This is the BEST review of the Garmin as a whole. You deserve A LOT of credit for actually making an informed video about this. Thanks man. Make more videos!
It's a good video that brings up a lot of valid points. I've been a fenix user for about 4 years now and I'm about to switch to the Epix 2. The one big thing to keep in mind in my opinion, is that fenix/epix watches are first and foremost sports watches with some smartwatch features sprinkled on top. For sports uses, in terms of quality of the maps, of the stats/activity tracking, of the gps accuracy I think they are the best by some margin. For smartwatch uses, they now give you some nice quality of life feature (clear notifications, music and better widgets) but are miles away from apple or samsung watches. So you just have to be clear about what's important for you. If you buy a garmin fenix/epix and expect a smartphone like experience, you'll be disappointed. Now for garmin users, the hope is that this touchscreen amoled display brings a lot of possibility for apps. Let's face it, using low resolution MIP screens and slow side buttons, it's hardly worth it or even possible for developers to make good apps. Now it could work. I totally agree that garmin needs to invest a lot more time and attention into their app store. Give developers a better SDK, then let your community do the rest.
Great video, my man! Garmin is a half baked company..! I've been complaining about their vaporware business model since the Forerunner 920XT and I have had a plethora of Garmin watches since then. Everytime I post my frustration in the forums I get trolled and accused of being salty and unjust in my views. This just goes to show, that I'm not the only one thinking the way I do;) Thank you so much!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Probably the best and most insightful review online till date. Otherwise most of the other reviews are nothing but fan talks.
yes, sir fan boys wanting the next new Garmin watch free!! that is really how I feel about a lot of them the way some of them outright lie about some things on the AWU to try to make Garmin out to be superior in every way and it just isn't true. I use both wear both every day and I may return my Garmin 965 and try another model maybe the new 51mm pro just to see if it's any better than the 965 Forerunner. The navigation by buttons is a no go.... for me. I don't like the UI either. just looks outdated in every way.
The saying “A mile wide but an inch deep” comes to mind. I’d rather have fewer features that are well executed than more features that are half baked. Appreciate the honest review.
A very fair review. Software wise def needs to improvement. It's hard to chunk up that much money and still have simple issues like connectivity. I have the Fenix 5, love the watch but I'll keep waiting until they improved. If they would invest in better developers they will definitely get more users.
What a great review. Honest and clear to the point! This is hard to find on UA-cam... Good job! Coming from a Fenix3 Sapphire (still well and working) the Epix2 Sapphire is for me a different from day and night!
I'm looking to upgrade from my 6+year old Fenix 3 because the battery won't even last a full day anymore. So I've been watching a lot of these videos about the Epix Gen 2 vs the Fenix 7x. So far, I'm leaning towards that beautiful Epix screen!
@@danlewis1214 what have you done to your fenix. Mine holds easily 10 days+ after all those years... sold it for a reasonable price. Now I am happy with the epix
Spot on! Great video. We can only hope someone from Garmin is listening, as a lot of these things are software issues and can be fixed with the current hardware.
I feel the same way about the upgrades not coming to a device that's just a few years old. I understand they need to sell new things to make money but $700-$1000 for a few features hurts
Really great comments that speak to my experience with Garmin, particularly around reliability that I feel often is overlooked in product reviews of their watches
Probably the best review of the watch. I get tired of fan boys who back a product but really don't know the poor quality of the product and how much better they could really do especially for a premium priced product. Some people will back a product just because they spent so much money on it and don't want to be honest how bad it actually performs.
I had an Apple Watch that was damaged due to water getting inside and doesn’t work anymore. That was from floating down the river in a vest. I also had to charge it every day. Whatever problems you will have with Garmin are overshadowed by how much of a better watch it is than an Apple or a Samsung.
Excellent rant! Much better than all these vids by some US-talking heads that barely scratch the surface of the products they “unbox” or “review”. Half ripe banana-software is ubiquitous, unless you’re running a core banking system. For my part I recently decided to move on from my Fenix 5 to a Apple Watch SE. Why? Because the screen is a pleasure to look at. Music is on board and works like a breeze, so I can leave my phone behind while running. Stats are read out automatically every kilometer, because there’s a speaker! Very convenient. Sure, I am missing several features found on a Garmin and don’t like the shot battery life. However, I’d say that Apple will catch up and if not, 3rd party apps will do the trick. The only thing missing then? A solid internet based platform like Polar’s Flow or Garmin’s Connect. Again, something that not necessarily Apple itself has to provide, 3rd party specialists will do. So, short Garmin stock. We’ll see how soon Apple will probably dominate that market segment. Not that I like Apple, being such a behemoth, but it’s big data’s positive network effects which continue the push Tech towards monopolization.
Totally agree about updates and new hardware. The world is pushing for upscaling and reusables. The business model of selling new wearable and not updating older units is a valid one. In the past 12 months I've purchased an instinct solar and a mini inreach. Both now cast aside. New meaningful updates for either. I doubt it. Garmin has moved on.
Good to see that Garmin are still dinosaurs behind the scenes. Been using Garmin kit, like you since 2008 until my Edge 520 let me down mid-ride for the last time and I took it off the bike and threw it into a field where it still is for all I know. I was so sick of the lack of customer support, the flakiness of the systems, the shi**y IQ store I went to Wahoo and never looked back. Just bought the epix pro gen 2 to track training and while I love the features and that I don't need tons of apps to make sense of the sports/training data, I'm surprised that Garmin look to be still in the same hole as they were when I last left 🤣
Coming from an Apple Watch owner for years and now owning the Garmin epix… I’m bloody stoked with my change. No faults at all and don’t have a problem with the music at all
I just bought the forerunner 965 and can't believe you actually like the change, my Apple watch Ultra with a couple apps demolishes this Garmin and for how I use the watch I do NOT need 25 days of battery I charge my watch daily when I get up and hit the shower, and it is always fully charged and ready to go when I am ready to head out.
I understand the First Beat metrics is related to how they licence the metrics and it’s linked to the device model. I also think they’re fairly good at adding new features to watches, at least whilst they’re the current model. A lot got added to the Felix 6. Agree they don’t go back once the new model is out.
I agree 100%. I am coming from Apple and my friend here in Thailand convinced me to buy a Fenix 7x Solar Sapphire. After 1 day I went back to return it due to the tech being on the level of an Atari, along with the sounds. The navigation is terrible and my screen is so dim compared to what I am used to. BUT, there is NO return policy in Thailand. So, I still have it. I like the censors and I've learned to use it (by using computer and iPhone to plan routs, you can't really do it on the watch). But the Garmin was a big mistake. I often still wear my Apple Watch 6 and I'll be buying the Ultra 2 in a few months when it comes out. You are right. It's not a smart watch. It's a good censor package, with an "ultra" basic brain that needs to be setup with your computer or phone. Even installing an app on this thing, like music is like a process from 2001. Go to an outdated website, enter a code, plug the watch into the computer, sync a playlist, the playlist doesn't appear, restart watch, restart computer application, restart watch again, the list shows up. Sends 20 songs to watch. It's just stupid.
Very good points. As an iPhone and Apple Watch user, I wanted to try a dedicated running watch that did golf as well I can’t believe how half baked many of the features and the echo system is.
I despise my Apple Watch series 7 stainless steel. I purchased an Epix 2 titanium sapphire! What I had was a beauty of a watch which details all metrics I could want…. Except none of these metrics mean anything! The hr sensor is crap, the eco system is buggy, the sleep tracking is terrible (see the quantified scientist review)…. As much as I despise my Apple Watch and it’s oh so many faults, it’s accurate, the software is spot on and it just works (despite having to charge it every bloody day….). The Epix has gone back and I could t be happier. WorkOutDoors has been a recent discovery of mine and it gives me everything I could possibly want!
