Garmin fēnix 7 Solar Multisport GPS Watch, Black with Silicone Band

Product Information

Another characteristic is that it has quite a low refresh rate - compared to the OLED/AMOLED smartwatch screens - so when you do use the touchscreen, you don't get that super smooth and responsive animation that you'd get on a 'proper' colour screen.

They have previously done such things to stem demand while component ramp ups happen and niggles are stamped out of the manufacturing process. The Garmin Fenix 7 and Garmin Epix (Gen 2) might look similar, but there are some important differences between the two. I think the most important features that everybody wants on his previous gen Garmin watch is the ability to customize sports profiles, settings…Etc on GC App.If you have particularly small wrists or want the longest possible battery life, or enjoy sports like outdoor rock climbing where a regular sports watch may get scratched, then a watch in the Fenix range will probably be the best choice for you. I’ll likely fall short of Garmin’s 22-day claims because I have extra sensors turned on, such as overnight SpO2 monitoring.

It’s also possible to switch it off during sleep to avoid accidental touches at night, but we didn’t find this to be a problem. You’ll need a phone nearby to use this feature, though, so those who like to leave their phones at home are out of luck.The transflective colour LCD screen looks the same as its predecessor – clear and easy to read in direct sunlight, with a backlight for the night. You'll also see a number representing your training load that will help you judge if you're at risk of under- or over-training. The Garmin Fenix 6 recently received a firmware update that alerts you if you move your wrist too much while the watch is taking an SpO2 reading, and that’s a feature you’ll also see here with the Fenix 7. It doesn’t work as well with the connected smarts of your phone but it’s a sports tool first and foremost. That’s almost exactly the same as the Fenix 6 Solar, which comes in at 72g with its strap, and 49g without.

Garmin told Android Authority there’s a chance the features would make it to the Fenix/Epix line one day, but it depends on how popular they become with users. The watches' touchscreen interfaces make it easy to pan around maps, though the higher resolution of the Epix allows you to see more detail and makes map icons clearer. Better than the 5X which had one notable freak out of insanity during a race and would deflect notably with reflections of signal off of tall buildings or cliffs. Daily tracked metrics include steps, distance, calories in/out, stress (via heart rate variability), resting and active heart rate, intensity minutes, floors, blood oxygen levels, sleep, respiration, menstrual cycles, and more. Using these two indicators, you should be able to monitor whether or not you’re overexerting yourself.Simply better battery and GPS is not enough, since I also have the stryd running sensor which gives accurate pace. for the Fenix 7 series, which added new features for strength and interval trainers, and bike power meter users. The new features and tweaks Garmin added to the Fenix 7 line are a testament to where the Fenix series already stood with the Fenix 6.

Still black bezel, but the start-button is all black, markings on watch-face is silver instead of red and the band is leather. Once race day rolls around, you can use the Fenix 7’s new Up Ahead feature to understand which notable checkpoints are coming and when. However the Fenix 7 IS notably better and whilst you won’t notice too much difference in the featureset you will notice a smoother, faster watch that’s packed full of upgraded bits that enhance your sporting experiences. The main reason I want the native power support is to eliminate the CIQ field and presumably power-based structured workouts. It's readily legible in most lights but lacks contrast, and the use of a blue rather than white backlight means its colors are sometimes muddy.

Cons: expensive, big, limited Garmin Pay bank support, limited smartwatch features compared with Apple Watch/Galaxy Watch, no voice control, screen basic compared to OLED. The watch has a charging port on the back and special quick-release straps but is compatible with standard third-party bands, too. The sapphire solar models have an additional “multiband GPS” feature, which increases tracking accuracy around tall buildings or vegetation by locking on to the newer “L5” frequency band of GPS as well as the usual “L1” band. However, you do miss out on solar charging, weeks-long battery life, and some of the newer training features that the Fenix series is known for.