmin software quality had improved substantially.

Software smoothness was praised, with faster yardage/map behavior, fast GPS updates, and quick course loading called out.

Stress tracking appeared as part of a wider health-and-fitness suite that one reviewer said excelled in daily use.

Style and design were a standout strength, repeatedly described as premium, stunning, stylish, and more refined than typical Garmin sports watches.

Style and design were a standout, with several reviewers calling it stylish, modern, premium, or among the best-looking golf watches.

Third-party app support was mixed to weak: Connect IQ offered usable apps, but reviewers wanted richer interactive app support.

Third-party app support was a limitation because reviewers stressed that Wear OS and Apple watchOS apps are unavailable.

Touchscreen responsiveness was generally strong, with reviewers praising responsiveness and flexible touch/button control.

Touchscreen responsiveness was mostly good and useful for maps, but some reviewers found touch navigation confusing or not especially responsive.

The interface was seen as increasingly user-friendly and easy to use, although some Garmin complexity remained overwhelming for newcomers.

The user interface was generally considered intuitive and low-fuss after a short learning curve.

Value for money was the most common concern: reviewers loved the watch but often said Epix, Fenix, or Approach models provide much of the same for less.

Value for money was context-dependent: reviewers praised value for serious golfers using all features, but questioned the price for basic yardages or casual play.

Voice assistant quality was poor in the evidence because the watch lacked a Siri-style assistant.

Watch faces were customizable, but one golfer review criticized Garmin’s default font as not premium enough.

Watch face quality was positive, with reviewers appreciating downloadable/customizable faces and a normal analog-style look.

Water resistance was positively judged for swimming, rain, sweat, and 10 ATM confidence.

Water resistance was treated as useful because reviewers noted swimming and water-based activity tracking.

Wellness insights such as Body Battery, sleep coach, health snapshots, and relatable metrics were widely viewed as useful and personally meaningful.

Wellness insights were generally useful, especially Body Battery and workout-related metrics, though one reviewer said those insights were not really for him.

Wi-Fi connectivity was only judged in one review, where map downloads over Wi-Fi were considered slow.

Workout variety was consistently described as broad or complete, with one caveat that yoga mode required impractical pose/set interaction.

Reviewers consistently liked the breadth of workout modes, treating the S62 as a legitimate multisport or fitness watch rather than only a golf device.