Smartwatch Labs
100 FOLLOWERS
Hi! I'm John and I'm a tech enthusiast and a smartwatch believer. This blog is about tech for sports and mainly focuses on smartwatches. The blog also features the newest trends and articles about new Smartwatches.
Smartwatch Labs
2y ago
Overall the Epix is for the most part a Fenix 7 with an AMOLED screen. The Fenix 7 stands out with its amazing battery life and the usual options of case sizes compared to the Epix which comes only in one case size. The Fenix 7 is better in pretty much every way excluding the display.
I won’t be wasting your time with all the things that are the same just focus on the differences and highlight the ones that have an impact in daily use.
Reason #1 Price
Fenix 7 is priced at 699 up to 999 USD
Epix is priced at 899 up to 999 USD
So the standard model of the Fenix 7 is available for 200 USD l ..read more
Smartwatch Labs
2y ago
The Garmin Fenix 7 and Epix both support Maps and you can download them either via the Map Manager on the device or via Garmin Express.
The Sapphire editions have 32GB of storage and they come with preloaded maps. If you bought a non-Sapphire edition you will have 16GB of storage and only ski and golf maps are pre-loaded.
The faster way to download the Maps is via Garmin Express so I recommend using that. The below video shows you both ways of downloading the Maps.
Downloading Maps on the Garmin device
When you connect your watch to a Wi‑Fi® network, you can download maps for a ..read more
Smartwatch Labs
2y ago
The Garmin Instinct 2 is the new upgraded version of the first generation Instinct and it now promises unlimited battery life with solar charging.
If you prefer watching you can check out my review video here:
Price and Comparison
On the launch date, the Instinct 2 standard edition was priced at 349.99 USD and the solar edition at 449.99USD. For current prices on Amazon check the below links.
Garmin Instinct 2 Standard Edition.
Garmin Instinct 2 Solar.
Compared to a Fenix 6 at 350€ or a Fenix 6 Pro at 430€ the price is quite close now that the Fenix 7 has been released so you might consider t ..read more
Smartwatch Labs
2y ago
Price
Fenix 7 is priced at 699 up to 999 USD. Epix is priced at 899 up to 999 USD.
To be clear, the price is not in favor of the Epix since the Epix is more expensive. Only the Fenix 7X has the same price as the Epix.
Check the current price of the Epix Gen 2 on Amazon.
Overall
The Epix is for the most part a Fenix 7 with an AMOLED screen.
You really need to love the AMOLED screen since all the reasons to choose the Epix are based on that. The Fenix 7 beats the Epix in every other difference these smartwatches have.
Reason #1 The Amoled Screen is Super Vibrant
The AMOLED screen colors are supe ..read more
Smartwatch Labs
2y ago
The device comes only in three SKU’s currently and the price is 899 USD for the Slate Steel SKU and 999 USD for the Sapphire Titanium SKU’s.
Check the current price of the Epix Gen 2 on Amazon.
The EPIX Gen 2 box has the smartwatch, a USB charging/data cable, and some documentation (Manual and Safety/Product information). The charging cable is of the same type as Garmin has been using on pretty much all its smartwatches in recent years.
If you prefer watching a video instead of reading you can check out my unboxing video here which covers the main hardware aspects of the Epix.
Hardware overvi ..read more
Smartwatch Labs
2y ago
The Garmin Fenix 7 is the new and upgraded version in Garmin’s Fenix lineup of rugged multisport smartwatches. The upgrade brings with it an even longer battery life, a touchscreen in addition to the buttons, a led flashlight, and some new software features.
I think we all hoped that the Garmin Fenix 7 would have a SKU with an AMOLED screen. It kind of did, but it’s called the Garmin Epix Gen 2 which was released on the same day. What Garmin didn’t include is LTE functionality and voice functionality which Garmin previously added on the Venu 2 Plus. It remains to be seen will Garmin later rele ..read more
Smartwatch Labs
2y ago
Which Smartwatch supports Spotify? If you are a Spotify user and want to do phone-free sports then a great option is to get a smartwatch that supports offline Spotify. Currently, the two brands of watches you should be looking at are Garmin and Samsung for devices that support offline Spotify. Not all devices from these manufacturers are supported so check below the Garmin and Samsung headings to see which devices are supported.
Which Smartwatch supports Deezer? If you are a Deezer user and want to do phone-free sports then a great option is to get a smartwatch that supports offline Deezer. In ..read more
Smartwatch Labs
2y ago
The Garmin Venu 2 Plus is the new and upgraded version of the Venu 2 with the main hardware difference being the addition of a microphone and speaker. The Venu 2 only had a beeper. This new hardware enables the user to use new voice functionality from the smartwatch.
The release date for the Garmin Venu 2 Plus was on 4.1.2022. The Garmin press release for the Venu 2 Plus can be found here.
Garmin Venu 2 Plus Differences compared to Venu 2
The Venu 2 Plus release date price is 449 USD compared to 349 USD for the Venu 2 on sale currently. For current prices check the links below
Venu 2 Plus on ..read more
Smartwatch Labs
2y ago
If you want to listen to Spotify Music offline without your phone then the Garmin smartwatches with Spotify support are a great option. It might be difficult to choose which one to get. I’ll give three brief recommendations to make the choice easy for you.
Garmin has dozens of watches supporting Spotify. For a longer read on the topic check out this other article of mine.
If you prefer viewing to reading check out my video on the topic:
Budget option – Best Garmin Smartwatch with Spotify
The Garmin Vivoactive 4 and 4s are not budget watches but they have been discounted to 199 USD and for tha ..read more
Smartwatch Labs
2y ago
I bought the Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music in December 2018 and it was a great smartwatch. I especially enjoyed the music and swimming features. My only complaint so far is that the device doesn’t look as premium as I would have hoped for (the non-music version with the stainless steel bezel is nicer).
Keep reading if you are interested in an honest review walking through all the features I have used and my opinion of them.
This is a phone-free sports watch and it might be Garmin’s best smartwatch right now considering what you get for your money. Serious runners will want to look at the Forerunne ..read more