Despite its design upgrade, the Fenix 6 doesn’t look hugely different when placed side-by-side with its predecessor, the Fenix 5 Plus. This is because the updates are rather minor. The Garmin Fenix range is the ultimate outdoor adventuring device. It’s for those who want to best sports watch money can buy. Added support for configurable low battery alerts. (Settings > Power Manager > Battery Saver > Low Battery Alert) Long pushes of the buttons double up on functionality, helping to switch directly to certain menus or apps without needing to cycle through menus.

There’s an altimeter, barometer, and compass, which will offer elevation and climbing data during a host of activities including skiing, climbing, and hiking. When navigating, the size of the device poses some compromises compared to dedicated GPS units, but Garmin’s workarounds prove to be good at mitigating any issues. Added support for configuring non-zero power averaging for Biking activities. (Activity Settings > Power Averaging)All in all, these nifty software tweaks work really well in helping to extend the Fenix 6’s life while cramming in a host of (more demanding) features. The Fenix 6 Pro Solar is much less dependent on your phone than most smartwatches; you don’t even need to pair a phone to set it up.

Fixed an issue where the applied ballistics app could not be launched through the controls menu while running another app. (tactix Delta AB only). While the size of the screen does pose its limitations – you’re always going to have to sacrifice detail if you want to see more of the route, or the finer details depending on how zoomed in you are – Garmin has done a commendable job of integrating its brilliant mapping and navigation software into the Fenix. Fixed an issue where the device may fail to load a considerably long activity through the history menu.

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Fixed an intermittent issue where the weather widget would fail to load data when connected to an iOS device. One of the reasoning behind adding a touchscreen to the Fenix 7 was to make it a better watch to use off the run, and it works — it is easier to navigate around the watch, and read Whatsapp messages from your wrist. Garmin has also added an on-watch app store to the Fenix 7, which means you can install Connect IQ apps from the watch, rather than having to sync from your phone. However, you don't get granular detail over the apps on your smartphone that are allowed to buzz your Fenix. Added support of Bouldering. Use the LAP key to start/end routes at the gym. One can also log route difficulty, number of attempts or completions.

Added support for configuring intensity minutes based on HR zones. Configuration is only available on Garmin Connect. In short, if you’re a steady runner then you’re likely to be happy with the accuracy of the wrist-based HR. We found good results versus a chest strap across runs of all distances. If you're going for the Fenix 6 Pro model, then you can add in up to 10 hours with GPS and Music features in use. Charging is relatively fast, too, taking less than three hours to fill the battery from completely flat. If you’ve already got a Fenix 6, while the touchscreen is excellent, I’m not sure it’s worth buying a new watch. If you’re new to the Fenix line, I’d definitely buy the Fenix 7 over the Fenix 6, especially if you plan on wearing the watch day-to-day, as well as on the run.

Garmin Fenix 6 lineup at a glance

The side-mounted buttons are large enough to use while wearing bulky winter cycling gloves – and have a firm but definitive push that leaves no doubt about whether they’ve been pressed.

Fixed an issue where customers with high resting heart rate would intermittently not accrue intensity minutes. The Fenix 6 Pro Solar is pre-loaded with plenty of activity types, from cycling, walking and running, through to gym-based activities with animated instructions, and other sports such as skiing, kayaking and golf.It is certainly not cheap, and definitely overkill for most. But if you want the ultimate outdoor adventure smartwatch, the Garmin Fenix 6 Pro Solar is it. The Fenix 6S also features the same TOPO mapping – and while it's a nice feature to have, we still have reservations about its usefulness and usability. Added support for file based Emojis, which brings support for over 1300 Emojis. (Update your device through Express or connect it to Garmin Connect Mobile.)