Garmin Forerunner 570 vs Apple Watch 10 - Which Smartwatch Wins?

In the world of smartwatches, the Garmin Forerunner 570 and Apple Watch Series 10 represent two distinct philosophies - one focused on advanced sports tracking, the other on seamless smart integration. As the first model in Garmin’s new Forerunner 5 series, the 570 builds on the strong foundation of the Forerunner 265 and Garmin Forerunner 965, featuring Garmin’s brightest AMOLED display to date, a 5th-gen optical heart rate sensor, and a refined aluminum bezel. Its bold new color-block design and upgraded aesthetics appeal to both serious athletes and style-conscious users. On the other hand, the Apple Watch Series 10 continues to lead in health tracking and everyday smart features, offering smooth, connected experiences within the Apple ecosystem.

While the Forerunner 570 comes at a slightly higher price than the Series 10, it excels in training insights, data accuracy, and battery life. The Series 10, however, shines in smart notifications, app integration, and daily usability. If you’ve been searching for “Garmin Forerunner 570 vs Apple Watch 10,” keep reading - this article breaks down the key differences in real-world performance, workout features, comfort, and overall value to help you make the right choice.

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Garmin Forerunner 570 vs Apple Watch 10 - Design

When it comes to design, the Garmin Forerunner 570 and Apple Watch Series 10 reflect two distinct philosophies - one rooted in athletic performance, the other in refined everyday wearability. The Forerunner 570 stays true to Garmin’s sporty heritage with a round dial, lightweight fiber-reinforced polymer case, and an upgraded aluminum bezel. It introduces bold color accents and boasts Garmin’s brightest AMOLED display yet, peaking at 2000 nits for superb outdoor visibility. Notably, the inclusion of five physical buttons ensures reliable control during intense workouts, wet conditions, or when wearing gloves - an edge for serious athletes.

In contrast, the Apple Watch Series 10 leans heavily into sleek, high-tech aesthetics. It features a curved rectangular display with ultra-thin bezels, using an LTPO OLED screen that supports Always-On Display. With a larger visible area than even the Apple Watch Ultra 2, it enhances side-glance readability and sets a new bar for visual clarity. Compared to the Apple Watch Series 9, the Series 10 refines the design further with slimmer borders and an even more seamless interface.

The watch case comes in aluminum and titanium options across six stylish colorways, paired with a vast ecosystem of interchangeable bands – making it not just a smartwatch, but a fashion accessory that fits seamlessly into both casual and professional settings. You can also check Apple Watch Series 10 Bands and Garmin Forerunner Watch Bands.

You can also check Apple Watch Series 9 vs Ultra 2, Apple Watch Series 10 vs. Ultra 2 and Apple Watch Series 10 vs. Series 9.

Weight and thickness also play an important role in daily comfort. The Forerunner 570, available in 42mm and 47mm sizes, is engineered for all-day and all-night wear, offering exceptional comfort even during long training sessions or sleep tracking. Meanwhile, though the Series 10 is slightly heavier, its thinner body and polished craftsmanship ensure it remains comfortable while delivering a more premium, luxurious feel.

Winner: Apple Watch Series 10

While the Forerunner 570 excels in functional, sport-oriented design, the Series 10 stands out with its superior materials, immersive screen, and stylish adaptability - making it the better choice for those who value both cutting-edge design and lifestyle versatility.

Garmin Forerunner 570 vs Apple Watch 10 - Battery Life

When it comes to battery performance, the Garmin Forerunner 570 clearly prioritizes endurance for extended training and all-day wear. The 42mm model offers up to 15 days of battery life in smartwatch mode, with real-world usage averaging 8–10 days even with frequent workouts and sleep tracking. With Always-On Display enabled, it still lasts about 5–7 days. In GPS tracking, it supports up to 50+ hours in low-power mode, making it ideal for marathons, triathlons, or multi-day outdoor adventures.

