(Pocket-lint) - Garmin has develop into the go-to title for health monitoring smartwatches, solidifying its place lately by providing a plethora of fashions to cowl particular market necessities. There are Forerunners for runners, Vivo for on a regular basis health, Venu for a extra conventional smartwatch really feel, Intuition for traditional digital watch vibes, plus many extra.
But when there's one collection that is very a lot seen because the all-action hero, it is the Fenix. It does just about every part, with the collection' 2022 replace - now in its seventh era - including a touchscreen for the primary time within the product's historical past. Does this extra hands-on strategy make the Garmin Fenix 7 the top-tier multisport watch to beat?
Fenix aesthetic
- 47mm case
- 22mm QuickFit strap
- Waterproofed to 100m
- Chrome steel bezel and again
- Finishes: Silver, Carbon Gray, Slate Gray, Mineral Blue & Titanium
Each time a brand new Fenix watch is launched Garmin would not simply launch a few totally different sizes and name it a day, it creates a mini vary of merchandise with totally different options, sizes, colors and supplies. There is not any change to that strategy right here.
There is a common Fenix 7 with a 47mm case, the smaller Fenix 7S with a 42mm case, and the bigger 7X with a 51mm case. There are additionally Photo voltaic, Photo voltaic Sapphire and Professional Photo voltaic editions with totally different combos of fabric and photo voltaic charging capabilities. And in case you go for any of the 7X variations, you get a inbuilt LED flashlight too.
For this evaluation, nevertheless, we'll be reviewing the Fenix 7 Photo voltaic. It is the middle-size or 'common' mannequin, however with added photo voltaic charging. Materials and design-wise it is an identical to the Fenix 7, it simply has longer battery life due to the addition of the Energy Glass and a photo voltaic charging ring contained in the show's bezel.
For anybody conversant in earlier Fenix fashions, the 7 collection will look instantly acquainted. It is received that chunky outdoorsy look, with a metallic bezel (chrome steel on this mannequin) and uncovered screws.
Nonetheless, there's a slight distinction for the seventh-gen mannequin. Relatively than have these uncovered screws within the bezel across the show, Garmin has prolonged the metallic plate to cowl the watch strap bezels and put the screws in there. It is a extra symmetrical look, which means the lugs at the moment are extra shielded from the tough and tumble of your adventurous life-style.
Other than that, from the entrance and the perimeters, the Fenix 7 seems to be largely the identical because the Fenix 6. However there are different refined variations: the purple accented protecting component that sits across the begin/cease button within the prime left is a change from the uncovered button; the index across the show has far fewer traces on it, now solely signalling seconds/minutes, additional including to the cleaner look.
The underside is essentially the identical too, that includes the traditional Garmin pill-shaped connector for charging, alongside a chrome steel plate. What's totally different is the optical sensor structure: it has been upgraded to the Gen 4 version, which has extra diodes/sensors in it and organized in an 'X' form, quite than a stack of sensors in a straight line of the sooner era.
As for the strap, once more, Garmin has caught to its normal: the 22mm QuickFit system. That is each good and unhealthy.
Good, as a result of eradicating the strap and switching it out for an additional (which you would possibly already personal) is basically easy and simply includes pulling again on a catch after which clicking the brand new one into place.
Unhealthy, as a result of it is a proprietary mechanism, so the variety of suitable third-party choices is slim. Garmin's personal choices are available a number of totally different colors and supplies, however none of them are simply inexpensive. If you need a leather-based one, as an illustration, you are £70+ within the UK to get one with the Garmin QuickFit adapter inbuilt.
Our unit shipped with a black rubber band, which is a protected alternative, full with a clean end and strap holes extending from proper close to the tip to about 20mm beneath the lugs, so it is good for just about any wrist dimension.
Touchscreen navigation
- 1.3-inch transflective MIP panel
- 260 x 260 pixel decision
- Touchscreen succesful
- 33mm diameter
The most important change from earlier variations of the Fenix is definitely invisible: its touchscreen. Whereas it nonetheless retains the 5 button system that means that you can management all of the layers of the interface, now you can additionally faucet and swipe on the display if you want.
Being a Fenix means the show itself is a transflective MIP (reminiscence in pixel) show, which brings a few key traits. Firstly, and most essential, is that it is at all times on. Secondly, when you have good gentle round you - as an illustration you are out in vivid daylight - that makes the display extra seen, not much less. Thirdly, it is extraordinarily environment friendly. It would not suck a number of battery life - as a result of it would not depend on backlighting - and so permits long-lasting battery life.
