Garmin Approach® S50 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch8 - LTE · 40mmSize, Specs & Wrist Fit Compared
The Garmin Approach® S50 is 2.6mm wider, 0.3mm longer, 2.8mm thicker and 1g lighter than the Samsung Galaxy Watch8 - LTE · 40mm. Both are circular.
Measured against the Garmin Approach® S50.
- Case width
- 43mmbaseApproach® S5040.4mm−2.6mmGalaxy Watch8 - LTE · 40mm
- Lug-to-lug
- 43mmbaseApproach® S5042.7mm−0.3mmGalaxy Watch8 - LTE · 40mm
- Thickness
- 11.4mmbaseApproach® S508.6mm−2.8mmGalaxy Watch8 - LTE · 40mm
- Weight
- 29gbaseApproach® S5030g+1gGalaxy Watch8 - LTE · 40mm
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Garmin
Approach® S50
Samsung
Galaxy Watch8 - LTE · 40mm
Which one fits you
Both need much the same wrist — roughly 45–61mm across the flat of the wrist. Neither will fit where the other won't, so decide on thickness, weight and features instead.
The Garmin Approach® S50 wears larger than the Samsung Galaxy Watch8 - LTE · 40mm (43mm vs 40.4mm case), giving it more wrist presence — and needing a wider wrist to sit cleanly.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch8 - LTE · 40mm is the slimmer of the two (8.6mm vs 11.4mm), so it slides under a cuff more easily.
Among the 312 43mm watches we hold thickness for, the Garmin Approach® S50 is thinner than 87%, so it wears flatter than its width suggests.
Among the 509 40mm watches we hold thickness for, the Samsung Galaxy Watch8 - LTE · 40mm is thinner than 83%, so it wears flatter than its width suggests.
Specification Comparison
| Spec | GarminApproach® S50 | SamsungGalaxy Watch8 - LTE · 40mm |
|---|---|---|
| Case Width | 43mm | 40.4mm |
| Lug-to-Lug | 43mm | 42.7mm |
| Thickness | 11.4mm | 8.6mm |
| Weight | 29g | 30g |
| Shape | Circular | Circular |
| Display type | AMOLED (optional always-on mode) | OLED/AMOLED |
| Released | 2025 | 2025 |
Hover a row to highlight that measurement in the schematics below.
2D Dimension Schematics
Every case drawn to scale on a shared centre — from above, and in profile against the wrist. Built from the measurements, so it works for every watch whether or not it has a photo.
Highlight
- Garmin Approach® S5043mm · 11.4mm thick
- Samsung Galaxy Watch8 - LTE · 40mm40.4mm × 42.7mm · 8.6mm thick
Garmin Approach® S50 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch8 - LTE · 40mm on a wrist
Put Garmin Approach® S50 and Samsung Galaxy Watch8 - LTE · 40mm on the same arm, sized to your own wrist, and turn it. Side by side or stacked on one spot, whichever answers the question faster.
- Garmin Approach® S50 — 43mm case, standing 11.4mm off the wrist.
- Samsung Galaxy Watch8 - LTE · 40mm — 40.4mm case, 42.7mm lug-to-lug, standing 8.6mm off the wrist.
Whether that clears your wrist edges is the question worth answering, and it depends on your wrist rather than on the case diameter.
See them on a wrist in 3DCase shapes are generated from each watch's published measurements — case width, lug-to-lug and thickness — not from manufacturer 3D models, so the proportions are accurate while the dial is generic.
Battery life compared
Furthest apart in Smartwatch mode, where the Garmin Approach® S50 lasts 5.0× as long as the Samsung Galaxy Watch8 - LTE · 40mm (10 days against 2 days).
