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Fenix 6X Pro Solar vs Sapphire glass

9963580
over 3 years ago

Dear friends, i am in the market for a new fenix 6x. my dilemma is between the Pro solar and the Sapphire version. Cause of my activities(triathlon, downhill, hiking, rock climbing) my 5x Sapphire took a good beating(bezel is scratched, glass untouched). My question is how much weaker, if at all is the Pro solar compare to the Sapphire? Thank you

  • +1 over 3 years ago

    Go for the Sapphire. Solar isn't that powerful compared to the Instinct Solar due to the much smaller solar bezel ring.

    I'd go for protection instead of a few hours of runtime, if any.

  • +1 over 3 years ago

    I've had both sapphire and regular gorilla glass.  the non-sapphire is pretty tough stuff too, but it's scratchable.  The sapphire is pretty close to bullet proof.  If you're rough on your watch (and it sounds like you are), then the sapphire is probably for you.

    Also, the Solar, while a neat trick, doesn't really offer much additional battery life.  Can't see where it's worth it.

    the one main benefit to the gorilla glass versions are, due to the lower index of refraction of glass vs Sapphire, you get much less reflections and glare from the watch.  the non-sapph really looks a lot clearer to me.  (there's an old thread in this forum where people (including me) post many comparative photos of the difference in glare.

  • Former Member
    +1 Former Member over 3 years ago

    Sapphire perfect no problem

  • 0 over 3 years ago

    Another vote for sapphire here.

    To more specifically answer your question "how much weaker is gorilla glass", the answer is that they have about the same ability to withstand breakage (gorilla glass might actually be a bit better in that regard), but sapphire is unquestionably, vastly superior at resisting scratches. I would not own a gorilla glass watch without putting a screen protector over it (I have owned one before, and didn't put a screen protector on it, and after a year it was a total disaster, with hundreds of micro-scratches and a handful of larger scratches, and one really big gouge. I've had my sapphire 6X for 2.5 years now, never put a screen protector on it, and it is still completely brand new looking, despite not being careful with it whatsoever.

    That's not to say it's completely scratch proof, it's not. With the enough force against an object of a hard enough material composition, it can scratch - there's an old thread where someone wrecked his mountain bike on a gravel road, and when the watch face impacted the gravel, it scratched. But I can assure you, gorilla glass will scratch much, much easier, and deeper, and look substantially worse after the same impacts.

  • 0 over 3 years ago

    If you want both Sapphire and Solar:

    The tactix Delta Solar (See it here: https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/696004) has what Garmin calls "Power Sapphire."  Same software as the 6x Pro / Pro Solar so you don't sacrifice any features.

    HTH

    P.S.  I am strongly in the Gorilla Glass camp after having owned a tactix Charlie and a tactix Bravo (both Sapphire) which had significantly less legible displays than my current 6x Pro with Gorilla Glass.  Of course, the choice is yours.

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to gaijin

    +1 for the gorilla glass viewability aspect. Get a screen protector for a Solar and you're set. Just my view and of course everyone has different requirements and demands. For me it was a 6 Pro Solar and a screen protector. Love it all.

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to C.sco

    Tripped at 5k pace (3:15 min per km pace) near a start of a race, and watch hit the concrete ground hard and scraped along the floor, bezel scratched but the sapphire screen survived with no scratches or dents. Not sure if a screen protector on gorilla glass would have fair.

    only time it’s happened but a risk and why I opted for it.

  • 0 over 3 years ago

    Go with the sapphire glass. I had a tactic delta solar and somehow managed to scratch it (I was diving and it may have been in contact with a zebra mussel…maybe that?) but that said, I prefer to use watches that have a sapphire crystal as opposed to a mineral or gorilla glass.

  • 0 over 3 years ago

    Don't compare the 5  with 6.

    The 6 has a double coating, that means that the outside coating can be scratched (although you can eliminate the scratch) and visibility is much better than the sapphire 5.

    Search youtube for visibility comparison and the forum for scratch problems.

    I have the sapphire version and I am very happy. No marks on dlc coating and no blue tint.

  • 0 over 3 years ago

    Pleasenote that although the sapphire is very strong the Fenix 6 Pro has (anti-reflective) coating on the sapphire glass - and this can definitely be scratched - so your sapphire appears scratched.