{
  "id": 20117114,
  "title": "I just swam 1400m with the Apple Watch Ultra 4 and Garmin Fenix 9 Pro: Here’s which watch came out on top, and it wasn’t the one I was expecting",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/15/i-just-swam-1400m-with-the-apple-watch-ultra-4-and-garmin-fenix-9-pro",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-11-15T05:15:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Tom's Guide",
    "slug": "tom-s-guide",
    "url": "https://www.tomsguide.com/wellness/smartwatches/i-just-swam-1400m-with-the-apple-watch-ultra-4-and-garmin-fenix-9-pro-heres-which-watch-came-out-on-top-and-it-wasnt-the-one-i-was-expecting"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In a recent test comparing the Apple Watch Ultra 4 and Garmin Fenix 9 Pro, both high-end fitness trackers were submerged in a 1,400-meter swim to measure their accuracy and usability. Both watches use an internal accelerometer and gyroscope to track arm pulls and calculate strokes per length, stroke rate, and offer a SWOLF score, which gauges stroke efficiency. Both models are waterproof up to 10 meters, automatically detect strokes, and can provide SWOLF scores. However, their usability differs due to design changes – the Garmin Fenix 9 Pro features five leakproof buttons on the left and right side, offering smooth navigation underwater, while the Apple Watch Ultra 4 locks the screen when submerged, requiring users to deactivate the Water Lock feature to stop tracking the swim.\n\nDuring the swim, the results revealed that the Apple Watch Ultra 4 recorded a distance of 1,440 meters, while the Garmin Fenix 9 Pro logged 1,480 meters, a 40-meter discrepancy, or approximately two lengths of a 20-meter pool. Despite the slight difference in distance, both watches proved to be accurate overall. The Apple Watch Ultra 4 also proved to be more precise in stroke analysis, accurately categorizing the swim as Freestyle, Breaststroke, and Mixed without any inconsistencies, while the Garmin Fenix 9 Pro occasionally struggled to differentiate between strokes. The Garmin Fenix 9 Pro offered an added bonus: compatibility with a compatible HRM Swim chest strap for enhanced swimming data.",
  "summary": "We put the Apple Watch Ultra 4 and Garmin Fenix 9 Pro to the test in the pool.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Engadget",
        "title": "Checking your Apple Watch's battery health is easier than you think",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/14/checking-your-apple-watchs-battery-health-is-easier-than-you-think",
        "published": "2026-11-14T17:45:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}