Garmin Fenix 7, Solar, and Sapphire In-Depth Review!
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- čas přidán 29. 06. 2024
- Every Fenix 7 new feature examined with real-world testing! From new maps to better GPS accuracy, I dive into whether it's really worth the extra cash. Buy the Fenix 7 here (amzn.to/355utIf), or Epix here (amzn.to/3Kl4cFY), links help support the channel, much appreciated!!!
This review is instead focused almost entirely on the Fenix 7 series, which includes the Fenix 7S, 7, and 7X models. These units get a slate of new features (depending on which exact model you choose), including everything from workout stamina tracking to free downloadable TopoActive maps. And the 7X even gets a flashlight, which might sound gimmicky at first, but seriously - it’s mind-bogglingly useful and way more advanced than ‘just a flashlight’. It can flash white and red as you run, matched to your cadence - specific to showing white lights while forward-facing, and red lights rearward facing. Yes, actually switching and matched to each footstep. Or, you can signal for SOS with it when you’re out of ice cream.
But we’ll get into all those details and plenty more throughout this review. I’ve been testing the Fenix 7 for quite some time, and have put in countless hours to figure out what works well…and what still might need some love. This includes all three core models, as well as its Epix sibling. And this includes a wide variety of conditions from riding and running up volcanos, runs in freezing temps, openwater swims, cities to mountain passes, and everything in between. Oceans, forests, deserts, and more.
Garmin Fenix 7 In-Depth Written Review & Accuracy data: www.dcrainmaker.com/2022/01/g...
0:00 Intro and Overview
0:42 Models Explainer
1:43 New Touchscreen
3:05 The Flashlight
4:34 New Multiband GPS
5:54 Up Ahead Navigation
6:46 Map Manager and Downloadable Maps
7:42 Stamina Pacing
8:56 Phone Configuration of Watch
9:50 SkiView Expansion
10:20 Gen4 Garmin ELEVATE
11:13 Health Snapshot & HRV
12:06 New Activity Profiles
12:30 Historical Predictor Trends
13:18 Solar Battery Increases
14:34 Graphical Changes to Interface
15:13 Connect IQ Store on Watch
15:33 Hardware Changes
16:00 Final Thoughts and Recommendations
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#GarminFenix7 #Fenix7 #Fenix - Sport
A god among men. Thank you for all your work. I read (not all details) the Fenix 7 review on the home page, no wonder you have the media loaners for quite a while. :) Good job, Ray.
Great review. Been waiting for this for so long.
Thanks Ray. I love your reviews as much as the fénix series 😃
Waiting for this video for years. Thank you Ray
Ray is the gold standard for tech sports reviews. I don't buy until I listen to the Rainmaker.....and then when I buy and don't have a clue about how to set up a feature, I listen again!
Thank you. This is really useful. I wasn't even thinking about F7 but now.......tempted
Fantastic review as always.
So far the best review I've watched yet.
Ray, guess what I was able to pick up today -- yup, I got my wife the delayed XMAS present - Fenix 7S Sapphire Solar!! When I saw your video post up, I figured that because Garmin had not sent us an email, it was not available to the public. After I watched your video I called a great sports store near us and it was in stock. It is now fully charged and we studied your video and are looking forward to our run on Wednesday. About 2 hours ago, I finally received an email from Garmin.
It was great to not have to do any research other than you. You said it was great, you recommended the Sapphire and why it was great.., SOLD! Love you, damn it.
Grabbed the Tactix 7. This watch is everything. Absolutely amazing
OOOhhh you are so good at this Ray. Great stuff.
Ray, Excellent review, as always!
Love all the unique flat-lay backgrounds in here. 👌
Thanks!
Excellent and thorough - as always. Thanks.
Yayyy!!! I knew it! This was your unit in the last workouts!
Thank you DC Rainmaker for this very useful video! 😊
Fantastic detailed overview! Just a note, the Fenix 6Pro does show ski run names on the maps. Overall with regard to the 7 I see no reasons for me to upgrade from the 6Pro. If the 7 had heart ECG it might tempt me. Thanks again for your great work!
