This comparison of Garmin Vivoactive 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 is kind of odd. These watches cater to different audiences, have a gap of almost 2 years, and only a few of their features overlap.
Garmin’s Vivoactive Series is a lineup of mid-range watches for fitness and sports enthusiasts with a twist. In the Vivoactive series, Garmin for the very first time tried to introduce smarts like contactless payment, a refined display, and music storage. However, the Venu Series took the lead with its back-to-back watches: Venu, Venu SQ, Venu 2.
Vivoactive 4 has significantly improved on its predecessor with more bells and whistles for sports and health tracking (on-screen workout animations, Pilates support, enhanced yoga metrics, pulse oximeter readings, respiration tracking, and underwater heart rate monitoring). In addition to the music storage and support for Bluetooth headphones, it now has offline Spotify support. It is in essence a mid-range multisport watch with week-long battery life and an easily readable display. 
On the other hand, Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 grabbed the headlines earlier this year for its brand-new software that combines the looks of Samsung’s in-house built Tizen and the functionality of Wear OS. The watch was also the first to feature Samsung’s new 5nm Exynos W920 chipset.
Though the cream of its health and health features are locked to Samsung devices and there is tension between Samsung and Google Services, Galaxy Watch 4 has everything to become the next best android watch. So far, you can only get the best experience by pairing it with the Samsung Phones
Spoiler: Despite GW4 running the Wear OSThe interface, the apps, the NFC payment system, the health tracking, and the assistant all come from Samsung’s Galaxy ecosystem, not Google’s. (Source: The Verge)
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and Garmin Venu 2 compete for the same market, so we have added a separate comparison for them. Whereas, in the case of Vivoactive 4, we are looking at two different watches.
If you are looking for a quick answer of which watch is better, Garmin Vivoactive 4 is a better sports watch than GW4 and has a superior battery life, in almost all other departments Samsung’s Watch has an upper hand.
So without further ado, let’s take a look at the general comparison of these watches.
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General Comparison:
Table of Contents
Price and Value Difference:
Announced on August 11 and released August 27, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is available in two sizes: 40mm & 44mm. Whereas the classic units are available in 42mm and 44mm size options. There are also different price tags for Bluetooth and LTE variants. There is a price difference of $50 for two sizes and another $50 for bt and LTE units.
From the price perspective, Galaxy Watch 4 Classic (40mm) costs about $50 more than the Garmin Vivoactive 4 at around $350. Unfortunately, Garmin doesn’t offer discounts for its smaller units. So both these watches might blow a huge hole into your finances.
If you can live without the physical rotating bezel and stainless steel body, the Galaxy Watch 4 makes an excellent choice. It is quite affordable at around $250 (40mm | Bluetooth Variant)
Vivoactive 4 value can be truly realized if you use it as a GPS sport-watch. Other than that, it is just an overpriced gadget. Galaxy Watch 4, however, doubles as a full-fledged smartwatch and therefore adds more value to your life.
Garmin Vivoactive 4/4S vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 4/4 Classic: Design & Display
Design Comparison:
| Garmin Vivoactive 4 | Samsung Galaxy Watch4 | |
| Dimensions, Weight | Vivoactive 4:45.1 x 45.1 x 12.8 mm, 50.5g Vivoactive 4S: 40.0 x 40.0 x 12.7 mm, 40g | Galaxy Watch 4: 44mm: 44.4 x 43.3 x 9.8mm, 30.3g40mm: 40.4 x 39.3 x 9.8mm, 25.9g Galaxy Watch 4 Classic: 46mm: 45.5 x 45.5 x 11.0mm, 52g42mm: 41.5 x 41.5 x 11.2mm, 46.5g |
| Band Size | 18mm, 22mm | 20mm strap |
| Build materials | Stainless Steel Bezel, Fiber-reinforced polymer body with plastic rear cover, silicone strap | Stainless Steel (Galaxy Watch 4 Classic) & Aluminum casing with silicone strap |
| Colors | Vivoactive 4:Slate Stainless Steel Bezel with Black Case | Silver Stainless Steel Bezel with Shadow Gray Case Vivoactive 4S: Light Gold Stainless Steel Bezel with Dust Rose Case | Rose Gold Stainless Steel Bezel with White Case | Silver Stainless Steel Bezel with Powder Gray Case | Slate Stainless Steel Bezel with Black Case | Galaxy Watch 4 (44mm: Black, Green, Silver | 40mm: Black, Pink Gold, Silver) Galaxy Watch4 Classic (46mm: Black, Silver | 42mm: Black, Silver) |
| Waterproofing | 5 ATM (up to 50m) | IP68 |
Both Samsung and Garmin have tried to woo a wider variety of people by offering different size options. Garmin’s Vivoactive 4 comes in two sizes, a 40-mm option, and a much larger 45-mm model. Similarly, Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and 4 Classic have two size options each. 40 and 44mm for GW4. 42 and 46mm for Galaxy Watch 4 Classic.
Also, there are two side buttons on all watches. They perform a variety of functions. The casing of Samsung watches is made of aluminum and stainless steel, whereas Garmin has sandwiched the polymer casing between stainless steel bezel and plastic bag.
