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Garmin Approach S50 vs Garmin Approach S70

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

GarminApproach S50GarminApproach S70
Overview
ReleasedJanuary 2025May 2023
Display
Case sizes43 mm42 mm or 47 mm
PanelOLEDOLED
Always-on displayYesYes
Display detail30.4 mm (1.2 inch) AMOLED touchscreen, 390 x 390 pixels; optional always-on display, ambient-light sensor and large-font option. Two physical buttons.42 mm version has a 1.2 inch AMOLED touchscreen with 390 x 390 pixels; 47 mm has a 1.4 inch screen with 454 x 454 pixels. Optional always-on mode and ambient-light sensor. Three physical buttons. UK table pairs the 42 mm screen's 1.2 inch figure with 32.02 mm, an inconsistent conversion; neither value is silently recalculated here. Launch German datasheet also incorrectly repeats 390 x 390 for the 47 mm display; exact current model tables establish 454 x 454.
Screen protectionCorning Gorilla Glass 3 lens.Current UK and US model tables specify Corning Gorilla Glass 3. German launch article calls it sapphire, conflicting with its own attached Gorilla Glass datasheet; no sapphire configuration is established.
Health and fitness
ECGNoNo
Blood oxygenYesYes
Skin temperatureNoNo
Sleep apnoea alertsNoNo
High blood pressure alertsNoNo
Body compositionNoNo
Fall detectionNoNo
Crash detectionNoNo
GPSSingle-bandDual-band (L1 and L5)
Water resistance50 m50 m
SensorsGPS, GLONASS and Galileo; Garmin Elevate wrist heart rate, Pulse Ox, compass, gyroscope, accelerometer and ambient-light sensor. No multi-band positioning is listed; maker does not number the heart-rate sensor generation. External tempe accessory supplies ambient temperature.GPS, GLONASS and Galileo; 47 mm additionally has multi-band positioning and SatIQ. The exact German datasheet distinguishes 42 mm multi-GNSS from 47 mm multifrequency; current UK/US tables likewise list multi-band and SatIQ only on 47 mm. Both have Garmin Elevate wrist heart rate, Pulse Ox, barometric altimeter, compass, gyroscope, accelerometer and ambient-light sensor. Maker does not number the optical sensor generation.
Health featuresContinuous heart rate, high/low alerts, respiration, Body Battery, stress, advanced sleep score/coach, nap detection, HRV status, Health Snapshot and fitness age. Pulse Ox spot checks and optional sleep monitoring. Hydration and menstrual-cycle/pregnancy features use Garmin Connect and an optional Connect IQ widget; these are wellness features, not medical diagnosis.Continuous heart rate, resting rate and high/low alerts, respiration, Body Battery, stress, advanced sleep, sleep coach, nap detection, HRV status, Health Snapshot, fitness age and jet-lag adviser. Pulse Ox spot checks and optional sleep monitoring. Hydration and menstrual-cycle/pregnancy tracking use Garmin Connect and an optional Connect IQ widget; these are wellness features, not medical diagnosis.
Fitness featuresOver 43,000 preloaded golf courses; front/middle/back green distances, hazards and layups, green view with manual pin position, PinPointer and elevation-adjusted PlaysLike distances. Digital scorecard, handicap/Stableford scoring, statistics and custom targets. AutoShot detects fairway shots automatically without club sensors; putts are not detected. Optional CT1 tags require tapping the watch; CT10 sensors add automatic club tracking. Compatible Z30 laser range finder shares measured distances. Enhanced CourseView vector maps, touch targeting and green contours need paid Garmin Golf membership; base yardages and PlaysLike do not. Tournament mode disables non-permitted features. Running, cycling, pool swimming, strength, HIIT, yoga, Pilates and other sport profiles; workouts, animated exercises, VO2 max and recovery time. Current web table lists open-water metrics, but the exact activity list and owner guide document pool swimming only; do not treat that generic row as an established open-water profile.Over 43,000 preloaded golf courses, full CourseView vector maps, pan/zoom and touch targeting, green view with manual pin position, hazards, layups, front/middle/back distances and PinPointer. Enhanced PlaysLike distances account for slope, weather and air pressure; wind information requires a phone connected to Garmin Golf. Virtual Caddie offers club recommendations and shot-dispersion charts after five rounds with uploaded scorecards and either optional CT10 sensors or Club Prompt enabled; sensors are not mandatory. AutoShot detects fairway shots; optional CT10 sensors add putt/chip detection. Optional CT1 tags and Z30 laser range finder are supported. Scorecard, statistics, handicap scoring, swing tempo and tournament mode. Green contours need paid Garmin Golf membership; base maps and touch targeting do not. Running, cycling, gym, hiking, racket sports and pool-swimming profiles; VO2 max, recovery time, training load/effect, Garmin Coach and animated workouts. Current tables document pool swimming, not an established open-water swimming profile.
