Great review! As someone who just got a Fenix 7x Solar Sapphire about a month before the Fenix 7 Pro was announced, I appreciate knowing that I am not missing out on a whole lot.
Tuesday, 17 October 2023, 6:03 am CDT Garmin expands ECG App to additional smartwatches, including its flagship epix Pro and fēnix 7 Pro series FDA-cleared and clinically-validated app lets even more Garmin customers record an ECG and check for signs of atrial fibrillation right from their smartwatch
Oh I know it. But I like pretty things. Kinda like a new iPhone each year. But, besides the HRM there is nothing really new and I will get the rest via software
Bought a 7x recently...great watch. The flashlight is the BEST tool ever, I have to say. However, i find it somewhat annoying that shortly after buying new stuff your piece of equipment 'feels' outdated...anyone thinks the same? Thx Ray as usual for your vid!
Same here, I hope Garmin also notices this because it is quite confusing. It can be said that it is a "Chinese" model, with quite some manufacturers you can discover untraceable names and variations, as well as feature updates.
I found my 6X has been able to keep up for quite some time,contrary to my 3HR and 5X that I upgraded within a year of having them but Iv had my 6X for 3 years now. I might upgrade to an epix 2 pro or 7x pro next year when the prices have dropped but don't feel the immediate need to change it just yet.
Thank You for the Auto Backlight suggestion. .My Fenix is MUCH Better now!😮 WHO Knew turning it OFF would make such a difference in overall Brightness😮 Thanks!
I upgraded mostly for the display. The regular 7x display is/was horrible to use outside. The glare was was a huge oversight from my 6x pro. Overall I just like having the most up to date features since this is the one thing that I use literally every single day and it tracks and does so much health wise. I look at it as an investment in staying healthy.
I got the 7X ss on sale a month and a half ago. 5 days before the return window expired, the price of the pro dropped enough for me to return it and get the 7X ss pro. I think it's a little better in all aspects. I feel like the flashlight is brighter, but I can't find any documentation on it. I kind of miss the Black DLC though.
Hello, Can you please confirm if the compass on the new Pro models is also highly sensitive and affected by the movement of the strap? (Was this an issue with the seventh-generation models)
I wish they would make something like an Fenix 7 pro crossover. The awesome features of the Fenix combined with some more classical look. Or at least something else with hands, solar and a flashlight...
Sounds like you want the Marq. Way out of my price range for a spiffy last gen Fenix but they market that to rich people who care what their watch looks like.
As a more casual user (I like tracking stuff but I'm not a big competitor) it looks like the fancy maps and improved screen clarity are the most tempting. I went with an Instinct 2X recently since I don't currently have a use for the maps, so it's probably not worth me returning this and spending an extra $350 for the fenix 7 pro, but man this looks nice
Lost my fenix 5 last weekend while surfing. Caught up in break and not sure if strap broke or unclipped (was tumbling underwater trying not to hit my head). Went for an impulsive buy today and the 7 pro sapphire solar titanium was on offered and scored. So many new features compared to the 5, thanks so much for the great explanation as always
How do you like this as a surf watch? I’m using an Apple Watch at the moment, but a single surf session almost completely drains the battery. Considering upgrading to a Fenix 7 pro sapphire if I can find a good deal
@Nocean831 I had the 6 Pro previously and it was a good surf watch, battery lasts forever. I've got the Epix Gen 2 now and the battery is not as good, if I had my time over I'd have bought the Fenix 7 Pro.
I’ve had my instinct for 4 years and it’s still going strong but it was time to finally upgrade to something more advanced, went with a 7 sapphire solar.
this is great. thanks. Im still on the fence between the fenix 7 pro saphire solar and the forerunner 955 solar the 300 bucks doesnt bother me, because I know these watches last for ever (i had my forerunner 920xt for 7 years and I just lost it). my only concern is the extra weight the fenix 7 has compare to the forerunner. do you notice the difference? I would coming from a 60g watch to a 70g, thanks
Great review as always Ray! Appreciate the deep, practical dive into the new metrics, particularly the endurance score (so useful for triathletes). Curious, was there any indication that the software features will be available later on the 265 or the 965?
i have the garmin mach 1 and freakn loving it over others! yes no solar but i think it has all the features the fenix 7 has plus aviation measurements.
On some Garmin older devices during Hiking, there is chart with distance in relation to how much i still have to climb during my trek. In older devices this chart only showed meters left to climb for overall trek. Im wondering if this device has also a support for local max? Like altitude in meters left to current peak?
Yup, what you're speaking of is ClimbPro, and my favorite feature. I didn't dive into it too much here since it's been around a while, but in my written review I talk/show it a bit more: www.dcrainmaker.com/2023/05/garmin-fenix-7-pro-in-depth-review-flashlight-and-multiband-for-everyone.html
I just ordered a 7 Pro and it should arrive in a few days. If you have Anthem health insurance, you can likely get a 20% discount in the discounts section of their web portal. This is to replace a Fenix 5 Plus. I debated Epix vs Fenix for a long time and decided that I just appreciate long battery life over the display and hope that technology will give me both in a future model.
Perfect hill strength score! Thanks for the amazing content : ) It's nice to know how this devices perform on a high level athlete, because I'm never getting there :D
I went from a fitbit, to a Huawei Watch Gt to a Vivoactive to a Fenix 7 Solar and the closest to it is the Huawei watch Gt. But I love the Fenix 7 and I'm thrilled with the purchase. Worth every cent
Is the Compass still wonky, I had my compass loose it’s mind every hour or so, unlike my Instinct gen 1 or forerunner 955 solar, which never lost calibration of compass. I tried multiple units of the fenix including sapphire and all of them had the compass calibration problem, further googling I found that the metal pins that hold the watch to the strap cause this ? Wondering if they fixed this in Pro.
