This product has been discontinued by the manufacturer. It's been replaced by the Garmin Fenix 6 Series, you may want to check out that review instead.
The Fenix3 aims to further blend the multisport watch realm (previously dominated by the Garmin Forerunner series), with the outdoor watches (such as the Fenix1 & Fenix2, as well as outdoor handhelds). To that end the Fenix3 is effectively a Garmin FR920XT with additional features aimed primarily at the outdoor and hiking crowd – more than the triathlon crowd. But, the appeal to triathletes since launch as clearly been the more normal watch looking feel, versus the plastic and blocky feel of the Forerunner 920XT units.
I’ve been using the Fenix3 for quite some time, and after a month on a final production unit with final production version – I’ve got enough data and detail for the in-depth review. Which…is what you’ll find below. The good, the bad, and the ugly.
To be clear, I’ve been using a Fenix3 provided by Garmin to test with (final production unit). Like always, I’ll be shipping that back to them in Kansas in the next little bit and going out and getting my own via regular retail channels. That’s just the way I roll.
Lastly, at the end of the day keep in mind I’m just like any other regular athlete out there. I write these reviews because I’m inherently a curious person with a technology background, and thus I try and be as complete as I can. But, if I’ve missed something or if you spot something that doesn’t quite jive – just let me know and I’ll be happy to get it all sorted out. Also, because the technology world constantly changes, I try and go back and update these reviews as new features and functionality are added – or if bugs are fixed. So – with that intro, let’s get into things.
Unboxing & Versions:
There are a number of versions of the Fenix3 that have different exterior surfaces. However, inside, all versions are identical. Again, there is no software differences between them – instead, it’s purely the materials used on the outside. Additionally, some Fenix3 variants are sold in bundles, which include the heart rate strap (HRM-RUN). Let’s do a bit of a walk-through on an unboxing of one version. All versions contain the same pieces and just vary in terms of which bundle you bought.
First up we’ve got all the parts pulled out of the box:
You’ll see you’ve got the USB charging clip (new/different for the Fenix3), the watch itself, and the HRM-RUN heart rate strap. Additionally, you’ve got some paperwork stuffs.
Here’s a closer look at the charging clip. It’s a new design for the Fenix3, which is a touch bit slimmer than previous designs. It features a bit of a slide in/out locking mechanism. Easily works to wear it while using the watch, should you want to charge on the go.
The box also includes a USB wall adapter. But fear not, you can use the unit with any USB port you’ll find on this planet:
Next, is the HRM-RUN strap. This is the strap that includes additional Running Dynamics metrics that were introduced with the FR620. I recently wrote an entire post dedicated to the HRM-RUN strap, which you can read here.
Then there’s some quick start guide information and legal documents:
And finally, the Fenix3 unit itself:
For those looking for a video-walkthrough of the box situation, here’s an unboxing video I did of the Fenix3 Grey Edition:
And then, another unboxing I did of the Fenix3 Sapphire. You’ll note that in the US there isn’t yet a Fenix3 Sapphire HR bundle (in the UK there is). However, the Sapphire edition does have one minor difference: It includes a spare set of plastic straps in case you get tired of the metal strap. Outside of that, same-same.
Here’s an unboxing video I did of the Sapphire edition:
And, just for clarity on all the editions, here’s a photo I shoot with the Fenix3 Red/Silver Edition:
With that, let’s briefly discuss some Sapphire specific notes before going through size specific comparisons.
Sapphire Edition Notables:
The Sapphire edition has a few tiny things that make it different, enough so that I’m going to very briefly cover them. First is that the glass is different. It’s a sapphire glass, which watchmakers sometimes use to increase scratch protection. Now, that said, I really haven’t seen any issues with scratches on the regular unit I’ve been wearing 24×7 for months. I’ve banged the crap out of it on surfaces and haven’t seen anything.
The second item to consider is that the Sapphire edition has metal links like numerous other high end watches. That means that you can’t separate the two ends like a lower priced watch bands. Further, you’ll need to resize the band by removing links. You can do that by bringing it to any jeweler, or, you can get this $2.30 tool and do it yourself.
Rather than put a bunch of pictures here, I just shot a quick video of how it works, which you can find below.
As you can see, it’s silly simple. Seriously, I shot that video within the first few minutes of opening that bag. It’s that simple, and, you can resize any other watch whenever you’d like.
As for deciding between the Sapphire and regular? Well, I’ve mostly been using the regular over the Sapphire, and to that extent I’ve been happy. The thing with the Sapphire is that it’s double the weight of the regular. So obviously it’s gonna feel heavy. For me personally, it takes a week or two to get used to that kinda weight on my wrist (when I’ve done it for regular wrist watches). But, more than that, it’s really limiting if you want to mount it to a bike.
Ultimately, I wouldn’t let the scratch-resistance be the driver of that decision. I’d honestly focus on your personal style preferences and whether or not the bike mount situation is of importance (see bike section on that).
Size & Weight Comparisons:
The Garmin Fenix3 is slightly slimmer than previous Fenix editions, which is easily seen when settled next to another unit (the Fenix3 is up front, the Fenix2 is towards the back):
It’s slightly thicker however than the Garmin FR920XT – at least without the 920XT quick release kit applied. Not much thicker, but a touch bit:
Meanwhile, looking at the front of the unit, here’s how things shake out against other watches in the category.
Finally, when it comes to wrist sizes, you’ll see plenty of my wrist throughout the review, but nonetheless, as a starting point here are the two editions on my wrist (which is 17cm, or about 6.5 inches):
And for The Girl’s wrist, I figured I’d include that here. At 5’2” tall, she’s fairly petite. Her wrist measures 14cm (or 5.5 inches). Here’s a few shots on her wrist:
I haven’t resized the Sapphire yet for her, but once I do, I’ll include that in here.
Running:
There are numerous modes and sport profiles available within the Fenix3, all of which are highly customizable. For this review I’ll start with running and talk about many features within the running section. But keep in mind that virtually all of the functions (such as alerts, data page customization, etc…) are applicable to all modes.
To begin though, you’ll head outside and choose an activity type. Technically these are now called ‘Apps’, and there’s an app for each sport (i.e. Run, Bike, Bike Indoor, etc…). This also makes the structure more extensible to 3rd party apps as those are released.
Assuming you’ve selected a sport mode that’s GPS-enabled, such as running outdoors, the unit will start to find satellite. The ring around the outside will slowly grow to 100%, in red first, and then green once complete.
The satellite acquisition time on the Fenix3 is based on a cached database that is updated each time you sync with your phone, computer, or WiFi. That database enables faster acquisition so that acquisition times only take a few seconds, especially if you’re in the same spot as your last activity ended:
As you were finding satellites you’ll have noticed that the unit would have found any ANT+ sensors that were paired. This would show a small icon at the top for the sensor type – such as heart rate straps.
With everything all set it’s time to actually run. At this point you’ll press the start button (the one with the red ring) and then it’ll start recording. Your pace, distance and any other data fields you’ve configured will appear on the display:
I’ll discuss data fields a bit later on, but you can customize them quite a bit including changing the number of metrics per page as well as the number of pages.
When it comes to pace, the Fenix3 is like the FR620, FR920XT and other recent Garmin watches that shows pace in 5-second increments, but slightly smoothed. This is done to ensure a smoother pace metric. Ultimately, all GPS watches have to smooth pace data in some manner. Either they’re doing it in a visible way (i.e. 5-second increments), or in a non-visible way (smoothing the data further behind the scenes). So the discussion on methods is somewhat academic.
Nonetheless, here’s a look at instant pace reaction times on the Fenix3 during a recent run where I was running along at a long-run pace, and then stopped for traffic for a moment, and then continued running again:
As you can see, it’s reasonably quick – even despite going under a large steel structure holding up the Parisian Metro/Subway system.
Within running (and all activities), you have a variety of functions you can enable such as Auto Lap – which automatically triggers laps on a preset interval, such as every 1-Mile or 1-Kilometer. I tend to use this on long runs, but I don’t use it on interval runs as I manually trigger the laps instead using the lap button in the lower right corner.
Anytime a lap is triggered though the Fenix3 supports customized lap banners. This means that you can change which metrics are shown anytime a lap is triggered.
Next there’s other common Garmin functions like Auto Scroll and Auto Pause. Auto Scroll will iterate through your data pages like a carousel. Whereas Auto Pause will automatically stop and start the timer when you stop/start running. This is more useful for city running or riding.
One new unique feature to the Fenix3 is Auto Climb. Auto Climb works by showing a different set of data fields when you start to climb (go uphill). This feature can be used on any profile including cycling. The feature works by configuring a set of data pages that you want to show while climbing.
For example, for me I’ve configured ones with the incline as a data metric:
Then, once you reach about 2-3% in incline, it’ll automatically trigger those data pages. By default it’ll invert the data page colors, but you can just leave the colors the same if you’d like.
Here’s a video I put together during a recent hill workout showing how it all works:
The feature of course won’t appeal to everyone, but is probably most relevant to ultra and trail runners in the mountains who are going up and down and may want to grab quick elevation related stats.
Now the Fenix3 includes the HRM-RUN Running Dynamics capabilities. Within that, you’ll get stats like Vertical Oscillation and Ground Contact Time. I recently wrote up a full post on the strap here, and whether or not to get it.
While running you’ll also get stats like Recovery Advice, such as whether or not you’re fully recovered. In my experience it’s very rare to get anything other than ‘Good’ or ‘Excellent’. I feel like Garmin is trying to make everyone feel all warm and happy inside, as opposed to telling them ‘Sucky’. Most other users who have been using these metrics for a few years now seem to get pretty similar results.
And then afterwards you’ll get Recovery Time estimates. These estimates are geared at letting you know how much time you should wait until your next hard workout. Of course, for multisport athletes this isn’t aimed for your next workout (of any sort), but just hard workout. This was after a long run…so while perhaps a bit overaggressive, it’s not horribly off the mark.
Additionally, upon completing a run you’ll get information such as any PR’s that were broken (Personal Records) – such as best mile split or longest run. Note that by default these are only specific to this watch.
And finally, you’ll get a summary of your run that you can dig through and look at all the stats, both for the entire run, and each individual lap:
Now, you’re not limited to outdoor running with the GPS. Like most Garmin devices you can also use the Fenix3 indoors, such as on a treadmill. For that you’ve basically got two options. First is to use the built-in accelerometer within the Fenix3 to capture pace and distance. In my experience, this works ‘ok’, but not great.
The way this function works is that while you’re running outdoors it learns your paces and effectively your wrist movement. With that knowledge, it’s important that for the highest accuracy indoors that you wear it on the same wrist as outdoors. Most people have slight differences in how much wrist movement they have on each wrist.
Nonetheless, despite this, what I find is that certain paces are fairly accurate – but others less so. For example when I run my long-run pace, the internally calculated pace is pretty accurate. However, when I go into intervals, the pace tends to fluctuate a bit more – often upwards of about 10%. This isn’t really unique to Garmin however; virtually all wrist-based pace/distance detection solutions are the same in the market today.
The second option for indoor pace is the ANT+ footpod. That allows you to enter in a calibration value and get very accurate pace on a treadmill. I talk about the footpod here in this post in uber-detail.
But, I’ve been using the footpod with the Fenix3 quite a bit on the treadmill over the past few months – all without issue. In each one of those instances my pace nearly matches that of my treadmill (once calibrated), and the distance as well.
Ultimately, my recommendation is that if you want truly accurate pace/distance recorded while indoors – to get a footpod. Also note that at this time there’s no method of selecting pace while outdoors from a footpod. All pace when outdoors comes from GPS, except in scenarios where the GPS signal is lost (i.e. tunnel), in which case it falls back to the footpod (and failing that, to the wrist based detection).
Cycling:
The Fenix3 includes virtually all of the cycling functions and features found in any previous Garmin Edge device – including the Edge 1000. The only features it lacks are turn-by-turn navigation with mapping (i.e.: Turn Left on Maple Street), Auto-Lap by position, and the Edge Remote Control support. That said, let’s spend a few minutes walking through it.
First up is that like running, cycling has its own sport mode. In this case either ‘Bike’ or ‘Bike Indoor’, depending on the weather I suppose. Once you’ve selected that mode it’ll go ahead and find any relevant sensors that you’ve paired. In my case that’s usually a power meter along with a heart rate strap, plus sometimes a speed or cadence sensor if indoors:
It’ll pair with any ANT+ cycling sensors out there (see my section later on that), which includes all power meter brands except Polar/Look and their Keo Power solution.
The Fenix3 also will shortly support Cycling Dynamics, so for those Garmin Vector users, you’ll get that data as well. In the meantime, you’ll still get all the regular left/right data.
