Heart Rate Fitness And Training
Simon von Bromley / Our Media
The Fenix 7 has a variety of algorithm-based fitness monitoring functions including training load, training status, recovery time, Body Battery and sleep monitoring.
In principle, these functions can provide a great deal of insight into how your fitness and performance is developing over time, as well as helping you determine what your body needs in terms of rest.
However, these functions are only as good as the data the watch receives and this is where I ran into some issues with the Garmin Fenix 7.
I often found the Fenix 7s optical heart rate monitor to show different readings to a chest-strap heart rate monitor linked to my Edge 1030.
When I started climbing hills and my effort increased, the Fenix 7 would often take longer to reach the heart rate displayed on my Edge 1030 if it reached it at all and it struggled to reflect smaller fluctuations in my heart rate as I was just pedalling along.
There are a number of reasons why wrist-based monitors can be less accurate than chest-strap monitors, including how tight the watch strap is, skin colour, vibrations and blood flow.
Simon von Bromley / Our Media
These arent problems unique to Garmin and a number of reviewers have noted issues with this style of heart rate monitor when testing smartwatches. But the knock-on effect of this is that I came to treat the fitness monitoring functions on the Fenix 7 with a level of scepticism.
Garmin Fenix : Price And Release Date
- Available to order now
- Costs more than Fenix 6
The Garmin Fenix 7 series launched on January 18, 2022, and is available to buy direct from Garmin. Prices start at $699.99 / £599.99 / AU$1,049 for the standard version. The top-tier Fenix 7X Sapphire Solar is $999.99 / £859.99 / AU$1,499.
Thats a significant increase from the Fenix 6, which started at $599.99 / £529.99 / AU$949 when it launched in 2019. However, its much less than the Garmin Epix premium everyday watch, which launched the same day, starting at $899.99 / £799.99 / AU$1,399.
Garmin Fenix 7 Sapphire Solar Smartwatch Review
New updates including a touchscreen make Garmins do-it-all adventure watch even more appealing
May 19, 2022 at 12:55 pm
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Our review
The Garmin Fenix 7 Sapphire Solar is the brands flagship solar-enhanced GPS multisport smartwatch, succeeding the Garmin Fenix 6 with improved battery life, new training features and a new touchsreen.
The Fenix 7 boasts a battery life that will last weeks thanks to its solar harvesting capability.
It comes loaded with maps and has activity profiles for different sports.
The watch can support interval training, HIIT workouts and dedicated training plans. It uses data from the optical heart rate monitor to provide insight into your performance and recovery over time. There are wellness functions such as a perceived Body Battery score and stress levels.
Many day-to-day features will be familiar to users of Garmin smartwatches, and the best smartwatches more generally. These include push notifications from your smartphone, contactless payments and the ability to store music on the watch.
You can customise the watch by downloading apps via the Garmin Connect IQ app and changing the appearance of the watch face.
This functionality does come at a price, with the Fenix 7 Sapphire Solar costing £779.99 / $899.99 / 899.99.
So does this breadth of functionality justify the price tag? And would you be better off with a dedicated bike computer for cycling?
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If This Isn’t For You
Cost and general chunkiness are the two reasons to be put off a Garmin Fenix 7. Its otherwise a stellar fitness watch. Garmin has a few alternatives if either of these factors is a problem.
The Garmin Venu 2 is thinner, lighter and cheaper, and will still be just as effective for many of you. It does not have on-watch maps, the battery life is shorter and its approach to data analysis is a little lighter.
Not bothered by the price but dont like the Fenix 7 design? The Suunto 9 Peak might suit. It is Suuntos top-end watch and made, in part, for hikers. However, its mapping support is far more limited than Garmins. You create routes on your phone and a basic trace line is sent to the watch for reference. Its quite a different proposition to the full map data available with a Fenix 7.
If its just the practical but dull-looking screen that doesnt do it for you, consider the Garmin Epix. This was announced alongside the Fenix 7, and is similar to the standard Fenix but has a colorful Sapphire-protected OLED screen, but no solar charging.
Finally, if you’re really looking for the cheapest model available, go for something like an Amazfit GTR 3, which has in-built GPS and a decent battery life for its price.
Smartwatch Features: A Familiar Experience
Garmin regularly introduces new smartwatch features to its wearables, but the best ones arent available on the Fenix 7.
Recently, the company brought voice assistant and Bluetooth calling support to the Venu 2 Plus, making the device much more of a smartwatch than ever before. Unfortunately, neither of those features are supported on the Fenix 7 or Epix lines. Garmin told Android Authority theres a chance the features would make it to the Fenix/Epix line one day, but it depends on how popular they become with users.
Read more:
One feature the Fenix 7 line carried over from the Venu 2 Plus is the ability to quickly jump into metrics from your watch face. For example, if your watch face has a heart rate graph, you can long-press that area on the display to jump right into the heart rate card no need to scroll through your list of glances to find it.