As a person who has done some long distant hiking, but not in a race format I would say 34K with 8,000 ft elevation in 8 hours is moving at a serious pace......maybe you are expert level, you just don't know it yet. :-)
I really like the new shaded Topo maps, on my 6x pro it can sometimes take a moment to differentiate what im looking at. The shading will go a long way to improving that (and making the digital map line up more with my paper topo maps i carry hiking) I'm also glad they brought the light down to smaller sizes and the Epix, gives more options in the future. I probably won't downsize from an X, but now with the Fenix, Epix and Instinct all available in the larger size with a flashlight my options have expanded significantly. I also like the split Map/data data field now, I can put my elevation and map data on the same page and reduce the count of pages to scroll through while hiking. Nice.
thanks a lot for the review I do around 131k feet/year of mountain hiking but since I started going on more exposed alpine trails that overhang cliff GPS problem destroys 9/10 of my gpx very annoying especially since I'm never going back to most of them
Love your videos and was hoping you could help I'm after a muscle oxygen sensor for my garmin 7 fenix pro sapphire solar was hoping you had something to recommend?
My Fenix 5s had a very loud beep for alarms, run-walk alerts, nutrition alerts etc... My Fenix 7s has a very quiet beep that I can barely hear most of the time. Garmin sent me a second watch but it was exactly the same. How does this beep compare do you know? or does the epix 2 (42mm) have a louder beep?
Hmm..looking on those battery stats, the ONLY reason for the Fenix against the Epix now seems to be the Solar support - or did I miss something? The biggest argument FOR the Fenix always was battery time. And yes, maybe readability in direct sunlight. Is there anything I missed?
Yes, Amoled is useless when mounted on a handlebar for cycling. Or when rowing or paddle boarding. And battery estimates by Garmin are way too optimistic. The 965 lasts 12 hours max if following a course with AOD off, 2 sensors and Sat IQ. I sent it back and I'll get the 7 Pro.
@@paranoidandroid77amoled is also useless if you swim in open water under the sun because the watch doesn't recognize the gesture to turn the wrist so that the default's luminosity is too weak to read something.
I'm trying to figure out the difference between 7 Pro Solar and Solar Sapphire. Only the display glass? Read somewhere that there is different material on the bezel🤔
Any improvements to the compass? The compass on my Fenix 7 is quite unreliable, and calibration doesn't help. Is the one on the Fenix 7 Pro any better?
very incremental upgrades, as always. Still no magic feature that would make upgrade from Fenix 5, but I guess good news for new buyers - they're very good devices.
So no LTE… it’s the one feature i find missing, especially since the (ever so slightly) lower tier forerunner series does have it. Any thoughts on whether it’ll be coming to the next iteration?
@Carrot Cruncher Honestly, what is the point of ECG in a watch? I go to my doctor for actual health stuff. Also, I don't need to take a call on my watch but I can understand getting into the habit of doing that.
@@seekdiscomfort4746 a sapphire crystal costs like $30 to buy loose for other watches so it's probably more like $5 for Garmin. An extra $100 is way too much.
Great review, thx. 😊 Does the soccer activity have specific timer? I mean it shows 90 min of play and not 1h 30min. It would be great for me as a soccer referee. Thx a lot. 😊
I liked this review a lot. I am not the target audience for a garmin sports smartwatch, since I haven't done any kind of sports in the last 12 years due to injured knees. But I am looking for a good smartwatch with gps and solar powered. Sadly, the solar powered feature dramatically reduces the amount of smartwatches. It seems like I may be stuck with a watch that is wasted on me from a sports perspective, but I reaaaaally don't want to charge my watch every 3 days... Ideally I would want a mix between the fenix 7 pro and the upcoming smartwatch galaxy 7 classic.
What’s the waterproof ness/shock resistance of this watch? Looking at the 7s pro sapphire I think…I go to the pool and off the boards a lot with my kids and worried it’ll eventually hurt it
Question! Have you done any tests on how many Amp hours of battery it takes to charge the epix vs the Felix? For a multi-day hike either watch would need to be charged. While I’m not crazy about the extra weight in the backpack to carry a battery pack it would be good to do some math to determine what size battery pack I’d need to keep either watch charged on the trail for a 10-day excursion.
I used my Fenix 5S on a backpacking trip with a small 10,000 mAh battery that had a percentage charge display. Recharging the watch from 10% to100% after an all day gps tracked hike did not reduce the charge display. In contrast, recharging my phone used up 30 to 40%. And this makes sense. The 5S has a battery capacity of just 230mAh. Quick math says I should be able to recharge the watch about 45 times with a small portable battery. Of course I wouldn’t expect that many charges, but it provides more than enough for my 5 or 6 night treks. A small capacity portable battery should fully satisfy your needs.
Love your reviews! thank you for all your imput! What is your everyday watch? Is there a pair of garmin that you could recommend for everyday usage? ....been watching your reviews from instinct 2 watches to fenix and I stil can't make up my mind and which watch to go with as the daily driver for averabe sport activity/durability and everyday phone connectivity?
Hi, Ray. I have looked EVERYWHERE and can't find an answer to this so here is your chance to be a REAL LEGEND. Is there a way to set the watch on navigation to head up instead of north up so the arrow always faces up like a typical sat nav? It's sending me crazy because I just can't get away with the map stuck in leave and having to sort out where I am. Thanks in advance
This is a great view! I have Fenix 6 Pro, and it's screen is rock solid like my old Fenix 3 Pro. I would love to upgrade it to Fenix 7 Pro Solar. What can you tell about the screen? I hit my watch a lot of times here and there and no single scratch on the screen.
Any chance your wife can review the Fenix and Epix Pro 42mm watches? Id love to see what she thought about how battery life compares when used in testing considering the estimates are much lower. Thanks for your videos, they’re great!
I have a Fenix 7s Sapphire solar(42mm)I bought last week. I’m 5 days into the battery and I’m at 55%. I have done 3 x 1hr mountain biking using gps. The watch has been indoors except for the 3 hours mountain biking where it got some sunshine to add a bit of charge, so it looks like 10 days on a charge should be possible.