All your points are painfully true, but the one thing I truly want from a watch is health tracking and Longggg battery life, here Garmin blows the massive Apple out of the water. All the other stuff I have my iPhone pro for. Great video
Loved this review. Love my Epix 2 but mine never connects to headphones out side which drives me crazy.. Garmin can’t even give an answers as to when this will be fixed so I’m getting a refund… I’ve heard newer watches don’t have this issue so not sure what to think..
Totally agree, wireless small Apple iPod for music 100% and just works 🥳, still deciding between Fenix Sapphire or Epix gen 2 watch, this is the reason I still have a Fenix 3 and polar V800 and not upgraded till now, Apple does give you totally free software upgrades and there phones just work, enjoyed watching and new subscriber 😄 Personally like to keep a sports watch as just that and phone for everything else, Simple 😀
Thanks for sharing. I like your thoughts and agree. I also don't understand the philosophy that the people have to buy new watches for simple not hardware related features. The "half backed feature problem" is a real issue but as long those issues are not fundamental. In my experience Garmins software belongs to the best on the sports watch market... After my perfectly working Polar V800 I bought a Vantage. This watch was a disaster! Polar worked almost for 2 years to get the software and the feature set into the right direction. Inaccurate GSP, missing of standard features, crashes while workout, sync issues... Half baked would be a huge complement for them last time. After 2 years they stopped the software development and introduced the Vantage V2. Same sensors, slightly better display, better GPS and a lot of new software based features. All those the previous Vantage could handle too... crazy 🤨 I gave Polar a second chance and bought the V2. But it was a mistake. The watch is OK so far. The fine tuned software from the previous model is working fine. But the V2 got so laggy and I don't see any hope for improvements. 🙄 Polar engineers have good ideas but they are poor of capable software developers. Garmin is much stronger on this and seems to get it right after a while... but will never be Apple or Google, unfortunately. I would even pay for new software features but not for improvements of half baked features. But I think that the baked is too far away from this idea. We need to wait for Apple or Google to penetrate their market. So disappointing.
Haven't been able to try a Polar yet (maybe I should?) but I do agree that in the space of "serious fitness" garmin is still #1. I also do agree that sadly the market seems to basically wait for Apple or Google to go in hard and take the market so that's a bit worrying. To the half baked, you are right, some of it is def not needed but what bothers me is that the new features are all half baked and they never get around to fixing the old features. Take workout programs on garmin, you still cannot go backwards so if you accidentally click the next button during warmup it fast forwards to the next part of the program and then judges you because you could not sprint fast enough in time. Simple things like these never get the attention. At the end of the day you buy into an ecosystem of devices. Garmin has started to realize this with Physio TruUp (syncing firstbeat between devices) but I do think it takes more than this to stay competetive.
Je n'ai eu qu'une Polar Grit X, non merci. J'avais déjà signaler à Polar l'absence d'extinction de la montre (elle reste toujours allumée) quand j'avais la M400, ils n'ont rien modifié. Ce qui fait qu'une montre ayant soit disant une bonne autonomie, se "vide" rapidement puisque l'on ne peut l'éteindre complètement. Par contre, j'ai trouvé le cardio mieux que Garmin. Leur plateforme toujours aussi nulle à charger et à analyser. Au total, j'ai bifurqué sur Coros (Pace 2), un régal, je n'ai jamais eu une montre qui captait aussi rapidement le signal GPS. J'ai à peine enfilé mes gants qu'elle me signale qu'elle est prête 😀, du calme du calme ma petite Pace 2, je ne suis pas habitée à une telle réactivité... Le service client Coros absolument parfait et réactif. Des mises à jour automatiques régulières. Et alors maintenant je me retiens de ne pas acheter la Coros Apex pro. Le principal et indispensable dans toutes les fonctionnalités Coros sont bien pensées et faciles à apréhender. Que demander de plus ?
Excellent review. I totally agree with the not a true “smart watch” comment, my Epix 2 can’t even consistently sync the calendar glance with my iPhone 12 Pro Max. Also great observations on the connect IQ App Store and Garmins integrations with other apps, I struggle with some of its features when linked with Zwift.
I definitely agree with what you’ve said!! Considering just getting a cheap normal watch until I see some serious improvements in the ecosystem. With that said… I’ve had the Fenix 5XPlus for a few years now. Think it’s worth the upgrade to the Epix? Or wait it out another year or so in hopes for an Epix3?
I have to disagree with some of what you said. I never have sync failures, although on occasions it can be on the slow side. Also, Garmin are very good at providing software updates for old devices, although I do agree that not all new features get added to older devices, even if they theoretically would work fine. One thing that I did notice was that, having installed a watchface from the IQ store was that it was impossible to delete it - that certainly put me off installing any watchefaces on my other Garmin watches.
I have the Instinct and have also had very few sync failures. Syncing is very slow compared with other smart watches I've owned. From my understanding, the data first goes up to Garmin and then, if you've got follow on synchronizations like Strava that happens next. What is noticeable to me is that Strava reports my run BEFORE Garmin Connect which doesn't seem right since it was last to get the data. And this happens while Garmin Connect is still syncing...it then takes multiple seconds after that for the sync with the watch to fully complete. I'm guessing there's a lot of other data that gets pushed up to Garmin that these other sync'd apps don't use?
Great video man! I was mostly with you until you said users want a subscription. 🤣Oh hell no! It's a shame that Garmin gates features and I've been victim to this every purchase but Coros are breathing heavily over Garmin with free user updates to really old hardware and due to them accessing a similar market I think Garmin will have to respond (without charges or subscriptions) or they'll face losing a lot of endurance athletes
Yeah to be clear I DO NOT want a subscription either. If Garmin can figure out their app store model I think they can make enough profit long term where they don't have to sell new devices, however, in it's current state that's hard to imagine. So I was more riffing on "what would the next best thing be". Subscriptions out of the gate would be stupid but lets say 3 years in you can pay X to get a new feature to your old watch, even if it's buying a feature for a one time cost would be more palatable than throwing out my old watch and getting a new one.
Just searched on this, first result shows from the EPIX support manual... hold down the button that skips tracks will actually fast forward the audio. I think they just have so many lines of products that it's hard for engineers to keep up with all of the software implementations and restrictions to keep the lines separate that you are waiting a while for things to be really polished out. I do see a lot of involvement in the forms though and continuous feedback from support.
I am well aware that you can hold it to seek forward like a CD player from 1998 but that’s missing the point. The touch UI is a superior input device. In this case I wanted to seek forward by 8 minutes, you have to hold the button while the watch skips audio in 10 second segments and hope you get it right with the Bluetooth latency. Apple Watch has gotten this right since day 1 FWIW. They both have an OLED touchscreen. There is no excuse to not implement it.
I had the original Garmin Epix and the battery crapped out on me after only like the second year owning it. Luckily, it wasn't too hard to replace. But that's what scares me with these things.
If you ever played GTA 3 your voice reminds me of Fernando from chatterbox radio. Fun random fact. Thanks for the wicked points on the watches. Love my Fenix 5
I've bought the Fenix 7XSS as my first Garmin watch - and tried my hand at Monkey C. It's been intense, but to be honest I've found it far easier to wrap my head around (as someone who is not a developer) than something like the WearOS ecosystem. Now I do have my app on the Garmin store (free and opensource, so that helps). I'm just annoyed they still don't provide access to the gyro data in their SDK. Anyway on the music player... YESSSSSS, WHY CAN'T I SCROLL OR SCRUB? It makes no sense!! But I find this is all redeemed by the battery life, which is insanely good. My app is quite intense (GPS tracking, altitude based on raw barometer - because while the baro data is good, the Garmin-computed altitude is utter garbage, variometer beeps and vibrations, GET requests over BLE for livetracking every X seconds) and yet it barely scratches the remaining battery... An Apple watch or WearOS watch doing the same thing would die so quickly... Well, I'm waiting for the Pixel watch, see what happens there.