Elsewhere, the Fenix 7 provides a familiar software experience if youve used any other Garmin watch in the past. You can receive smartphone notifications and reply to them with canned messages. Theres also 32GB of storage space for music files, which is plenty for a smartwatch. Its also compatible with many popular music-streaming services like Spotify and Amazon Music.
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Garmin Fenix 6 Vs Garmin Fenix : Verdict
So the scores are in, and the winner seems pretty obvious Garmin has made some huge improvements to the Fenix line, and the Fenix 7 feels more like the Fenix 8 or 9. Its easier to use thanks to the touchscreen, and the better battery life and improved mapping make this stand out from the crowd as a running watch.
That said, if youre looking to save your money, the Fenix 6 is still an absolutely brilliant watch, especially if youre lucky enough to pick it up in the sale. Its not quite as good, but you wont be disappointed.
Garmin Fenix : New Updates
Since its launch, the Fenix 7 range has received a number of software updates, and Garmin very kindly added quite a few features to the watch that were previously only available on newer Forerunners, such as heart rate variability tracking, Training Readiness Score, Race Day widget and more.
One of the most significant improvements is the addition of SatIQ. This system automatically scans for GPS signals and changes the GPS settings in real-time to conserve battery life without compromising GPS accuracy. Considering how good the battery life on the Fenix 7 is, the addition of SatIQ turns the watch into an absolute battery powerhouse, only overshadowed by the Garmin Enduro 2, a watch that has a battery life that shouldn’t be possible on a wrist wearable.
Garmin added other features as well, like the morning report and improved the running power feature, making the Fenix 7 an even more competent multisport watch than before. There really isn’t anything the Fenix 7 isn’t good for, from running training and outdoor adventure tracking to cycling recovery.
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Why Is Garmin Fenix 7x Solar Better Than Garmin Fenix 7 Sapphire Solar
- 15 days longer battery life?
- 280 x 280pxvs260 x 260px
- 7.69% bigger screen size
- 289h longer battery life – GPS?
- 67h longer battery life in training mode?
- Informs about the risk of thunderstorms?
Unknown. Help us by suggesting a value.
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22 days
37 days
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Garmin Fenix 6 Vs Fenix : Specs At A Glance
| Battery life with GPS | 25 hours 36 hours 60 hours | 37 hours 57 hours 89 hours |
The Garmin Fenix 7 is also available in three different sizes 42mm , 47mm and 51 mm . All of the models have the option to come with Solar and Solar Sapphire versions, meaning you no longer have to choose between the toughened screen and solar charging. At the moment, there is no Pro range in the Fenix 7 line.
Its worth noting, however, that the cheapest watch in the Fenix 7 range, the Fenix 7S, is $100 more expensive than the equivalent watch in the Fenix 6 line touchscreens and new technology comes at a price.
So which is a better value watch? As mentioned above, a lot of retailers have slashed the price of the Garmin Fenix 6 at the time of writing, the . With the Fenix 6, youre still getting a brilliant watch at a better price, so if price is a concern, the Fenix 6 is the better option.
Winner: Garmin Fenix 6
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Garmin Fenix 6 Vs Garmin Fenix : Fitness Tracking And Features
Garmin Fenix 6 and 7 users rejoice there are now more sports tracking modes than you could ever need on both watches. In a recent update that is available on both the Fenix 6 and Fenix 7 models, new tracking modes have been added. These include: Adventure Race, Wind Surfing, Kite Surfing, Tennis, Pickleball, Padel, Snowshoe, eBike, eMTB, Road, Mountain, Indoor, Gravel, Cyclocross, Commute, and Tour.
Two other new features worth mentioning on the Fenix 7 are Stamina, and Up Ahead. Stamina is designed to allow you to track and manage your exertion on a ride or run. Up Ahead is designed for ultrarunners, and shows you the upcoming course points at a glance, providing you with the exact location of aid stations, trails, and turns, as well as the next three after that, from preloaded TopoActive maps.
From a tracking point of view, the Fenix 7 has Garmins most accurate heart rate monitor to date. The Fenix 7 range also has more accurate GPS, as Garmin has added multi-band GPS support to the Fenix 7, and the mapping features are greatly improved on the watch. During testing, we found the Fenix 7’s GPS connected faster than the Fenix 6, but post-run data looked similar.
Both watches are brilliant on the run, but if youre an ultramarathon runner the Fenix 7s mapping capabilities and Up Ahead feature make it the obvious choice.
Winner: Garmin Fenix 7
Garmin Fenix 7 Sapphire Solar
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The latest Garmin fnix makes it easier to stay in touch with how you train. The touchscreen on the fnix 7 lets you choose between tapping, swiping or tried-and-true buttons. An efficient solar panel could make charging a thing of the past. Loaded with regional TopoActive maps, the fnix Sapphire Solar editions help you find your way or plan your route, at home or abroad. These watches blend smartwatch functionality with advanced heart rate-based training tools and a backcountry GPS. Onboard sensors breakdown every movement, comparing it to how often and how hard you train, how you rest, and even where you train factoring in altitude and temperature. The data lets you map the evolution of your fitness, from stamina improvements to recovery times. And when synced to the free Connect app on your phone to download training plans, review activities, stream music, receive texts, social media alerts and emails, track weather and more.