If the F7 standard and pro are using the same firmware, does this mean there will be another update soon? Version 13 just got released but that does not have the software features of the pro series. So the pro series must have a newer version and it should be available already for the whole watch series?
Great review! Thanks. I wonder if this new generation MIP display really brings back a little life to the visibility of the Fenix compared to the incredibly dull Fenix 7 solar, especially if also sapphire... Can't really tell from the video. Since you are in contact with Garmin... Please ask for a 7x pro NON solar, NON sapphire, and possibly if they can use the space now wasted by the solar ring for additional screen real estate. They could bring to the market the first 1.6" display sport watch without even changing the case or the hazel!! And get me one free of charge for the revolutionary idea 🤯
Is there a way to start navigating a course from a different starting point (current position instead of course starting point) directly from the watch (without using gamin connect) thanks
I have new F7ProSS I can feel pain on my skin under the heart rate sensor. Strap is pretty loose and still I gave cicrle mark on my skin. Is that normal?
This is great news for existing Fenix 7 owners. @dcrainmaker when do these updates come to the Fenix 7 range? And also is there any news on when the onboard wrist based Running dynamics will also come to the Fenix range? Whenever I've managed to prompt a software update and download, I still seem to be on the version 11.28.
Definitely. I’m not tempted to upgrade my Fenix 7s solar just for a light and AFib detection. Actually if I was still in the market I’d probably still go for the 7s rather than the 7s Pro as really don’t like the latter being only a silver bezel option and don’t want to stretch to the Sapphire models just for a 42mm watch with a grey bezel.
Wrist-based running dynamics is already in the current betas. As for the rest of the new features to the existing Fenix 7, they were saying 'next' quarterly update, but it's a bit fuzzy to me if that's the one going live shortly, or one later this summer. Waiting on clarity. My suspicion in the sooner one, since the firmware is literally the same between Pro and non-Pro units (meaning my Pro units have the same firmware as the beta for non-Pro).
@@Dcrainmaker thank you for taking time to reply Ray! Yeah the wrist based RD has been on the cards for a while now, in Beta since March perhaps...so what you say makes sense...that will be an awesome feature drop/firmware update when it arrives. Keep up the great work Ray, been following you some years now and you really are the 'go-to' account 🤝 Ps. One other feature/profile that I would really love is "buggy running"... Obviously it can record some of these activities now such as badminton and other sports like football, but I would really love it if it could record with more accuracy when I'm out running with my buggy cadence steps, etc because my arm will no longer be moving as much.... Once the wrist based running dynamics actually comes to the F7. I will see how it records my runs and with what level of detail.
Great video ! can you please forward a link to purchase an adapter that goes form C USB to --> USB A ? bought a Fenix 7x pro and i don't have a computer w a C USB input . Thank you
My Fenix 5 has, after 4 years and 3 weeks from purchase, a real-world battery life of about 3 days now (100% to 0%), with 2x 35min jogging with GPS recording, the remainder just normal use as a watch, barely ever actively interacting with the watch (backlight off, turned on only via a keypress, gestures disabled, 8 sec timeout, 30% brightness). Is this kind of *severe* battery lifetime degradation over time to be expected even with the Fenix 7 / Fenix 7 Pro, or did they switch to some more durable battery tech in the meantime? Spending 500+ Eur (with the 7 Pro it will likely take a year to get down to around upper 500 / lower 600 Eur range) every 3-4 years seems a bit on the high side, for someone like me, who is using the smartwatch rather sporadically. And btw, I never use the HR data from the Fenix 5 on any high intensity activity recording (anything over 80% HRmax) - it's just total rubbish in comparison with my Polar H10 HR belt. Typically the Fenix 5 HR data is down by 20-30 bpm from reality, making "near-max-effort" activities look like I was going out for an afternoon jog-and-talk.
I'm looking at getting a Fenix 7 pro solar 47 mm. Is there a big difference between that model and the 7x besides being larger & having the extra battery capacity?
My Samsung Galaxy Watch 46mm (the oldest model) bricked and won't boot up and I'm looking for a utility packed, long battery lasting smartwatch. Do you think 7X Pro will be a good jump? Thanks in advance!
Thank you. Can’t decide 7X Pro or 7X Pro with sapphire. I’m seeing comments about sapphire screen scratching. If that’s the case might as well go regular 7X Pro.
Hey DC, How does the 7X flashlight compare to the Enduro 2 now? Does the Enduro 2 still have the best battery life or has the 7X Pro matched it? Thanks for your videos and time.
@@Dcrainmaker neither do I but I know I tried once( can't remember what for, maybe one that had barcode for something on?) And it stopped gps. I know it's been a known bug since release and never been fixed despite a lot of people requesting it. Would be interested to see if it's been fixed yet.
Bahaha how hard have you been going w the new F7Pro?! That bezel is beat up! Haha. Awesome awesome review - you hit everything so damn well w great personal feedback on the value of each. Super super helpful
Hi, great review as always. I'm curious, have you checked if the endurance score takes into account the activities recorded by other garmin devices, e.g. the edge counter?
Will the 7x saphire solar get the hill score edurance score and all that? I got an update today and came here to see if you've covered it yet. I really like these two metrics since I do a lot of trail running. It would be nice to have a downhill and uphill score seperately lol. Oh nice. I like the weather overlays. Im always with my phone anyways. To bad the only time id need it would be during activities.
I was thinking of getting the garnim 955 solar but considering that the fenix 7 SS is on sale and only 100$ more than the 955 solar would it be better go for the fenix 7 SS or the 955 Solar? (I do a lot of section hikes so solar and battery life is important to me)
Hi Ray, Thank you for your review. This is an interesting watch in this series. But what motivates getting this compare to Polar V3? Price is 250€ difference where i live.
