Garmin Approach Series GPS Comparison

Improving Your Golf Game with Garmin

Not sure which Garmin Approach is the right one for you? This comparison chart can help you identify which features each Approach model has.

Garmin Approach Series Comparison	Approach S12	Approach S42	Approach S62	Approach G12	Approach G30	Approach G80	Approach Z82
Lens Material	❌	chemically strengthened glass	Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3	❌	❌	❌	❌
Bezel material	❌	metal	ceramic	❌	❌	❌	❌
QuickFit watch band compatible	❌	❌	✅ (22 mm)	❌	❌	❌	❌
Quick release bands	✅	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌
Strap material	Silicone	Silicone	Silicone	❌	❌	❌	❌
Physical size	43.7 x 43.7 x 11.5 mm Fits wrists with a circumference of 125-202 mm	43.4 x 43.4 x 11.7 mm Small/Medium version fits wrists with a circumference of 106-176 mm (Silver/White and Rose Gold/Light Sand versions) One Size versions fit wrists with a circumference of 125-202 mm (Black/Gunmetal only)	47 x 47 x 14.8 mm Fits wrists with a circumference of 125-208 mm	1.8″ x 2.0″ x 0.5″ (45.8 x 51.3 x 12.4 mm)	2.1″ x 3.0″ x 0.8″ (53.0 x 75.0 x 21.0 mm)	2.3” x 4.5” x 0.6” (58.7 x 114.2 x 16.1 mm)	4.8″ x 3.1″ x 1.7″ (122.9 x 80.0 x 42.1 mm)
Touchscreen	❌	✅	✅	❌	✅	✅	❌
Color display	❌	✅	✅	❌	✅	✅	❌
Display size	0.9” x 0.9” (23 x 23 mm)	1.2 in (30.4mm) diameter	1.3” (33.02 mm) diameter	0.9” x 0.9” (23 x 23 mm)	2.3″ diag (58.4 mm)	1.8” x 3.0” (45.7 x 76.1 mm); 3.5” diag (88.9 mm	❌
Display resolution	175 x 175 pixels	240 x 240 pixels	260 x 260 pixels	175 x 175 pixels	200 x 265 pixels	282 x 470 pixels	❌
Display type	sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP)	sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP)	sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP)	sunlight-readable, high-resolution, monochrome	Transflective color TFT touchscreen	Transflective color TFT touchscreen	full color OLED display
Weight	1.20 oz (34.1 g)	1.5 oz (43 g)	2.2 oz (61 g)	0.9 oz (25.1 g)	2.5 oz (70.9 g)	4.2 oz (119 g)	8.2 oz (232 g)
Battery Life	Watch mode: Up to 10 weeks GPS mode: Up to 30 hours	Smartwatch mode: Up to 10 days GPS mode: Up to 15 hours	Smartwatch mode: up to 14 days GPS mode: up to 20 hours	up to 30 hours (GPS mode)	Up to 15 hours	Up to 15 hours	up to 15 hours (GPS mode)
Water rating	5 ATM	5 ATM	5 ATM	IPX7	IPX7	IPX7	IPX7
Memory/History	125 MB	64 MB	1 GB	❌	❌	❌	❌
Clock features	Time/Date, GPS Time Sync, Automatic daylight saving time, Sunrise/sunset times	Time/Date, GPS Time Sync, Automatic daylight saving time, Alarm clock, Timer, Stopwatch, Sunrise/sunset times	Time/Date, GPS Time Sync, Automatic daylight saving time, Alarm clock, Timer, Stopwatch,Sunrise/sunset times	Time/Date, Odometer	❌	❌	❌
Sensors
GPS	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Radar	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅	❌
Compass	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	✅	❌
Gyroscope	❌	✅	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Accelerometer	❌	✅	✅	❌	❌	✅	❌
Pulse Ox Blood Oxygen Saturation Monitor	❌	❌	✅				❌
Daily Smart Features
Connectivity	Bluetooth® Smart	Bluetooth® Smart	Bluetooth® Smart and ANT+®	Bluetooth® Smart	❌	Bluetooth® Smart	Bluetooth® Smart
Connect IQ (downloadable watch faces, data fields, widgets and apps)	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Pairs with Garmin Golf app	✅	✅	✅	✅	❌	✅	✅
Smart notifications	❌	✅	✅	❌	❌	✅ (iPhone only)	❌
Text responce/ reject phone calls with text (only on Android)	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Calendar	❌	✅	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Weather	❌	✅	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Controls smartphone music	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Find my Phone	❌	✅	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Find my Watch	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Smartphone compatibility	iPhone®, Android™	iPhone®, Android™	iPhone®, Android™	✅	❌	✅	✅
Compatible with Garmin Connect Mobile	❌	✅	✅	❌	✅	✅	❌
Garmin Pay	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Live Track	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Golfing Features
Preloaded with 42,000 courses worldwide	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Course preview (see detailed, hole-by-hole preview)	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅	✅	❌
Yardage to F/M/B(distance to front, middle and back of green)	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Yardage to layups/doglegs	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Measure shot distance (calculations exact yardage for shots from anywhere on course)	Manual	Automatic	Automatic	✅	✅	✅	✅
Big numbers mode	❌	❌	❌	✅	✅	✅	❌
Digital scorecard	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅ (score up to four players with optional adjustable handicaps; scoring options include Stroke Play, Stableford, Skins and Match Play)	✅	✅
Computer scorecard review (dave and review scores on computer)	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅ (on device or computer)	✅	❌
Custom targets	❌	✅	✅	❌	✅	✅	❌
Stat tracking (strokes, putts per round, greens and fairway hit)	✅	✅	✅	❌	✅	✅	✅
Garmin Autoshot	❌	✅	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Save Locations (mark course points of interest for future reference)	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅ (displayed on course map)	✅	❌
Full vector map	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	✅	✅
Auto CourseView updates	✅	✅	✅	✅	❌	✅	❌
Green View	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅ (automatic when laser ranging the flag)
Manual pin positions	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	❌
Hazards and course targets	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
PinPointer	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	✅	✅
PlaysLike distance	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	✅	✅
Touch-targeting (touch target on display to see the distance to any point)	❌	❌	✅	❌	✅	✅	❌
Handicap scoring	❌	✅	✅	❌	✅	✅	✅
SwingTempo	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	✅	❌