Overall the Samsung Watches have a slimmer profile and are lightweight and therefore won’t add heft to your wrist. The lack of raised bezel in the GW4 might put it at disadvantage as it makes it more susceptible to scratches. The classic unit and Garmin Vivoactive 4 are more secure in this regard.
All these watches come with silicone straps that can be easily replaced. Their feel and locking mechanism differs. Vivoactive 4’s straps are on the softer and comfortable side.
As far as waterproofing is concerned, Vivoactive takes the lead with its 5 ATM resistance. Samsung’s IP68 rating is the bare minimum and you can’t take this watch to open water swimming.
As for the color options, the galaxy watch comes in black, gold, green, and silver (depends on the size). Whereas Garmin also offers a host a different option to match this. The smaller Vivoactive 4S is available in more colors. We have mentioned all in the table above.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
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Garmin Vivoactive 4, GPS Smartwatch, Features Music, Body Energy Monitoring, Animated Workouts,... | $245.00 | Check Amazon Price |
Display Features:
| Garmin Vivoactive 4 | Samsung Galaxy Watch4 | |
| Display Size | Vivoactive 4:1.3-inchVivoactive 4S:1.1-inch | 44/46mm: 1.36-inch40/42mm: 1.19-inch |
| Screen Type & Resolution | Vivoactive 4: transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP), 260 x 260 pixelsVivoactive 4S:transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) 218 x 218 pixels | 44/46mm: Super AMOLED450 x 450 resolution40/42mm: Super AMOLED396 x 396 resolution |
| Pixel Per Inch | N/A | 330 PPI |
| Screen Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | Galaxy Watch 4: Corning Gorilla Glass with DX+ Galaxy Watch 4 Classic: Corning Gorilla Glass with DX |
| Always-on Display | Yes | Yes |
| Rotating Bezel | No | Galaxy Watch 4: Touch Bezel Galaxy Watch 4 Classic: Physical Bezel |
In the display department, Garmin Vivoactive 4 lags far behind the GW4. The latter has an impressive AMOLED screen that offers a crisp display and better viewing angles. It is easy to read in sunlight. There is a touch rotating bezel on GW4 and a physical rotating bezel on the classic unit. Garmin watches lack these smarts.
Garmin’s answer to Samsung’s lush display is the outdated transflective memory-in-pixel screen. Like the Samsung watch, Vivoactive 4 has an always-on display but the similarities just end there. It might offer better resolution than other Garmin Devices, except for Venu Series, but standing next to Galaxy Watch, it is downright lackluster.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
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SAMSUNG Galaxy Watch 4 44mm Smartwatch with ECG Monitor Tracker for Health, Fitness, Running, Sleep... |
$169.14 |
Check Amazon Price |
Smartwatch Features:
| Garmin Vivoactive 4 | Samsung Galaxy Watch4 | |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth , ANT+,Wi-Fi,NFC | Bluetooth 5.0Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n 2.4+5GHz, Cellular (Only in LTE models)NFC |
| Companion App | Garmin ConnectIQ | Google Fit |
| Storage | Up to 500 songs | 16 GB |
| Processor | N/A | 5nm Samsung Exynos W920Dual-core 1.18GHz |
| RAM | N/A | 1.5 GB |
| Notification Alert | Yes | Yes |
| Calendar, Weather | Yes | Yes |
| Offline Spotify | Yes | Yes |
| Timer & Alarm | Yes | Yes |
| Customizable Watch Faces | Yes | Yes |
| Voice Assistant | No | Yes (Bixby) |
| Music Storage, Control | Yes | Yes |
| Third-Party Apps | Yes | Yes (Wear OS play store) |
| Make calls, send texts & Emails | No | Yes |
| Browse Web | No | Yes |
| Contactless Payment | Yes (Garmin Pay) | Yes (Google Pay, Samsung Pay) |
In the smartwatch department, Garmin Vivoactive 4S is simply unable to match the prowess of the Samsung watch. The latter features a new fast chip, the latest Wear OS, 16 GB storage, 1.5 GB RAM, and above all, cellular connectivity for a standalone experience. The Galaxy Watch’s cellular model can make calls and send texts without your phone around, just like the Apple Watch.
So far, Samsung hasn’t introduced the access to complete Google Wearable Suite that would include Google Pay, Google Assistant, but you can have access to third-party apps on the Wear OS store. The Watch’s UI is clean and responsive.
Garmin’s Watch in contrast added only the practical features. It has access to third-party apps via Garmin Connect IQ, but most of them are related to fitness and sports. Plus, the sheer number of Apps on the Garmin store is critically low.
The company added the support for contactless payment via Garmin Pay, but only a few can take full benefit of this feature (Supported banks are limited and centralized in North America). Thankfully, you can store music on the watch and can even download playlists from Spotify, Amazon Music, and Deezer for offline playback.
In this arena, Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 beats the Vivoactive 4 decisively. Even the latest Garmin Venu 2 can’t offer the competition as Samsung has years of experience in this domain, and Apple is the only competitor that matches or even surpasses it.
