Garmin's outdoorsy Fenix5 smartwatches are pretty small
Well, small for ultra-rugged fitness wearables, anyway.
Smartwatches, especially those designed for the rigors of outdoor adventuring, tend to be on the beefy side. But at CES this week, Garmin announced three smaller-form-factor iterations to its Fenix smartwatch line called the Fenix5. At 1.6 inches to 2 inches in face diameter, they're up to a half-inch smaller around than the previous Fenix3 line. All three Fenixes -- the 5, the 5X and the 5S -- are designed to be worn continually, even when you aren't getting your sweat on. They last between eight days and two weeks on a charge in smartwatch mode, though those figures drop to between 13 and 24 hours if you run the GPS radio continuously. They're also water-resistant up to 100 meters and offer the same daily activity-tracking toolkit as Garmin's other wearables. As you might expect, they're compatible with the company's Connect IQ app platform as well. What sets them apart from Garmin's other multisport offerings is their size. The Fenix line is specifically designed to be lighter and smaller than its previous smartwatches. The Fenix 5, for example, is only 47mm in diameter but incorporates the same degree of heart rate and activity tracking as the older Fenix 3HR. It also offers a range of hot-swappable leather, metal or silicone watchbands, which are, of course, sold separately. The Fenix 5S is even smaller, at 42mm, and built specifically for "petite wrists." Users can choose between a standard mineral-glass lens or upgrade to a scratch-resistant "sapphire" version. The Fenix 5X is the largest of the three, measuring 51mm, and includes additional mapping features that the others do not. It comes preloaded with TOPO US mapping, which enables the watch to suggest routes based on how long users want to run or ride. Additionally, they can use an Around Me map, which notes points of interest in the immediate area. The 5X comes with the scratch-resistant sapphire lens as a standard option. All three watches will be available later this quarter. The 5 and regular 5S will retail for $600, while the 5 sapphire, 5S sapphire and 5x will set you back $700. Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2017.