One other attribute is that it has fairly a low refresh charge - in comparison with the OLED/AMOLED smartwatch screens - so whenever you do use the touchscreen, you aren't getting that tremendous clean and responsive animation that you just'd get on a 'correct' color display. It is ever so barely jittery in case you look carefully. Nonetheless, it is fast sufficient that you just're not left experiencing jarring ranges of lag.
For essentially the most half, the touchscreen is a useful inclusion, however solely actually in on a regular basis life conditions at work/dwelling (each in the event that they're the identical place?). Utilizing it to test your present day's snapshots/glances, seeing what your sleep was just like the evening earlier than, or, we think about, scrolling via and deleting notifications (we are saying think about, as a result of within the run as much as launch, we weren't in a position to join it to a smartphone - as a result of Garmin Join did not assist the forward of its official launch).
The place we have discovered touchscreens not helpful is throughout actions, like when working or mountaineering. That is the place the bodily button management system turns out to be useful. You are not going to get unintended touches, or be compelled to attempt to swipe on a display with a button-based system. It is the very last thing you need in case you're mountaineering at excessive altitudes and are sporting gloves, or whenever you're on a run making an attempt to regular your arms sufficient to work together with a display.
The nice factor is, Garmin is aware of this too, so whenever you kick into an exercise similar to working, you get a bit message up prime on the display informing you that contact operation has been disabled. What's extra, in case you do not ever need touchscreen operation, you'll be able to simply disable it utterly - it has a devoted toggle in the principle features menu.
Additionally inside that menu, nevertheless, is the choice to allow touchscreen for actions (and per exercise, it is granular), so if you'd like touchscreen maps management, for instance, that's certainly doable - which many could discover a very helpful function certainly. Nonetheless, there is not any pinch-to-zoom in maps, it is simply managed by way of a bit +/- management on the display, however given the dimensions of the show that is hardly a shock.
Tremendous battery life
- From 18 to 22 days of battery life (Photo voltaic mannequin)
- As much as 73 hours GPS use (Photo voltaic mannequin)
- As much as 18 days battery life (non-Photo voltaic)
- As much as 57 hours GPS use (non-Photo voltaic)
It is uncommon on the earth of wearables to have a watch with a battery that lasts for an age, to the purpose you possibly can simply overlook it wants charging in any respect. However that is what Garmin has managed with the Photo voltaic version of the Fenix 7.
In our testing of the system a full battery would comfortably get us to round 20 days of use earlier than needing a refill. This was with two-to-three working classes per week - starting from round 40- to 60-minutes every time - and this was with the watch on at evening time monitoring our sleep for four-to-five nights per week as effectively.
Once more, it is value reiterating that this was with the watch not related by Bluetooth to a smartphone. We're uncertain the precise impression it will have, however assume it is going to imply the watch will drain a bit quicker.
On the flip aspect, the testing occurred through the shortest days of the yr, between Christmas and the center of January. Which means most of our runs have been at the hours of darkness, and we did not get to learn from utilizing the upper photo voltaic depth that may happen naturally in the summertime months. So did not get the prolonged battery that may result in, due to the photo voltaic glass. So there's extra energy-providing potential there.
Health and well being knowledge
- GPS, Galileo and Glonass navigation
- HIIT exercises, Golf maps, MTB efficiency
- PacePro, Physique Battery, Garmin Coach, Recommended Exercises
- Respiration, sleep, stress, coronary heart charge, SpO2 blood oxygen measure
Garmin's energy, significantly during the last two or three years, hasn't simply been precisely monitoring particular person and every day actions. It is utilizing that knowledge to feed right into a extra holistic view of your physique. It makes use of the metrics to grasp how effectively rested you might be, how burdened you might be, and has its helpful Physique Battery metric to point whenever you're working on empty - and possibly ought to take a relaxation day.
It is a system that works rather well on the Fenix 7, significantly whenever you use your watch to trace train. As an example, whenever you use it for working it will measure how arduous an exercise was, use it to find out your coaching standing and the way lengthy it's good to recuperate earlier than making an attempt the following session. With this effort and depth knowledge processed alongside your every day 24 hour heart-rate and sleep monitoring knowledge, it understands whenever you want relaxation and whenever you're good to go.
Sleep monitoring appears extra dependable than it has been beforehand as effectively. We have had no cases of it mistaking sitting nonetheless (whereas bingeing Netflix) as sleeping, with it precisely figuring out once we put our head right down to sleep correct, and once we get up.
Within the context of figuring out how effectively rested you might be, that is an essential metric. However even in case you do not wish to put on the Fenix 7 evening after evening, its skill to measure and monitor your coronary heart charge all day, on daily basis will give it a great indication of how drained/burdened you might be. Good sleep knowledge simply helps add to that image.
