Combined, they allow you to better pace yourself, such as if you’ve started off too fast in a race or haven’t pushed it hard enough in training. You should seriously consider sapphire to protect the lens plus Sapphire is the ONLY way to get the dual-frequency, multi-constellation GNSS goodness. This helps you avoid bottoming out and lets you more accurately judge when to turn around during an out-and-back run.

However, the Fenix 7’s SpO2 monitor is not CE- or FDA-certified, so it’s not to be treated as a medical device. All your most recent stats (such as heart rate, workouts, sleep, and menstrual cycle) are shown on a central dashboard that you can rearrange and customize at will. If you just run or cycle it will be overkill but if you have the cash, do lots of activities or just like the idea of being able to parachute into the middle of nowhere and still find your way home, this is the watch for you. One feature that you'll only get with the Epix is a set of animated workouts that you can follow on your wrist. You’ll need to add it as a data page to your run or bike ride sport profile before you set out on your activity.The Fenix 7 is water resistant to depths of 100m, making it suitable for pool and open water swimming, plus activities like kayaking, windsurfing and stand-up paddleboarding (all of which have their own profiles), but for diving, you’ll want a specialized swimming watch like the Garmin Descent Mk2. The new features and tweaks Garmin added to the Fenix 7 line are a testament to where the Fenix series already stood with the Fenix 6.

While indoors, I triggered the backlight more often than I would with my Fenix 6 Pro, which has a Gorilla Glass display. The display is still memory-in-pixel rather than AMOLED like the Garmin Epix (Gen 2) or Garmin Venu 2. The watch is really well built and can withstand anything you throw at it, whether that's running over hills in a rainstorm, sea kayaking, or just doing your marathon training in the height of summer. But there are other subtle differences: the red accented protective element that sits around the start/stop button in the top left is a change from the exposed button; the index around the display has far fewer lines on it, now only signalling seconds/minutes, further adding to the cleaner look.The watch still has the five physical buttons of previous Fenix watches (including a newly reinforced start button), but it's a huge help for panning across maps. Firstly, the Garmin Connect mobile platform is changing to allow settings to be made on the phone rather than on the device.

However, the Epix has one big advantage over Fenix watches: a bright, high resolution AMOLED display, which makes charts, maps and graphics really shine. As you seem not as affiliated with Garmin as some other well know reviewers (no names here), I thought you might be interested.The Fenix 7 Sapphire Solar we tested is equipped with the Garmin's Power Glass, which harvests energy throughout the day to keep the watch’s battery topped up. When it comes to charging, the Fenix 7 uses the same proprietary USB cable as all other Garmin watches released during the last couple of years. Beyond that, the only significant design difference between the Epix and the Fenix 7 series is the screen. Both have music storage for 2,000 songs, allow you to control your phone's music player, and offer Garmin Pay for making contactless purchases.