Garmin Approach® S12 vs Garmin VivoactiveSize, Specs & Wrist Fit Compared
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Garmin
Approach® S12 (010-02472-00)
Garmin
Vivoactive
The Garmin Approach® S12 and Garmin Vivoactive share a near-identical 43.7mm case, so wrist presence comes down to thickness, lug-to-lug and weight.
The Garmin Vivoactive is the slimmer of the two (8mm vs 11.5mm), so it slides under a cuff more easily.
On the wrist the Garmin Approach® S12 feels lighter (34.1g vs 38g, case only).
Specification Comparison
| Spec | GarminApproach® S12 | GarminVivoactive |
|---|---|---|
| Case Width | 43.7mm | 43.8mm |
| Lug-to-Lug | 43.7mm | 38.5mm |
| Thickness | 11.5mm | 8mm |
| Weight | 34.1g | 38g |
| Shape | Circular | Rectangle |
| Water Resistance | — | Waterproof |
| GPS | Yes | 10 hours |
| Display | Sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) | LCD |
| Always-On Display | — | Yes |
| Battery life | Watch mode: Up to 10 weeks GPS mode: Up to 30 hours | — |
| Battery life | — | 13 days |
| Battery life with GPS on | — | 10 hours |
| Has a rechargeable battery | — | Yes |
| Has a battery level indicator | — | Yes |
| Released | 2021 | — |
Full Specification Comparison
73 specs| Spec | Garmin Approach® S12 | Garmin Vivoactive |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Family | Garmin | — |
| General | ||
| Battery life | Watch mode: Up to 10 weeks GPS mode: Up to 30 hours | — |
| Display Size | 0.9” x 0.9” (23 x 23 mm) | — |
| Memory/History | 125 MB | — |
| Strap material | silicone | — |
| Charging method | Garmin proprietary plug charger | — |
| Display resolution | 176 x 176 pixels | — |
| Quick Release bands | Yes | — |
| Sensors | ||
| GPS | Yes | — |
| has GPS | — | Yes |
| has a compass | — | Yes |
| Has a barometer | — | Yes |
| has an accelerometer | — | Yes |
| Product Info | ||
| Main SKU | 010-02472-00 | — |
| Product ID | 721216 | — |
| Product Name | Approach® S12 | — |
| Release Date | 3/16/2021 | — |
| Product Variation | Black | — |
| Clock Features | ||
| Time/date | Yes | — |
| GPS Time Sync | Yes | — |
| Sunrise/sunset times | Yes | — |
| Automatic daylight saving time | Yes | — |
| Golfing Features | ||
| Tournament legal | Yes | — |
| Digital scorecard | Yes | — |
| Round timer/odometer | Yes | — |
| Auto CourseView updates | Yes | — |
| Yardage to layups/doglegs | Yes | — |
| Hazards and course targets | Yes | — |
| Pairs with Garmin Golf app | Yes | — |
| Green View with manual pin position | Yes | — |
| Preloaded with 43,000 courses worldwide | Yes | — |
| CT10 Automatic club tracking compatible (requires accessory) | Yes | — |
| Yardage to F/M/B (distance to front, middle and back of green) | Yes | — |
| Stat tracking (strokes, putts per round, greens and fairways hit) | Yes | — |
| Measures shot distance (calculates exact yardage for shots from anywhere on course) | manual | — |
| What You'll Love | ||
| Display type | Sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) | — |
| Water rating | 5 ATM | — |
| Activity Profiles | ||
| Outdoor recreation | Golfing | — |
| Daily Smart Features | ||
| Connectivity | Bluetooth® Smart | — |
| Smartphone compatibility | iPhone, Android | — |
| Design | ||
| width | — | 43.8 |
| height | — | 38.5 |
| weight | — | 38 g |
| thickness | — | 8 |
| resolution | — | 148 x 205 px |
| Display type | — | LCD |
| Has a display | — | Yes |
| water resistance | — | Waterproof |
| Always-On Display | — | Yes |
| has a touch screen | — | Yes |
| waterproof depth rating | — | 50 m |
| Battery | ||
| battery life | — | 13 days |
| battery life with GPS on | — | 10 hours |
| has a rechargeable battery | — | Yes |
| Features | ||
| Has notifications | — | Yes |
| Locates your phone | — | Yes |
| Connectivity | ||
| supports ANT+ | — | Yes |
| Bluetooth version | — | 4 |
| Is compatible with iOS | — | Yes |
| Is compatible with Android | — | Yes |
| Miscellaneous | ||
| has a battery level indicator | — | Yes |
| App & Software | ||
| Has achievements | — | Yes |
| Has goal setting | — | Yes |
| Has inactivity alerts | — | Yes |
| Counts how many calories you've burned | — | Yes |
| Activity tracking | ||
| Measures pace | — | Yes |
| Tracks distance | — | Yes |
| Designed for golf | — | Yes |
| Tracks your sleep | — | Yes |
| Tracks steps taken | — | Yes |
| Has multi-sport mode | — | Yes |
| Provides sleep reports | — | Yes |
| Has a stroke counter for swimming | — | Yes |
Wrist Fit
Garmin Approach® S12
Sits best on wrists ~46–62mm wide (≈ 12.3–16.6cm circumference).
Garmin Vivoactive
Sits best on wrists ~41–55mm wide (≈ 10.9–14.7cm circumference).
2D Dimension Schematics
Accurate scale drawings based on case dimensions. Drag to pan, Ctrl+scroll to zoom. Works for every watch regardless of photo availability.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Garmin Approach® S12 bigger than the Garmin Vivoactive?
The Garmin Vivoactive is bigger — 43.8mm vs 43.7mm case width.
Which fits a smaller wrist better, the Garmin Approach® S12 or the Garmin Vivoactive?
The Garmin Approach® S12 suits wrists around 46–62mm wide, and the Garmin Vivoactive around 41–55mm. The one with the smaller lower bound is the safer pick for a small wrist.
Can I see the Garmin Approach® S12 and Garmin Vivoactive side by side at true scale?
Yes — the schematics and photos above show both watches at matched scale, and our fit tool overlays each on your wrist width.