I agree on everything you mentioned. I use flipbelt running belt for my iPhone when running. Then you won’t even notice your phone when running. The music app on the epix 2 sucks bigtime .
I have had many Garmin products including the Epix 2. Mine syncs in seconds with my phone. The music player could be better, but the music is for your activities, and your headphones can play, pause and skip the songs. Mine can. The touch screen would be useful if you are riding the bus and want to listen to music from your watch, but that person isn't the target for this watch. I agree with the IQ store. It doesn't offer much. There are software updates with new features for past products. DC Rainmaker had a recent video on this.
@@cooloutac Really takes about 10 seconds to see the size of this channel to realize that I'm neither a youtuber nor someone that have ever done a sponsored segment ever so IDK what you're on about.
The BLE connection is more a problem of the phone than of the app. Several battery saving algorithms determine it's quality. For example cheap Chinese phones don't really work as the constantly close the app even if it is exempt from battery optimization. I agree on you about the lack of meaningful updates and on the quality of features. Look at strength training. it is a nightmare to use
I can’t connect anymore to Wifi or pair with my phone vía Bluetooth. I’ve tried every method of troubleshooting in their webpage and still no luck. Do you know anything about this issue? I’ve even restored it to default settings, the strange thing is when I got it for the first time it could pair fine.
Why does nobody mention that there are problems with the watch(epix2/fenix7)? (except you) If you look in the forum you will see countless posts about individual software problems. A lot of random reboots, poor swimtracking, wrong altitude and wrong sleeptracking, map details missing, screen goes off and a lot of other bugs. Even with the latest update there are a lot of bugs. This watch is around 1000$ - i want it to run smoothly and not super bugy. A lot of youtubers are reviewing this watch but no one mentions those bugs - why ? Just have a look at the garmin forum and you will see what i mean. Hope this helps people to get a other point of view. My comments under other youtubers get deleted ^^
Reviewer - Company power dynamics. People that build their careers on reviewing a certain class of products eventually normalize the problem across an entire ecosystem, just read some of the comments here saying "it's not X so you should be ok that it sucks doing Y". On top of that reviewers often live and die by their early access to devices which makes them biased even if they aren't getting payed to review the product, if the constantly criticize the devices the company will stop including them in the early access programs.
Very nice points on the pros and cons. Yet for me the biggest sin is the documentation... or lack therein! Granted, given enough caffeine, time/tenacity, google searches and sometimes requiring 130+ IQ to overcome SNAFUs, you can eventually soldier thru Garmin shortcomings. And that's too bad since it inhibits consumer acceptance except for a niche target audience. OTOH, given Garmin's technological breakthroughs, in time UA-camrs and blogs fill the void. So in the interim for the early adopters and newbs, enjoy the journey but expect some turbulence and a bumpy ride...
I think I will buy it anyway. But damn, I cried when saw that music thing... So Im a bit dissapointed. its important to make it really 'well designed', people will use it in motion! Seek in music while running? Its already hard for me on my phone. (maybe configurable by seconds seek buttons would be the best solution). I have a Samsung gearfit watch, which is unstable half a garbage. Now I want a rocksolid thing and i dont want tweakings, updates, patches. If its sensors, GPS, and battery are stable for at least 5 years, I will be happy. Just do its job like a timeless thing, like a hammer. Thanks for that true review. Everybody review only the "oled", "stamina" etc. Etc. Nobody introduce that part of Garmin and its watch. Thanks
These are the things I tell folks all the time when they try to compare AWU 1 or 2 with the new Garmin Epix Pro 51mm I say "why why, why, the Appl watch is a smart watch the Garmin is a sports watch!!! why" if they want to compare they should compare the Venue 3 vs AWU now that's a smart watch comparison! I just bought the Garmin 965 and I am still left scratching my head I wanted some new watch faces and when I get there to look nothing was good unless I paid for it, so I am NOT buying watch faces period. Navigating ... apples maps look so very good where the same spots on the map on Garmins map on the 965 looks terrible and to get to it on the Garmin takes for ever!
Hi Jonas, I really appreciate some honest review of the Garmin Epix. I am Norwegian and I bought the Fénix 6 and I loved the health specifics. Now I would like to buy the Epix 2 but there seems to be problems with a glitchy screen. It would go off and on uncontrollably. Garmin does answer in the forums that it is something the engineers are still working on. But this seems to be a lie, they just keep on postponing the issue. I am afraid it is a hardware issue, and then you are completely screwed, because they will not help you fix the problem. The only thing I can think of, is to wait until the make a new batch of watches and fix the hardware. Do you know of any other honest reviewers of Garmin that are not terrified of them, making them liars, such that I can make an informed decision?
Maybe you can tell but I am from sweden lol. Was not payed by garmin to rant about this watch either so I can safely consider myself impartial here. When I got the watch, it had pre-release firmware on it that exhibited some of these issues (i think?). I upgraded it using garmin express on my computer to a newer firmware and no problems with screen issues with the epix 2 since. It does "dim" automatically when you don't look at it to save battery life but apart from that no issues. If you link the thread I'll happily read it and see if I can reproduce on my watch.
It’s Garmins “QuickFit Jacquard-weave Nylon Strap - Heathered Black”. Extremely overpriced ($200) for what it is, I do not recommend. You can get a nice custom leather band for that price.
I went with the epix pro because of the amoled. Not the pretty colors, but because mips displays are quite frankly garbage 90% of the time. Unless you are following the sun with your watch face like a solar or sunflower then you have to run the backlight anyways, and God forbid you turn your back on the sun. Besides that, ya, syncing bucks and payment methods. Touch screen is pretty much useless though except for maps. But, I have the same complaint for smart phones, buttons at the very least, simply work.
Garmin plays the sales game by using software updates to force customers to buy new devices. Building truly valuable resources is more difficult and limits Garmin's earnings. It's terrible. And to make worse matters, hardware breaks down many times, such as charging problems that affect many Garmin devices. I'd really like to buy a Garmin again, but I've had charging issues with a Vivo Active3 and people close to me have had issues with the Fenix range. Garmin doesn't care about mitigating issues that they know have been around for a long time and they still keep happening. The focus is on making money.
Yes, Apple's app system is WAY better but at the same time Apple is too reliant on 3rd party app developers to fill gaps for activities (e.g., golf) and data analytics (there is only minimal built in software to analyze health and fitness metrics). Apple sells many many more Apple watches (mostly because their market is not composed solely of hardcore athletes) so there is a much bigger market for app developers. What is the market for Garmin connect ecosystem? Practically nonexistent. In other words, I'm not sure how Garmin could create a better ecosystem and the right incentives for developers to actually make worthwhile apps without backing off their already excellent software for what their target market wants. I'm trying to decide between Apple Watch Ultra and the Epix and there are significant trade offs each way--theoretically (besides battery life), Apple may close the gap with 3rd party app developers but then I have to pay for each one I use (health metrics, golf, training, etc.)... whereas Garmin, everything is already there, albeit in much less user friendly and pretty environment
Honestly I would ask myself “what do I want to do with the watch?”. If you’re just running once in a while Apple Watch is superior, garmin watch starts making sense when you need something more rugged or more data rich.
