Released along the Garmin Fenix 6 Series is the Vivoactive 4 Series, while the latter is made up of 2 members, Vivoactive 4 and 4S, the former is made up of 11 members; Fenix 6S, 6 Pro, and 6X Pro Solar. Each of these features the latest Garmin technology which includes more activity tracking features and battery saver modes features. We’re comparing the Garmin Fenix 6 Pro vs Vivoactive 4 to find out the differences.
There are 11 different models of the Fenix 6, and these include.
- Garmin Fenix 6s, 6s Pro, 6s Pro Sapphire and 6s Pro Solar.
- Garmin Fenix 6, 6 Pro, 6 Pro Sapphire and 6 Pro Solar.
- Garmin Fenix 6x Pro, 6x Pro Sapphire and 6x Pro Solar.
The difference between each of these is that the Pro units allow for onboard music storage, and feature trendline popularity routing, PacePro and ski resort maps. The standard editions lack these features.
Moreover, the Sapphire units which are priced higher have a more premium build that consists of sapphire crystal glass and Diamond-like Carbon(DLC)/titanium coated bezel.
Furthermore, the Solar units are the most expensive and they are equipped with a power glass and DLC bezel.
The 6s units have the smallest size compared to Fenix 6 which is bigger and Fenix 6X is the biggest. As a result, the 6s units have the shortest battery life, followed by the 6, while the 6X has the longest battery life.
Beyond these differences, all the units have the same design and activity tracking features.
Meanwhile, the Vivoactive 4 which is available in two sizes was released alongside the Venu. The Vivoactive 4 has the same design, feature, and appearance as the Venu. However, the Venu has a more colorful AMOLED display but has shorter battery life.
The bottom line is that the Vivoactive 4 has a lot of features present in the Fenix 6, but it lacks maps, has fewer activity-tracking features, has a shorter battery life and storage.
Garmin Fenix 6 Pro vs Vivoactive 4: Specifications Compared
| Product Info |
 Garmin Fenix 6 Pro Specifications, Features and Price |
 Garmin Vivoactive 4 Specifications, Features and Price |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $499.00 | $303.00 |
| ABOUT DEVICE | ABOUT DEVICE | ABOUT DEVICE |
| Device name | Garmin Fenix 6 Pro | Garmin Vivoactive 4 |
| Device type | Fitness/Sport smartwatch | Fitness/Sport smartwatch |
| Gender | Men | Unisex |
| Release date | September, 2019 | September, 2019 |
| Predecessor | Garmin Fenix 5 Plus | Garmin Vivoactive 3 |
| Successor | — | Garmin Vivoactive 5 |
| Versions | — | Captain Marvel, First Avengers, Vivoactive 4, Vivoactive 4S |
| BODY | BODY | BODY |
| Dimension | 47 x 47 x 14.7 mm | 45.1 x 45.1 x 12.8 mm |
| Weight | 83 grams | 50.5 grams |
| Shape | Circular | Circular |
| Case material | Fiber-reinforced polymer | Fiber-reinforced polymer |
| Strap material | Leather, Nylon, Silicone, Titanium | Silicone |
| Bezel material | DLC, Stainless steel, Titanium | Stainless steel |
| Strap size | 22 mm | 22 mm |
| Interchangeable strap | 22 mm, Yes | 22 mm, Yes |
| Screen protection | Corning Gorilla Glass DX, Sapphire glass | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Water resistance | 10 ATM | Yes, 5ATM |
| Durability test | MIL-STD-810G | — |
| Swim-proof | Yes, recommended | Yes, recommended |
| Color | Black | Black, Silver |
| DISPLAY | DISPLAY | DISPLAY |
| Display size | 1.3 inches | 1.3 inches |
| Display type | LCD, Memory-in-pixel (MIP), transflective | LCD, Memory-in-pixel (MIP), transflective |
| Display resolution | 260 x 260 px | 260 x 260 px |
| Pixel density | — | — |
| Always on | Yes | Yes |
| Custom watch face | Yes | Yes |
| Input type | 5 Physical buttons | 2 Physical buttons, Touchscreen |
| CONNECTIVITY | CONNECTIVITY | CONNECTIVITY |
| Bluetooth | ANT+, Bluetooth | ANT+, Bluetooth v4.0 |
