Horologii

Garmin Announces New Fenix 7 Sapphire Solar Smartwatch

For the last twelve months, Garmin fans have speculated about when we can expect the release of the next generation of Garmin Fenix watches. With the Fenix 5 unveiled in 2017 and the Fenix 6 launched two years later in 2019, the last year has been full of anticipation as the smartwatch world waited patiently for a release in 2021. Our patience has been rewarded and we can finally announce that the Garmin Fenix 7 collection is here.

One of our most read articles of all time is a piece we did comparing the differences between the Garmin Fenix 6 and the Garmin MARQ. Since we’re now treated to the brand’s next premium wearable, we will be revealing a new in-depth comparison of the new Fenix 7 and the older Fenix 6 soon, so keep your eyes peeled for that. In the meantime, here’s some of the key features you can expect to find in the new Garmin Fenix 7 series including stats on their extended battery, info on the new integrated flashlight feature and the details on the solar powered sapphire displays.

CASE & STRAP OPTIONS

Before we excitedly rush into all the new features available on the new Garmin Fenix 7, let’s first give you a quick brief on the case sizes and designs available. As always, the collection is split three ways for three different case sizes. The Garmin Fenix 7S remains the smallest with a case diameter of 42mm and will be available in Carbon Grey DLC, Cream Gold, Rose Gold and Dark Bronze. The Garmin Fenix 7 comes in a little larger at 47mm in Carbon Grey, Mineral Blue, Plain Titanium or Black DLC and the Garmin Fenix 7X remains the superior design with an imposing 51mm diameter also available in Carbon Grey, Mineral Blue, Plain Titanium or Black DLC.

All fifteen Garmin Fenix 7 watches are engineered from lightweight and scratch resistant titanium parts placed within fibre reinforced polymer housing with Diamond Like Carbon coating for optimal durability. For comparison, the Fenix 6 is available in titanium on some models but largely opts for stainless steel with DLC coating. The Fenix 7 also rewards us with a 100 metre water resistant rating and opts for a range of coloured rubber straps, leather straps, nylon bands and some models with luxurious solid titanium bracelets.

DISPLAY

A huge benefit to the new Garmin Fenix 7 collection is its upgraded display. Unlike the Corning Gorilla Glass DX found on the majority of the Fenix 6 models, the entire series of Fenix 7 smartwatches features solar sapphire crystal which offers not only increased scratch resistance but exceptional solar-charging capability across the whole collection. The display is of course touchscreen and coloured and measures to 33.02mm in diameter for easy legibility. The resolution also comes to 260×260 pixels and is sunlight-visible transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP).

BATTERY LIFE

Thanks to the solar sapphire displays, the Garmin Fenix 7 collection also boasts an impressive 300% solar harvesting increase over the Fenix 6 Solar. The battery life differs slightly depending on the model you choose, so here’s a quick rundown of what you can expect from each.

Garmin Fenix 7S (Typical) : Smartwatch mode (11 days), Battery Saver Watch Mode (38 days), GPS Only (40 hours), Max Battery GPS (90 hours), Expedition GPS (26 days)

Garmin Fenix 7S (With Solar): Smartwatch mode (14 days), Battery Saver Watch Mode (87 days), GPS Only (51 hours), Max Battery GPS (162 hours), Expedition GPS (43 days)

Garmin Fenix 7 (Typical): Smartwatch mode (18 days), Battery Saver Watch Mode (57 days), GPS Only (62 hours), Max Battery GPS (136 hours), Expedition GPS (40 days)

Garmin Fenix 7 (With Solar): Smartwatch mode (22 days), Battery Saver Watch Mode (173 days), GPS Only (81 hours), Max Battery GPS (289 hours), Expedition GPS (74 days)

Garmin Fenix 7X (Typical): Smartwatch mode (28 days), Battery Saver Watch Mode (90 days), GPS Only (96 hours), Max Battery GPS (213 hours), Expedition GPS (62 days)

Garmin Fenix 7X (With Solar): Smartwatch mode (37 days), Battery Saver Watch Mode (1 year), GPS Only (135 hours), Max Battery GPS (578 hours), Expedition GPS (139 days)

FLASHLIGHT FEATURE

Exclusive only to the Garmin Fenix 7X watch, one of the most innovative features we have ever seen in a smartwatch is Garmin’s new multi-LED flashlight. I don’t know about you, but I use the torch on my smartphone more often than I care to admit, so upon seeing this feature, I was instantly intrigued by its ingenuity. The flashlight is carefully hidden behind a low-profile diffused transparent lens which can be seen, only just, in the base of the fibre reinforced case wall. To use it, you simply double tap the light button which will deliver a bright light onto the ground in front of you. The layout has also been carefully designed for hand-free, ambidextrous use so it doesn’t matter which wrist you choose to wear your Garmin Fenix 7 on.

Of course, typical to Garmin, the flashlight is more than just a bright white light that will help you find your way home from the pub! It is also fully kitted out with several additional features including a Strobe feature that lets the user adjust the reoccurrence of light with ease, a Red Mode for cases where red light offers advantages over white and an essential SOS mode where the light flashes to signal for help and will also display information about yourself and your emergency contact should you need assistance.

ADDITIONAL NEW FEATURES & APPS

You can expect to find all the same features of the Fenix 6 series inside the new Garmin Fenix 7 collection alongside some additional sports apps and GPS features. These include Multi-Band GNSS, improved physiological training metrics, expanded sport profiles, HIIT workouts, sync settings, Up Ahead feature, Visual Race Predictor and pre-installed TOPO maps with Wi-Fi map downloads. There’s also a new fitness feature called Real-time Stamina which has been developed to ensure you never hit the wall again. It helps you pace yourself, attack your workouts with confidence and cross the finish line with nothing left in the tank.

PRICE & AVAILABILITY

Staying just as reasonably competitive as the Fenix 6, the new Garmin Fenix 7 retails between £779.99 and £859.99. To us, this seems remarkably good value considering the mass of new technologies that are found within and the guarantee of titanium casing, sapphire crystal solar powered dials and unbeatable battery performance.

If you’d like to order one of the Garmin Fenix 7 watches for yourself, you can find the entire collection on the Jura Watches website here. Alternatively, why not get in touch with the team directly by calling 01335 453453 or send us a message at help@jurawatches.co.uk.