Fenix 6 Pro Solar - Solar Charge Testing Take 2! I Wasn't Expecting This!

[@MikeAltogether]

Outstanding video. And good on you for going back and fixing the methodology of your test! You've earned a subscriber here!

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Thank you very much!

[@PRAGEETHKARUNADHEERA]

That is an awesome test mate! Thanks for doing it for the second time and taking in those comments and feedback positively!

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Glad it was helpful!

[@TheKarenjh]

Awesome video! Solar charging glass will be a game-changer for the right people. I love that you re-did a test because others suggested the first video you did might be flawed. You are the #realdeal and legit! Thank you. 40% less battery loss!!!!

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Thanks!

[@nowhereman1977]

I have the same watch Fenix 6 Pro Solar and I left it out in the sun when it was at 98% and came back 4 hours later and it was at full 100% charge. So the solar charging works well no matter what battery percentage level it is at. Just make sure it is on battery saver mode (hold top-left button for control menu, then choose battery saver 'on')

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Interesting. The way it was explained to me is that if you see a battery icon it isn't charging via solar. But if you see a sun icon it is. I didn't try it in battery saver mode, maybe it's different. Thanks for watching!

[@familybikeguy]

Late to the party here… but Fenix Solar is a game-changer for BWCA navigating. I plot all the campsites, put the watch in my custom battery-saver mode and I track, navigate, run HR Monitor still, etc. my watch for multiple days! Unreal. Beat that Apple…

[@iridium3rk]

thx for this test. just bought the Fenix 6 pro solar today. cant convince myself to pay double for fenix 7 to get a touch screen and other small improvement

[@michael_budda]

Great video! That is a massive improvement! I’m a little late to the game, been working the the Fitbit ionic for a while but it’s battery does not do well with overnight backpacking adventures. This video might have sealed the deal with me getting one of these! Thanks for sharing!

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Glad you found the other video! Thanks for watching!

[@cka8884]

Thanks! I think I ll wait for the next version, they are definitely getting somewhere but same as with the HR wrist thingy it will take perhaps a couple of verions to perfect it.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Yeah it would be cool to see them update that!

[@danielkerryann]

Thanks for the test. A nice real world example. I’m now a proud owner of the 6 Pro Solar. The 7 didn’t offer enough over the 6 to justify the price 👍🏻

[@ChaseTheSummit]

The 6 is still a great watch!

[@moran1vashdi]

Great video ! Btw if you leave it in the sun with max battery save mode for a few hours it actually charges the watch and add a few % I know its not much but still nice to know It works

[@zfjames]

I mean, if stuff hit the fan, that's technically a valid way of charging it...

[@ChaseTheSummit]

I've heard like .5% per hour? I suppose that's kind of cool but that's several days of charginging to get back to a functional state from 0%.

[@nickfrishman8323]

Great test! I live in Israel and my 955 solar gets in average 40 k sun points during activities per day. And it’s not a summer now. So it means + ~16% battery longevity

[@sonidoa.c.g3884]

I just ordered yesterday mine !..! I’m very happy

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Hope you like it!

[@TLK22]

Bought the watch then saw your first test and felt cheated than saw your second test! I'm in Thailand so it will probably make a huge difference for me. I subscribed!

[@mithrielmackay2283]

Excellent! Perfect for work on open water in the sun when it matters.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

For sure, you might benefit from it if you’re in the sun all day.

[@szb-833]

Hope to see this test on the Fenix 7 series !

[@ChaseTheSummit]

It's coming!

[@reaper1343]

Great job reviewing it! Thanks for doing it again. I bought the Garmin Tactix Delta and of course the solar version just came out for pre-order. I still think it may not be worth it till the next version is released. Thanks for making my decision easier. 😀

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Glad it could help! The solar Tactix looks interesting. First watch with Sapphire glass AND solar.