When cycling, the functions at a foundational level are the same as running. The only difference for most is that you now have power meter support. This includes all of the power meter relevant fields like Training Peaks metrics such as TSS/NP/IF, and any power balance fields.
Indoors, the situation is much the same. You can go ahead and pair to trainers such as the Wahoo KICKR or TACX Smart series trainers, which broadcast open ANT+ metrics like power, speed and cadence.
All of these metrics are then saved after the fact for uploading to Garmin Connect (and if you choose, automatic sync to sites like Strava).
So what about mounting the Fenix3 to your bike? Well, for that it’s a bit tricky. See, the Fenix3 lacks a quick release kit, so thus it lacks any way to mount it directly using the ubiquitous Garmin quarter-turn mount that’s supported by the Edge series as well as the FR310/FR910XT/920XT watches. This means instead if you don’t want it on your wrist you’ll need to use a little block like this rubber mount from Garmin for about $10:
But, the challenge with that block is that with the Sapphire band you can’t detach it to fit through the hole. So instead, your better bet is this also-$10 rubber block from Timex. The challenge there though is that you can’t put that on your bike handlebars easily unless perhaps it’s a mountain bike.
So I don’t have a solution for road bikes, but for triathlon bikes you could use the Profile Designs bike computer UCM mount, and mount it from the side. Kinda lame, but it does technically work:
Now for me personally, it’s this single item that’s probably the biggest reason I’ll probably still stick with the FR920XT as my main triathlon watch. I don’t like looking at it on my wrist – especially in aero position. Instead, I want it mounted on the bike. Hopefully Garmin will look to release a quick release kit – it’s something that realistically should be simple for them to do, and basically just puts more money in their pocket anyway (since people have to spend at least $50 more for the Fenix3 over the FR920XT anyway).
Swimming:
The Fenix3 supports tracking of both pool and openwater swims. For pool swims the unit will use the internal accelerometer within it to track swims. This means that it’s looking at your movements and trying to determine what type of stroke you’re swimming as well as when you reach the end of each length of the pool.
To start a pool swim you’ll select it from the list of sports:
Next, if it’s the first time using a pool swim it’ll ask you your pool size. Else, it’ll remember your pool size for future swims. If you go to a different pool that requires changing the size, you can simply select it within the settings menu:
There are preconfigured sizes for common pool lengths such as 25m, 25y, and 50m. Additionally, you can specify and pool length between 17m/18y, and 150m/y.
Next, it’s time to swim. Now when swimming with the watch you can do either a flip turn or an open turn (non-flip turn). It’ll track either way. The thing to keep in mind is that it’s essentially measuring acceleration and change in movement direction. So if you stop mid-lane in the pool, it’ll confuse the unit. Likewise if you sit at the end of the lane line for a few seconds and then do your next lap and do the YMCA song with your arms – it’ll confuse it.
Just swim, and keep swimming…and it’ll work out just fine.
As you swim it’ll show you your pace and splits, all of which can be customized. When you reach the end of a given portion of your workout (set), you can press the lap button to go into the rest timer. This will separate out the different sections of the workout for you automatically. It’ll also invert the screen so you know it’s in a paused state.
In addition the Fenix3 supports the Drill Log mode. This mode allows you to do drills that the watch wouldn’t recognize distance on, such as kickboard drills. For this you enter drill mode and then at the end simply tell it how far you swam:
Afterwards, all of this data is available on Garmin Connect and can be sliced and diced. Note that I only swim freestyle, so I can’t really comment on accuracy of other strokes.
While Garmin Connect doesn’t allow editing of swim data, some 3rd parties like Sport Tracks do. For example, in the above swim I had to stop mid-lane on one of my lengths, which caused a missed length. Completely my fault (I dropped a camera out of my swim shorts), but there’s no method to fix that on Garmin Connect today.
Also note that at this time there is no method for any Garmin swim-capable watches to give you structured swim workouts. However, interestingly Connect IQ was coded with that in mind – so it’s certainly possible we’ll see swim workout functionality come soon via that route instead.
Next, we’ve got openwater swims. These are any swims in a lake/pond/ocean/etc… Basically any body of water big enough that GPS is logical. Note that for outdoor pools (except the massive one in Chile), you should always use pool mode.
Once you’ve selected this mode it’ll go ahead and search for GPS just like other modes. Interestingly, within the openwater swim mode you can actually do Live Tracking using the Garmin Connect Mobile app. I’ve done that on a few occasions now using the Safer Swimmer buoy with my phone inside the dry compartment in it:
The Fenix3 communicates with the phone just fine in between each stroke. Heck, I even got a text message from The Girl during one of my openwater swims.
Next, while swimming the unit will track distance, pace and stroke information – such as it does in a pool:
You can create laps as you see fit as well – for example to split apart a course.
Remember that the way openwater swim mode works is that each time your watch goes underwater it loses satellite, thus, each time it comes back up again it has to reacquire satellite in the half a second or so your wrist is above the water. This obviously results in less accurate readings. So what companies do is they take a bit of an average plot of where you’re going and try to figure it out, despite the reduced accuracy. It’s usually not perfect, but it’s also usually pretty good.
I found that in all of my openwater swims that the Fenix3 was the most accurate Garmin openwater swim capable device to date that I’ve tried. Typically I give a very slight edge to the Suunto series for openwater swim accuracy, but that doesn’t appear to be the case anymore. They seem to probably be a wash.
Below you can see some swim tracks with the Fenix3 on my wrist, and where I put another GPS watch (typically the FR920XT on the swim buoy above the water floating next to me). This helps me create a ‘reference’ track to compare against.
Ultimately, these are pretty good. Here’s the exact number comparisons.
First Test: 1,194 vs 1,200yds
Second Test: 1,249 vs 1,305yds
Third Test: 1,475 vs 1,540yds
That last one is actually really impressive track-wise, especially where I edged around the barriers, it perfectly nailed that.
Just as a bit of a tip, if when swimming I find it helps to start the GPS above water where you know it has a lock for the first 1-2 seconds. That establishes a good solid ‘starting point’. And the same is true when you exit the water – just give it a second or two to find your ending point. Seems to help (across most GPS watches).
Multisport activities:
Being a multisport watch, the Fenix3 supports what’s known as ‘multisport’ mode. In this mode (well, actually multiple modes), the watch will automatically transition to the next sport upon pressing the lap button. This allows you to line-up multiple sports such as in a triathlon and get sport-specific settings and records for each segment: Swim, T1, Bike, T2, Run.
You can also create your own custom multisport profiles, using any combination of existing sports. Unlike the Fenix2, there is no limitation on creating a fully indoor triathlon for example.
Within these modes you can customize whether or not to include transition data. What’s nice about the custom modes is that it’s easy to create duathlons. For example, I did an openwater swim/run brick two weeks ago quite easily.
Afterwards, on Garmin Connect the Fenix3 multisport activities will show each segment of the workout separately – but as part of a larger workout. This new Garmin Connect feature was introduced last fall for all new multisport workouts uploaded after that date (or, re-uploaded). You can see my short swim/run brick here:
And you can see how if I click for just the swim tab I get additional detail, and it removes the other portions of the activity from view:
Note however that the Fenix3 lacks a quick release kit, so you’ll need to basically keep it on your wrist the entire time.
Daily Activity & Sleep Tracking:
The Fenix3 incorporates daily 24×7 activity tracking including such metrics as steps, distance walked, calories, and sleep. It also incorporates the Garmin inactivity/move bar, which triggers to tell you that you’ve been lazy.
This activity tracker mode then transmits that data to your smartphone app (Garmin Connect Mobile), which stores the data on the Garmin Connect site for display. Additionally, Garmin Connect can transmit the data to partners such as MyFitnessPal.
This data is also visible on the Fenix3 through the “Wellness” widget (activity tracking widget). It’ll show you your steps towards goal, your current goal, and your calories burned and distance walked.
Along the bottom you see the red ‘move’ bar.
That bar fills up when you don’t move, eventually alerting you after an hour that you need to move. You can clear the move bar by walking roughly 100 yards:
The goal steps that are displayed each day are dynamic, based on your previous days steps and trending data. So, the more you walk, the higher the goal goes – and the inverse is true. It’s designed however such that a single long run on a weekend won’t totally hose up your daily goals.
Next there is calories. Calories on the Fenix3 activity tracker are inclusive of your baseline calories (BMR), aka, the calories you need to stay alive. That’s why if you just sit there watching Saved by the Bell re-runs, it’ll still show you burning calories. That’s pretty much the norm for activity trackers on the market.
There’s also support for MyFitnessPal as well, in the event you want to track both your consumed calories as well as burned calories:
Finally, we look at sleep. The Garmin Fenix3 requires you to manually trigger sleep. This is like the rest of the Garmin units that support sleep metrics…and is honestly pretty lame. Most other watches/trackers will automatically sense it, such as the Fitbit series. Worse yet, is that even when you do manually enter it in, the data that Garmin displays after the fact is pretty useless.
No ‘times/minutes awake’, or anything else of value. Just a very blah-like up and down chart vaguely showing movement.
As far as accuracy of activity tracking in general goes, the Fenix3 measurement of steps has been inline with other activity trackers for me. Which means that it’s generally within 5-8% of what I’m seeing on other devices I’ve been wearing at the same time such as the Fitbit Charge HR and Jawbone Move.
However, keep in mind that there is no ‘perfect’ activity tracker. Different companies use different algorithms to try and minimize inaccuracies. Further, different wearable locations can also impact accuracy. For example, if I’m pushing a shopping cart with a wrist-based device such the Fitbit Charge or Fenix3, I’ll likely get reduced step counts. This is because the accelerometer isn’t likely to be triggered due to the static position of my hand.
Companies try and counter these sorts of items – such as ensuring steps aren’t counted when you’re showering or washing the dishes. But the reality is that sometimes they do trigger steps.
Here’s what I’d remind ya: You shouldn’t be concerned about a few hundred extra steps. At the end of the day, you’re aiming for a goal in the 10,000+ step range – so a few hundred steps really isn’t that meaningful. If you only walked 2,000 steps, then no, you didn’t walk enough. And at the other end of the spectrum, if you walked 18,000 steps – then yes, you walked a lot and an extra 100 steps washing the dishes wasn’t likely the cause for that 18,000 steps.
To that end these devices are best looked at from a trending standpoint. They help you assess whether you’re walking a lot or a little. That’s no different between a Fitbit, a Garmin, a Polar app – or even your phone. They all have imperfections in certain scenarios – and excel at others.
Navigation:
The Fenix series ultimately has it’s roots in navigation – and thus to that end much of that remains the key reason that you’d buy the Fenix3 over another device such as the FR920XT. There’s two types of navigation capabilities within the Fenix3. The first is the basic ‘ABC’ (Altimeter, Barometer, Compass) functionality. These features require no GPS enablement, and are otherwise running 24×7.
They’re accessible at any time by pressing the up/down buttons on the left side of the watch. You can change the time scale for these, but by default they show historical values such as a 48-hr barometer and 4hr temperature.
The sensors that support these features (Compass, Altimeter, Barometer), can be accessed and configured within the settings and then sensors menu of the watch:
It’s here that you can do tasks such as enable the Storm Alert, or change the plot length. Additionally, in the case of the altimeter, you can calibrate it by manually entering in the current elevation (useful for trailheads). Further, you can change the behavior of Auto Calibration, which controls when and how often the unit will calibrate the altimeter. By default it’s once at the start of an activity, but you can change it to be continuous if you’d like.
Note that for compass, as well as other position-format based metrics, you can change to a wide assortment of display formats. I’ll try and get these manually typed up, but Garmin basically covers every possible position format I’ve ever heard anyone ask for.
Next, beyond the ABC functions there’s the GPS-based navigation capabilities. These use GPS to guide you to various points, either pre-defined or on the fly. To start navigation you’ve got two options. The first is to simply select ‘Navigation’ from the main menu, and then select a given type of navigation: Courses, Activities, Saved Locations, Sight ‘N Go, or Coordinates.
When you do this, it’ll ask you for further details on what you’re navigating to – such as the pre-created course name:
Then, it’ll give you a bit of an overview of that particular selection. For example, in a course it’ll show you a map of the course, as well as the elevation profile. Interestingly however, that elevation profile is not available once you start the activity.
Then you an select ‘Do Course’ to start the navigation. At this point the unit will ask you which activity profile to use. You can use any GPS-enabled sport to navigate, for example hiking, running, or cycling.
At this point, the unit will add the navigation-specific screens that you have to that sport profile. These four screens can be fully customized (each with four data fields), plus the Map and Guide screens.
