Garmin has released the Approach S70 series of smartwatches in May 2023. The S70 smartwatch comes in two different variants. S70 47 mm and S70 42 mm are the two variants of the Approach S70 series.
The price difference between Approach S70 47 mm and S70 42 mm is just $50.
Which Garmin Approach S70 will you buy? S70 47 mm or S70 42 mm?
Let us review the differences and capabilities of the Approach S70 47 mm and S70 42 mm.
Main differences
The main differences between Approach S70 47 mm and S70 42 mm smartwatches are shared here under.
- The primary difference between Approach S70 47 mm and S70 42 mm is the size of the smartwatches. Approach S70 47 mm is a 47 mm watch while the Approach S70 42 mm is a 42 mm watch.
- Approach S70 47 mm is slightly heavier than the S70 S42 mm.
- Approach S70 47 mm offers longer battery backup than Approach S70 42 mm.
- The biggest or most significant difference between the Approach S70 47 mm and S70 42 mm is the availability of multi-band GPS and SatIQ on the Approach S70 47 mm.
Let us look at these features in detail below.
Display specifications
The display specifications of Approach S70 47 mm and S70 42 mm are almost identical. The marginal differences are on account of the size difference between the two smartwatches.
We look at the display specifications of Garmin Approach S70 47 mm and S70 42 mm in a side-by-side comparison below.
| Display specifications | Approach S70 47 mm | Approach S70 42 mm |
|---|---|---|
| Display lens | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Display size | 1.4″ or 36 mm | 1.2″ or 32 mm |
| Display type | AMOLED | AMOLED |
| Display resolution | 454 x 454 pixels | 390 x 390 pixels |
| Color display | Yes | Yes |
| Touchscreen | Yes | Yes |
| LED Flashlight | No | No |
| Ambient light sensor | Yes | Yes |
The important points to note over here are the following observations for both the Approach S70 47 mm and S70 42 mm smartwatches:
- Approach S70 series comes with AMOLED display
- Always-on-display is supported by the Approach S70 series smartwatches.
The display lens is made of third-generation Corning Gorilla Glass.
There are no major display differences between Garmin Approach S70 47 mm and S70 42 mm.
We do like the ceramic bezel of the Approach S70 series smartwatches.
Physical specifications
The hardware specifications for Approach S70 47 mm and S70 42 mm are identical. The minor differences are due to the difference in size of the two watches.
We look at the physical specifications of Approach S70 47 mm and S70 42 mm below.
| Specifications | Approach S70 47 mm | Approach S70 42 mm |
|---|---|---|
| Watch size | 47 x 47 x 13.4 mm | 42 x 42 x 12.6 mm |
| Thickness | 13.4 mm | 12.6 mm |
| Watch body | Fiber-enforced polymer | Fiber-enforced polymer |
| Bezel | Ceramic | Ceramic |
| Band material | Silicone | Silicone |
| Band size | 22 mm | 20 mm |
| Recommended wrist circumference | 130-205 mm | 115-185 mm |
| Device storage | 32 GB | 32 GB |
| Water rating | 5 ATM (50 meters) | 5 ATM (50 meters) |
| Swimming profile | Pool swimming | Pool swimming |
| Wireless connectivity | ANT+, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi | ANT+, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi |
| NFC or Contactless payments | Garmin Pay | Garmin Pay |
| Accelerometer | Yes | Yes |
| Barometric Altimeter | Yes | Yes |
| Compass | Yes | Yes |
| Gyroscope | Yes | Yes |
| Thermometer | No | No |
| Garmin Elevate Heart Sensor | Yes | Yes |
| Pulse Ox SpO2 monitoring | Yes | Yes |
| iOS compatible | Yes | Yes |
| Android compatible | Yes | Yes |
| Charger | Garmin Wire charger | Garmin Wire charger |
| Body Battery | Yes | Yes |
| Sleep score | Yes | Yes |
| Stress monitoring | Yes | Yes |
You can see that Approach S70 47 mm and S70 42 mm share all the physical specifications.
Garmin Approach S70 47 mm is slightly bigger and heavier than Approach S70 42 mm.
GPS
The biggest or most significant difference between Garmin Approach S70 47 mm and S70 42 mm has to be the multi-frequency positioning sensor in Approach S70 47 mm.
The multi-frequency positioning sensor is a critical sensor. It helps in providing multi-band GPS feature in the Approach S70 47 mm.
Multi-band GPS allows you to get GPS data from multiple satellites at the same time. The satellite systems supported by Approach S70 47 mm and S70 42 mm are GPS, GLONASS and Galileo.
With multi-band GPS, you can improve the accuracy of GPS data. Multi-band GPS allows the smartwatch to get GPS signals from multiple satellites at the same time.
Multi-band GPS can be very useful when the GPS signals are of a degraded quality. The reliability of GPS data improves due to the availability of multi-band GPS mode.
The only downside to using the multi-band GPS is the heavy battery usage or a brisk battery drain situation.
We look at the ways by which Garmin has tried to offset the heavy battery drain while using multi-band GPS below.
The multi-band GPS support on Approach S70 47 mm is a very significant advancement.
Multi-band GPS mode is unavailable on the Approach S70 42 mm smartwatch.
SatIQ technology
SatIQ is an intelligent technology that helps in managing multi-band GPS mode automatically.
SatIQ is available on the Garmin Approach S70 47 mm smartwatch while the Approach S70 42 mm lacks this feature.
SatIQ will automatically turn on or turn off the multi-band GPS mode. It will wait for the quality of the GPS signal before deciding about using multi-band GPS mode.
If the GPS signal is poor, SatIQ will bring up the multi-band GPS mode for more reliable GPS data and signals.
If the GPS signal is of an acceptable quality and strength, SatIQ will turn off the multi-band GPS mode and use the simple GPS mode instead.
The automatic toggle on or off of the multi-band GPS mode helps in conserving battery of the Approach S70 47mm.
SatIQ on Approach S70 47 mm smartwatch is a very useful feature. A combination of multi-band GPS and the SatIQ on the Approach S70 47 mm makes it a compelling choice over the Approach S70 42 mm.
Battery
A bigger size of the Approach S70 47 mm affords it a bigger battery size. Approach S70 47 mm offers longer battery backup than the Approach S70 42 mm smartwatch.
Let us review the battery backup provided by Approach S70 47 mm and Approach S70 42 mm in a side by side comparison below.
| Watch mode | Approach S70 47 mm backup | Approach S70 42 mm backup |
|---|---|---|
| Smartwatch mode | Up to 16 days | Up to 10 days |
| GPS mode | Up to 20 hours | Up to 15 hours |
Approach S70 47 mm offers longer battery life than Approach S70 42 mm smartwatch.
Costs
Approach S70 47 mm comes at a list price of $699.99 while the Approach S70 42 mm comes at a price of $649.99.
Final verdict
If size is not an issue, Garmin Approach S70 47 mm is our preferred Approach S70 smartwatch.
The reasons for preferring Approach S70 47 mm over the Approach S70 42 mm are:
- Approach S70 47 mm has multi-band GPS support.
- Approach S70 47 mm uses the SatIQ technology to manage multi-band GPS mode efficiently.
If the Approach S70 47 mm fits well on your wrist, we will suggest buying it for the cost of $699.99. The incremental spending of $50 gets you the multi-frequency positioning sensor and the multi-band GPS mode.
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