The smart watch space is getting more competition today, with Garmin today announcing the Fenix 5 Plus series, their next generation of GPS multisport watches offering offline music, Garmin Pay, maps, and more.
There are three models in the Fenix 5 Plus series, the fēnix 5S Plus, fēnix 5 Plus and fēnix 5X Plus. The fenix 5 plus series includes a 1.2″ 240×240 resolution circular display in a range of sizes with the body starting at 42mm for the fēnix 5S Plus, 47mm for the fēnix 5 Plus and 51mm for the fēnix 5X Plus. Garmin will offer the Fenix 5 Plus series in two distinctive finishes, either a PVD-coated stainless-steel bezel with silicone watch band, or a high-performing titanium bezel version with brushed titanium bracelet which is lighter.
Garmin’s Fenix 5 Plus watches all support QuickFit bands, allowing them to quickly swap the band on their watch without tools. Garmin offers a range of different colours and materials including silicone, leather and titanium in frost blue, seafoam, solar flare orange and more.
The focus of the series seems to be a standalone fitness device as it includes on-device music storage, up to 500 songs and playlists, for phone-free listening through a paired bluetooth headphone.
The watches can all track your workout with in-built GPS that now includes Galileo support for greater accuracy. There’s also built-in map data in the watch which Garmin says has been optimised for ‘at-a-glance navigation and location tracking’. Garmin also has a nifty round-trip course creator that allows runners and cyclists to enter a distance they would like to run or ride, then select a route from a list of appropriate courses.
The Fenix 5 Plus series also allows you to use the Garmin Pay contactless payment solution for tapping and paying while you’re out without your phone to grab a coffee or water after your workout. In Australia, ANZ, Bendigo Bank, Commonwealth Bank, Latitude Financial Services and NAB all offer support for Garmin Pay on selected credit cards.
All three models include a heart rate sensor, though the fēnix 5X Plus is Garmin’s first wearable to offer a wrist-based Pulse Ox sensor for blood oxygen saturation awareness.
Adam Howarth, General Manager Garmin Australasia said of the Fenix 5 Plus range
We are thrilled to bring exciting new features to our most popular outdoor GPS wearable series. We’ve added some of our most sought-after features like built-in mapping, music and contactless payments to each new model in the fēnix 5 Plus series, and with the introduction of the Pulse Ox feature in the fēnix 5X Plus, our customers can now have more confidence taking their adventures to even greater heights.
As for when you’ll be able to get your hands on the Fenix 5 Plus range, Garmin says they will be available some time in Q2 2018. In terms of pricing the Fēnix 5 Plus series will have recommended retail prices ranging from AU$999 to $AU1,699. You can head over to the Garmin website to check them all out now.
They’re pricing themselves out of the market. You can buy several smartphones for $1700 (Top of the range 5X plus).
and their notification actions can’t even match an 80 buck Pebble watch from 2.5 years ago, voice reply and very configurable canned responses as well as a reasonably well organised app store are not too much to ask for and I hope they nail it in time.. or that Amazfit do cause these guys actually use an always on display and thus are “watches” in a literal sense and are well suited to outdoor use and long battery life
Bought a Fenix 5 because I wanted a sun readable display, waterproof, and decent battery life. Wish I had known about the Amazfit, it looks better – except maybe the band, those pins look like they would break if you took the watch in the surf.