And of course, it’ll start navigation once you press the Start button. As you navigate, it’ll guide you based on a map showing progress. You can change the zoom level of that map by holding the middle left menu button:
In my case, I had pre-created a course on Garmin Connect and downloaded it to the unit via the Garmin Connect Mobile app:
You can also use the desktop application called Garmin Basecamp, but that lacks the free base map set seen on Garmin Connect, so it’s a bit more tricky to create routes with a default Garmin Basecamp install. Note that rather unfortunately the Fenix3 is not compatible with Basecamp Mobile. That’s quite a bummer because Basecamp mobile was super-easy to create waypoints, whereas there’s no method on Garmin Connect to create Waypoints, only routes. So oddly, things got slightly harder with this new version. Hopefully Garmin will enable support for it on the Fenix3. Ultimately in my mind if they don’t have that in place by time the Epix releases, otherwise it’ll be a super-disjointed story.
In any case, back to navigating the route. As you’re navigating you’ll get various status on your progress related to the course. For example if you’re on course, and how much of the course is remaining.
If you’ve defined a given pace for the course, the unit will show that as well within the screens. This is essentially the same functionality that’s then leveraged for the ability to follow a previous activity.
In addition to courses you can also save coordinates and route to them. You can further save these coordinates with given names, such as ‘Start of trail’, or ‘Home’. Or perhaps more critical place names like ‘Burger place’. Note that the Fenix3 does not contain any sort of POI (Point of Interest) database, so you’ll have to create all your own POI’s.
Finally, note that there are actually a number of very small (but important to some) navigational differences between the Fenix3 and the past Fenix1/Fenix2. In order to minimize the amount of updating I have to do each and every time Garmin updates/addresses these, I’ve placed them all into a massive comparison table a few sections down from here. Please do read that section though to better understand if there’s any gaps that cause you pain.
Battery Life:
The Fenix3 has a few different technical specs when it comes to battery life, depending on how you use it. For example, they note on the product page that it’ll get: “50 hours in UltraTrac mode, 16 hours in GPS mode and up to 3 months in watch mode” (yet in other places on the spec pages it notes 20 hours in GPS mode).
So how does that compare in reality? Well, it depends. First, we’ll start with just a simple long-life battery test. For that, I simply fully charge the unit up and plunk it on my roof and see when it dies.
In this case, I went with 1s recording (non-UltraTrac, 1-second recording, GLONASS-off) Here’s the results there:
As you can see, it went 18 hours and 12 minutes, a bit shy of their claimed 20 hours but above their 16 hours. We’ll call it splities. In my case the temperatures here have been about 38°F/3°C, so you’ll see that impact battery life slightly. Still, at 18 hours it easily covers an Ironman triathlon.
The next option you’d have is UltraTrac. This mode reduces the GPS update frequency to save battery life. This means you’ll get less GPS track points, as it works in a 15-20 seconds of GPS on-time, then about 45 seconds of GPS off-time pattern. Because of this, it cuts some of the corners, because of the reduced update rate. Now, for something like city running – it’s not really ideal. But, if you’re doing a longer hike where you might otherwise be tight on battery, it’s probably fine. That’s because your rate of speed is lower.
Note that with UltraTrac you DO get ANT+ data, which is a change from prior Fenix versions, where you didn’t get ANT+ data. This data is recorded at 1-second rate. Additionally, instant pace, temperature and cadence is also recorded at the 1-second rate, since all of that comes from the accelerometer.
But what if UltraTrac isn’t enough? For that you can use a USB battery charging pack. These packs allow you to charge the Fenix3 while it’s recording mid-use. So you can simply attach it and re-charge as you complete your activity.
To get an understanding of how that works, I’ve put together this quick little video:
Finally, what about day-to-day battery life? Well for that the unit is spec’d at 6 weeks. But quite frankly, I wasn’t about to wait 6 weeks without plugging it in, because then I wouldn’t have had the battery juice for all my day to day GPS workouts. Instead, let’s focus on battery life for day-to-day activity.
Within the Fenix1/Fenix2 timeframe, the battery life was pretty good (lasted a long time) in normal day to day mode. But, on the Fenix1/2 it was greatly shortened if you enabled Bluetooth Smart (for notifications, primarily). Down to about 24-36 hours, on a good day.
With the Fenix3 however, you can leave Bluetooth Smart on and it’ll last quite some time. It’s tough to get an exact real-world figure, since again the mere act of using GPS for other activities would drain things. But we’re talking at least a week or more here. Perhaps it’s three weeks, I just don’t have any way of knowing. Either way, for most people you’ll need to charge it again before that point simply for use during GPS activities.
Sensor Compatibility & Sensor Pools:
The Fenix3 follows in the footsteps of both the Edge 1000 and FR920XT in including the sensor pool concept. This means that instead of having ‘bike profiles’, you just pair all your sensors into what is effectively a pool. When those sensors turn on (such as turning your bike wheel, or putting on your HR strap), then the Fenix3 will automatically find them.
This is ideal for people with multiple bikes that may or may not forget to change the bike profile before starting the ride – as the sensors automatically pickup instead. It’s also great if you have more than one pair of running shoes with footpods on them, or simply different heart rate straps.
To pair a sensor you’ll go into the sensors menu and add a new sensor. You can tell it to search for everything, or you can pair a specific sensor type:
The Fenix3 can save numerous sensors of the same type within the pool. For example, you can see multiple heart rate straps saved here on my unit (you can give them custom names too!):
The Fenix3 supports the following sensor types:
ANT+ Heart Rate Strap
ANT+ Running Footpod
ANT+ Cycling Power Meter
ANT+ Cycling Speed-only Sensor
ANT+ Cycling Cadence-only Sensor
ANT+ Cycling Speed/Cadence Combo Sensor
ANT+ Tempe (Temperature Sensor)
ANT+ VIRB Action Camera
ANT Shimano Di2 (coming in future update)
For those that want more accurate temperature data during activities (so that it’s off your wrist, due to body heat interference), you’ll want to look into the Tempe sensor, which is made by Garmin. This sensor lasts a year on a coin cell battery and transmits the temperature to the Fenix3.
Like existing Garmin products, the Fenix3 does not support any Bluetooth Smart sensors, nor other sensor technologies such as analog sensors or Polar W.I.N.D. sensors. Nor does it support Nike+ straps or sensors.
Finally, a brief note about optical sensors (such as the Scosche or Mio products). With using optical HR, you do run the risk that you’ll get reduced accuracy on metrics that require heart rate variability (such as Recovery Time, VO2Max, Race Predictor, and to a much more limited degree, calories). This is because these sensors today largely ‘estimate’ heart rate variability (HRV/RR) information. However, they are required to transmit said information according to the ANT+ heart rate specification. So instead of transmitting nothing, they estimate it (but not measure it).
For some people, it’ll work out and their metrics would lineup against a normal chest strap. For others, the differences may be more apparent. It’s hard to know exactly how it would impact a given person. For me personally, some workouts line-up near identically, yet others are far off the mark. Again, just a lot of variables (none of which are the fault of the Fenix3, but rather the state of optical sensor technology today).
Data Fields & Display Customization:
The Fenix3 includes numerous ways to customize the display within activities (as well as outside of activities). Within activities you can display up to four pieces of data on a single page, and you can have up to 10 pages of data per activity profile (app/sport). I honestly can’t think of a reason you’d need more than 40 pages of concurrent data. And technically speaking, you get another few pages of data when you add in the ‘Navigation-specific’ pages.
Each of these is customized on a per-sport basis, which is handled through the settings option. But you can also change these on the fly during the activity if you need to. There is no method to change these via the app or online.
You can display 1, 2, 3, or 4 data fields per data page. But, there are also different ways you can display some of those – such as the way the screen is split up. The below little gallery shows you all the ways you can show the data:
Note that there is not an active HR graph like there has been on some previous Garmin units, however there is some Connect IQ HR graph data fields (but reaction to those is mixed from folks).
Note that widgets also show data as well when not in an activity, such as the temperature, barometer, and altitude. These are on 24×7 and do not require necessarily GPS (though some do leverage it):
Finally, the exact listing of all available data fields can be found within the Fenix3 manual.
GPS Accuracy:
The Fenix3 includes additional GPS related technologies (GLONASS) which can increase GPS accuracy in most situations. In my testing of the Fenix3 over quite some time now, I’m seeing accuracy on par with the Garmin FR920XT and Suunto Ambit3 – both of which I’ve had virtually zero issues with in a wide variety of scenarios.
Now, when it comes to GPS accuracy I tend to take a fairly practical viewpoint. I’m generally looking at how well a unit tracks compared to where I went, as well as the total distances seen between different units. Generally speaking I’m running/riding with 2-5 other GPS devices at the same time. I feel this is pretty important – comparing two different runs, even on the same route, will result in differences due to environmental factors and simple things like body placement. Which, is also important to consider. You can get different results between the left and right wrists, depending on how your body impacts GPS reception. In most cases, it’s negligible, but in edge cases it could be more overt.
When looking at GPS accuracy and tracks on a map – you must be sure to be in satellite mode and not map mode. Maps don’t always align with reality, while satellites are much closer. A map might have you running in the water whereas the satellite will show you on a river path.
Finally, do recognize the limitations of consumer grade GPS, which is generally specified as +/-3M. By default the Fenix3 does NOT have GLONASS turned on, so you’ll want to enable that via: Settings button > Settings menu item > System > GLONASS = ON. Note it will have a slight impact on battery, but not significant. Note however that a very small percentage of folks have seemingly seen worse accuracy with GLONASS enabled on other watches like the FR920XT. So, if you’re having some GPS issues, try simply turning that off instead. Finally, be sure that you have 1-second recording enabled, otherwise you’ll often see cut-corners.
All that said, I’ve seen consistently impressive results when it comes to GPS accuracy with GLONASS enabled. Here’s a data sheet of distances recorded by two or more devices. Obviously, with only two devices in some cases, it’s hard to know who was right – but as you can see, in almost all those cases the two devices were nearly identical. For cases where I had a third device, I included that.
My personal testing with the Fenix3 has been in the following locales in a variety of conditions from snow to sun, rain to fog: USA, Canada, France, United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa, Turkey, Spain, and the Netherlands. For the below table however, I’ve only included activities on the final firmware versions (despite having a vast library of accurate data prior to final firmware) – and only activities where two or more devices finished their recordings (i.e. sometimes another unit would run out of battery).
Fenix3 GPS Accuracy
Description
Fenix3
Other 1
Other 2
Openwater Swim 1
.74mi
.71mi (FR920XT Buoy)
-
Openwater Swim 2
.68mi
.68mi (FR920XT Buoy)
.69mi (Ambit2 S)
Openwater Swim 3
.87mi
.84mi (FR920XT Buoy)
-
Long Run
14.64mi
14.65 (Epson 810)
14.87 (Polar V800)
Hill Repeats
7.77mi
7.816mi (Epson 810)
-
Sunday Mixed City/Park Ride
23.44mi
23.55mi (Edge 510)
23.65mi (Edge 810)
Sunday Long Run Through City
14.43mi
14.47mi (Epson 810)
-
Evening City Run
5.82mi
5.84mi (FR920XT)
5.85 (Polar V800)
Cycling - Sunday
30.10mi
30.09 (Edge 810 #1)
30.16 (Edge 810 #2)
River Long Run
12.56
12.60 (FR920XT)
12.69 (Polar V800)
(Activities below this are post-review additions)
Interval 800m Repeats
7.33
7.28 (Fenix3 #2)
7.38 (Vivoactive)
Long Run
12.15
12.31 (Vivoactive)
-
City Sunday Run
10.02
10.26 (Epson 810)
10.31 (Vivoactive)
Bahrain Run
4.15
4.12 (Epson 810)
-
Evening City Run
5.60
5.62 (Epson 810)
5.63 (Vivoactive)
Half-Marathon
13.04
13.13 (Epson 810)
-
Night River Long Run
12.63
12.77 (Vivoactive)
-
Interval 800m Repeats Les Berges
7.29
7.35 (Vivoactive)
-
Numerous indoor rides
-
-
-
Numerous treadmill runs
-
-
-
Note that virtually all of my activities are available on Strava, so you’re free to look at any activity. Unfortunately Strava has yet to update the device name mapping field, so it shows these as the FR920XT. Fear not, any file I’ve uploaded to Strava since late January has been with the Fenix3 (unless it says Garmin Edge).
Additional post-review note: I’ve been occasionally adding in activities I’ve done since publishing this review, into the table above.