Hi Ray. I bought the saphire 51mm today. Unfortunaly, i can’t connect it with the Connect App. Neighter via the QR code, neighter via a new bluetooth connection or via the option “connect new device” in the Connect app. In this menu, only the standard Epix 2 appaers. Any idea?
@@Dcrainmaker Yes, but it’s solved now. This afternoon the pro models appears in the Connect App. Apparently, the app was a little bit behind against the launch. 😅.
as a fenix 7 solar user for the past 18 months or so.. seeing that flashlight feature on all the models now.. feeling a bit disappointed as that is a super useful feature that i foresee i can use on a daily basis rather than using the flashlight on a phone
I'd like a rugged long battery life off-grid GPS mapped navigation watch, but I'm not a hardcore fitness athlete. I just would like the multi function of advanced smart watch features, but also a great watch for camping and survival say if I get lost in the wilderness. Anyone have any recommendations?
"there is no skin temperature feature currently enabled on the Epix Pro or Fenix 7 Pro units" So it is showing ambient temperature measured from the holes on right side, betweeb buttons, and still having same temperature widget than FR955? And no "skin temperature" like in FR955 (measuring from bottom of the case)?
@Dcrainmaker thanks for a great review again. Any news when Garmin is expecting to release the Descent MK3? We desperately need an upgraded Descent mk3 😢
Good watch, garmin does bit offer to repair the devices. Even when you scratch the screen you can only hope for their goodwill. They offer refurbished watches in exchange for the broken ones, but at really steep price points. I think this policy makes only sense when the watch is really damaged or malfunctioning, but not when the screen is broken and the prices garmin charges are excessive. No more garmin for me!
Dumb question. I currently have a Vivoactive HR (yes it still works perfectly) that I use with a Polar H10 strap. I only do distance runs once or twice a week. I mostly do weights and CrossFit type stuff along with HIIT type stuff like sprints and shuttle runs. Is this watch overkill for me? I’m really interested in the HRV, stress, training readiness, and pulse oximeter metrics that my current Garmin can’t do.
Yes it is, all the hRV, trainning readiness does not work good for testing your levels of your main type of training is weights. But if you was a runner or cyclist then it would be good, but if your into weights and stuff like that, it will say your always ready 😂 So yes it’s overkill, I have had so many garmin watches.
7:35 I would guess that it is an rolling average and that with your long activity you lost also an long activity from the history. And with short activity there was maybe only a rest day that fell out of the average. But that’s just me guessing without even having the feature😅 Looking forward to test it on my normal fenix 7
Why they are pushing solar charging . I rather have use of full display . 51 mm and the solar capability take a lot space making the display a lot smaller in reality
Great review! As someone who just got a Fenix 7x Solar Sapphire about a month before the Fenix 7 Pro was announced, I appreciate knowing that I am not missing out on a whole lot.
Massively impressive that you found an 8000ft hill in The Netherlands 🇳🇱 Chapeaux!!
I snatched a Fenix 7 Sapphire solar deal at $580 new just two weeks ago. Fenix 7 Sapphire solar has all I need and saves $320.
Wow where
Where did you find that price
Tuesday, 17 October 2023, 6:03 am CDT
Garmin expands ECG App to additional smartwatches, including its flagship epix Pro and fēnix 7 Pro series
FDA-cleared and clinically-validated app lets even more Garmin customers record an ECG and check for signs of atrial fibrillation right from their smartwatch
Thank you Garmin for saving me a grand this year 😅
How so?
How?
@@JaySubi53 don’t have to upgrade from my fénix 7x sapphire
@@ibby81ae don’t have to upgrade from my fénix 7x sapphire
Oh I know it. But I like pretty things. Kinda like a new iPhone each year. But, besides the HRM there is nothing really new and I will get the rest via software
Bought a 7x recently...great watch. The flashlight is the BEST tool ever, I have to say. However, i find it somewhat annoying that shortly after buying new stuff your piece of equipment 'feels' outdated...anyone thinks the same? Thx Ray as usual for your vid!
Same here, I hope Garmin also notices this because it is quite confusing. It can be said that it is a "Chinese" model, with quite some manufacturers you can discover untraceable names and variations, as well as feature updates.
I found my 6X has been able to keep up for quite some time,contrary to my 3HR and 5X that I upgraded within a year of having them but Iv had my 6X for 3 years now. I might upgrade to an epix 2 pro or 7x pro next year when the prices have dropped but don't feel the immediate need to change it just yet.
Thank You for the Auto Backlight suggestion. .My Fenix is MUCH Better now!😮 WHO Knew turning it OFF would make such a difference in overall Brightness😮
Thanks!
I upgraded mostly for the display. The regular 7x display is/was horrible to use outside. The glare was was a huge oversight from my 6x pro. Overall I just like having the most up to date features since this is the one thing that I use literally every single day and it tracks and does so much health wise. I look at it as an investment in staying healthy.
I got the 7X ss on sale a month and a half ago. 5 days before the return window expired, the price of the pro dropped enough for me to return it and get the 7X ss pro. I think it's a little better in all aspects. I feel like the flashlight is brighter, but I can't find any documentation on it. I kind of miss the Black DLC though.
Hello, Can you please confirm if the compass on the new Pro models is also highly sensitive and affected by the movement of the strap? (Was this an issue with the seventh-generation models)
I wish they would make something like an Fenix 7 pro crossover. The awesome features of the Fenix combined with some more classical look. Or at least something else with hands, solar and a flashlight...
Yeah a fancy fenix hybrid watch would be an instant buy for me.
Sounds like you want the Marq. Way out of my price range for a spiffy last gen Fenix but they market that to rich people who care what their watch looks like.
I’m going from an instinct solar to a fenix 7 pro solar. I’m excited
As a more casual user (I like tracking stuff but I'm not a big competitor) it looks like the fancy maps and improved screen clarity are the most tempting. I went with an Instinct 2X recently since I don't currently have a use for the maps, so it's probably not worth me returning this and spending an extra $350 for the fenix 7 pro, but man this looks nice
I have the 6pro. Screen is absolutely fine, wouldn't upgrade for that. The better HRM on wrist and better GPS though, that's actually useful.
