TechSmartwatchesThe Death of an Icon: Why Garmin’s next Epix watch will spell the end of the Fenix franchiseMark my words: we’re a couple of years away from the demise of the fan-favourite Garmin Fenix line of adventure watchesWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
TechSmartwatchesThe Death of an Icon: Why Garmin’s next Epix watch will spell the end of the Fenix franchiseMark my words: we’re a couple of years away from the demise of the fan-favourite Garmin Fenix line of adventure watchesWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Mark my words: we’re a couple of years away from the demise of the fan-favourite Garmin Fenix line of adventure watches
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Garmin)
(Image credit: Garmin)
I love theGarmin Fenix 7. It’s one of thebest Garmin watchesand definitely the best Fenix ever to exist. I love the long battery life, the fact that it can now be controlled via touch gestures, the stamina feature, the flashlight, everything. However, onceGarminfigures out how to improve its solar harvesting technology to power AMOLED watches, it’ll make the Fenix line obsolete. And this is likely to happen in the next two years.
You see, theGarmin epix (Gen 2)is essentially a Fenix watch with an AMOLED screen minus the solar charging. Garmin is no stranger to creating competition for its watches. The new Fenix 7 makes me question why anyone would buy aGarmin Enduro, a watch aimed at endurance trail runners, as the Fenix 7 has all the features of the Enduro plus point-of-interest navigationandbetter solar charging.
However, the epix (Gen 2) is different. It’s the same watch as the Fenix with a better screen but poorer battery life. When I spoke to Rich Robinson, Head of UK Product at Garmin, before the launch of the new watches, he said Garmin didn’t include solar charging on the epix (Gen 2) because the Power Glass technology isn’t efficient enough to provide a tangible benefit to users. Yet.
Taking into consideration how much the Power Glass has improved since the launch of the Enduro (and especially theGarmin Fenix 6X Pro Solar), it’s safe to say that in a couple of years, when the next epix and Fenix models are likely to come out, the technology will be good enough to support AMOLED watches.
And when that happens, there will be no point in keeping the Fenix line alive. Why would Garmin bother with carrying on supporting a non-AMOLED watch franchise that has theexact samefeatures as its AMOLED flagship? There are so many premium smartwatch lines one company can produce.
(Image credit: Garmin)
(Image credit: Garmin)
The death of the Fenix line makes me sad. Of all the Garmin watches, including some of thebest running watchesandbest triathlon watches, the Fenix has always been the closest to my heart. It’s the most versatile watch Garmin has to offer, and it just looks so damn good. That said, I’m hopeful that the epix will carry on the Fenix legacy the right way.
After all, the epix (Gen 2) is a Fenix disguised as a premium smartwatch. Come to think of it, maybe I was wrong all along. Maybe the epix (Gen 3) will be the rebirth of a new Fenix: shinier, faster, more modern. And I’m okay with that.
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Today’s best Garmin watch dealsGarmin Epix (Gen 2)$700ViewSee all pricesGarmin Fenix 7S$189.99ViewSee all pricesGarmin Fenix 6 Pro$450ViewSee all pricesGarmin Fenix 6x Pro Solar$949.99ViewSee all pricesGarmin Enduro$899.99$479.99ViewSee all pricesGarmin Instinct$249.99$179.99ViewSee all pricesDeal endsMon, Jan 20, 2025Garmin Instinct Solar$29.99ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Garmin watch dealsGarmin Epix (Gen 2)$700ViewSee all pricesGarmin Fenix 7S$189.99ViewSee all pricesGarmin Fenix 6 Pro$450ViewSee all pricesGarmin Fenix 6x Pro Solar$949.99ViewSee all pricesGarmin Enduro$899.99$479.99ViewSee all pricesGarmin Instinct$249.99$179.99ViewSee all pricesDeal endsMon, Jan 20, 2025Garmin Instinct Solar$29.99ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Garmin watch dealsGarmin Epix (Gen 2)$700ViewSee all pricesGarmin Fenix 7S$189.99ViewSee all pricesGarmin Fenix 6 Pro$450ViewSee all pricesGarmin Fenix 6x Pro Solar$949.99ViewSee all pricesGarmin Enduro$899.99$479.99ViewSee all pricesGarmin Instinct$249.99$179.99ViewSee all pricesDeal endsMon, Jan 20, 2025Garmin Instinct Solar$29.99ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Garmin watch deals
Garmin Epix (Gen 2)$700ViewSee all pricesGarmin Fenix 7S$189.99ViewSee all pricesGarmin Fenix 6 Pro$450ViewSee all pricesGarmin Fenix 6x Pro Solar$949.99ViewSee all pricesGarmin Enduro$899.99$479.99ViewSee all pricesGarmin Instinct$249.99$179.99ViewSee all pricesDeal endsMon, Jan 20, 2025Garmin Instinct Solar$29.99ViewSee all prices
Garmin Epix (Gen 2)$700ViewSee all prices
Garmin Epix (Gen 2)$700ViewSee all prices
Garmin Epix (Gen 2)
Garmin Epix (Gen 2)
$700View
$700
$700
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Garmin Fenix 7S$189.99ViewSee all prices
Garmin Fenix 7S$189.99ViewSee all prices
Garmin Fenix 7S
Garmin Fenix 7S
$189.99View
$189.99
$189.99
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Garmin Fenix 6 Pro$450ViewSee all prices
Garmin Fenix 6 Pro$450ViewSee all prices
Garmin Fenix 6 Pro
Garmin Fenix 6 Pro
$450View
$450
$450
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Garmin Fenix 6x Pro Solar$949.99ViewSee all prices
Garmin Fenix 6x Pro Solar$949.99ViewSee all prices
Garmin Fenix 6x Pro Solar
Garmin Fenix 6x Pro Solar
$949.99View
$949.99
$949.99
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Garmin Enduro$899.99$479.99ViewSee all prices
Garmin Enduro$899.99$479.99ViewSee all prices
Garmin Enduro
Garmin Enduro
$899.99$479.99View
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$479.99
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Garmin Instinct$249.99$179.99ViewSee all pricesDeal endsMon, Jan 20, 2025
Garmin Instinct$249.99$179.99ViewSee all prices
Garmin Instinct
Garmin Instinct
$249.99$179.99View
$249.99$179.99
$179.99
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Deal endsMon, Jan 20, 2025
Deal endsMon, Jan 20, 2025
Deal endsMon, Jan 20, 2025
Garmin Instinct Solar$29.99ViewSee all prices
Garmin Instinct Solar$29.99ViewSee all prices
Garmin Instinct Solar
Garmin Instinct Solar
$29.99View
$29.99
$29.99
See all prices
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
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