Garmin Fenix 7 Sapphire Solar 47 mm, Slate Grey/Black (010-02540-21)

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The thin stripe around the edge of the display can collect 100% of the sun’s rays. Well, technically it’s of course less than that, but in terms of simple relativity here, we’ll go with that being 100% from a Garmin spec standpoint. Meanwhile, the portion under the glass can only receive 7% – but the surface area of course is massive. Note that the 7% figure is down from a 10% claim on the Fenix 6, which Garmin explains is because Sapphire is normally less clear than regular glass, so by reducing the solar layer, it increases overall clarity (compared to keeping it at 10%). And of course, the under the glass portion (officially called Power Sapphire, now) is the entire display surface. Then you can look at your VO2max value (for running and cycling), as well as your 7-day load. I find the 7-day load one of the best ways to quantify how much I’ve been working on over the past week (trailing 7 days). Especially where I might not have a set schedule I’m following. IDK whether Garmin has officially stated if the F7 uses a different chipset to the F6, or whether the antenna design is different or whether there are GPS software improvements compared to the F6 or whether the choice of material for the case means the satellite signals are better or whether any of this matters and actually leads to an improvement over the F6. IDK how the multi-band F7 compares to the ‘cheaper’ F7 versions. IDK if the cheaper versions use the same chipset as the F6? IDK if the cheaper F7 versions are as bad as the F6? If the cheaper F7 uses the same hardware as the F6 but is considerably more accurate can all those F6 owners who have a problem soon expect a software change which stops them from expressing their displeasure. AMOLED Model – There is a new AMOLED model called Epix Gen 2. It has a very pretty screen and shorter battery life, otherwise, it’s the same as F7.

I never found the Fenix 7 to struggle when locating satellites, eliminating the sometimes frustrating delay to the start of a ride.It’s a great, digestible way to show sleep data from a series not always known for its user-friendliness. The only issues are that the Fenix 7 sometimes takes a little while to finalize its sleep report: get up ultra-early and it may show the wrong figures until later in the morning. Available Outdoor Recreation Profiles: Hiking, indoor climbing, bouldering, climbing, mountain biking, skiing, snowboarding, xc skiing, stand up paddleboarding, rowing, kayaking, surfing, hunting, jumpmaster, tactical, kiteboard, windsurf, snowshoe

In any case both f6X I had had reasonable GPS performance. 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.I gave up on the Garmin current pace long ago. Could Garmin do better — yes I think there are simple smoothing rolling average algorithms that would give better steady-state readings. But I don’t know if that would be a problem for interval paces? Anyway I use a Stryd on the road. The sports available on the Fenix 7 series are (some are technically not sports, but fall under the apps list, like Map Manager): I think the problem is more nuanced though. Garmin’s products are definitely not the most accurate but they are not that far behind in the circumstances in which i test them (I don’t test in mountains and need to test more in urban areas). so even if the Airoha chip, confirmed by DCR, brings more accuracy will it be just a ‘bit more accuracy or a step change? I have had good and reliable but not amazing performance on the 6X with GPS+Galileo (the default) and GPS-only (although this was over Ultra distance in mountains so minor wobbles would not be that obvious. However I didn’t get lost which was a win. READ NEXT: Our guide to the best running watches you can buy Garmin Fenix 7 review: What you need to know

Open-Water Swim Metrics: Distance, pace, stroke count/rate, stroke distance, swim efficiency (SWOLF), calories There are some key differences, though. The most important of these is that (as we mentioned earlier) the Epix is only available with a 47mm case, while Fenix 7 watches are also available in 42mm and 52mm versions. Not bothered by the price but don’t like the Fenix 7 design? The Suunto 9 Peak might suit. It is Suunto’s top-end watch and made, in part, for hikers. However, its mapping support is far more limited than Garmin’s. You create routes on your phone and a basic trace line is sent to the watch for reference. It’s quite a different proposition to the full map data available with a Fenix 7. The new touchscreen on the Fenix 7 makes using the maps easier than on the previous Fenix because you can scroll across the map with your forefinger rather than having to rely on using the buttons on the bezel.

The Fenix 7 is the best multi-sports wearable money can buy, but it is very expensive

The Fenix 7 comes loaded with topographical maps for a variety of activities including cycling, walking, running and golf. Garmin’s Fenix 7 is the most advanced multi-sports & expedition watch to date, but it includes the widest possible range of tools for athletes in virtually any sporting discipline. I’ve not yet completed the new dual-frequency tests but this post gives an interesting look at GPS vs All Constellation accuracy if you want to read more detail.

Finally, those of you with Fenix 6 series watches are getting many, but not all, of the new software features in “an upcoming update”. Many of these were actually released over the weekend, but some are still outstanding. The specific list of features coming to the Fenix 6 series devices is: HRV Stress Test: Measures your heart rate variability while standing still, for 3 minutes, to provide you with an estimated stress level; the scale of this is 1 to 100; low scores indicate lower stress levels. (Only with compatible accessory – sold seperately)

Garmin Fenix 7 review: The verdict

As you know, there is no PRO model this time around but bear in mind that the Sapphire model has different features: Garmin says there are only contour lines available on certain regions of the watch’s UK map, but the map would be more instructive and usable if there were contour lines across the map in all territories. Performance Condition: After running 6–20 minutes, compares your real-time condition to your average fitness level Before we dive into sport usage, we’re going to briefly cover the flashlight. This is one of those features that’ll probably seem Inspector Gadget-ish at first, but in practice is actually surprisingly useful. I just wish it wasn’t limited to the Fenix 7X.