Garmin Fenix 7

$594.95 (opens in new tab)at Amazon (opens in new tab)$599.99 (opens in new tab)at Aggressive Bike owner US (opens in new tab)$611.99 (opens in new tab)at Walmart (opens in new tab)

Dimensions: 47 x 47 x 14.5 mm (1.85 x 1.85 x 0.57 in)
Weight: 79 g
Decision: 484 x 396 pixels (~326 ppi density)

In order for you a strong design constructed to face up to tough therapy outside with lengthy battery life and do not want non-fitness bells and whistles, the Garmin Fenix 7 is the simple selection. That’s, until the worth is a figuring out issue – the Fenix 7 is nearly twice as costly because the smaller 41mm mannequin of the Apple Watch 7. Total, the Fenix 7 will do nearly all the things you want as a extra critical athlete, however could be an excessive amount of for those who simply desire a gentle train companion.

For

• Accessible new coaching instruments
• Excellent navigation apps
• Further-tough design
• Touchscreen operation works effectively
• Longer battery life, much less weight
• GPS enhancements

Towards

• Low-contrast show
• No mic for hands-free calls
• Totally different fashions might be complicated

Apple Watch 7 evaluation

Go to Web site (opens in new tab)

Dimensions: 45 x 38 x 10.7 mm (1.77 x 1.50 x 0.42 in)
Weight: 42.three g (41mm), 51.5 g (45mm) (1.48 oz)
Decision: 260 x 260 pixels (~200 ppi density)

The Apple Watch 7, very like Apple’s wider smartwatch product line, is designed moreso to go well with the wants of an on a regular basis consumer. Whereas this does embrace health options, general a critical sportsman would discover themselves significantly better outfitted with the Garmin Fenix 7 on their wrist. Extra informal health fiends will discover the Apple Watch 7 an acceptable, cheaper various to the Fenix 7. It is an all-rounder smartwatch with loads of added advantages exterior of health.

For

• Brighter, bigger display screen
• Sooner charging

Towards

• Exercises are assorted, however primary
• Battery life too brief

If you happen to’re out there for a brand new watch, the Garmin Fenix 7 and Apple Watch 7 are two which might be prone to seize your consideration. Each are full of instruments that’ll serve you effectively whether or not you are figuring out or taking it simple, however they’re very totally different gadgets and we’re right here that will help you select the one which’s best for you.

Whereas Apple launched the Apple Watch Eight in early 2022, the Apple Watch 7 stays a well-liked selection for many who aren’t notably bothered by the brand new options that include the 8, that are crash detection, Bluetooth 5.three and physique temperature monitoring. We’re nonetheless ready to listen to after we would possibly see the Garmin Fenix 8.

The most important distinction between these two watches is that the Apple Watch 7 is an on a regular basis watch with common attraction, whereas the Garmin Fenix 7 is a critical sports activities watch. If you happen to’re not aiming to set new private data and crush health objectives, choosing the Fenix means you may be paying for lots of instruments you are not going to make use of. 

If you happen to take pleasure in train for enjoyable and recreation, the Apple Watch 7 will probably have all the things you want – notably when paired with an Apple Health Plus subscription. Nonetheless, for those who’ve set your self a purpose of crushing your marathon time, tackling an Ironman, taking over a sportive, or working in your path operating, the Fenix 7 can be a implausible coaching associate.

These aren’t the one variations, although – design, worth, battery life, and third-party help are all necessary issues too. Scroll down for the complete lowdown on each watches. Alternatively, for those who’ve made up your thoughts, we have discovered the most effective costs for you proper right here:

At present’s finest Garmin Fenix 7 and Apple Watch Collection 7 dealsReduced Value (opens in new tab)Garmin Fenix 7 (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)$1,070.98 (opens in new tab)$611.99 (opens in new tab)View (opens in new tab)See all costsLowered Value (opens in new tab)Apple Watch Collection 7 45mm (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)$429 (opens in new tab)$329 (opens in new tab)View (opens in new tab)See all costsWe test over 250 million merchandise every single day for the most effective costs

Watch fashions and worth

Watch fashions

• Eight Garmin Fenix 7 fashions (three sizes)
• 4 Apple Watch 7 fashions (two sizes)
• Alternative of supplies and colours for all watches

The Garmin Fenix 7 and Apple Watch 7 each are available varied totally different configurations and sizes, which is effectively value taking into consideration when selecting between them.

