Compare Garmin Approach S62 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 6

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.

Reviewers repeatedly praised automatic workout detection for walks, runs, cycling, and general activity, calling it reliable, convenient, and among the best smartwatch implementations.

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

The Wear OS and Play Store ecosystem was seen as a major strength, with broad third-party app access, though one long-term reviewer still wanted faster app growth.

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

Band feedback was mixed: reviewers liked comfort and easier new release buttons, but some found the mechanism forceful or fiddly when reattaching straps.

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

Battery life was the most divided and repeated issue, ranging from severe daily-charge complaints to better results with always-on disabled or larger models.

Blood oxygen tracking drew concern because two reviewers reported overnight readings that seemed unusually or slightly low compared with other devices.

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

Temperature tracking split reviewers: one praised working skin-temperature readings, another found object temperature checks wrong, and one noted cycle prediction limits.

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

Brightness was widely praised outdoors, though one reviewer found adaptive brightness too aggressive indoors.

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

Build quality was described as durable and premium, especially with crystal glass and a lightweight but sturdy body.

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

Button and bezel controls were a tradeoff: rotating-bezel reviewers loved the tactile control, while workout pausing and limited button mapping frustrated others.

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

Call handling was praised for clear audio, easy acceptance/rejection, and strong speakerphone performance from the wrist.

Calorie tracking was supported by one reviewer whose workout results aligned well with other wearables for active calories and related stats.

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

Charging convenience was mixed: reverse charging and quick top-ups helped, but daily charging and daytime charging for sleep tracking were recurring annoyances.

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

Charging speed earned strong marks across reviews, with several reviewers reporting roughly half charges in 30 minutes or full charges in about 45–80 minutes.

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

Coaching features were useful but not universally compelling, with praise for heart-rate zone guidance and sleep plans but caveats about general-user relevance and gimmickry.

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

Comfort depended heavily on size and model: lighter standard watches were comfortable, while the large Classic could be either surprisingly wearable or uncomfortable overnight.

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.

Samsung Health and the companion experience were praised for clear data presentation, useful insights, and deep settings control, despite some complaints about old UI or limits.

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

Wallet and NFC use were treated positively as convenient smartwatch features for wrist-based payments and day-to-day utility.

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

Cross-platform compatibility was a clear weakness, with multiple reviewers criticizing Samsung-phone-only health features and a more tedious non-Samsung setup.

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

Customization was a strength through watch faces, strap options, and settings, with reviewers specifically praising the improved band customization experience.

Data control received positive notes where reviewers valued Health Connect portability and easy deletion of cycle-tracking data.

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

Display quality was one of the strongest consensus areas, with reviewers praising the larger AMOLED screen, clarity, sharpness, and overall screen experience.

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

Durability was consistently praised, with reviewers noting sapphire crystal, water/dust protection, scratch resistance, and successful real-world wear.

ECG functionality was seen as potentially valuable but limited by Samsung-phone restrictions, confusing result presentation, and low personal usefulness for some reviewers.

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

Fit was criticized in the long-term Classic review, where the 47mm model felt too large for the reviewer’s wrist.

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

Fitness accuracy was mixed: general tracking looked good in some tests, but weight training and serious training accuracy drew notable criticism.

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

GPS accuracy ranged from fast and accurate lock-on to route wandering, corner cutting, and enough error to concern serious runners.

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

Health tracking accuracy was generally useful for body composition and overall health insights, but reviewers also noted awkward measurements and technology limits.

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.

Heart rate accuracy was mixed: steady efforts often aligned well, while interval spikes and some workouts produced lag or inconsistent readings.

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

Mapping and navigation were praised in both scored reviews, especially for wrist-based maps, route display, and Google Maps usefulness.

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

Materials quality was praised for the Classic’s shinier, more durable stainless steel case.

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

Menu navigation scored highly where reviewers liked the touch or rotating bezel and easy layouts, though long-term impressions noted some randomness or friction.

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

Music controls had positive evidence from one reviewer who found Spotify worked well on the watch.

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

Onboard music storage was only indirectly evaluated, with one reviewer noting Samsung app clutter consumed space that could hold offline music or podcasts.

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

The operating system experience was praised as a strong Wear OS implementation, though app and ecosystem restrictions kept it from being flawless.

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

Outdoor visibility was a major strength, with reviewers repeatedly saying the brighter display was easy to read in sunlight and outdoor conditions.

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

Pairing and setup were generally reliable on Samsung phones and device transfers, though one reviewer found Pixel setup more tedious.

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

Recovery insights had limited but positive evidence around at-a-glance sleep and skin-temperature recovery-related data.

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

Reliability was positive overall but not perfect, with one reviewer calling it solid and another reporting an isolated overheating incident.

Safety features were appreciated for fall detection and emergency tools, but missing crash detection and failed fall tests were important caveats.

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

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

Size options were appreciated, but the largest Classic was criticized as too big and heavy by one reviewer.

Sleep tracking accuracy was mixed: some reviewers saw strong alignment and useful sleep scores, while others reported stage errors, overcounting, or poor snoring tracking.

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

Notifications were praised for wrist-based convenience and readable, glanceable delivery.

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

Smartwatch features were widely praised, with reviewers calling the Watch 6 series robust, consistent, and feature-rich despite battery caveats.

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

Software smoothness was mostly strong, with repeated praise for quick apps and smooth performance, balanced by several lag or slowdown complaints.

Step counting accuracy was supported by one reviewer whose steps, active calories, and average heart rate matched other watches well.

Stress tracking had limited mixed evidence, with one reviewer finding the stress view interesting but hard to inspect closely.

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

Style and design were praised across reviews for polish, looks, and refinement, though the large Classic’s boldness was not for everyone.

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

Third-party app support was strong in the scored reviews, especially through Google Play and well-integrated Wear OS apps.

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

Touchscreen responsiveness was polarizing: some reviewers called it fast and responsive, while others criticized the touch bezel as clunky or unreliable.

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

The interface was often called intuitive and clear, though some reviewers found Samsung’s layout, app clutter, or ecosystem flow clunky.

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.

Value depended on context: reviewers liked the Android feature set and discounted pricing, but several warned upgrades were modest or not worth it for recent owners.

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

Google Assistant impressed reviewers who used it, with praise for fast, seamless, useful wrist access.

Voice recording had limited positive evidence, with one reviewer reporting no issues recording and playing voice notes on the watch.

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

Watch faces were praised for stock options, complications, and broad customization, including always-on usefulness.

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

Water resistance received positive real-world evidence from beach and general water-resistant use.

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

Wellness insights were praised for useful sleep insights, health baselines, coaching, and comprehensive well-being views, though some wanted deeper synthesis.

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

Workout variety was one of the clearest strengths, with reviewers repeatedly highlighting more than 90 or 100 activity profiles and broad sport coverage.