[@ryanhawkins834]

Great video! Just ordered my 6x pro solar yesterday! Can’t wait to try it out.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@SithSopanha]

I recommend you get battery Gauge from total IQ store, it is free. They do have statistic data for your battery drain last hour, last day and mark certain, they have 0.00% decimal which is very accurate for your test. I always test my Fenix 6x pro solar some time they drain 0.0% for normal usage under sunlight 100% intensity. I recommend you get this one before you do other test with solar. Cheer!! Love your video!!

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Good tip, I downloaded it. Thanks!

[@atulsankhe5041]

Great video and thanks for keeping it simple

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Thanks for watching!

[@atleastthreecharswide]

Another issue is at different percentages of battery the solar efficiency is different. Pebbles will block GPS also. You can try again with Some other paper like covering and at the same percentages.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

I'll have to revisit this test with a more scientific approach.

[@awesomeairgun2223]

thanks for the video, I just bought the Fenix 6x pro solar titanium which is 51 mm so is the solar will be more efficient in your opinion?

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Maybe slightly more effective but not by much we’re only talking a couple of millimeters. Let us know how it works out for you!

[@awesomeairgun2223]

@@ChaseTheSummit thankyou for your reply, the watch is still in the mail, I wanted the Garmin Tactix solar but here in Canada its a 1900$ watch before taxes so I opted for the Fenix 6x pro solar titanium which was still a 1299$ before taxes, but yes I'll let you know how it goes :)

[@SikhDestroyer]

Thanks for the vid, sir

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Thanks for watching!

[@Salah1990R]

whch one is better : suunto 9 baro or garmin fenix 6 solar

[@MixedbyToryG]

Outstanding. Very good test! First real good test I’ve seen on any electronic.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Glad you liked it!

[@billscully2521]

Thoughts on instinct 2 solar vs the fenix 6 solar pro

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Instinct 2 has better GPS and HR accuracy. Fenix 6 has better GPS battery life, and full blown navigation. Which features are more important.

[@tomylee]

10% in 2h means 20h max. only GPS. How does it work to have GPS 36h?

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Depends on the circumstances. It was hot out today so that plays a role in the battery running faster. The watch is also running in GPS+Glonass mode which consumes more power. I've personally run a 27 hour event with the Fenix 6 Sapphire and still had 30% battery left at the finish line. Battery stats are hard to judge because a lot of factors come into play. Thanks for watching.

[@tomasz5274]

Maybe cap + pebbles in the cap were affecting GPS signal and watch had to work harder to read position or anything else happened (scheduled background OS activity or software bug), could be anything. It would need many repetitions of the test and longer test time to get more reliable conclusions. As author said, it's not scientific test so I wouldn't relay too much on it, the difference seems to be too big. Still interesting attempt to test it and it also shows how hard it is to get meaningful results. All the best!

[@Maker_shaker51]

I guess it would kinda be the same. But the ox meter and heart rate will not be working with this. How much power use for those features. Beach/lake day if you don’t go on a run ?

[@ChaseTheSummit]

PulsOx does take a pretty big toll on the battery. The OHR sensor isn't as big of a hit.

[@eriktred]

love that you went back and re-executed this.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

I appreciate that. I'm a nerd and if I was wrong I want to correct it. Thanks for watching.

[@urizon41]

Can you completely shut the watch off and use the solar charger to charge the watch?

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Nope

[@jotsy83]

Thank you for the good review. Question: if the battery is completely drained and the watch is dead can I use the solar power only to charge the watch without the power cable and how long it's going to take to get enough power and use the watch again let's say for day or two? Thank you!

[@ChaseTheSummit]

It doesn't seem to charge up from a dead state. The watch needs to be powered on for the charge circuit to be enabled.

[@kamalfouad3217]

@@ChaseTheSummit Oh! If so, then I'm definitely getting the Instinct 2 Solar instead. Great videos :)

[@KP-rz3gk]

That was great, thank you!

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Thanks for watching!

