Over the years, Garmin has constantly updated its smart GPS watches to the latest Fenix 5X Plus, which is arguably the best GPS watch ever built. This title could soon be on the Garmin Fenix 6.
The Fenix 5X Plus is aptly named offering impressive precision GPS data, but so much more.
To understand this, we must think about how Garmin watches fit into the world of sports and technology. The watches started as GPS specialists and therefore always offer the most accurate tracking, making it ideal for runners, cyclists, hikers, and more thanks to multisport support.
Then came smart watches and Garmin GPS watches started adding notifications. Then there was music on board, cards, contactless payments, and heart rate and oxygen tracking.
The Fenix line now represents a fashion statement that can be worn throughout the day, follow-up activities, as well as at night, followed by a dream. It will store music and connect to Bluetooth headsets without your phone and it even allows you to make contactless payments. You plugged in a smartphone and got notifications too, just like a smartwatch.
So how can this be improved for the Fenix 6? When do we expect to see the Fenix 6 range and what will it bring to your wrist? We've put together everything we know so far, as well as what we want to see from the watch to the next generation.
Cut to the hunt
- What is it? The next high-end series of Garmin racing watches
- When did he come out? Maybe already in September 2019
- How much will it cost? A similar price to the Fenix 5 Plus, around € 599 / € 799.99 / € 1149 AU
Garmin Fenix 6 release date and price
It may be September 2019 that we will hear about Garmin's next racing watch series as it is expected to announce new products at IFA 2019. It should start on September 6, but we will. because manufacturers often advertise products a few days in advance. .
Although a big leak from the German site, WinFuture, didn't share much on the launch date, it does give us a hint as to what price to expect. For now, it is only denominated in euros, but that means we can estimate the cost.
The leak suggests that the Garmin Fenix 6 and Fenix 6S, we'll explain the differences between the models in a moment, will cost € 600 (about € 550, € 670, 990 AU) at launch.
The Fenix 6 Pro and Fenix 6S Pro are expected to cost more than € 700 (about € 635, € 780, € 1,150 AU), while the Fenix 6X Pro could cost € 750 ( around € 680), € 835, AU € 1,130).
We won't know the exact pricing details before Garmin launches these products, but it does give you a rough idea of how much you'll need to spend to get these features.
Garmin Fenix 6 news, leaks and rumors
We have seen some constant leaks of the new watches and the consensus seems to be that there will be five new Fenix 6 products available. These will be largely similar with all models with built-in GPS, a variety of activity tracking modes, Garmin Pay, etc.
However, each model will differ slightly. So we will explain what we have heard so far about each product.
If the disclosed specifications are known (the 5K Runner and WinFuture have similar details provided by anonymous sources), the Fenix 6 and Fenix 6 Pro come with a 1.3-inch screen with a 260 x 260 resolution.
(Image credit: Garmin, Via WinFuture)
They should last 14 days in Smart Sleep mode, but if you work with your watch, you can expect a battery life of 36 hours in GPS mode.
The main differences between the Fenix 6 and Fenix 6 Pro relate to storage and Wi-Fi. The Pro comes with Wi-Fi connectivity. It has 32GB of space to listen to songs, while the Fenix 6 only has 64 MB to store its activity data.
The Fenix 6S and Fenix 6S Pro devices are similar to those described above, but are slightly smaller with 1.2-inch screens with 240 x 240 resolution.
Similar to the Fenix 6 and Fenix 6 Pro, the second device supports Wi-Fi and has 32GB of storage.
Finally, there is the Fenix 6X Pro that will come with a 1.4-inch screen with a 280 x 280 resolution. Rumors also suggest that it would not be a touch screen, which extends the lifespan. battery, which should last 21 days. smart watch mode.
What we want to see
Garmin doesn't follow a standard release cycle like many other gadget makers. Instead, it takes time to create the next product based on what is actually needed.
Essentially, only create a new device if necessary. So is the Fenix 6 necessary? And if so, how?
1. Better construction and design
Design is one of the most obvious ways for Garmin to take its Fenix watches to the next level. Although the Fenix 5X Plus kit is a great kit, it is quite impressive. In our review, it was certainly too large to be used as a sleep tracker, unless you don't mind waking up with black eyes, of course. Even for running, it's a heavy kit that fits perfectly while still being firm enough to allow for heart rate monitoring.
By comparison, Garmin has retained a more plastic build for its Forerunner line, which is aimed at runners and triathletes. The Fenix 5S Plus is smaller, but it does involve sacrificing features. So I hope Garmin has managed to find an ideal middle position for the high-end Fenix 6, which will not sacrifice any functionality, but still manage to lose weight.
A new, brighter, more colorful display would also be appropriate, but we hope that size improvement will be a priority here as the current display performs well and saves battery life.
In its current state, Garmin Pay, which allows you to pay with your Fenix, is only useful for a few people. Some cards can be paired with the Garmin Pay system, leaving some banks out. As a result, unless you change banks, you may not be able to use this feature at this time.
For the Fenix 6, Garmin could announce a broader integration of more banks and payment systems that allows everyone to take advantage of the useful feature. Perhaps the PayPal integration could be a simple and effective way to solve this problem and make this feature useful for everyone.
3. network connectivity
Image Credit: LaComparacion
GPS watches are becoming more and more like smart watches with independent functions such as music storage, payment systems and mapping. So why not ditch the phone entirely and add network connectivity? Although it is likely to be 3G initially, a 4G upgrade and even 5G could be considered in the future.
This will have an impact on the battery, but perhaps Garmin can implement a system in which the network kicks in only when necessary: stay connected but effective. This would certainly be a great feature for explorers out in the wild who want to leave their phones at home while feeling safe.
4. The best music services on board.
Although the Garmin Fenix 5X Plus offers music on board, it is still not simple enough to use the system. Expect the Fenix 6 to offer more support for more services and easier access to them from the app and the watch itself. The watch stores music files, but moving them around, even if you have them in recent days, is a tedious task.
Although Spotify has already reached the 5X Plus, its use is still not simple enough. Expect this to improve and more services like high-quality Google Play Music and Tidal are also available.
5. Control your smart home
Image Credit: LaComparacion
Just as smartwatches give you better control over smart home devices and the internet of things, the Fenix 6...just as we've come to expect. This should mean location-activated features like turning on the heat and lights when your run or ride brings you closer.
It could also mean better controls using your voice and microphone. Although this is a boost, it would mean that the Fenix 6 can integrate a voice assistant like Alexa, Siri or Google Assistant.
It could then be used for contactless control devices on an already well-built platform that Garmin easily operates on. It could also be a good way to control the watch, asking for current data to be read while running, for example, with Bluetooth headphones.
6. Google Maps integration
The Fenix 5X Plus has already started offering usable navigation and mapping systems. The next step is to integrate Google Maps, already almost perfect, to add an additional navigation layer.
This will allow you to use your phone to track routes on your watch and take orientation-based training to a higher level with much greater precision and adaptability. This service, combined with the large amount of data from the Garmin sensor, could perfectly enhance your offerings in a super synergistic system.