I walked 5,000 steps with the Apple Watch Series 12 and the Garmin Forerunner 570 — here’s which watch came out on top

In a head-to-head comparison between the Apple Watch Series 12 and Garmin Forerunner 570, both devices were strapped to a reporter's wrists during a 5,000 step walk. The goal was to determine which watch was more accurate in step counting. While both trackers use an accelerometer to measure steps, the Apple Watch Series 12 was able to count a few more steps (5,490) compared to the Garmin Forerunner 570's 5,512.

The Apple Watch Series 12 also came closer to the manual step count of 5,440. Although the difference in step counts was minimal (50 steps), the Garmin Forerunner 570 had a considerable advantage in battery life, lasting up to 10 days in smartwatch mode, while the Apple Watch Series 12 lasted 7 days. However, the Apple Watch Series 12 excels in features such as health tracking and connectivity, making it a more comprehensive smartwatch option for most users.