[@nikolasavic1064]

Can you see how long, if it can, to recharge from 0% to some precent exposed 100% on the sun. I am looking into getting Delta Tactics Solar. But there are not many reviews and no one covers Solar part in detail which should be important. Plus what is the life of the battery. Eventually it will degrade. Any info on that. Thanx for the videos... heaps of useful info. Keep them coming.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

I don't think its possible from 0%. I've tried and it seems like the charge circuit is disable when the watch is actually "off". However if you were at 1 or 2% it would work. From my calculations it seems 1 hour in direct sunlight would get you approximately 1% of battery life so you'd be looking at weeks of sun exposure to get back to 100% while leaving the watch in "battery saver" and not using the GPS functions.

[@MERCURY74]

Ottimo video, una considerazione mia , ma se usando il sole in modalità gps hai recuperato il 4 % , disattivando il gps , in modalità risparmio energetica , avrai una ricarica positiva del 4% agni 2 ore..... ditemi se sbaglio

[@ChaseTheSummit]

That's not quite how it works. For whatever reason the watch doesn't seem to charge UP but it does help maintain whatever level it is at.

[@leonidaskouris2914]

After your video I decided to buy also the solar version instead of the simple. I do kitesurf and I need this extra help on the battery 🔋 thanks for helping me find out 🤙🏼

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Nice! Hope it helps!

[@leonidaskouris2914]

@@ChaseTheSummit 🤙🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼 greetings from Greece 🇬🇷

[@socratisg]

Nice test m8! But I think the screen protector works against the efficiency of the solar charge.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

It probably plays a role in it! Thanks for watching.

[@domxem5551]

It seems to me that the battery’s size plays an important role here because 6% drainage in 2 hours is a bit much compared to the same GPS activity with the Fenix 6x Pro (non solar)

[@ChaseTheSummit]

For sure. the 6X has a much larger battery. But the standard 6 Pro can still handle around 35 hours of GPS-ON activity which should be more than enough for MOST people. Thanks for watching!

[@claytoncarmine1516]

I want to buy this model but I’m too late, it’s discontinued

[@backpackingireland8624]

Excellent , well done 👌🇮🇪🇮🇪 Greetings from Ireland 🇮🇪🇮🇪

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Thanks for watching!

[@laurapaula91]

Great video!

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@thawnhatzaw2343]

Great video, thanks for re-doing it. Any idea if a tempered glass screen protector would affect the solar charging capabilities?

[@ChaseTheSummit]

I actually had one installed during this video if you look closely. It probably has some effect but not enough to effect this test. Thanks for watching.

[@JGMendez]

@@ChaseTheSummit I remember in your first video you were concerned about the screen protector causing a glare that would make it look more like the screen of the sapphire model. With the screen protector did you experience any of those display issues you were worried about?

[@hafizazlan6330]

Nice video. Btw did you use any tempered glass or screen protector on the watch ? Kinda wondering does using any of those protector (tempered glass or silicone) affecting the effectiveness of solar. charging

[@ChaseTheSummit]

It tried it with and without a screen protector and didn't see a noticeable difference in performance. Thanks for watching.

[@hafizazlan6330]

Chase the Summit did you use the tempered glass or silicone screen protector ? Thanks for answering

[@patrykdampc7193]

Good test, but could be perfect if You will start without sun at the same 45% battery :)

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@raptube2]

Good video after watching this video i thought that the solar plays only a little role compare to casio solar watches and the price is too high

[@ChaseTheSummit]

It's certainly not on the same level as the Casio solar functions. But we have to keep in mind that the Fenix 6 is a far more powerful watch than the Casio GPS watches. Offering color display, maps, music, etc... there's a lot more power being consumed. Hopefully in the future Garmin can optimize the Solar feature further! Thanks for watching!

[@steveng5107]

Can you do same experiment on instinct solar please?!

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Great idea!

[@AoifeE.]

How easy does the Solar screen scratch?

[@ChaseTheSummit]

It's interesting. The Gorilla Glass DX doesn't really "scratch" that easy. But there is an anti-reflective coating on the outside that can scratch and wear giving the appearance of scratched glass if that makes sense. These scratches are super faint and are only visible in bright sunlight. The Gorilla Glass itself is quite durable but not as resistant as the Sapphire models.

[@robsilv148]

Wow great video

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Thanks!