In contrast, the Apple Watch Series 10 balances smart features and battery life. It delivers around 18 hours in standard use, extendable to about 36 hours with Low Power Mode. While it supports fast charging and wireless convenience, daily training and sleep tracking often require recharging every day. For users who rely on Apple’s ecosystem and want full-featured smart performance, this trade-off may be acceptable - but it's less suited to long trips away from a charger.

Winner: Garmin Forerunner 570

Its multi-day real-world battery life and optimized power management make it the better choice for users focused on extended training and less frequent charging.

Garmin Forerunner 570 vs Apple Watch 10 - Sports Tracking

In sports tracking, the Garmin Forerunner 570 and Apple Watch Series 10 each clearly demonstrate their distinct positioning and technological strengths.

Based on our continuous two-week real-world testing, both watches perform reliably in basic sports functions: they support common exercise modes such as running, cycling, swimming, and HIIT, and provide routine data monitoring including heart rate, calories, cadence, and pace. Dual-frequency GPS enhances outdoor positioning accuracy on both devices.

However, there are significant differences in professionalism and depth:

The Garmin Forerunner 570 is designed for mid-to-advanced athletes and supports over 30 sport modes, especially suited for complex activities like triathlons and trail running. In testing, its multi-frequency GNSS + SatIQ positioning system quickly locked tracks during interval runs in urban environments, with accuracy approaching that of professional devices. The fifth-generation heart rate sensor responds sensitively during high-intensity training, with heart rate trends closely matching those from professional chest straps. Features like lactate threshold analysis, heat adaptation monitoring, and recovery time recommendations help users formulate long-term training plans and race preparations.

The Apple Watch Series 10 is more suitable for everyday fitness and light to moderate exercise users. Its smooth interface, automatic workout detection, and voice feedback enhance the experience during gym workouts or yoga sessions. Combined with Apple Fitness+ interactive courses, it helps cultivate exercise habits. However, its GPS occasionally drifts in complex outdoor environments, and it lacks advanced metrics like training load, focusing mainly on basic data.

In summary, the Forerunner 570 emphasizes scientific training and continuous improvement, while the Apple Watch focuses more on health motivation and daily experience.

Winner: Garmin Forerunner 570

Reason: In real-world testing, it showed superior positioning accuracy, deeper training analysis, and broader support for professional modes, making it better suited for users pursuing advanced athletic performance.

Garmin Forerunner 570 vs Apple Watch 10 - Health Monitoring

Both the Garmin Forerunner 570 and Apple Watch Series 10 offer rich health monitoring features, catering to different users’ health management needs.

They share core functions such as all-day heart rate monitoring, blood oxygen saturation tracking, sleep stage analysis, and female health tracking. Both can record sleep quality, heart rate variability, and blood oxygen changes, providing comprehensive feedback on the user’s physical condition. Additionally, both support health data syncing, allowing users to view long-term trends and detailed reports via their respective platforms.

The differences lie in the depth and detail of features. The Forerunner 570 is equipped with a fifth-generation optical heart rate sensor, delivering precise and responsive heart rate monitoring. It pairs this with body battery and stress assessment metrics to help users optimize training and recovery. Its unique “Goodnight Report” combines training data, recovery status, and weather forecasts to offer scientific training planning advice.

The Apple Watch Series 10 emphasizes multidimensional health data integration, featuring a third-generation optical heart rate sensor alongside an electrical heart sensor for ECG monitoring, which can detect heart rhythm irregularities promptly. It also adds temperature and respiratory rate monitoring, supplemented by sleep apnea notifications to enhance respiratory health awareness. Through the Apple Health platform, users benefit from richer health trends and interactive experiences.

Winner: Apple Watch Series 10

Reason: With a more comprehensive sensor array and multidimensional health data integration, the Apple Watch Series 10 leads in both depth and breadth of health monitoring, ideal for users seeking detailed health management.