Connect IQ Compatibility:
The Fenix3 supports Connect IQ, which is Garmin’s new app store concept for Garmin devices. The platform was unveiled this past fall, and contains four basic types of ‘things’:
– Watch Faces
– Data Fields
– Widgets
– Apps
At present, only Watch Faces and Data Fields are released in the Connect IQ store. The Apps and Widgets will release tomorrow (Friday, March 6th). Today within that store you can download various data fields and watch faces. These include both Garmin and 3rd party made options:
Once downloaded to your watch you can include Connect IQ data fields within any of your existing data pages:
Similarly, you can change to the Connect IQ watch faces as you see fit.
The next set of things that Garmin will release tomorrow (Friday) are- Apps and Widgets – are really where the major benefits of the platform come into play. That’s where you’ll start to see cool logic driven programs that can run on the Fenix3 and generate meaningful feedback and guidance. For example, there’s an upcoming App that does turn-by-turn navigation on Connect IQ:
Now in some cases, Garmin has selected to make widgets instead of adding base functionality into the Fenix3. For example, in the past the Hunt & Fish, as well as Moon & Sun functionality was within the Fenix1/Fenix2 natively. But now it’s a Connect IQ widget. Here’s an early preview into these two widgets which will be released tomorrow – the Sunset/Sunrise, and Hunt/Fish ones. (Update: These specific widgets have been delayed slightly now, and will not release tomorrow.)
Finally, here’s a preview of another app coming up called Sky Watch. This app will show you the locations of star constellations, planets, and the moon (with phases), as you move the watch around. It’s pretty cool. Here’s a quick video I shot of it tonight:
The Fenix3 like virtually all of Garmin’s new devices made in the last 2 years, can connect to the Garmin Connect Mobile app for smartphones. The Fenix3 will leverage Bluetooth Smart to connect to your phone for uploading of workouts, downloading of courses, and the sync of notifications and other smartphone related goodness.
Unlike the Fenix1 & Fenix2 however, the Fenix3 can do all this while concurrently using ANT+. Meaning that there’s no longer a limitation of using sensors with things like Live Tracking, as there was previously.
In addition as well, the battery drain profile for use of Bluetooth Smart notifications from your phone is much more normal now, allowing you to go quite some time before re-charging (on the Fenix1/2, it was only a day or two). Now, you’re realistically looking at charging perhaps every 1-2 weeks depending on how much GPS activity you have for workouts.
Notifications on the Fenix3 can be enabled to buzz or beep you, and customized as to when it will do so. For example, you can configure it to leave you alone during workouts if you want.
The notifications will appear immediately on the Fenix3 screen – often before it even shows up on your phone (it’s kinda impressive):
In addition, they’ll disappear after a timeout – but can still be accessed via the notifications widget by just pressing the up/down buttons:
(The above phone number isn’t real, it’s just used by Google News Alerts to send notifications)
In either location you can dive into the details of a notification further:
Note that notifications are controlled by the respective phone platforms notification center. So it’s not Garmin deciding which notifications to show – but rather how you’ve configured it on your iOS or Android device for a given app. To get an idea of how both the inbox widgets work, as well as how notifications work, I put together a little video of it:
Beyond notifications, the Garmin Connect Mobile app will automatically upload completed workouts as soon as they are saved, assuming your phone is in-range.
Additionally, you can use the app to download courses (as I showed in the navigation section). And the phone is also used to upload step and sleep data from the Fenix3.
Beyond these functions, you can utilize Live Tracking with the Fenix3. This function works the same as with previous Garmin devices whereby it uses your phone’s data connection for uploading your current position and post track locations to a website that you can share with friends and family (and stalkers of your choosing).
This site will also display ANT+ data from your workout as well:
The benefit of doing this over just a regular phone app that transmits your location is that this offloads the GPS service to your Fenix3, as opposed to the battery drain on your phone. As anyone who has used the GPS on their phone knows – the battery drain of GPS can be huge.
Finally, the Fenix3 is the first Garmin ‘smart’ device that has managed to remember it’s marriage to my phone the entire time. Now this may sound like an odd statement, but whether the fault of Garmin Connect Mobile (GCM) updates, iOS updates, or just the device itself – I’ve yet to have an issue where I’ve had to re-pair the Fenix3 to the GCM app. It just works. Day in, and day out, it notifies me for various notifications.
Bugs and other quirks:
By and large, the Fenix3 has been pretty bug-free for me. I have seen a handful of little quirks, most of which have already been addressed since I’ve noted (and reported) them. I haven’t seen anything that’s systematic, nor anything that was a show-stopper. Finally, I haven’t seen any single oddity more than once (meaning, a repeating issue).
The minor quirks I have seen on production versions of the Fenix3 include some oddities with Live Tracking here and there, such as sessions that showed odd sensor data to people following me live (but my data recorded/shown to me was perfectly fine). Also, a discrepancy where Garmin Connect told me a course was ~14.9 miles, yet when I actually ran it, it was ~14.6 miles – nearly a third of a mile off. It’s not clear to me if that’s a Fenix3 issue or a Garmin Connect course creator issue. Similarly, I did see an issue where the Fenix3 wasn’t reading the estimated paces within a course file from Garmin Connect. But again, it could be that Garmin Connect wasn’t sending them correctly.
Finally, I’ve seen one issue with reboots related to changing power meter data fields during configuration. Garmin has confirmed/reproduced that as being fixed in the next firmware update.
I haven’t seen any GPS accuracy issues, nor have I seen any reboots beyond what I just noted. I’ve not seen any data loss either across not just production units but any pre-production units.
Which of course this doesn’t mean you’ll see something I don’t. I can only test what I think to test, or stumble into during day to day use across swim/bike/run/hike/etc… In looking at other sources, such as the Garmin Forums, I don’t really see any sort of widespread issues either with people that have had the unit going on a month now.
Update #1 (May 4th 2015): Issues with trail running/riding and under-reporting of distance:
Some users are seeing issues in trails with the Fenix3 undereporting distance (cutting corners). I reached out to the Fenix product manager and Garmin PR regarding the issue. My question/inquiry was specifically related to those seeing GPS shortages primarily in wooded areas while running/riding, most often associated with changes in direction and switchbacks. Their official quotable response to that topic area from both the PR lead for the Outdoor team, as well as the program manager for the Fenix product line is below:
“We’re aware of the customer concerns and are working towards a resolution. This is a priority for the Garmin team, and we’ll be sure to communicate to consumers once a firmware update is available to fix the issue.”
They aren’t comfortable giving a specific time frame for said firmware update at this time.
Update #2 (May 18th, 2015): Secondary update on Fenix3 shortening
I received another update, albeit a very brief one on the distance shortening, here’s the latest from Garmin (media lead, after checking directly with Fenix3 engineering team lead):
“…our engineering team has this issue at the top of their priority list. They’re moving quickly to get a fix pushed out, and I’ll be sure to let you know once I have more information on when the firmware update will be released.”
Not a whole lot more detail than before, other than to say it’s being worked.
Deciding between the Fenix3 & FR920XT (and the Fenix2):
Since the Fenix3 has come out there’s been a lot of questions on whether to get the Fenix3 or the FR920XT. Additionally, how precisely the Fenix3 differs from the Fenix2. The key thing to consider is that the Fenix3 is largely built on the same software platform as the FR920XT. Thus, they share many features. The Fenix3 should be looked at as a superset of the FR920XT. So, a FR920XT++.
However, there is one aspect that might sway many people towards the FR920XT: The lack of quick release kit on the Fenix3. Given it doesn’t have one, for triathletes that’s kinda a big deal. Additionally, some might find that because of the rectangular nature of the FR920XT screen, it allows the numbers to be a smidgen bigger versus the rounded display that cuts into some of the display area.
Shifting to past changes between the Fenix3 and the Fenix1/2, there’s a host of them – mostly minor, but for some those tiny little differences may be a big thing. On the flip side, for many, they might not matter. Do keep in mind that the below chart doesn’t encompass many of the ‘better known’ differences between the models (i.e. weight, sensors types like Di2, etc…). This is really about capturing a lot of the ‘tiny’ changes between them.
Fenix3 Feature Differences
Functionality/Feature Differences
Garmin Fenix3
Garmin FR920XT
Garmin Fenix2
Garmin Fenix1
General: Multiple Time Zones Displayed (i.e. showing both US EST and US PST on device)
Planned Connect IQ Widget
No
Yes
Yes
General: Multiple Time Alarms (i.e. 8AM, 10AM, etc…)
Initially March 2015 - now Summer 2015
No
Yes
Yes
General: Battery with Bluetooth enabled lasts a long time (more than ~24-36 hours)
Yes
Yes
No
No
General: Ability to operate dual ANT+ & Bluetooth Smart concurrently
Yes
Yes
No
No
General: Weather Widget (uses cellular data via Bluetooth Smart for weather data)
Yes
via Connect IQ
No
No
General: GLONASS for increased GPS accuracy in some situations
Yes
Yes
No
No
General: Show exact satellite accuracy (i.e. +/- 15ft)
No
No
Yes
Yes
General: Show satellite map (display of satellite positions)
No
No
Yes
Yes
General: Daily Activity Tracker/Sleep Tracking
Yes
Yes
No
No
General: Resume later functionality (stops GPS activity, allows you to resume activity later)
Yes
No
Yes
General: Ability to use device while being charged
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
General: Auto Light capability
No
No
Yes
Yes
General: Configurable hot key capability
Yes (added Apr 2015)
No
Yes
Yes
Navigation: Ability to display coordinates ('Where am I'/similar function)
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Navigation: Can save GPS locations on watch for future navigation
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Navigation: Ability to configure position formats (Datum/Spheroid/Coordinates)
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Navigation: Numerous Compass Data Fields (Heading/GPS Heading/Compass Heading)
Yes
Only 'Heading'
Yes
Yes
Navigation: Numerous Navigation Data Fields (Dist remaining, Bearing, Course, Off Course, Lat/Long, etc…)
Yes
Minimal Fields
Yes
Yes
Navigation: Has 'Sight 'N Go' functionality (following compass heading)
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Navigation: Has navigate to Coordinate (entered on device) functionality
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Navigation: Can navigate on/following historical activities
Hiking: Can one-tap display Altimeter, Barometer, Compass,Temp (no GPS enablement needed)
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Hiking: Can display barometer value
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Tools: Ability to share routes wirelessly between devices
No
No
Yes
Yes
Tools: Calculate distance between two points
No
No
Yes
Yes
Tools: Area calculation functionality
No
No
Yes
Yes
Tools: Man overboard functionality
No
No
Yes
Yes
Tools: Sun & Moon functionality
Planned Connect IQ Widget
No
Yes
Yes
Tools: Hunt & Fish functionality
Planned Connect IQ Widget
No
Yes
Yes
Tools: Jumpmaster functionality (parachuting)
No
No
Yes
Yes
Sports: Autoclimb functionality
Yes
No
No
No
Sports: Ability for multisport profile with indoor swim
Yes
Yes
No
No
Sports: Has quick release kit (for triathlon)
No
Yes
No
No
Sports: Support for sport-specific heart rate zones
Yes
Yes
No
No
Sports: Support for multiple activity profiles (via multiple saved sensors)
Yes
Yes
No
No
Apps: Garmin Connect IQ Support
Yes
Yes
No
No
For the bigger changes, see the below main comparison tables. The above is like a ‘special edition’ comparison table for just this one post to try and ferret out all the little differences.
Product Comparisons:
If you’re looking for a general (but still detailed) comparison chart between the Fenix3 and other units on the market, check out the product comparison tool. Below is just a look at the Fenix3, FR920XT, and Fenix2 – but every GPS watch product I’ve reviewed is available to mix and match and create your own comparisons here.
Again, remember that all products are available in the product comparison tool – so you can mix and match and create your own comparison there. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions:
I’ve attempted to consolidate many of the most frequently asked questions I’ve seen about the Fenix3 into the following sections.
When is the Fenix3 going to ship?
Technically it’s been shipping for about a month now. Though, it’s probably been one of the more bungled Garmin distributions to date, full of miscommunications and misinformation (really, I haven’t seen anything this hosed up in years from the company). While Garmin is within their previously stated “Q1 2015” range, their shipment of just a single handful of units early February has caused a lot of confusion – even within Garmin. Unfortunately, their move has only led to disappointed consumers. Hopefully things will get sorted out in the next few weeks with larger volumes.
Should I get the Fenix3 or FR920XT?
See the above section on that, but I think for most it’ll come down to whether you care about some of the additional navigation features, the quick release kit, and the slight differences in weight and screen sizes.
Will Garmin start selling a Fenix3 quick release kit?
I don’t know. I think I’ve made it really clear that it’s silly they don’t – just seems like lost money left on the table for them.
What about using optical sensor such as the Mio Link or Scosche?