[@rohansuttie741]

Where did you get your screen protector from? I’m worried I’ll have a slight gap between it and the bezel on my solar Fenix 6. Yours seems to not have that do you have a link I could use to grab one of yours

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Amazon! amzn.to/3kAPqNt

[@rohansuttie741]

Chase the Summit thanks a lot love the videos mate great stuff

[@viccao8431]

Does solar charging work if the watch is turned off?

[@ChaseTheSummit]

No

[@viccao8431]

@@ChaseTheSummit i just ordered a 7x solar, will you do the same test on that to see if they’ve made any improvements?

[@SabaStation]

hey, good test / fan from Bangkok

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Thanks for watching!

[@jpseger]

Well done mate!!! Great insights

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Glad it was helpful!

[@kevinhendrawan7941]

What will you recommended? 6 pro solar or 6 saphire?

[@ChaseTheSummit]

I prefer Sapphire because the added durability seems more valuable than the tiny boost in battery performance. Plus it's a little cheaper. Hope that helps!

[@kevinhendrawan7941]

@@ChaseTheSummit thank you for your respond !

[@socratisg]

Tactix sapphire solar!

[@NOKIA6031]

let's be honest, the solar charging ability of the Garmin 6 gave you in a two hour activity only 4% more battery while with 100% sun the battery dropped by 6% and without sun dropped by 10%, both cases with ideal conditions (full exposure to sun and no sun). In real life training, you are not gonna have your wrist towards the bright sun or in your pocket for total darkness for so long. The verdict? If someone is a garmin fan, he/she should go for the simple no-solar version which is much cheaper right now and if it's necessary, should buy a power bank for 20usd! Regards from Athens Greece

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Yeah Like I said in the video. Take it for what it's worth. This video is really only proving out the potential of the Solar feature. I think for SOME people it might be worth it. For instance folks who go on long expeditions and aren't necessarily using the GPS tracking function but need an accurate altimeter and compass and occasionally mapping on their wrist. The watch will actually charge UP when you're not using GPS so theoretically you could have it last indefinitely in low power mode with enough sunlight. Again, it's a pretty niche use case but I do like that Garmin tries to push the boundaries of technology. Without a brand pushing forward nothing would change! Thanks for watching.

[@jdandcoke]

For me a sapphire screen is more important. Using a fenix 3 non hr. Going to wait for the fenix 7

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Yeah I'm really curious to see how that Tactix Delta works. I don't understand how they can put Sapphire over the PowerGlass without reducing the solar efficiency.

[@ajep07]

Good video..

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Glad you liked it!

[@swipper74]

You know what would make a GREAT video? Compare battery drain with this watch and solar active to a Coros Apex, Apex Pro, or Vertix and see how it stacks up....with my Apex on full GPS/Glonass, heart rate, Bluetooth, getting notifications and navigation on I used about 9% over 4.5 hours ... I would love to see a comparison

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Hmmm... I could do that. Thanks for the feedback!

[@mlegrand]

What do you think? This your new go to watch? Seems like a solid option for sunny days.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Its pretty sweet but I'm not sure I can make that kind of commitment 🤣 . The Solar Instinct looks really cool. I just wish it had the maps!

[@mlegrand]

Chase the Summit - 💍

[@Erra88]

you are using a protective glas. this is blocking a lot of sun for the solar cell. garmin does not recommend to use glas like that. result would be even better

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Yep, always have a screen protector on unfortunately as my luck with Gorilla Glass hasn't been great!

[@cacinaz8802]

I live in Scottsdale, AZ and would consider this watch for its golf app. Nearly every round is played in sun. I wear a golf watch now that uses GPS but only get one and 1/2 rounds - about 6 hours before the watch goes completely dead and must be recharged. But it does not have solar of course. So a loss of 6 percent over two hours suggests 12 to 15 percent loss per round, or about 7 rounds between charges. What happens when you turn off the GPS? Will the watch recharge completely if left in the sun? The watch sounds very tempting.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

After enough time yes. It would eventually top off but it would take a very long time. Consider something like .5% per hour.

