The new Garmin Fenix 6 comes only 14 months after the significantly updated Fenix 5 PLUS range. The updates to the 5 PLUS were mostly software+hardware fixes and, this time round the updates we see in the Fenix 6 DO include some new smart & sport features but, most crucially, we are seeing the Fenix play catch-up with decently powered hardware to match the MARQ and the Forerunner 945.
Return back to the main Garmin Fenix 6 Review
Now that you can get your hands on the Fenix 6, here we look at
- Is it worth the upgrade? ie What is new compared to the Fenix 5 Plus
- What are the differences in specs between Fenix 6 models?
Let’s start off with the differences between the new models
Garmin Fenix 6 Model Comparison
Here we have the 3 new models (6s, 6, 6X) with their Base, PRO, Sapphire and SOLAR variants.
| Fenix 6s | Fenix 6s Pro (Optional Sapphire) | No solar model |
| Fenix 6 | Fenix 6 Pro (Optional Sapphire) | No solar model |
| No base model |
Fenix 6x Pro (Optional Sapphire) | Fenix 6x Solar (Sapphire) |
Here are the headline differences, simplified slightly for readability
- Pro Version – Each ‘Pro’ version has STREAMING MUSIC and to make streaming work it needs WiFi. You only get the maps on the Pro version too as well as up to 4g of added weight.
- Pro Version Sapphire – This just adds in a more scratch-resistant Sapphire Screen over the lower model’s Gorilla Glass
- Solar – You guessed it, this adds solar charging which is claimed to increase all battery life in all modes by about 10%. This requires a new type of solar screen construction.
- The 6S is the small version, 6 the medium and 6X the large and yes bigger can be better
- Screen Resolution – 6s is 240x240px, 6 is 260x260px, 6X is 280x280px. Larger screens are the same pixel density BUT support readability with more data fields per screen – 6 on the F6 and 8 on the F6X)
- Case Size – 6s is 42 x 42 x 13.8 mm, 6 is 47 x 47 x 14.7 mm, 6X is 51 x 51 x 14.9 mm
- Weight – 6s is 62g, 6 is 83g, 6X is 93g (individual models vary)
- Battery Life – 6s 25 hours GPS and 6 hours GPS+Music and 60 UltraTrac, 6 36 hours GPS 10 hours GPS+Music 72 hours Ultratrac, 6X 60 hours GPS, 15 hours GPS+Music, 120 hours UltraTrac (+10% with Solar)
- Price – Fenix 6X ($749.99 – $1,149.99), Fenix 6 (599.99 – $999.99), Fenix 6s ($599.99 – $899.99) Eu/£ similar
The more you spend, the bigger and more durable watch you will get and the longer the battery life will be. Screens on the larger models will NOT look better per se…just bigger with more screen real estate.
The decision between models is simple. If you have small wrists you go for the small one. Everyone else gets the regular Fenix 6 whose battery life and physical size is great. If you want maps or music or bang your screen around a lot you get the PRO and Sapphire options respectively. However, I can only see the 6X Pro model and the 6X Solar model being suitable for people with very specific size and battery needs – having said that you guys are probably just going to get the most expensive one…because you can.
The detailed hardware specs and detailed comparisons are further below
Garmin Fenix 6 vs Garmin Fenix 5 Plus Comparison
Last year, I wholeheartedly recommended everyone to skip the Fenix 5 series and go to the more superior 5 Plus series. I will still recommend the now mostly bug-free 5 Plus series to most people. But if you are on the Fenix 3 or are just itching to upgrade your 5 Plus then Q: what will the Fenix 6 give you over and above the current Fenix 5 Plus?
A: Quite a lot
I have slightly generalised this Fenix 6 to Fenix 5 Plus comparison due to the complexity of the number of variants (further below the comparison to the Fenix 5 is also added in the detailed comparison).
There are new features for all key sports as well as new smart, physiological and hardware features.
- PacePro – This is only available on courses/routes and conceptually you might think it’s like graded pace. I guess it sort of is, but it’s more like a tweaked pace tool to account for yoru planned changes in effort over gradients and also to account for whether you want a positive or negative split.
- FIRSTBEAT – The Fenix 6 catches up with all the features on the Forerunner 945 namely
- Training Load Focus – the ability to look below the surface of your training load to understand the degree to which high-intensity aerobic efforts, low-intensity aerobic efforts, and anaerobic efforts contributed to your total training load.
- An updated Activity Summary screen that includes a label that describes the primary benefit of your workout (recovery, endurance base, VO2max, lactate threshold, tempo, anaerobic threshold, and speed) and also reveals the specific number that corresponds to the Training Load contribution of your finished workout.
- Race Time Predictions were updated to incorporate insight from trends in your Training Load, weekly mileage, and the presence of long runs in your training history. These elements combine to improve on the more traditional, less personalized predictions that relied solely on your current fitness level (VO2max) and general references regarding the sustainability of various intensity levels over time.
- Body Battery is a popular addition that combines All-day Stress data, physical activity, and the restorative power of sleep into a single easily understood metaphor. Among other things you can instantly see when a bad night’s sleep or an unusually stressful day at work will make a hard workout less beneficial than normal.
- The impact of environmental factors is brought into focus with the addition of acclimatization tracking. You will be able to watch as your physiology adapts to help you perform better in higher elevations or in ways that help you manage the effects of hotter, more humid climates. This information is also factored into your performance analytics so that a decrease in performance capability attributable to your environment isn’t mistakenly attributed to unproductive training activities or poor recovery.
- Recovery Time estimates have been updated based on the “latest sports science”. This means adjustments are made based on your acute/chronic training load ratios and additional care is given to ensure adequate recovery after workouts that produced Training Effect scores that significantly exceed those of your normal training efforts.
- Storage is doubled to 32Gb for Music + Maps + Activities and this includes double the amount of space for music (approx 2000 songs). You can get extra free maps and there is now support for Spotify and Amazon music.
- Weight – broadly similar
- Battery Life – Generally about double the time for GPS usage, about 2 hours more for Music+GPS and at least 50% more in UltraTrac mode. Expedition Battery Mode takes you even further between charges by further compromising on the GPS points recorded.
- Power Management – The Suunto 9 stole a march on this many months ago and now Garmin has caught up and arguably overtaken them. There are pre-canned battery modes and you can also customise and view changes on-the-fly but the bottom line of this is that battery life is mostly about managing GPS and the screen. However, the normal battery life on the Fenix 6 is SO GOOD that I can’t see these extra modes being useful except for highly specific athlete use-cases and those occasional times where you’ve just simply forgotten to charge it up properly.
- ClimbPro is not new to the Fenix but the new 2019 styling that was introduced on the Edge 530/830 is included.
- Topo maps, golf courses and ski runs are added and updated. Are you on La Face at Val d’Isere?…the F6 knows that. Tip: Skiing dynamics will be introduced with the HRM-PRO soon (probably in time for winter 😉 )
- Screen – The 5S and 6S have the same screen size but you get a bigger screen for the new Fenix 6 and for the new Fenix 6X.
- Incident detection and alerting – or just simply alerting someone that you have a problem
- PulseOx – Mostly useless, except for acclimation, but now you have it. This is NOTHING to do with MOXY/Humon‘s SmO2.
