Garmin’s New Epix Is an Absurdly Excellent Fitness Watch

I’ve been reviewing wearables for a strong decade now, and in that point, the Garmin Fenix line has emerged as one of the best multi-sport watch and exercise tracker. Year after yr, the Fenix has managed to remain both a bit or so much forward of the competitors, and once I heard the Fenix 7 was coming down the pipeline, I used to be certain it was going to be my new favourite health watch. But it isn’t—the brand new Garmin Epix is.

The Epix is principally a Fenix 7 however with a shocking AMOLED display, which implies you do must sacrifice some battery life. Other than that, the 2 new watches are successfully an identical. I examined each the Fenix 7 and the Epix (Sapphire editions for each), so we’ll get into the hair-splitting variations, however for now know that in nearly each manner they’re the identical watch. It’s price noting that Garmin made a watch known as the Epix again in 2015 that was a bit clunky. It’s an odd alternative for the corporate to have revived that title, slightly than calling it the Fenix 7 AMOLED version or one thing, however no matter. The Epix we’re speaking about right here could also be known as Gen 2, however since principally no person remembers the unique one we’re simply going to name it the Epix for this assessment.

A Health-Tracking Machine

For these unfamiliar with the Fenix line, it’s principally Garmin’s “track everything” GPS sports activities watch. It can observe greater than 60 totally different sports activities and actions out of the field—every thing from working to open water swimming to snowboarding to pickleball. If your chosen exercise isn’t in that listing there’s a good probability a third-party developer has made an app for it that you may obtain from the Garmin Connect retailer (a restricted model of which is now constructed into the watch, along with the total model in your cellphone).

The Fenix additionally excels on the 24/7 health-monitoring stuff we count on from Fitbits and different smartwatches. This contains continuously monitoring your coronary heart price, your steps, flooring climbed, stress ranges, Body Battery (which measures restoration, much like Whoop), sleep, and even blood oxygen ranges. For working and biking there’s a brand new real-time Stamina function, which principally exhibits you the way a lot power the watch thinks you have got going right into a exercise, and it constantly updates as you go, principally exhibiting you the way a lot push you’ve nonetheless obtained left in you. You can use this to attempt to maintain from over-extending (or under-extending) your self, not less than from a cardiovascular perspective (your joints could say in any other case).

All of the guts rate-related metrics are tracked with Garmin’s new Elevate 4 sensor suite, which debuted final yr on the Venu 2 watch (which I didn’t notably look after). The suite is now encased in glass as a substitute of plastic, which ought to improve sturdiness and maintain it correct over time. The Fenix now has 4 infrared sensors, up from two, to go together with the 2 inexperienced and one crimson LED lights. The crimson lights are for pulse oximetry, which I simply take a look at manually now and again, however you’ll be able to select to have it on all night time whilst you sleep (for those who’re nervous about issues like sleep apnea) or 24/7, however battery life will take successful. Generally, I discovered my coronary heart price monitoring to be extraordinarily correct (in comparison with a Wahoo chest strap I wore, too), even throughout rigorous exercise, and the heartbeat ox was proper in keeping with the medical-grade finger-clip machine I personal.

Improved GPS

While all the Epix and Fenix watches can entry a number of world navigation satellite tv for pc programs (GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo satellite tv for pc programs), the Sapphire editions are among the many first watches to assist multi-band GNSS.

What this implies is that every of these satellites broadcast in a number of frequencies, and usually your watch solely picks up one among them. Multi-band signifies that your watch is choosing up a number of frequencies from every particular person satellite tv for pc, which in idea provides you with the very best accuracy. In observe, I didn’t see an enormous quantity of distinction from the usual GNSS system, however I wasn’t mountain climbing by means of any canyons or working between skyscrapers. Multi-band can be a really new system and can proceed to enhance with time. I’ll say, nonetheless, that I discovered satellite tv for pc acquisition to be quicker than it’s on any sports activities watch I’ve examined earlier than. It’s not unusual for me to load up the run app, after which have to attend a minute for it to search out satellites. With the Epix (and Fenix), it nearly at all times had me locked in and able to go in below 10 seconds.