I was so excited when I opened CZcams and saw this video!
Great timing (literally and figuratively), my Forerunner 935 is dying and I need a new watch! Looking forward to the Epix review! Thanks for all the great reviews.
Nice launch video! Very happy I got my 6X Pro during Black Friday sales. The only feature I would really like is the touch screen when using maps. I'm a model behind, more value kind of Guy. 🙂
Fēnix is my go to watch and your my go to channel. Thanks for the great videos!
Thanks for the video and looking forward too the one of the Epix
Good complete guide also on the flashlight with the examples running in the dark.
Ah, Garmin - the Victorinox of smartwatches! Love this new model, the price is hefty, but totally worth it, in my opinion. Thank you for the detailed video!
Just went to your site . Thank you for your work !
Just picked up the Fenix 7x Sapphire Solar. Super excited to get it from fedex tomorrow
Excellent video! Lots of great information.
Great review! I had the chance to hold one today!
Love your review. Very informative.
Every time Garmin releases a new watch I come here first. Thank you again sir.
Great review. Was iffy on the Epix but your comments make me think that might be the better choice. Still disappointing no EKG though, something competitors have had for a few years now.
Saw u in the middle of the Champs Elysées at the Tour, wish I had time to say hello. Good video. It helps me!
Ahhh, bummer! Next time!!!
Great review always, I wish they took note from the design of Suunto & there own Venu 2 plus of the thickness and screen size.
I'm going to have to watch these videos 3 or 4 times. So much info in there
Dude! Awesome review!
Thank you for the great review!!!
You rocks! Super quick summary.
Thank you for the review. It's great that Garmin keep iterating on a great device so if I was serious about endurance sport but did not yet have a smartwatch that's a good choice. But for someone to upgrade from Garmin 5, I still see very little reason to do so.
You’re definitely my go to guy for these things ✊🏾👊🏾🙏🏾
Thanks!!!
Been waiting all week for this video! Thanks! Any dates for the new IQ Store?
Hey, great review thanks. I miss information about the recycling options Garmin gives to us. With our increasing electronic waste problem, manufacturers should think about the time after the life span too.
A lot of great info, as always. When will you publish an Epix review? Waiting for that one!
Thanks for the great insight. Looking for a new GPS for my summer backpacking trips. Might switch from handheld to a watch for the other features!
Thank you for the review. Without ECG and LTE, it's not worth it. I will keep my Fenix 6
I've been praying for a flashing built into a watch like why has no one done this before? It's so handy! I literally thought to myself it would be EPIC if the new fenix 7 had it and bam! It does!
Thanks for the detailed review! You're always the first person I look for when a new sports-related tech device comes out. I'm still pretty satisfied with my 6 Pro Solar but the touchscreen really is a tempting upgrade. The existing method of scrolling maps is a huge pain.
One question, you got about 6 days with the Epix; how many days did you get with the 7X with the same usage? How many days do you think you'd get with the 6 with the same usage?
From what I gather the 6 days on the epix is with the same usage that gives us 14 days (slightly longer for you with solar) on the 6 Pro.
I too am wondering about upgrading for that touchscreen for maps!
Great job again 👍👍
Great job Ray! Nailed all of the important updates. How many hikers passed by while you filmed this? 😂
Roughly 90 mins worth!
Been waiting on this for a few months. Placed my order this morning for solar saphire. Can't wait to get it ! Should be a solid upgrade from a forerunner 645
Let me know how you like it! I ordered instinct 2 solar (coming today) and thinking of getting the fenix 7 solar sapphire 🤔
@@Koko-pg8wu I really like mine ! Since I got it about 2 days after this comment. It's been on my wrist other than a 2hr stint to charge it. For me having on board music means no phone on shorter runs/interval work. It can control my smart trainer on the bike. The touch screen is super smooth but also being able to switch to buttons is awsome, especially when running at -25C with 2 pairs of gloves on. The only fault is mine happens to have a button that sticks. Ive reached out to garmin and as soon as they have stock I will echange it so eih. Thats just a lil bad luck on my end but its still functional. I think Marks review is spot on. Its not a "must" especially if you have a good watch already.. but it is a great piece of kit and I have 0 regrets because the money didnt affect other needs in my life.