Wow! After watching your review it is giving me some second thoughts about getting the Epix Gen 2. Currently there is a 5 to 8 week wait time from Garmin in the US so maybe, hopefully there will be a major software update to improve upon a few things like the music playback and connection issues.
forums.garmin.com/outdoor-recreation/outdoor-recreation/f/epix-2/288057/epix-2---software-version-7-35---public-release-candidate/1389354#1389354 Wireless stack still seems to have the same issues in 7.35.
regarding to music playback. It is fine as it is. Just upload only the music you want to play for the duration of your run or your favorite music and use skip/go back. Why would I want to Fast Forward a music or a podcast while running? It is distracting and ruins my running flow. For headphone connectivity, If you have a wireless headphone that's paired to other devices, it will pair to the phone/tablet or PC first. I had the same problem. I would literally disable bluetooth on my iphone and ipad pro then go to epix setting and connect it. But overall, Epix is a great watch. I've tried Fenix 7S, Fenix 7X, Polar Grit X Pro and Polar Vantage V2. I like Epix overall. UI is fluid, Wrist Gesture is super responsive. It has ambient sensor to adjust brightness which is nice. GPS is great. It is not spot on foot by foot but enough that my pace is pretty accurate and which side of the road I ran. Heart Rate is good overall, comparable to Apple Watch 7. PulseOx is spot on when doing it correctly. My main concern is the AMOLED burn over the course of 4 years :(
I disagree with basically... Everything! You are not comparing apple to Apple (pun intended). For me the watch functioning is rock solid, but the first mistake is you calling this a smartwatch, you bought and used for two years the wrong device. For instance... Why do they have their own development language and so many limitations (also on hw usage side! The runtime memory for the apps installed on Fenix 6x is measured in kb, which may seem ridiculous...) Well... They get MUCH control over what runs and how, and... I charge my watch every 2weeks+ even tracking plenty of activities with gps! Btw, my 3years old Fenix 6x has seen steady flow of updates and added functions, still continuing now that is surpassed by Fenix 7 and epix2 (already 2 production releases and 7-8 public beta releases after F7 presentation...). Expecting an update cycle of total about 5 years; what do you expect normally from an electronic device, seriously... Whatever other company abandons their devices much earlier than this. Then... Granted there are hiccups in the smart part of the use experience, got into more than one myself, as with all my other electronic gadgets, and granted they will not port back to my watch ALL the functions of the next generation (though a small part is already ported and some others are already announced to be ported soon), nevertheless... The experience with the Garmin ecosystem (which is a SPORT and WELLNESS ecosystem, with a marginal smart section) is actually quite good......
I continue to get great new software updates/features on my Fenix 6. The big concern is fast forward rather than skip from the watch? When I am trying biking, I'm not typically worried about my favorite part of a song. Pause/play/skip is lots, thanks. Volume I control on the headphones.
@@robdavies1961 just searched on this, first result shows from the EPIX support manual... hold down the button that skips tracks will actually fast forward the audio
@@noybiznatch Thanks. This is a while ago, but I think my comment was directed at the reviewer's concern about not being able to fast forward. Seemed like a bit of a stretch for something to complain about...
Good review. To bad all their products come as half finished beta projects. The hardware is outstanding, the engineers at Garmin is useless unfortunately.
Recommending the fenix 7 at the end is hard to follow though. It's the exact same as the epix with a terrible - terrible - screen for 2022. And it still has all of the garmin short comings. Talk about having to spring too much money for disappointing tech, the fenix 7 at the same price as the epix is a much worse deal for the user. The only good point of the fenix over the epix is the extra battery life. Considering you already have 4 to 6 days battery life with the epix under significant use, this advantage of the fenix is going to be relevant for a very small number of users. The solar feature has been reported left and right as a gimmick (unless you live off the grid in a desert) and even the flash light is gimmicky. If it's about finding your way in the bedroom at night, the screen based flash light of the epix does the job. If you're jogging in the dark, it's anyway not good enough and you really want a headband flash light. In my opinion, the only thing the fenix offers you is a slightly bigger case if you absolutely need it (51mm vs 47mm) and a lot of regrets that you didn't choose a gorgeous touchscreen instead. If the fenix line is to survive alongside the epix, it needs to see at least a 2-300$ discount.
Thanks for calling out the eco system I made a post about it on reddit and got down voted to hell. The connect iq app used to be better it had categories and everything idk what happened but a year ago they just decided to mash everything onto one page so stupid
Yeah that could work. I think the issue is Wear OS is android based so means you still have to run the JVM which is hard to do at low power but from a feature & long term investment POV it's much better path than what garmin is doing now.
@@coral1 I think that in the future they will make 1 model with wear os, as Suunto 7 did, and the battery life is 2 days :D. I had a garmin fenix 5 plus for 5 years. And I tried the modern smart watch galaxy watch 4classic and apple watch 6. They came to me like a toy, not like a real watch, for which I had to buy a protective glass and a cover so that they wouldn't break immediately like a phone after one fall. yes, the functions were great for playing. For me, everything was unnecessary and charging every day made me tired. Since I work on a construction site and in my free time I'm in the gym garage or on a hike, I'm grateful for Garmin. Because no other brand offers a model like the instict 2 solar, which meets all my needs that a modern watch should have. Monthly battery life, health monitoring, garmin pay. If I want a premium look, I'll wear my omegas. If I want a toy and a nice amoled, I simply take my mobile phone out of my pocket. It takes 3 seconds of my life :D Yes, some things could be improved by garmin. But what they offer is all functional for their target group of users. Where are the times when we walked around with maps in our hands 20 years ago :D Now we have it on our watches and it's not good for us either. If Apple or Samsung offer a watch with a 2-week battery life. And durability and maps like garmin. It would be ideal. But that won't happen.
You know, I don't disagree with anything you say here. Garmin is targeting a specific type of user that neither Apple nor Google serves with their offerings. My issue was purely around the pace of software development from Garmin's side, not the hardware per se.
What's the faking reason they keep the faking bezel on the screen?? I mean, what's wrong with this company? They can't keep up with the rest of the competition.
This is diff market. Not everybody wants to have “phone on their wrist”. Someone may prefer watch - tool for sports, but not necessary with bright screen (even your phone doesn’t shine 24/7) and there are more than few situations when less is more. Because more functions can do distractions from simplicity.
idk if you even watch the review but my entire point is that garmin should do LESS but BETTER. I didn’t expect an Apple Watch but at the end of the day garmin shipped it with certain features and I can’t ignore that they exist & sucks.
Feature wise I agree. The big reason why I bought the Garmin watch is battery life where the AW Ultra still trails. I'm hoping the next one/two gens of AW will get to a point where battery life is in the 2-4 day range.
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Thank you for the “half baked” commentary and other ecosystem shortfalls. Haven’t heard that anywhere else so very insightful.
This is the BEST review of the Garmin as a whole. You deserve A LOT of credit for actually making an informed video about this. Thanks man. Make more videos!
It's a good video that brings up a lot of valid points. I've been a fenix user for about 4 years now and I'm about to switch to the Epix 2. The one big thing to keep in mind in my opinion, is that fenix/epix watches are first and foremost sports watches with some smartwatch features sprinkled on top. For sports uses, in terms of quality of the maps, of the stats/activity tracking, of the gps accuracy I think they are the best by some margin. For smartwatch uses, they now give you some nice quality of life feature (clear notifications, music and better widgets) but are miles away from apple or samsung watches. So you just have to be clear about what's important for you. If you buy a garmin fenix/epix and expect a smartphone like experience, you'll be disappointed.
Now for garmin users, the hope is that this touchscreen amoled display brings a lot of possibility for apps. Let's face it, using low resolution MIP screens and slow side buttons, it's hardly worth it or even possible for developers to make good apps. Now it could work. I totally agree that garmin needs to invest a lot more time and attention into their app store. Give developers a better SDK, then let your community do the rest.
As a retired ex-professional athlete, this is a legit real no holds barred critique. Thank you!
Great video, my man! Garmin is a half baked company..! I've been complaining about their vaporware business model since the Forerunner 920XT and I have had a plethora of Garmin watches since then. Everytime I post my frustration in the forums I get trolled and accused of being salty and unjust in my views. This just goes to show, that I'm not the only one thinking the way I do;) Thank you so much!
