Garmin has launched a pair of new multi-sport GPS watches – the Fenix 7 Pro and Epix Pro. Both include a brand new heart rate monitor, plus new activity tracking modes, weather map overlays, and a new endurance score to help you track your ability to sustain prolonged efforts, whatever your sport.
Like the original Garmin Fenix 7, which launched last year, the Fenix 7 Pro comes in three sizes: 42mm, 47mm, and 51mm. All three sizes have solar charging for boosted battery life, and you can choose from toughened Gorilla Glass, or scratch-resistant sapphire crystal for the lens.
All three also have a built-in flashlight, which is great news for wearers with smaller wrists. Garmin's flashlights have been well received, but until now, have only been available in large watches like the Enduro 2 and Fenix 7X. That's all changed now, and even the small Fenix 7S Pro provides you with a bright LED torch that can be accessed with a quick double-press of the backlight button.
Turning over the watch, there's a new biometric sensor array featuring four green LEDs rather than two. According to Garmin, these 'more spatially diverse' sensors, together with sport-specific algorithms, make it easier to understand how your body is responding to exercise. There's no support for Garmin's ECG app right now, but if the new sensor includes the necessary hardware then that might be a feature that's unlocked via a firmware update in the near future. We'll have to wait and see.
New activity tracking modes include whitewater rafting, motocross, and overlanding. For runners, a new hill score measures your running strength on steep climbs, and running endurance on long ascents, and lets you check your progress over time based on VO2 max and training history.
There are also new weather map overlays, which make it easier to see changing conditions in advance, and relief shading.
It's available to order today direct from Garmin, with prices starting at $799.99. I'm currently testing the smallest version, the Garmin Fenix 7S Pro, comparing it to last year's Fenix 7S, and will bring you a full review very soon.
Garmin Epix Pro
The Garmin Epix launched with a bang last year as the company's first multi-sport watch with an AMOLED display, but only came in one size. The Epix Pro is available in the same three sizes as the Fenix 7 Pro, and again, all three have a flashlight built into the top of the case.
Its feature set is fundamentally the same as the Fenix 7 Pro, but with the addition of a red shift mode for night time, which changes the usual screen colors to shades of red to help avoid disturbing your natural sleep patterns.
The Epix Pro is available to order now direct from Garmin in standard and sapphire editions, with prices starting at $899.99.
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