Classic Design With an Incredible Display

Out in the true world, the Epix is a pleasure to make use of. The 1.3-inch AMOLED show is vivid and vibrant. I had zero problem studying it even in blinding daylight. It was simpler to learn than the Fenix 7 in all circumstances, however much more in order the solar set. The Fenix 7 has the traditional transflective MIPS show (additionally 1.3-inches) with a backlight you’ll be able to activate, and in comparison with different transflective watches it’s fairly good, however subsequent to the Epix it seems to be dim and bland. The Epix can show 65,000 colours. The Fenix 7 can show 64 (sure, 1,000x fewer). The Epix’s show is available in at 326 pixels per inch (ppi), versus simply 200 ppi on the Fenix 7. You can actually see the distinction if you’re maps. Trails on the Epix grow to be seen at decrease zoom ranges as a result of it has the pixel density to show these skinny strains.

Both the Epix and the Fenix 7 now have touchscreens, that are a welcome addition. It makes the built-in, offline topographical maps (that are free) 1,000,000 instances simpler to navigate. It’s additionally a lot simpler to enter in your PIN for those who’re utilizing Garmin Pay (the watches’ NFC fee system) or shortly alter settings. At the identical time, the watches function the identical 5 buttons which have grow to be normal on the Fenix line, which is only a implausible implementation. If you’re within the water or utilizing thick, snow-covered gloves, you don’t want to fret in regards to the touchscreen (it’s disabled by default if you begin actions, although you’ll be able to simply change that). You simply use the buttons and also you’re good to go. The begin/cease button additionally now has a guard round it which does an important job of eliminating unintentional button presses— a problem with Garmin watches for years. It’s a bit factor, but it surely’s good.

The watches can all show notifications out of your cellphone, and for those who use Android you’ll be able to even ship fast replies (some come pre-installed, however you’ll be able to customise your personal) to textual content messages and such. Unfortunately Apple doesn’t enable third events to entry messages, so fast replies don’t work with iPhones, however I wouldn’t name {that a} dealbreaker. All of the Epix and Fenix 7 variations have wifi, Garmin Pay, and music. If you have got saved mp3s you’ll be able to simply switch them over, but it surely additionally helps playlists from Amazon Music and Spotify (paid model solely). I nearly at all times hearken to music once I run, and having the ability to simply pair my earbuds with my watch and depart my cellphone at house has been very nice. If I wish to seize a drink whereas I’m out, I can swing by a 7-11 or every other retailer that helps tap-to-pay, bump my watch in opposition to the display and get no matter I need. It’s fairly slick. The common variations of those watches have 16GB of onboard storage, whereas the Sapphire editions have 32GB (along with barely extra scratch resistant screens, titanium bezels, and once more, the multi-band GPS). The watches don’t have microphones, so voice instructions don’t work, and considerably surprisingly there aren’t any LTE model out there, regardless of that being an choice on a few of Garmin’s different watches.

The Deciding Factor: Battery Life

I maintain alluding to different variations of those watches, it should be famous that the Fenix 7 line has a ton of choices. Most clearly there’s the three sizes: the 42mm 7S, the 47mm 7, and the 51mm 7X. They additionally are available in normal, Solar, and Sapphire Solar editions (besides the 7X which doesn’t have a normal model). The Epix simply is available in normal and Sapphire and is similar measurement because the 47mm Fenix 7. This provides the photo voltaic editions a definitive leg up in battery life, as you’d count on. The photo voltaic elements of the display have been expanded and made extra environment friendly from final yr’s Fenix 6 line, and for those who spend a good period of time exterior on fairly vivid days you’ll positively discover an enchancment.

And that brings us to the one (and it’s actually the one) purpose why you may want a Fenix 7 over an Epix: Battery life. The Epix will final six days in always-on mode (i.e. the show at all times not less than exhibits the time of day, besides if you’re sleeping). That’s actually not unhealthy, particularly for those who evaluate it to the Apple Watch, which can hardly ever final two days. That being mentioned, for those who evaluate that to the Fenix 7’s 18 days, or the 7X’s 28 days, you would possibly assume twice, and that’s earlier than you think about potential photo voltaic charging, which might carry the 7 as much as 22 days, and the 7X to a whopping 37 days. Those are simply the numbers for traditional smartwatch mode (i.e. 24/7 well being monitoring, notifications, and so on.), but it surely doesn’t account for GPS actions, that are very taxing. Now, for those who change the Epix to gesture mode—the place the display stays off till you tilt your wrist to take a look at it—battery life will increase to 16 days in smartwatch mode, which is wildly good for a watch with an AMOLED show. Significantly, Garmin has actually improved this gesture. It didn’t work effectively on the Venu 2, but it surely works nearly flawlessly on the Epix, and even a slight tilt would mild it up immediately.