@@Kevgti5 I have my instinct 2 solar mist grey for the past 2 days and I absolutely love it! the amount of features and all of the data it shows is absolutely incredible! Definitely keeping it :) Hope you get your exchanged watch soon!
Good review, thanks a lot
You are one highly organised dude!
Nice review, thank you.
Literally bought the watch as I watched this (pun intended). Thanks!
Your Vo2 max is 57! That's awesome man. Well done!
Hahaha…thanks!
wie immer, der Beste 😉
Great video, in a special place!! Thank you!! I just love the Fenix 7X, now I need to upgrade my Fenix 6X 🙂-- the only things missing are continuous blood glucose sensor as also continuous ketones sensor, that would be PERFECT for sports and health management!!
A microphone / speaker as in the recent Venu 2 Plus could've been a nice upgrade as well
thanks Ray. I just ordered a 7s Solar
Coros has stamina function and I loved it! I hope they will make it available for fenix 6 too.. not a massive change or complication
Great work! I love your channel! Just curious… were you wearing the same Decathlon shirt in the Fenix 6 review? 😁
Thanks for review! I believe that now has new users wide model range to choose from.
However, old users must getting a little headache from this new lineup strategy. 'Cause what is actually quite shocking is that my older Fenix 6X - Pro Solar Edition is on Garmin web still more expensive (and have 32GB memory), than cheaper New Fenix 7X Solar (with 16GB memory).
But maybe because it has now only 16GB of memory.
You mentioned this correctly in this video, that only new 7 "Sapphire" models has 32 GB.
But in the past the measure for "maps" and "memory" was the X model, Eg. 5X, 6X. And now all this legacy changed. To by honest, as a 6x Pro Solar owner, I am not happy about this new strategy to see that new 7x Solar is cheaper, and has less memory than my older 6x Solar.
Great review and wrap up. Purchased 5x sapphire at launch, it’s still going strong and love it. While Garmin pay, solar, improved sensors all look great. Not sure I am convinced I need to upgrade, at some point the new features will push me to upgrade or if the 5x stops working (haha yeah that ain’t happening anytime soon)
Ha! I still have the Fenix3.
@@PeterSdrolias museum piece! For me just evidence they make solid pieces
Thanks for the great review! F7 vs Vertix is still an easy choice for an ultra runner?
Really appreciate your work on this channel.
It's weird to finally see DC Rainmaker in person. I remember reading his web reviews online years ago for my Garmin Edge 705 when it first released and being impressed by the level of detail his reviews went into. I always check his CZcams reviews for all my new Garmin toys nowadays.
Thanks Shawn!!!
same here....i got into running and swimming years ago and stumbled upon his website. i would pour over his reviews in amazement at the detail. this is actually the first video of his i have seen haha
Well first of you are the man ! Thank you very much for this video! A quick question if you have time to read and answer :) I was thinking about the epix Gen 2 ! But is the 6 days always on display with workout for real ? if so that's a deal for me ! Keep going :)
Your videos always provide a ton of great info; thank you for that. One tip though: try to speak slower. You're sometimes hard to follow because of the pace in your speaking. Anyway, keep up the great work, very much appreciated!
I want this 🥺
I still have my fenix 5x+ and I love it, but the increase in battery life for my Ironmans and for backpacking just might be worth it, plus I think garmin did a great job as always.
Thank you, I'll be getting the Fenix 6 Pro since the 7 hasn't changed enough!
Finally a decent review of The watch
Great vid!
I went with the 7X Solar Sapphire Titanium in blue/white. I considered the Epix, but was always pretty impressed by the display on my friend's 6X - it was clear in daylight, his battery lasts ages, and he's still delighted with it. Looking forward to it arriving.
Amoled easy to burn in
Nice to know that the battery lasts for days and not like Apple - dead technology on your wrist the next day of charging .
I have just gone with 7x over the Epix to avoid the Amoled and maximise battery. Can't wait for it to arrive!