[@ozzlemcschnozzle7250]

can you try seeing if its possible to charge the watch from dead with just the solar?

[@ChaseTheSummit]

The Fenix 6 Pro Solar charges at a rate of roughly .5% per hour in battery saver mode. Doing that math you'd need 200 hours in direct sunlight to get a full charge in battery saver mode. Since there's only 8-12 hours of sunlight per day you'd need like 15-20 sunny days to charge it. Not really feasible solution. The Solar panel is designed to mitigate power loss, not as an alternative to charging.

[@hrleif8994]

So solar expand the batterylife by 65%. Thats wild. Maybe non-scientific, but great real life test. (Did I get this right.? 5%/h vs 3%/h = normal no solar 20h life, solar 33h life)

[@ChaseTheSummit]

I think more like 35%? I'm not very good at math lol. Thanks for watching.

[@toddboucher3302]

Question if I have limited funds. Have 100 milers in Dec. Would you go with a used (ebay) fenix 6 pro or a new Polar Grit X or Apex pro if I can handle the extra $70

[@ChaseTheSummit]

That's kind of up to you. Do you need mapping, better navigation, music on board, more flexibility? Otherwise both the Polar Grit X or Coros Apex Pro will do the job. The Apex Pro has a slight advantage in navagation over the Grit X but they're both great options. Hope that helps.

[@teeramate]

Grit x has a very dim screen & only show black color background data field.I'd pick Apex pro or F6 over polar even apex 46 should be ok

[@toddboucher3302]

Ryan Teeramate thanks, I’m thinking strongly about apex 46. But if not then the pro.

[@qseep]

The watch lost 10% of battery in 2 hours on GPS without solar? Can I assume that means the battery would last 20 hours on GPS without solar? That's a far cry from the 35 hours that Garmin claims it will run in GPS mode.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Something seemed off about that. In real live I've completed 26 hour races with the Fenix 6 and still had 30% left. Maybe the antenna was hunting more than usual.

[@robocop581]

Has Garmin fixed the laggy software in Fenix 5? It takes 3 to 4 seconds to access the menus

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Its much faster on the Fenix 6. So, I think so?

[@doctorfallout1295]

Thanks. 40% sounds like a lot even knowing it was tested under perfect condition. BTW what brand are your glasses?

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Yeah pretty awesome! Looking forward to testing the Instinct Solar that I just recieved in the same capacity. It has much more efficient solar panels. The glasses are Oakley Two Face XL. Thanks for watching!

[@jean-manuelmoreau6471]

Great video !! Amazing 40% less use of battery. :-) Question: did you scratched it already ? Or is this Conan's hair seen on top of "Average Pace" at 02:04 ?

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Nope, not Conan hair. Big ole' scratch after 3 weeks of wearing it. Sapphire is still the king unfortunately.

[@jean-manuelmoreau6471]

@@ChaseTheSummit I assume, in one year, the Fenix 7 will be Sapphire and Solar like the Delta Solar is. Meanwhile I have posted some of your videos here: www.watchuseek.com/threads/fenix-6-solar-tactical-garmin-instinct.5006723/post-52282097

[@blair170]

I wish it could charge itself using solar

[@johnmanley4528]

5%/hr is pretty good for the non solar version. That's probably good enough for the vast majority of users, especially if you factor in the price hike on the solar version

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Yeah, not bad. Still doesn't match up to Garmin's specs but I think that might be due to the high heat today. Thanks for watching.

[@tatanbrof1934]

ΓΕΙΑ ΣΟΥ ΡΕ ΜΕΓΑΛΕ

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Hi!

[@tatanbrof1934]

@@ChaseTheSummit ΕΙΔΑ ΤΟ ΤΑΤΟΟ ΚΑΙ ΧΑΡΗΚΑ ΚΑΙ ΕΙΠΑ ΝΑ ΣΟΥ ΠΩ ΕΝΑ ΓΕΙΑ. ΠΟΛΥ ΩΡΑΙΑ ΤΑ ΒΙΝΤΕΟ ΣΟΥ. ΘΑ ΣΕ ΠΑΡΑΚΟΛΟΥΘΩ. ΧΑΙΡΕΤΙΣΜΟΥΣ ΑΠΟ ΕΛΛΑΔΑΡΑ ΝΑ ΕΙΣΑΙ ΚΑΛΑ!!!!!

