Garmin Vivoactive was released on September 20, 2023. It took almost a full 4 years after the release of Vivoactive 4 in September 2019.
We compare the Vivoactive 5 and Vivoactive 4 smartwatches below.
Main differences
- Garmin Vivoactive 5 is a sleeker and smaller watch than Vivoactive 4.
- Vivoactive 5 is priced at $299.99. The list price is lower than the list price of a Vivoactive 4.
- Garmin Vivoactive 5 comes with an AMOLED display. Vivoactive 4 uses MIP or a Memory-in-pixel screen.
- Vivoactive 5 has a higher display resolution than the Vivoactive 4.
- There has been a marginal improvement in the battery backup of Vivoactive 5. It is almost 30 percent higher than the backup offered by a Vivoactive 4 smartwatch.
- Vivoactive 5 comes with support for wheelchair mode. Wheelchair users can monitor and track workouts with a Vivoactive 5.
- Garmin Vivoactive 5 also includes apps for meditation, nap detection and sleep coaching.
- Vivoactive 5, however, misses on sensors for gyroscope and barometric altimeter.
- Garmin Vivoactive also boosts the number of profiles supported for cycling, outdoor recreation and swimming.
We look at the main features and differences of Vivoactive 5 and Vivoactive 4 below.

Display specifications
Garmin Vivoactive 5 and Vivoactive 4 use the same 3rd generation Corning Gorilla Glass in the display lens.
The essential difference lies in the display type. Vivoactive 5 works on the AMOLED display while the Vivoactive 4 uses MIP (Memory in Pixel) screen.
There is a marked improvement in the display resolution offered by a Vivoactive 5. You will find the Vivoactive 5 screen brighter and clearer than the Vivoactive 4.
Vivoactive 5 also supports the Always-on-display (AOD) mode. However, it may be pertinent to mention that the AOD mode does consume a lot of battery. So, using the AOD mode at all times may drain the battery faster.
The table below represents the main display specifications of Vivoactive 5 and Vivoactive 4.
Display specifications | Garmin Vivoactive 5 | Garmin Vivoactive 4 |
---|---|---|
Display lens | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
Display size | 30 mm or 1.2″ | 33 mm or 1.3″ |
Color display | Yes | Yes |
Touchscreen | Yes | Yes |
Display resolution | 390 x 390 pixels | 260 x 260 pixels |
Ambient light sensor | Yes | No |
LED Flashlight | No | No |
The screen or display lens of Vivoactive 5 is 30 mm. It is smaller than the 33 mm screen of Vivoactive 4.
Physical specifications
Vivoactive 5 is relatively thinner and slimmer than Vivoactive 4. It does have a higher device storage than the Vivoactive 4.
Vivoactive 5 is also lighter than Vivoactive 4. It uses an aluminum bezel. Vivoactive 4 had a stainless steel bezel.
However, a Vivoactive 5 is missing a gyroscope and barometric altimeter.
We look at the main physical specifications of the Vivoactive 5 and Vivoactive 4 below.
Physical specifications | Garmin Vivoactive 5 | Garmin Vivoactive 4 |
---|---|---|
Watch size | 42 mm | 45 mm |
Watch dimensions | 42.2 x 42.2 x 11.1 mm | 45.1 x 45.1 x 12.8 mm |
Thickness | 11.1 mm | 12.8 mm |
Watch weight | 36 g | 50 g |
Band size | 20 mm | 22 mm |
Recommended wrist circumference | 125-190 mm | 135-200 mm |
Water rating | 5 ATM | 5 ATM |
Device storage | 4 GB | 200 hours of activity data |
NFC Payments | Garmin Pay | Garmin Pay |
Wireless connectivity | ANT+, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi | ANT+, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi |
Accelerometer | Yes | Yes |
Compass | Yes | Yes |
Gyroscope | No | Yes |
Barometric altimeter | No | Yes |
Garmin Pulse Ox Sensor | Yes | Yes |
Garmin Elevate Heart Sensor | Yes | Yes |
Thermometer | Yes (tempe sensor needed) | Yes (tempe sensor needed) |
In-built speaker | No | No |
In-built microphone | No | No |
Android compatibility | Android 7 or higher | Android 7 or higher |
iOS compatibility | iOS 15 or higher | iOS 15 or higher |
Battery
Garmin Vivoactive 5 offers higher battery backup than Vivoactive 4. You could expect an almost 30 percent improvement in the battery backup of a Vivoactive 5.
For us, the biggest improvement in terms of battery life is the addition of the Battery Saver mode in Vivoactive 5. You could continue to use a Vivoactive 5 smartwatch at extremely low power settings.
Both watches support fast charging through the Garmin wire charger. You could go from an empty to a fully-charged battery in less than 2 hours.
We look at the battery backup offered by Vivoactive 5 and Vivoactive 4 in different watch modes below.
Watch mode | Vivoactive 5 Backup | Vivoactive 4 Backup |
---|---|---|
Smartwatch mode | Up to 11 days | Up to 8 days |
GPS Mode without music | Up to 21 hours | Up to 18 hours |
GPS Mode with music | Up to 8 hours | Up to 6 hours |
Battery Saver Mode | Up to 21 days | – |

Activity profiles
Garmin Vivoactive 5 does give a substantial boost to the number of supported profiles for cycling, outdoor recreation, swimming, and running.
We look at the supported profiles in Vivoactive 5 and Vivoactive 4 below.
Activity profiles | Vivoactive 5 | Vivoactive 4 |
---|---|---|
Cycling | Biking, Indoor Biking, eBiking, Handcycling, Indoor Handcycling | Biking, Indoor Biking |
Outdoor recreation | Skiing, Snowboarding, XC Classic Skiing, Snowshoeing, Stand Up Paddleboarding, Rowing, Tennis, Padel, Pickleball, Disc Golf | Skiing, Snowboarding, XC Classic Skiing, Stand Up Paddleboarding, Rowing |
Swimming | Pool Swimming, Open Water Swimming | Pool Swimming |
Gym | – | Strength, Cardio and Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Floor Climbing, Indoor Rowing, Pilates, Yoga |
Wheelchair mode
Garmin Vivoactive 5 supports wheelchair mode.
Wheelchair mode is a special mode in the watch software. It allows wheelchair users to track pushes and wheelchair workouts.
Garmin has also added wheelchair workouts to the watch software.
The newer Garmin smartwatches do include the wheelchair mode as a standard feature offering.
Wheelchair mode is unavailable in Vivoactive 4.
ECG app
Garmin ECG app received the FDA approval in January 2023.
However, the Garmin ECG app is not supported in the Garmin Vivoactive 5 smartwatch. On a similar note, the Garmin Vivoactive 4 smartwatch does not support the Garmin ECG app.
Costs
Garmin Vivoactive 5 has a list price of $299.99. Garmin Vivoactive 4 has a list price of $349.99. However, you can always find the Vivoactive 4 at substantial discounts.
Final verdict
We prefer the Vivoactive 5 over the Vivoactive 4 for the following reasons:
- AMOLED display
- Better display resolution
- Sleeker, smaller and lighter smartwatch
- Nap detection feature
- Support for the GameOn app
- Higher number of profiles in outdoor recreation and cycling.
And, to top it all, Vivoactive 5 is the latest variant in the Vivoactive series. Vivoactive 4 has been around for almost 4 years now.
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