- Body Battery – this is a nice feature on the 945 and you will love it on the Fenix 6. HRV-enabled readings give you a steer towards understanding your 24×7 energy reserves.
- Swimming sees the implementation of oHR (finally!) and of CSS (critical swim speed – sweet…#later).
- Sensors – The ELEVATE oHR sensor is updated as well as the now-ubiquitous Sony GNSS chip, there are probably many other sensors and component updates inside, including the faster processor. In some ways, sensors are one of the most important aspects for athletes considering an upgrade. All the reviewers tend to say how wonderful the latest greatest Garmin oHR and GPS tend to be but, after LONG and detailed looks I tend to agree with the experiences of MANY USERS and have a ‘meh’ moment. I then usually say “accuracy is about the same as before” and recommend the athlete back to their old chest strap and running pod. Nevertheless, I’m going to torture myself and do months of testing all over again but honestly folks, the end recommendation WILL be the same. Although to be fair to Garmin the new Elevate sensor IS more accurate than the previous one but I’ll need to wait until the reduced circulation experienced in my COLD WINTER runs to see REALLY how much better it is.
Advice
These are nice watches and a notable set of upgrades even over the Fenix 5 Plus series. You’ll get some bugs but the earlier MARQ and Forerunners from 2019 share much of the same firmware and so will have mostly ironed the obvious bugs out by now.
For sports usage, the 935 is awesome and for outdoors usage, the Fenix 3 is cool enough. If like me, you want to get a few more features then the 5 Plus, Forerunner 945 and Fenix 6 series all deliver those. It all comes down to how much money and inclination you have for the latest, truly-greatest gadget. Although, of course, the MARQ range are EVEN better, so maybe that is the truly greatest gadget
If you have a small wrist or want music playback, then your intended watch choice becomes more obvious. Very, very few of you will need the uber-battery of the Fenix 6X…and you’re just getting what is perhaps a too-big watch for your normal-sized wrists.
At these prices, it’s worth spending a bit more either on an insurance policy or the sapphire glass. Otherwise get the Fenix 6 base model or Pro.
Price, Availability & Discounts
Fenix 6X ($749.99 – $1,149.99), Fenix 6 (599.99 – $999.99), Fenix 6s ($599.99 – $899.99) Eu/£ similar
One of the problems now is that there are just too many Feinx 6 options for retailers to stock all of them. So unless you go for the bigger retailers like Amazon, Power Meter City, Wiggle or REI (and some others) then you may well find the precise watch you want is out of stock.
Immediate Availability: Amazon seems to have REALLY got their hands on some stock this time USA ONLY FOR THE TIME BEING. For the 945 they took orders and effectively were less than truthful about the delivery dates. Another “well-known retailer” in the UK also had significant issues with credit card payments for the recent Edge/Forerunner releases, also not having stock. Wiggle in the UK have an exclusive on the Fenix 6X Pro.
I’ll do my best to steer you once again towards PowerMeterCity in the USA (super-high Trust Pilot Rating) and Wiggle in the UK and EU to help this site (thank you!). Click on the following image or HERE for a choice of retailers in your country.
Click to a choice of local retailers – I’ll add Amazon UK here when available
Garmin Fenix 5 Comparison: Garmin Fenix 5 Specifications vs Garmin Fenix 5 Plus specifications vs Garmin Fenix 6 Specifications
This is worth a close look at. It’s sourced from Garmin and thus may contain errors. However it might also give an insight into some mini-features that are not YET in the device but which soon will be through later announcements. (Comparisons between the Fenix 6 models are further below)
| fēnix® 5 | fēnix® 5 Plus | fēnix® 6 – Pro and Sapphire Editions | |
| $499.99 USD and Up | $599.99 USD and Up | $699.99 USD and Up | |
| Premium multisport GPS watch with wrist-based heart rate | Premium multisport GPS smartwatch with wrist-based heart rate, maps, music and Garmin Pay™ contactless payments | Premium multisport GPS watches with wrist-based heart rate, Pulse Ox, pace guidance, routable maps, music and more | |
| General | |||
| Lens Material | chemically strengthened glass or sapphire crystal | domed chemically strengthened glass or sapphire crystal | Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 or Sapphire Crystal |
| Bezel Material | stainless steel | stainless steel or titanium | stainless steel or Diamond-like Carbon (DLC) coated steel |
| Case material | fibre-reinforced polymer with stainless steel rear cover | fibre-reinforced polymer with metal rear cover | fibre-reinforced polymer with metal rear cover |
| QuickFit™ watch band compatible | included (22 mm) | included (22 mm) | included (22 mm) |
| Strap material | silicone or steel | silicone, leather or titanium | silicone, leather, titanium or nylon |
| Physical size | 47 x 47 x 15.5 mm | 47 x 47 x 15.8 mm | 47 x 47 x 14.7 mm |
| Fits wrists with the following circumference: | Fits wrists with the following circumference: | ||
| Silicone band: 163-249 mm | Silicone band: 125-208 mm | ||
| Leather band: 166-229 mm | Leather band: 132-210 mm | ||
| Metal band: 166-242 mm | Fabric band: 132-210 mm | ||
| Metal band: 132-215 mm | |||
| Display size | 1.2” (30.4 mm) diameter | 1.2” (30.4 mm) diameter | 1.3” (33.02 mm) diameter |
| Display resolution | 240 x 240 pixels | 240 x 240 pixels | 260 x 260 pixels |
| Display type | sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) | sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) | sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) |
| Weight | 85 g | 86 g | Steel: 83 g (case only: 60 g) |
| Titanium version: 76 g | Titanium: 72 g (case only: 49 g) | ||
| Battery life | Smartwatch mode: Up to 2 weeks | Smartwatch: Up to 12 days | Smartwatch: Up to 14 days |
| GPS/HR mode: Up to 24 hours | GPS: Up to 18 hours | GPS: Up to 36 hours | |
| GPS and Music: Up to 8 hours | GPS and Music: Up to 10 hours | ||
| UltraTrac™ mode: Up to 60 hours without wrist heart rate | UltraTrac™ mode: Up to 42 hours | Max Battery GPS Mode: 72 hours | |
| Expedition GPS Activity: 28 days | |||
| Battery Saver Watch Mode: 48 days | |||
| Water rating | 10 ATM | 10 ATM | 10 ATM |
| Colour display | |||
| Memory/History | 64 MB | 16 GB | 32 GB |
| Clock Features | |||
| Time/date | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| GPS Time Sync | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic daylight saving time | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Alarm clock | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Timer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Stopwatch | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sunrise/sunset times | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Sensors | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| GPS | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| GLONASS | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Galileo | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Garmin Elevate™ wrist heart rate monitor | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Barometric altimeter | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Compass | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Gyroscope | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Accelerometer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Thermometer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pulse Ox | No | No | yes (with Acclimation) |
| Connectivity | |||
| Connect IQ™ (downloadable watch faces, data fields, widgets and apps) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Smart notifications | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Text response/reject phone call with text (Android™ only) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth® Smart, ANT+®, Wi-Fi® with sapphire editions | Bluetooth®, ANT+®, Wi-Fi® | Bluetooth®, ANT+®, Wi-Fi® |
| Calendar | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Weather | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Battery Saver – customizable low power watch | No | No | Yes |
| Controls smartphone music | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Plays and controls watch music | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Music Storage | No | Up to 1000 songs | up to 2,000 songs |
| Find My Phone | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Find My Watch | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| VIRB® Camera Remote | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Smartphone compatibility | iPhone®, Android™ | iPhone®, Android™ | iPhone®, Android™ |
| Compatible with Garmin Connect™ Mobile | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Garmin Pay™ | No | Yes | Yes |
| Safety and Tracking Features | |||
| Incident Detection during select activities | No | Yes | Yes |
| Assistance | No | Yes | Yes |
| LiveTrack | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Group LiveTrack | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Live Event Sharing | No | No | Yes |
| Tactical Features | |||
| Dual grid coordinates | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Activity Tracking Features | |||
| Step counter | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Move bar (displays on device after a period of inactivity; walk for a couple of minutes to reset it) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Auto goal (learns your activity level and assigns a daily step goal) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sleep monitoring (monitors total sleep and periods of movement or restful sleep) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Calories burned | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Floors climbed | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Distance traveled | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Intensity minutes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| TrueUp™ | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Move IQ™ | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fitness Age | yes (in app) | yes (in app) | yes (in app) |
| Body Battery™ Energy Monitor | No | No | Yes |
| All-day Stress Tracking | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Gym & Fitness Equipment | |||
| Available gym activity profiles | Indoor Rowing, Strength Training and Cardio Training | Strength, Cardio and Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Floor Climbing, Indoor Rowing and Yoga | Strength, Cardio and Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Floor Climbing, Indoor Rowing and Yoga |
| Cardio workouts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Strength workouts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic rep counting | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Training, Planning and Analysis Features | |||
| GPS speed and distance | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Customizable data pages | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Customizable activity profiles | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Auto Pause® | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Interval training | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Advanced workouts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Downloadable training plans | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Power Modes – customizable in-activity battery settings | No | No | Yes |
