Garmin Fenix 6 Specifications, Opinion, 5 Plus Comparison

95 thoughts on “Garmin Fenix 6 Specifications, Opinion, 5 Plus Comparison”

1. Let’s see how 6 can handle battery. 5 Plus was a big disappointment for me.

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   1. 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.

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      1. 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.

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   2. 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 😉

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      1. 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.

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2. 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

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   1. 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.

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      1. 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.

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3. 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?

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   1. 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.

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      1. The FR245/FR245M/FR945/MARQ Series will all get PacePro.

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         1. I also found PacePro in my 645M today, which was a nice surprise!

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         2. What is the reason to change from 945 to 6x+
            I see better battery
            bigger screen

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            1. 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

4. 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.

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   1. Wiggle: it IS an exclusive for the 6X only I’ve just been told
      i’m not sure of the US yet. I

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      1. Ah! I obviously didn’t look at enough of the 57 varieties of 6 🙂

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5. 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).

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   1. Thanks Chris, I’m sure there’s WAY more than one type in their espeically if Garmin’s (source) are considered too.

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6. Also, it hasn’t been mentioned a lot but these watches are “tested to U.S. military standards for thermal, shock and water resistance”

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7. 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.

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   1. 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!

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      1. Wiggle are specifically promoting here and elsewhere that they do have an exclusive on the 6X in the UK, I’ve asked for clarification

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         1. 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.

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            1. 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.

         2. 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.

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            1. 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

8. 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

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   1. 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!

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9. the 6x is only at wiggle and I get mine tomorrow !!!—!!! 5X on ebay

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   1. anyone else: see above

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      1. 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 😉

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         1. you’ll survive 😉

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10. 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?

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    1. 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

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       1. 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

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11. 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.

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    1. 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)

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12. How does this new Fenix compare to the 945?

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    1. 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)

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       1. Which would you pick, 945, 6s pro or 6 pro?

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          1. 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

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       2. i have the same question and answer bigger screen and better battey+solar

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13. 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.

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    1. 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)

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    2. 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).

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       1. yes, i think they are probably a good idea. I can see the counter argument, i’d still consider buying some.

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14. Any info on the titanium edition’s availability?

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    1. 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.

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15. Can you use standard watch bands (non QuickFit)? Fenix 5 plus has screws to remove the strap pin, but the Fenix 6 hasn’t.

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    1. 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

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    2. 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.

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       1. 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

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16. 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.

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    1. 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

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17. 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?

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    1. 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.

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       1. 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.

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          1. sorry i dont understand the question

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             1. 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.

             2. 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.

18. 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!

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    1. 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

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19. Any idea when Stryd will be supported through Connect IQ? Is this a Garmin issue or a Stryd issue?

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    1. 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)

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20. 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?

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    1. sy not yet

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21. the 6S has arrived thank you wiggle. question, why are all the watchfaces absolutely rubbish aand there is hardly any choise.

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    1. 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

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       1. 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.

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          1. 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)

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22. 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!

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    1. 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

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23. 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?

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    1. 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.

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       1. 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?

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          1. 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.

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24. 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?

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25. 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?

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    1. Check youtube. There is a great video comparing the daylight and night time displays of the glass and sapphire lenses. Pretty start differences.

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       1. 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.

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          1. 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.

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             1. 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.

26. 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!

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    1. 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.

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       1. 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.

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          1. 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.

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             1. 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.

             2. 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!

             3. that’s unusually good. nice job.

27. 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.

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    1. apart from that you like it?
       😉
       good luck with the 6x pro. i think you will see a big change from the f3

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       1. 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.

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28. 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!

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    1. 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.

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