What is "Garmin" glimpsed in Fenix ​​6x Pro Dual Power?

Masaichi Honda is a well-known journalist in the field of technology. This is a series of articles written by Mr. Honda about wearable devices. This time, we will talk about the high-end sports "Fenix ​​6x Pro Dual Power" by Garmin, a long-established US company.

Garmin "fēnix 6X Pro Dual Power Ti Black DLC" solar-powered multisport GPS watch. Power reserve up to 21 days (when using smartwatch mode). FRP x Ti (51mm diameter, 14.9mm thickness). 1.4 inch diameter display. 10 ATM water resistant. 130,000 yen (excluding tax). Masakazu Honda: Text by Masakazu Honda

Garmin "Fenix ​​6x Pro Dual Power"

Garmin is now an unprecedentedly successful watch manufacturer in the outdoor and sports genres. But no one could have predicted its success in the 90s.

　I first encountered the Garmin brand in 1998 when I went to the United States to interview a technology company. She visited Fri's Electronics, a chain of electronics stores, and bought an "eTrex" handheld GPS device.

　The eTrex, which remains in Garmin's product lineup today, is a product that revolutionized outdoor activities such as mountain climbing and trekking. Despite its low-resolution monochrome LCD, it is a device that allows you to check your position, the direction you are heading, and the route you have traveled, no matter where you are.

　This eTrex is the origin of Garmin's smartwatch. The eTrex was the first portable device developed by Garmin, which was founded by engineers involved in the development of GPS (Global Positioning System).

　The eTrex evolved, became a wristwatch type, and further expanded its uses. If you think so, the positioning of the current Garmin products clearly emerges.

Design with a clear intention

Speaking of smartwatches, the first thing that comes to mind is the Apple Watch or smartwatches that use wear OS. These products are like wearing smartphones. Garmin's smartwatches, however, are more autonomous, providing a wealth of information for purpose-driven, purpose-specific use, and sometimes predicting and advising on your behavior and health.

The Fenix ​​6x Pro Dual Power series is the product with the most applications. There are three series, 6S/6/6x, depending on the display size.

　This time, the 42mm display Fenix ​​6x Pro was tested, but apart from the battery capacity and display size, there is no difference in the capabilities and functions of any product as an electronic device.

If you want to make complicated information such as map data easier to read, choose 6x, active watch for men, 6, and 6s if you prefer a small case that is easy to use not only for women but also for running etc. .

　When you actually start using it, you can immediately see that the Fenix ​​6x Pro Dual Power is different from the Apple Watch and Wear OS products. For example, operability.

　The operation with only 4 buttons may be confusing at first, as touch panels are common these days. No, isn't it outdated that it doesn't support touch panels in the first place? Some readers may feel so.

　However, Garmin's smartwatch focuses on a different value than the typical smartwatch represented by the Apple Watch, and non-touch panel compatibility is rather an advantage in the applications Garmin is aiming for.

Operation while wearing gloves during outdoor activities and winter sports, or reliable operation with blinds when running. If you use it frequently in areas such as outdoor and sports where Garmin is the main battlefield, you can clearly realize its goodness.

"Multiple but also deep", the appeal of the depth of digging

　Because of the clear purpose, the strong will and clear product planning is the reason why "this must be There is a depth that responds to the user's determination to "ba".

　This strong will is also recognized in the adoption of tempered glass for the windshield laminated with a reflective color LCD panel and a solar panel named Power Glass.

　In terms of image quality, reflective color LCD panels are far behind OLED and backlight color LCD panels. However, the visibility in the outdoors is exceptional. The backlight consumes the majority of the display's power, so it also has a long battery life.

In the field of smartwatches, where organic EL displays are becoming more common, Garmin dared to adopt a reflective color LCD panel. At first glance, the low-illumination, low-resolution display does not have a very glamorous image, but the visibility outdoors is outstanding. In addition, the power consumption is low, so it is a good choice for sports watches.

　By combining a solar panel here, the usage time can be further extended by supplementary charging with sunlight.

　In fact, the glass substrate of Power Glass is Corning's Gorilla Glass. Sapphire crystal has been used in the high-end models of the Fenix ​​series so far, but sapphire crystal cannot be used to make the solar cell work efficiently.

　Whether this is a simplistic view or a choice for evolution, Garmin intentionally aimed to extend battery life with sunlight.

　With heart rate sensors that require strong LEDs and sports smartwatches that use GPS trajectory recording, we would like to reduce battery consumption as much as possible, but adding an "extra power supply" to that will improve the user experience. It must have been judged to be important in

　The Fenix ​​series is a multi-sport model that integrates the functions of many Garmin sports watches into one. These products tend to be "diluted" in each function, but the most attractive thing is that they are top-class in terms of compatibility with any sport.

　For example, the company's smart watch "approach" series detects the swing and impact of a golf club and records them together with GPS information. You can superimpose the map data of the golf course prepared separately and look back on how you played the round.

For golfers, a special external sensor attached to the club is also sold, and it is possible to automatically record which club you hit with, and to obtain statistics such as distance for each club number.

　I'm a person who doesn't like golf, but when I asked golf lovers, they all said that since the introduction of approach, it's been fun playing a round and it can't be helped.

In addition, all of the outdoor sports such as skiing and surfing are fully supported, and even though they are multi-sport, their functions are deep.