I'm a Garmin 6s pro owner and I hate that after this video I want the 7s because of the solar -.-
Always well done DC!
Great review and really useful - just deciding of whether to upgrade from 6X Sapphire Pro to the new watch - you also mentioned at the end the other watch you have been using but I couldn't quite tell what make model you said - can you let me know and have you done a review on the other watch you seem to have worn as well as the Fenix 7.
thanks in advance
I use the screen light on my 6X, to see at night.... but I like the stamina info and the sapphire solar glass.
👏👏👏👏👏 great review 🔝🔝🔝
Your reviews are EPIX! Thank you for the super comprehensive dives into these products. That being said, would you go with Fenix 7x or Epix? I love the AMOLED display so I lean towards the latter.
Epix all the way. Battery is very good for such a nice display.
Epix all the way, every day.
Excellent in depth review. Really disappointed to see no ECG :(
The button protector and the touch screen were the best things
Glad touch is back. Trying to pan on the f6 during a run can be painful. Also loved the touch on my old vivoactive 2 and even better on the forerunner 630
Awesome!
Thank Ray, i really love your reviews. As somebody else said, you're the the first and my go-to person when it comes to sport-related tech.
Now, to anyone who is reading this review. My wife gifted me the Fenix 7x Pro Solar with the titanium strap and for me it's a huge update on my 6 year old Fenix 3 Sapphire HR. But i have some fears that the 1200 EUR price tag is a bit too much.
I am still a sport person with regular ski, bike, surf and hike activities. But my knees are feeling the workload of my previous sports and i can't keep it up. For example, my yearly number of km dropped from 3500km in 2016 to around 800 in 2020 and 500 in 2021.. Should i keep the watch? Or change it fo a EPIX or an Apple watch?
thanks
check out the kneesovertoesguy on CZcams! changing lives.
I'm sold! I'm sure the Epix with an AMOLED display is even more expensive, but in AUD the sapphire solar is already $1399 for the Fenix, that's costly enough.
Thanks for the review! i wish some of the features will get ported to the 945 LTE...
Thanks for the review! I just ordered the Solar Sapphire Option. I am so glad they kept the transreflective Display. Yes, the colors are not as vibrant but it is a watch! You do not watch movies on a watch! I wouldn't want the glare of Amoled on a watch all the time!
I am also glad that they kept the buttons! Solar Sapphire is a perfect combination! I am always getting good prices on the old versions because the sapphire glas is in mint condition even after heavy usage for two years!
The flashlight is really a neat option when you are in hotel rooms and just need to go to the bathroom and you do not know your way around the room! Perfect for that! I used that feature a lot on the Fenix 6 as the backlight in flashlight mode was really bright enough. Now, you do not need to take out your smartphone anymore when you need to use a flashlight for a moment. THis always puts the smartphone in danger!
I do hope that they fixed the battery issues by now. Garmin exchanged the Fenix 6 two times for me because the battery capacity went done to one day for no reasons. Customer service is impeccable, though! That is why I am staying with Garmin!
I would have hoped for the integration of some sort of cell phone function. maybe not for talking but for calling an emergency service. Now, you still have to tack the phone along, if you want to be safe. Maybe next iteration...
Garmin Pay in the UK needs better take up by banks to remove one of my barriers to the Fenix/other Garmin watches. On app config is nice. Thanks for the video Ray.
IMO this won’t happen. I work for a bank and had some minor involvement in the adoption of Apple Pay which was a bigger project than you might imagine. It would cost too much money for Garmin to pay the banks to do the work and there’s no benefit to the banks for covering the cost themselves. I have no inside knowledge of future projects but my guess is that Garmin Pay won’t even be on the longest version of the to do list
Interesting take on the display...I have the Vivoactive 4s and have tried Amoles watches like the Huawei GT3...and O just miss that true always-on Diplay that I can actually use to display the full watchface at all times...and effortlessly view un sunlight...
for me one huge reason to use a garmin watch is the battery life. i dont want to charge daily or even every few days. i like not having to think about it at all. while the amoled looks better, the fenix screen is really not that bad. hopefully they release a good FR version later.