These are great units, but do keep in mind there are some limitations using optical sensors with certain features of the Fenix3 (along with other Garmin/Suunto/Polar units). These features such as recovery time, VO2Max, and to a limited degree calories – depend on accurate heart rate variability information. With today’s technology, that transmission is often quite estimated. See a bit more detail in my sensors section.
No, it cannot. No ANT+ or Bluetooth Smart strap is capable of transmitting through water. In the case of the Suunto Ambit3, they use a cache and forward technique where it saves the data while swimming and sync’s it afterwards. In the case of Polar and the V800 they use a legacy analog signal to transmit the data underwater.
What about the Garmin Epix, how does the Fenix3 compare to that?
Honestly, it’s too soon to know. With the Epix seemingly on a path for an April (or even later) release, there’s just too much that’s not finalized at this point. Ultimately the biggest difference will be that the Epix obviously supports mapping, but beyond that it remains unclear how many other differences there may be. See my previous preview for the latest news there.
Summary:
For the multisport crowd who’s been looking for Garmin to come out with a multisport sport watch that’s as elegant as more classical time pieces, the Fenix3 definitely delivers there. For the outdoor/hiking crowd, there’s been some changes from the Fenix1/2 that some won’t quite like (such as lack of basemap). Yet, there are certainly features that same crowd will be quite happy about. So, it’s really going to be a personal preference.
When it comes to stability and functionality, given the Fenix3’s foundation of the FR920XT (which is widely seen as quite stable and solid), the watch continues in that vein. I simply haven’t had any major issues (and barely any minor issues) on the final production firmware. The single biggest issue I have has nothing to do with firmware, but just really the lack of quick release kit for cycling.
When it comes to looking at other units on the market, it’s going to be incredibly tough for any other multisport or hiking GPS to compete with the Fenix3. Feature by feature, nobody is really in the same ballpark these days. Some are closer in certain areas (such as the Ambit3 in the multisport realm), but with Garmin Connect IQ, that gap is going to start widening very quickly tomorrow with the release of Apps & Widgets.
At this point I’ve got no issues recommending the Fenix3. For myself personally, I’ll likely stick with the FR920XT however for most swim/bike/run ventures, purely because of the slightly thinner profile and ability to use the quick release kit. However, should I go hiking or skiing – I’m likely to grab the Fenix3 out of the bin instead.
Thanks for reading!
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Since the Garmin Fenix3 is no longer sold, I recommend looking at Garmin Fenix 6 Series:
And finally, here’s a handy list of accessories that work well with this unit (and some that I showed in the review). Given the unit pairs with ANT+ & Bluetooth Smart sensors, you can use just about anything though.
This is a dual ANT+/Bluetooth Smart cycling cadence sensor that you strap to your crank arm, but also does dual Bluetooth Smart, so you can pair it both to Zwift and another Bluetooth Smart app at once if you want.
This is one of the top straps I use daily for accuracy comparisons (the others being the Polar H9/H10). It's dual ANT+/Bluetooth Smart, and in fact dual-Bluetooth Smart too, in case you need multiple connectons.
Seriously, this will change your life. $9 for a two-pack of these puck Garmin chargers that stay put and stay connected. One for the office, one for your bedside, another for your bag, and one for your dog's house. Just in case.
This speed sensor is unique in that it can record offline (sans-watch), making it perfect for a commuter bike quietly recording your rides. But it's also a standard ANT+/BLE sensor that pairs to your device. It's become my go-to speed sensor.
This wifi-connected scale will track your weight and related metrics both on the scale display and in Garmin Connect (plus 3rd party apps like TrainingPeaks). It'll also then sync your weight to your watch/bike computer, to ensure accurate calorie data.
The HRM-PRO Plus is Garmin's top-end chest strap. It transmits dual ANT+/Bluetooth Smart, but also transmits Running Dynamics & Running Pace/Distance metrics, stores HR data during a swim, and can be used without a watch for other sports. Also, it can transmit XC Skiing Dynamics as well.
And of course – you can always sign-up to be a DCR Supporter! That gets you an ad-free DCR, access to the DCR Quarantine Corner video series packed with behind the scenes tidbits...and it also makes you awesome. And being awesome is what it’s all about!
Thanks for reading! And as always, feel free to post comments or questions in the comments section below, I’ll be happy to try and answer them as quickly as possible. And lastly, if you felt this review was useful – I always appreciate feedback in the comments below. Thanks!
I just got back in town late last night and found my new silver bundle had arrived, this morning when I went to go set it up it did an update to version 3.10. Anyone have any idea what new features are in this update?
Calorie-wise, there’s (disappointingly) almost no difference between walking and running in terms of calories burned per distance unit. About the only time you see differences is when you get very close to MaxHR type levels.
It’s counting up even when I’m at rest so it’s including calories burned via BMR which for me is about 1900 Kcal/day. I checked, and a BMR can be calculated using the info in our profile so I think that’s it.
I got my Sapphire yesterday (from CT, thanks Ray for the discount well worth the wait), charged it up, set up my data fields and all I can say is I’m in love, like seriously, ask my wife, lol. This watch is just awesome! I used it for my 5k race this morning, given all the comments on issues and accuracy I wore my F2 with it for my 2 mile warm up and they were all but identical in all data fields and tracks. So much so I dropped the F2 in the car and raced with the F3 only. It was my best track ever, I ended up at 3.11 miles, that is the closest to a race distance I have ever run, granted I did run a good line but it was till spot on. My 1 mile beep occurred right at the 1 mile marker, I was amazed. IT also sync’d via BT to my phone in a flash! So much better than the F2. I don’t know if I’m fortunate that I got a good lot or if others are just too picky or have too high of standards. All I know is I am very happy so far. I bike later and swim tomorrow so we’ll see if the other sports work as well.
I also just I got my Sapphire a few days ago (also from CT. Again, thanks for the discount). Perhaps the greatest piece of tech I have owned to date (and I am very much an early adopter who has owned a lot). The Smartwatch capabilities are astounding. At a fancy dinner last night, received a txt. Was able to casually read it on my wrist rather than having to (rudely) pull out my phone. Same while in work meetings. And while running/biking- to be able to quickly see who’s calling from my wrist rather than struggling to fish my phone out of my pocket (I am a physician always “on call” so don’t get to ignore phone).
Must say that the Garmin manual is a bit “lacking”. Lots of issues poorly explained. This watch just has so many features and customizations it is difficult to guess at them all. Having used multiple Garmin products over the years much is intuitive but not all. Getting used to having “one less button” (“enter”) than on my 910 is taking a bit of getting used to, as is the nav buttons on the bottom left instead of the top right (as on the 910).
Used watch for my first OW swim today and did have one issue. I swam ~1,500m and the watch shows that I swam nearly 3,000m (which, of course gave me a GREAT pace! Man I suddenly looked fast.). I knew something was up when I got to the 1,500 turn buoy (at 750m) and the watch not only showed that I had already traveled 1,500m but I floated in place at the buoy for nearly 6 minutes (to test the watch, not b/c I needed to rest!) yet the total distance continued to steadily climb even while I was completely stationary (using the buoy as a reference). So. even though I was not moving, the total distance was increasing almost 1m/sec as if you were looking at a “stopwatch”. I was in GPS mode only (GLONOSS off) so tomorrow I will try again with GLONOSS on and see of that makes a difference.
One other cool thing- I had left my cell phone in the car. As I was walking up the the car I was within about 30 ft. and the watch buzzed on my wrist, saying “bluetooth connected” and before I had unlocked my car, the workout had been uploaded to TP (via GC app on phone). Pretty slick.
It will be interesting to see if turning on GLONOSS fixes this issues during OWS. (I would guess that “every little bit helps” when it comes to GPS and water).
1) my silver bundle is beautiful, love the watch.
2) I cannot figure out how to get 4 data fields on a page, can anyone PLEASE help!! I get to the page but when I click on data fields it just displays the 3, it won’t give me the option to change it
3) tracks were good in some spots poor in others, I did do a good GPS soak. Comparable to mapmyrun and my 920.
4) instant pace was right on with my 920.
Positive
– GPS is really quick to connect with satellites
– Menu options is similar to forerunner collection and it is very easy to use and to set up
To Improve
– Screen is the opossitive to smarthwath screens, very good visibility outdoor but poor visibility in dark conditions, indoor and cloudly days
– not a lot of applications to choose in the app store
Thanks for the great review. It gives a lot of insight.
I’m planning on getting one primarily for hiking (in Italy). Do you know if there have been any changes in how the altimeter is working while not moving? This review of the Fenix 2, make me frown: link to backpackingnorth.com
Also it would be nice to know if there are any differences in how waypoints are navigated.
I’d caution that the Fenix2 is an entirely different beast than the Fenix3, this includes things like the altimeter and waypoints. I cover both in the ‘Deciding between’ section.
So would you say, that from a hiking perspective, the Fenix 3 is a step back from the Fenix 2?
Is it some kind of commercial choice to remove functionality from the watch in order to lure hikers into buying the Epix? I don’t give much for map display, but some form of waypoint navigation should be possible on a hiking watch… It’s a strange thing how companies cripple their products from time to time, to force customers into choosing a certain product. Apple tactics 😉
It’s a lateral move. Some might say it’s a step back, but at the same time there’s also new features too. And, I think the gaps will slowly be filled by Connect IQ (we’re already seeing that). Waypoint navigation is possible with the Fenix3, it’s just that they haven’t enabled transfer of waypoints from the mobile app (but that’s on the way).
Good to hear that waypoint navigation is still possible. If I understand correctly, you must use your PC to transfer points to the watch (at this point). If that would be possible with an app, from the camp site, that would be awesome. Building that in few months should be possible 😉
Ive Got a question for you
I’ve just got my fenix 3 and brought it for a ride yesterday together with my edge 510 but apparently they cannot connect to my phone at the same time ? Is that a bug because I can’t believe that only one device can be connected at the time
Maybe a limitation in the connect app ?
Unfortunately correct, Garmin only supports a single active connection between a device and the phone (mobile app limitation, not device). You can mix and match as long as one isn’t active. They are working to address it. Fwiw, other companies are mostly in the same boat. In fact, Fitbit just made the move last week to allow dual connections.
Its planned publishing the day after I posted was pulled/delayed due to issues, which was then compounded by the recall of the first Connect IQ capable firmware on the Fenix3. Though, I’ll check in this week and see if it’s back on the radar for publishing.
New issue with recent firmware; step count does not count steps during run activity. Not sure what it is related to, but during 10 mile run yesterday with foot pod and foot pod set to Auto Calibrate (so 3 differences compared to past runs, new firmware, running with foot pod and having foot pod set to Auto Calibrate) and none of the steps taken during the 10 mile run were counted.
Reset the watch yesterday and plan to run 20 today and will see how it works. Will keep everything the same as yesterday. If no steps counted, I will then test with Autop Calibrate off, and then without foot pod entirely.
I ran yesterday with the similar setup: firmware v3.10, footpod (not for the first time) set to auto calibrate. No issue with steps being counted, in fact notified during the run of meeting my step goal with a beep, vibrate and “goal achieved” banner.
On a related note, the Footpod calibration factor still reads 100.0 after more than 10 runs with the F3. It took a while for my 920xt to register a calibration factor too; when it finally did the factor read in the mid-90s if I reme right. Fortunately I have not been forced indoors on the treadmill since I got the F3, but wonder why the calibration takes so long to register.
Just ran 20 mile run today and steps were being counted during the run when I checked multiple times. When I completed the run and saved it the watch reset my step count to zero for the day. The steps prior to and during the run were erased. Not sure how to fix it. Don’t want to do a factory reset, but may need to.
BTW, I turned my foot pod from auto to manual and back to Auto and I am seeing the calibration factor change. Might be you need to cycle it to get it into Auto mode really. Might also be why my steps aren’t being counted.
Ran today without foot pod at all for a 4 mile run and no issue with steps being counted and not zeroed out. Seems this issue is related to the foot pod. I did not test with the foot pod, but not in Auto Calibrate mode as I only really use the foot pod on the treadmill and will just plan to use it with manual calibration to match my treadmill when I am not using GPS (Indoor Run).
Hi Ray,
First, I want to say thanks for your in depth review. It is one of the reasons I bought this product :D.
I just bought the Fenix 3 (to replace my Polar V800) and I am happy with the product, but I don’t understand why my run is so much different in distance with my Polar V800.
On a 6,2 miles run (10KM) there is a differnce in disctance of about 0,18 miles (0,3 km).
I think that is a lot.
Polar V800 says 10,34 km and Fenix 3 says 10,04 km.
Did you also test this, is this a normal behaviour or is 1 of my products a bad one?
Thanks again,
Rene Haveman
I would double-check the recording rate of the Fenix3 (such as ensuring it’s on 1-second), as well as look and compare the tracks. if it’s not on 1-second and you were on a run with numerous turns, that would likely account for the difference.
