CES 2017: Garmin’s Fenix 5 series comes in smaller sizes

It was a long time coming. Garmin has officially announced today not one, but three new smartwatches in its Fenix series. The new line is lighter and sleeker than previous models and more feature-packed.

It has been over 18 months now since the third version of the watch was released to great acclaim and excellent user feedback. Many had expected we would see Fenix 4 this time last year but were left disappointed. For some reason, Garmin decided to skip the next numeration and jump straight to the Fenix 5.

Revealed today at CES 2017, the Fenix 5, Fenix 5S and Fenix 5X smartwatches come with an optical heart rate sensor, GPS and GLONASS, a bunch of multisport activity modes, daily activity tracking functionality (steps, calories burned, active minutes, sleep and other metrics), and the ability to show smartphone notifications. They also come equipped with new QuickFit bands, which let users change between formal leather or metal bands to silicone bands.

The new Fenix 5 packs slightly bumped up specs into a more compact body (down from a diameter of 51.5mm to 47mm). There is a range of colors to choose from as well as a WiFi enabled scratch-resistant sapphire lens version.

The 5S is Garmin’s first Fenix watch designed with the female sports enthusiast in mind. It sports a smaller footprint for smaller wrists (42mm diameter), without compromising on any multisport features.

Finally, the Fenix 5X packs even more functionality, but sporting a 51mm diameter sacrifices the small form-factor. It comes pre-loaded with topographical maps of the US and uses satellite signals to provide route mapping, current location, and even suggested routes.

“After years in the wearables market, Garmin knows that athletes and adventurers come in all sizes, which is why we have designed the new line of fēnix 5 watches to fit every wrist and every workout,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin vice president of worldwide sales.

“This is the first time Garmin has created a variety of sizes for one product so now users don’t have to choose between getting the features they want and wearing a watch that fits.”

All three watches are rated to 100-meter water resistance and made of stainless steel. The Fenix 5 can run for about two weeks in smartwatch mode and a day with GPS switched on. Owing to its smaller size, the Fenix 5S has the shortest battery life of the lot, 8 days in smartwatch mode and 13 hours when using GPS. Finally, the Fenix 5X comes with a battery that keeps going for 12 days in smartwatch mode and 20 hours with GPS switched on.

Garmin is sitting on a winner here. Featuring a wide variety of sport profiles, including running, biking, swimming, hiking, triathlons, climbing, skiing, rowing and paddle boarding, the Fenix line has become a preference for sports and outdoor enthusiasts. It contains most things you would want for fitness training plus feature sets for outdoor navigation. A wearable for those who are into multi sports and want to be able to track everything.

One of the most talked about design features of the Fenix 3 line was its bulkiness. Unsurprisingly, this was especially unappealing to female users considering their smaller sized wrists. Garmin has risen to the challenge, and managed to squeeze the same great functionality into multiple sized devices.

You will need to wait a bit longer, though, to get your hands on one of these gadgets. Due to be rolled out in Q1 2017, Fenix 5 and 5S will come with a suggested retail price of $599.99, while the Sapphire versions of the two and Fenix 5x will go for $699.99. To learn more, visit Garmin’s website.

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