Garmin Forerunner 570 vs Apple Watch Series 10 - Smart Features and Ecosystem

The Garmin Forerunner 570 and Apple Watch Series 10 each have their own strengths in smart features and system ecosystems, catering to different user needs.

Both watches support incoming calls, messages, and app notifications, keeping users informed at all times. The Forerunner 570 features a voice assistant that supports voice commands and can control the phone’s assistant, while the Apple Watch Series 10 comes with Siri, offering richer voice interactions. In terms of payments, the Forerunner 570 supports WeChat Pay, Alipay, and NFC transit cards, whereas the Apple Watch supports Apple Pay, delivering a smooth and convenient payment experience.

Regarding ecosystem, the Apple Watch runs on watchOS and deeply integrates with iPhone, iPad, Mac, and other Apple devices. It boasts a rich app ecosystem, data synchronization via iCloud, and supports family health sharing, providing a seamless overall experience. In contrast, the Forerunner 570 runs Garmin OS, supports multiple smartphone brands, and syncs data through the Garmin Connect platform. It can connect with third-party fitness apps like Strava. Although its app ecosystem is less extensive than Apple’s, it focuses more on professional and stable sports data.

Overall, the Garmin Forerunner 570 is better suited for professional athletes and outdoor users due to its stable system and multi-platform support. The Apple Watch Series 10 is more ideal for users seeking smart lifestyle integration within the Apple ecosystem.

Winner: Apple Watch Series 10

Reason: With powerful smart features and deep ecosystem integration, the Apple Watch Series 10 offers a smoother and more comprehensive user experience, especially for Apple users.

Garmin Forerunner 570 vs Apple Watch Series 10 - Price

The Apple Watch Series 10 and Garmin Forerunner 570 differ clearly in pricing and target audience. The Apple Watch Series 10 starts at a lower price point, with the 42mm GPS model at $399 and the cellular version starting at $499, catering to everyday smart lifestyle users. It offers multiple sizes and versions to suit different needs and was released in September 2024, making it the earlier entrant. For budget-conscious users or those new to the Apple ecosystem, the Apple Watch SE (2022) remains a compelling alternative, offering essential features at an even more accessible price point. Also read the article of Apple Watch Series 10 vs Apple Watch SE 2.

The Garmin Forerunner 570 targets the professional sports market with a higher price around $549, aimed at runners and training-focused users. While more expensive, it provides professional-level sports features and more precise tracking, released in May 2025, making it a newer option.

Their pricing reflects different market strategies: Apple Watch appeals to a broader audience with more accessible pricing, while Garmin focuses on high-end users with advanced capabilities.

Winner: Apple Watch Series 10

Reason: More affordable and suitable for a wider range of users, offering better overall value.

Garmin Forerunner 570 vs Apple Watch Series 10 - Summary and Recommendation

Choosing a smartwatch ultimately depends on understanding your core needs and usage scenarios. If you are a serious athlete focused on professional training, long-distance running, or triathlons, and value precise workout data and long battery life, the Garmin Forerunner 570 is undoubtedly the best choice. Designed for rigorous training, it offers a wide range of sport modes and scientific training analysis to help you continuously improve.

On the other hand, if you prioritize daily health monitoring, smart notifications, and seamless integration within the Apple ecosystem, the Apple Watch Series 10 is more suitable for you. It supports a rich set of smart lifestyle features, delivers a smooth user experience, and boasts a powerful third-party app ecosystem, making it an ideal companion for everyday use and light exercise.

These two watches represent distinctly different lifestyles and focuses. Before deciding, ask yourself: Are you looking to manage your training with precision, or enhance your daily efficiency? Only by clarifying this can you find the smartwatch that truly fits your needs.

In the end, whether it’s the professional depth of the Garmin Forerunner 570 or the versatile intelligence of the Apple Watch Series 10, both are powerful tools to enhance your quality of life. Choosing the one that suits you best is the wisest decision.