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Garmin Approach S12 · Photo source

Garmin Approach S12
Photo 1 of 63

Garmin Approach S12 · Photo source

Garmin · Approach

Approach S12

Released March 2021

Approach S12 is a button-operated golf GPS watch with a monochrome display, green and hazard yardages, a digital scorecard and up to 30 hours of GPS use.

Type
Smart and sports
Sizes
43.7 mm
Movement
–
Power reserve
–
Display
Memory-in-pixel
Battery
70 days
Water
50 m
GPS
Single-band
Weight
34.1 g

What reviewers say

Both on-course reviewers found the core yardages useful and the watch straightforward once its buttons were learned. Golf Monthly praised its accurate distances and lightweight strap, but found navigation more fiddly than touchscreen watches and everyday functions limited. Plugged In Golf liked the sunlight readability, scorecard and manual shot measurement, while also noting a learning curve with the four buttons. Its tester used three rounds before recharging, a personal observation rather than a standard battery test. Both regarded the monochrome display as basic.

From pluggedingolf.com and golfmonthly.com

Specifications

Report a wrong or missing spec

Display

Case sizes
43.7 mm
Panel
Memory-in-pixel
Always-on display
Yes
Display detail
Sunlight-visible, transflective monochrome memory-in-pixel display, 23 x 23 mm (0.9 x 0.9 inch), 175 x 175 pixels. Four physical buttons; no touchscreen. Big Numbers mode enlarges green yardages. The grouped March 2021 launch and Swiss datasheet incorrectly describe 23 mm as 1.3 inches; the exact current UK and US specifications give 0.9 inches.
Screen protection
Chemically strengthened glass, according to the exact S12 Swiss technical datasheet.

Health and fitness

ECG
No
Blood oxygen
No
Skin temperature
No
Sleep apnoea alerts
No
High blood pressure alerts
No
Body composition
No
Fall detection
No
Crash detection
No
GPS
Single-band
Water resistance
50 m
Sensors
Built-in GPS receiver. No published multi-band, GLONASS/Galileo, optical heart-rate or Pulse Ox support.
Health features
Golf-focused device; no wrist heart-rate, sleep or daily activity-tracking features listed in the exact specifications or owner guide.
Fitness features
Current preloaded coverage exceeds 43,000 worldwide golf courses; the original launch listed 42,000. Front/middle/back green yardages, layup/dogleg/hazard distances, Green View with manual pin positioning, manual shot-distance measurement, digital scorecard, statistics for strokes, putts, greens and fairways, round timer and odometer. Automatic course and hole selection. No AutoShot without club sensors, touch targeting, full colour course maps, PlaysLike distances or virtual caddie. Optional complete set of 14 Approach CT10 sensors enables automatic club tracking; sensors are not included. Current overview specifies the full set rather than the three-sensor starter pack.

Battery and connections

Battery life (maker's claim)
Up to 70 days
Mobile data option
No
Works with
iPhone and Android
Battery life detail
Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery. Up to 10 weeks in watch-only mode and up to 30 hours playing golf with GPS. The March 2021 Swiss comparison sheet claims 15 weeks watch use, conflicting with the exact English owner guide and current UK/US table; use 10 weeks. Actual life depends on GPS usage and cold temperatures.
Charging
Garmin proprietary four-contact USB charging/data cable. USB mass-storage and Garmin modes are documented. Operating -20 to 60°C; charging 0 to 45°C. Capacity, charging wattage and charging time are not published.
Connectivity
Bluetooth Smart pairing with iPhone or Android through Garmin Golf for scorecard upload, statistics, leaderboards, live scoring, software updates and automatic updates of frequently played courses. Garmin Express on a computer handles course/software updates over USB. No phone notification display, Wi-Fi, Garmin Pay, standalone cellular or offline music. Owner guide indexes ANT+ sensors, while the Swiss comparison table marks ANT+ absent; CT10 pairing is explicitly supported, without claiming a general ANT+ sensor platform.
Storage
125 MB memory/history according to the exact current maker table.

Design

Weight (lightest version)
34.1 g
Software
Garmin
Case materials
Polymer case and bezel, chemically strengthened glass and silicone quick-release band, per exact S12 Swiss datasheet. White band has black hardware accents.
Size
43.7 x 43.7 x 11.5 mm; 34.1 g. Fits wrists 125–202 mm. The Swiss launch table rounds dimensions to 44 x 44 x 12 mm.
Water resistance detail
5 ATM, equivalent pressure to 50 m; not a dive-depth rating. Do not press the keys under water.
Reference and release detail
Available now in Garmin’s US 16 March 2021 release and same-day Swiss launch. Exact first UK shipping day was not specified. No explicit maker predecessor statement found. The current UK security table states updates until at least 16 March 2023; this minimum date is not a claim that support has ended.
Bands
20 mm quick-release bands; compatible replacement bands are sold separately.
Colours
Black, Granite Blue and White original finishes; later UK entries include Slate Gray, Tidal Blue and Neo Tropic. At the source read only Black and White were sellable on the UK page; the US page offered Black. Official photos of all six finishes are retained as configurations, not separate models.
In the box
Approach S12 golf watch, charging/data cable and documentation. CT10 club sensors are sold separately.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Sunlight-readable display with Big Numbers mode
  • Up to 30 hours playing golf or 10 weeks as a watch
  • Manual pin positioning and shot-distance measurement

Cons

  • No touchscreen or colour course maps
  • Automatic club tracking needs the optional full CT10 sensor set
  • No wrist heart-rate sensor or phone notifications

Closest rivals

Model
TypeSizesMovementPower reserveDisplayBatteryWaterGPSWeightReleased
GarminInstinct Crossover
Smart and sports45 mm––Memory-in-pixel28 days100 mSingle-band65 gNov 2022
GarminInstinct Crossover Solar
Smart and sports45 mm––Memory-in-pixel28 days100 mSingle-band65 gNov 2022
GarminInstinct Crossover Solar Tactical
Smart and sports45 mm––Memory-in-pixel28 days100 mSingle-band65 gNov 2022

Sources

  1. garmin.com/en-GB/p/721216
  2. garmin.com/en-US/p/721216
  3. support.garmin.com/en-GB
  4. www8.garmin.com/manuals/webhelp/GUID-20B1A0A2-73B9-4655-8848-D21854EFD433/EN-GB…
  5. mnd-assets.mynewsdesk.com/image/upload/f_pdf,fl_attachment/a4zovcjfqmjujrmiau9w
  6. garmin.com/en-US/newsroom/press-release/sports-fitness/garmin-expands-its-appro…
  7. mynewsdesk.com/ch/garmin/pressreleases/drei-vom-selben-schlag-garmin-erweitert-…
  8. mynewsdesk.com/de/garmin/pressreleases/drei-vom-selben-schlag-garmin-erweitert-…

Photo: mnd-assets.mynewsdesk.com

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