Apple Watch Series 9 vs Garmin Epix: Sports Smartwatches With Very Different Democracy

When you look for a sports smartwatch in 2026, the market offers two names above all others: Apple Watch Series 9 and Garmin Epix (2nd gen). Both measure your heart rate, sleep and kilometres with a precision that would have seemed clinical a decade ago. But there is one difference that catalogues never mention: one is made in a full democracy, and the other in an authoritarian regime with an EIU score of 2.12 out of 10.

At DemocracyMarket, the country of manufacture is not a secondary data point. It is the criterion that determines whether a product can appear on our platform. This article does not tell you which smartwatch has the better display — you can find that in any technology magazine. It explains what it means, concretely, that one is assembled in Shenzhen and the other in Taiwan, and why that difference matters before you open the box.

The EIU Democracy Index as a purchasing criterion

The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) Democracy Index evaluates 167 countries across five dimensions: electoral process, functioning of government, political participation, political culture and civil liberties. Scores range from 0 to 10. Above 8.0 we have a full democracy; between 6.0 and 8.0, a flawed democracy; below 6.0, a hybrid or authoritarian regime. DemocracyMarket's threshold is clear: any component manufactured in a country scoring below 6.0 blocks the product.

China scores 2.12 on the 2025 index — authoritarian category. Taiwan scores 8.99 — full democracy, ranked 10th globally. This is not about geopolitical preferences or consumer patriotism: it is about verifiable labour conditions, union access, data protection and the risk of state surveillance in the supply chain. Those conditions are radically different in each territory.

Apple Watch Series 9 — cutting-edge technology with Chinese manufacturing

The Apple Watch Series 9 is technically one of the best wearables on the market. It carries the S9 SiP chip built on a 4 nm process, a 2000-nit LTPO OLED display visible in direct sunlight, dual-frequency GPS (L1+L5) for precise tracking even in urban canyons, and ECG and blood oxygen sensors. The battery lasts approximately 18 hours under standard use, or 36 hours in low-power mode. Price from €499.

The problem is not the design or the software: it is that the device is assembled at Foxconn and Pegatron plants in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China. Apple publishes an annual supplier responsibility report that includes audits of these facilities. Those audits detect — and the company acknowledges — recurring non-compliances in overtime hours, waste management and worker access to grievance mechanisms. Apple works to correct them, but China's legal framework prevents free union formation and limits collective action by workers. The improvements are real but structurally incomplete.

On privacy, Apple presents a stronger profile than the country of manufacture might suggest. Health data from the Apple Watch — ECG, heart rate, menstrual cycle, sleep history — is encrypted on the device itself and in iCloud with end-to-end encryption. Apple's European servers operate from Ireland (EIU 9.19), and US servers are subject to democratic American legislation. Your health metrics do not travel to Chinese servers. That is a real advantage worth acknowledging.

Garmin Epix (2nd gen) — elite performance with a democratic origin

The second-generation Garmin Epix is the American company's answer for those who want both an AMOLED display and long battery life. The 47 mm sapphire crystal display delivers 1000 nits of brightness and excellent readability even outdoors. The battery lasts 16 days in smartwatch mode and 42 hours on continuous GPS — versus 18 hours for the Apple Watch. The multi-GNSS system simultaneously receives GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO and BeiDou signals. Price from €749.

Garmin manufactures its devices in Taiwan — EIU score 8.99 — and at its facilities in Oregon, USA (EIU 7.85). Both territories have labour legislation guaranteeing free union formation, collective bargaining and protection against arbitrary dismissal. Garmin Connect, the company's data platform, stores user information on servers in the US and Europe, under the GDPR framework for European users. The company does not sell health data to third parties and allows users to export or delete all information from within the app.

Garmin's analytics suite includes features such as Training Readiness — which combines training load, sleep quality and stress levels to recommend whether to train hard or recover — and Body Battery, an energy availability indicator based on heart rate variability. These tools have no direct equivalent in watchOS and explain why the Epix is the reference choice for triathletes, ultra-runners and competitive cyclists.

Technical comparison

• →Display: Garmin AMOLED 47mm with sapphire crystal vs Apple OLED LTPO 45mm — technical draw, Garmin advantage in durability and solar readability.
• →Battery: Garmin 16 days smartwatch / 42h GPS vs Apple 18 hours standard — clear Garmin advantage for long activities.
• →GPS: Garmin multi-GNSS (GPS+GLONASS+GALILEO+BeiDou) L1/L5 vs Apple dual-frequency GPS L1+L5 — both professional-grade precision.
• →Health sensors: Apple adds ECG and wrist temperature; Garmin adds pulse oximeter, HRV variability and VO2max estimation — Garmin advantage in advanced sports metrics.
• →Ecosystem: Apple Watch requires iPhone; Garmin Epix is compatible with iOS and Android — Garmin advantage in flexibility.
• →Price: Apple from €499 vs Garmin from €749 — Apple advantage in affordability.

Privacy and data: who sees your health metrics?

The data a smartwatch generates is among the most sensitive that exists: resting heart rate, sleep patterns, heart rate variability, physical activity history, menstrual cycles, even ECG readings. In the wrong hands, this profile can be used to infer health conditions that affect insurance, employment or credit. The jurisdictional origin of the manufacturer matters because it determines under which legal framework its servers operate and what real protection your data actually has.

Apple offers solid privacy guarantees: on-device processing and end-to-end encryption in iCloud are real policies, not marketing. The risk with Apple Watch is not in the software but in the manufacturing chain: workers assembling the device in China do not have the same rights as workers in Taiwan or Oregon, and the company that makes your components operates under a regime that can demand access to corporate data without a democratic judicial order. That does not mean your Apple Watch sends data to Beijing, but it does mean the systemic structure is less transparent.

DemocracyMarket recommendation

If the democratic criterion is your priority, the answer is unambiguous: Garmin Epix (2nd gen). It is manufactured entirely in full democracies, its data is under EU GDPR, and its sports features are superior for any use beyond a daily smartwatch. The higher price is the real trade-off, not an ethical penalty. If you are within the Apple ecosystem and the Apple Watch serves you well, it is not an irresponsible choice — but it is a choice with a supply chain that any informed consumer should know about.

• →✓ Manufactured in a full democracy: Garmin Epix (Taiwan, EIU 8.99) — ✗ Apple Watch (China, EIU 2.12)
• →✓ Battery for intensive sports use: Garmin Epix (16 days / 42h GPS) — ✗ Apple Watch (18h)
• →✓ Compatible with Android and iOS: Garmin Epix — ✗ Apple Watch (iPhone only)
• →✓ Data under verified GDPR: both for European users
• →✓ Accessible price: Apple Watch from €499 — ✗ Garmin Epix from €749

DemocracyMarket lists the Garmin Epix (2nd gen) among its verified products. The Apple Watch Series 9 does not pass the supply chain filter due to its manufacturing in China (EIU 2.12). This is not a quality assessment — it is a direct consequence of the criterion that defines the platform.