Garmin Approach® S50Samsung Galaxy Watch8 - LTE · 40mm
Smartwatch
10 days2 daysGPS
15 hours—
Full Specification Comparison
275 specs| Spec | Garmin Approach® S50 | Samsung Galaxy Watch8 - LTE · 40mm |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Family | Garmin | — |
| General | ||
| Battery life | Smartwatch mode: Up to 10 days GPS Mode Up to 15 hours (using default display settings: gesture wake-up in Smartwatch mode and always-on while golfing) | — |
| Display Size | 1.2" (30.4 mm) diameter | — |
| Color display | Yes | — |
| Lens Material | Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 | — |
| Bezel Material | anodized aluminum | — |
| Memory/History | 4 GB | — |
| Strap material | ComfortFit nylon band | — |
| Charging method | Garmin proprietary plug charger | — |
| Large font option | Yes | — |
| Display resolution | 390 x 390 pixels | — |
| Quick Release bands | yes (20 mm, Industry standard) | — |
| Sensors | ||
| GPS | Yes | — |
| Compass | Yes | — |
| GLONASS | Yes | — |
| Galileo | Yes | — |
| Gyroscope | Yes | — |
| Accelerometer | Yes | — |
| Ambient light sensor | Yes | — |
| Pulse Ox Blood Oxygen Saturation Monitor | Yes | — |
| Garmin Elevate™ wrist heart rate monitor | Yes | — |
| has GPS | — | Yes |
| has a compass | — | Yes |
| Has a barometer | — | Yes |
| has a gyroscope | — | Yes |
| Has a cadence sensor | — | No |
| has an accelerometer | — | Yes |
| Monitors perspiration | — | No |
| Has a heart rate monitor | — | Yes |
| Has a temperature sensor | — | Yes |
| Monitors blood oxygenation levels | — | Yes |
| Product Info | ||
| Main SKU | 010-03010-00 | — |
| Product ID | 1604377 | — |
| Product Name | Approach® S50 | — |
| Release Date | 1/22/2025 | — |
| Product Variation | Slate Aluminum Bezel with Black ComfortFit Nylon Band | — |
| Clock Features | ||
| Timer | Yes | — |
| Stopwatch | Yes | — |
| Time/date | Yes | — |
| Alarm clock | Yes | — |
| GPS Time Sync | Yes | — |
| Sunrise/sunset times | Yes | — |
| Automatic daylight saving time | Yes | — |
| Cycling Features | ||
| Speed and cadence sensor support (w/sensor) | yes (using ANT+ or BLE) | — |
| Alerts (triggers alarm when you reach goals including time, distance, heart rate or calories) | Yes | — |
| Golfing Features | ||
| PinPointer | Yes | — |
| Swing Tempo | Yes | — |
| Custom targets | Yes | — |
| Full vector map | yes (with Garmin Golf membership) | — |
| Handicap scoring | Yes | — |
| Tournament legal | yes (with tournament mode enabled) | — |
| Digital scorecard | Yes | — |
| Garmin AutoShot™ | Yes | — |
| PlaysLike distance | 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 | — |
| Green Contours (with Garmin Golf membership) | Yes | — |
| CT1 Automatic club tracking compatible (requires accessory) | 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 | — |
| Touch-targeting (touch target on display to see the distance to any point) | yes (with Garmin Golf membership) | — |
| Measures shot distance (calculates exact yardage for shots from anywhere on course) | Yes | — |
| Running Features | ||
| Run workouts | Yes | — |
| GPS-based distance, time and pace | Yes | — |
| Cadence (provides real-time number of steps per minute) | Yes | — |
| What You'll Love | ||
| Touchscreen | Yes | — |
| Display type | AMOLED (optional always-on mode) | — |
| Water rating | 5 ATM | — |
| Garmin Pay™ | Yes | — |
| Music storage | Yes | — |
| Pulse Ox blood oxygen | yes (spot-check and optionally in sleep) | — |
| Sleep score and insights | Yes | — |
| Battery life (smartwatch mode) | Up to 10 days | — |
| Activity Profiles | ||
| Gym | Strength, HIIT, Cardio, Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Floor Climbing, Indoor Rowing | — |
| Swim | Pool Swimming | — |
| Cycling | Biking, Indoor Biking | — |
| Wellness | Walking, Pilates, Yoga, Indoor Walking | — |
| In the ring | Boxing, Mixed Martial Arts | — |
| Team sports | Basketball, Volleyball, Field Hockey, Ice Hockey, Football/Soccer, American Football, Lacrosse, Rugby, Ultimate Disc, Cricket, Softball, Baseball | — |
| On the Water | Stand Up Paddleboarding, Rowing, Kayaking | — |
| Racket sports | Tennis, Pickleball, Badminton, Squash, Table Tennis, Padel, Platform Tennis, Racquetball | — |
| Snow & winter | Skiing, Snowboarding, XC Classic Skiing, Snowshoeing | — |
