
Garmin’s becoming a member of the Professional bandwagon. On Wednesday, it’s launching the Epix 2 Professional and Fenix 7 Pro, which both of those appear with a boatload of new mapping and training attributes, fingers-free flashlights, and sensors. The Fenix 7 Professional collection starts off at $799.99, while the Epix 2 Pro will commence at $899.99.
There’s fantastic information if you preferred an Epix 2 past calendar year but ended up bummed that it only came in one dimensions. Garmin does not believe that considerably less is far more, so you can also now pick among three dimensions of Epix 2 models: 42mm, 47mm, and 51mm. Both equally Professional lineups also offer you a more sturdy Sapphire Version.
The large majority of what is new will be shared across each the Epix 2 Professional and Fenix 7 Professional lineups. For instance, all types will now attribute a constructed-in arms-absolutely free LED flashlight. The flashlight was introduced very last yr but was restricted to the 51mm Fenix 7X. The flashlight has variable intensities, a purple basic safety light, and a strobe manner for nighttime education.
Both of those lineups will also get a new coronary heart price sensor. Garmin claims the new sensor will offer enhanced tracking for a wider variety of activities. Regarding coaching characteristics, all the Epix 2 Pro and Fenix 7 Pro styles will get a new Stamina Rating and Hill Rating. The former tells you how very easily you can keep sustained initiatives making use of Vo2 Max and your lengthy / shorter-term training loads across several teaching routines. The latter also works by using your schooling history and Vo2 Max to gauge your functioning strength on steep climbs and extended ascents.
For mapping, the Pro lineups also get weather map overlays, the Up In advance attribute, and relief shading for topographical maps. The weather map overlays will make it simpler for out of doors fanatics to look at approaching ailments, although the reduction shading is intended to make maps more readable at a look. Meanwhile, the Up Forward element highlights particular points of interest — assist stations, for instance — ideal from the wrist.
Users also have the choice to shell out for Garmin’s Outdoor Maps Moreover membership to get satellite imagery, general public land maps, and improved topographical maps on the wrist. The subscription expenditures an added $49.99 yearly and has been around for a though on Garmin’s other navigational products and a handful of other smartwatches. Garmin nonetheless, on the other hand, does not gatekeep any overall health or coaching data driving a paywall.
As with the non-Pro variations of the Epix 2 and Fenix 7, the primary difference in between these watches lies in the show. The Epix 2 Professional has an OLED show, when the Fenix 7 Pro has a memory-in-pixel (MIP) display that supports solar charging. The Epix 2 also has a new red shift manner that alterations the display colours to pink for a lot easier nighttime viewing — which appears familiar to what Apple did with a person of the Ultra’s watchfaces. That claimed, the Fenix 7 Pro types will have a spiffier MIP exhibit than the “regular” Fenix 7 lineup. According to Garmin, the pixels, backlight, and solar panel have been redesigned to enhance brightness and electrical power performance in a number of lighting situations.
Battery life is also a little bit unique. The Epix 2 Pro is rated up to 31 days, when the Fenix 7 Professional can get up to 38 days. You must just take individuals estimates with a pinch of salt, however. Battery daily life is greatly dependent on the measurement of the check out, your GPS configurations, whether you use the generally-on screen for the Epix 2 Pro, and what method you’re in. For illustration, if you didn’t care about using the Fenix 7 Professional as a smartwatch, Garmin states you could theoretically eke out 139 times out of the 51mm 7X Pro. We’ll be putting the two by way of their paces to see what you can really assume with additional genuine-world testing ailments.