This is one of the best reviews on Garmin I have come accross........thank you and well done. Brilliant.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Probably the best and most insightful review online till date. Otherwise most of the other reviews are nothing but fan talks.
yes, sir fan boys wanting the next new Garmin watch free!! that is really how I feel about a lot of them the way some of them outright lie about some things on the AWU to try to make Garmin out to be superior in every way and it just isn't true. I use both wear both every day and I may return my Garmin 965 and try another model maybe the new 51mm pro just to see if it's any better than the 965 Forerunner. The navigation by buttons is a no go.... for me. I don't like the UI either. just looks outdated in every way.
The saying “A mile wide but an inch deep” comes to mind. I’d rather have fewer features that are well executed than more features that are half baked. Appreciate the honest review.
agreed and the IQ store is a disaster!
A very fair review. Software wise def needs to improvement. It's hard to chunk up that much money and still have simple issues like connectivity. I have the Fenix 5, love the watch but I'll keep waiting until they improved. If they would invest in better developers they will definitely get more users.
What a great review. Honest and clear to the point! This is hard to find on UA-cam... Good job! Coming from a Fenix3 Sapphire (still well and working) the Epix2 Sapphire is for me a different from day and night!
I'm looking to upgrade from my 6+year old Fenix 3 because the battery won't even last a full day anymore. So I've been watching a lot of these videos about the Epix Gen 2 vs the Fenix 7x.
So far, I'm leaning towards that beautiful Epix screen!
@@danlewis1214 that was my intention to go epix - the screen. And 16. Days of battery life is not to shabby with the oled screen!
@@danlewis1214 what have you done to your fenix. Mine holds easily 10 days+ after all those years... sold it for a reasonable price. Now I am happy with the epix
@@Ghostina1 why didn’t you get the 7X Sapphire Solar? That’s what I got coming from a 6 Pro
Spot on! Great video. We can only hope someone from Garmin is listening, as a lot of these things are software issues and can be fixed with the current hardware.
Yeah this is sort of my 30 minutes boiled down into one comment. The hardware is great and the software is not.
I feel the same way about the upgrades not coming to a device that's just a few years old. I understand they need to sell new things to make money but $700-$1000 for a few features hurts
Really great comments that speak to my experience with Garmin, particularly around reliability that I feel often is overlooked in product reviews of their watches
Probably the best review of the watch. I get tired of fan boys who back a product but really don't know the poor quality of the product and how much better they could really do especially for a premium priced product. Some people will back a product just because they spent so much money on it and don't want to be honest how bad it actually performs.
Absolutely true. Lot of reviewers either are paid to write blogspam which recites the garmin press release or are victims of choice-supportive bias.
I had an Apple Watch that was damaged due to water getting inside and doesn’t work anymore. That was from floating down the river in a vest. I also had to charge it every day. Whatever problems you will have with Garmin are overshadowed by how much of a better watch it is than an Apple or a Samsung.
Excellent rant! Much better than all these vids by some US-talking heads that barely scratch the surface of the products they “unbox” or “review”. Half ripe banana-software is ubiquitous, unless you’re running a core banking system.
For my part I recently decided to move on from my Fenix 5 to a Apple Watch SE. Why? Because the screen is a pleasure to look at. Music is on board and works like a breeze, so I can leave my phone behind while running. Stats are read out automatically every kilometer, because there’s a speaker! Very convenient.
Sure, I am missing several features found on a Garmin and don’t like the shot battery life. However, I’d say that Apple will catch up and if not, 3rd party apps will do the trick. The only thing missing then? A solid internet based platform like Polar’s Flow or Garmin’s Connect. Again, something that not necessarily Apple itself has to provide, 3rd party specialists will do.
So, short Garmin stock. We’ll see how soon Apple will probably dominate that market segment. Not that I like Apple, being such a behemoth, but it’s big data’s positive network effects which continue the push Tech towards monopolization.
Totally agree about updates and new hardware. The world is pushing for upscaling and reusables. The business model of selling new wearable and not updating older units is a valid one. In the past 12 months I've purchased an instinct solar and a mini inreach. Both now cast aside. New meaningful updates for either. I doubt it. Garmin has moved on.
Good to see that Garmin are still dinosaurs behind the scenes. Been using Garmin kit, like you since 2008 until my Edge 520 let me down mid-ride for the last time and I took it off the bike and threw it into a field where it still is for all I know. I was so sick of the lack of customer support, the flakiness of the systems, the shi**y IQ store I went to Wahoo and never looked back. Just bought the epix pro gen 2 to track training and while I love the features and that I don't need tons of apps to make sense of the sports/training data, I'm surprised that Garmin look to be still in the same hole as they were when I last left 🤣
Coming from an Apple Watch owner for years and now owning the Garmin epix… I’m bloody stoked with my change. No faults at all and don’t have a problem with the music at all
I just bought the forerunner 965 and can't believe you actually like the change, my Apple watch Ultra with a couple apps demolishes this Garmin and for how I use the watch I do NOT need 25 days of battery I charge my watch daily when I get up and hit the shower, and it is always fully charged and ready to go when I am ready to head out.
I understand the First Beat metrics is related to how they licence the metrics and it’s linked to the device model. I also think they’re fairly good at adding new features to watches, at least whilst they’re the current model. A lot got added to the Felix 6. Agree they don’t go back once the new model is out.
I agree 100%. I am coming from Apple and my friend here in Thailand convinced me to buy a Fenix 7x Solar Sapphire. After 1 day I went back to return it due to the tech being on the level of an Atari, along with the sounds. The navigation is terrible and my screen is so dim compared to what I am used to. BUT, there is NO return policy in Thailand. So, I still have it. I like the censors and I've learned to use it (by using computer and iPhone to plan routs, you can't really do it on the watch). But the Garmin was a big mistake. I often still wear my Apple Watch 6 and I'll be buying the Ultra 2 in a few months when it comes out. You are right. It's not a smart watch. It's a good censor package, with an "ultra" basic brain that needs to be setup with your computer or phone. Even installing an app on this thing, like music is like a process from 2001. Go to an outdated website, enter a code, plug the watch into the computer, sync a playlist, the playlist doesn't appear, restart watch, restart computer application, restart watch again, the list shows up. Sends 20 songs to watch. It's just stupid.
Very good points. As an iPhone and Apple Watch user, I wanted to try a dedicated running watch that did golf as well I can’t believe how half baked many of the features and the echo system is.
I despise my Apple Watch series 7 stainless steel. I purchased an Epix 2 titanium sapphire! What I had was a beauty of a watch which details all metrics I could want…. Except none of these metrics mean anything! The hr sensor is crap, the eco system is buggy, the sleep tracking is terrible (see the quantified scientist review)…. As much as I despise my Apple Watch and it’s oh so many faults, it’s accurate, the software is spot on and it just works (despite having to charge it every bloody day….). The Epix has gone back and I could t be happier. WorkOutDoors has been a recent discovery of mine and it gives me everything I could possibly want!
All your points are painfully true, but the one thing I truly want from a watch is health tracking and Longggg battery life, here Garmin blows the massive Apple out of the water. All the other stuff I have my iPhone pro for. Great video
Loved this review. Love my Epix 2 but mine never connects to headphones out side which drives me crazy.. Garmin can’t even give an answers as to when this will be fixed so I’m getting a refund… I’ve heard newer watches don’t have this issue so not sure what to think..
Same for me Garmin Tactix
Very informative thank you for the work. I dont run now but deciding between the lovely Epix 2 and Fenix 6 I live in East Bay
Totally agree, wireless small Apple iPod for music 100% and just works 🥳, still deciding between Fenix Sapphire or Epix gen 2 watch, this is the reason I still have a Fenix 3 and polar V800 and not upgraded till now, Apple does give you totally free software upgrades and there phones just work, enjoyed watching and new subscriber 😄
Personally like to keep a sports watch as just that and phone for everything else, Simple 😀
Thanks for sharing. I like your thoughts and agree. I also don't understand the philosophy that the people have to buy new watches for simple not hardware related features. The "half backed feature problem" is a real issue but as long those issues are not fundamental. In my experience Garmins software belongs to the best on the sports watch market...