| Indoor running | Treadmill Running, Indoor Track Running | — |
| Outdoor running | Running | — |
| Outdoor recreation | Golfing | — |
| Swimming Features | ||
| Time and distance alerts | Yes | — |
| Auto rest (pool swim only) | Yes | — |
| Underwater wrist-based heart rate | Yes | — |
| Basic rest timer (up from 0) (pool swim only) | Yes | — |
| Stroke type detection (freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly) (pool swim only) | Yes | — |
| Pool swim metrics (lengths, distance, pace, stroke count, swim efficiency (SWOLF), calories) | Yes | — |
| Open-water swim metrics (distance, pace, stroke count/rate, stroke distance, swim efficiency (SWOLF), calories) | Yes | — |
| Daily Smart Features | ||
| Calendar | Yes | — |
| Passcode | Yes | — |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth®, ANT+®, Wi-Fi® | — |
| Find My Phone | Yes | — |
| Find My Watch | Yes | — |
| Morning report | Yes | — |
| Weather forecasts | Yes | — |
| Smart Notifications | Yes | — |
| Smartphone compatibility | iPhone®, Android™ | — |
| Controls smartphone music | Yes | — |
| On-device Connect IQ™ Store | Yes | — |
| Plays and controls watch music | Yes | — |
| Pairs with Garmin Connect™ Mobile | Yes | — |
| Realtime settings sync with Garmin Connect™ mobile | Yes | — |
| View images from notifications on watch (Android™ only) | Yes | — |
| Text response/reject phone call with text (Android™ only) | Yes | — |
| Connect IQ™ (downloadable watch faces, data fields and apps) | Yes | — |
| Activity Tracking Features | ||
| TrueUp™ | Yes | — |
| Move IQ™ | Yes | — |
| Step counter | Yes | — |
| Calories burned | Yes | — |
| Distance traveled | Yes | — |
| Intensity minutes | Yes | — |
| Automatic rep counting | Yes | — |
| Garmin Connect™ Challenges app | yes (optional Connect IQ app) | — |
| Move alerts (displays on device after a period of inactivity) | Yes | — |
| Auto goal (learns your activity level and assigns a daily step goal) | Yes | — |
| Workout and Training Plans | ||
| HIIT workouts | Yes | — |
| Yoga workouts | Yes | — |
| Cardio workouts | Yes | — |
| Pilates workouts | Yes | — |
| Strength workouts | Yes | — |
| On-screen workout animations | Yes | — |
| On-screen workout muscle maps | Yes | — |
| Health & Wellness Monitoring | ||
| Sleep | yes (advanced) | — |
| Hydration | yes (in Garmin Connect™ and optional Connect IQ™ widget) | — |
| Breathwork | Yes | — |
| Meditation | Yes | — |
| Fitness age | Yes | — |
| Sleep coach | Yes | — |
| Nap detection | Yes | — |
| All-day stress | Yes | — |
| Women's health | yes (in Garmin Connect™ and optional Connect IQ™ widget) | — |
| Health snapshot | Yes | — |
| Respiration rate | Yes | — |
| Resting heart rate | Yes | — |
| Relaxation reminders | Yes | — |
| Abnormal heart rate alerts | yes (high and low) | — |
| Relaxation breathing timer | Yes | — |
| Body Battery™ energy monitor | Yes | — |
| Wrist-based heart rate (constant, every second) | Yes | — |
| Safety and Tracking Features | ||
| Assistance | Yes | — |
| Incident Detection during select activities | Yes | — |
| Incident detection alert on phone for wearables | Yes | — |
| Training, Planning and Analysis Features | ||
| % HRR | Yes | — |
| % HR max | Yes | — |
| HR zones | Yes | — |
| HR alerts | Yes | — |
| HRV status | Yes | — |
| Manual lap | Yes | — |
| Auto max HR | Yes | — |
| HR calories | Yes | — |
| Recovery time | Yes | — |
| VO2 Max (Run) | Yes | — |
| Advanced workouts | Yes | — |
| VO2 Max (Trail Run) | Yes | — |
| GPS speed and distance | Yes | — |
| Configurable lap alerts | Yes | — |
| Customizable data pages | Yes | — |
| Touch and/or button lock | Yes | — |
| Downloadable training plans | Yes | — |
| Auto Pause® automatic timer halt | Yes | — |
| Respiration rate (during exercise) | yoga, breathwork and meditation only | — |
| Auto Lap® interval tracking feature | Yes | — |
| HR broadcast (broadcasts HR data over ANT+® to paired devices) | Yes | — |
| Design | ||
| width | — | 40.4 |
| height | — | 42.7 |
| volume | — | 14.84 cm³ |
| weight | — | 30 g |
| thickness | — | 8.6 |
| ATM rating | — | 5 ATM |
| resolution | — | 438 x 438 px |
| screen size | — | 1.34 inches |
| Display type | — | OLED/AMOLED |
| Has a display | — | Yes |
| pixel density | — | 327 ppi |