| Bluetooth calling | No | No |
| GPS | Galileo, GLONASS, GPS | Galileo, GLONASS, GPS |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes |
| MEMORY | MEMORY | MEMORY |
| RAM | — | — |
| ROM | 32GB | 4GB |
| Memory card slot | No | No |
| CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY | CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY | CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY |
| Technology | None | None |
| SIM type | None | None |
| Band | — | — |
| NOTIFICATIONS | NOTIFICATIONS | NOTIFICATIONS |
| SMS alert | Yes | Yes |
| Calls alert | Yes | Yes |
| Email alert | Yes | Yes |
| Event reminder | Yes | Yes |
| Third-party apps alert | Yes | Yes |
| Reply to Notifications | - | - |
| MEDIA | MEDIA | MEDIA |
| Audio | mp3/mp4 | mp3/mp4 |
| Bluetooth music | Yes | Yes |
| Loudspeaker | No | No |
| Microphone | No | No |
| Camera | No | No |
| Radio | No | No |
| SENSORS | SENSORS | SENSORS |
| Sensor(s) | — | — |
| ACTIVITY TRACKING | ACTIVITY TRACKING | ACTIVITY TRACKING |
| Blood oxygen | Yes | Yes |
| Blood Pressure | No | No |
| Calories | Yes | Yes |
| Distance | Yes | Yes |
| ECG tracking | No | No |
| Heart rate monitoring | Yes | Yes |
| Sleep tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Steps | Yes | Yes |
| Floors climbed | Yes | Yes |
| Stress | Yes | Yes |
| Fall detection | Yes | Yes |
| Menstrual cycle | Yes | Yes |
| VO2 Max | Yes | Yes |
| Swim-tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Underwater heart rate tracking | Yes | Yes |
| On-screen workout | Yes | Yes |
| Sport modes | Yes | 20 |
| BATTERY | BATTERY | BATTERY |
| Battery type | non-removable Lithium-polymer | non-removable Lithium-polymer |
| Battery capacity | — | — |
| Battery life | Battery saver mode: 48 days, Expedition GPS mode: 28 days, Smartwatch mode: up to 14 days | GPS with music: up to 6hrs, Smartwatch mode: up to 8 days |
| Charging type | Charging dock | Charging dock |
| Charging time | 1-2 hours | 1-2 hours |
| Solar charging | No | No |
| PLATFORM | PLATFORM | PLATFORM |
| Chipset | — | — |
| CPU | — | — |
| GPU | — | — |
| Operating system | Proprietary OS | Proprietary OS |
| MISC | MISC | MISC |
| Companion app | Garmin Connect | Garmin Connect |
| Compatibility | Android 5.0+, iOS 11.0+ | Android 5.0+, iOS 11.0+ |
| Payment system | Garmin Pay | Garmin Pay |
| Voice command | No | No |
| Find my phone | Yes | Yes |
| Box content | Charger, Garmin Fenix 6 Pro, Manual, Straps | Charger, Garmin Vivoactive 4, Manual, Straps |
Garmin Fenix 6 Pro vs Vivoactive 4: Battery Life
| Vivoactive 4 | Fenix 6 Pro |
| Smartwatch mode: Up to 8 days GPS mode with music: Up to 6 hours GPS mode without music: Up to 18 hours | Smartwatch: Up to 14 days GPS: Up to 36 hours GPS and Music: Up to 10 hours Max Battery GPS Mode: 72 hours Expedition GPS Activity: 28 days Battery Saver Watch Mode: 48 days |
What’s The Difference?
Although the Vivoactive 4 is a more compact smartwatch and weighs a little less, the Fenix 6 Pro is a better smartwatch for the following reasons;
- The Fenix 6 Pro available in titanium and DLC materials is a more durable and sturdy device than the Vivoactive 4.
- The Fenix 6 Pro with 32GB has far more storage capacity than the Vivoacitve 4 with a mere 4GB onboard storage.
- The Fenix 6 Pro is a more comprehensive activity tracker has far more activity tracking features than the Vivoactive 4. It features preloaded TOPO maps, ski maps, PacePro, more running, swimming, cycling and outdoor recreational features which the Vivoactive 4 lacks.
- The Fenix 6 Pro has a longer battery life that lets you go longer from a single charge than the Vivoactive 4.
Bottom line, the Fenix 6 is a more comprehensive smartwatch than Vivoactive 4. However, the Vivoactive 4 is a cheaper alternative.