After my perfectly working Polar V800 I bought a Vantage. This watch was a disaster! Polar worked almost for 2 years to get the software and the feature set into the right direction. Inaccurate GSP, missing of standard features, crashes while workout, sync issues... Half baked would be a huge complement for them last time. After 2 years they stopped the software development and introduced the Vantage V2. Same sensors, slightly better display, better GPS and a lot of new software based features. All those the previous Vantage could handle too... crazy 🤨
I gave Polar a second chance and bought the V2. But it was a mistake. The watch is OK so far. The fine tuned software from the previous model is working fine. But the V2 got so laggy and I don't see any hope for improvements. 🙄
Polar engineers have good ideas but they are poor of capable software developers. Garmin is much stronger on this and seems to get it right after a while... but will never be Apple or Google, unfortunately.
I would even pay for new software features but not for improvements of half baked features. But I think that the baked is too far away from this idea. We need to wait for Apple or Google to penetrate their market. So disappointing.
Haven't been able to try a Polar yet (maybe I should?) but I do agree that in the space of "serious fitness" garmin is still #1. I also do agree that sadly the market seems to basically wait for Apple or Google to go in hard and take the market so that's a bit worrying.
To the half baked, you are right, some of it is def not needed but what bothers me is that the new features are all half baked and they never get around to fixing the old features. Take workout programs on garmin, you still cannot go backwards so if you accidentally click the next button during warmup it fast forwards to the next part of the program and then judges you because you could not sprint fast enough in time. Simple things like these never get the attention.
At the end of the day you buy into an ecosystem of devices. Garmin has started to realize this with Physio TruUp (syncing firstbeat between devices) but I do think it takes more than this to stay competetive.
Je n'ai eu qu'une Polar Grit X, non merci. J'avais déjà signaler à Polar l'absence d'extinction de la montre (elle reste toujours allumée) quand j'avais la M400, ils n'ont rien modifié. Ce qui fait qu'une montre ayant soit disant une bonne autonomie, se "vide" rapidement puisque l'on ne peut l'éteindre complètement. Par contre, j'ai trouvé le cardio mieux que Garmin. Leur plateforme toujours aussi nulle à charger et à analyser. Au total, j'ai bifurqué sur Coros (Pace 2), un régal, je n'ai jamais eu une montre qui captait aussi rapidement le signal GPS. J'ai à peine enfilé mes gants qu'elle me signale qu'elle est prête 😀, du calme du calme ma petite Pace 2, je ne suis pas habitée à une telle réactivité... Le service client Coros absolument parfait et réactif. Des mises à jour automatiques régulières. Et alors maintenant je me retiens de ne pas acheter la Coros Apex pro. Le principal et indispensable dans toutes les fonctionnalités Coros sont bien pensées et faciles à apréhender. Que demander de plus ?
Excellent review. I totally agree with the not a true “smart watch” comment, my Epix 2 can’t even consistently sync the calendar glance with my iPhone 12 Pro Max. Also great observations on the connect IQ App Store and Garmins integrations with other apps, I struggle with some of its features when linked with Zwift.
That's an iphone issue don't buy that garbage get an Android instead
I definitely agree with what you’ve said!! Considering just getting a cheap normal watch until I see some serious improvements in the ecosystem.
With that said… I’ve had the Fenix 5XPlus for a few years now. Think it’s worth the upgrade to the Epix? Or wait it out another year or so in hopes for an Epix3?
I have exactly this question, but I'm coming from an Apple Watch 4.
I'd really hate to buy a Epix 2 and then a few months later the 3 comes out..
I have to disagree with some of what you said. I never have sync failures, although on occasions it can be on the slow side.
Also, Garmin are very good at providing software updates for old devices, although I do agree that not all new features get added to older devices, even if they theoretically would work fine.
One thing that I did notice was that, having installed a watchface from the IQ store was that it was impossible to delete it - that certainly put me off installing any watchefaces on my other Garmin watches.
I have the Instinct and have also had very few sync failures. Syncing is very slow compared with other smart watches I've owned. From my understanding, the data first goes up to Garmin and then, if you've got follow on synchronizations like Strava that happens next. What is noticeable to me is that Strava reports my run BEFORE Garmin Connect which doesn't seem right since it was last to get the data. And this happens while Garmin Connect is still syncing...it then takes multiple seconds after that for the sync with the watch to fully complete. I'm guessing there's a lot of other data that gets pushed up to Garmin that these other sync'd apps don't use?
Great video man! I was mostly with you until you said users want a subscription. 🤣Oh hell no! It's a shame that Garmin gates features and I've been victim to this every purchase but Coros are breathing heavily over Garmin with free user updates to really old hardware and due to them accessing a similar market I think Garmin will have to respond (without charges or subscriptions) or they'll face losing a lot of endurance athletes
Yeah to be clear I DO NOT want a subscription either. If Garmin can figure out their app store model I think they can make enough profit long term where they don't have to sell new devices, however, in it's current state that's hard to imagine. So I was more riffing on "what would the next best thing be".
Subscriptions out of the gate would be stupid but lets say 3 years in you can pay X to get a new feature to your old watch, even if it's buying a feature for a one time cost would be more palatable than throwing out my old watch and getting a new one.
Just searched on this, first result shows from the EPIX support manual... hold down the button that skips tracks will actually fast forward the audio. I think they just have so many lines of products that it's hard for engineers to keep up with all of the software implementations and restrictions to keep the lines separate that you are waiting a while for things to be really polished out. I do see a lot of involvement in the forms though and continuous feedback from support.
I am well aware that you can hold it to seek forward like a CD player from 1998 but that’s missing the point. The touch UI is a superior input device. In this case I wanted to seek forward by 8 minutes, you have to hold the button while the watch skips audio in 10 second segments and hope you get it right with the Bluetooth latency.
Apple Watch has gotten this right since day 1 FWIW. They both have an OLED touchscreen. There is no excuse to not implement it.
Really enjoyed this dialogue/rant. Thanks!
I had the original Garmin Epix and the battery crapped out on me after only like the second year owning it. Luckily, it wasn't too hard to replace. But that's what scares me with these things.
If you ever played GTA 3 your voice reminds me of Fernando from chatterbox radio. Fun random fact. Thanks for the wicked points on the watches. Love my Fenix 5
I've bought the Fenix 7XSS as my first Garmin watch - and tried my hand at Monkey C. It's been intense, but to be honest I've found it far easier to wrap my head around (as someone who is not a developer) than something like the WearOS ecosystem. Now I do have my app on the Garmin store (free and opensource, so that helps). I'm just annoyed they still don't provide access to the gyro data in their SDK.
Anyway on the music player... YESSSSSS, WHY CAN'T I SCROLL OR SCRUB? It makes no sense!!
But I find this is all redeemed by the battery life, which is insanely good. My app is quite intense (GPS tracking, altitude based on raw barometer - because while the baro data is good, the Garmin-computed altitude is utter garbage, variometer beeps and vibrations, GET requests over BLE for livetracking every X seconds) and yet it barely scratches the remaining battery...
An Apple watch or WearOS watch doing the same thing would die so quickly... Well, I'm waiting for the Pixel watch, see what happens there.
Like the watch face what is the name...can i Install it from garmin connect IQ?
I agree on everything you mentioned. I use flipbelt running belt for my iPhone when running. Then you won’t even notice your phone when running. The music app on the epix 2 sucks bigtime .
I have had many Garmin products including the Epix 2. Mine syncs in seconds with my phone. The music player could be better, but the music is for your activities, and your headphones can play, pause and skip the songs. Mine can. The touch screen would be useful if you are riding the bus and want to listen to music from your watch, but that person isn't the target for this watch. I agree with the IQ store. It doesn't offer much. There are software updates with new features for past products. DC Rainmaker had a recent video on this.
