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Yesterday, all eyes Garmin Forerunner 955 Launched, launched. This is probably the best option for serious athletes, not just from Garmin, but for the industry as a whole.
If you care more about features and performance, this watch will be a better deal than the Fenix 7 series as it’s much more affordable.
Garmin Forerunner 955, Fenix 7 and Epix Gen 2 Both are very similar, using essentially the same platform, but with differences in aesthetics, battery and display.
For the Epix, you obviously have the AMOLED display, it doesn’t have a solar option, and the battery isn’t as good as the Fenix 7. Other than that, it’s essentially a Fenix 7.
Features the Garmin Forerunner 955 has, but not the Fenix 7
The introduction of the Garmin Forerunner 955 introduces a lot of new features that the Fenix 7 doesn’t have.
Fenix 7 owners might be uneasy about this, and potential buyers might think the Forerunner 955 is a great watch. However, most of these features are software related and will be pushed to the Fenix 7 and Epix series via a firmware update.
These features include:
- Native running strength – For example, you now have proper data fields and strength-related workout settings. You will need a Garmin Running Pod or Garmin Chest Strap with Running Dynamics.
- HRV Status – This is a great new feature that takes your HRV value continuously while you sleep and then compares it to your 3-week baseline (up to a 90-day rolling window baseline). HRV should be a good indicator of your overall condition.
- Training Readiness – This uses HRV data along with sleep, recovery time, load and stress to determine your overall training readiness.
- Acute training load – I think this is the same as the 7-day training load, but it has now been modified to account for the time between sessions. Running a marathon yesterday had a greater impact on acute load than I ran three or four days ago.
- Morning News – I’ve written about it a few times, it’s a basic summary of what you get in the morning, giving you your HRV, sleep data, and any plans.
- Race Calendar and Race Events Widget
Garmin expects to roll out all of these features on the Fenix 7 series, Epix Gen 2, and the Forerunner 945 LTE.
The Instinct 2 is also reportedly getting some features.
Currently, there is no confirmation on whether or what features the Fenix 6 series will get.
Garmin Forerunner 955 features multi-band GNSS
With all the software features available in the Fenix 7 series, this leaves only one important difference.
The Fenix 7 and Epix only have multiband GNSS if you buy the Sapphire model. The problem is that the standard Fenix 7 is £600, while the Sapphire model is £780.
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Other than that, the main differences between the watches are the overall aesthetics, battery life, and display.
The Garmin Forerunner 955 has the same 1.3-inch display as the 47mm Fenix 7, and both watches have a resolution of 260 x 260 pixels.
The Fenix 7 models below and above it feature 1.2-inch and 1.4-inch displays with resolutions of 240 x 240 pixels and 280 x 280 pixels, respectively.
Epix features a 1.3-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 416 x 416 pixels,
Battery
The battery differences are small:
For the 47mm Fenix 7 you have:
- Smartwatch: Solar up to 18 days / 22 days
- GPS only: Solar up to 57 hours / 73 hours
For the Forerunner 955 you have:
- Smartwatch Mode: Solar up to 15 days/20 days
- GPS-only mode without music: Solar up to 42 hours / 49 hours
For Epix:
- Smartwatch: Up to 16 days (6 days always-on)
- GPS only: up to 42 hours (30 hours always on)
Weight and Dimensions
Many serious athletes worry about the weight of the watch. It never bothered me, but I’m not an elite athlete.
For the 47mm Fenix 7 is:
- 47 x 47 x 14.5 mm
- 79 g (case only: 56 g)
For Forerunner 955:
- 46.5 x 46.5 x 14.4 (mm)
- 53 g
For Epix:
- 47 x 47 x 14.5 mm
- 76 grams (case only: 53 grams)
price
The Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar is basically the same as the 47mm Fenix 7 Sapphire, you have to consider how much you value the overall aesthetics compared to the price:
- Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar £550
- 47mm Fenix 7 Sapphire £780
- Epix Sapphire is £1000
If you don’t care about solar power or have a multi-band GNSS (on Fenix/Epix), the cheapest options are:
- Garmin Forerunner 955: £480
- 47mm Phoenix 7: £600
- Epix: £800
Personally, if I were to buy a watch right now, I’d probably go for the Garmin Forerunner 955. I love the Fenix, I love the look, but I’m too stingy to spend the extra £120 on a fancier watch. I’m not sure how useful multiband GNSS is for me, but the more features the better.
