In the match-up of Garmin S3 vs S4, there is a clear winner in our opinion, but it’s only fair to say that both of these are terrific golf watches.
If there were a bigger price difference between the Garmin S3 and the S4, it would make our decision more difficult. However as of this writing, the Garmin S4 is about $50 more, but has several features that we think give it the edge over the Garmin S3.
- Stat Tracking – Built into the scorecard on the Garmin S4 is an easy to use stat tracking system. It’s really fast and helps you track fairways hit, greens in regulation and putts. Both the S3 and the S4 let you look at your scorecard on a computer and the S4 gives you a summary of your stats. In the future more features should be available using Garmin Connect.
- Dedicated Green View Button – It’s so easy to get to the green view with one press of a button on the lower left side of the Garmin S4. It shows the green shape and allows you to quickly change the pin position. Press the Green View button again and you’re back to the main screen with distances to your new pin location. You can do this with the S3, but not quite as easily.
- Battery Life – the Garmin S4 should give you an extra couple of hours of battery life. For those who play 36 holes in a day, this is critical. For the rest of us, it will come in handy when we forget to charge it between rounds.
- Integration with iPhone – For the iPhone user who likes to check emails, text messages and other notifications during the round, the Garmin S4 makes it easy and much more subtle than constantly looking at your iPhone. It’s truly amazing how well Garmin has added this feature to the watch without making things too complicated.
In short, the Garmin S4 is the coolest golf watch on the market, but also super easy to use and loaded with features. There’s nothing wrong with the Garmin S3, but if your budget can handle the price difference, we recommend going with the Garmin S4.
Model | Garmin Approach S3 | Garmin S4 Golf Watch |
---|---|---|
Read Full Review | Read Full Review | Read Full Review |
Price | Check Price | Check Price |
GRS Score | 4.34 (522 Ratings) | 4.06 (276 Ratings) |
Height | 2.7 in. | 2.41 in. |
Width | 1.8 in. | 1.83 in. |
Depth | .6 in. | .58 in. |
Weight | 2.06 oz. | 2.06 oz. |
Battery | Lithium-ion recharge | rechargeable Li-ion |
Battery Life | 8 hrs GPS / 4 wks | 10 hrs GPS / 6 wks |
Rainproof | IPX7 | Yes (10 meters) |
Pre-loaded with Courses | Yes | Yes |
Instant Course Recognition | Yes | Yes |
Auto Hole Advance | Yes | Yes |
Course Capacity | Unlimited | N/A |
Touch Screen | Yes | Yes |
Stat Tracker | No | Yes |
Digital Scorecard | Yes | Yes |
Computer Analysis Tools | No* | Yes |
USGA Compliant (local rule) | Yes | Yes |
Alternate Targets | Yes | Yes |
Ability to Add Targets | Yes | Yes |
Measure Shot Distance | Yes | Yes |
# of Available Courses | 30,000+ | 30,000+ |
Course Download Fees | No | No |
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