Fitbit Inspire 3 succeeds the Inspire and it comes with a few more features. Similarly, the Garmin Vivosmart 5 succeeds the Vivosmart 4 and also welcomes new features. The Inspire 3 and Vivosmart 5 have a lot of features in common, and the price range is very similar. Each of these two is designed to track your daily activities and keep you updated with notifications received on your phone while allowing you to go long from a single charge. So, if you contemplating which to choose between the Vivosmart 5 and Inspire 3, this post will tell you all the differences and perhaps help you reach a more informed decision.
Fitbit Inspire 3 vs Garmin Vivosmart 5 Full Specifications Compared
| Fitbit Inspire 3 | Garmin Vivosmart 5 | |
|---|---|---|
 |  | |
ABOUT DEVICE | ||
| Device name | Fitbit Inspire 3 | Garmin Vivosmart 5 |
| Device type | Fitness Smartband | Fitness Smartband |
| Predessesor | Fitbit Inspire 2 | Garmin Vivosmart 4 |
| Successor | __ | __ |
| Released date | September, 2022 | April, 2022 |
| Ideal for | Unisex | Unisex |
DISPLAY | ||
| Display type | AMOLED | Monochrome OLED |
| Display size | ~ 1.4 inch | 0.85 inch |
| Display resolution | 124 x 206 pixels | 88 x 154 pixels |
| Pixel density | 171.7 PPI | 208.67 |
| Input type | Touchscreen | Touchscreen 1 Physical button |
| Always-on | Yes | Yes |
| Customizable watch face | Yes | Yes |
BODY | ||
| Shape | Rectangular/curved | Rectangular/curved |
| Dimension | 39.32 x 18.6 x 11.75 mm | 19.5 x 10.7 x 217mm (small) 19.5 x 10.7 x 255mm (large) |
| Weight | 17.7 grams | 24.5g (small) 26.5g (large) |
| Casing material | Resin | Polycarbonate |
| Strap/band material | Silicone | Silicone |
| Bezel Material | Resin | Polycarbonate |
| Strap size | 140 - 180 mm (small) 180 - 220 mm (large) | 122-188 mm (Small) 148-228 mm (large) |
| Interchangeable band | Yes | Yes |
| Screen protection | Corning Gorilla Glass | Acrylic |
| Water resistant/Protection | Yes, 5ATM | Yes, 5ATM |
| Swim-proof | Yes, recommended | Yes, recommended |
| Color(s) | Black case/liliac band Black case/morning-glow band Black case/black band | Black/white band Midnight/black band Black/cool mint band |
MEMORY | ||
| RAM | -- | N/A |
| Internal storage | __ | 14 days of activity tracking data |
| Memory card slot | No | No |
CONNECTIVITY | ||
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth v4.0 LE | Bluetooth and ANT+ |
| Bluetooth calling | No | No |
| Wi-Fi | No | No |
| NFC | No | No |
| Payment system | No | No |
| GPS | No, (connected GPS) | No (connected GPS) |
CELLULAR TECHNOLOGY | ||
| Technology | No | No |
| SIM | No | No |
| Band | No | No |
NOTIFICATIONS | ||
| Email alert | Yes | Yes |
| SMS alert | Yes | Yes |
| Calls alert | Yes | Yes |
| Event reminder | Yes | Yes |
| Weather | Yes | Yes |
| Third-party apps | Yes | Yes |
| Text response | Yes | Yes |
FITNESS TRACKING | ||
| Sleep apnea | No | No |
| Sleep tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Steps | Yes | Yes |
| Floors climbed | No | No |
| Heart rate monitoring | Yes | Yes |
| Calories | Yes | Yes |
| Distance | Yes | Yes |
| Stress | Yes | Yes |
| VO2 Max. | Yes | Yes |
| Blood oxygen | Yes | Yes |
| Blood pressure | No | No |
| Menstrual cycle tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Swim tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Under-water heart rate tracking | No | No |
| Preloaded maps | No | No |
| On-screen workout modes | No | No |
| Triathlon mode | No | No |
| ECG Tracking | No | No |
| Preloaded sport modes | Yes, 40 | Yes |
| Safety tracking | No | Yes |
MEDIA | ||
| Audio | No | No |
| Music streaming | No | No |
| Bluetooth music | No | No |
| Radio | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | No | No |
| Microphone | No | No |
| Camera | No | No |
SENSORS | ||
PLATFORM | ||
| Operating system (OS) | Fitbit OS | Proprietary OS |
| Chipset | -- | -- |
| CPU | -- | -- |
| GPU | -- | -- |
BATTERY | ||
| Type of battery | Non-removable lithium polymer | Lithium polymer |
| Battery capacity | _ | -- |
| Battery life | Mixed usage: up to 10 days | Smartwatch mode: Up to 7 days |
| Charging type | USB based charging dock | USB charging cable |
| Charging time | About 1-30 mins | About 1-2 hrs |
| Battery saver mode | No | No |
| Solar power | No | No |
| Rapid charging | No | No |
CLOCK FEATURES | ||
| Time/Date | Yes | Yes |
| Stopwatch | Yes | Yes |
| Alarm | Yes | Yes |
OTHER FUNCTIONS | ||
| Control camera | No | No |
| Music control | No | Yes |
| Find phone | Yes | Yes |
MISC | ||
| Compatibility | Android 8.0+, IOS 14.0+ Check supported devices | Android 7.0+ and iOS 15.0+ Check if your device is compatible |
| Companion app | Fitbit App | Garmin connect IQ |
| Voice command | No | No |
BOX CONTENTS | ||
| Fitbit Inspire 3 | Garmin Vivosmart 5 | |
| Straps | Strap | |
| Charging cable | USB charging cable | |
| Quick start guide | Quick start guide | |
| NOTE: We can't guarantee that all the information on this table are 100% correct. Read full disclaimer. Please, report an error. | ||
| Official Site | Official Site | |
Fitbit Inspire 3 vs Garmin Vivosmart 5 – Key Differences Compared
- Design – Case Material Differs
- Display – Inspire 3 has a more colorful display
- Fitness Tracking – Two awesome choices
- Notifications – Reply to messages
- Music Control – Inspire 3 lacks music control
- Battery Life – Inspire 3 has a longer battery life
Starting with the design, it will be frank to say that both smartbands are durably built. Although, the materials used are different. Each of these two is also very compact which is normal for smartbands. You shouldn’t expect any discomfort even if you choose to wear any of these 24/7.