One factor we significantly love from Garmin is that you just're not simply left to your individual gadgets relating to deciding what sort of working session you wish to do. You'll be able to signal as much as a Garmin Coach plan - which we have finished a number of instances over the previous few years. You'll be able to signal as much as a 5K, 10K, half marathon or full marathon plan, and it will construct a schedule for you which ones mixes up lengthy straightforward runs with interval classes, cadence drills, hill repeats and different classes to construct your endurance and tempo.
In the event you do not wish to decide to a training plan, you'll be able to simply use the Recommended Exercise function, which will be accessed at any time whenever you start a working session. That is primarily based in your present health stage, how lengthy it has been since your final run, and modifications every day.
Working acquainted routes that we have been testing numerous watches on - together with the Fenix 7's predecessor - the brand new mannequin appears simply as dependable and correct as any earlier Fenix. Coronary heart charge monitoring is stable, exhibiting the anticipated ranges of coronary heart exercise through the day and through particular actions. We did not face any problems with it exhibiting decrease or larger than anticipated beats-per-minute, or any erratic leaping round.
GPS is equally sturdy. On working over a few of our most worn working routes, distances have been close to sufficient an identical to earlier efforts with different watches and the prior Garmin mannequin. Extra importantly, it was per itself: we did not see any uncommon or evident irregularities with the gap, effort and tempo data.
Fenix is not only for runners although. It is effectively suited to any out of doors (and even indoor) sport, providing superior knowledge for MTB (mountain biking), street biking and indoor treadmill/stationary bike actions. It even has cardio and HIIT exercise choices. There's not so much it might probably't monitor, on or off the monitor. Golfers are catered for too, with golf maps obtainable and the sensors in a position to monitor and detect how good your swing is.
A giant a part of Fenix's attraction can also be its built-in maps and navigation qualities. Together with the aforementioned lengthy battery life, that makes it an excellent companion for mountaineering within the mountains. In the event you're planning to be out all day, it will greater than deal with it. Whether or not you wish to use it to navigate a pre-planned route, or simply test the place you might be on the built-in map and discover your bearings and monitor your means again to the beginning level. Downloadable maps make it much more succesful in that regard.
All the standard bells and whistles
- Garmin Pay contactless fee assist
- Smartphone notifications
- Offline music playback
The Fenix 7 is Garmin's do every part flagship, so which means it comes with assist for lots of life-style features that you just'd count on from a modern-day smartwatch. As we have stated beforehand, nevertheless, we have been unable to check such elements since it is not been doable to set it up with no cellphone (this may not have an effect on shopper items, nevertheless, it is simply we have been testing previous to official launch)
Nonetheless, they're all options we have used for a great couple of years on quite a few older Garmin fashions. You get assist for offline music playback from Spotify, Deezer and Amazon Music. With Bluetooth assist too, you'll be able to merely obtain a playlist of your alternative, and head out along with your favorite earbuds and take heed to music whilst you work out.
You additionally get contactless fee assist with Garmin Pay, though that is but to obtain the identical form of assist from UK banks because the likes of Apple, Google and Samsung's contactless fee companies. With Curve, Starling, Santander and Revolut supported, nevertheless, there is a good variety of shoppers catered for.
When paired along with your smartphone, the Fenix 7 may also provide notifications in your wrist, in addition to calendar occasions and climate.
You typically hear the phrase "the Swiss Military knife of X" referring to a product that does a lot of issues rather well - and the Fenix 7 positively suits that description.
The watch is rather well constructed and might stand up to something you throw at it, whether or not that is working over hills in a rainstorm, sea kayaking, or simply doing all your marathon coaching within the peak of summer season.
With all its superior sensors for monitoring your coronary heart charge, location, route, altitude and blood oxygen saturation, and what it does with all that knowledge, you are going to wrestle to discover a higher wrist-worn health coach.
In the event you're a Fenix 6 person, there is not any actual have to improve to the Fenix 7 - because it's largely comparable - however for anybody with an older mannequin, you may probably see a substantial distinction in options and efficiency from Garmin's newest all-action hero. If, that's, you'll be able to abdomen the worth.
Additionally contemplate
Garmin Enduro
Enduro is much like Fenix in design, however has ridiculously good battery life. With as much as 65 days life with Photo voltaic assist in smartwatch mode, you may solely have to cost it six instances a yr.
Garmin Fenix 6 Professional Photo voltaic
One of many issues about there being a brand new Fenix on the town is that the earlier era is often obtainable for lots lower than it was at launch. In the event you're blissful to overlook out on a few new options, you may get an unbelievable sensible sports activities look ahead to much less cash.
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