Photo: Garmin
Garmin has announced a new line of smartwatches for outdoor enthusiasts, the Epix 2 Pro series. These watches feature a bright and crisp AMOLED display, a built-in flashlight with multiple modes, and a Red Shift mode for darker conditions. They also has dozens of preloaded activities, advanced fitness metrics, and improved mapping features.
The Epix 2 Pro series is available in three sizes: 42mm, 47mm, and 51mm. They have a battery life of up to 31 days. All models offer a more durable Sapphire Edition for an extra USD 100 (around CAD 135). Prices start at USD 900 (~USD 1,219).
This series boasts a new heart rate sensor that can track various activities, such as soccer, basketball, horseback riding, racquet sports, and more. The watches also provide an Endurance Score and a Hill Score that measure your ability to maintain sustained efforts and your running strength on steep climbs and long ascents. These scores are based on your Vo2 Max and training history across multiple activities.
For navigation, the Epix 2 Pro series offers weather map overlays showing local environmental conditions, relief shading that makes topographic maps easier to read, and an Up Ahead feature highlighting points of interest along your route. You can also subscribe to Garmin's Outdoor Maps Plus service for USD 49.99 (~CAD 68) per year to get satellite imagery, public land maps, and enhanced topographic maps on your wrist.
The Epix 2 Pro series also has a new Red Shift mode that changes the display colours to red for easier nighttime viewing. Additionally, the watches have a built-in flashlight with variable intensities, a red safety light, and a strobe mode for nighttime training.
The Epix Pro series is designed for outdoor adventurers who want a premium smartwatch with a vivid display, a flashlight, and advanced fitness and mapping features. The watches are compatible with Garmin's Connect app and other third-party apps. It launched alongside the Garmin Fenix 7 Pro.