[@ChaseTheSummit]

@@tatanbrof1934 Thanks for watching! Greetings from USA!

You had GPS lock but no running, so it was not connecting and switching satellites. That saved battery because your watch was sedentary though connected to GPS. Ergo, test was not perfect!

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Yeah like I said in the video. Take it for what its worth. This is really the "ideal" condition to see what the solar glass is capable of in best case scenario. Thanks for watching!

[@DonDudley]

I love the idea and theory behind this watch. I hate the price.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Hah yeah. Its not cheap. The Solar Instinct seems like nice middle ground. Mine comes tomorrow and a review will be coming soon!

[@cb14011970]

has to be exposed to the sun 100%, not possible when it's been used in real world situation, it wouldn't equate to much without the full sun exposure. The solar panel within the watch is next to useless, as far as I am concerned.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

On the Fenix... it's not all that useful but on the newer Instinct Models it's pretty useful!

[@alemimov4119]

Спасибо, очень помогло видео!

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Glad you found it helpful!

[@luc7976]

You are basically replicating Garmin's battery savings in GPS: you got +2% per hour charge while Garmin indicates +2.2% per hour = (100/36 hours)- (100/40 hours))* (36/4.5 hours of sun). What I find odd is that in battery saver mode you only get 0.3% extra charge per hour using that calculation. Would be interesting to check how much it charged completely turned off for few hours.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Good point! Its good to see that there's no false advertising going on with their solar numbers. I hadn't thought about charing while the watch was turned off. I'll have to try that out! Thanks for watching.

[@luc7976]

@@ChaseTheSummit Thanks for testing! I have a theory now why it charges way less (according to specs) in battery saver mode (0.3% for Fenix 6). Must be same issue you are hitting in your 1st test. Charging starts to slow significantly after 80%, so for those long power modes it won't be able to charge as much until it gets under 80%.

[@pjkreis]

Thanks for the re-test! I did a test myself during 8h using the same type of the watch: The watch was in normal clock modus (No workout activated nore notifications) Battery was at 53% when i started the test 100% solar coverage during the test The battery was charging at the rate of 0.53% per hour

[@luc7976]

@@pjkreis Great info. Seems it charges more in GPS mode than other modes and that matches specs. But not sure why since in this case it's not above 80% to slow down charging.

[@luc7976]

I finally figured out why specs appeared to show higher charge rate in GPS mode. Turns out I missed the small print and in GPS mode they assume 100% sun exposure unlike the other modes. So then you get 0.28% charge per hour in all modes for the Fenix 6 at 50K Lux. Probably you can get more charge with higher sun intensity.

[@leescottdavis]

When you’re running the watch isn’t pointing perfectly at the sun.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Yeah like I said in the video. Take it for what its worth. This is really just a way of showing the potential of the solar panel on the watch. Cloud cover, and obviously running with the sun on the wrong side of you will change these results. Personally I was just happy to see the dramatic difference. Garmin states that you can extend your battery life from 36 hours to 40 hours in GPS mode if you get at least 3 hours of sunlight during that time. I think that's a pretty fair statement. Thanks for watching!

[@athletejmv]

Looks like you got a nice-sized scratch on the glass already :-O

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Yup... as expected the Gorilla Glass pales in comparison to my Sapphire 🤷‍♂️

[@jean-manuelmoreau6471]

@@ChaseTheSummit Ah, I got my answer. Bummer...:-(

[@zfjames]

@@jean-manuelmoreau6471 that's why I love my tactix delta solar with ballistics--sapphire and solar. :D

[@dimitargueorguiev9088]

Dude just get garmin foretrex 601 for $170 and you will be much better off as it has twice the battery life on GPS (48 hours) and much bigger screen . This gadget is a way too expensive for the value it delivers..

