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Apex 4 (46mm) vs Instinct 3 50mm AMOLED

Coros Apex 4 (46mm) vs Garmin Instinct 3 50mm AMOLED

What Apex 4 (46mm) does better (5) and where Instinct 3 50mm AMOLED wins (6) — every spec side by side.

Coros · 2025Apex 4 (46mm)

6.0Score

5 advantages≈ $480

Garmin · 2025Instinct 3 50mm AMOLED

7.5Score

6 advantages≈ $400

Higher score

3.8Display5.6

8.2Battery life7.3

4.9Health tracking4.9

4.6Sports & outdoor6.6

4.7Build & durability5.4

Dimensions

Size comparison

Apex 4 (46mm)Instinct 3 50mm AMOLED

	Apex 4 (46mm)	Instinct 3 50mm AMOLED	Difference
Height	46.2 mm	50 mm	−3.8 mm
Width	46.2 mm	50 mm	−3.8 mm
Thickness	13.7 mm	14.4 mm	−0.7 mm
Weight	64 g	59 g	+5 g

Drawn to the same scale from the official dimensions (front and side).

Why is Apex 4 (46mm) better than Instinct 3 50mm AMOLED?

GPS battery life53 h vs 40 h+32%
Storage32 GB vs 4 GB8×
Sapphire crystalYes · Instinct 3 50mm AMOLED: No
GPS battery life (dual-band)41 h vs 30 h+37%
Thickness13.7 mm vs 14.4 mm+5%

Why is Instinct 3 50mm AMOLED better than Apex 4 (46mm)?

Water resistance5 ATM vs 10 ATM2×
AMOLED / OLED displayNo · Apex 4 (46mm): Yes
Sport profiles36 vs 962.7×
Weight64 g vs 59 g+8%
Resolution (width)260 px vs 416 px+60%
Pixel density200 ppi vs 320 ppi+60%

Specifications

Side by side

Only differences	Coros Apex 4 (46mm)≈ $4806.0	Garmin Instinct 3 50mm AMOLED≈ $4007.5
Design & durability
Case size	46 mm	50 mm
Weight	64 g	59 g
Thickness	13.7 mm	14.4 mm
Height	46.2 mm	50 mm
Width	46.2 mm	50 mm
Case material	Titanium	Aluminium
Sapphire crystal	Yes	No
Lens / cover glass	Sapphire Glass	Chemically Strengthened Glass
Strap material	Silicone / Nylon	silicone
Water resistance	5 ATM	10 ATM
Water rating (maker)	5 ATM	10 ATM
Display
Screen size	1.3″	1.3″
Display technology	Memory-in-pixel (transflective)	AMOLED
Panel	3rd Generation Memory-in-Pixel touch screen	AMOLED
AMOLED / OLED display	No	Yes
Always-on display	Yes	Yes
Touchscreen	Yes	—
Resolution (width)	260 px	416 px
Resolution (height)	260 px	416 px
Pixel density	200 ppi	320 ppi
Battery
Battery life (smartwatch mode)	24 days	24 days
Battery life with always-on display	—	9 days
Battery saver mode	—	30 days
GPS battery life	53 h	40 h
GPS battery life (dual-band)	41 h	30 h
Battery type	—	Lithium ion
Wireless charging	—	No
Charging	—	Garmin proprietary plug charger
Health sensors
Optical heart rate	Yes	Yes
Blood oxygen (SpO2)	Yes	Yes
ECG	Yes	—
Temperature sensor	Yes	Yes
HRV tracking	Yes	Yes
Sleep tracking	Yes	Yes
Sensors	Speaker to take hands-free calls or play activity alerts out-loud., Microphone to record training logs, use voice commands, and save Voice Pins, Optical Heart Rate Monitor, Barometric Altimeter, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, 3D Compass, Thermometer ), Optical Pulse Oximeter, Electrical Heart Rate Sensor for HRV and Wellness Checks	GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou, SatIQ technology, Elevate wrist heart rate monitor, Pulse Ox blood oxygen saturation monitor, Barometric altimeter, Compass, Gyroscope, Accelerometer, Thermometer
Sports & navigation
Built-in GPS	Yes	Yes
Dual-band GPS	Yes	Yes
Satellite systems	GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS	GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS
Offline maps	Yes	—
Barometric altimeter	Yes	Yes
Compass	Yes	Yes
Multisport / triathlon mode	Yes	Yes
Sport profiles	36	96
LED flashlight	—	Yes
Connectivity
NFC payments	—	Yes
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 4	—
ANT+ sensors	—	Yes
Smart features
Calls from the wrist	Yes	—
Speaker	Yes	—
Microphone	Yes	—
Music on the watch	Yes	—
Storage	32 GB	4 GB
Third-party apps	—	Yes
Platform
Operating system	—	Garmin OS
Platform	Proprietary	Proprietary
Works with	—	iOS, Android