| Auto Lap® | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Manual lap | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Configurable lap alerts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Heat and altitude acclimation | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| V02 max | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Training Status (lets you see if you’re training effectively by tracking your training history and fitness level trend.) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Training Load (your total training load for the last 7 days calculated from estimated EPOC) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Training load focus | No | No | Yes |
| Training Effect (aerobic) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Training Effect (anaerobic) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Primary benefit (Training Effect labels) | No | No | Yes |
| Custom alerts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Audio prompts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Finish time | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Virtual Partner | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Race an Activity | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Auto multisport activities | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Manual multisport activities | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Course guidance | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Garmin Live Segments | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Strava Live Segments | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Round-trip course creator (running/cycling) | No | Yes | Yes |
| Trendline™ Popularity Routing | No | Yes | yes (available as a wearable map theme) |
| Touch and/or button lock | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hot keys | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Auto-scroll | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Activity history on watch | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Physio TrueUp | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Heart Rate Features | |||
| HR zones | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| HR alerts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| HR calories | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| % HR max | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| % HRR | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Recovery time | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Auto max HR | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| HRV stress test (measures your heart rate variability while standing still, for 3 minutes, to provide you with an estimated stress level; the scale of this is 1 to 100; low scores indicate lower stress levels) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) |
| HR Broadcast (broadcasts HR data over ANT+™ to paired devices) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Running Features | |||
| Available run profiles | Running, Treadmill Running, Trail Running | Running, Treadmill Running, Trail Running | Running, Treadmill Running, Indoor Track Running, Trail Running |
| GPS-based distance, time and pace | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Running dynamics | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) |
| Vertical oscillation and ratio (the degree of ‘bounce’ in your running motion and the cost-benefit ratio with stride length) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) |
| Ground contact time and balance (shows how much time, in the running motion, your foot is on the ground rather than in flight and lets you check your running symmetry) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) |
| Stride length (real time) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) |
| Cadence (provides a real-time number of steps per minute) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Performance condition (after running 6–20 minutes, compares your real-time condition to your average fitness level) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Lactate threshold (through analysis of your pace and heart rate, estimates the point where your muscles start to rapidly fatigue) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) |
| PacePro™ Pacing Strategies | No | No | Yes |
| Run workouts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Race predictor | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Foot pod capable | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Golfing Features | |||
| Preloaded with 41,000 courses worldwide | No | Yes | Yes |
| Yardage to F/M/B (distance to front, middle and back of green) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Yardage to layups/doglegs | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Measures shot distance (calculates exact yardage for shots from anywhere on course) | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Digital scorecard | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Custom targets | No | No | Yes |
| Stat tracking (strokes, putts per round, greens and fairways hit) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Garmin AutoShot™ | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Full vector map | No | No | Yes |
| Auto CourseView updates | No | Yes | Yes |
| Green View with manual pin position | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hazards and course targets | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| PinPointer | No | No | Yes |
| PlaysLike distance | No | No | Yes |
| Handicap scoring | No | No | Yes |
| TruSwing™ compatible | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Round timer/odometer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic club tracking compatible (requires accessory) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Outdoor Recreation Features | |||
| Available outdoor recreation profiles | Hiking, Climbing, Mountain Biking, Skiing, Snowboarding, XC Skiing, Stand Up Paddleboarding, Rowing, Jumpmaster, Tactical | Hiking, Climbing, Mountain Biking, Skiing, Snowboarding, XC Skiing, Stand Up Paddleboarding, Rowing, Kayaking, Jumpmaster, Tactical | Hiking, Climbing, Mountain Biking, Skiing, Snowboarding, XC Skiing, Stand Up Paddleboarding, Rowing, Kayaking, Jumpmaster, Tactical |
| Point-to-point navigation | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bread crumb trail in real time | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Back to start | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| TracBack® | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| UltraTrac mode | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Around Me mode | No | Yes | Yes |
| Elevation profile | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Distance to destination | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Barometric trend indicator with Storm Alert | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| ClimbPro™ Ascent Planner | No | Yes | Yes |
| Trail run auto climb | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Vertical speed | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Total ascent/descent | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Future elevation plot | No | Yes | Yes |
| Preloaded topographical maps | No | Yes | Yes |
| Preloaded ski resort maps | No | No | Yes |
| Downloadable cartography support | No | Yes | Yes |
| Compatible with BaseCamp™ | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| GPS coordinates | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Projected waypoint | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sight ‘N Go | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Area calculation | yes (via Connect IQ™) | yes (via Connect IQ™) | yes (via Connect IQ™) |
| Hunt/fish calendar | yes (via Connect IQ™) | yes (via Connect IQ™) | yes (via Connect IQ™) |
| Sun and moon information | yes (via Connect IQ™) | yes (via Connect IQ™) | yes (via Connect IQ™) |
| XERO™ Locations | No | Yes | Yes |
| Expedition GPS Activity | No | No | Yes |
| Cycling Features | |||
| Available cycling profiles | Biking, Indoor Biking, Mountain Biking, Triathlon | Biking, Indoor Biking, Mountain Biking, Triathlon | Biking, Indoor Biking, Mountain Biking, Triathlon |
| Courses | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bike lap and lap maximum power (with power sensor) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Race an activity | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Time/distance alerts (triggers an alarm when you reach goal) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| FTP (Functional Threshold Power) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) |
| Cycle Map (routable cycling-specific street map) | No | Yes | Yes |
| Compatible with Vector™ (power meter) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Power meter compatible (displays power data from compatible third-party ANT+™-enabled power meters) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Compatible with Varia Vision™ (head-mounted display) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Compatible with Varia™ radar (rear-facing radar) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Compatible with Varia™ lights | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Speed and cadence sensor support (with sensor) | yes (ANT+® and Bluetooth® Smart sensors) | yes (ANT+® and Bluetooth® Smart sensors) | yes (ANT+® and Bluetooth® Smart sensors) |
| Swimming Features | |||
| Available swim profiles | Pool Swimming, Open Water Swimming, Swimming/Running | Pool Swimming, Open Water Swimming, Swimming/Running | Pool Swimming, Open Water Swimming, Swimming/Running |
| Open-water swim metrics (distance, pace, stroke count/rate, stroke distance, swim efficiency (SWOLF), calories) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pool swim metrics (lengths, distance, pace, stroke count/rate, swim efficiency (SWOLF), calories) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Stroke type detection (freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly) (Pool Swim Only) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Drill logging (Pool Swim Only) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Basic rest timer (up from 0) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| “Repeat on” rest timer | Yes | Yes | No ?? |
| Pacing Alerts (pool swim only) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Countdown start | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pool swim workouts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Critical swim speed | No | No | Yes |
| Underwater wrist-based heart rate | No | No | Yes |
| Heart rate from external HRM (real-time during rests, interval and session stats during rests, and automatic heart rate download post-swim) | yes (with HRM-Tri™ and HRM-Swim™) | yes (with HRM-Tri™ and HRM-Swim™) | yes (with HRM-Tri™ and HRM-Swim™) |
Garmin Fenix 6s Specifications vs Garmin Fenix 6 Specifications vs Garmin Fenix 6x Specifications
This has to be the most boring features comparison table ever….play “spot the difference”.
