Adventure Watches Head to head
Apple Watch Ultra 4 vs Garmin Forerunner 970
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 leads on water resistance and cellular version available. The Garmin Forerunner 970 leads on battery, smartwatch use (rated) and GPS battery, most accurate mode. They are level on dual-frequency GPS, offline maps on the watch, flashlight, sapphire lens and ECG. At list price the Garmin Forerunner 970 is $49 cheaper.
Apple Watch Ultra 4 GPS + Cellular 49mm Natural Titanium
$799
Maker's list price, checked Oct 7, 2026
Model Apple Watch Ultra 4 (GPS + Cellular) 49mm Natural Titanium Case
Leads on 2 of 9 specs
Garmin Forerunner 970
$749.99
Maker's list price, checked Oct 7, 2026
Model 010-02969-00
Leads on 2 of 9 specs
Who leads on specs?
Counted on the 9 specs both makers publish.
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Choose the Apple Watch Ultra 4 if
Water resistance and cellular version available matter more to you than the price difference.
Choose the Garmin Forerunner 970 if
Battery, smartwatch use (rated) and GPS battery, most accurate mode matter most, and you want to spend less.
Spec by spec
Every spec side by side. A tick and a green cell mark the better figure.
| Spec | Apple Watch Ultra 4 | Garmin Forerunner 970 | Who leads |
|---|---|---|---|
| List price | $799 | $749.99 | Garmin Forerunner 970 |
| Battery, smartwatch use (rated) | 50 hr | 360 hr | Garmin Forerunner 970 |
| GPS battery, most accurate mode | 18 hr | 21 hr | Garmin Forerunner 970 |
| Case weight (no band) | 63 g | Not listed | Can’t compare: not listed |
| Dual-frequency GPS | Yes | Yes | Level |
| Offline maps on the watch | Yes | Yes | Level |
| Flashlight | Yes | Yes | Level |
| Sapphire lens | Yes | Yes | Level |
| Water resistance | 100 m | 50 m | Apple Watch Ultra 4 |
| ECG | Yes | Yes | Level |
| Cellular version available | Yes | No | Apple Watch Ultra 4 |
| Case size | 49 mm | 47 mm | For information |
As a Apple Watch Ultra 4 alternative
Keeps the ECG app, sapphire lens, offline maps, flashlight and multi-band GPS, and is rated for 15 days against 50 hours, for $49 less. It is rated 5 ATM against 100 m, has no cellular version, and its 21 hours of multi-band GPS is only 3 more than Apple's 18.
See it ranked against every Apple Watch Ultra 4 alternative
