Garmin’s top running watch just got beaten by Coros Apex 2
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The Coros Apex 2 and Coros Apex 2 Pro have landed, with specs that rival some of the best trail running watches out there right now. Coros has always been something of an underdog compared to giants of the category, such as Garmin, and while we haven’t had the opportunity to fully review the watches yet, it’s likely that at least one of them will finish on our best. watch list if their spec sheets are anything to go by.
The Coros Apex 2 and 2 Pro offer multiband satellite connectivity for pinpoint accuracy and are tailored for trail and tri events. A rugged raised bezel, with sapphire crystal and titanium alloy case, the digital “button” on the side of each watch, like the function on the original Apex and the new Apple Watch Ultra, is designed to be operated with gloves on while wearing it. to move .
Both are 5ATM water resistant (suitable for surface activities such as swimming and surfing, but not for diving) and also offer downloadable topographic maps. Many of the features have been carried over from the top-of-the-line Vertix line to a slightly lower price, cost $499 in the US, £319 in the UK and AU$859 in Australia for the Pro and $399, £399 and AU$699 for the Apex 2. While our official verdict is yet to come, the Coros Apex 2 and Apex 2 Pro present themselves as solid entries in the sub-$500 trail running watch category.
But if the watches really seem to shine in one area, it’s battery life. The Coros Apex 2 Pro claims to last 30 days in smartwatch mode, while the Apex 2 says 17 days. With all GPS systems activated, the watches would last a whopping 45 hours (for the Apex 2 Pro) and 30 hours (for the Apex 2). For context, the Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar, our pick of health and fitness device of the year and a close match at this price, comes in at just 22 hours, even with that solar Power Glass extension.
Analysis: test for success
Coros has always been a solid buy when it comes to choosing a fitness watch, but it’s a relatively young brand that’s always been ousted by the more popular and well-known Garmin, not to mention the big bite of the smartwatch market. provided by Apple and Samsung.
However, if Coros manages to make a comprehensive, well-designed fitness watch (which it almost always does) and claims battery life from Garmin when the Forerunner 955 Solar does so well, it’s a good indicator of things to come. The Vertix already did something similar with Garmin’s massive Enduro line of premium fitness watches, positioning itself as the battery to beat.
We’re looking forward to putting both the Apex 2 and Apex 2 Pro to the test to find out if those battery life claims are really all they seem.
Does Garmin have problems? Not yet. It’s too big, and frankly too good, and the mistrust of certain Chinese manufacturers like Huawei could hold Coros back. But Coros is determined to continue making devices good enough to challenge Garmin’s dominance, which will only benefit watch fans because we have more great technology to choose from.