In the matchup of Garmin S2 vs S3 vs S4…

As of this writing, based on price to features, it’s almost a toss-up between the Garmin S3 and the Garmin S4 The price of the S2 is so similar to the S3, and it really doesn’t measure up from a features perspective. Even though the S3 has the edge on price, the Garmin S4 adds some nice features, that will make it worthwhile for some golfers. Both models have a touchscreen and manual pin positioning.

Here are the major differences in the battle of Garmin S3 vs S4…

• The battery life in GPS mode is 10 hours on the S4 and only 8 hours on the S3. That’s a nice improvement, but by itself, probably not enough to spend the extra money.
• The S4 will allow you to track your stats (putts per round, greens & fairways hit, average distance). For some golfers this is important, others have no interest.
• The Garmin S4 has a dedicated “green view” button that makes it a bit easier to get to that screen when you need it. With the S3, it only takes two steps to get to the green view, but definitely not quite as easy as having a dedicated button.
• The S4 is a little bit smaller than the S3, but they weigh the same.
• The Garmin S4 has the ability to display text and email messages and other notifications from an iPhone connected via bluetooth. This is a must-have for some and for others, it’s a deal breaker!

We think the differences between the Garmin Approach S4 and the S3 are significant enough to justify most of the price difference, but not every golfer will benefit from the extra features. It’s definitely a personal choice.

If you’re not completely sold on one of these models already, there are some other terrific golf watches out there. Take a look at our Best Golf Watch breakdown.

Model	Garmin Approach S3	Garmin Approach S2	Garmin S4 Golf Watch
Read Full Review	Read Full Review	Read Full Review	Read Full Review
Price	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price
GRS Score	4.34 (522 Ratings)	4.41 (924 Ratings)	4.06 (276 Ratings)
Height	2.7 in.	2.7 in.	2.41 in.
Width	1.8 in.	1.8 in.	1.83 in.
Depth	.6 in.	.6 in.	.58 in.
Weight	2.06 oz.	1.8 oz.	2.06 oz.
Battery	Lithium-ion recharge	rechargeable Li-ion	rechargeable Li-ion
Battery Life	8 hrs GPS / 4 wks	8 hrs / 3 wks	10 hrs GPS / 6 wks
Rainproof	IPX7	waterproof to 10 meter	Yes (10 meters)
Pre-loaded with Courses	Yes	Yes	Yes
Instant Course Recognition	Yes	Yes	Yes
Auto Hole Advance	Yes	Yes	Yes
Course Capacity	Unlimited	Unlimited	N/A
Touch Screen	Yes	No	Yes
Stat Tracker	No	No	Yes
Digital Scorecard	Yes	Yes	Yes
Computer Analysis Tools	No*	No*	Yes
USGA Compliant (local rule)	Yes	Yes	Yes
Alternate Targets	Yes	Yes	Yes
Ability to Add Targets	Yes	No	Yes
Measure Shot Distance	Yes	Yes	Yes
# of Available Courses	30,000+	30,000+	30,000+
Course Download Fees	No	No	No