Garmin’s upcoming Fenix 4 is rumoured <here> to have a new and improved EXO-2 antennae. How does this development in the quest for Garmin’s GPS accuracy sit compared to the SPARTAN’s SirfStar V (SirfStar 5) chipset?
** FENIX 4 – Some hardware specs leaked HERE.
Certainly there seems to be a mixed bag of opinions on the SPARTAN’s GPS performance. Yet Suunto’s AMBIT PEAK and VERTICAL both used the same SirfStar V chipset – admittedly with a different antennae to the SPARTAN.
POINT 1: So there is hopefully at least some scope for Suunto to meet the expectations of GPS accuracy from AMBIT 3 upgraders.
FWIW my SPARTAN GPS experience (except OWS) has been generally very good, albeit in undemanding circumstances (documented on this site).
What about the Fenix 3/4?
New and improved hardware from Garmin sounds great.
POINT 2: Hopefully new hardware will deliver even better performance for Garmin F4 over the F3.
Garmin need to remember three things: testing, testing and, err I’ve forgotten the other one. Ah yes, TESTING.
Clearly GPS performance is not JUST about the hardware – also the antennae AND the firmware jiggery pokery that goes on around it all.
Related reading: Opinion: Apple Watch 2.
Last Updated on 8 April 2026 by the5krunner
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tfk is the founder and author of the5krunner, an independent endurance sports technology publication. With 20 years of hands-on testing of GPS watches and wearables, and competing in triathlons at an international age-group level, tfk provides in-depth expert analysis of fitness technology for serious athletes and endurance sport competitors. ID
what the sirfstar gps chipset in suunto’s has to do with a new fenix antenna and a non sirfstar chipset in all recent garmins? just writing something to create buzz or bored?
bored, + snippet of info