It pretty much says it right there in the descriptions: The first one has Sapphire glass and a black bezel, the second has a non-sapphire glass and a silver bezel. Both of the ones you are referring to are F5+, and as Raul77 says; all the F5X+ versions have sapphire screens. (You are posting in the F5X+ forum)
What do you get? You get sapphire glass which is more resitant to scratches, no extra features. (Unless you see improved scratch resistance as a feature of course)
I can agree that the Fenix line is quite expensive, but that's more the whole lineup in general and you are of course free to buy the non-sapphire version if you feel £100 is too much for the sapphire glass.
So you are paying an extra £100+ for just the glass..Cheers
Yes. You will probably notice 3 differences:
The sapphire glass is more scratch resistant than the normal glass.
Scratches will be more visible on the black bezel which you get in the sapphire version.
The sapphire glass will appear darker if the light is coming from an angle.
So it is 1 pro and 2 cons. But the pro is big.
I had three Fenix 3, non-Sapphire. At least two of them got deep scratches in the glass, out of nowhere. The third I don't remember.
Now I have a 5X+ Sapphire. During a recent lifeguard exam I was thrown around on the floor tiles at a pool, playing the unconscious victim, and I didn't think of protecting the watch. When I came home, I discovered how much damage had been done to the bezel. Not just scratches, but rather deep abrasions. The glass is like new!
The X version which I now call extreme also includes a larger battery. Sapphire is pretty awesome material and much harder then gorilla glass. It’s synthetic gem stone and apparently hardness of 9. Diamond is 10. Very expensive to produce.
Sapphire is pretty awesome material and much harder then gorilla glass. It’s synthetic gem stone and apparently hardness of 9. Diamond is 10. Very expensive to produce.
And it's more brittle meaning that where the glass (or screen protector) would get a big scratch, the Sapphire might actually shatter completely.
I've had a 5x and a 5x plus TI DLC. The black bezel on the 5x looks new after a year of rough use. I'd not be really worried about the coating on that. The 5x Plus DLC also looks brand new with no marks at all. I have a friend that had a regular 5 with the standard glass. He managed to put a big scratch on his glass on the first day of owning it. He regrets not getting the sapphire glass. My wife has a 5s with the standard glass. I put a screen protector on her watch before I handed it to her. I've replaced the screen protector about 4 times so far because she keeps cracking it. There hasn't been any damage to the watch's glass yet. The bezel on her 5s is looking a little worn.
YMMV, but sapphire is worth it to me as it gives me some additional peace of mind. The DLC coating has also proven exceptional. If you don't get the sapphire, put a glass screen protector on it ASAP.