Then I would try looking at GLONASS and turning it to the opposite of whatever it is. Plus, I’d look to do a GPS soak (set the unit with GPS on outside for about 20 minutes). Finally, use the mapping comparison tool here to look and see where deviations are: link to dcrainmaker.com
Hi Ray, Thanks for your help and quick replies!
I will try to turn off GLONASS and try to put the watch outside with GPS on.
But do I have to turn off timeout, for this because normally it will switch back to your watchface when you’re not starting your run.
Kind regards, Rene Haveman
My F3 arrived on Friday. I took it for a tempo workout yesterday and was actually pretty disappointed with it. It consistently measured short – roughly 0.98 for each mile on a 2.5 mile paved loop in a park that I’ve done for years. So the 2.5 mile loop was coming in at 2.45. I ran with my 920xt and several friends, with a 220 and a 620. All agreed – except the F3. While 0.98 isn’t a huge deal for training runs – I’m running Boston in a few weeks, and that’s maybe 10-12 seconds / mile off. If I try to pace to the Fenix – I’d run too quickly and end up detonating late on.
So I did a bunch of research and it appears the algorithm it uses is very aggressive at smoothing turns. I went to the map and compared the outputs (from the F3, 920 and one of my friends watches too) – and that’s exactly what it’s doing. The F3 has me running 10 yards inside the curves. This is a well known ‘complaint’ on the garmin forums too. This was with 1 second recording, and also glonass on (and off in another test with the same result)
So check yours – and see if that’s what’s going on too.
I did a run today – and purposely took a route with right angle turns and not curves – and that it handled better.
The algorithm is apparently different to the 920, which is odd – but also explains why the 920 appeared to map my route more correctly.
I’m hoping the engineers tweak this – otherwise it’ll be going back. Gorgeous watch though. So holding out for a while before making that decision.
Not sure if Ray has any knowledge of this – or any ‘in’ to garmin support – but would love to know if this is something they’re working on… it would certainly make a difference if I knew it was going to get fixed or tweaked. thanks
We ran this loop twice. The F3 is the blue track, the 920 the yellow. The yellow is right – we were in the left lane (going clockwise) and then dived across on the corner – but on one loop had to get right back to the left lane, the other one we stayed in the right a little longer. The F3 has me running on the grass. This is where the 0.02 of a mile is getting lost with the aggressive smoothing…
I think it may be more an issue of satellite reception with tree cover. My run Saturday was in a park with trees. My friend did this pretty comprehensive test today with his Fenix 3 and a host of other GPS watches and believes it has an issue with reception for the Fenix 3. This actually mirrors my experience, although I apparently drew the wrong conclusion. Unfortunately if it’s reception and not the algorithm – I’m not sure there’s a software fix… I’m leaning towards returning mine. I run on a number of tree lined routes and parks and was truly disappointed with it yesterday. Hoping for another reason / or solution to change my mind…
did 14 miles on decent tree lined routes. My friends 910xt was getting further and further ahead. ended up between 1/4 to 1/2 miles ahead. disappointing. hope it’s anomaly. that said in the Garmin forum post, the 920xt did quiet well. as these watches as siblings, I would not be so quite to discount a software fix. on a swinging wrist is hard to image such a dramatic difference based solely on reception.
Same experience here, The F3 is very inaccurate. I tested the F3 4 times on a 1k course, resulting in 0,75km, 0,66km, 0,87km and 0,74km. The whole training was a mess, I missed roughly 7 -7.5km. link to connect.garmin.com
It appears like you might have Smart Recording turned on, you should consider turning it off and going with 1-second recording – especially given the winding nature of that trail run course.
Just to counter some of these comments – the tracking on my F3 has been perfectly acceptable so far (running and cycling). Here is a comparison of a ride from yesterday logged with both Edge 1000 and Fenix 3 (both on latest firmware): link to mygpsfiles.com (note this link only stays active until 29 April).
Grate work as usual RAY but let me say that there is a problem …
it’s since F3 debut that i’m following all the Garmin forums and other on the net and too many times i’ve read a story like the one very well explained by Richard.
so the question is this :
I know that not all the people reading are trail runners or ultra trail runners but it’s a fact we are growing 40% per year if you scroll around the web trail running race grow like mushroom. definitely we need a watch and when fenix 3 with is aspect come out I’ve thought yes it is ! all the thing that a trailrunner need is there! long battery life ( rechargeable on the way) all the functionality of mountain watch etc etc .
than day by day I’ ve read:
1) a gps accuracy shorter than all other watch also the old one ” especially under tree cover????” all consistent difference in very short run but what will happen after 40-60-80 km in the mountain?
2) altimeter precision ( a lot of complain on the web) more or less all the track file I’ve open on the web show a start and ending point at 2 different level 20-30-50-100 meter after 1 or 2 hours ? in a race of 10 hours what happen?
3) its ok that exist the ultra track option but how realistic ( usable) is it?
so you and all the people that are so lucky to have in hands the Fenix 3 can please give some advice to all the people like me :
we run in the mountain ( 2000-3000 m average ascend )
we run in the forest
we run with turn some time sharp turns ( incredible the mountain is not straight)
we run for long 40K is the entry level
the only two similar watch that in my opinion are : Fenix 3 and Ambit 3 peak
please there are some tester that can compare them without prejudice?
thank you Ray and all of you because your forum is the decision maker for a lot of us
Hi Ray,
I just see in your GPS comparison table that you also had (in my opinion) too much difference between the polar V800 & Fenix 3. It is not as bad as in my case, but still a lot.
I just paste from your table: LONG RUN 14.64MI 14.65 (EPSON 810) 14.87 (POLAR V800)
So it looks like the V800 is not as good as I thought, or am I wrong here?
It’s just a one run data point, I wouldn’t overthink it. In numerous other runs I’ve done with the V800, I haven’t really seen much of an issue. I’ll have to take a look and see why it different.
I’ll add some other Polar ones in to the chart today (I completely forgot to sync it, so I’ve got about 4-6 runs there against the Fenix3 that I can add those data points in).
Hi Ray,
Did you already found time to add the polar data somewhere? If yes, where?
I am almost sure that the GPS of my Polar V800 is fine and the GPS of my Garmin Fenix 3 is not so good.
I did a run yesterday with both (polar right arm, Garmin left arm) 8KM on my polar 7.7Km on my garmin.
The 1st KM I was surprised (and happy) that both were beeping om the same time on the 1KM lap, but that was because the first KM was straight ahead. After I had some corners it was different.
When I imported my Polar run to garmin Connect and zoomed in on both, I could see that the Garmin was cutting every corner.
can I have a bad product or is this on every Fenix 3? And is this something that can be fixed with software updates? Otherwise I will send my watch back.
Thanks again for all your help! Rene
Sorry, forgot to mention 1 thing.
I have done all tips you gave me except 1 (turn off Glonass). Will do that tomorrow.
I even also did a Master reset (turn watch with back/lap button pushed until “remove userinfo“ ==> yes).
regards, Rene
I just added a few more from the V800 in there. Most of my February/March V800 usage was in non-GPS activities (indoor runs/rides), so there were less than I hoped.
Hi Ray, I just found this article. link to fellrnr.com
If this is right the V800 is just more accurate then most Garmin watches (except Fenix 3 is not yet in here),
What are your thoughts about this? I can’t imagine there is so much difference.
I contacted Garmin Support about the short distances computed by my F3. Here is their response:
———————————————————————————
Thank you for contacting Garmin International.
I will be happy to assist you with your request and apologize about the inconvenience.
The fenix 3 does not come with a global basemap, so that long distance calculations will be skewed. The watch does not have the capability to add maps, and there are no app widgets to add a global map at this time.
To improve your speed and distance calculations on your watch to the limit the watch is capable of, please utilize the 3D speed and distance setting.
The 3D Speed and Distance features change the way the fenix series devices read speed and distance.
3D Speed – Calculates speed using both the elevation change and horizontal movement over ground.
3D Distance – Calculates the distance traveled using both elevation change and horizontal movement over ground.
The instructions for using 3D speed and distance can be found on page 14 of the fenix 3’s owner’s manual.
For accurate distances with mapping, please consider the epix watch instead, which can be found at link to buy.garmin.com
———————————————————————————
I checked the manual and 3D distance/speed settings should be available for running, hiking, biking, climbing, and skiing activities. However when I tried to set them the only activity that comes with those options is the skiing activity. Have anyone seen these options on the running activity? My F3 is running fw 3.1 and gps 2.8.
I took both my 920 and my F3 to the track just now and can say that both were spot on. Cadence was virtually identical, instant pace was only different by 5 to 10 seconds, at the quarter mile and half mile both were identical and at the end of a one-mile test the 920 measured exactly 1 mile, the f3 measured 1.01 miles. This is a difference that I can certainly live with, and my experience with this silver F3 is substantially different than the gray one that I had and returned. I am guessing that the most recent software updates are to account for this. If anyone else has done a similar test I’d love to hear the results as I intend to return one of these watches and as of right now I think I will keep the more aesthetically pleasing one. My only concern is what the mileage difference could be over a much longer run.
I have been reading your review and apart from the mount, it’s down to aesthetics between the F3 & 920xt (and viewing area), but why is it when I compare these two on the garmin UK wesite I get a different view on this, has the spec changed or badly maintained website on their part?
I belive I want to by the f3 over the 920xt but unsure now I have done the comparison on their site, please could you give me some clarity on this.
Just got my F3 from Clever Training (Silver is now in stock).
I generally prefer a simple Velcro watchband. I find it more comfortable and easier to adjust. Any suggestions or warnings about replacing the stock band with Velcro strap?
As for the watch, it is pretty awesome so far. GPS is way more accurate, faster, than I’ve had previously (Moto Active, Leikr). User interfact is very intuitive imo.
It is also way easier to read the data fields with my aging eyes. I’ve found that on the other watches a lot of the fonts are so small I can’t read them as I’m running. This was something I was quite wary of. But the F3 reads just fine.
About the only thing that I’m so-so on is just how big and heavy it is. Although its not too big or heavy, Its definitely noticeable. Thus the desire to get a Velcro band.
I have the sapphire metal strap but bought the velcro one to use for skiing (it has an extension so it is big enough to fit over a ski jacket)
This is the one I got link to amazon.co.uk which works great though the torx screwdrivers and fittings are the wrong size, so you’ll need to use existing fittings and get a pair of torx size 6 (I believe this is the correct size, but check – it has been posted either here or in garnin forums, I used the ones that come with the Saphire)
First of all, thanks to Ray for another brilliant review.
An earlier comment touched on segments, and I tried to get them to work as follows…
I loaded an old activity in GC.
I added a couple of segments to it.
I reloaded the same activity to make sure the segments automatically showed up, and they did. I can also see them on the segments section of my GC homepage.
I converted the activity to a route (ensuring the ‘run segments’ check box was checked.)
I uploaded the route to the Fenix 3, V3.1. (again checking the ‘run segments’ box).
I selected ‘do course’ on the Fenix.
There was no indication during the run that I was doing / had done a segment.
Any suggestions would be welcome!
The Fenix3 doesn’t officially support Running Segments, likely part of the challenge. On previous firmware editions it sorta worked there, but not entirely.
Thanks for the great review, Ray! Have you heard about any bluetooth syncing issues with the Fenix 3? I am having trouble pairing my phone with my Fenix 3 and its frustrating! thanks in advance
It depends on the phone. For iOS, it seems quite stable. For Android, I hear most are great but a handful have noted issues. If on Android ensure your phone is on Garmin’s compatibility list. But generally speaking I don’t hear too many issues with the phone side from either camp.
Hey,
I just got my fenix 3, and it’s simply impossible to pair with my Android.
Everything is on the last version (Android 4.4.4 et Fenix V.3.0).
I called Garmin France, who was saying i did it wrong. So i asked him to do it in the same time as me (because he said i didn’t understand…).
After 3 attempts the guy didn’t success to pair the Fenix 3 with an Android Phone.
Still waiting an answer from Garmin…
I paid 500 € and it doesn’t work 100%.
If no answer since the end of the week i will sell this watch to get an Ambit 3
Not sure if anyone else is seeing this but last night I got automatic sleep tracking – that is I didn’t press “Go to sleep” or “wake up” but in the morning I had sleep times on GC which were not my default ones: link to connect.garmin.com.
Yes, appears to be all server-side, which makes sense and is how other companies do it. Now…if only they could make the data actually be useful… But still, a good start.
What else could it say apart from hours slept that is useful? I know there are various forms of sleep but could a watch tell you that just from tracking movement?