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Garmin Fenix 7 Sapphire Solar Gps Smartwatch Performance
Simon von Bromley / Our Media
I tested the Fenix 7 over three months, using it for road cycling, gravel riding and running.
Ive worn the Fenix 7 for activities, recording rides and using it to measure effort via the heart rate monitor, as well as for navigation. Ive used the watch by itself for activities and alongside my Garmin Edge 1030 bike computer.
I also wore the Fenix 7 when not out cycling or running to get a sense of how its health functions work, as well as what its like to use it day-to-day in conjunction with a smartphone.
While there are many different sports and activity profiles to choose from, my thoughts on the watch are largely in the context of testing it while road cycling.
Garmin Fenix 6 Vs Garmin Fenix : Design And Display
On the surface, the Fenix 6 and the Fenix 7 look very similar they both have sizable metal bezels and the ability to swap in Garmins suede, fabric, or metal Quickfit bands should you wish. That said, theres some big design differences. Garmin has added a new guard button on the start/stop button of the Garmin Fenix 7 to prevent accidental starts or pauses. The lugs on the Fenix 7 are metal , whereas the lugs of the Fenix 6 watches are made from resin.
While the display size is the same between the two watches both the Fenix 7 and Fenix 6 have a 1.2-inch screen, the Fenix 7 is lighter, weighing in at 73g, compared to the Fenix 6 at 83g. This is down to the more premium materials, such as titanium, used in the Fenix 7.
Both the Garmin Fenix 6 and the Garmin Fenix 7 have color memory-in-pixel displays. These arent as bright as the AMOLED screen used on the Garmin Venu 2 Plus, or the Garmin Epix, but theyre better for battery life. One huge display difference, however, is that the Garmin Fenix 7 also has a touchscreen, which allows you to swipe through and tap options like you would on any of the best smartwatches. For runners who are put off by this detail, the Fenix 7s touchscreen is turned off by default while the watch is tracking an activity, and can be deactivated by pressing the start and down buttons at the same time.
Winner: Garmin Fenix 7
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Health And Fitness Tracking: Lots Of Nice Features Some Only On The Fenix 7
The Fenix line is Garmins best multisport watch series, so you can expect to see all the features packed into the Fenix 7. It can track dozens of sports modes, from cycling to gravel biking, skiing to bouldering, and more. Speaking of which, high-intensity interval training workouts have been added to the Fenix 7 series. Previously, the HIIT profile was just a general-use sport mode. Now, you can choose between free HIIT workouts, AMRAP, EMOM, Tabata, or create custom workouts.
Before we move away from sport profiles, now is a good time to mention that Garmin finally added the ability to edit most watch functions from the companion app. Not only can you manage sport profiles from Garmin Connect, you can add/remove data screens for each activity type, reposition glances, and perform every other device function from the app. Previously, many of these settings were only accessible from the watch itself, making it a pain to edit something as simple as a single data page for your cycling profile.
Unfortunately, Garmin wont be bringing this ease-of-use update to older watches. A Garmin spokesperson told Android Authority:
This feature cannot roll back to previous generations due to the way the settings are architected on past products.
Also read:Our in-depth guide to Fitbit vs Garmin
Regardless, Garmin supports third-party heart rate sensor hardware, so you can always broadcast your chest strap or armband heart rate sensor if youre after more accurate data.
Learn more:
Design: Touch For The Very First Time
The Garmin Fenix 7 series hasnt varied much from the previous generations overall look and feel. These are thick, heavy outdoor watches, and thats not changing any time soon.
There are a handful of improvements to the design. The case lugs have been reinforced, and now there are button guards around each physical button to thwart accidental presses. All Fenix 7 models are also slightly thinner than their Fenix 6 counterparts.
Depending on the Fenix 7 model you end up choosing, youll either have a display covered in Gorilla Glass DX, Power Glass, or Power Sapphire. Gorilla Glass DX should be scratch-resistant enough for most use cases, but theres no contest: if you want the least-scratchable Fenix 7, go for the Sapphire Solar model.
Speaking of scratch resistance, choosing the Sapphire Solar edition will get you a more sturdy chassis. Sapphire Solar models are titanium, while the base and Solar models are stainless steel.
Read:
Garmin Fenix 7 devices have transflective memory-in-pixel displays, just like the Fenix 6 line. Youll need to spring for the Garmin Epix if you want an AMOLED display. The standard MIP display on the Fenix 7 is still great for outdoor visibility. Indoor visibility is usually quite good, but the Sapphire lens adds more reflection to the screens visibility. While indoors, I found myself turning on the backlight more often than I would with my Fenix 6 Pro, which has a Gorilla Glass display.
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