Lost my fenix 5 last weekend while surfing. Caught up in break and not sure if strap broke or unclipped (was tumbling underwater trying not to hit my head). Went for an impulsive buy today and the 7 pro sapphire solar titanium was on offered and scored. So many new features compared to the 5, thanks so much for the great explanation as always
The same thing happened to me on a surf trip in Indonesia last week, lost my 6 Pro in the water, so now looking at upgrading!
How do you like this as a surf watch? I’m using an Apple Watch at the moment, but a single surf session almost completely drains the battery. Considering upgrading to a Fenix 7 pro sapphire if I can find a good deal
@Nocean831 I had the 6 Pro previously and it was a good surf watch, battery lasts forever. I've got the Epix Gen 2 now and the battery is not as good, if I had my time over I'd have bought the Fenix 7 Pro.
Just ordered mine today upgrading from my 3 year old Garmin instinct solar ready for my triathlon.
I’ve had my instinct for 4 years and it’s still going strong but it was time to finally upgrade to something more advanced, went with a 7 sapphire solar.
@@RLS_91 nice, I hope you got in on sale I think it’s a couple hundred dollars off for Labor Day weekend. I wish I would’ve waited lol.
this is great. thanks.
Im still on the fence between the fenix 7 pro saphire solar and the forerunner 955 solar
the 300 bucks doesnt bother me, because I know these watches last for ever (i had my forerunner 920xt for 7 years and I just lost it).
my only concern is the extra weight the fenix 7 has compare to the forerunner.
do you notice the difference?
I would coming from a 60g watch to a 70g,
thanks
Great review as always Ray! Appreciate the deep, practical dive into the new metrics, particularly the endurance score (so useful for triathletes). Curious, was there any indication that the software features will be available later on the 265 or the 965?
i have the garmin mach 1 and freakn loving it over others! yes no solar but i think it has all the features the fenix 7 has plus aviation measurements.
On some Garmin older devices during Hiking, there is chart with distance in relation to how much i still have to climb during my trek. In older devices this chart only showed meters left to climb for overall trek. Im wondering if this device has also a support for local max? Like altitude in meters left to current peak?
Yup, what you're speaking of is ClimbPro, and my favorite feature. I didn't dive into it too much here since it's been around a while, but in my written review I talk/show it a bit more: www.dcrainmaker.com/2023/05/garmin-fenix-7-pro-in-depth-review-flashlight-and-multiband-for-everyone.html
I just ordered a 7 Pro and it should arrive in a few days. If you have Anthem health insurance, you can likely get a 20% discount in the discounts section of their web portal. This is to replace a Fenix 5 Plus. I debated Epix vs Fenix for a long time and decided that I just appreciate long battery life over the display and hope that technology will give me both in a future model.
Perfect hill strength score! Thanks for the amazing content : ) It's nice to know how this devices perform on a high level athlete, because I'm never getting there :D
I went from a fitbit, to a Huawei Watch Gt to a Vivoactive to a Fenix 7 Solar and the closest to it is the Huawei watch Gt. But I love the Fenix 7 and I'm thrilled with the purchase. Worth every cent
As a fenix 6 pro user. I think this is worth the upgrade now
Perhaps it's better to wait for the Fenix 8, it shouldn't be too long until they announce it.
@@freezak3864 The touch screen, solar, new sensor, possible EKG, battery life, minor screen improvement and flashlight are enough for me!
Is the Compass still wonky, I had my compass loose it’s mind every hour or so, unlike my Instinct gen 1 or forerunner 955 solar, which never lost calibration of compass. I tried multiple units of the fenix including sapphire and all of them had the compass calibration problem, further googling I found that the metal pins that hold the watch to the strap cause this ? Wondering if they fixed this in Pro.
As a person who has done some long distant hiking, but not in a race format I would say 34K with 8,000 ft elevation in 8 hours is moving at a serious pace......maybe you are expert level, you just don't know it yet. :-)
Hahah, thanks!
I really like the new shaded Topo maps, on my 6x pro it can sometimes take a moment to differentiate what im looking at. The shading will go a long way to improving that (and making the digital map line up more with my paper topo maps i carry hiking)
I'm also glad they brought the light down to smaller sizes and the Epix, gives more options in the future. I probably won't downsize from an X, but now with the Fenix, Epix and Instinct all available in the larger size with a flashlight my options have expanded significantly.
I also like the split Map/data data field now, I can put my elevation and map data on the same page and reduce the count of pages to scroll through while hiking. Nice.
thanks a lot for the review I do around 131k feet/year of mountain hiking but since I started going on more exposed alpine trails that overhang cliff GPS problem destroys 9/10 of my gpx very annoying especially since I'm never going back to most of them
Love your videos and was hoping you could help I'm after a muscle oxygen sensor for my garmin 7 fenix pro sapphire solar was hoping you had something to recommend?
Thank you for the informative review. What would you choose between the 7x Pro and the Epix Pro ?
My Fenix 5s had a very loud beep for alarms, run-walk alerts, nutrition alerts etc... My Fenix 7s has a very quiet beep that I can barely hear most of the time. Garmin sent me a second watch but it was exactly the same. How does this beep compare do you know? or does the epix 2 (42mm) have a louder beep?
Hmm..looking on those battery stats, the ONLY reason for the Fenix against the Epix now seems to be the Solar support - or did I miss something? The biggest argument FOR the Fenix always was battery time. And yes, maybe readability in direct sunlight. Is there anything I missed?
Ditto
Yes, Amoled is useless when mounted on a handlebar for cycling. Or when rowing or paddle boarding. And battery estimates by Garmin are way too optimistic. The 965 lasts 12 hours max if following a course with AOD off, 2 sensors and Sat IQ. I sent it back and I'll get the 7 Pro.
@@paranoidandroid77 Yes, recommended when using direct mount at handlebars. It´s far better then AMOLED.