Note: Unlike previous Samsung Watches, Galaxy Watch 4 is only compatible with Android devices and is best for Samsung Galaxy Smartphones.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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SAMSUNG Galaxy Watch 4 44mm Smartwatch with ECG Monitor Tracker for Health, Fitness, Running, Sleep... |
$169.14 |
Check Amazon Price |
Fitness & Health Features:
| Garmin Vivoactive 4 | Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 | |
| Built-in GPS | Yes (GPS/GLONASS/Beidou, Galileo) | Yes (GPS/GLONASS/Beidou, Galileo) |
| Heart Rate Tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Sleep | Yes | Yes |
| Stress | Yes | Yes |
| Blood Oxygen | Yes | Yes |
| ECG | No | Yes |
| Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis | No | Yes |
| Steps, Calories | Yes | Yes |
| Menstrual cycle | Yes | Yes |
| Sport Mode | 20 preloaded GPS and indoor sports apps — including walking, running, cycling, pool swimming, golf, and more | 90+ |
| Sync Data With Strava/Apple Health | Yes | Yes (with Starva and Nike Run Club) |
In terms of health features, Samsung beats Garmin with the sheer number of metrics it offers. It can track heart rate and blood oxygen both continuously and on-demand.
In fact this time, the company has introduced a 3-in-1 sensor that in combination with the aforementioned metrics also offers Body composition details. This new metric will give you a comprehensive report on body fat percentage, body mass index (BMI), muscle mass, bone mass, body water percentage, and more.
Apart from these health metrics, Galaxy Watch 4 also tracks sleep, stress, and blood pressure. Also, it is one of the few FDA-approved ECG smartwatches.
Garmin Vivoactive 4, in comparison, apes the other health metrics except for ECG and Body Composition. In terms of accuracy, it is considerably better than the GW4.
The sports tracking is the stronghold of Garmin, and Vivoactive 4 doesn’t disappoint. It has multiple sports and workout profiles and offers comprehensive data for popular ones like running, swimming, and weightlifting. However, the Galaxy Watch4 doesn’t lag too far behind.
No doubt, Garmin Vivoactive 4 is a better sports watch as we can expect from a company founded on the back of its strong navigational capability. Other than GPS accuracy, you wouldn’t find the animated guides for workouts on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4. A slight edge Garmin Watch has is the ANT+ technology that allows it to seamlessly connect with third-party chest straps.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
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| 1 |
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Garmin Vivoactive 4, GPS Smartwatch, Features Music, Body Energy Monitoring, Animated Workouts,... | $245.00 | Check Amazon Price |
Garmin Vivoactive 4/4S vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 4/4 Classic: Battery Life & Charging
| Garmin Vivoactive 4 | Samsung Galaxy Watch4 | |
| Battery Performance | The Vivoactive 4 8 days in smartwatch mode 6 hours with GPS+music Vivoactive 4S 7 days in smartwatch mode5 hours with GPS+music | 1-2 days (mixed usage), It varies with the smartwatch size, and usage of features like GPS and Music, and Always-on |
| Battery Size | N/A | 44/46mm: 361mAh40/42mm: 247mAh |
| Charger Type | Proprietary 4 pin connector | WPC-based wireless charging |
| Fast Charging | No (takes almost 2 hours to top-up) | No (Takes almost 2 hours to fully charge) |
Garmin Vivoactive 4 has an upper hand in terms of battery performance. The watch offers week-long battery performance if you turn on the essential mode. A more aggressive usage will put a huge dent in battery life and would reduce it to 3-4 days.
Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4 doesn’t claim to have extraordinary battery life. It is a one-day watch that can make it to three days if you strip it down to bare-bone features. That means turning off the GPS, Always-on mode, and even notification alerts.
None of the watches support fast charging, but the magnetic charging mechanism of the Galaxy Watch makes it convenient to top it up. Vivoactive 4 pin connector is quite outmoded, but as you have to charge your watch once a week, you can live with it.
Here, Vivoactive takes the lead with its extra-long battery life which should be duly appreciated.
Note: Keep in mind that the smaller variants of both watches would have slightly less battery power, and the difference is more pronounced in the case of Galaxy Watch 4.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Garmin Vivoactive 4, GPS Smartwatch, Features Music, Body Energy Monitoring, Animated Workouts,... | $245.00 | Check Amazon Price |
What should you buy? Garmin Vivoactive 4 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 4/4 Classic?
For sports and fitness buffs, Garmin Vivoactive 4 is a compelling GPS watch. But why waste the money on an old watch when you can get the latest Garmin Venu 2 by offering about $50 more.
Galaxy Watch 4 and 4 Classic, on the other hand, offer more value as they strike the right balance between health and smartwatch features. Plus, you have a lot of options to choose from. Samsung does offer you a discount when you pick a small watch, whereas, with Garmin, you don’t get these perks.
Keep in mind that Galaxy Watch 4’s advanced health features like ECG and BIA are locked to Samsung devices and you would have to wait for a while to get the same on other Android devices. Also, there is tension between Google and Samsung Services as you won’t find Google Assistant or Google Pay despite the fact that watches run Wear OS.