Not saying your wrong but the watch is almost $1000. Expectation from me is higher at that price point.
@@cooloutac Really takes about 10 seconds to see the size of this channel to realize that I'm neither a youtuber nor someone that have ever done a sponsored segment ever so IDK what you're on about.
AWESOME VIDEO!!! Appreciate the straight talk
The BLE connection is more a problem of the phone than of the app. Several battery saving algorithms determine it's quality. For example cheap Chinese phones don't really work as the constantly close the app even if it is exempt from battery optimization. I agree on you about the lack of meaningful updates and on the quality of features. Look at strength training. it is a nightmare to use
I can’t connect anymore to Wifi or pair with my phone vía Bluetooth. I’ve tried every method of troubleshooting in their webpage and still no luck. Do you know anything about this issue? I’ve even restored it to default settings, the strange thing is when I got it for the first time it could pair fine.
thx for sharing
Why does nobody mention that there are problems with the watch(epix2/fenix7)? (except you)
If you look in the forum you will see countless posts about individual software problems.
A lot of random reboots, poor swimtracking, wrong altitude and wrong sleeptracking, map details missing, screen goes off and a lot of other bugs. Even with the latest update there are a lot of bugs. This watch is around 1000$ - i want it to run smoothly and not super bugy. A lot of youtubers are reviewing this watch but no one mentions those bugs - why ? Just have a look at the garmin forum and you will see what i mean. Hope this helps people to get a other point of view. My comments under other youtubers get deleted ^^
Reviewer - Company power dynamics. People that build their careers on reviewing a certain class of products eventually normalize the problem across an entire ecosystem, just read some of the comments here saying "it's not X so you should be ok that it sucks doing Y". On top of that reviewers often live and die by their early access to devices which makes them biased even if they aren't getting payed to review the product, if the constantly criticize the devices the company will stop including them in the early access programs.
Very nice points on the pros and cons. Yet for me the biggest sin is the documentation... or lack therein! Granted, given enough caffeine, time/tenacity, google searches and sometimes requiring 130+ IQ to overcome SNAFUs, you can eventually soldier thru Garmin shortcomings. And that's too bad since it inhibits consumer acceptance except for a niche target audience. OTOH, given Garmin's technological breakthroughs, in time UA-camrs and blogs fill the void. So in the interim for the early adopters and newbs, enjoy the journey but expect some turbulence and a bumpy ride...
There is a touch of Nokia Symbian about Garmin, great hardware, glitchy niche software / apps. They need to be careful they don’t get iphoned
I think I will buy it anyway. But damn, I cried when saw that music thing... So Im a bit dissapointed. its important to make it really 'well designed', people will use it in motion! Seek in music while running? Its already hard for me on my phone. (maybe configurable by seconds seek buttons would be the best solution). I have a Samsung gearfit watch, which is unstable half a garbage. Now I want a rocksolid thing and i dont want tweakings, updates, patches. If its sensors, GPS, and battery are stable for at least 5 years, I will be happy. Just do its job like a timeless thing, like a hammer. Thanks for that true review. Everybody review only the "oled", "stamina" etc. Etc. Nobody introduce that part of Garmin and its watch. Thanks
The player is designed for earphones or buds while you are active. They control the music.
I wear a Fenix 3 and while it does not have the latest added value features Garmin still does give it updates as of 2022
These are the things I tell folks all the time when they try to compare AWU 1 or 2 with the new Garmin Epix Pro 51mm I say "why why, why, the Appl watch is a smart watch the Garmin is a sports watch!!! why" if they want to compare they should compare the Venue 3 vs AWU now that's a smart watch comparison! I just bought the Garmin 965 and I am still left scratching my head I wanted some new watch faces and when I get there to look nothing was good unless I paid for it, so I am NOT buying watch faces period. Navigating ... apples maps look so very good where the same spots on the map on Garmins map on the 965 looks terrible and to get to it on the Garmin takes for ever!
So what about a comparison between Apple Watch (s5,6,7) and epix?
I like your view. How many days did it take to ship after you ordered?
A week or something but I ordered it hours after release. Seems like shipping times are longer now.
@@coral1 yeah, it’s been almost a month since I ordered and still waiting
Hi Jonas, I really appreciate some honest review of the Garmin Epix. I am Norwegian and I bought the Fénix 6 and I loved the health specifics. Now I would like to buy the Epix 2 but there seems to be problems with a glitchy screen. It would go off and on uncontrollably. Garmin does answer in the forums that it is something the engineers are still working on. But this seems to be a lie, they just keep on postponing the issue. I am afraid it is a hardware issue, and then you are completely screwed, because they will not help you fix the problem. The only thing I can think of, is to wait until the make a new batch of watches and fix the hardware. Do you know of any other honest reviewers of Garmin that are not terrified of them, making them liars, such that I can make an informed decision?
Maybe you can tell but I am from sweden lol. Was not payed by garmin to rant about this watch either so I can safely consider myself impartial here.
When I got the watch, it had pre-release firmware on it that exhibited some of these issues (i think?). I upgraded it using garmin express on my computer to a newer firmware and no problems with screen issues with the epix 2 since. It does "dim" automatically when you don't look at it to save battery life but apart from that no issues.
If you link the thread I'll happily read it and see if I can reproduce on my watch.
Honestly just got it and love it. I think its type of clock that is not for everybody, but for specific people into sports and stuff.
Agree with your point of view, they have too adapt, thanks for your review :-)
Great video! Which band is that on the Epix?
It’s Garmins “QuickFit Jacquard-weave Nylon Strap - Heathered Black”. Extremely overpriced ($200) for what it is, I do not recommend. You can get a nice custom leather band for that price.
I went with the epix pro because of the amoled. Not the pretty colors, but because mips displays are quite frankly garbage 90% of the time. Unless you are following the sun with your watch face like a solar or sunflower then you have to run the backlight anyways, and God forbid you turn your back on the sun. Besides that, ya, syncing bucks and payment methods. Touch screen is pretty much useless though except for maps. But, I have the same complaint for smart phones, buttons at the very least, simply work.
Garmin plays the sales game by using software updates to force customers to buy new devices.
Building truly valuable resources is more difficult and limits Garmin's earnings. It's terrible. And to make worse matters, hardware breaks down many times, such as charging problems that affect many Garmin devices. I'd really like to buy a Garmin again, but I've had charging issues with a Vivo Active3 and people close to me have had issues with the Fenix range. Garmin doesn't care about mitigating issues that they know have been around for a long time and they still keep happening. The focus is on making money.
Liked your video and I feel you with regard to shortcomings :-)
Maybe if software dev's didn't become lazy, only looking at copy-and-paste code, there would be better software for smaller watch brands.
Is that Nicolas Cage on video thumbnail? ❤️ Nice review.
Wow, wonderful review...now I will wait for samsung watch 5....
Did you get the Samsung 5? I wasn't so impressed with mine as it was only a slight upgrade from the 4.
Yes, Apple's app system is WAY better but at the same time Apple is too reliant on 3rd party app developers to fill gaps for activities (e.g., golf) and data analytics (there is only minimal built in software to analyze health and fitness metrics). Apple sells many many more Apple watches (mostly because their market is not composed solely of hardcore athletes) so there is a much bigger market for app developers. What is the market for Garmin connect ecosystem? Practically nonexistent. In other words, I'm not sure how Garmin could create a better ecosystem and the right incentives for developers to actually make worthwhile apps without backing off their already excellent software for what their target market wants. I'm trying to decide between Apple Watch Ultra and the Epix and there are significant trade offs each way--theoretically (besides battery life), Apple may close the gap with 3rd party app developers but then I have to pay for each one I use (health metrics, golf, training, etc.)... whereas Garmin, everything is already there, albeit in much less user friendly and pretty environment
So,…. Is there another watch similar to Garmin that anyone recommends after watching this? I was on the fence with buying this watch but I guess not.
