Garmin fenix: Early Review

Being the kit & gadget  freak that I am, I recently invested in a Garmin fenix , their new outdoor GPS watch. As it is so new, I thought it worth sharing my initial thoughts for anyone considering it. This review is biased towards use as a mountaineering device but I also use it as a sports watch. I haven't provided the full tech spec or marketing blurb as you can get that from Garmin's website.

So what is it ? Garmin fenix is a hybrid; its an ABC  (altimeter, barometer, compass) mountaineering watch which is also a GPS.  It is also Garmin’s answer to the Suunto Ambit, which I haven't tried or seen so this is not a comparison.

So what is the point ? Aren’t both functions critically compromised ?

Let’s start by saying that if you are the kind of person who uses a GPS as their primary navigating tool instead of a map and wants full colour OS mapping then this is not the device for you and never will be.  However (if like me) you are comfortable with and enjoy navigation by map but would like the core functionality of GPS alongside the capabilities of a mountaineering watch, in a handy -  always there on the wrist – form factor then read on …..

The critical things I personally would like in such a device are:

• All the typical functions of a watch and stopwatch.
• An accurate fix on my position in the most appropriate format for my locality (e.g. OS grid ref, lat/long) for if I get into a navigational mess or an emergency situation.
• An altimeter which recalibrates itself when it can (as I regularly forget to do so as often as I should with my barometric altimeter) but which keeps working if GPS signals are weak  / not available.
• Barometric information to provide a view on weather changes.
• A clear, easy to read display. My eyes are not what they were !
• Easy and intuitive to use on the hill in poor conditions.

 The next items are not critical, but are important to me:

• Different types of data available to view on the display - such as average speed - and the ability to customise the display as I see fit.
• A stopwatch facility that stops and starts when I do, so I don’t have to remember to do it every time.
• The ability to store and download trip information in a standard format.

Then there are the nice to haves:

• A compass function is a nice to have for me as I have a compass and won’t ever be leaving it behind (or the spare in rucksack), but if it is provided then I don’t want to have to re-calibrate it every 5 mins.
• Re-trace my track – again to get me out of a hole.
• Usable as a sports device for running, cycling etc. and if it provides heart rate and cadence monitoring then even better.
• Ability to navigate against pre-loaded waypoints and record waypoints en route.
• Any other cool stuff I may not have thought about.

 All this must be in a package which is wearable in comfort on my wrist without getting in the way and will last multiple days without needing a re-charge.

So does the Garmin  deliver ?  On the question of functionality, its early days but my answer so far is definitely YES:

• It is a full featured ABC mountaineering watch and works just fine in this mode
• It gives me everything I have asked for and much more on the GPS front, most of which I haven’t tried out yet, but critically it provides me with a location fix in OS GB and other formats and the GPS continually re-calibrates the altimeter when it can.
• The display is clear and easy to read, the data page system for showing data is easy to set up logical and flexible.
• Configuring and using it in general is easy, though I should declare that I am an existing Garmin user.  I certainly find it easier to use than my Satmap !
• It looked quite big off my wrist, but is comfortable to wear all day – much more so than my old expedition watch .  It doesn’t rub on my bony wrists and the strap is soft for a plastic strap; I believe a leather one is/will be available.
• It is a very good sports GPS; different profiles can be set up for different sports and activities so  data displays can be tailored to suit and it uses the ANT + standard to communicate with external sensors such as my heart rate & cadence monitors. I have found it every bit as good so far as my forerunner 310, so much so that the latter is shortly going to appear on ebay , which will help offset the cost of my new toy !
• It exports and imports using the gpx standard so I can get my precious data into endomondo, my mapping software or even onto my satmap if I want.

BUT does it deliver on battery life ? Which after all is the killer for gps devices previously.

It is early early days and I haven’t really had chance to test it out properly, but the spec from Garmin indicates it will and early signs are promising. In full GPS mode the battery life is quoted as 16 hours – ok but no better than other devices and certainly not good enough for my needs !  However, the fenix has tricks up its sleeve to improve things:

• Firstly it has an ultratrac mode which means it only samples data once a minute.  This ups the battery life to 50 hours - starting to get more like it.
• The killer though, is that GPS mode can be turned on/off as wished without compromising the ABC capabilities. So you only need put / keep it on when you need it.  This might seem obvious, but it only has meaning in a hybrid device - a GPS without GPS is a lump of plastic, but the fenix carries on working as traditional ABC watch.
• If GPS is not switched on at all, the battery is reported to last 2 weeks with the sensors in ‘always on’ mode and there is also an ‘on demand’ mode which is less hungry again.  In pure watch mode the quoted figure is 6 weeks.

 I reckon with GPS switched on about 8 hrs a day in ultratrac mode it might last a week;  more than good enough for most of my requirements and if I am likely to be out longer than that I can be more selective and maybe just switch it on briefly when I need it.

In use so far, I have gone a few days wearing it and using it for hill days and training runs without charging it and the battery was still healthy.  And that was not in ultratrac mode. However, I have yet to put it to a stern test, so  it will be interesting to see if the real life figures match the spec and if they deteriorate significantly  in the cold.

The other unknown is ruggedness. Garmin claim it is very rugged, but it’s plastic so I’m sceptical and will remain so until it has had a full winter’s use.

So any gripes or negatives ? To be honest, not much but I have come up with a few minor points:

• The Basecamp Mobile  ‘app’ that allows the fenix to upload data and generally communicate with an ipod / ipad doesn’t work with anything less than a 4S.  It isn’t really Garmin’s fault as the problem lies in Bluetooth capability of earlier Apple devices, but their blurb didn’t make it obvious to me.
• The Basecamp app for PC seems to be junk to me from the little I have played with it, but my preferred option is to use the gpx files into my own software anyway.
• when using it for running  it seems to under record slightly in the field compared to the file I later upload. For example: I wanted to run 10K. The watch told me I had run 10K so I stopped it to get an accurate time and then started my warm down.  But, when I uploaded the file I apparently only ran for 9.93K – not a large difference but bloody annoying if trying to record an accurate time.  It is not something I have noticed with previous devices.

So how much do I have to pay for all this finery ?  Well it doesn’t come cheap at rrp around £350!  However, that is comparable with the Suunto  Ambit .  At the moment it is under an exclusive UK  launch promo with Cotswold so anyone who gets their 15-20% discount via BMC, BCU, MTA etc. can get this for less than £300.  It is still a lot of money and probably above the budget of the casual hill-goer or athlete, but compared to buying two separate devices maybe it’s not so bad.

Summary: I am currently in love with this device !  It gives me everything I want, does it in an easy to use way, is comfortable to wear and the display is easy to read.  Battery life looks like being a winner, but it is very early days - the proof of that will be some sterner tests in harsher conditions. Ruggedness also will require the test of time and a Scottish winter to make a valid judgement. It is also a significant investment so you do need to decide if you need what it provides.  I will aim to provide occasional updates on how it is doing and whether this turns into a long term love affair or a short term infatuation !