@@paranoidandroid77amoled is also useless if you swim in open water under the sun because the watch doesn't recognize the gesture to turn the wrist so that the default's luminosity is too weak to read something.
I see your are enjoying hiking in the Calanques, very good choice!
Indeed, a great place!
I'm trying to figure out the difference between 7 Pro Solar and Solar Sapphire. Only the display glass? Read somewhere that there is different material on the bezel🤔
Any improvements to the compass? The compass on my Fenix 7 is quite unreliable, and calibration doesn't help. Is the one on the Fenix 7 Pro any better?
very incremental upgrades, as always. Still no magic feature that would make upgrade from Fenix 5, but I guess good news for new buyers - they're very good devices.
If you don't already want to upgrade from a F5, I think you'll never want to 😊
I am probably upgrading my fenix 5 to a Forerunner 965. :)
@@fulldaywork4200 why not for the tactix 7 pro why the forerunner 965
@@BarbaryStudio Amoled. :)
@@fulldaywork4200 epix all so have amoled
So no LTE… it’s the one feature i find missing, especially since the (ever so slightly) lower tier forerunner series does have it.
Any thoughts on whether it’ll be coming to the next iteration?
Who knows really Garmin has to figure out a lot of things if they're going to add LTE especially battery life consumption is going to be a huge one
@Carrot Cruncher Honestly, what is the point of ECG in a watch? I go to my doctor for actual health stuff. Also, I don't need to take a call on my watch but I can understand getting into the habit of doing that.
Does it finally track naps with the new elevate 5 sensor? Or is sleep tracking still bad?
Great question. I doubt it does.
I still think that it's crazy that sapphire isn't standard by now. It's not that much more expensive to manufacture.
That's why it's only 100 more. Not that much more expensive bit more expensive nonetheless
@@seekdiscomfort4746 a sapphire crystal costs like $30 to buy loose for other watches so it's probably more like $5 for Garmin. An extra $100 is way too much.
I just buy a screen protector, which is 25 times cheaper than buying a sapphire version.
@@Matheologia Yeah, that's also a good solution. 👍
there's no need to make it a standard when the other cheaper option works just fine for both the manufacturer and the consumer.
Great review, thx. 😊 Does the soccer activity have specific timer? I mean it shows 90 min of play and not 1h 30min. It would be great for me as a soccer referee. Thx a lot. 😊
With the overhang, the concern may be less that satellites are shaded than reflections of the signal from the overhang leading to positioning errors.
I liked this review a lot. I am not the target audience for a garmin sports smartwatch, since I haven't done any kind of sports in the last 12 years due to injured knees. But I am looking for a good smartwatch with gps and solar powered. Sadly, the solar powered feature dramatically reduces the amount of smartwatches. It seems like I may be stuck with a watch that is wasted on me from a sports perspective, but I reaaaaally don't want to charge my watch every 3 days...
Ideally I would want a mix between the fenix 7 pro and the upcoming smartwatch galaxy 7 classic.
10:30 That is because you really are a pro athlete and a pro youtuber!
Hahaha!
What’s the waterproof ness/shock resistance of this watch? Looking at the 7s pro sapphire I think…I go to the pool and off the boards a lot with my kids and worried it’ll eventually hurt it
Question! Have you done any tests on how many Amp hours of battery it takes to charge the epix vs the Felix? For a multi-day hike either watch would need to be charged. While I’m not crazy about the extra weight in the backpack to carry a battery pack it would be good to do some math to determine what size battery pack I’d need to keep either watch charged on the trail for a 10-day excursion.
I used my Fenix 5S on a backpacking trip with a small 10,000 mAh battery that had a percentage charge display.
Recharging the watch from 10% to100% after an all day gps tracked hike did not reduce the charge display.
In contrast, recharging my phone used up 30 to 40%.
And this makes sense. The 5S has a battery capacity of just 230mAh.
Quick math says I should be able to recharge the watch about 45 times with a small portable battery. Of course I wouldn’t expect that many charges, but it provides more than enough for my 5 or 6 night treks.
A small capacity portable battery should fully satisfy your needs.
Love your reviews! thank you for all your imput! What is your everyday watch? Is there a pair of garmin that you could recommend for everyday usage? ....been watching your reviews from instinct 2 watches to fenix and I stil can't make up my mind and which watch to go with as the daily driver for averabe sport activity/durability and everyday phone connectivity?
Hi, Ray. I have looked EVERYWHERE and can't find an answer to this so here is your chance to be a REAL LEGEND. Is there a way to set the watch on navigation to head up instead of north up so the arrow always faces up like a typical sat nav? It's sending me crazy because I just can't get away with the map stuck in leave and having to sort out where I am. Thanks in advance
This is a great view! I have Fenix 6 Pro, and it's screen is rock solid like my old Fenix 3 Pro. I would love to upgrade it to Fenix 7 Pro Solar. What can you tell about the screen? I hit my watch a lot of times here and there and no single scratch on the screen.
Hi, is it easy to read underwater? For open water swimming? Also what should i get fenix 7 or 7 pro. Having a 255 atm. Thank you
Any chance your wife can review the Fenix and Epix Pro 42mm watches? Id love to see what she thought about how battery life compares when used in testing considering the estimates are much lower. Thanks for your videos, they’re great!
I have a Fenix 7s Sapphire solar(42mm)I bought last week. I’m 5 days into the battery and I’m at 55%. I have done 3 x 1hr mountain biking using gps. The watch has been indoors except for the 3 hours mountain biking where it got some sunshine to add a bit of charge, so it looks like 10 days on a charge should be possible.
great review. i hope you will have comparison with Enduro 2 as I can see it was left behind in features and specs.
It gets all the same firmware updates.
Ahh yes! I can finally track my Table Tennis Squash games!
If the F7 standard and pro are using the same firmware, does this mean there will be another update soon? Version 13 just got released but that does not have the software features of the pro series. So the pro series must have a newer version and it should be available already for the whole watch series?
