Garmin Forerunner 245 Music vs. Apple Watch Series 8 (GPS + Cellular)

Smartwatch Comparison, Reviews and Tests

In depth comparison and review of Garmin Forerunner 245 Music and Apple Watch Series 8 (GPS + Cellular). Compare sizes, functions, displays, batteries and other important specifications and features to easily choose the right smartwatch for you. Our goal is to help you uncover differences between the products and find the watch that will best fit your needs.

Smartwatch Specifications Comparison

Garmin Forerunner 245 Music vs. Apple Watch Series 8 (GPS + Cellular) Comparison Chart
GENERAL Garmin Forerunner 245 Music Apple Watch Series 8 (GPS + Cellular)
Product Type Smart watch Smart watch
Operating System - WatchOS
Supported Host Device OS - iOS 16 or later
Activity/Sport Running, swimming, ski, cycling -
Wearing Style Watch style Watch style
Audio Input - Microphone
Audio Output - Speaker
Width 42.3 mm -
Height 42.3 mm -
Depth 12.2 mm -
Weight 38.5 g -
Body Details - Case only: 32 g
Body Material Fibre-reinforced polymer Aerospace-grade aluminium alloy
Protection Waterproof Water-resistant, dust-resistant, crack-resistant
Clock Display Yes Yes
FEATURES Garmin Forerunner 245 Music Apple Watch Series 8 (GPS + Cellular)
Sensors Accelerometer, heart rate, electromagnetic compass Accelerometer, ambient light sensor, digital compass, electrical heart sensor, blood oxygen sensor, gyroscope, temperature sensing, optical heart sensor (3d gen), always-on altimeter
Tracking Data Distance, time, speed, calories burned, heart rate (with optional heart rate sensor), sleep activity, steps taken, blood oxygen saturation, stress level Distance, time, calories burned, activity, sleep activity, heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, sleep stages, menstrual cycle, ECG, ovulation phase, rapid eye movement (REM)
Goal Setting Yes Yes
Features Camera remote control, find phone function, inactivity alert, Garmin Connect compatible, Find my Device, store & play music Call handling, Fall detection, Emergency SOS, Family Setup support, International Emergency Calling, Crash Detection, noise monitoring, Compass Waypoint, brightness: 1000 nits, Edge-to-edge display
Notifications - Calendar, SMS, Email, high and low heart rate, irregular rhythm, cardio fitness
Vibrating Alert - Yes
Feedback Type - Audio alert, vibration alert, visual interface
Navigation (GPS) GPS/GLONASS/Galileo receiver GPS/GLONASS/Galileo/BeiDou/QZSS receiver
Payment Technology - Apple Pay
Internet of Things (IoT) Compatible - Yes
IoT Intelligent Assistant - Siri
IoT Voice Controlled - Direct
CELLULAR Garmin Forerunner 245 Music Apple Watch Series 8 (GPS + Cellular)
Technology - WCDMA (UMTS)
Mobile Broadband Generation - 4G
SIM Card Type - Electronic SIM card (e-SIM)
CONNECTIVITY Garmin Forerunner 245 Music Apple Watch Series 8 (GPS + Cellular)
3M UMTS Band - Band 1, Band 2, Band 5, Band 8, Band 10
4G LTE Band - Band 1, Band 2, Band 3, Band 4, Band 5, Band 7, Band 8, Band 18, Band 19, Band 20, Band 25, Band 26, Band 28, Band 39, Band 40, Band 41, Band 66
Wireless Interface Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, ANT+ IEEE 802.11b/g/n, LTE, Bluetooth 5.0, Ultra-Wideband (UWB)
DISPLAY Garmin Forerunner 245 Music Apple Watch Series 8 (GPS + Cellular)
Type Memory-in-Pixel LCD - colour - transflective Retina LTPO OLED - colour
Resolution 240 x 240 pixels 352 x 430 pixels
Screen Size 1.2" -
Screen Protection Corning Gorilla Glass 3 (scratch resistant glass) Ion-X glass
Always On Display (AOD) - Yes
INPUT DEVICE Garmin Forerunner 245 Music Apple Watch Series 8 (GPS + Cellular)
Type - Touch sensitive screen
CASE Garmin Forerunner 245 Music Apple Watch Series 8 (GPS + Cellular)
Case Size - 41 mm
Case Shape Round Rectangular
Case Back - Sapphire crystal and ceramic back
Case Details - Starlight aluminium | Red aluminium | Silver stainless steel | Gold stainless steel | Midnight aluminium | Graphite stainless steel | Silver aluminium
Crown Type - Digital with haptic feedback
BAND Garmin Forerunner 245 Music Apple Watch Series 8 (GPS + Cellular)
Band Type Band Sport band
Band Size - Regular
Fits Wrist with Circumference 127-204 mm 130-200 mm
Changeable Yes Yes
Clasp Type Buckle Pin-and-tuck
Band Material Silicone Fluoroelastomer
Band Colour Aqua Starlight | Red | White | Midnight | Silver | Gold | Graphite
STORAGE Garmin Forerunner 245 Music Apple Watch Series 8 (GPS + Cellular)
Storage Capacity - 32 GB
CPU Garmin Forerunner 245 Music Apple Watch Series 8 (GPS + Cellular)
Manufacturer - Apple
CPU Type - S8 SiP
Features - W3 Apple wireless chip, U1 chip
BATTERY Garmin Forerunner 245 Music Apple Watch Series 8 (GPS + Cellular)
Technology - Lithium Ion
Battery Life - 18 hours
Battery Life Details Smartwatch mode - up to 7 days
GPS mode - up to 24 hour(s)
GPS with Music mode - up to 6 hour(s)
-
Rechargeable Battery - Yes
Wireless Charging - Yes
MISCELLANEOUS Garmin Forerunner 245 Music Apple Watch Series 8 (GPS + Cellular)
Included Accessories Charging/data cable Magnetic fast charger to USB-C cable (1 m)
Preloaded Software Calendar, Weather, Timer, Fitness Age Apple Pay, GymKit
Compliant Standards - IP6X
SAR Value - 0.31 W/kg (head), 0.55 W/kg (head)
Max Depth of Water Resistance 50 m 50 m
Manufacturer Model Number - A2773
Warranty - 1-year warranty
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