| Product Comparison: | |||
| fēnix® 6S – Pro and Sapphire Editions | fēnix® 6 – Pro and Sapphire Editions | fēnix® 6X – Pro and Solar Editions | |
| $699.99 USD and Up | $699.99 USD and Up | $749.99 USD and Up | |
| Smaller-sized multisport GPS watches with wrist-based heart rate, Pulse Ox, pace guidance, routable maps, music and more | Premium multisport GPS watches with wrist-based heart rate, Pulse Ox, pace guidance, routable maps, music and more | Premium multisport GPS watches with wrist-based heart rate, Pulse Ox, pace guidance, routable maps, music and more | |
| General | |||
| Lens Material | Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 or Sapphire Crystal | Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 or Sapphire Crystal | Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 or Sapphire Crystal |
| Bezel Material | stainless steel or Diamond-like Carbon (DLC) coated steel | stainless steel or Diamond-like Carbon (DLC) coated steel | stainless steel or Diamond-like Carbon (DLC) coated steel |
| Case material | fibre-reinforced polymer with metal rear cover | fibre-reinforced polymer with metal rear cover | fibre-reinforced polymer with metal rear cover |
| QuickFit™ watch band compatible | included (20 mm) | included (22 mm) | included (26 mm) |
| Strap material | silicone, suede or nylon | silicone, leather, titanium or nylon | silicone, leather, titanium or nylon |
| Physical size | 42 x 42 x 13.8 mm | 47 x 47 x 14.7 mm | 51 x 51 x 14.9 mm |
| Fits wrists with the following circumference: | Fits wrists with the following circumference: | Fits wrists with the following circumference: | |
| Silicone band: 108-182 mm | Silicone band: 125-208 mm | Silicone band: 127-210 mm | |
| Suede band: 108-175 mm | Leather band: 132-210 mm | Leather band: 135-213 mm | |
| Fabric band: 108-189 mm | Fabric band: 132-210 mm | Fabric band: 135-213 mm | |
| Metal band: 108-180 mm | Metal band: 132-215 mm | Metal band: 135-225 mm | |
| Display size | 1.2” (30.4 mm) diameter | 1.3” (33.02 mm) diameter | 1.4” (35.56 mm) diameter |
| Display resolution | 240 x 240 pixels | 260 x 260 pixels | 280 x 280 pixels |
| Display type | sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) | sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) | sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) |
| Weight | Steel: 61 g (case only: 44 g) | Steel: 83 g (case only: 60 g) | Steel: 93 g (case only: 66 g) |
| Titanium: 72 g (case only: 49 g) | |||
| Battery life | Smartwatch: Up to 9 days | Smartwatch: Up to 14 days | Smartwatch: Up to 21 days |
| GPS: Up to 25 hours | GPS: Up to 36 hours | GPS: Up to 60 hours | |
| GPS and Music: Up to 6 hours | GPS and Music: Up to 10 hours | GPS and Music: Up to 15 hours | |
| Max Battery GPS Mode: 50 hours | Max Battery GPS Mode: 72 hours | Max Battery GPS Mode: 120 hours | |
| Expedition GPS Activity: 20 days | Expedition GPS Activity: 28 days | Expedition GPS Activity: 46 days | |
| Battery Saver Watch Mode: 34 days | Battery Saver Watch Mode: 48 days | Battery Saver Watch Mode: 80 days | |
| Water rating | 10 ATM | 10 ATM | 10 ATM |
| Color display | |||
| Memory/History | 32 GB | 32 GB | 32 GB |
| Clock Features | |||
| Time/date | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| GPS Time Sync | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic daylight saving time | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Alarm clock | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Timer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Stopwatch | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sunrise/sunset times | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sensors | |||
| GPS | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| GLONASS | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Galileo | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Garmin Elevate™ wrist heart rate monitor | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Barometric altimeter | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Compass | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Gyroscope | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Accelerometer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Thermometer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pulse Ox | yes (with Acclimation) | yes (with Acclimation) | yes (with Acclimation) |
| Connectivity | |||
| Connect IQ™ (downloadable watch faces, data fields, widgets and apps) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Smart notifications | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Text response/reject phone call with text (Android™ only) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth®, ANT+®, Wi-Fi® | Bluetooth®, ANT+®, Wi-Fi® | Bluetooth®, ANT+®, Wi-Fi® |
| Calendar | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Weather | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Battery Saver – customizable low power watch | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Controls smartphone music | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Plays and controls watch music | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Music Storage | Up to 2,000 songs | up to 2,000 songs | up to 2,000 songs |
| Find My Phone | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Find My Watch | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| VIRB® Camera Remote | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Smartphone compatibility | iPhone®, Android™ | iPhone®, Android™ | iPhone®, Android™ |
| Compatible with Garmin Connect™ Mobile | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Garmin Pay™ | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Safety and Tracking Features | |||
| Incident Detection during select activities | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Assistance | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| LiveTrack | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Group LiveTrack | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Live Event Sharing | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Tactical Features | |||
| Dual grid coordinates | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Activity Tracking Features | |||
| Step counter | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Move bar (displays on device after a period of inactivity; walk for a couple of minutes to reset it) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Auto goal (learns your activity level and assigns a daily step goal) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sleep monitoring (monitors total sleep and periods of movement or restful sleep) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Calories burned | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Floors climbed | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Distance travelled | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Intensity minutes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| TrueUp™ | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Move IQ™ | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fitness Age | yes (in app) | yes (in app) | yes (in app) |
| Body Battery™ Energy Monitor | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| All-day Stress Tracking | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Gym & Fitness Equipment | |||
| Available gym activity profiles | Strength, Cardio and Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Floor Climbing, Indoor Rowing and Yoga | Strength, Cardio and Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Floor Climbing, Indoor Rowing and Yoga | Strength, Cardio and Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Floor Climbing, Indoor Rowing and Yoga |
| Cardio workouts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Strength workouts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic rep counting | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Training, Planning and Analysis Features | |||
| GPS speed and distance | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Customizable data pages | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Customizable activity profiles | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Auto Pause® | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Interval training | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Advanced workouts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Downloadable training plans | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Power Modes – customizable in-activity battery settings | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Auto Lap® | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Manual lap | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Configurable lap alerts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Heat and altitude acclimation | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| V02 max | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Training Status (lets you see if you’re training effectively by tracking your training history and fitness level trend.) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Training Load (your total training load for the last 7 days calculated from estimated EPOC) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Training load focus | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Training Effect (aerobic) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Training Effect (anaerobic) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Primary benefit (Training Effect labels) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Custom alerts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Audio prompts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Finish time | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Virtual Partner | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Race an Activity | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Auto multisport activities | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Manual multisport activities | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Course guidance | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Garmin Live Segments | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Strava Live Segments | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Round-trip course creator (running/cycling) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Trendline™ Popularity Routing | yes (available as a wearable map theme) | yes (available as a wearable map theme) | yes (available as a wearable map theme) |