Tempo Training	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	✅	❌
TrueSwing compatible	❌	✅	✅	❌	✅	✅	❌
Round timer/odometer	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	❌
Automatic club tracking compatible (requires connect to the golf app)	✅	✅	✅	✅	❌	❌	❌
Wind speed and direction (requires connection to the golf app)	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌	✅
Virtual caddie	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Tournament legal	✅	✅	✅(with tournament mode enabled)	✅	✅	✅ (with setting)	✅ (with setting)
Green Contours (with Garmin Golf membership)	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Tournament mode indicator light	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅
Find My Garmin (helps locate lost device)	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅
Laser Range Finder Features
Laser range to flag	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	450 yards/411 meters
Laser accuracy	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	+/- 10″ (25 cm)
Magnification	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	6x
Flag finder	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	yes (visual confirmation and vibrational feedback)
Image stabilization	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅
2D course maps overlaid	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅
Laser Range Arc	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅
Radar Features
Integrated launch monitor tracks club head speed, ball speed, smash factor, swing tempo, estimated distance	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅	❌
Club head speed accuracy	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	+/- 5 mph	❌
Ball speed accuracy	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	+/- 2 mph	❌
Swing tempo accuracy	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	+/- 0.3	❌
Carry distance accuracy	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	+/- 5 mph	❌
Practice and game modes include warm-up, Virtual round, target practice, tempo training	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅	❌
Can be used indoors and outdoors	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅	❌
Activity Tracking Features
Step counter	❌	✅	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Move bar (displays on device after a period of inactivity; walk for a couple of minuets to reset it)	❌	✅	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Auto goal (learns your activity level and assigns a daily step goal)	❌	✅	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Calories burned	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Distance traveled	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Intensity minuets	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
TrueUp	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌
Available gym activity profiles	❌	❌	Strength, Cardio, Treadmill and Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Indoor Rowing and Walking, Yoga	❌	❌	❌	❌
Health Monitoring
Wrist-based heart rate (constant, every second)	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Daily resting heart rate	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Abnormal heart rate alerts	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Pulse Ox blood oxygen saturation monitor	❌	❌	✅ (spot-check and optionally in sleep)	❌	❌	❌	❌
Body Battery energy monitor	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Relaxation reminders	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Relaxation breathing timer	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Sleep	❌	✅ (Advanced)	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Hydration	❌	✅ (in Garmin Connect)	✅ (in Garmin Connect and optional Connect IQ widget)	❌	❌	❌	❌
Women’s health	❌	✅ (in Garmin Connect)	✅ (in Garmin Connect and optional Connect IQ widget)	❌	❌	❌	❌
Training, Planning and Analysis Features
GPS speed and distance	❌	✅	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Customizable data pages	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Auto Pause	❌	✅	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Auto lap	❌	✅	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Manual Lap	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Customisable alerts	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Touch and/or button lock	❌	✅	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Auto scroll	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Activity history on watch	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Physio TrueUp	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Heart Rate Features
HR zones	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
HR alerts	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
HR calories	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
% HR max	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
% HRR	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
HR Broadcast (broadcast HR data over ANT+ to paired devices)	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Running Features
Available run profiles	❌	Running, Indoor Running	Running, Indoor Track Running	❌	❌	❌	❌
GPS-based distance time and pace	❌	✅	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Foot pod capable	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Outdoor Recreation Features
Available outdoor recreation profiles	❌	❌	Skiing, Snowboarding, XC Skiing, Stand Up Paddleboarding, Rowing	❌	❌	❌	❌
Cycling Features
Available cycling profiles	❌	Biking, Indoor Biking	Biking, Indoor Biking	❌	❌	❌	❌
Time/distance alerts (triggers alarm when you reach your goal)	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Speed and cadence sensors support (with sensors)	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Swimming Features
Available swim profiles	❌	❌	Pool Swimming	❌	❌	❌	❌
Pool swim metrics (lengths, distance, pace stroke count, swim efficiency, calories)	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Basic rest timer (up from 0)(pool swim only)	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