Does Fenix #X are good enough? After 2 years of tests... No internet connection = No watch

Two years ago I've bought one Fenix 6X, one Fenix 6S and recently Fenix 7. Used with Android phones: Samsung, Xiaomi, Oukitel

The first point I can't really understand is that if you have not internet connection your will have the worst experience with the product:

1. There is no backup of your data in the Smartphone. So if you don't have internet you can't get your info.

2. If you loose internet connection in most case your phone would loose the connection. So you won't be able to send your data to smartphone and obviously there is no backup of your data. And you won't be able to connect your device until you connect to internet.

It's really not acceptable that in a 1000 USD watch you will loose everything if you don't have internet connection.

It's really not acceptable that in a 1000 USD watch you are not able to see your sports data if you are not connected to internet. Your scores are not yours, it's Garmin property so you can only see them from the Garmin server!!!

What make me angry is that your watch won't work without internet connection.

Imagine some kind of deasaster where you loose internet connection. Or simply you have to train out of internet coverage! You will have a useless 1000 USD watch. You won't be able to check your marks and neither download your today targets ...

On another hand I really can't understand why in Garmin Connect All they use Google maps instead of Garmin maps!!! I've paid a 1000 USD watch to get the best maps and I'm not able to use them offline in my smartphone!!! Obviously without internet connection the Google maps won't work.

I'm really angry RageRage. I'm training 8 months per year in Andorra and there us no Internet connection. Si I'm experimenting problems after each day of training, and once a week I have to ride 30km to get internet connection.

Its not acceptable! The app MUST be able to permit access to Data OFFLINE!!! And the app can't loose the connection with the device because there is no internet connection!!!

Now we can speak about the GLS. Here I would to share some pictures from Tobotronc Andorra. The tobotronc is the longest nature slide in the world, with a distance of 5.3 km. The Tobotronc offers you a trip through the woods sitting on a two-seater sled that you can control at all times. A new way to get to know the nature of La Rabassa and the mountains of Andorra.

Please pay attention of the red line: Garmin GPS and the position and real position of the rails:

Both lines are supposed to be exactly the same.

Pay attention of the S of the rails and what Garmin GPS record...

Look of the five S rails. And Garmin Fenix 6X had draw a okd woman.

Where is the S curves and the loop?

I've bought a Fenix 7 last week and the problem is exactly the sames.

About the watch: it's a really good looling watch for daily use and the screen is just awesome. 

But sincerly if you are looking for a watch to train everywhere in the world. Instead in non internet coverage zones. I would suggest to look for another device.

Garmin: our training datas are our property and we must ve able to access to them instead without internet connection. And the watch is mine and it's why I won't need to login to be able to use the app.

  • I have to admit I have a hard time getting through this post. This is your 3rd Fenix (“$1000”) watch, all with the same infrastructure limitations and no hint, promise or other from Garmin of anything different.  Why the heck did you buy another if this is so important to you??   Let’s be clear, I can see the advantages of what you want (not really convinced it is worth the huge changes that would be needed in the watch, even if possible), just can’t get past how angry  you are that you bought another watch that you knew would not suit your needs then rage about it. Sell it and be happier. 

  • Exactly the same thread you posted on the Fenix 6 forum as well.  What are you trying to achieve? as another poster replied this is the most hilarious and useless review ever. 

  • I could be wrong, but does not the Garmin Explore app have offline maps?

  • Ignore the OP, just trying to get a reaction.

  • The Fenix 7 was a gift. I own it, but I havent bought it. And right now it's on sale. And the 6S and 6X I've bought them at the same time.

    The point is not comparing with others. Garmin was suppose dto be the best, or not? 
    What I want is to be able to have all my info in my phone, obviously with a backup on Garmin server but I wnat to see my datas in my phone without internet connection, So this way when Garmin had problems with their server this wont affect my connection with my smartphone.

    I obviously know that I can see my datas in the watch. I simply claim that I can't see them without internet connection.

  • The Fenix 7 was a gift. I own it, but I havent bought it. And right now it's on sale. And the 6S and 6X I've bought them at the same time.

    The point is not comparing with others. Garmin was suppose dto be the best, or not? 
    What I want is to be able to have all my info in my phone, obviously with a backup on Garmin server but I wnat to see my datas in my phone without internet connection, So this way when Garmin had problems with their server this wont affect my connection with my smartphone.

    I obviously know that I can see my datas in the watch. I simply claim that I can't see them without internet connection.

  • It would be more correct to say that the watch can work without internet connection, but Garmin Connect app can't pull any data from the watch while being offline.

    It seems that during a sync Garmin connect first sends all the data from the watch to the cloud, then it immediately pulls all the data from Garmin Connect cloud before the data can be updated in the app. What I've observed multiple time during a sync on a slow connection that when I sync my Fenix 7X with Garmin Connect app, my run first shows up on Strava while the sync progress is still at about 50%, then only some time later the same run shows up in the GC app along with updated steps and other data. And I've seen cases when Strava was updated but the GC app wasn't. That definitely seems very unintuitive. A better design would be to do a local sync with the app first, which would be possible even with the phone being offline, then sync that with the GC cloud later. That would be a better user experience! 

  • I do week-long back country excursions where there is no internet, and I have no problem with my F6x. Garmin Connect is an internet based app. While that approach has limitations, it also has benefits. You can always see all of your stats and activities on your watch, so I do not see what the problem is.

  • You can always see all of your stats and activities on your watch, so I do not see what the problem is.

    Yes, we can see stats on the watch, however not all of the stats and the data presentation is limited by the tiny screen. I am an older person and my eyesight isn't sharp. Because of that I always almost check all the stats in Garmin Connect on the much larger phone screen. The fact that Garmin decided to force all the data screens outside of activity to be white on black makes it even harder to see the data on the watch.

    I really don't see a reason why the app can't display the data synced from the watch offline. Why the data has to be first uploaded to the cloud then pulled back from the cloud in order to be displayed in the app? That means that the app developers were lazy and decided to simplify the design - that is the only explanation. 

  • true, you are able to see nearly everything on the watch. so what's the point in having the connect app then? 

    just to backup your data?