The advantage is that it cannot be replaced by a general-purpose smartwatch

　The "sports support" and "activity measurement" provided by smartwatches meet the needs of athletes and competition-oriented amateurs for each sport. is often not possible.

　However, Garmin's products, of course, not only cover the healthcare and fitness areas, but also incorporate exactly the functions that athletes and similar enthusiasts want.

In addition to recording daily activities, the smartphone application "Garmin Connect" allows you to take coaching functions and daily data logs. The display screen is "My Day" where you can see the calories burned and the number of steps taken for the day.

　For example, running. Even if you compare only the basic functions for runners, such as "running records and advice to users", the information is richer and easier to see than general smartwatches, and if you upload data to the cloud, you can improve performance and prevent injuries. They can help you create a training plan to prevent it, but it doesn't end there.

　By attaching the optional device to the shoes, you can also obtain analysis and advice on your running form.

In addition, Garmin products are good at various functions using topographical information.

　In the case of running, for example, advice on pace allocation for each section based on pre-registered course ups and downs information. In trekking and trail running, it also provides functions and advice to users that incorporate height difference information.

On the other hand, it also provides very detailed functions using the built-in sensor.

　The function to send a message to an emergency contact when a life-threatening accident is detected, such as the "fall detection" that is also installed in the Apple Watch, is one of them, but I was surprised that it could detect that much. What was done was that when I was doing strength training, it automatically detected the exercise and gave me advice on the number of repetitions and intervals.

　It is not possible to correctly identify an event that combines multiple events, but if it is a bench press or squat, for example, it will correctly recognize and count the number of times, and when you press the button after measuring, the interval will be automatically set Switch to measurement.

　It was possible to edit the event later, and it was extremely easy to manage the history of strength training.

Compatible with Fenix ​​and Suica, which aggregate all the values ​​provided by Garmin

Garmin has a lineup of luxury line MARQ, but it is positioned as the top of all sports smartwatches excluding them It is the Fenix ​​series that is being done. One-size-fits-all products lack the depth of expertise, but Fenix ​​incorporates nearly every feature from Garmin's range of athlete, professional, and enthusiast products. ing.

　Of course, the design of the case is not designed for a specific purpose, as it is a collection of all values. But each feature is undoubtedly one of the top rated in its respective genre. This "versatility" that does not compromise on performance and functions is probably the greatest attraction of the Fenix ​​series.

However, these versatile and deep functions have always been the same. That's why Garmin has increased its presence, but that's not to say there aren't other sports and outdoor smartwatches out there.

　There are two reasons why Garmin stands out.

　The payment function "Garmin Pay" is compatible with JR East's "SuiCa", which has the largest share of Japan's cashless payment infrastructure. And I wonder if it will show an easy-to-understand index such as a body battery that estimates the user's physical condition, including daily stress.

　I don't talk much about the support for Suica, but I would like to honestly appreciate the support for Suica, which is almost exclusively used in Japan, while there are many manufacturers who are struggling to support it. This is because if Suica is compatible, most prepaid payment needs can be met by charging cash in advance.

On the other hand, the body battery detects the stress on the body from subtle fluctuations in the heartbeat. By accumulating, we can quantify the burden on the body not only in sports and daily exercise, but also in work such as desk work that does not put a load on the heart and lungs and muscles.

In Garmin Connect's My Day, you can also see your weekly exercise volume, basal metabolism, and breathing rate (BPRM), which indicates how often you breathe in and out in one minute. What is interesting is the display of stress. This visualizes how many minutes the wearer was exposed to stress in a day.

　Of course, it has a depth that is specialized for outdoor activities and sports, but on top of that, we also consider ease of use in everyday life.

　The other is that it functions as a platform, just like the Apple Watch.

Garmin's interchangeable strap, Quick Release, is of course extremely simple to replace, but there are many third-party straps to choose from. In addition, support for music playback services is not limited to Spotify, but for Japan, LINE Music is also supported. You can download up to 2000 songs.

"Refined functions" will live on in future products

　Well, to be honest, I never thought I would get this much praise until I started using it. Of course, I knew the product was excellent, but I came up with a few excusions, such as the display contrast, button-only operation, and the lack of third-party applications.

However, if you continue to use it, and if you consider the area Garmin is good at, it is natural to adopt a reflective liquid crystal panel with a side light, and a hybrid case design that interweaves resin , If you think that it is to bring out the detection speed and accuracy of GPS, you can feel positive about the ingenuity to skillfully enhance the texture.

Garmin's specialty genres are smartphone applications and cloud services that provide advice to users while analyzing and visualizing data, specializing in outdoor and sports, and GPS-related functions.

　Some users may feel that such a part is thoroughly polished and pursued as a solitary existence, "too much". However, I would like to assert that there is no "overdoing" in the product.

　The owner of the product is satisfied because it has been refined as a "genuine product". It should be the same in the world of mechanical watches. They're just trying to do what they're good at. This commitment to refinement brings about improvements with the next product, and the next product, and eventually it becomes a standard.

Masakazu Honda Technology journalist, audiovisual critic, product planning and development consultant. Since the early 1990s, he has written critiques and columns on personal computers, IT, and network services. Currently, in addition to acting as an advisor to manufacturers, he is also active as an audiovisual critic. Main publications include Toyo Keizai Online.