Garmin unveils brand new solar-powered smartwatches
One of the points of contention with smartwatches has less to do with functionality, but the fact that they need to be charged. Some models might need charging on a daily basis, while others might last a couple of weeks, but ultimately this still pales in comparison to traditional watches that can last for years.
That being said, if battery is a huge priority to you when it comes to wearables, Garmin’s got a couple of new models you might be interested in. The company has recently taken the wraps off a couple of brand new smartwatches – the Fenix 7 Pro and Epix 2 Pro. While there are now two new models, they do share at least one similarity in that they both have support for solar charging.
What this means is that if you find yourself constantly outdoors, you can rely on solar energy to help boost the overall battery life of your smartwatch. As far as general battery life is concerned, the Epix 2 Pro is said to be capable of going up to 16 days in smartwatch mode, while the Fenix 7 Pro is rated at a whopping 22 days.
As for their specs and features, here’s where it gets a bit interesting. Both models are actually kind of similar to each other, with the main difference being in their displays. The Epix 2 Pro will feature an AMOLED display, while the Fenix 7 Pro uses a Memory-In-Pixel display which is more energy-efficient, which might explain why it lasts longer too.
Both watches will also come with brand new optical heart rate sensors, and there is also a flashlight mode, strobe lighting for when you’re running at night, along with shaded-relief maps, weather overlays, and more. If you’re keen on picking up either model, the Garmin Fenix 7 Pro is priced starting at $800 for the 42mm model, while the Epix 2 Pro will retail for $900 for the 42mm model.