Yes, that seems to be consistent with the test results from DC Rainmaker. The Apple optical HR sensor is marginally better than Garmin in a few limited scenarios. So a win for Apple there and very technically impressive, although the difference would only tend to show up intermittently during certain intense activities. Serious athletes who really care about accurate heart rate will usually use a separate chest sensor as there are inherent limits to what an optical wrist sensor can do, especially if the wearer's skin is darker or tattooed or dirty.

https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2024/08/garmin-fenix-8-in-depth-...