The Fenix 7 is available in eight totally different configurations. There are three sizes, with instances measuring 42mm, 47mm, and 52mm in diameter respectively. Every of those might be fitted with both Garmin’s Energy Glass or Sapphire Photo voltaic glass (the latter of which is extra proof against scratches). The 2 smaller fashions are additionally out there with Corning Gorilla Glass.

This desk exhibits how the assorted choices evaluate:

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Garmin Fenix 7 fashions

42mm case	47mm case	52mm case
Fenix 7S	Fenix 7	n/a
Fenix 7S Photo voltaic	Fenix 7 Photo voltaic	Fenix 7X Photo voltaic
Fenix 7S Photo voltaic Sapphire	Fenix 7 Photo voltaic Sapphire	Fenix 7S Photo voltaic Sapphire

The entire Fenix 7 fashions are available a selection of various colours and supplies, together with chrome steel, titanium, and DLC (diamond-like carbon) titanium.

The Apple Watch 7, in contrast, comes simply two sizes: 41mm and 45mm. Neither dimension comes with photo voltaic charging or several types of glass for the lens, however each can be found in a big selection of various supplies and colours. Instances are available aluminum or chrome steel, and you’ll choose from a variety of steel bracelets, silicone straps, and woven bands.

Each the 41mm and 45mm variations can be found with mobile connectivity, which lets you use on-line companies and make calls with out having your telephone inside Bluetooth vary.

Value

• Fenix 7 watches are dearer
• Extras like photo voltaic glass and mobile connectivity value extra

The Garmin Fenix 7 sequence are top-end sports activities watches, with costs to match. They begin at $699.99 / £599.99 / AU$1,049 for the usual 42mm or 47mm model, and the top-tier Fenix 7X Sapphire Photo voltaic is $999.99 / £859.99 / AU$1,499.

The Apple Watch 7 worth begins at $399 / £369 / AU$599 for the 41mm variant, and rises to $429 / £399 / AU$649 for the 45mm mannequin. 

In order for you the mobile model to assist you to use it with out the telephone, the 41mm model prices $499 / £469 / AU$749 and the 45mm mannequin prices $529 / £499 / AU$799 – plus the price of a further knowledge plan. 

Whichever watch you select, including extras like premium case supplies and leather-based straps will bump up the worth. If you happen to’re shopping for an Apple Watch 7, you may additionally need to contemplate factoring within the worth of an Apple Health Plus subscription, which is able to unlock instruments like Time to Stroll and Time to Run, plus Apple’s full vary of instructor-led exercises.

Design, show and battery life

Design

• Fenix 7 watches are extra rugged
• Apple Watch 7 is slimmer and lighter

The obvious bodily distinction between these two watches is that the Apple Watch 7 has an oblong face whereas the Fenix 7 is spherical, however that is solely scratching the floor.

Each watches have touchscreens for scrolling by way of menus, choosing apps, and panning throughout maps. The Apple Watch 7 additionally has a single bodily button that serves to navigate again by way of menus, plus a Digital Crown that may be rotated to scroll, and pressed to pick out choices.

The Fenix 7 has 5 bodily buttons, that are designed to be used with moist, chilly or gloved fingers. The touchscreen is disabled by default throughout exercises to keep away from by chance pausing or ending exercises, and you’ll select to modify it off altogether for those who want to stay with the buttons alone. The beginning button has a steel guard to guard in opposition to injury and, once more, keep away from unintended presses.

