The review from The Quantified Scientist is out for the Fenix 7 (Youtube)

Don't be ignorant.

Apple Watch is a smartwatch focused on lifestyle and smart stuff, but it most certainly is not a toy. Its WHR and HRV data is far better/more accurate than anything out there. When you base 90% of fitness data, graphs, predictions, body battery, training load, RTT and so on on this data, it would be nice to have those numbers to be precise.

On F7 (and earlier F models) that data is so so... But Fenix series isn't build for that. Fenix watches are for someone who slaps a HR strap on their chest or don't give a sh*t about precise HR at all, because maps, buttons, navigation and but load of functions are more important in the wild.

Just saying - if someone want a all day monitor with body battery, sleep, all day HR etc. than don't buy the Fenix/Epix - they are not good at that. They are heavy, bulky and not so good for 24/7. Smaller, lighter Garmins and Apple Watch are far better for that.

Fenix series is a tool for people who need it - its not the holy grail with every function more superior than others

Lifestyle? I stopped reading.

Cant understand why Garmin buy Firstbeat and are not able to optimze Sleep Stages. Its horrific how bad this expensive devices are.

I wish all reviewers would be more responsible and WARN PEOPLE that Garmin watches become pretty useless if you spend time out of cell coverage. You CAN NOT interact with the watch at all through the app of you don't have a data connection. This is a HUGE FLAW exclusive to Garmin and they must be FORCED to fix this. The only way this will happen is if reviewers do the responsible thing and warn people about it. I wasted a lot of money on the Fenix 6X and it's sitting in a drawer because I can't use it when I'm off grid for extended periods. I switched to a Galaxy Watch 4 which provides full functionality even off line. 

EDITED to correct misinformation: The Connect Mobile APP and Explore APP both interact with your watch regardless of cell phone coverage. It is accurate that there are additional features that are provided with cellular internet connection but the watch will still work 100% independent of being connected to a cell phone for GPS and 99.5% of all features.

I am definitely no Garmin fanboy, but I think in some aspects this review is a bit pseudo-scientific. The sample size is just too small and the chosen aspects quite selective. Then, of course, much the same can be said of DCR - never much a negative word there, even if forums are brimming with problems.

Still, from what I've gathered from many sources, Garmin's sleep tracking isn't very good, and FitBit's is. The EEG-comparison makes sense, but perhaps expects too much.

The HR-sensor on most watches is so-so, and Apple's newest one, WHEN it is working, is very accurate.

The GPS-accuracy of the F7 is due to Garmin's switch from Sony to Mediatek, and has little to do with dual frequency. All other coming watches with that chipset will do similarly well, as long as the antenna is ok.

Battery life, and offline mapping and routing are basically the real remaining assets for Garmin, at least with LCD-MIP-displays. Even cheap wristbands these days offer spO2 and vO2max.

Thankfully nobody much tests altimeter / barometer accuracy, because Garmin just screwed that up big time, trying to compensate by using online elevation data - I mean, seriously?

However, this can be explained.
For example, a Huawei Watch GT 2. The routes I take are often the same. On the F6 - ~20km. On the Huawei? Sometimes 18km, sometimes 19, sometimes 20.8......

In addition, Garmin is an equipment supplier. And what is worse than data that you can influence? Let's take a circle of runners. All of them always run 10km. So, and one starts to manipulate the data before sending it - exactly what works on many other watches without any problems. Then you end up with wrong data. That's all. The connection is part of the protection that Garmin requires, but you have comparable data that you can trust (so far as it is possible).

In addition, you have the great data portal and can distribute to any X-any service. Strava, QuantifiedSelf etc..

The money-making of Garmin is measured by some functions such as SPO2 or sleep tracking an absolute joke. But measurements incl chest strap and so on are really really good.

jsanneblad said:

Well his tests are done with n=1 person. And he doesn't test running, only cycling and weight lifting.

If he added me to the group, n=2, then the results would be completely different. 

Being an app developer I have used every Apple Watch since the first one launched, and the Apple Watch wrist HR doesn't work at all on me while running, it just fails to lock on no matter how hard or loose I keep the strap. I have really tried everything and dozens different straps. But the Garmin devices wrist HR works well on me when running, including the latest Epix. I have no clue why it is so, but it seems to be the case for many people.

And no arguing on the sleep phase analysis though, but is it really necessary since Body Battery measures HRV all night? Personally I only look at my body battery and sleep as many hours I can fit into my life.

Mirrors my thoughts exactly.

People like to quickly dismiss these statements as being a Garmin fanboy, but the fact is sleep phase analysis on a fitness watch is a pointless novelty. If you actually need sleep phase analysis, you need to go to a proper lab with actual sleep analysis instruments, not just be relying on a Garmin outdoor activity tracker.

2302759 said:

I wish all reviewers would be more responsible and WARN PEOPLE that Garmin watches become pretty useless if you spend time out of cell coverage. You CAN NOT interact with the watch at all through the app of you don't have a data connection. This is a HUGE FLAW exclusive to Garmin and they must be FORCED to fix this. The only way this will happen is if reviewers do the responsible thing and warn people about it. I wasted a lot of money on the Fenix 6X and it's sitting in a drawer because I can't use it when I'm off grid for extended periods. I switched to a Galaxy Watch 4 which provides full functionality even off line. 

Yes, absolutely, and this applies to every Garmin watch. To use all functionality that you would expect from marketing material, you have to be online and upload all your data into their cloud. Also, as an Android user, you have to have Google Play Services enabled.

Of course, you CAN use lots of features offline, but even their Explore app is not very useful offline, because you can't even really get waypoints and tracks in and out of the app, and first have to perform an online login. Garmin Connect also will only import and export waypoints and tracks when you are online and doing it via Garmin's cloud.

Thus, you are forced to share your perhaps very private hiking / hunting / fishing locations with them. As they offer heatmaps of popular tracks to all their users, this is not just theoretical.

Your only real workaround is BaseCamp and USB. In 2022. Thanks, Garmin.

This is certainly true, if I need proper sleep analysis for any serious reasons (health reasons, lets say!) I would surely go to a proper lab, not try to get these from a Garmin (or fitbit or whatever other brand) watch.

However, this can be said for any measured parameter (need VO2max? go to a lab and get the proper value! Need aerobic threshold? read previous sentence  ) 

The point is... these are all functions of the watch I bought, none of them actually "necessary" in fact, but would be nice if they worked bit better. it's the whole point of weraing a tracker, to track stuff, even knowing its only for fun or little more.