Bushwalk Australia

Garmin has updated it's Fenix and also introduced the Epix.

The new Fenix 3 is largely the same as the Fenix 2 in functionality, however does have some new features and wifi connectivity. Battery life remains the same.

The Epix is a mapping GPS worn on the wrist. Personally, I think that a map the size of a fifty cent coin is rather pointless.

See DCRainmaker's reviews:
http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2015/01/garmin-fenix3-firstlook.html
http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2015/01/garmin-epix-mapping-multisport.html
http://www.dcrainmaker.com/product-comparison-calculator

The Epix actually looks very interesting, it makes me wonder how many days of use it'd provide if paired with an 18650 USB power supply for charging at night.

It could actually be a semi viable replacement for an etrex if it's done well enough

To me the Epix (rather than the Fenix) is the natural progression of the Foretrex series. I bought my old Foretrex maybe around 10 years ago, and the Epix is a smaller, nicer package, with a colour touch screen, ability to add maps (8gb on board) and built in barometer, thermometer, magnetic compass and other features. You can add basic maps unofficially on the Fenix series as well, just limited by the small amount of onboard memory.

With specs for a 24 hr battery life in GPS nav/track mode, or 50 hrs with eco mode (taking less frequent GPS syncs), it is pretty comparable with (if not better than) my handheld GPS devices running AAs.

I also wonder how easy it will be to navigate that small screen though. I think that the touch screen would make scrolling the small screen much easier than buttons. My eTrex 30's 2.2" screen was great until I moved to the Oregon 600 and a 3" touchscreen. But the downside of going to a bigger screen is I only get about 12 hours on a pair of AAs with my Oregon 600.

Pricing is around $739.00 with an estimated release of around March/April 2015, makes it quite expensive though. US price is around USD$550 for the map-free version.

Has anyone purchased or used one of the Garmin Epix watches yet? If I can offload my Garmin 62s together with my Garmin 910xt running watch - to take some of the pain away from the big price tag - I might pick one up.

Stew63 - I don't have it yet, but check out the Garmin forums on the Epix. https://forums.garmin.com/forumdisplay.php?493-epix There are some Aussie posters there who have it. As with most new Garmin devices there are still teething issues, but it has been a while since it was released.

I'm worried about the slowness of firmware update releases, and wondering if Garmin are going to retire it for lack of sales, or release an upgraded version soon. The last software update came out in Feb this year, 3.20 but some people still report bugs.

The competing device (Fenix 3, Quatix 3, Tactix Bravo) are a bit more mature and have more stable firmwares but seem to get updated quicker (a number already this year up to V7.00). To my mind,

The positives for the Epix:

• Larger square screen - can display more fields at once
• Easier to navigate
• More memory (8Gb vs 32Mb), and maps
• Touchscreen functionality

Cons for the Epix:

• Lower screen resolution
• Heavier
• Fewer user generated watch faces
• No Wifi

I saw some posts that people in the US were getting the TOPO version from REI (inclusive of the REI membership) for around USD$350 a few months ago. This worries me as it might be a sign it is being discontinued. I was tempted to make the jump at that sort of price.

I want to like this device, but the issues probably stop me from getting it. Until they get resolved, I fear buying this might mean it sits at home more than it gets used.