| Touch and/or button lock | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hot keys | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Auto scroll | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Activity history on watch | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Physio TrueUp | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Heart Rate Features | |||
| HR zones | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| HR alerts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| HR calories | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| % HR max | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| % HRR | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Recovery time | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Auto max HR | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| HRV stress test (measures your heart rate variability while standing still, for 3 minutes, to provide you with an estimated stress level; the scale of this is 1 to 100; low scores indicate lower stress levels) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) |
| HR Broadcast (broadcasts HR data over ANT+™ to paired devices) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Running Features | |||
| Available run profiles | Running, Treadmill Running, Indoor Track Running, Trail Running | Running, Treadmill Running, Indoor Track Running, Trail Running | Running, Treadmill Running, Indoor Track Running, Trail Running |
| GPS-based distance, time and pace | |||
| Running dynamics | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) |
| Vertical oscillation and ratio (the degree of ‘bounce’ in your running motion and the cost-benefit ratio with stride length) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) |
| Ground contact time and balance (shows how much time, in the running motion, your foot is on the ground rather than in flight and lets you check your running symmetry) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) |
| Stride length (real-time) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) |
| Cadence (provides real-time number of steps per minute) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Performance condition (after running 6–20 minutes, compares your real-time condition to your average fitness level) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Lactate threshold (through analysis of your pace and heart rate, estimates the point where your muscles start to rapidly fatigue) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) |
| PacePro™ Pacing Strategies | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Run workouts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Race predictor | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Foot pod capable | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Golfing Features | |||
| Preloaded with 41,000 courses worldwide | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Yardage to F/M/B (distance to front, middle and back of green) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Yardage to layups/doglegs | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Measures shot distance (calculates exact yardage for shots from anywhere on course) | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Digital scorecard | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Custom targets | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Stat tracking (strokes, putts per round, greens and fairways hit) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Garmin AutoShot™ | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Full vector map | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Auto CourseView updates | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Green View with manual pin position | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hazards and course targets | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| PinPointer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| PlaysLike distance | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Handicap scoring | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| TruSwing™ compatible | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Round timer/odometer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic club tracking compatible (requires accessory) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Outdoor Recreation Features | |||
| Available outdoor recreation profiles | Hiking, Climbing, Mountain Biking, Skiing, Snowboarding, XC Skiing, Stand Up Paddleboarding, Rowing, Kayaking, Jumpmaster, Tactical | Hiking, Climbing, Mountain Biking, Skiing, Snowboarding, XC Skiing, Stand Up Paddleboarding, Rowing, Kayaking, Jumpmaster, Tactical | Hiking, Climbing, Mountain Biking, Skiing, Snowboarding, XC Skiing, Stand Up Paddleboarding, Rowing, Kayaking, Jumpmaster, Tactical |
| Point-to-point navigation | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bread crumb trail in real-time | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Back to start | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| TracBack® | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| UltraTrac mode | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Around Me mode | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Elevation profile | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Distance to destination | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Barometric trend indicator with Storm Alert | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| ClimbPro™ Ascent Planner | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Trail run auto climb | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Vertical speed | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Total ascent/descent | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Future elevation plot | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Preloaded topographical maps | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Preloaded ski resort maps | Yes | No (?) | Yes |
| Downloadable cartography support | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Compatible with BaseCamp™ | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| GPS coordinates | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Projected waypoint | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sight ‘N Go | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Area calculation | yes (via Connect IQ™) | yes (via Connect IQ™) | yes (via Connect IQ™) |
| Hunt/fish calendar | yes (via Connect IQ™) | yes (via Connect IQ™) | yes (via Connect IQ™) |
| Sun and moon information | yes (via Connect IQ™) | yes (via Connect IQ™) | yes (via Connect IQ™) |
| XERO™ Locations | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Expedition GPS Activity | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cycling Features | |||
| Available cycling profiles | Biking, Indoor Biking, Mountain Biking, Triathlon | Biking, Indoor Biking, Mountain Biking, Triathlon | Biking, Indoor Biking, Mountain Biking, Triathlon |
| Courses | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bike lap and lap maximum power (with power sensor) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Race an activity | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Time/distance alerts (triggers alarm when you reach goal) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| FTP (Functional Threshold Power) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) |
| Cycle Map (routable cycling-specific street map) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Compatible with Vector™ (power meter) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Power meter compatible (displays power data from compatible third-party ANT+™-enabled power meters) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Compatible with Varia Vision™ (head-mounted display) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Compatible with Varia™ radar (rear-facing radar) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Compatible with Varia™ lights | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Speed and cadence sensor support (with sensor) | yes (ANT+® and Bluetooth® Smart sensors) | yes (ANT+® and Bluetooth® Smart sensors) | yes (ANT+® and Bluetooth® Smart sensors) |
| Swimming Features | |||
| Available swim profiles | Pool Swimming, Open Water Swimming, Swimming/Running | Pool Swimming, Open Water Swimming, Swimming/Running | Pool Swimming, Open Water Swimming, Swimming/Running |
| Open-water swim metrics (distance, pace, stroke count/rate, stroke distance, swim efficiency (SWOLF), calories) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pool swim metrics (lengths, distance, pace, stroke count/rate, swim efficiency (SWOLF), calories) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Stroke type detection (freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly) (Pool Swim Only) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Drill logging (Pool Swim Only) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Basic rest timer (up from 0) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pacing Alerts (pool swim only) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Countdown start | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pool swim workouts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Critical swim speed | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Underwater wrist-based heart rate | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Heart rate from external HRM (real-time during rests, interval and session stats during rests, and automatic heart rate download post-swim) | yes (with HRM-Tri™ and HRM-Swim™) | yes (with HRM-Tri™ and HRM-Swim™) | yes (with HRM-Tri™ and HRM-Swim™) |
Price, Availability & Discounts
Fenix 6X ($749.99 – $1,149.99), Fenix 6 (599.99 – $999.99), Fenix 6s ($599.99 – $899.99) Eu/£ similar
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Let’s see how 6 can handle battery. 5 Plus was a big disappointment for me.
i’m making the move to music from the Fenix 5 so I hope the battery lives up to expectations in the 6. if there are 2 hours more of music and training time in the battery on the 5plus then this will be enough for me. let’s see what you can do wiggle, button pressed, visa maxxed and hopeing for a ‘hands on’ tomorrow.
thank you for the support.
battery will take a hit when you have higher powered gnss modes enabled and when maps and re-routing are involved my understansding also is that an external hrm uses more juice in the ble conenction than the battery required for the oHRM.
the F6 is gobbling the battery for me.
