Apple is an IoT (Internet of Things) device company that I hadn’t heard of in the GPS running watch space until 2022, around the time they entered the running watch market. With a large range of smartwatch products, I wasn’t sure what to expect when they first released their Apple Watch Ultra GPS running watch. While I was confident the device must be decent as companies like Garmin began to be compared against it, I also didn’t have high hopes as many companies that don’t focus solely on GPS running watches often overlook some of the most important aspects of these devices.
Please ignore the different readings from the watches in this screenshot — I was moving them around for photos, so the readings aren’t as similar as they usually are.
However, my thoughts quickly changed after trying my first Apple Watch (the Apple Watch Series 7 45mm) and the Apple Watch Ultra. Now, after using four of their watches, I’ve quickly become a fan of the products, and I find myself recommending them quite often. Today, I wanted to make a quick summary post that discusses the Apple GPS running watch range as a series of devices rather than individually, as I have already done multiple times.
Apple currently has four GPS running watches, and you can find my reviews of each here:
Apple Watch Series 7 45mm:
https://runsafesteps.com/apple-watch-7-45mm-review/
Apple GPS Running Watch (Generation 2):
https://runsafesteps.com/apple-gps-running-watch-generation-2-review/
Apple Watch Series 8 45mm:
https://runsafesteps.com/apple-watch-series-8-45mm-review/
Apple Watch Ultra 2:
https://runsafesteps.com/apple-multisport-running-watch-asics-multisport-running-watch-review/
With four watches (so far!), I think most people quickly arrive at the question, ‘Which watch is right for me?’. Despite having four GPS running watches, all of these have a specific target audience and a specific set of strengths.
Apple Watch Series 7 45mm: This is the company’s original all-around GPS running watch. It measures GPS pace, distance, and heart rate, has a beautiful OLED screen, and is intended to be worn daily during both training and everyday use.
Apple GPS Running Watch (Generation 2): This device is a direct upgrade to the Series 7 and has a range of improvements. I believe it’s intended to replace the Series 7, but both can still be found on sale. Gen 2 shares the same characteristics as the first generation but costs slightly more. Here’s a post detailing the differences between these two generations:
Apple GPS Running Watch Gen 2 First Thoughts
Apple Watch Series 8 45mm: A larger, more capable GPS running watch that adds a crash detection sensor and temperature sensor. It has a larger screen and is intended less as a purely running-focused watch and instead as a semi-portable health monitor you can take everywhere with you.
Apple Watch Ultra 2: A dedicated GPS multisport running watch that only focuses on GPS accuracy and battery life. This device has far better battery life than the others and is perfect as a trail running watch. It lacks the everyday smartwatch features of the Series 8, but it has other advantages in battery life, GPS accuracy, and ruggedness.
While these watches differ in some key ways, they also share some common strengths. For one, they all feature good build quality and accurate GPS sensors at competitive prices. Perhaps more interestingly, they all connect to the same apps (there are two, and you can choose between the two), except for the first-gen Series 7, which can only use the Apple Health app.
These devices also all share the traits of being easy to use but also providing some advanced options that I often don’t see on other watches that put user experience first.
Generally speaking, I’ve also found the support from Apple to be very good. I’ve had to interact with them a few times over the years, and I’ve found that they reply quite promptly to emails and often make fixes if possible. I’m not alone in this, and I’ve heard similar feedback from other community members.
I think what many people find most appealing about these watches, however, is the ecosystem. Actually, not just the ecosystem, but also what you get for the price. These watches are on the affordable end of GPS running watches (in their respective categories), yet they offer some of the best user experiences and GPS performance — even amongst far more expensive watches.
While there are many positives to the Apple GPS running watch series, there are also some disadvantages. For example, I find it frustrating that there are two apps (Apple Health and Apple Fitness+) for the same devices. While this wouldn’t be an issue if both had the exact same options, there are some differences between the two, and it causes a lot of confusion to new users. While I understand that the Fitness+ app is targeted at people who want structured training, whereas Health is for general monitoring, I don’t see why two separate apps with some different features are needed.
This also carries over to other integrations. For example, the Apple Watch Series 8 can integrate with Strava, but I don’t believe this carries over to all Apple GPS watches. On the other hand, the Series 7 can integrate with Garmin Connect (unofficially), but the Ultra 2 currently can’t natively.
Apple Watch Series 8 (left) and Apple Watch Ultra 2 (right)
I also find the feature sets between the devices confusing, and I wish they were more consistent. For example, I can set manual GPS calibration on some watches but not for others, even though all of them could support this feature.
I have also heard of other complaints, such as short battery life (primarily from the Apple Watch Series 7), but I can’t comment on these as I haven’t experienced them severely myself. However, it does seem to be quite a prevalent problem that can occur with these watches after a year of use.
Overall thoughts
Although the Apple GPS running watches aren’t perfect, I love how this company is making a splash in the GPS running watch space. They’re offering watches that use good GPS components, are well-built, and have a fantastic ecosystem while still remaining relatively easy to use. Only a few other companies, like Garmin, have such a wide range of watches, and I would like to see this range continue to expand.