Updated
Updated · TechRadar · Jun 24
TechRadar Editor Buys Garmin Vivoactive 6 for £169 as 11-Day Battery Life Lures Return
Updated
Updated · TechRadar · Jun 24

TechRadar Editor Buys Garmin Vivoactive 6 for £169 as 11-Day Battery Life Lures Return

1 articles · Updated · TechRadar · Jun 24

Summary

  • £169 for the Garmin Vivoactive 6 — down from £225.62 — pushed TechRadar editor Graham to buy a smartwatch again after abandoning Apple Watch.
  • An 11-day battery life drove the decision, with Graham saying daily charging made his previous Apple Watch feel like a burden rather than a convenience.
  • The Vivoactive 6 also won him back with wrist notifications, contactless payments and health tracking, while Garmin keeps core features subscription-free despite offering the optional Connect+ service.
  • The main drawback he flagged was music support: Garmin works with Spotify Premium or Amazon Music, leaving Apple Music users reliant on podcasts or transferred MP3 files.
  • The purchase came after he also considered the older Vivoactive 5, discounted to £117 from £174.99 in Amazon's Prime Day wearable deals.

Insights

Is sacrificing Apple's ecosystem for Garmin's battery life the new standard for smartwatches?
As smartwatches become health devices, will data privacy become more important than battery life?
How will on-device AI like 'Body Battery' change our relationship with personal health data?