I’ve not looked at why. No doubt it will be the bluetooth connection to the phone , the spo2 the xyz. all the little bells and whistles add up to a stonking big bell.
perhaps the battery management modes will be useful after all 😉
Thats crazy. I have everything turned on I can on my 6x sapphire . Did a 6+ mi run this am with an HRMTRI and 1s recording. SpO2 recording all day. Only lost 10% in roughly 20 hours… That includes the initial setup and updates and all that. Still show 6 days left.
Surely that solar technology needs to be moved to the Edge units asap? Nice big screen, good light exposure on long rides – that’s almost a better fit than it’s use on a watch
awesome point. I hadn’t thought of that.
Putting my thinking hat on, the method/size of implementation around a much larger bike unit screen should mean better battery boost than the extra 10% the small watch gets.
Yes and no. The bigger size of the Edge units would allow for much more solar collection, but pretty sure they also use a lot more energy with the bigger screen an faster processor. So additional run time may not be that different compared to a watch. The orientation, though, would definitely be more ideal than a watch, with the face always pointing up.
That new pacepro feature looks really nice. Do you think garmin will add that to the current line of newer forerunner watches in a firmware update?
Also, I wonder if this is a statement from garmin to not integrate running power with the upcoming rd-pod?
hmmm. that’s a good one as well.
I think the clue is in the name pace*PRO*. so it might hit the high end forerunner range WILL mean the 945 and MAYBE the 645. But woudl it trickle down to the 245….touch and go, I reckon.
The FR245/FR245M/FR945/MARQ Series will all get PacePro.
I also found PacePro in my 645M today, which was a nice surprise!
What is the reason to change from 945 to 6x+
I see better battery
bigger screen
Nice to have you back.
I can’t see much of a reason to upgrade. To your two points I would add the case quality for social wearing.
there are a few small differences.as with the PacePro point, I’m assuming most firmware updates will trickle across to the 945 at some point eg the quick-look widgets. even if they don’t trickle across they are minor
Don’t think that there is an exclusive for the UK this time. Amazon UK are showing it released tomorrow, Cotswold Outdoor are showing it available now, as are Wiggle.
Wiggle: it IS an exclusive for the 6X only I’ve just been told
i’m not sure of the US yet. I
Ah! I obviously didn’t look at enough of the 57 varieties of 6 🙂
Just a typo in your “Garmin Fenix 6 Model Comparison” table: Fenix 6x Pro Solar is non Sapphire. You can’t have Solar and Sapphire together. And there is no Fenix 6x Solar edition (ATM).
Thanks Chris, I’m sure there’s WAY more than one type in their espeically if Garmin’s (source) are considered too.
Also, it hasn’t been mentioned a lot but these watches are “tested to U.S. military standards for thermal, shock and water resistance”
Just ordered 6X from Wiggle. expensive but hopefully worth it. Clever Training UK don’t seem to be showing anything. I think they burned Grrrmin and some customers last time
I want to know more about the PRO HRM.
CT UK has the 6X in stock. I don’t doubt that customers were burned in CTUK last time with the FR945 launch, though, I’d be cautious on who exactly to blame there between the Garmin/CTUK relationship. Though either way, customers got hosed.
Wiggle doesn’t have any exclusives for the Fenix series.
Cheers!
Wiggle are specifically promoting here and elsewhere that they do have an exclusive on the 6X in the UK, I’ve asked for clarification
Yup, I checked with CT and they sent me over the current in-stock list. They have three different 6X SKU’s (including Solar, Pro, Sapphire variants) in-stock.
One weird quirk of Garmin UK/EU though is that sometimes they give ‘exclusives’ on a particular bezel variant. But even more interestingly – often a UK variant not available in the US. It’s plausible they have something like that. With 19 or so different Fenix 6 SKU’s, I’m too lazy to lookup which one might be missing.
Wiggle have refined their claim. They say they have UK exclusivity for the “6X PRO” which should only be stocked elsewhere in the UK by Garmin. Having said that it is on CT’s UK site.
I have other fish to fry.
Cotswold outdoors has Fenix 6x Pro and Fenix 6x Pro Solar. They have the Fênix 6 Sapphire Titanium on exclusive. Does not look like Wiggle has any exclusive as the Fenix 6x Pro is the only model they have.
Wiggle have the 6s and the 6 and the 6x in stock now. I can see them.
*THEY* still think they have an exclusive on the 6x PRO … hey don’t shoot the messenger!
for the others selling them maybe it’s grey market stuff or shipped from elsewhere in europe
So does anyone else see a discount for the fenix 6 watches like I do? I goto the garmin store, and see every watch with a discount. If I do the same in incognito mode, I dont see the discount.
I didnt buy a watch, but I did buy a new band that shows to be discounted and I got it at the discounted price so it seems to work.
Heres a screen shot of the 2 browser windows:
https://imgur.com/ZTPojx4
as much as I’d like you to go to powermetercity if you really can get that discount i’d go for it direct from garmin
hint: it’s not there any more. you can click it all you want, it still won’t be there!
the 6x is only at wiggle and I get mine tomorrow !!!—!!! 5X on ebay
anyone else: see above
snagged a used 5x plus today on the Bay. Looked pristine in the pics. For the $650 discount off the MSRP I’m taking the gamble! Hopefully I can live without color on my climbpro segments 😉
you’ll survive 😉
Does anyone know if this is the first time Garmin have used black DLC coating on a Fenix, like they’re saying for the Fenix 6 sapphire? Or can we assume all black Fenix variations are DLC?
It’s messy (at best). I started typing out which are which, and then gave up. Here’s a text listing they sent me with all the nuanced details of each SKU: https://www.dcrainmaker.com/images/2019/08/Fenix6-SeriesSKUlisting.jpg
Thank you, messy indeed. I guess I have to assume the sapphire black is DLC, whereas the pro is not. Kind of weird. I think I’ll probably wait to see what happens over the next month beore deciding on the titanium or black sapphire.