Safety featuresIncident detection during supported activities, assistance and LiveTrack require a paired compatible phone and available network; not standalone emergency communication.Incident detection during supported activities and assistance require a paired compatible phone and available network; not standalone emergency communication.
Battery and connections
Battery life (maker's claim)Up to 10 daysUp to 16 days
Mobile data optionNoNo
Works withiPhone and AndroidiPhone and Android
Storage4 GB16 GB
Battery life detailUp to 10 days in smartwatch mode and 15 hours in GPS mode. Maker web conditions use gesture wake in smartwatch mode and always-on while golfing; October 2025 owner guide labels the 15-hour figure all-satellite mode. Actual life depends on sensors, notifications and other features. Battery saver is available but no separate duration is published.42 mm up to 10 days in smartwatch mode and 15 hours using GPS; 47 mm up to 16 days and 20 hours. Current maker web conditions use gesture wake in smartwatch mode and always-on while golfing; April 2026 owner guide labels the same 15/20-hour figures all-satellite-systems mode. Headline duration is the longest standard configuration, 47 mm. Actual battery life depends on enabled sensors, notifications and connected devices.
ChargingBuilt-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery; Garmin proprietary charging/data connector and supplied cable connected to a USB charging port.Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery; Garmin proprietary charging/data connector and supplied USB cable.
ConnectivityBluetooth, ANT+ and Wi-Fi; Garmin Golf, Garmin Connect, Garmin Express and Connect IQ. Garmin Pay with supported banks; downloaded personal music and supported Spotify/Amazon Music/Deezer services may need subscriptions and Bluetooth headphones. Phone notifications; Android-only text replies and notification images. No cellular configuration.Bluetooth, ANT+ and Wi-Fi; Garmin Golf, Garmin Connect, Garmin Express and Connect IQ. Garmin Pay with supported banks; downloaded personal music and supported Spotify, Amazon Music and Deezer services, with subscriptions where required and Bluetooth headphones. Phone notifications, Android-only text replies and notification images, calendar, weather and morning report. No cellular version. Current UK/US tables state 16 GB memory/history for both sizes; a later Swiss S50 comparison leaflet lists S70 at 32 GB without a separate hardware identity, so that conflicting sibling comparison is not used to create a version.
Design
Weight (lightest version)29 g44 g
SoftwareGarminGarmin
Case materialsAnodised aluminium bezel, Gorilla Glass 3 lens and ComfortFit nylon band with hook-and-loop fastening; Black/Slate and Ivory/Cream Gold finishes.Ceramic bezel, Gorilla Glass 3 lens and silicone band. UK range has White/Peach and Powder Grey/Amp Yellow 42 mm finishes, and Black/Red 47 mm. US regional SKU codes differ, with the same three finishes.
SizeCurrent UK table: 43 x 43 x 11.4 mm, 29 g. Ivory S/M nylon band fits 127–190 mm wrists; Black M/L fits 145–217 mm. 20 mm quick-release attachment. UK web table calls it industry standard, while October 2025 owner guide says not compatible with third-party bands; retain that compatibility conflict. Japanese launch table gives 12.5 mm thickness, so UK dimensions are used here without treating the regional discrepancy as another model.42 mm is 42 x 42 x 12.6 mm and 44 g with silicone band, fitting 115–185 mm wrists with a 20 mm QuickFit attachment. 47 mm is 47 x 47 x 13.4 mm and 56 g, fitting 130–205 mm wrists with 22 mm QuickFit. Headline weight is the lighter 42 mm version. Launch German datasheet rounds thickness to 13/14 mm; exact current UK figures are retained.
Reference and release detailGarmin US announcement on 21 January 2025 states available now; this establishes earliest documented on-sale date. Japanese release was 30 January 2025. UK first shipping day is not independently established. S44 is a co-launched lower-feature model, not an evidenced predecessor.Garmin's US announcement on 23 May 2023 states available now; German launch likewise says immediately available. This establishes the first documented on-sale day; an exact UK first shipping day is not independently established. No explicit maker predecessor relationship has been found in the read sources.

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