[@ChaseTheSummit]

That's a device that not many talk about haha! Pretty cool for what it's designed for but not quite as "sleek" as a Fenix. Different tools for different jobs! Thanks for watching!

[@NegyedMisi]

What's rather interesting is that if you lose 10% in 2 hours (without solar) that hints 20 hours battery. And that's without heart rate and anything turned on. Hm...

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Yeah I attribute this to the heat. It was quite hot outside today. Also the watch was in GPS+Glonass mode which is a little more battery hungry. I've personally run a 27 hour event with my Fenix 6 Sapphire and still had 30% battery lift. I think their battery claims are pretty accurate for the most part but a lot of variables do come into play. Thanks for watching.

[@NegyedMisi]

@@ChaseTheSummit Makes sense. It shouldn't do 20 hours only.

[@luc7976]

@@NegyedMisi Also 2 hours is a bit short to get precise percentages as it could have been without rounding 8-9%. Also I wonder if this test here was without smart recording? That also impacts that.

[@V1RT8]

It’s funny that Garmin is adding almost useless features like the solar panel who is increasing battery life by a negligible amount for real life normal users, and fails so badly on gps accuracy for distance measurements and tracks, which are among the worse of the industry.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

I appreciate that they continue to innovate and try to come up with new features. If they didn't innovate no one would because other smaller brands don't have the financial backing that Garmin does. The advantage to us buyers is that we have options. You don't HAVE to buy a solar watch but at least it's there if you're someone who can utilize it. If you want something with less features and a lower price the Garmin Instinct, Polar Grit X, or some of the Coros devices are a great option. Thanks for watching.

[@V1RT8]

Chase the Summit I understand and agree with you and yes, I have a Polar Grit X, as well as Fenix 6 sapphire and a FR610 and a Polar V800 and a Garmin 735XT and a Stryd. Therefore my comment aren’t based on hangar talking but on first hand experience. My point is that the new features, even if welcome, don’t make much sense if they don’t see the elephant in the room, which is GPS accuracy and tracks. They probably use an algorithm based on I don’t know what to calculate the distance that is not just GPS distance because when the data is uploaded on different programs it shows a more accurate estimated distance run. Said that, I like my F6, it’s a great daily driver, but for the price it lacks on the main feature of a GPS watch, which is measuring at a reasonable level of accuracy the distance we run. Come on Dave, you have a Grit X, I’m sure you compared your runs with the F6 and you have seen that the Polar wins hands down. Obviously I’m just referring to tracks and distance accuracy, forget about all the other features.

[@DarkKnightOne]

I’m pretty sure there will be one with better perfs, I have a Tactix delta sapphire, love it, I’ll change for the same with titanium bezel (I don’t even understand why it’s not the case already, joking, it’s for make buy the new) and with better solar option, anyway, thanks for the review

[@zfjames3308]

Why would you possibly want a titanium bezel when those scratch a lot more?

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Cool! Thanks for sharing. How is the Tactix Delta?

[@raymondfoo9045]

If you really care about battery life, Coros outperform Fenix 6 even with 100% Solar Intensity.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

It depends which Coros model. The Vertix is absolutely insane in regards to battery life. But the Fenix 6 and Apex Pro are pretty comparable in GPS mode battery life. Standby or "watch mode" battery life is considerably better on the Coros devices but it's important to remember that the Coros watches don't have quite as many features to keep powered. I have some in depth reviews and comparisons of both on my channel. Different tools for different jobs. Thanks for watching!

[@badzponad]

IMHO, this is useless for me, happy with sapphire more...

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Yeah it's really for a certain person. Someone who finds themselves in full sun exposure for the majority of their activities. I do think it's functional though. Particularly useful for alpine expeditions where you're above treeline, or on a glacier. The watch can actually charge UP when you're not in a GPS activity so this would give that person the ability to use their compass/altimeter while climbing. Thanks for watching.

[@nikoulph]

@@ChaseTheSummit Can you make a video with the watch with no activity and charging with solar? tnx man, your video is excellent

[@ChaseTheSummit]

@@nikoulph good idea! Thanks for watching.