Garmin has announced the fēnix 6 series, the next generation of its flagship GPS multisport smartwatch line-up. The fēnix 6 collection includes Power Manager for longer battery life, allows runners to compensate for elevation changes with new PacePro technology and introduces the largest round display from Garmin. A new solar powered watch is also included.
“We are thrilled to introduce solar charging into the new fēnix 6X Pro Solar edition, giving users all of the features they’ve come to expect from the fēnix line-up with increased battery life and larger displays,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin Vice President of Global Consumer Sales.
“In addition to our brand-new solar technology, we’ve built the fēnix 6 to redefine expectations, with enhanced features and design elements to appeal to adventurers of every kind.”
fēnix 6X Pro Solar
As the first Garmin GPS watch to offer solar charging, the fēnix 6X Pro Solar edition is designed with Power Glass, a transparent solar charging lens that uses the sun’s energy to extend battery life. Because of its unique solar charging technology, Garmin adds that users will have more on-wrist time to enjoy their activities, training features, color mapping, music streaming and much more.
The fēnix 6X, and fēnix 6X Pro Solar feature a rugged design with a large 1.4” sunlight-readable display, which is 36% bigger than previous fēnix 5X models. Users can check the latest solar input right on the wrist, so they know in real-time how much solar energy the Power Glass has been exposed to. The battery performance on the fēnix 6X Pro Solar in smartwatch mode is 21 days plus an additional 3 days when utilizing the solar charging capabilities.
fēnix 6 Series – Pro & Sapphire
The fēnix 6 and fēnix 6X multisport GPS watches are constructed for a trimmer, more comfortable fit on the wrist, while increasing the display size to 1.3″ and 1.4″ respectively from the existing fēnix 5 Plus series. In addition to bigger display sizes, Garmin has introduced new QuickFit nylon bands and silicone colours.
Sapphire editions add the quality and durability of a scratch-resistant sapphire lens and other high-performance premium materials.
The fēnix 6 series introduces a first-of-its-kind PacePro feature. This keeps a runner’s pacing strategy on track with grade-adjusted guidance as they run a course. Runners can create plans directly from the watch or ahead of time on Garmin Connect or Garmin Connect Mobile. While running the course, users will be able to see their target split pace, the actual split pace, distance to the next split, and how much time they are ahead/behind on their target, right on the watch face.
Out of the box, the fēnix series includes topographic maps for outdoor adventures, ski maps for over 2,000 ski resorts worldwide, and 41,000 golf courses. The series features on-device music storage of up to 2,000 songs, allowing users to sync playlists from several of the most popular music services, with no phone required.
The new customizable Power Manager allows the user to see and control how various settings and sensors impact battery life. For more confidence before a trip or activity, battery remaining can be represented in hours and days to help determine whether the adventure can last until the next charge.
Users can adjust their battery saving modes which disables certain features to extend battery life on the fly. These watches include easy-to-access features such as built-in activity profiles, VO2 max estimates and training status with adjustments for heat and altitude.
All models include enhanced wrist-based heart rate for all-day stress tracking, underwater wrist-based heart rate for swimming and Pulse Ox4 blood oxygen saturation to support advanced sleep monitoring and altitude acclimation.
Plus, the innovative Body Battery energy monitoring feature lets users see their body’s energy levels at any given moment, which can help with scheduling workouts, rest times and sleep.
Using a combination of data gathered from stress, heart rate variability, sleep and activity, a higher Body Battery indicates the time is optimal to be active whereas a lower number suggests rest is in order.
Body Battery assists users in making sense of patterns, demonstrating how behaviours and activities of the previous few days can influence how one feels at a given moment.
The fēnix 6 series also allows users to receive alerts on the wrist for incoming calls, texts, emails and more by enabling smart notifications. All models also include Garmin Pay, a contactless payment solution so users don’t have to worry about carrying cash or cards, which can now be used at major transit systems around the world. Here, commuters simply tap and pay-per-ride with their watch – no transit card, phone or wallet needed.
The fēnix 6 series is being announced in conjunction with the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) trail-running event in Mont Blanc Chamonix, France, which runs August 26 to September 1, where it will be on display in Booth #14 in the UTMB Village.
Available now, the fēnix 6 series has a suggested retail price that starts at US$599.99.
