DUEL: Garmin Fenix 6 vs. Garmin Fenix 7

Tags: Fight | Garmin | Smart

9.3.2022 | 7 MIN

When two titans meet in the ring, the result is always very uncertain. Just remember Rocky and Apollo. Garmin Fenix 6 versus Garmin Fenix 7 will be a balanced duel just like that.

When the Fenix ​​6 model came out, many experts agreed that there would not be a way for the next generation to get even better. The Fenix 6 had the words "the best" in front of many (perhaps all) things associated with an outdoor smartwatch. But the 7th generation still did add something, so I will start with the differences that strike the eye:

• Slight design modification
• Combined display – touch and buttons
• Sensor equipment
• Battery life
• TopoActive maps
• Material of the glass

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Garmin Fenix 7 – Buying guide

Design and workmanship

We have finally received some design changes on the watch. It is nothing radical, but it is something. The most noticeable difference all sizes have, which, by the way, stayed the same, is the steel or titanium coverage of the lugs. The same thing has been brought to the market by Polar with the Grit X Pro model. For the two largest variants, standard size and size X, there are screws in the lugs, which used to be right in the bezel. A cleaner look is something that Fenix users have longed for in the past.

Fenix ​​6 on the left and Fenix ​​7 on the right.

An invisible change occurred in the buttons. There is only one button (top left) with a so-called protector or seal against accidental push during activity. The 7th generation has all buttons treated with this protector, so we don't have to worry about any unwanted pausing of training by a jacket or any other movement. The main button in this new generation has these small parapets on the side. They can either be a design thing or also prevents unwanted push. Who knows...

The last change (to the worse by appearance, to the better functionally-wise) is the solar ring around the display. It increased by 54% compared to the previous one. But let's be honest, we all want a bigger battery.

There are no major changes in weight. The difference is more or less 3 g. And I mean that literally. The size S is 3 g heavier, the middle one is 3 g lighter, and the biggest one is 3 g heavier.

The greatest attraction is the combined display.

The combined display is undoubtedly the main modification and the biggest enticement compared to the last generation. Fenix model by touch has been a long-standing dream of many people, and Garmin listened. There is nothing wrong with the buttons, for sure, but the fact is that, for example, maps are better when controlled by touch. And the coolest thing is that if you only want to control the map by touch, you can. The old classic in the form of five mechanical buttons stays. It was great to have maps in the 6th generation, but controlling it with the buttons was a horror that Garmin had finally and probably solved for good.

Photo by reviewer DC Rainmaker.

I would also argue that the touch would win the duel of a faster pin entry in Garmin Pay. The Fenix 6 having the possibility of setting a bunch of shortcuts is an ingenious device, but by being able to set what you want to control with the touch and what you don't, you don't have to worry about the touch limiting you in any way.

Sensor equipment led by Multi-GNSS and Elevate 4

No, I'm not trying to slur in a language of an extraterrestrial civilization. Multi-GNSS is a receiver that can receive signals from multiple navigation systems at a time and in multiple frequencies. For you, this means that the drawing of the route, pace, and other metrics associated with GPS is so precise that it will even bother you how good or bad you are :-).

Photo borrowed from https://www.androidauthority.com/

The Elevate 4 is the latest heart rate sensor that we have already seen in the Venu 2, Venu 2 Plus, and also in the Forerunner 945 LTE. This sensor is simply awesome. I have probably never seen a more accurate sensor that works almost perfectly on wet and frozen hands. Compared to the older generation, the new sensor is much better and is worth having. It's a little more upward than the previous one, which is probably the only thing that might be bothersome.

A difference in the sensor is the material of the sensor cover. The old generation used a polymer that was easy to scratch, causing the sensor to not work perfectly. The 7th generation uses glass which should be more scratch-resistant.

A battery like no other

Even the Fenix 6 had in its time the words "the best" associated with the battery life. Then the Enduro model took over, and later the Coros brand assassinated it with the Vertix 2 model, which took the front lines probably for a long time. As you can see in the chart, the Fenix 7 is far in the battery life race. And hand on heart, who would run for more than 122 hours :-)

The numbers in parentheses indicate the endurance of the solar model with good light access.

Topomaps. Topomaps of the whole world

Topographic maps of the world. Garmin calls the maps TopoActive.  At first, these maps cost quite a decent amount of money, but with the new model, everything is different. The 7th generation showed a huge advantage in that you can manage and download maps directly in the watch. This is one of the best steps Garmin has taken.

"It contains networks of streets and roads, international borders, waterways, natural areas, and land use areas, historical monuments, airports, buildings, and more, and you can create your own routes.You can view thousands of points of interest for the entire continent, including shops, restaurants and bars, car parks, schools and universities, and accommodation facilities." Taken from garmin.com

Colleague Dominik spoke as follows:

"It's convenient and finally correlates with where we are today. If only we were able to control it through the phone and not only by connecting the watch to a computer before..."

Sapphire in combination with solar

Yes, even this is possible on the Fenix. The tweak that only the Tactix Delta Pro Solar Saphire had is finally on the Fenix ​​flagship. The seventh series can finally be proud of this long nickname "Pro Solar Saphire". Yes, it's great, but I kind of miss the option of having sapphire crystal without solar, as it was possible with the 6th generation.

Functional differences

A new line always comes with new features. For the 7th generation, this is more than true. From A to Z, a boasted sports tester rolling over the previous generations as well as other manufacturers of smartwatches or sports testers.

In short, the differences are as follows:

• the "Real-time Stamina" feature
• the "Up Ahead" feature
• LED flashlight in model X
• reception from all navigation systems (+ dual-band reception)
• Connect IQ directly in the watch

If you want to know more about these features, I recommend reading this article:

12.4.2022
Garmin Fenix 7 review – I am Fenix the 7, and who is better than me?

In the beginning, one doesn't even realize how many extra features there are and how they can make an athlete's life easier. Seriously, even after reading the parameters for the first time, I didn't believe that the watch could bring anything new. But I was wrong.  The new features are really important, and if you are an avid athlete, they bring a lot to your future performance.

And the winner is

This "duel" was really something. It is a fact that the Fenix ​​6 is still a promising model that is worth it! And honestly, even in the competition with the 7th generation, buying the older one will still make you smile. The long battery life, the outdoor and urban features, the amazing design. All of these are a great definition of the Fenix 6 model.

In contrast, Fenix 7 is younger, more fierce model, who took the best from his older brother and made it even better. Oproti tomu Fenix 7 je mladší a dravější model, který si vzal to nejlepší ze staršího brášky a ještě to vylepšil. Among the coolest things here is the improved GPS sensitivity, a new heart rate sensor, the "Real-time Stamina" function, and much more.

Many people have already launched the "I'll get rid of the 6th generation and wait to buy the new one" on markets places. And what about you? Do you thing the new features are important enough to exchange your watch for this new one? I would love to read your opinions in the comments :-)