When I received the review unit of the Garmin fenix 7 Sapphire Solar, its battery was at about 50% charge. Twenty days later, after wearing it for almost 20 hours every day, the battery is still at 50%, and my workout is 50% better, give or take. The reason the battery charge is constant is the battery boost this watch got from sunlight (I was in the sun for hours every day). The reason for the improvement in my workouts is the detailed data about my body the watch displayed, which pushed me to take that one extra step.
The fenix 7 Sapphire Solar is not just another smartwatch; it’s a Garmin, and carries with it decades of physical activity tracking experience (the US Army is one of its customers). At the very basic, it shows you how your body is holding up, with a wrist-based heart rate and pulse oximeter (which measures the saturation of oxygen in your red blood cells).
Need more? It has a running coach that not only counts your steps, but also elevation and calories burnt; changes in elevation change how your body burns calories. It can play music to help you keep going while running (without the weight of the phone weighing you down); wireless headphones are needed to listen to music.
Need even more? Download the Garmin Connect app, and you can see your health data on the phone. It analyses your data and gives you weekly, monthly and yearly health statistics, and will tell you your favourite heath activity (based on how much time you spend on a particular activity).
The fenix 7 Sapphire Solar is an extension of your body during workouts, including swimming and deep sea diving (it is water resistant up to 100 metres). Unlike Samsung Galaxy Watch and Apple Watch that look delicate, this Garmin feels like it can last for decades. It’s the rugged version of Fitbit.
In case you were wondering, yes, it shows you email notifications, texts and alerts (when paired with a compatible device such as a smartphone). Essentially, it does all that a Samsung Galaxy Watch or an Apple Watch or a Fitbit can do, and then a lot more.
For people who go on mountain treks, the fenix 7 Sapphire Solar can be a usable device, as it shows elevation and has a compass. I trekked to the Gudibande Fort near Bengaluru and it showed the elevation more or less accurately (at 979 metres above mean sea level). But because it measures elevation using an altimeter, it didn’t show the same accurately inside a flight—it showed 767 metres, even though aircraft fly at over 10,000 metres (see photos). The reason is that an altimeter measures air pressure, and the cabin air pressure inside an aircraft is maintained higher than what is outside a flying plane.
Suffice to say, it is one of the best smartwatches on the planet, but at Rs 93,990, it is expensive. Unlike Samsung and Apple smartwatches that are everyday watches, this Garmin is a serious sports watch for those who love the outdoors, are good at data analysis, love fitness, and can afford it.
SPECIFICATIONS
* Bezel material: Titanium
* Case: Polymer with metal rear
* Strap material: Silicone
*Display: 1.3-inch diameter
* Weight: 73 g
* Water rating: 10 ATM (sea diving)
* Memory: 32 GB
* Gym profiles: Strength, HIIT, cardio and elliptical training, stair stepping, floor climbing, indoor rowing, Pilates and yoga
* Estimated street price: Rs 93,990
