Garmin epix Pro (Gen 2), 51 mm, Glass, Slate Grey, Black

Product Information

Epix Pro has physical hardware for ECG, but is not yet enabled/certified for it (meaning, no ECG today, and no promise of it either)

Epix Pro (Gen 2) review: overwhelmingly good | Digital Garmin Epix Pro (Gen 2) review: overwhelmingly good | Digital

I’ll cover actual battery burn/usage a bit more down in the accuracy sections. With that, let’s talk about the flashlight. The Flashlight: Of course, these are all just rumors right now, but the imminent arrival of an Epix 2 Pro, with some relatively modest updates, currently looks more likely than a Garmin Fenix 8, which we aren't expecting to see until early 2024. Much has been made of AMOLED displays over the last 18 months since the first-gen Epix units came out. A lot of that noise is from folks that have used older AMOLED/LCD panels – even from just a few years ago. Whereas newer AMOLED displays are easy to see/use in the sun – and excel even better in darker/dimmer conditions. Even when on Garmin’s default lower-brightness levels (which is how I use it). It’s simply not true that these AMOLED displays are hard to see in the sun. They simply aren’t. Here’s the AMOLED-based Epix Pro side by side with the Fenix 7 Pro (MIP-based display): OLATHE, Kan./May 31, 2023/PR Newswire – Garmin (NYSE: GRMN) today announced epix ™ Pro Series, its next-gen high-performance GPS smartwatches with a crystal-clear AMOLED display, rugged design and impressive battery life. Touting up to 31 days of battery life 1, epix Pro Series is loaded with all-day health monitoring and fitness metrics to help users stay active. Plus, with three sizes to choose from – 42mm, 47mm and 51mm – and a built-in LED flashlight on each one, it’s the perfect addition to any adventure.

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The AMOLED screen was also a significant day-to-day improvement over the Fenix 7's dull MIP screen, especially when training at night. Even though it sacrifices battery life, the AMOLED screens on the Epix and Garmin Forerunner 265 offers far more visibility in dim light and darkness than the old MIP screens, even though they're easier on the eye and less 'screen-like' than the AMOLED option. This is not a medical device and is not intended for use in the diagnosis or monitoring of any medical condition; see Garmin.com/ataccuracy. Pulse Ox is not available in all countries.

Garmin epix Pro (Gen 2), 42mm, Active Smartwatch, White

We should also note that both standard and sapphire glass display coverings are available whether you desire the Epix 2 or Epix Pro 2, and a slightly more expensive edition (essentially featuring a high-quality band) is also an option, too. But it's also being squeezed into an ever-growing Garmin lineup that still includes the very capable Epix (Gen 2) and Garmin Forerunner 965 as cheaper options. Recovery Time: This calculates how much time you need till your next hard-intensity workout. As is often misconstrued, this isn’t till your next workout, just your next hard one. This is largely the same as before. Exceptionally good sleep can speed this up, and inversely, a high-stress day can slow this down.We're still fleshing out our full verdict on the just-released Epix Pro 2, but, having spent countless hours testing the Epix 2, we're in a great position to outline what's changed with the design, features, and pricing. The other new headline features are the flashlight and the two new software features: your Endurance score and Hill score. The Endurance score uses a variety of existing Garmin metrics, such as VO2 Max and training history, rolled into a single number to communicate how effective you’re likely to be at endurance exercises such as steady-state running or cycling. The Pro now sees the Epix match the three size options of the Fenix series, adding new heart rate sensors and new metrics that want to tell you whether you can easily run up those hills and go the ultra distance. Garmin has also built up a frankly ludicrous set of insights and sports profiles around this very solid HR and GPS performance. You can then play an animation that looks ahead at the next several hours. Further, you can zoom in/out and pan around. Here’s the wind variant:

Pro and Epix Pro smartwatches feature New Garmin Fenix 7 Pro and Epix Pro smartwatches feature

As you plod along, it’ll show you how much distance/elevation to the top, and your ascent rate. There’s also a profile of the climb itself. As I’ve said many times, it’s one of my favorite Garmin features. Especially for crazy big mountain climbs like this where knowing not just how far it is to the top distance-wise, but also how much vertical is remaining (since that w In any case, to start a sport, you’ll tap the upper right button, which shows the sports menu. The sports you’ll see initially are those that you’ve favorited (and you can customize/re-arrange/etc. this list): Here’s the full list of sports profiles available on the Epix Pro & Fenix 7 Pro (note: the last few show up under ‘sports’, so I added them here too):And the second is the ability to split-screen the map with data fields, like below. You can customize each of these in all the spots you see data. A built-in LED flashlight with variable intensities and strobe mode to provide greater awareness while training in the dark. Next is Endurance scores and it’s a pretty self explanatory one. This is a score that wants to give you a number to indicate just how well tuned you are to maintain effort over long periods. VO2 Max is generally the barometer for this, and Garmin uses that metric and then looks at your workout history both short term and long term (3 months) to understand if you’re building a good endurance base. When it comes to sensors, the new units keep the same set of ANT+ & Bluetooth sensors as the existing Fenix 7/Epix units: In the vast majority of cases, you’re going to be using a pre-loaded course. These are courses you create, as noted above, via either Garmin Connect or 3rd party platforms. In my case, I created this route via Strava, and then synced it to the Epix Pro:

Garmin epix™ | Premium Outdoor Smartwatch Garmin epix™ | Premium Outdoor Smartwatch

Once you press down from the watch face, you’ve got your widget glances. These are little snippets of information that can be opened for more detailed views of that topic. You can re-arrange these, put them in folders, add/remove them, add 3rd party ones, and so on. As in the past, you can save roughly 20 different sensors to the watch, as well as give them unique names. You can further enable/disable as you see fit (as well as delete). Note that in general, for dual-ANT+/Bluetooth Smart sensors (like power meters), you’ll want to use the ANT+ side, since it not only gives you unlimited channels on that sensor – but more importantly has more data in the stream than the Bluetooth equivalents. Only if you run into some sort of interference/connectivity issue with your environment should you swap over to the Bluetooth side. There’s little change in terms of what you get on the software and smartwatch front on the Garmin Epix Pro (Gen 2) compared to what we saw on the Epix.Outside of those two, the biggest component I tend to look at training-wise is my Acute Load. At first glance, you might think this is just 7-day Load renamed, but that doesn’t really cover what it actually does. Yes, it shows your 7-day load, but load burns off dynamically. In years past, if you had a big ride 6 days ago, that load would be factored into your total 7-day load duration as if it just happened yesterday. Versus with Acute Load, it’s weighted to burn-off within a few days, as is logical. That’s because a week later it’s unlikely that big ride is still impacting you. The point of this is to reduce the massive swings that used to occur in the Training Status panel when a big workout from a week ago disappears, making you go instantly from Productive to Unproductive in a matter of seconds. But where Garmin watches still come into their own is with the depth of their fitness features, like the excellent Morning Report, and the Epix 2 Pro will likely get many of the ones we've seen on the Forerunner 965. Garmin watches also tend to have more buttons, which are better than touchscreens in many fitness scenarios, and connect to a huge range of training equipment using ANT+ and Bluetooth BLE sensors.