Honestly I would ask myself “what do I want to do with the watch?”. If you’re just running once in a while Apple Watch is superior, garmin watch starts making sense when you need something more rugged or more data rich.
Wow! After watching your review it is giving me some second thoughts about getting the Epix Gen 2. Currently there is a 5 to 8 week wait time from Garmin in the US so maybe, hopefully there will be a major software update to improve upon a few things like the music playback and connection issues.
7.35 official version fixes music quality issue. Never have connection issues/drops with Shokz Aeropex.
forums.garmin.com/outdoor-recreation/outdoor-recreation/f/epix-2/288057/epix-2---software-version-7-35---public-release-candidate/1389354#1389354
Wireless stack still seems to have the same issues in 7.35.
regarding to music playback. It is fine as it is. Just upload only the music you want to play for the duration of your run or your favorite music and use skip/go back. Why would I want to Fast Forward a music or a podcast while running? It is distracting and ruins my running flow. For headphone connectivity, If you have a wireless headphone that's paired to other devices, it will pair to the phone/tablet or PC first. I had the same problem. I would literally disable bluetooth on my iphone and ipad pro then go to epix setting and connect it.
But overall, Epix is a great watch. I've tried Fenix 7S, Fenix 7X, Polar Grit X Pro and Polar Vantage V2. I like Epix overall. UI is fluid, Wrist Gesture is super responsive. It has ambient sensor to adjust brightness which is nice. GPS is great. It is not spot on foot by foot but enough that my pace is pretty accurate and which side of the road I ran. Heart Rate is good overall, comparable to Apple Watch 7. PulseOx is spot on when doing it correctly. My main concern is the AMOLED burn over the course of 4 years :(
I have the Garmin Venu 2 plus and you can adjust the music with the watch including UA-cam.
I disagree with basically... Everything! You are not comparing apple to Apple (pun intended). For me the watch functioning is rock solid, but the first mistake is you calling this a smartwatch, you bought and used for two years the wrong device. For instance... Why do they have their own development language and so many limitations (also on hw usage side! The runtime memory for the apps installed on Fenix 6x is measured in kb, which may seem ridiculous...) Well... They get MUCH control over what runs and how, and... I charge my watch every 2weeks+ even tracking plenty of activities with gps!
Btw, my 3years old Fenix 6x has seen steady flow of updates and added functions, still continuing now that is surpassed by Fenix 7 and epix2 (already 2 production releases and 7-8 public beta releases after F7 presentation...). Expecting an update cycle of total about 5 years; what do you expect normally from an electronic device, seriously... Whatever other company abandons their devices much earlier than this.
Then... Granted there are hiccups in the smart part of the use experience, got into more than one myself, as with all my other electronic gadgets, and granted they will not port back to my watch ALL the functions of the next generation (though a small part is already ported and some others are already announced to be ported soon), nevertheless... The experience with the Garmin ecosystem (which is a SPORT and WELLNESS ecosystem, with a marginal smart section) is actually quite good......
I continue to get great new software updates/features on my Fenix 6. The big concern is fast forward rather than skip from the watch? When I am trying biking, I'm not typically worried about my favorite part of a song. Pause/play/skip is lots, thanks. Volume I control on the headphones.
@@robdavies1961 just searched on this, first result shows from the EPIX support manual... hold down the button that skips tracks will actually fast forward the audio
@@noybiznatch Thanks. This is a while ago, but I think my comment was directed at the reviewer's concern about not being able to fast forward. Seemed like a bit of a stretch for something to complain about...
Good review. To bad all their products come as half finished beta projects. The hardware is outstanding, the engineers at Garmin is useless unfortunately.
Which watch face are you using?
Stock watchface that came with the epix
@@coral1 Thanks, I found it now.
Recommending the fenix 7 at the end is hard to follow though. It's the exact same as the epix with a terrible - terrible - screen for 2022. And it still has all of the garmin short comings. Talk about having to spring too much money for disappointing tech, the fenix 7 at the same price as the epix is a much worse deal for the user. The only good point of the fenix over the epix is the extra battery life. Considering you already have 4 to 6 days battery life with the epix under significant use, this advantage of the fenix is going to be relevant for a very small number of users. The solar feature has been reported left and right as a gimmick (unless you live off the grid in a desert) and even the flash light is gimmicky. If it's about finding your way in the bedroom at night, the screen based flash light of the epix does the job. If you're jogging in the dark, it's anyway not good enough and you really want a headband flash light. In my opinion, the only thing the fenix offers you is a slightly bigger case if you absolutely need it (51mm vs 47mm) and a lot of regrets that you didn't choose a gorgeous touchscreen instead.
If the fenix line is to survive alongside the epix, it needs to see at least a 2-300$ discount.
Thanks for calling out the eco system I made a post about it on reddit and got down voted to hell. The connect iq app used to be better it had categories and everything idk what happened but a year ago they just decided to mash everything onto one page so stupid
Here is just one solution , and its called WEAR OS , and if garmin release watches with wear os and 10 days battery , it will be win :)
Yeah that could work. I think the issue is Wear OS is android based so means you still have to run the JVM which is hard to do at low power but from a feature & long term investment POV it's much better path than what garmin is doing now.
@@coral1 I think that in the future they will make 1 model with wear os, as Suunto 7 did, and the battery life is 2 days :D. I had a garmin fenix 5 plus for 5 years. And I tried the modern smart watch galaxy watch 4classic and apple watch 6. They came to me like a toy, not like a real watch, for which I had to buy a protective glass and a cover so that they wouldn't break immediately like a phone after one fall. yes, the functions were great for playing. For me, everything was unnecessary and charging every day made me tired. Since I work on a construction site and in my free time I'm in the gym garage or on a hike, I'm grateful for Garmin. Because no other brand offers a model like the instict 2 solar, which meets all my needs that a modern watch should have. Monthly battery life, health monitoring, garmin pay. If I want a premium look, I'll wear my omegas. If I want a toy and a nice amoled, I simply take my mobile phone out of my pocket. It takes 3 seconds of my life :D Yes, some things could be improved by garmin. But what they offer is all functional for their target group of users. Where are the times when we walked around with maps in our hands 20 years ago :D Now we have it on our watches and it's not good for us either. If Apple or Samsung offer a watch with a 2-week battery life. And durability and maps like garmin. It would be ideal. But that won't happen.
You know, I don't disagree with anything you say here. Garmin is targeting a specific type of user that neither Apple nor Google serves with their offerings. My issue was purely around the pace of software development from Garmin's side, not the hardware per se.
12:58 "Yes they have Xyz"
😀😀😀
What's the faking reason they keep the faking bezel on the screen?? I mean, what's wrong with this company? They can't keep up with the rest of the competition.
You are paying to be a beta tester with garmin....more so than even samsung.
Screen is a downgrade in my book...
I think Garmin took the right approach by offering the Fenix 7 alongside with equal internals but MIP screen. It gives consumers the option.
This is diff market. Not everybody wants to have “phone on their wrist”. Someone may prefer watch - tool for sports, but not necessary with bright screen (even your phone doesn’t shine 24/7) and there are more than few situations when less is more. Because more functions can do distractions from simplicity.
idk if you even watch the review but my entire point is that garmin should do LESS but BETTER. I didn’t expect an Apple Watch but at the end of the day garmin shipped it with certain features and I can’t ignore that they exist & sucks.
It's not an Apple.....thank god!!!
Nothing beats the Apple Watch Ultra.
Feature wise I agree. The big reason why I bought the Garmin watch is battery life where the AW Ultra still trails. I'm hoping the next one/two gens of AW will get to a point where battery life is in the 2-4 day range.