dwMap vs standard garmin features on Fenix 5

Don't think they add too much to fenix5/fr935 series and were more targeted to the other models which don't support this kind of navigation... But it's easy to just tick the Fenix5 box as well as supported when developing and doesn't necessarily cost a lot of extra development time ;)

But I guess the benefit is the all-in-1 solution...

But I suggest you also take a look at gimporter (and IQReceiver, sendpoints). They are tools to just send tracks or locations to your watch allowing you to use those with the standard navigation options.

I really liked dwMap on my 630, because the 630 doesn't have native navigation. I don't use it on my 935, even though dwMap has the customizable data field on the map screen, which I really liked.

As nice as dwMap is, it can't really compete with native functionality, though. RouteCourse is nice for the convenience, but you don't get turn-by-turn directions, so it's worse than both dwMap and native functionality.

As far as importing GPX courses with Garmin Connect, can't you just download a GPX, and use the GC website to import it? The option seems to be there even for phones. (There are other features of GC which are hidden when you use a phone.) Once you've imported a course, you can then sync the course using the GCM app (or WiFi, if available). Sure it's cumbersome, but it seems like it would work.

Or do you mean that you like the ability to transfer GPX courses in "one step"?

fenix 3/5 series are out of tourist ecosystem. They cannot receive/send waypoints, routes, tracks via ANT+ connection. This means if you have etrex 30, you cannot send waypoint to your watch in forest without GPRS. Hopefully it will be changed some day, but this is a bit strange.

With outdoor devices (Fenix, etc), you also have Garmin's Basecamp to add stuff to the device. It's got things like you can use the actual maps on the device to layout things, get the waypoints from one device, and load them on another, etc.

Using a couple of my own apps (Hike/Hike2), some may say they don't make sense for a device with a native hiking/walking app, but at the same time, if I didn't support the higher end devices, I'm sure I'd get requests to add them, maybe from users that upgraded from a lower end device that liked the app and used it before, or because there are some features that aren't in the native app.

So, just use what works best for you, be it a native or CIQ app

Thanks for jumping in here with responses, and I do not see anything stated that I materially disagree with.

dwMap was intended initially for watches like the FR 235 without any mapping feature, and that's still a major focus for it. The picture gets fuzzier on the Fenix 3 and 5. On the F3 I think dwMap's easy route management and wireless downloading of routes are its strongest feature, plus many people really enjoy the simplicity of the mobile-friendly route builder. It's just so easy to get routes down onto the watch with it. Re the F5 (and the FR 935, which I have) those same things apply, plus routeCourse is also an option. I feel that routeCourse ends up offering the best of both worlds on the F5/FR935 because you get the route management, creation, download ease together with the excellent build-in maps/activity of the watch.

In my own personal use of my FR935 (mostly cycling and hiking) I nearly always use dwMap, not routeCourse though, because I like the turn-by-turn directions and backgrounds maps of Premium. It's very much a "dog fooding" case -- I really like and use those two features, and miss them when using the native map feature.