It’d look at Fitbit or even to a degree Polar as examples of useful sleep. They tell you how many times you woke up, when you woke up, for how long you were awake, when you went back to sleep, and even quality of sleep. Garmin just tells you random movements.
crosspost from garmin forum, Ray, please shine your light on this;
I started a interval workout created on garmin connect and downloaded to fenix 3. (WU, (1KM @ 4:00 – 4:10, 5 min rec.@ 5:00 – 6:00)*4, CD)
started via: training -> my workouts -> interval workout. then start workout -> choose profile: running-race (personalized).
After that “start the timer to start the workout” showed up, and so I pressed start.
Had simular workout running in my iphone (iSmoothRun) on well known track (11.57 km)
Warming up pace data was a bit off , but did not pay too much attention.
Interval 1, sidewind. According to phone and feeling pace was right on track, according to Fenix far to slow! (interval?)pacing was showing 4:20 while I was doing 4:00
Annoying alarm told me to run faster all the time while I was doing well.
Seemed to catch up a bit in recovery.
Interval 2 headwind bf7, so hard work. 4:35 on average said phone, in line with feeling. Fenix now showed 4:25, almost same pace as interval 1 except now loads of headwind. Weird.
Interval 3 same as 1.
Interval 4 (tailwind) was off by nearly 40 seconds. While my phone told my I had finished my 1km interval (in 3:54, in line with feeling), Fenix told me to run another 180 meters. Thats 18% difference.
Pretty sure it was not the phone who was off.
Then the funny part. after recovery and a bit CD and finished the track the Fenix told me I had run 11.82 KM in total, while the track is known to be 11.57 KM
So while the paving in the interval were showing slower, I still managed to run longer distance?! Is it all overcompensated in recovery?
I can’t tell because I DO NOT SEE A MAP IN MY WORKOUT!!
Was the GPS off (then what data do I see? I don’t use a footpad..), heavily corrupted or… I don’t know.
last but not least. height yesterday calibrated at 0 meters. at starting point it was 28 meters (same level as home) and finish point 19 meters (same point as start..)
I Did not pay 500 euro to became a beta tester.
Totally useless, distance within 1 KM interval off by 18%!. I want my Ambit 3 back.
Damn I sold it yesterday
I’d say that your lack of GPS map is probably an indication that GPS wasn’t enabled. Without an activity file, it’s hard to say.
But, what I will say is a more general statement that since you posted first to the Garmin Forums, I would let folks there try and sort it out since that’s a better troubleshooting venue than here (plus, I actually post there too). Additionally, if you think after that you have an issue, I’d open a support case with Garmin.
Gps not turned on is the most likely answer. Dus not see the search screen either.
But why is it not turned on after I start an workout?
When I first start running app, then select a workout before I start, I see the gps is on. And What data I was seeing then? Calculated data from avg stepwith and cadance? I was not wearing a footpod but did wear the HR belt
It sounds a lot like perhaps you were in ‘Run Indoors’ mode. You should always see the GPS ring (red, then green), and then following that it’ll say ‘GPS’ at the top. If it says ‘GPS’ at the top with a faint barely readable line through it, it means the GPS is turned off.
The data you were seeing would have come from the units internal pace/cadence capabilities, which requires no footpod or GPS.
bought the fenix 3 on the 5th of March (delivered on 7th) and was very very happy until yesterday. Almost everything was perfect apart from some small software bugs (like light auto disable not working) and a very good replacement to my fenix 2. Since yesterday the watch cannot acquire any satellites (the red gps bar basically stops between the 0-5 and stays there for ever).
I contacted Garmin Greece and they have not had any issues up to now with any other fenix 3. I was advised to wait for a couple of days because there might be a fix in the next software update. They said to send back the watch if this fails again to load the gps.
Do you now if there has been any official statements about this? Is this a software or hardware problem?
Thanks in advance,
Sounds like Garmin Greece did a pretty poor job of troubleshooting (and giving inaccurate information). 🙁 First, if you’re not on the latest firmware update, then double-check that. Second, fully power off the unit, and then power back on and try and find satellites. Second, turn on the Extended GPS option and just leave it outside for about 20 minutes to find GPS. See if it sets then. Failing all that I’d do a soft reset.
Until yesterday when the problem occured, i was on V.2.9. Since then I have updated to 3.10 (GPS still on 2.70 though). Tried power off and on several times, also tried softreset? –>(keeping light button for 25s and restarting) but with no luck. Also tried Glonass on and off as well but still i get no signal.
What is the extended gps option that you mention? I am not sure I am aware of that…
Thanks again for your prompt reply
Mine was doing the same thing. Would sometimes lock on, but mostly would just hang at the first red tick. I did soft and hard resets (never did an extended soak; not sure how to do that). Nothing seemed to help. Took mine back to REI and am waiting for my replacement to arrive.
There is a forum topic on this in the Garmin forums. Not a huge amount of people, but this does appear to be affecting a few.
i will just give you the same info as i found a few days ago
we all figured out that you cannot import third party trainingplans through garmin express
but i found that if you just shut down garmin express you can use the old garmin training center to load tcx trainingplan from trainingpeaks,endomondo etc etc and it works like a charm 🙂
For those interested in accuracy. I received my Silver Fenix 3 a day before the Modesto Marathon. Measured distance 26.29. I think it should have been 26.24 because at the 26 mile marker it read 26.04 (slowly drifted from dead on to .04 at the various markers) and I forgot to turn it off as I went about 50 yards past the finish line when I turned it off. This is a very straight and wide open course and I managed to hit most of the tangents. So far it has been more accurate than I expected it to be.
Just ran a quick 10k course with my F3. Im starting to learn that instant pace is good but only once you establish a straight line and have no trees overhead. I find this a bit surprising as the F3 is supposed to appeal to ultrarunners and hikers too who participate in sports in wooded areas. So my question is, why isn’t instant pace on the F3 as good as the instant pace I get on my 920, and if I shouldn’t rely on instant pace, what should i rely on, just lap pace? Im still in trial mode with both of these watches, debating which to keep.
Hi ray – awesome site, so happy I stumbled on it. My apologies if this has already been asked/answered but here goes…..I’m relatively new to Tris and am looking for something that can do everything and looks good for everyday wear…the f3 seems to fit the bill. I’m ready to pull the trigger but just saw something about the Apple watch (which I haven’t been following closely) – any insight on whether that will end up having similar functionality in terms of ant+ compatibility, etc…or will it be more limited to activity tracking type metrics. I don’t want to throw down $600 and find out I could have waited a few weeks and got all the f3 functionality plus the Apple ecosystem and smart watch functionality.
The Apple Watch is not waterproof and therefore you can’t swim with it. You could use it for the Bike and Run with an app like Strava though. Your Garmin options would be the 910xt which is on heavy discount now, the Fenix 2, 920xt, or the Fenix 3. It all depends on what you need it to do and what you can pay. I just got the F3 and love it but many seem to have issues with it and prefer the 920xt
If you need a watch for training/racing, the Apple is not going to do it. Firstly, you can’t use it for swimming. Secondly, for running and cycling, you will need your phone on your person (correct me if I am wrong, but the Apple phone uses the iPhone’s GPS?).
So if you go jogging/cycling with your phone on you and you are not interested in swim metrics, then the Apple watch will work. If you want to use it for ‘proper’ training/racing, then the Garmin watches are as Steve said. The 920xt seems to be the best for pure sports (running, swimming, cycling) but the Fenix 3 is more ‘everyday’ wearing friendly and is close to the 920xt in terms of sports tracking/logging (some people having some teething issues with it).
I’m having trouble connecting my F3 to my Android phone. I am able to pair, connect, but then it disconnects and I can’t get it to reconnect. I followed the directions in the manual exactly, no luck. Unpaired and tried again same result each time. Is this a known issue, or is there something I’m not understanding here?
I have a similar issue with my M8. Although it will disconnect if I restart my phone or move too far away I can normally manually reconnect it relatively easily. If you haven’t got anywhere yet, you could try this (although I know unsupported phones are fickle at best….)
– Go into connect and remove the fenix 3 from the device list.
– Then turn your watch onto new pairing mode
– Go into your phone’s bluetooth settings and scan for devices
– When the fenix 3 comes up pair and then unpair
– With the watch still showing ready to pair go back into Connect and then follow the steps to add your Fenix 3 as a new device including entering the passcode
– This should then allow you to connect like a new connection and sync / notify as desired.
has any off you had issues getting Vo2 max values and race predictor values ?
now i have done 2 runs and still dont see any values in any off them,it keep telling me to run outside with heartrate belt for 10 minutes ???
but strangely i do get recovery adviser and also training effect in connect…
i do make sure to get gps reception before running
but i was thinking if it has something to do with using a trainingplan?
I post again my previous (1232) to see if some one start to make any test … they have start in China
Grate work as usual RAY but let me say that there is a problem …
it’s since F3 debut that i’m following all the Garmin forums and other on the net and too many times i’ve read a story like the one very well explained by Richard.
so the question is this :
I know that not all the people reading are trail runners or ultra trail runners but it’s a fact we are growing 40% per year if you scroll around the web trail running race grow like mushroom. definitely we need a watch and when fenix 3 with is aspect come out I’ve thought yes it is ! all the thing that a trailrunner need is there! long battery life ( rechargeable on the way) all the functionality of mountain watch etc etc .
than day by day I’ ve read:
1) a gps accuracy shorter than all other watch also the old one ” especially under tree cover????” all consistent difference in very short run but what will happen after 40-60-80 km in the mountain?
2) altimeter precision ( a lot of complain on the web) more or less all the track file I’ve open on the web show a start and ending point at 2 different level 20-30-50-100 meter after 1 or 2 hours ? in a race of 10 hours what happen?
3) its ok that exist the ultra track option but how realistic ( usable) is it?
so you and all the people that are so lucky to have in hands the Fenix 3 can please give some advice to all the people like me :
we run in the mountain ( 2000-3000 m average ascend )
we run in the forest
we run with turn some time sharp turns ( incredible the mountain is not straight)
we run for long 40K is the entry level
the only two similar watch that in my opinion are : Fenix 3 and Ambit 3 peak
please there are some tester that can compare them without prejudice?
thank you Ray and all of you because your forum is the decision maker for a lot of us
Leo – As the title of the video is tagged ‘Comedy’, that’s about all I’d suggest to use it for. The reality is that if you’re trying to use a GPS watch between the alleyway of two+ dozen-story buildings, yeah, it’s going to have issues. It’s not clear to me from that video if either of them have had hotfixes before turning on, which makes a huge difference. The challenge with such video is lack of context.
Ultimately, there’s a ton of people with both the Ambit3 and Fenix3 units. In fact, many of them are posting within the accuracy threads on the Garmin Forums, and unsurprisingly many of them are saying the same thing: They’re getting largely the same numbers. Heck this morning there were a few people showing cases where the Fenix3 surprassed the Ambit3.
There are, like any watch, folks that have issues – be it one-offs or otherwise. But I’m just not hearing that. As always though, if you look at a forum whose sole purpose is for troubleshooting, that’s all your seeing. If I look at just the number of units that I’m aware of being sold (Clever Training/Amazon and some REI), and compare that to the number of people who have posted here noting a GPS issue, it’s under 1%. In general, I find an extremely high correlation between people who use those links and then post here with issues. Let alone (the majority of) folks who bought elsewhere and post here.
Ultimately, I’m not sure what else I can say. The answers to your questions are covered between the review and the 1,200+ comments here representing a wide swath of opinions.
If it helps, my first watch was Ambit 2, I now have the F3. The F3 is superior in almost every way. Here’s a list off the top of my head: data acquisition is much more sorted on connect compared to movescount, colour screen is brilliant, vibration and multiple alert combinations are fantastic, pool swim data is far more accurate and just works, gps acquisition has for me been quicker and more reliable, sensor acquisition ie bike cadence far, far more reliable, and the F3 is far more comfortable (never truly got used to the weird Ambit GPS housing lump below the watch bezel). And I really loved my Ambit 2!
But facts are facts, as an experienced user of both, I have had a far better experience with the F3. I wouldn’t worry about those daft YouTube videos. As Ray said you’ll always get those, but in reality I’ve not had a single issue to be honest.
I’ve seen also your answwer and I will realy like to beter understand the tree covertur problem it’s exiist or not? because my main use it will be ultratrail running and 70 to 80 % f our traks are in forest ( pine tree etc) and mountain…
try to immagine that: buy an expensive watch not for all of us has the same impact especialy in some country (Italy) where no CT or REI or other big company are available with their super return polcy.
Yup, and in that same thread there are many others that aren’t seeing issues in trees. But I think you’d agree that surrounded by three concrete buildings 12+ story’s is rather different than most trees.
