GARMIN FENIX 2

Garmin’s latest rendition of their Fenix watch, aptly called the Garmin Fenix 2, is a lot better than its predecessor. It is a fully featured GPS watch from Garmin.

There are two different models available – the base model and the one with heart rate monitor – which cost $400 and $450 respectively. Either way, the Garmin Fenix 2 tracks your performance in six different disciplines/sports and has some advanced features that allow it to automatically record completion of a ski run, or a lap in the swimming pool.

In Fitness Training mode you will get real time info about time, distance, speed, calculates the calories burned and gives information about laps. The heart rate monitor provides several advanced features such as measuring running speed, BPM, heart rate variability and also the great race predictor and recovery advisor.

When it comes to running data, you will learn bunch of stuff including some pretty fun facts regarding cadence, ground contact time and vertical oscillation.

Ski Mode is pretty self-sufficient providing various data including 3D speed and distance, vertical drop, total runs and time. Additionally, the Fenix 2 can pause and detect runs automatically. Of course, it also gives ski specific data, history and various performance information.

Swim mode works both for indoor and outdoor swimming, sharing a lot with the Garmin Swim. It provides information about distance, pace, stroke count, intervals and, of course, time.

Still, a remarkable feature is definitely the Fenix 2’s GPS capability, which was expected from a Garmin product. This is not the first GPS watch we’ve reviewed on Jebiga, but it does not fall far behind. You will get loads of GPS-related features that stem from a number of sensors that give information on heading and elevation, but also records track logs, waypoint marking, check points and adding personalized POIs. All this allows you to create routes, mark close to 1,000 waypoints and store 10 times more track points.

Sharing trip data and other information is simple via ANT+, or Bluetooth wireless connectivity. Additionally, the Garmin Fenix 2 can serve as a smartwatch providing you with notifications about received emails, text messages, or other alerts that would appear on your iPhone. You can even read the full text of the message you received right on your watch. How cool is that?

Features such as altimeter, barometer and compass were pretty much expected with a device such as the Garmin Fenix 2.

All these advanced features are bound to be used in somewhat rough conditions and the Garmin Fenix 2 is built to endure that. Its casing will endure shocks and scratches; it has up to 50 hours of battery life in juice-guzzling GPS mode and up to 5 weeks in simple watch mode; and it also serves as a real watch with functions such as alarm, timer, stopwatch, world clock, different tones and vibration alerts.

Get it from Amazon here