Thanks again, much appreciated
Solar seems backordered everywhere until Oct, wonder if anyone got one or if everyone has to wait. I was able to get a $100 discount on CT, when it said “no coupons” so that’s pretty sweet.
sweet indeed, there was also a mistake on Garmin.com where it was like $300 less than it should be…maybe listed in this thread above (I see a different view to you)
How does this new Fenix compare to the 945?
i’ve got a post coming from that later at some point but they are going to be highly similar once the firmwares get in sync (depending on the specific model you are comparing to of course….945 will never have solar)
Which would you pick, 945, 6s pro or 6 pro?
i do more sporty stuff and the 945 is suited to what I do. it’s a bit plasticy but i tend nto to wear it socially in any kind of formal setting
i have the same question and answer bigger screen and better battey+solar
Here’s my track record:
Fenix 3HR – cracking heart rate sensor.
Fenix 5S – two models with corroding charging pins and full product refund.
Both these issues are widespread and represent serious product flaws.
Garmin is edging the price up and throwing in new features but I’m a user who wants to know – will the heart sensor hold up and will the charging pins not corrode?
I have zero interest in new features until I can be confident these watches match their premium price tag.
The expansion is rapid and product quality and reliability eroding.
fair points.
I pointed out the sweat retention issue of the charging port AGES ago when it first appeared. I specifically get the sweat out before plugging the cable in but I agree it is a design failure.
I believe it is being designed out of all garmin products over time to the one they use for the DIVE computers (so, YES, another charging cable)
I bought some of those tpu charging port covers for mine, have used them since I got it and mine are pristine on my 5+. I know some say they aren’t needed and may actually retain moisture but they “seem” to work (though I’d have no idea what they’d be like without them of course).
yes, i think they are probably a good idea. I can see the counter argument, i’d still consider buying some.
Any info on the titanium edition’s availability?
I have been told that Garmin have made all variants. I don’t know about country-specific availability nor volumes.
If Garmin/retailers predict demand incorrectly for specific SKUs (likely) then there will be gluts and shortages of certain SKUs.
Can you use standard watch bands (non QuickFit)? Fenix 5 plus has screws to remove the strap pin, but the Fenix 6 hasn’t.
I guess it is possible to use traditional watch bands. If you look at this video, the Fenix 6 seems to have traditional pins, like in traditional watches, that can be removed: https://youtu.be/hsI5aehCTHI?t=137
These are traditional springbars, but you’ll still need a tool to remove them if you put a conventional band on, so I’m not sure that this makes it that much more flexible than the old torx pins. I would not recommend using standard quick release springbars because the bars on the F6 are pretty heavy gauge. I slipped a quick release leather strap on mine to see how it worked, and while it technically stayed on and looked nice, the pins were so thin that they were rattling around in the holes. A good yank would probably have removed the straps.
hmm.
good point.
people do often just focus on the width to be a mark of compatibility but, as you say, the pin size and hole size CAN BE different
Thoughts on Fenix 6 vs. Marq Expedition? I’ll be honest, can’t see a huge difference and I like the solar option and battery specs.
there are some other differences.
However give the firmware a few months to even out and those differences will be even less (except the golf features on the 6)
so, yes the battery stuff, but dont forget the 6x solar is bigger with a bigger screen.
oh. one more thing…kerching $$$$$$$ that’s WAAAAY different
good luck with the MARQ
Does anyone know if the limitation of 2 garmin IQ fields at the same time continues though 6 series watches have more memory and a faster processor?
I can only get two on. #Sigh
Many data fields are not yet working (eg STRYD, Humon, etc) as they have not been enabled for the F6…probably next week. (I have side-loaded some with some success – copy the prg from /garmin/apps)
There are some interesting built-in special fields like a TRAINING EFFECT (AnTE + AeTE) which can be used in addition to the 2 fields.
someone chip in if there is anything else on this topic of interest.
Thanks for the answer. So the main reason for that limitation should be different in 6 series case (faster processor, more memory..) In your case, with Humon and Stryd you cannot use any other interesting IQ field.
sorry i dont understand the question
Only 2 iq fields posible. The same I have in the 5x. I asked in garmin forums why that limitation and they answered me that the main reason was memory capacity and power processor. But these two have been improved in 6 series and the limitation continues.
i can only say what I see, IDK the underlying reasons. but what you have been told seems reasonable and i’m guessing might be artifically constrained.
Since Fenix 6 comes with Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 , is it necessary to get the Sapphire edition? Just wanted to save money if you think the Gorilla Glass is durable. Thanks!
I’ve got Gorilla but i will be using lots of watches so it probably wont get the same knocking that some people would give it.
one scratch can be expensive
https://the5krunner.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/IMG_9367.jpg
Any idea when Stryd will be supported through Connect IQ? Is this a Garmin issue or a Stryd issue?
it works now. you just can’t download it
copy the prg file from your garmni/app folder on the old garmin watch. (copy them all to get your old watch face too)
I’m already seeing skiing dynamics for my previous cross country ski activities (3 & 5X+) in Garmin connect, reporting stats like glides per minute and average glide length without HRM. Any idea how the upcoming HRM-PRO will enhance Ski Dynamics?
sy not yet
the 6S has arrived thank you wiggle. question, why are all the watchfaces absolutely rubbish aand there is hardly any choise.
thank you for the support.
the watch faces that are available on other watches will appear soon once they are flagged as supported by the F6 or you can copy them from an existing watch
Copying ones to the 6s will probably work OK. Copying them for the 6 and 6X probably won’t look very good given the difference in screen size. It shouldn’t be long before an SDK is available to create F6 CIQ apps.
i’m just about to put up a shot of CRYSTAL watch face…works fine on the 6. I take your point with the 6x though (pixels)
I have the orange 5 plus and love it. I’m aging and my eyes aren’t what they used to be.
Will I notice the difference in screen size?
Also, I bought a bunch of bands for my 5, will they fit the 6?
Thank you!
I don’t think you will notice much difference in screen size in reality
the bands will fit if you upgrade on a like for like model eg 5splus to 6s.
band sizes should be listed above
I have Fenix 5. I swim quite a lot. Because Fenix 5 does not meausere HR during swimming, swimming activy is not counted into intensity minutes. Because Fenix 6 has measuring HR during swimming, how is it with intensity minutes now?
as shown here they are included: https://the5krunner.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Capture-70.png (IIRC I was using oHRM not HRM-TRI)
I would imagine that you need to have different (lower) HR zones set for swimming (I do) for calculations to reflect reality (intensity minutes do not reflect reality)
calculations are based on HRrest (average) https://support.garmin.com/en-GB/?faq=pNU9nnDzzGAHmEavp9rpY8
so I would say: 1. swim is included 2. Garmin’s calculations understate real intensity minutes.
Thank You for quick answer.
And what about training load? Is it possible to see the swimming in the training load for last seven days?
yes the epoc from any exercise is included in TL, AFAIK
it should be the same on the F5 if you use HRM-TRI
HRM-TRI is accurate, oHR when swimming is not.
i got to the point where if i didn’t use hrm-tri then i would always estiamte 1 mintue of active swimming as TRIMP=1 for my own TL calculations. Surprisingly accurate for me.
Do you know the weight difference between the 6S pro and the 6S Sapphire? It looks like it’s the same, but i thought sapphire was heavier? Do you know how the extended battery life works?
Can anybody comment on the clarity of the display with the differing glass types? I currently have an F3HR Sapphire and an F5X+ Sapphire and I am sick of the dim and dingy display indoors without backlight. I love the durability, but would struggle to invest in Sapphire glass in the future unless there have been substantial improvements in clarity/brightness/contrast.