The problem with my 6 is that I think about it so little I almost forget completely!
Hi Ray. I always like your reviews, but i don’t understand why you (and orher reviewers) advise the Epix so hard. I had one, but send it back. The screen was indead very well. But to shiny for me. Every time i moved my arm, i looked as a lighting Christmas tree. I rather prefer the discrete character of the 7x. It also did’nt felt as a sportwatch. I missed also the bigger screen (coming from a 6x) and the discrete always on display. Thx 4 the clear reviews of the Fenix and Epix.
.........Does this mean a 955 review might be in the works......Omg please say yes. also killer video as always
Great review as always! For me as a Fenix 6 Pro user I really hoped they would add LTE to the Fenix 7. Not for making calls, but for the emergency stuff. And ECG would have been a good addition, too. Since I don't miss having a touch interface, I will most likely not upgrade from my 6 Pro but rather wait for the next iterations. And if you're still there, have fun in (on?) Tenerife. I've been there twice so far, great place for everything outdoors.
Agree... the two things I wanted from the Fenix 7 were bigger screen (and smaller bezel = same size) and LTE. I figured it's been long enough since the Fenix 6, they had enough time to do something special. Seems not
@@fernandojimenez503 same for me, i cant see any real advantage other than more graphics and upgraded hr sensors. Since nobody uses the hr sensor for workouts its pointless tho. So basically, if you dont want a touchscreen there is nothing to upgrade for.
@@fernandojimenez503 have to correct: i really like the flashlight. Improves the feeling of having the most versatile watch out there
@@wattier8218 Yeah but it’s one very expensive flashlight! I’ll be sticking with my 6S Pro because while the 7 is a very nice watch there’s nothing that justifies ditching a perfectly good watch given that a lot of the new features aren’t relevant to me (and the new one is so much money). I guess that’s always likely to be the way when the 6 is already so capable (and yes I also use an external upper arm HR sensor rather than the one on my watch)
@@MattSwain1 i have the 6x Saphire, there is nothing worth paying 1k without getting any serious upgrade.
Wohooo, thanks for the vid. Do you have any info about porting the features back to other watches than the F6? (I have an Enduro). I'm thinking about the widgets, Stamina, or (what mostly interests me) the waypoints and the phone-datafield setup (and sync across devices like in the case of Edges I presume) ?
Great review (like always).
Regarding Epix/Fenix displays… while amoled (or whatever epix has) is certainly more fancy, does the MIP display on Fenix looks better in direct sunlight? I mean shouldn’t it be more visible? Thnx.
Just ordered the Epix 2 as it’s the same as Fenix 7 with brilliant display. And a very good battery life.😊
No solar though
@@davidjgrant23 And no torch
@@davidjgrant23 I live in dark Finland so would make no difference. The torch would be nice though.
I went for fenix 7 saphire solar. Epix may have a better screen, but battery life is a bit disappointing in comparison.
@@TurreTuntematon do you regret it? I’m going for the 7X
Another great review! At 7:08, are those long list of TopoActive map shows up in your review exclusive to Fenix 7 as I was not able to find those country list available for download for my Fenix 6X ??
And to think 6 months ago I was worried about buying a Fenix 6 pro in case it got blown out of the water by the 7 straight away. No buyers remorse over here PHEW! They look cool, but nothing ground-breaking, apart from your wallet!
I've had the 6xpro since it came out and I'm happy. Maybe there next Gen, Fenix 8 or epix
same
Yep, same here, will probably wait for the next generation, got some issues with my Fenix 6X pro (wifi broke down after one of the updates and I got to get the watch back to garmin)
You da man, DC!
Thanks for the awesome review, I have enough data from your video to make my decision to buy it. Just one last question, does the back glass (where the sensors are) is also sapphire or just mineral glass? Does it scratch easily? Thanks man! Keep it up.
My understanding is just mineral glass.
THEY SEEMS SUPER BEAUTIFUL & PREMIUM
Thank you for the review! Would you choose 945 lte over fenix 7s for 24/7 usage? Would it be lighter and more comfortable?