| width of band | — | 20 mm |
| water resistance | — | Water resistant |
| Always-On Display | — | Yes |
| has a touch screen | — | Yes |
| is designed for kids | — | No |
| waterproof depth rating | — | 50 m |
| Watch band is replaceable | — | Yes |
| Has sapphire glass display | — | Yes |
| maximum operating temperature | — | 35 °C |
| Ingress Protection (IP) rating | — | IP68 |
| has branded damage-resistant glass | — | No |
| lowest potential operating temperature | — | 0 °C |
| Battery | ||
| battery life | — | 2 days |
| battery power | — | 325 mAh |
| has wireless charging | — | Yes |
| has a removable battery | — | No |
| Has a solar power battery | — | No |
| has a rechargeable battery | — | Yes |
| Features | ||
| RAM | — | 2GB |
| release date | — | 2025-07-09 |
| Has a stopwatch | — | Yes |
| Has smart alarm | — | No |
| Has call control | — | Yes |
| Has silent alarm | — | Yes |
| has HRV tracking | — | Yes |
| internal storage | — | 32GB |
| measures VO2 max | — | Yes |
| Has notifications | — | Yes |
| Has ECG technology | — | Yes |
| Locates your phone | — | Yes |
| has fall detection | — | Yes |
| has voice commands | — | Yes |
| Acquires GPS faster | — | Yes |
| Has vibrating alerts | — | Yes |
| shows readiness level | — | Yes |
| Can be used to answer calls | — | Yes |
| measures resting heart rate | — | Yes |
| has irregular heart rate warnings | — | Yes |
| has fast/slow heart rate notifications | — | Yes |
| Has a built-in camera remote control function | — | Yes |
| Connectivity | ||
| has NFC | — | Yes |
| SIM cards | — | 1 eSIM |
| Wi-Fi version | — | Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) |
| supports ANT+ | — | No |
| supports Wi-Fi | — | Yes |
| supports Galileo | — | Yes |
| Bluetooth version | — | 5.3 |
| has a cellular module | — | Yes |
| Is compatible with iOS | — | No |
| Is compatible with Android | — | Yes |
| Miscellaneous | ||
| Has passcode | — | Yes |
| Has auto pause | — | Yes |
| Is compatible with Windows | — | No |
| Is compatible with Mac OS X | — | No |
| has an external memory slot | — | No |
| Compatible with smart scales | — | Yes |
| has a battery level indicator | — | Yes |
| has a socket for a 3.5 mm audio jack | — | No |
| Compatible with external heart rate monitors | — | Yes |
| App & Software | ||
| Ad-free | — | Yes |
| Free app | — | Yes |
| Tracks BMI | — | Yes |
| Has coaching | — | Yes |
| Includes maps | — | Yes |
| Supports routes | — | Yes |
| Has achievements | — | Yes |
| Has goal setting | — | Yes |
| Has exercise diary | — | Yes |
| Can be personalised | — | Yes |
| Has weight tracking | — | Yes |
| Predicts start date | — | Yes |
| Tracks water intake | — | Yes |
| Has inactivity alerts | — | Yes |
| Has period notifications | — | Yes |
| Has temperature tracking | — | Yes |
| Provides activity reports | — | Yes |
| Counts how many calories you've burned | — | Yes |
| Activity tracking | ||
| Measures pace | — | Yes |
| Tracks distance | — | Yes |
| Tracks elevation | — | Yes |
| Designed for golf | — | No |
| Tracks your sleep | — | Yes |
| Tracks steps taken | — | Yes |
| Designed for diving | — | No |
| Has a route tracker | — | Yes |
| Has exercise tagging | — | Yes |
| Has multi-sport mode | — | No |
| Tracks calorie intake | — | Yes |
| Provides sleep reports | — | Yes |
| Detects activities automatically | — | Yes |
| Has a stroke counter for swimming | — | Yes |
Wrist Fit
Garmin Approach® S50
Sits best on wrists ~45–61mm wide (≈ 12.0–16.3cm circumference).
Samsung Galaxy Watch8 - LTE · 40mm
Sits best on wrists ~45–61mm wide (≈ 12.0–16.3cm circumference).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Garmin Approach® S50 bigger than the Samsung Galaxy Watch8 - LTE · 40mm?
The Garmin Approach® S50 is bigger — 43mm vs 40.4mm case width.
Which fits a smaller wrist better, the Garmin Approach® S50 or the Samsung Galaxy Watch8 - LTE · 40mm?
The Garmin Approach® S50 suits wrists around 45–61mm wide, and the Samsung Galaxy Watch8 - LTE · 40mm around 45–61mm. The one with the smaller lower bound is the safer pick for a small wrist.
Can I see the Garmin Approach® S50 and Samsung Galaxy Watch8 - LTE · 40mm 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.
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