Personally I think the solar feature is too feeble (especially in the UK) to offer much value to me, unless the glass has the best clarity of all, but examples I have seen online show a rather ugly blue colour cast to “black” backgrounds and less contrast than other examples – not sure if those examples are sapphire or standard – but I want the best display possible, I just don’t know which one has it. Assuming I even upgrade to a 6 series it would be a 6X Pro without doubt. The question is only over which glass to choose for maximum visual clarity with and WITHOUT the backlight. Thoughts?
Check youtube. There is a great video comparing the daylight and night time displays of the glass and sapphire lenses. Pretty start differences.
Dave, I have checked YouTube extensively and seen the examples demonstrated. But I have also gained conflicting impressions from those videos. There are times when sapphire looks dreadful, as expected, but other times when the clarity seems amazingly good. Concerns I have for the backlight conditions is that only sapphire glass shows true blacks, with higher contrast than Gorilla/solar glass, which has a strong bluish haze instead of deep black.
I have also seem comments that variance may be due to different LCD suppliers or maybe different LED lighting colour/angle rather than the glass itself.
Basically I have not been convinced that there is a single best solution regarding display clarity and it’s too much money to spend for marginal gains and maybe even losses. I would spend the money for certainty, but I am unconvinced that certainty exists.
I do not know of any local stockists where I could compare for myself so I’d be at the mercy of online ordering. I guess I could order one of each and return those which fail to make the grade, but that seems unfair on the suppliers to have to restock opened products.
https://youtu.be/J8XZ_lsGGtI
In this video you can see that Gorilla glass has the edge in natural light indoors and out, although not a huge advantage in this example, but, with the backlight on, the sapphire glass looks way better.
In other videos – e.g. https://youtu.be/my3VUh8UW6E – the 6X solar glass completely owns the sapphire glass on the 5X (I have 5X+) for clarity in natural light, with well controlled reflections and a brighter screen, but the backlit solar examples I’ve seen look awful (blue glow instead of pure blacks) compared to sapphire.
Is that the glass or some other variable in play? Is 6X sapphire much improved over 5X sapphire, I wonder.
It looks like the issue is with the LCD and possibly the backlight, not the glass.
https://forums.garmin.com/outdoor-recreation/outdoor-recreation/f/fenix-6-series/174384/two-sapphire-fenix-6-pro-s-backlight-contrast-issues
I would not accept a watch with the blue glow. At this price level (or any price for that matter) it is just rubbish, IMHO.
I have the 935 now and had it for about 2years – 920 before. Soo.. should I buy the 6/6X? I want the music – is it good? For triathlon I dont really miss anything now.. but there is some new features that sounds cool. I get it – its not really worh the cash to switch.. but I kinda want it anyway. Any thoughts? And how should I chose between the 6 and the 6X – there isnt a shop nearby who have them to show. Thnx!
you know what to do.
more training makes you faster…more tech makes you happier and gives you something to play with for a few weeks. 😉
yes the music is good. a 5 plus would also give you music and save a bit of cash obv the 945 as well. the 945/f6 have probably ‘settled down’ and most bugs are now sorted.
as per my main review of the f6/945, the garmin implementation of music is not perfect and needs longer term improvement HOWEVER it’s better than any alternative for sporty music.
Thanx for the reply.
Yeah – I want to be both faster and happy.. and if Im gonna buy a new watch even if I dont really need one.. I think f6x is the ‘good enough change’ for me. 945 is a little boring upgrade from 935 and the f5x+ is still so expensive so its not really an option. In fact its about $50 MORE than the f6x here because there is no non-sapphire option on the f5x+..
Maybe I wait for black friday and hope for the best – or just buy myselfe an early xmas present.
I don’t think you will have much joy on black friday with the f6/945.
you will with the 5 and 5 plus tho.
the best long term discounts in the EU are with wiggle (link below). once you reach a certain level of spend you get AT LEAST 12% off their regular prices (up to 18%…more for sale stuff) and there is also a new customer sign up code (NEWSE or NEWDE) one of those might work for you.
https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=9057&awinaffid=604495&clickref=&p=%5B%5Bhttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.wigglesport.de%2F%3Fs%3Dgarmin%2Bfenix%5D%5D
if you use amazon then you might find amazon.fr and amazon.es are cheaper on high value items, even if you factor in the shipping costs.
Yeah no I dont have high hopes for black friday. I guess time will tell if I go with the f5 or f6.. or stick with the 935 another year or two.
Thnx again.
I got an -30% offer on the 6X so I couldnt resist.. so far its my new best friend!
Thnx again for all the good reading!
that’s unusually good. nice job.
I went from Fenix 3 to Apple Watch S4 44mm. TERRIBLE MISTAKE! Awful watch, a lot of smart features that you don’t really need (bank apps, siri, calculator, awful sleeping tracking, pita to transfer mp3 music [had to use iphone], really annoying having to recharge every 36hours (2 exercises per day), poor native sports apps, NFC payments with few banks supporting it, it doesn’t fix your gps position before you start running, touch screen is horrible when I’m all sweaty in the gym or running, just the two buttons and touch screen feels awful when compared to five buttons design from Garmin, very fragile, if it falls: goodbye screen!) for me, Garmin (Fenix, Forerunner, Vivoactive and others) it’s the way to go, whether you are a sports person or no, Apple Watch it’s just design…. (fugly square design tho loool). Now I’ve bought an Fenix 6X Pro and am very anxious waiting for it to arrive.
apart from that you like it?
😉
good luck with the 6x pro. i think you will see a big change from the f3
Not really, and I don’t recommend it to anyone. Spent 5 months with it, and hating it. That’s why I’m back to Garmin. The main reason that led me to change to AW was oHR, Onboard music and Apple’s ecosystem, now I rather spend a few more bucks and stay with Garmin.
Hey! I am buying a new watch comming from Suunto Traverse. Now i have to pick between 6X/6 or Suunto 9. I know the differences in features and i am wondering if i really need all that more what Garmin is offering for 200€ more than i would pay for Suunto 9. The only thing i would want to have on my Suunto are maps for example. Do not need all the widgets like weather since it do not work if i leave phone at home anyway. In addition i think Suunto have better implementation of the sensors & logic behind it to give you better accuracy when tracking in gps mode. Also battery is still much better on Suunto 9 compare to 6/6x if i understand all the numers correctly. What would be your advice how to pick a watch? Thank you!
maps: well there are no maps on suunto
widgets: true, you need a phone
sensors: how accurate do you need it to be? both are +/-5m ish. if you need absolute precision then neither will give you it but i guess suunto is generally a bit better.
battery: https://the5krunner.com/2019/05/14/coros-vertix-review-preview/#Coros_Vertix_Hardware_Specifications_Comparisons_Marketing_Headlines fenix 6 is better on headline numbers.
from my expereicne with the F6 pro the battery life in real usage is quite a bit less than the headline. although i have NEVER tested any of the super long endurace modes to battery exhaustion. so is the f6/6x battery better than the S9…i don’t know, i dont think anyone has done that direct COMPARISON in extended real word trekking usage.