5X versus 5X Plus ?

Hey folks – a Garmin newbie here – and I purchased a 5X watch about 30 days ago and loving it. Fortunately the GPS tracking for me has been right on and no issues so far.

My first question is – would it be wiser for me to go with the 5X Plus? I have a 60-day return / exchange opportunity if I want to upgrade to the 5X Plus.

Here are my thoughts:
  • My main use is running (street, trail, etc)
  • I don’t care about the pulse ox sensor; music; or garmin pay features in 5X Plus
  • I do value the phone and text notifications
  • But I’m wondering if the 5X Plus will have future feature upgrades that the 5X won’t get?
  • And does the 5X Plus have a different / better GPS tracking?

Thanks folks and looking forward to being part of the Garmin community.

--Clay
  • Hey! I´ve recently upgraded from a Fenix 3 to a Fenix 5X, mmy main use is for swimming, street running (marathoner), and enduro MTB.

    So far extremely good, the "new" features that are on the 5x plus that you will not use...

    - Ox sensor
    - Music
    - Garmin Pay

    The 5X will continue updating for few years and is the same as the 5X plus, it will bring the text notifications replies btw in a bit.

    In my opinion the upgrade is not worth it, keep your 5X.
  • Text messages notification you already have in 5x. New beta version (and official version soon) already contains the ability to reply predefined text messages. Based on pure facts what you wrote you do not find much more benefits in 5x plus just now. (However it may change, 5x plus will also get some more improvements over the time). I do not think 5x plus has better gps, construction is pretty the same.
    However, if I would be deciding just now, would go for 5x plus, just because it is newer and probably worth the delta in price for me, but that is me. Should I sell now 18 months old 5x to get newest 5x plus? No.
  • I'm the same as Doktorko - I would buy it if I was buying now but I'll not upgrade my 5x to get it. Not enough of a difference.

    Better battery is nice, don't think the GPS is that much different. Need some changes like dual band, etc, to see big improvements there and Galileo to come online completely. Talking 2020 - perhaps when the 6 is launched anyway. I don't think you'll see much in the way of features that would be just specific to the 5x+ coming out if the base 5x would support them too. They've already rolled Galileo into the latest betas for 5x, etc. It'll be stuff around the garming pay, music and pulse mainly.
  • For me, if the price difference was less that $150 thereabouts I'd go for the Plus. I've been switching back and forth between the 2 for the last couple of weeks and the Plus is a little more accurate for me in GPS distance and Altitude. Outside of that, very little difference. I do note that the Plus map says "TopoActive" and the 5x says "Topo 100k". Not sure if the map is better / newer in the Plus, if so, that would be a huge benefit as well. Other than those things, the music is a joke, pulse ox?? what a niche feature, garmin pay? eesh, no thanks.
  • For me, if the price difference was less that $150 thereabouts I'd go for the Plus. I've been switching back and forth between the 2 for the last couple of weeks and the Plus is a little more accurate for me in GPS distance and Altitude. Outside of that, very little difference. I do note that the Plus map says "TopoActive" and the 5x says "Topo 100k". Not sure if the map is better / newer in the Plus, if so, that would be a huge benefit as well. Other than those things, the music is a joke, pulse ox?? what a niche feature, garmin pay? eesh, no thanks.


    Whats the response time like comparing 5x and 5x plus ?
    In particular when switching from a CIQ custom screen like Gearmin to another widget or to the Activity App list ?
  • Switching between the complex CIQ watchface I have installed.... to widgets or apps, takes less than a second on my 5x.
    running beta 10.55.

    Can't comment on the plus....
  • Forgot to say...
    With inbuilt widgets and and app's....the transition from one to another is instantaneous.
  • Hey folks – a Garmin newbie here – and I purchased a 5X watch about 30 days ago and loving it. Fortunately the GPS tracking for me has been right on and no issues so far.

    My first question is – would it be wiser for me to go with the 5X Plus? I have a 60-day return / exchange opportunity if I want to upgrade to the 5X Plus.

    Here are my thoughts:
    • My main use is running (street, trail, etc)
    • I don’t care about the pulse ox sensor; music; or garmin pay features in 5X Plus
    • I do value the phone and text notifications
    • But I’m wondering if the 5X Plus will have future feature upgrades that the 5X won’t get?
    • And does the 5X Plus have a different / better GPS tracking?



    Thanks folks and looking forward to being part of the Garmin community.

    --Clay


    Sounds like you will be perfectly happy with 5X with money in your pocket rather than 5X Plus.

    I think the processor in the plus are faster to give it a little better performance in term of response to input and app refresh?