The new Garmin Approach S70 Golf GPS Smartwatch is an upgrade on the S62. Both elevate your game golf game both on and off the course. Let’s compare the two.
Garmin is a leader in the golf GPS market, producing a premium range of GPS watches which have made a huge impact on the world of golf. The brand’s S62, which came out in January 2020, has now got a few improvements with the S70.
In general, both provide accurate yardages to greens, bunkers and other course features, track your score, your shot distances and make club selections. They provide weather forecasts and integrate them into your round. You can also set them up with a smartphone so you can see all your notifications on your wrist.
Both have 43,000+ preloaded golf courses from around the world, have touchscreens, have 24/7 health monitoring and activity tracking, a host of game-strengthening feature such as Green View feature, and both can be connected to the Garmin golf app so you can monitor your health and fitness information, connect with friends and more.
Core features
Both Garmin watches share the same set of core features. As well as the general ones outlined above, both have full-colour CourseView maps of golf courses worldwide, and both models can be paired with the Approach CT10 club tracking sensors for enhanced tracking capabilities.
They both display advanced information such as wind direction and speed to help club selection, you can receive emails, texts, and alerts, and finally, both are designed to be comfortable on the wrist and easy to adjust for different wrist sizes.
Upgrades
AMOLED screen: The standout improvement with the S70 compared the S62 is probably the new AMOLED display, which is brighter and clearer. AMOLED stands for ‘active-matrix organic light-emitting diodes’.
The main advantages of AMOLED displays is they have a faster refresh rate than other types of displays, and they have great viewing angles which means you can clearly view the screen from a wide variety of angles. They also display more light which enhances the overall visibility of the image, making the contrast between colours more defined and text easier to read.
Screen sizes: The Garmin S70 comes in a smaller 42mm size, which might appeal to those with a smaller wrist size, as well as the 47mm option. The S62 was only available in one size, 47mm. And because of the new AMOLED display, the smaller size doesn’t mean less definition.
Enhanced Virtual Caddie: The S62 came with an built-in virtual caddie function which can detect where the wind is coming from, as well as provide information on shots from the past in regards to club selection, providing the wearer with suggested strategy on the golf course. The S70 has built on this with improved shot tracking and better wind speed and direction sensitivity.
Barometer sensor: There’s a new barometer sensor in the S70 which detects temperature and altitude, providing more accurate yardages. The ‘Plays Like’ feature uses all these sensors when providing accurate distances, similar to how rangefinders work.
Battery life: A slight improvement here: The S62 has an internal rechargeable battery that provides up to 20 hours of gameplay in GPS mode and 14 days in smartwatch mode. The S70 offers the same 20 hours on the golf course but 16 days in smartwatch made.
Weight: The S70 is 57 grams, lighter than the 63 gram S62. The S70 is also thinner and doesn’t look as bulky on the wrist.
Health and fitness: The health and fitness features have received an upgrade with the S70, with heart rate monitoring over extended periods, deep sleep monitoring and profiles for every sport you play.
The Gamin S62 is priced at €549.99. The new S70 is priced at €749.99 for the larger size and €699.99 for the smaller size.