In common GPS mode you get 30 hours of monitoring on the Epix, which is superb… it’s simply inferior to the 57 hours you get from the 7 or 89 hours you get from the 7X (and that’s earlier than photo voltaic!), although, utilizing gesture mode on the Epix brings that quantity as much as 42 hours, which is nice. On the far excessive, for those who’re utilizing Max Battery GPS, you’ll be able to squeeze 75 hours of monitoring out of the Epix, which is basically good, however you then evaluate it to 136 hours on the Fenix 7 (289 hours with photo voltaic) or 213 hours on the Fenix 7X (578 with photo voltaic!) and instantly it feels kinda wimpy.

It begins to get fairly apples to oranges, and there are a ton of various modes to think about, however actually what it’s a must to ask your self is: How are you going to make use of this watch? I personally am not making an attempt to do any ultra-distance races. I used to be capable of observe two full days of snowboarding with the Epix, with loads of smartwatch use earlier than and after, and had loads of juice left over. I don’t thoughts utilizing the gesture mode, and so charging my look ahead to an hour as soon as each two weeks is implausible. If, nonetheless, you might be extra drawn to doing super-long treks that final weeks on finish (and also you received’t be carrying a transportable charger), you then in all probability wish to go together with one of many Fenix 7 watches. The 7X additionally has an exterior LED flashlight. For me, although, that attractive display on the Epix is price having to cost extra usually.

The One Downside: Software

To be clear, the Epix will not be excellent, and far of that’s all the way down to the software program. Garmin’s UI has come a good distance, however there are nonetheless numerous parts which are utterly unintuitive. There isn’t an important tutorial for the way to add music to the watch, and I discovered myself having to Google it. Same with including HIIT and power exercises to the watch (which have animations of every train). Your watch tells you do add them by means of the Garmin Connect app, but it surely doesn’t take you to that a part of the app and even let you know the place in that app you’ll discover these settings. The app had some unusual connectivity points, too, which left me having to energy cycle my cellphone to get it to remain linked with my watch. Infuriatingly, it nonetheless requires leaping by means of a bunch of not-at-all-obvious hoops to import routes (i.e. trails with waypoints you wish to observe whereas mountain climbing, biking, or working) onto your watch.

I’ve additionally been having an odd problem the place the watch begins quickly connecting and disconnecting from my Google Pixel 6 Pro. When it does that it’ll nonetheless sync knowledge, however you’ll be able to’t make any modifications to the watch within the Garmin Connect app. More annoyingly, the watch vibrates each time it connects and disconnects. This morning it began randomly taking place at 6 a.m., which woke me up. Very annoying. This appears to be a brand new bug and I’ve requested Garmin for perception on what is likely to be occurring. We will replace when we now have some readability.

Worth Buying?

Those points apart, I’ve loved utilizing the Epix greater than I’ve every other sports activities watch, and by an enormous margin. While snowboarding, I used to be capable of zoom in and see the precise title of a run I used to be on to I might inform my buddies the place to satisfy me. While mountain climbing, I used a trackback function and was capable of simply navigate again to the trailhead, with a transparent, colourful map exhibiting me the way in which. It counted my waves whereas browsing. While working at nightfall I might see all of my stats as clear as day. I’ve discovered the Body Battery function (which measures restoration) to be subjectively extra correct than Whoop’s Whoop Score (and that’s actually all Whoop does!), and its sleep-tracking is best, too. It’s additionally low-profile sufficient that it doesn’t catch on my sleeves, and it seems to be so good I can put on it with completely something.

Of course, it most actually isn’t low-cost. The Epix begins at $900 for the usual version, and a cool $1,000 for the Sapphire. The Fenix 7 begins at $700 for the usual version of the 7 and 7S, then goes to $800 for the photo voltaic editions of the 7 and 7S and $900 for the 7X Solar, after which tops out at $900 for the Sapphire Solar 7 and 7S, and $1,000 for the Sapphire Solar 7X. Ouches throughout. There’s additionally the scale problem. People with smaller wrists could very effectively want the 7S, which makes the 7 and the Epix look fairly massive (although not as massive because the gargantuan 7X, which can catch on each sleeve and backpack strap you have got). Ultimately, all of those are nice watches and also you’ll very possible love whichever one you select, but when I needed to choose only one, it will completely be the Epix (ideally the Sapphire). A display that good on a watch that versatile makes it one of the best watch I’ve ever used.