Garmin has launched the latest in its series of flagship Fenix smartwatches. The Fenix 7 series includes the brand’s ultimate sports and activity tracking GPS smartwatches that come equipped with fancy solar panels, sapphire and titanium materials, and an LED flashlight.
The company has also introduced the Epix Gen 2, a slightly toned-down option with a rugged casing and an always-on AMOLED display with Garmin’s health and sports tracking features.
Fenix 7 Series
Display & Design
The series will feature three models: Fenix 7S, a vanilla Fenix 7, and Fenix 7X. The smartwatches come in 42mm, 44mm, 47mm, and 51mm sizes respectively, and will feature a variety of materials ranging from fiber-reinforced polymer and stainless steel.
The Solar and Sapphire Solar models will feature sapphire glass protection with titanium casings and solar charging panels.
All Fenix 7 models are equipped with 1.2-inch transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) color touchscreens on the 42mm models, 1.3-inch on the 47mm and 1.4-inch on the 51mm model.
Five side-mounted buttons on the smartwatches feature haptic controls. The models also come with a built-in LED flashlight for runners to see during night training sessions and for climbers to navigate through dark spaces.
Storage & Other Features
The Fenix 7S models come equipped with 16GB of storage, while the solar models feature 32GB of storage.
All Fenix 7 models include wrist-based heart-rate measurements, SpO2, stress, breathing, and sleep tracking, and are 10ATM waterproof. The smartwatches also come with an endless number of sports and activity tracking profiles that include detailed metrics for running, cycling, skiing, swimming, strength training, and many others.
For optimal navigation, topoactive and ski maps can even be directly downloaded on the smartwatches for climbing or ski sessions.
The smartwatches also support all GNSS positioning standards, as well as the L5 standard for better accuracy. All versions also support NFC, as well as Garmin Pay.
Battery & Price
Battery life is estimated at 90 hours for the smallest 7S model with GPS and up to 120 hours for the high-end solar models.
Garmin Fenix 7 and 7S start at $700 for the baseline 42mm solar-less versions, and go up to $900 for the sapphire solar models.
The 7X model retails between $900 and $1,000. All models can be ordered via Garmin’s official website.
Epix Gen 2
The first Epix series smartwatch was launched back in 2015. The upgraded Gen 2 now features considerable improvements over its predecessor.
Display & Design
Equipped with a 1.3-inch always-on AMOLED touchscreen, both models are equipped with a single 47mm fiber-reinforced polymer case.
The entry-level model of the Epix Gen 2 comes equipped with Gorilla Glass DX protection, a passivated stainless steel bezel, and a steel rear cover.
The top-tier model known as the Epix 2 Sapphire Edition includes a sapphire crystal display lens, a titanium bezel, and a titanium rear cover.
Storage & Other Features
The Epix Gen 2 comes with storage variations of 16GB and 32GB, depending on the trim level.
The smartwatches include 10 ATM water resistance and support for all GNSS positioning systems. Moreover, the smartwatch includes health tracking features and more than 60 extensive sports and wellness monitoring modes.
The Epix Gen 2, however, does not feature any solar charging or a fancy LED flashlight.
Battery & Pricing
With moderate usage, Garmin reports a 16-day battery life for the Epix Gen 2.
The Garmin Epix Gen 2 retails for a starting price of $900 and goes up to $1000 for the titanium versions. The smartwatch can be ordered in multiple countries through the official Garmin website.