Watches within the Fenix 7 line have an general chunkier design than Apple Watch 7 gadgets, constructed to face up to tough therapy outside, and their instances are constituted of totally different supplies. The Apple Watch 7 has a wholly steel case (both aluminum or chrome steel), whereas Fenix 7 instances are constituted of fiber-reinforced resin with a steel entrance.

Regardless of that, there’s not a lot distinction in weight. The 41mm Apple Watch 7 weighs 42.three g, not together with the strap, whereas the 45mm model is 51.5g. 

The 42mm Garmin Fenix 7S weighs 47g, the 47mm Garmin Fenix 7 is 56g, and the 52mm Garmin Fenix 7X Photo voltaic is 68g. A part of the Fenix 7X’s weight might be attributed to the LED flashlight fitted into the highest of the watch, which might be activated by double-pressing the backlight button.

All Apple Watch 7 gadgets are topped with sapphire crystal glass. The usual Garmin Fenix 7 has Corning Gorilla Glass, whereas the photo voltaic editions include both Garmin’s personal Energy Glass or Energy Sapphire.

Show

• Apple Watch 7 has AMOLED show
• Garmin Fenix 7 sequence have colour memory-in-pixel

The Apple Watch 7 has a shiny AMOLED show with an always-on modem whereas watches within the Fenix 7 line have transflective memory-in-pixel (MiP) shows.

MiP is much less shiny, however contributes to the Fenix 7’s extra-long battery life. It isn’t as putting as AMOLED, however remains to be clearly seen in most lighting circumstances, and has a backlight that may be activated with a press of the highest proper button.

Battery life

• Fenix 7 has for much longer battery life
• Photo voltaic editions lengthen battery life even additional

One of many largest variations between the Garmin Fenix 7 and Apple Watch 7 is battery life. Whichever mannequin you select, the Fenix 7 lasts a lot, for much longer between prices.

The desk under exhibits the utmost quoted figures for the usual 47mm Garmin Fenix 7 and the Apple Watch 7:

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Garmin Fenix 7 and Apple Watch 7 battery life

Header Cell – Column 0	Garmin Fenix 7	Apple Watch 7
Smartwatch mode	18 days	18 hours
Battery saver smartwatch	57 days	n/a
GPS solely	57 hours	7 hours

If you happen to largely practice outside, it is effectively value testing the Fenix 7 photo voltaic fashions, which final a remarkably very long time between prices supplied they get an everyday dose of daylight. Battery life for the 52mm Fenix 7X Photo voltaic is especially spectacular on account of its additional massive photo voltaic cell.

To offer you an concept, listed here are the battery lives of the 47mm Fenix 7 Photo voltaic and the 52mm Fenix 7X Photo voltaic with three hours of direct daylight per day. As you may see, dimension actually does matter.

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Garmin Fenix 7 Photo voltaic and Fenix 7X Photo voltaic battery life

Header Cell – Column 0	Fenix 7Solar	Fenix 7X Photo voltaic
Smartwatch mode	22 days with photo voltaic	37 days with photo voltaic
Battery saver smartwatch	173 days with photo voltaic	1+ yr with photo voltaic
GPS solely	73 hours with photo voltaic	122 hours with photo voltaic

Smartwatch and health options

Smartwatch options

• Mobile model of Apple Watch 7 out there
• App Retailer provides rather more selection than Garmin Join IQ
• Garmin Fenix 7 helps each iOS and Android

In the case of common smartwatch options, it is maybe no shock that the Apple Watch has probably the most to supply. It integrates seamlessly together with your iPhone, giving you quick access to your calendar, emails, deal with e book, maps, and rather more.

When you can definitely put on the Garmin Fenix 7 as an everyday watch (and Garmin’s mapping makes it excellent for on a regular basis navigation), it would not supply the identical breadth of instruments as Apple’s watch. For starters, there is a a lot wider array of third-party apps out there for the Apple Watch 7. Garmin does have an app retailer (Garmin Join IQ), however there’s much less selection and a lot of the apps are sports-focused.