Great review! Thanks.
I wonder if this new generation MIP display really brings back a little life to the visibility of the Fenix compared to the incredibly dull Fenix 7 solar, especially if also sapphire... Can't really tell from the video.
Since you are in contact with Garmin... Please ask for a 7x pro NON solar, NON sapphire, and possibly if they can use the space now wasted by the solar ring for additional screen real estate. They could bring to the market the first 1.6" display sport watch without even changing the case or the hazel!! And get me one free of charge for the revolutionary idea 🤯
So true! I am rocking the Garmin 6X Pro and i am hesitant to upgrade due to the Solar and Sapphire "upgrades"
Is there a way to start navigating a course from a different starting point (current position instead of course starting point) directly from the watch (without using gamin connect) thanks
I have new F7ProSS
I can feel pain on my skin under the heart rate sensor. Strap is pretty loose and still I gave cicrle mark on my skin.
Is that normal?
Garmin really needs a trade in program. I love my 955. There's no way I'm upgrading for a long time.
I have also FR955... Seems that I would lose even skin temperature if upgrading...
This is great news for existing Fenix 7 owners. @dcrainmaker when do these updates come to the Fenix 7 range? And also is there any news on when the onboard wrist based Running dynamics will also come to the Fenix range?
Whenever I've managed to prompt a software update and download, I still seem to be on the version 11.28.
Definitely. I’m not tempted to upgrade my Fenix 7s solar just for a light and AFib detection. Actually if I was still in the market I’d probably still go for the 7s rather than the 7s Pro as really don’t like the latter being only a silver bezel option and don’t want to stretch to the Sapphire models just for a 42mm watch with a grey bezel.
@@5mattcolour I have the Black DLC Titanium Sapphire Solar 7. I.e. all black.....was the same, didn't want a grey bezel.
Wrist-based running dynamics is already in the current betas. As for the rest of the new features to the existing Fenix 7, they were saying 'next' quarterly update, but it's a bit fuzzy to me if that's the one going live shortly, or one later this summer. Waiting on clarity. My suspicion in the sooner one, since the firmware is literally the same between Pro and non-Pro units (meaning my Pro units have the same firmware as the beta for non-Pro).
Same we're still on 11.28 😢
@@Dcrainmaker thank you for taking time to reply Ray! Yeah the wrist based RD has been on the cards for a while now, in Beta since March perhaps...so what you say makes sense...that will be an awesome feature drop/firmware update when it arrives. Keep up the great work Ray, been following you some years now and you really are the 'go-to' account 🤝
Ps. One other feature/profile that I would really love is "buggy running"... Obviously it can record some of these activities now such as badminton and other sports like football, but I would really love it if it could record with more accuracy when I'm out running with my buggy cadence steps, etc because my arm will no longer be moving as much.... Once the wrist based running dynamics actually comes to the F7. I will see how it records my runs and with what level of detail.
Would you say the Sapphire-Solar-Titanium with the 32GB-SATIQ combo is a “no brainer” for $200 when compared to a standard version?
Great video ! can you please forward a link to purchase an adapter that goes form C USB to --> USB A ? bought a Fenix 7x pro and i don't have a computer w a C USB input .
Thank you
Just buy a USB A Garmin charger
My enduro 2 is still holding up
My Fenix 5 has, after 4 years and 3 weeks from purchase, a real-world battery life of about 3 days now (100% to 0%), with 2x 35min jogging with GPS recording, the remainder just normal use as a watch, barely ever actively interacting with the watch (backlight off, turned on only via a keypress, gestures disabled, 8 sec timeout, 30% brightness).
Is this kind of *severe* battery lifetime degradation over time to be expected even with the Fenix 7 / Fenix 7 Pro, or did they switch to some more durable battery tech in the meantime?
Spending 500+ Eur (with the 7 Pro it will likely take a year to get down to around upper 500 / lower 600 Eur range) every 3-4 years seems a bit on the high side, for someone like me, who is using the smartwatch rather sporadically.
And btw, I never use the HR data from the Fenix 5 on any high intensity activity recording (anything over 80% HRmax) - it's just total rubbish in comparison with my Polar H10 HR belt. Typically the Fenix 5 HR data is down by 20-30 bpm from reality, making "near-max-effort" activities look like I was going out for an afternoon jog-and-talk.
That perimeter data field looks very useful. Hope they bring it to my 7x soon 🤞
I'm looking at getting a Fenix 7 pro solar 47 mm. Is there a big difference between that model and the 7x besides being larger & having the extra battery capacity?
Exactly the vid I was looking for, thanks a lot!
Football,at last!!! Hope Garmin'll move it to my F7.
My Samsung Galaxy Watch 46mm (the oldest model) bricked and won't boot up and I'm looking for a utility packed, long battery lasting smartwatch. Do you think 7X Pro will be a good jump? Thanks in advance!
🔥🏆🔥 Best tech pro user review I've seen.
It's now January 2024, so I'm waiting for the Fenix 8X Pro....will be great for K2
Thank you. Can’t decide 7X Pro or 7X Pro with sapphire. I’m seeing comments about sapphire screen scratching. If that’s the case might as well go regular 7X Pro.
fenix 7 pro or epix pro? It seems that battery life in the epix is good enough for an amoled screen
Fenix 7x pro sapphire solar. When the sensors are off, should the green light from the back be on? Is it the same with your watch?
Will some of these features come to the FR 255/955 series (Endurance score, hill thing, etc)?
I doubt
955 still does not have double tap to zoom after 1 year, so I would not hold my breath
Hey DC, How does the 7X flashlight compare to the Enduro 2 now? Does the Enduro 2 still have the best battery life or has the 7X Pro matched it?
Thanks for your videos and time.
I just got my enduro 2, two weeks ago, and now I am thinking should I return and get an fenix 7 pro.
@@denisimos1why do u want to return it ? How much better is the current replacement?
