Question about F7X Pro non Sapphire readability

Hello,

The reason I'm writing is because I have bought an F7 Pro Solar and I'm returning it.

What it happens is that I see a lot of reflections and the screen too dim, like greyish. I have been trying a lot changing the brightness and disabling the auto brightness but it does not help either.

Compared to the F6X Pro Sapphire I had and the FR935 of my wife, my F7 Pro unit is a lot worse to read. I'm really dissapointed that the screen of a watch of this price looks so dim.

I have read a lot and there seems to be a lot of complaints. The reason seems to be the combination of the Solar panel + touch panel + Sapphire cristal and specially, the main reason seems to be the touch panel (which was not present in the F6X).

I'm thinking in buying the F7 but not Sapphire (which should be less greyish) and also the F7X bigger version for better readability and I'd like to ask if anyone has tried both F7X Pro Sapphire vs non Sapphire to know about the visibility (which I understand should be a bit better). I have also read that Garmin, uses a better touch panel in the Pro than the non Pro versions because this issue is already well known, but the real thing is that the new screens are still very dim.

The screen is readable, of course. But this is a premium watch with an expensive price. What I'd like to know is if anyone has info about the same models and Sapphire vs non Sapphire visibility. If someone has captures or have done reviews/test that info would be really appreciated.

Amoled screens (Epix, FR965) are not options for me. I want to use the watch as a computer bike setup on my Triathlons where Amoled is a non go. I also prefer the MIPS for my ultras without using gestures to save battery because the amoled screen.

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0 dreamer_ 11 months ago

My actual unit is the Sapphire version

0 Data 11 months ago

There are some pictures comparing the two, buried somewhere in this forum. But please respond, fellow F7 users, with pictures of sapphire and non-sapphire 7X Pro and non-Pro side by side, it would be much appreciated.

Apart from the acreen, the quality of my F7 non-pro Solar Sapphire is very good, but I am still often going back to my F6X because I can't read the screen of the F7 well enough. So I am debating to go for a 7X pro or non-pro, for a bigger and more contrasting screen.

I don't want to have to give up SatIQ but the regular 7 non-pro seems to have a much better display. Maybe someone can post some images of a 7 Solar Sapphire and the 7 base model next to each other too?

0 Szunyog007 11 months ago

I had the Fenix 6X Sapphire and now I have the 7x Pro Sapphire Solar and I can tell you that the 7x pro SS display is much clearer than the 6x Sapphire was and also much brighter, contrasty. I personally prefer the Sapphire display because I don't have to worry about scratches, scratching it even though the non sapphire version maybe more visible in dim conditions.

0 dreamer_ 11 months ago in reply to Szunyog007

I think I have found the answer. Here:

https://forums.garmin.com/outdoor-recreation/outdoor-recreation/f/fenix-7-series/282787/sapphire-vs-non-sapphire-reflections#pifragment-1292=6

The problem seems to be the touch layer and using a non shapphire will not help much either. That's a pity.

I think I'm buying the non shappihre anyhow. Despite of the screen, it is still the best watch of the market without any doubt

0 8641006 11 months ago

it actually does help a bit. I had Garmin 6X Solar and when I switched to 7X SS, it was pain to get use to it.

The watch screen is so dim and much more reflective... if felt like downgrade. There are also UI changes in favor of Epix series OLED screen (they share the same code base obviously) - everything is now more "black" (switching watch face to white background helps, but cant do that in menus etc).

Then I sold 7X SS for 7X Pro non-SS. It is not great like 6X Solar in any way but is definitely better.

0 Data 11 months ago in reply to 8641006

I just went back to my 6X Solar. I will miss many of the 7's features dearly (SatIQ, map arrows, stats for sleep and solar intensity for a whole week) but the constant struggle to find an angle to read the screen and all the black backgrounds eveywhere.. reaching for reading glasses just to read a notification.. it made me feel old. OK I am old-ish, maybe. But the 6X makes me feel 15 years younger as far as my vision is concerned.

0 Kwanderer 11 months ago

I can understand being solar and touch screen having an effect on clarity, but hardly think sapphire makes a discernible deference. I have compared other watches with sapphire and non-sapphire, if anything sapphire is clearer. And it'll be a lot clearer after some use given sapphire doesn't lose its surface clarity easily while non-sapphire does.

0 Gr4z 11 months ago in reply to Kwanderer

Agree. The Fenix 6 Pro Sapphire was the best screen Garmin has done. Crystal clear and tough as nails. I wish they would drop Solar as it's a gimmick anyway. At least that would go some way to getting the clarity back.

0 Kwanderer 11 months ago in reply to Gr4z

Maybe there should be a non-solar option. I do like the solar. When I go out for a week or so of camping/canoeing in summer time it runs mostly on solar. The battery might go down 10-15% after a week of topo map use. So solar works if you give it a decent sun exposure.

0 dreamer_ 11 months ago in reply to Kwanderer

I'm seeing the non Sapphire version has 98g and we are not gaining too much with the screen.

So I'm giving a try with the Suunto Vertical finally, or at least until we see the F8. Despite of the (very) bad OHR of the SV, I have read very good things about accuracy and battery duration. I will miss a lot of things but the F7 Pro I bought was clearly a downgrade for me. I didn't like at all running with that screen and the was is just to expensive for what I consider an important issue that cannot be fixed.