COROS Apex 4 vs Garmin Forerunner 570: AMOLED or Battery Life?

The COROS Apex 4 and Garmin Forerunner 570 are both multi-band GPS running watches that landed in 2025, and on paper they look like rivals. They’re not really fighting over the same buyer, though. One is built to disappear on your wrist for weeks; the other wants to be your phone-on-a-strap.

Key Differences

• Battery life isn’t close. The Apex 4 does 65 hours of multi-band GPS; the Forerunner 570 does 18. That’s nearly 4x.
• Display philosophy. Garmin uses a sharp 1.4-inch AMOLED (454 x 454). COROS sticks with a 1.3-inch Memory-in-Pixel screen (260 x 260) that trades looks for stamina.
• Payments. The Forerunner 570 has NFC and pays at the register. The Apex 4 does not.
• Price. COROS undercuts Garmin by about $70 ($479 vs $549.99).
• Storage for music. The Apex 4 packs 32GB; the Forerunner 570 has 8GB.

Deep Dive Comparison

Design & Comfort

These two are nearly identical on the wrist: 51g for the COROS, 50g for the Garmin, both in the 46-47mm range. The Forerunner 570 adds an aluminum bezel over a fiber-reinforced polymer case, which feels a touch more premium. The Apex 4 goes full fiber-reinforced polymer to keep weight and cost down. Both carry a 5 ATM water rating, so pool laps and rain are no problem for either.

Battery Life

This is where the gap turns into a canyon. In daily smartwatch mode the Apex 4 runs 576 hours (24 days) against the Forerunner 570’s 264 hours (11 days). Flip on multi-band GPS and the COROS holds 65 hours (2.7 days) while the Garmin drains in 18 hours (0.8 days). If you run a 100-miler, the Apex 4 finishes with charge to spare. The Forerunner 570 would need a mid-race top-up.

Health & Fitness Features

Both cover the serious stuff: optical heart rate, SpO2, ECG, a barometric altimeter, and multi-band GPS for accurate tracks in cities and canyons. COROS leans into the outdoor toolkit with a 3D compass and thermometer; Garmin adds an ambient light sensor to drive its auto-brightness. For pure tracking accuracy they’re a wash. The real difference is how long you can keep tracking, and that’s the COROS.

Smart Features

The Forerunner 570 is the better smartwatch, plain and simple. It has NFC for contactless payments, ANT+ for connecting to gym equipment and sensors, plus a mic and speaker for calls. The Apex 4 also has a mic and speaker and 32GB for offline music, but no tap-to-pay. If you want to leave your wallet at home, Garmin is the only choice here.

Price & Value

The Apex 4 starts at $479 and the Forerunner 570 at $549.99. So COROS gives you nearly 4x the GPS battery and more music storage for $70 less. Garmin asks you to pay more for the screen, the payments, and the ecosystem. Whether that’s worth it depends entirely on what you do with the watch.

Technical Specs

Spec	COROS Apex 4	Garmin Forerunner 570
Price	$479	$549.99
Weight	51g	50g
Display	1.3-inch MIP, 260 x 260	1.4-inch AMOLED, 454 x 454
Water Rating	5 ATM	5 ATM
Battery (Smartwatch)	576 hours (24 days)	264 hours (11 days)
Battery (Multi-Band GPS)	65 hours (2.7 days)	18 hours (0.8 days)
GPS	Multi-band	Multi-band
NFC Payments	No	Yes
Storage	32GB	8GB
Sensors	HR, SpO2, ECG, Altimeter, 3D Compass, Gyroscope, Accelerometer, Thermometer	HR, SpO2, ECG, Altimeter, Compass, Gyroscope, Accelerometer, Thermometer, Ambient Light

The Verdict

Buy the COROS Apex 4 if you run long, train hard, or just hate charging things. For $479 it delivers 65 hours of multi-band GPS and 24 days of regular use — numbers the Garmin can’t touch — plus 32GB for music. The MIP screen looks dated next to an AMOLED, but it’s the price of admission for that battery.

Buy the Garmin Forerunner 570 if your watch needs to pull double duty. The gorgeous 1.4-inch AMOLED, tap-to-pay NFC, and Garmin’s larger ecosystem make it the better daily companion for the runner who also wants a smartwatch on their wrist. Just know you’re spending $549.99 and accepting 18 hours of GPS instead of 65.

For most serious runners, the Apex 4 is the smarter buy. The Forerunner 570 is for people who want the screen and the convenience and will plug in more often to get them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which watch is better for ultramarathons?

The COROS Apex 4, without question. Its 65 hours of multi-band GPS is nearly four times the Forerunner 570’s 18 hours, so it can track a 100-mile race start to finish on a single charge. The Garmin would need a mid-race top-up for anything past a long ultra.

Does the COROS Apex 4 have contactless payments?

No. The Apex 4 lacks NFC, so you can’t tap to pay with it. The Garmin Forerunner 570 has NFC and handles contactless payments, which is the main reason to pick it if you like leaving your wallet behind.

Is the Garmin Forerunner 570 worth the extra $70?

Only if you value the AMOLED screen and payments over battery life. The $549.99 Forerunner 570 gives you a sharper 454 x 454 display and tap-to-pay, but the $479 Apex 4 nearly quadruples GPS endurance and adds more music storage. For pure running value, the COROS wins.

Which one works better with an iPhone or Android phone?

Both pair with iPhone and Android over Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, so you’re covered either way. The Forerunner 570 adds ANT+ for connecting to gym equipment and external sensors, giving it a slight edge for cross-training setups. For phone notifications and syncing, the experience is comparable on both platforms.

Which has the better display?

The Garmin Forerunner 570, easily. Its 1.4-inch AMOLED at 454 x 454 is brighter and far sharper than the Apex 4’s 1.3-inch MIP screen at 260 x 260. COROS chose MIP on purpose to stretch battery life, so it’s a deliberate trade, not a flaw.