@dcrainmaker does the bug still happen when you open a connect iq widget that's also an app while recording a GPS activity the GPS gets turned off ?
Hmm, not sure. I don't honestly tend to use too many CIQ widgets while also recording a GPS activity.
@@Dcrainmaker neither do I but I know I tried once( can't remember what for, maybe one that had barcode for something on?) And it stopped gps. I know it's been a known bug since release and never been fixed despite a lot of people requesting it. Would be interested to see if it's been fixed yet.
Hi Ray! Love the content, thank you! Do the different 7 pro versions have different watch faces?
Bahaha how hard have you been going w the new F7Pro?! That bezel is beat up! Haha. Awesome awesome review - you hit everything so damn well w great personal feedback on the value of each. Super super helpful
I'd love if you'd add chapters to these in depth reviews 🙂
Doh, fell off my plate. Adding…
@@Dcrainmaker thanks!
Great review, thanks Ray, a little disappointing if you've purchased a Fenix 7XSS for the flashlight & dual band
Not really, because you still have those features on your watch if that’s what you bought it for…
Hi, great review as always. I'm curious, have you checked if the endurance score takes into account the activities recorded by other garmin devices, e.g. the edge counter?
Yes, it pulls in anything via Unified Training Status.
Great video, thank you! Do you know if Garmin can track tine in a heart rate zone over time? Like: X number of hours in Zone 3 this month.
Will the 7x saphire solar get the hill score edurance score and all that? I got an update today and came here to see if you've covered it yet. I really like these two metrics since I do a lot of trail running. It would be nice to have a downhill and uphill score seperately lol.
Oh nice. I like the weather overlays. Im always with my phone anyways. To bad the only time id need it would be during activities.
I was thinking of getting the garnim 955 solar but considering that the fenix 7 SS is on sale and only 100$ more than the 955 solar would it be better go for the fenix 7 SS or the 955 Solar? (I do a lot of section hikes so solar and battery life is important to me)
Check out the 965 unless you don't want the new AMOLED display.
Hi Ray,
Thank you for your review. This is an interesting watch in this series. But what motivates getting this compare to Polar V3? Price is 250€ difference where i live.
When is Garmin Fenix 8 coming?😮😮
thanks for the review !!! I have a doubt... can I use in 4X4 mode my garmin to go in my car to waypoint? thanks a lot
Hi Ray. I bought the saphire 51mm today. Unfortunaly, i can’t connect it with the Connect App. Neighter via the QR code, neighter via a new bluetooth connection or via the option “connect new device” in the Connect app. In this menu, only the standard Epix 2 appaers. Any idea?
Hmm, I assume the latest Garmin Connect app?
@@Dcrainmaker Yes, but it’s solved now. This afternoon the pro models appears in the Connect App. Apparently, the app was a little bit behind against the launch. 😅.
Great review!, Finally worthy upgrade to my Forerunner 745, already ordered!, Hopefully they'll add the ECG ability soon.
Much difference? I have 745 thx
as a fenix 7 solar user for the past 18 months or so.. seeing that flashlight feature on all the models now.. feeling a bit disappointed as that is a super useful feature that i foresee i can use on a daily basis rather than using the flashlight on a phone
I'd like a rugged long battery life off-grid GPS mapped navigation watch, but I'm not a hardcore fitness athlete. I just would like the multi function of advanced smart watch features, but also a great watch for camping and survival say if I get lost in the wilderness. Anyone have any recommendations?
Garmin Fenix/Enduro 2/Epix pro 51mm, Instinct 2x (navigation but without maps)
great video as always but I still don't know which should I buy ;)
"there is no skin temperature feature currently enabled on the Epix Pro or Fenix 7 Pro units" So it is showing ambient temperature measured from the holes on right side, betweeb buttons, and still having same temperature widget than FR955? And no "skin temperature" like in FR955 (measuring from bottom of the case)?
Will a fenix 7 pro charge from 0% by itself from the solar charging by sun?
No
Felix Pro 7X or Apple watch 9? Mainly road cycling -- and I do have the Edge 530/Varia radar.
@Dcrainmaker thanks for a great review again.
Any news when Garmin is expecting to release the Descent MK3?
We desperately need an upgraded Descent mk3 😢
Still on fenix 6 sapphire , holding out longer for fenix 8 . Doesnt seem like enough to upgrade yet when my 6 works great still.
Good watch, garmin does bit offer to repair the devices. Even when you scratch the screen you can only hope for their goodwill. They offer refurbished watches in exchange for the broken ones, but at really steep price points. I think this policy makes only sense when the watch is really damaged or malfunctioning, but not when the screen is broken and the prices garmin charges are excessive. No more garmin for me!
Dumb question. I currently have a Vivoactive HR (yes it still works perfectly) that I use with a Polar H10 strap. I only do distance runs once or twice a week. I mostly do weights and CrossFit type stuff along with HIIT type stuff like sprints and shuttle runs. Is this watch overkill for me? I’m really interested in the HRV, stress, training readiness, and pulse oximeter metrics that my current Garmin can’t do.
Yes it is, all the hRV, trainning readiness does not work good for testing your levels of your main type of training is weights.
But if you was a runner or cyclist then it would be good, but if your into weights and stuff like that, it will say your always ready 😂
So yes it’s overkill, I have had so many garmin watches.
Saving up for the Fenix 7 Pro. Moving from a Samsung Galaxy Watch 4. The Samsung simply not gonna survive long distance running...
7:35 I would guess that it is an rolling average and that with your long activity you lost also an long activity from the history. And with short activity there was maybe only a rest day that fell out of the average.
But that’s just me guessing without even having the feature😅
Looking forward to test it on my normal fenix 7
Oh man I wish I had waited for the Pro. Thanks for the awesome review.
Can you do a comparison between this and the Enduro 2?
Why they are pushing solar charging . I rather have use of full display . 51 mm and the solar capability take a lot space making the display a lot smaller in reality