One other benefit of the Apple Watch 7 is its built-in microphone, designed for making calls and accessing Siri. That is one thing that is lacking from the Fenix 7. Actually, thus far the one Garmin watch with a microphone is the Garmin Venu 2 Plus.

Apple Pay is nearly universally accepted in shops around the globe. The Fenix 7 has Garmin Pay, however whereas that is supported by plenty of banks and public transport networks within the US, it is much less helpful in the remainder of the world.

The Apple Watch 7 is out there with mobile connectivity if you wish to use on-line instruments with no connection to your telephone, however on the time of writing there isn’t any LTE model of the Fenix 7.

Nonetheless, the Garmin Fenix 7 does have one large benefit as an on a regular basis look ahead to many individuals: it is appropriate with each iOS and Android.

Health monitoring

• Apple Watch 7 finest suited to leisure sports activities
• Fenix 7 made for critical sportspeople

The Garmin Fenix 7 is a devoted sports activities watch, in order you’d anticipate, it has a much more complete suite of exercise monitoring and health monitoring instruments than the extra general-purpose Apple Watch 7.

Once we reviewed the Apple Watch 7, we have been impressed by the accuracy of its coronary heart charge monitoring, which intently matched that of the chest strap coronary heart charge monitor we in contrast it to. We did, nevertheless, discover that we would have liked to push the watch up our arm to get probably the most correct readings. The Garmin Fenix 7 introduced no such issues, and delivered extraordinarily correct measurements without having for fiddling or adjustment.

Not like the Apple Watch 7, the Fenix 7 has a pores and skin temperature sensor that retains tabs in your temp throughout exercises. This knowledge can also be used to estimate how a lot sweat you lose throughout a coaching session so you may be sure you rehydrate completely afterwards.

Each watches can monitor a variety of actions, and have on-board GPS to observe your tempo and distance throughout out of doors exercises, however the Fenix 7 provides many extra modes, with coaching instruments designed by folks with an intimate information of every sport. Runners and cyclists are notably effectively catered for; a real-time stamina meter to point out how a lot juice you’ve left within the tank, computerized climb detection, advised coaching classes, estimated race end instances, and good pacing methods are only a small handful of the instruments on supply.

You can too use any Fenix 7 to test your seven-day coaching load in your wrist. That is introduced as a bar chart displaying your coaching load every day, the kind of coaching (base, tempo, threshold, velocity and so on) represented by a colour, and whether or not your tracked actions are having a optimistic impression in your health. You may additionally see a quantity representing your coaching load that may enable you to choose for those who’re vulnerable to under- or over-training.

Though there are downloadable golf apps for the Apple Watch 7, the Fenix 7 comes with all the things a golfer wants pre-installed. That features particulars of some 42,000 programs, shot detection, digital scorecards, a full vector map, and rather more. It is also authorized to be used in tournaments.

Whenever you’re not figuring out, each watches embrace SpO2 sensors for retaining monitor of blood oxygen saturation, in addition to sleep monitoring options that use the optical coronary heart charge monitor and accelerometer to find out sleep high quality and phases.

One function that the Garmin Fenix 7 lacks is an ECG sensor to detect indicators of atrial fibrillation (an irregular coronary heart rhythm that ought to be investigated by a physician). Anybody can develop atrial fibrillation, together with the kind of critical athletes who’ll be sporting a Fenix 7, however thus far it is not one thing that any Garmin watch provides.

• We have examined and ranked the most effective highway trainers

At present’s finest Garmin Fenix 7 and Apple Watch Collection 7 dealsReduced Value (opens in new tab)Garmin Fenix 7 (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)$1,070.98 (opens in new tab)$611.99 (opens in new tab)View (opens in new tab)See all costsLowered Value (opens in new tab)Apple Watch Collection 7 45mm (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)$429 (opens in new tab)$329 (opens in new tab)View (opens in new tab)See all costsWe test over 250 million merchandise every single day for the most effective costs