Review of the Garmin Fenix 7

 What’s new?

The Garmin Fenix 7, a top-tier sports watch, is packed with features that cater to a wide range of athletes. This advanced multi-sports watch is equipped with an array of sensors, including the latest generation Elevate 4 optical heart rate monitor, an altimeter, a compass, a SpO2 (blood oxygen) sensor, and a temperature sensor. These sensors provide a wealth of data, allowing users to monitor their health and fitness levels in real-time.

Beyond its impressive sensor suite, the Fenix 7 also boasts advanced training tools. These tools help users balance work and recovery, making the abstract concept of training load easy to understand. One such tool is the real-time stamina tool, which shows how much fuel you have in the tank during your workout.

The Fenix 7 also introduces a touchscreen, a significant update that brings it in line with more typical day-to-day smartwatches. This inclusion makes the Fenix 7 feel intuitive to use straight out of the box, making navigation through the watch’s many menus a straightforward activity.

Another notable feature is the LED flashlight, a unique addition that can find its purpose in any day-to-day activity and can even potentially save a life. This feature, along with the watch’s improved battery life, makes the Fenix 7 not just a fitness tool, but a reliable companion for everyday life.

In summary, the Fenix 7 is a powerful, feature-rich smartwatch that pushes the boundaries of what we can expect from a wearable device. Whether you’re a serious athlete looking to take your training to the next level, or simply someone who values health, fitness, and convenience, the Fenix 7 has something to offer.

Features and Specifications 

The Fenix 7 smartwatch is a testament to Garmin’s commitment to innovation, offering a wealth of features that cater to a wide range of users. It is equipped with a suite of sensors, including the latest generation Elevate 4 optical heart rate monitor, an altimeter, compass, SpO2 (blood oxygen) sensor, and a temperature sensor. The SpO2 monitoring can run continuously, overnight, or on-demand during spot-checks, providing users with versatile health tracking options.

The Fenix 7 also supports a variety of sports and activity profiles, making it a versatile companion for fitness enthusiasts. It can support interval training, HIIT workouts, and dedicated training plans, using data from the optical heart rate monitor to provide insight into your performance and recovery over time.

In addition to its fitness features, the Fenix 7 offers a range of convenience features that make it a reliable companion for everyday life. These include push notifications from your smartphone, contactless payments, and the ability to store music on the watch. Users can customize the watch by downloading apps via the Garmin Connect IQ app and changing the appearance of the watch face.

The Fenix 7 Sapphire Solar, the top-tier model in the range, retails at around AUD779.99 / $899.99 /£685. Despite its premium price tag, the Fenix 7 offers a wealth of features that justify its cost, making it a worthwhile investment for those who value health, fitness, and convenience.

Performance Analysis 

Building on the extensive features and specifications of the Fenix 7 smartwatch, we now delve into its performance. The watch stands out in terms of accuracy, with its GPS tracking and heart rate monitoring features receiving high praise. TechRadar noted the GPS tracking’s precision, recording a pre-measured 5km test route to within 50 meters, making it the most accurate running watch they’ve tested to date. However, it’s worth noting that the accuracy of the heart rate sensor can vary depending on the size of the watch, with smaller watches generally providing more accurate readings.

The Fenix 7 also excels in battery life, a feature that has always been a selling point of Garmin’s sports watches. TechRadar gave the watch a perfect score for battery life, noting the Fenix 7 Sapphire Solar model’s unique feature, Garmin’s Power Glass, which harvests energy throughout the day to keep the watch’s battery topped up. While you’ll still need to plug the watch in occasionally, the solar cell significantly extends its battery life.

In terms of connectivity, the Fenix 7 offers a range of features that enhance its functionality. It’s compatible with the Garmin Connect app, which allows you to unlock further insights into your activities and health statistics. You can also download additional apps, such as Komoot, Trailforks, and Spotify, via the Garmin Connect IQ store. However, DC Rainmaker noted that information on when and what the watch is syncing can be unclear, and manual sync remains obscure. Despite this minor drawback, the Fenix 7’s connectivity features add to its overall performance and usability, setting the stage for a comparison with other smartwatches in the market.

Comparison with Competitors 

Building on the performance analysis of the Fenix 7, it’s clear that Garmin has made significant strides in terms of features and performance. The Fenix 7 boasts a touchscreen, a feature that brings it in line with more typical day-to-day smartwatches. This is a major update from the Fenix 6, making the Fenix 7 more intuitive to use straight out of the box.

In terms of features, the Fenix 7 is packed with a variety of sensors including the company’s latest generation Elevate 4 optical heart rate monitor, altimeter, compass, SpO2 (blood oxygen) sensor, and temperature sensor. It also comes with more than 60 activity profiles, covering everything from cycling to climbing and gym work to parachuting. This is a significant advantage over other smartwatches like the Suunto 9, which is primarily targeted at ultrarunners.

However, these features come at a cost. The Fenix 7 has a high price point, with different models ranging from $699 to $1,199. This is considerably higher than other smartwatches like the Garmin Forerunner 955, which is at the lower end of the high-priced watches but still offers advanced features and all-day battery life.

In terms of performance, the Fenix 7 has shown improvements over the Fenix 6 in areas like GPS, barometric altimeter, and heart rate accuracy. The user interface design is also more polished, making tasks that used to be a headache, like loading maps ahead of a trip, now trivial.

While the Fenix 7 comes with a higher price tag, it offers a wide range of features and improved performance that make it a strong competitor in the smartwatch market. However, potential buyers should consider their specific needs and budget before making a purchase. This sets the stage for a discussion on the user experience and usability of the Fenix 7, which is another important aspect to consider when comparing smartwatches.

User Experience and Usability 

Having compared the Fenix 7 with other smartwatches in the market, it’s clear that the Fenix 7 offers a user experience that is both intuitive and versatile. One of the major updates from its predecessor, the Fenix 6, is the introduction of a touchscreen. This feature brings the Fenix 7 in line with more typical day-to-day smartwatches and makes navigating through the watch’s many menus a straightforward activity. However, for those who prefer a more traditional approach, the interface also includes five physical buttons, and the touchscreen can be disabled completely if desired.

Comfort is another key aspect of the Fenix 7’s user experience. Despite its attention-grabbing size, the watch is lightweight and unobtrusive when worn for activities. However, its size can make it tricky to fit under slim clothing, which could limit visibility of the watch face and its solar charging capability.

In terms of usability, the Fenix 7 excels in navigation. It can sync with Garmin Connect and Garmin Explore, allowing users to create courses and send them to the watch. The watch is also full of points of interest that users can navigate to, enhancing its functionality for outdoor activities.

However, the Fenix 7 is not without its drawbacks. The touchscreen, while a significant improvement, can be less useful when wearing gloves. Additionally, the display, while conserving battery life, is not as bright as some users might prefer, and the blue-tinted backlight can make things harder to distinguish.

 Bottom Line

Overall, the Fenix 7 offers a user-friendly experience with a balance of new features and familiar design elements. Its ease of use and comfort make it a strong contender in the smartwatch market, despite some minor criticisms. As we move forward, it’s important to consider these aspects when comparing the Fenix 7 with other smartwatches in the market.