While the Inspire 3 has a resin case, silicone straps and a Corning Gorilla Glass 3 screen, the Vivosmart 5 has a fiber-polymer case, silicone straps and a less durable acrylic screen.
Meanwhile, with a 5ATM rating on each of these two, you can actually wear the Inspire 3 or Vivosmart 5 to the shower or swimming pool.
So as far as design is concerned, the Inspire 3 and Vivosmart 5 meet all the requirements in terms of durability, compactness and comfort.
One of the main differences between the Inspire 3 and Vivosmart 5 is the display. The Inspire 3 has a more colorful AMOLED display compared to the monochrome OLED display of the Vivosmart 5.
Monochrome displays seem to be fading away faster than I’d expected. So, it’s surprising to see that the Vivosmart 5 retained a monochrome display. Nonetheless, it’s very easy to read in any light condition.
Accessing any of these two smartbands is also very easy. The Inspire 3 offers a touch-sensitive screen as the only means of interacting with the device. Meanwhile, you have the option of using touchscreen in addition to a physical button to interact with the Vivosmart 5. Also worthy to note is that the watch faces on these two can be customized.
So, regarding display, the Inspire 3 wins with a more colorful AMOLED display. Nonetheless, the Vivosmart 5 is still very easy to read.
Tracking your daily activities and helping you reach more fitness goals is the basic function of a smartband. In this regard, both Inspire 3 and Vivosmart 5 live up to expectations.
Each of these two is equipped with a heart rate sensor and accelerometer, and there is an infrared sensor and Spo2 sensor for blood oxygen measurement in the Inspire 3 and Vivosmart 5 respectively.
As a result, each of these two will track your steps, sleep, heart rate, calories burnt, and distance covered for the day. Both smartbands also offer you the option to choose from preloaded sports modes.
Both smartbands lack inbuilt GPS, however, can still map your routes by connecting to your phone’s GPS. That means, you must carry your phone along to map your routes and track related metrics during an outdoor workout.
However, as far as activity tracking is concerned there are few differences. The Inspire 3 will leverage on existing sensors to track your skin temperature variation. This is not possible with Vivosmart 5.
Meanwhile, while the Vivosmart 5 will monitor your stress level 24/7, the Inspire 3 will only help you reduce stress using a breathing app that guides you through a breathing session. Moreover, the Vivosmart 5 also features incidental fall detection that will allow the smartband to start a call on your phone to a preset emergency contact when it detects a hard fall. It will also send a message with your location to your emergency contacts.
Another interesting thing to note is that Fitbit offers more advanced health metrics via its Fitbit Premium service. This includes advanced insights into your sleep, fitness and other activities. Meanwhile, Vivosmart 5 gives you advanced sleep metrics and scores all for free.
In my opinion, the Vivosmart 5 with incidental fall detection and stress monitoring is a more comprehensive activity tracker than Inspire 3.
Another basic function of a smartband is to keep you updated when you receive messages on your phone. The Inspire 3 and Vivosmart 5 handle notifications very well. Moreover, each of these two will allow you to reply to messages with preset quick replies.
You need to enable notifications for select apps of your choice in the Fitbit app or Garmin Connect app to be able to receive messages on the smartband.
Unfortunately, both smartbands lack NFC. So, you can’t make payments with either the Inspire 3 or Vivosmart 5.
Being able to control music playing back on your phone from a smartband or smartwatch offers a significant level of convenience. In this regard, the Inspire 3 lacks music playback control. Meanwhile, Vivosmart 5 will allow you to effortlessly control music on your phone.
Considering their very tiny display, it’s normal for a smartband to have a long battery life. With any of these two, you can go multiple days from a single charge. However, the Inspire 3 has a longer battery life than Vivosmart 5. It offers up to 11 days compared to about 7 days with Vivosmart 5.
Inspire 3 or Vivosmart 5 – My Verdict
It’s a hard call to make deciding which is a better smartband between these two. The fact is that both smartbands are very compact and sturdy as well as well-equipped to track your daily activities. Interestingly, both smartbands will work with Android phones and iPhones.
However, the Inspire 3 has a better display and a longer battery life, and with Fitbit Premium offering more intuitive features, it could be the best bargain for you.
On the other hand, the availability of stress monitoring, incidental fall detection and music playback control on Vivosmart 5 gives it an edge over Inspire 3 as a better choice for activity tracking.
Bottom line, you know the differences, so it’s your call to make.
Hi! I’m Jude, the chief editor at Smartwatchseries.com
I’m a graduate of biochemistry, a 3D artist and a passionate fitness enthusiast. On here, I and other smartwatch fans work hard to help you find the right smartwatch for you with our guides, reviews, and comparisons.
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