Ultimately, virtually every country (especially EU countries) allow returns. I’d really encourage you to try out the watch and if you don’t like it – you can return it. Most retailers in the EU allow at least a 30 day policy. And on the bright side, you’ll soon have on more option in the EU with a good policy and a DCR discount… 😉
Anyone who knows how to set daily step count target on the watch manually? I tried do synch it trough usb cable, wifi and andoid. Everything sychs great, ecxept for the step counter…. Strange.
Created a workout – 5min warm up then 10x100m at Z5 with 30 sec rest intervals – finish.
Problem is I can’t work out the individual 100m interval pace because I can’t seem to activate auto pause for the workout, so the data just shows generic pace factoring in all the 30sec pauses AND the warm up pace. Any ideas?
Dan
PS – this is using the RUN app, to avoid confusion (I can see how it could apply to swim)
UPDATE – sorry all, correction – all this data IS available but a). only on web version of Garmin Connect and NOT on iPhone App and b). None of the complexity of the pacing works its way onto Strava – just the basic overall pace is processed c). All the data is available on the watch itself in History under Laps data. ‘Time in zone’ is particularly helpful.
So…data on the website is excellent, just not so in depth on the app as far as I can tell.
Just wanted to share an unpleasant experience I had this morning:
All I did was set the “Power Save Mode” to “Extended” in the Run app. This caused the device to reboot. After the reboot the order of my apps was completly messed up and some of them didn’t show any names or seemingly random names with cyrillic (?) letters and wrong pictures in the Settings –> Apps Menu.
I did a hard reset which to my suprise deleted everything but my software upgrades (still showed latest versions for firmware, BLE, GPS). After having to configure the watch from scratch (I didn’t back up anything as I wasn’t sure if importing my old files would reproduce the issue) everything seems to be working fine right now. Still rather annoying.
Anyone else experienced this or something similar?
In case no one else has noted, kudos to Garmin, finally the sleep tracking on garmin connect has become automatic (they finally listened after much criticism from owners including myself :-D). It makes a pretty good guess of start and end of my nightly sleep (to nearest 10~15 minutes). I think thats a real plus and just brings the sleep tracking function of my FR15 at par with that of polar m400 in my opinion eventhough i don’t own the polar unit.
To the lucky fenix 3 owners out there, have you noticed the same change or do you still have to press your watch button to start and stop your sleep?
Noticed yesterday that my GPS will no longer obtain a fix. Went for a hike and never got past the red bar at the ‘5’ mark. Fenix 3 did not record a track, but did provide distance.
I looked at the forums, decided to do a soft reset. Did not fix it.
Did a hard reset. Did not fix it.
I am on firmware 3.1 with GPS firmware 2.8
All was working fine until yesterday.
BTW, with the hard reset, I chose to let the watch update the time with GPS. It never finished (I plugged in the charging cradle to a Garmin power charger and let it sit in the window all night.)
I am beginning to think the GPS hardware has quit working …. nothing will get it to obtain a fix (made sure GPS was visible as my Garmin 205 was sitting next to it and got a fix within a couple of minutes.
Should I wait for another firmware update or should I contact Garmin or should I return it?
I had exactly the same problem. Only difference it happened on V2.90, GPS 2.70.
Soft reset, No Fix
Hard Reset , No Fix
Test Mode, Shows 0.00 GPS (so probably there is something with the hardware)
Upgraded to V3.10, GPS 2.80 …Still No Fix.
Send out the watch to Garmin today….Waiting to see the outcome…
I contacted Garmin yesterday – they also reached out to me independently from my posting of my issue. I sent my watch to them this morning so they could investigate this issue. They will be sending me a replacement hopefully soon (my Vivofit does track distance fairly accurately, but not while biking 😉
last update:
Contacted Garmin Greece Technical Dpt were I have sent the watch since Tuesday. The technicians informed me that a new unit has been ordered as a replacement (this unfortunately takes at least 7-10 days and this is subject to availability).
They informed me that there was a hardware problem with my unit (GPS)…..
So, I’ll be waiting for the new fenix 3 to arrive and hope that it will be trouble free!!! Fingers crossed!
Thanks for the second update. Hopefully I will hear from Garmin soon about my Fenix 3. I think it is due to arrive at Garmin on Monday according to UPS tracking. Miss having a GPS watch for workouts – back to my Vivofit for trying to calculate running distance. I will say the Vivofit is a very solid activity tracker.
Hey all, I have had my Fenix 3 (Black w/HRM Run Strap) for about two weeks now and I was nervous about getting the non Sapphire model because I am hard on my outdoor watches. I have been pleased with it but I have noticed the scratching on the bezel which, as DCR and others point out in the comment replies, its an outdoor watch, if it is not scratched and showing signs of abuse, it is not being used for what it is intended.
One thing to note about the non-sapphire glass, the Forerunner 620 Screen protectors fit absolutely perfectly on the Fenix 3. You cannot tell it is on there short of the slight lip. This should provide the little extra scratch protection for the glass and it was a crushing $3.99 on Amazon.
I love the Fenix 3. Well worth the wait and price IMO.
And another solid and spot on review DCR. Keep up the good work.
Just to clarify, I didn’t say exactly that. I’d say though that there are reasonable limits to what should scratch the watch. I’m personally not upset when I drag the watch over the sharp concrete rocks and it scratches. To me, I’d expect that. If it didn’t – awesome – but I don’t expect it would come away from that unscathed.
At the same time, I don’t expect it to get scratched just floating around the pocket from hell in my backpack with all sorts of things like keys/coins/pens/sharp junk/etc in there.
My Sapphire Edition’s Grey Bezel was scratched pretty easily. No one can expect it to resist from a concrete or rock wall scratch but I know clearly I did not do that.
It is known that the F3 is less resistant to scratches which I think Garmin should improve on a $600 dollars watch.
But I chose to sand the bezel down to remove the grey so I can always repolish it myself. At least it doesn’t look as ugly now.
Any chance you could post a few pics of how your sapphire looks post sanding? I wish Garmin would make a silver sapphire edition. However, polishing and sanding may be a viable option.
Very Strange
Because I get training effect in garmin connect and also se recovery advisor in the watch but after now 3 runs I still doesn’t get vo2 max or race prediction.those 2 keeps telling me to run outside with a heartrate monitor even though I have already done that
I wonder if I should try a run using the garmin hrm3 from my edge 510
I’ve been using a 920xt with a Tickr X and it gives me recovery advisor and vo2max. How long have your outdoor runs been? I feel like the watch needs a certain minimum time/distance to make the estimate.
Ray, thanks for the super extensive review! Also, thanks for making the time to answer so many questions here in the comments. I have ordered the F3 silver red through CT using the VIP account.
Question (for Ray or any readers here): In my case I want to measure water temperature somewhat accurately (+/- 0.5 Celsius). I assume I will get some reading from the watch but being in and out of the water combined with body heat influence I’m assuming the measurement won’t be really accurate. Anybody used a Tempe to do this before? +/-1C would be acceptable. Last year I used an aquarium thermometer.
I’m interested in this as well. I’d be ok with doing a manual correction if I had some sense of what the delta is (e.g. knock 1 or 2F off the read temperature). It’s a definitely useful metric when determining cold water acclimation and the main reason I’m interested in upgrading my 910XT (well that and the mobile phone based uploads and improved accuracy for OWS).
Well after a few reasonably cold (55-58F) water swims my guesstimate is that the watch reads about 3F over water temp. This is unscientifically estimated by comparing the displayed temp to the consensus estimated water temp. I have a small aquarium thermometer on order to do a more scientific comparison. Interestingly another swimmer with a Suunto Ambit (not sure which model) seemed to get a more accurate temperature reading.
I’m generally a bad person to look at there, since I’m always rotating through items testing – especially right now with so many watches.
But, I’m currently using the Vivoactive day to day in preparation for my review. And then I’m running that alongside the Fenix3 for my runs. I suspect for running I’ll probably stick with the Fenix3, but for tri’s (races), I’ll go with the FR920XT due to the quick release kit.
I’m curious about reasoning for wanting the quick connect for racing. I would assume that it would be easiest to use a tri-watch on your wrist, and a dedicated bike computer during your ride. That’s at least what I do. What advantage do you get from looking at your “tri-device” during the bike?
BTW I’ve never even seen the pointy end of the race. But as a mid-to-back of pack racer, during the ride, all I focus on is my ride race plan.
Helps for total race time. Can log swim time, transition times, ride and run for a total time.. The race time keepers will more than likely have a break down available post race but always good to have it with you. Especially total race time.
Yup, as Ryan said – total race time is main reason. And for me, on the bike, having the device on the wrist isn’t really readable in aero position (nor aero by any means to keep turning the wrist to look at). It was actually interesting doing the aero testing two years ago, to see just how much itty bitty changes in hand position impacted aero numbers (moving them perhaps 1cm), let alone opening the wrist up repeatedly to see the numbers.
I still struggle to see what the point of checking total race time on the bike is. The only possible reason I can think of is if you are battling a T2 cut-off time. I would expect the people in that situation are probably not as fine tuned on their aero. (And personally, I’d still have a race plan like target swim time = X:YY, ended up 4 minutes late, so need bike time to be 4 minutes faster than plan.) Then I get bigger display on the bike, and no time wasted moving the watch from wrist to bike and back.
By the time you get to the run, you get back to using the watch for total time, and that’s where it probably matters more.
Personal preference maybe. When you get to the pointy end, you are not worried about cut off times but say for a Half Ironman, you may be aiming to get under 4hrs which will push you harder on the run.. Yes, if you use watch for swim and run the ride would get picked up….
If you have another computer on the bike, you are going to have to fire it up, wait for it to get gps etc to record your ride properly.. In transition, you want everything to be slick, in and out.. You don’t want to be faffing with waiting for a computer to get a GPS lock.. Sure you can leave the computer on the bike on but still taking a risk.. So much easier to have just one unit to do every thing.. Seconds count, even at the half ironman distance.. Full ironman, less so..
Having total race time visible is also helpful for nutrition, less head arithmetic required the better..
I’d mostly argue that by time you get to mile 20 on the run of an Ironman, any additive math capabilities (no matter how basic), go out the window. So knowing whether or not I’m close to hitting a PR is important.
Ryan033 – i’d say that having an edge device over a 920xt would be much more comfortable even in a half.
it takes a second to turn it on. while your doing that. strip out of your wet suit then – throw on the helmet , eyewear, etc. then take off with your bike.
the garmin will be ready to go by the time you hop on and leave transition.
so far with my time spent with the fenix 3 – i agree with Ray that the 920xt is the better option for triathlon. especially if you need it on the bike.
myself? i’ll use the fenix 3 for tracking purposes but it will NOT be used on the bike whatsoever. That will be the edge 810 which provides much more data fields than will the 920 or fenix
Regarding have “race watch AND bike computer”: for years this is what I have done (and it has worked well every time): I have my Edge on my bike, turned on (to acquire GPS) and before heading to swim start hit the “start button”. I have “auto pause” set to “on” so it immediately goes into “pause” mode. I just grab bike in T2 and goes and bike computer “resumes” and records the ride. If I remember, I hit “lap” as I cross mount line and again at dismount to get bike split. (doing the same on the watch!). Only time this might not work is if swim start was completely separate from T1 or you had no access to T1 before start. (which is the case in one local race- but certainly not common).
So I am somewhat confused. Today I did the following test on a course Ive run for years. On my left wrist closest to my hand was my F3, next to it was my 920. The instant pace on the 920 populated almost immediately. The F3 took time to populate then fluctuated while the 920 was stable virtually the whole run. I split the run into segments of roughly 3/4mile to 1 mile each time, changing from 1 second to smart recording, GLONASS on/off etc, making sure both watches were set the same. The distances recorded were usually .02 miles shorter per segment on the F3. While that may not seem like a lot, thats approaching a 3% differential. Yesterday during a track run the F3 came in at 1.01 miles while the 920 was 1.00.
In each case, in studying my tracks on Garmin connect, the 920 was MUCH closer to reality. My intent is not to knock the F3, but my question is will the F3 ever be as capable as the 920 especially as it pertains to instant pace? Seems difficult to train for a BQ Marathon without the ability to get “reliable” instant pace info. I wish the F3 was better at it because it sure is pretty. Thoughts on software updates to rectify things, or is it potentially a design limitation based on antenna placement?
Update on OWS issue: a few days ago I posted about my first OWS with F3. It counted almost double the distance I actually swam AND while floating at the turnaround buoy, the distance numbers kept climbing “like it was a stopwatch” despite remaining stationary. Hmmm.
Well, as suggested, I TURNED OFF GPS “Smart Recording” (which changes it to 1-second updates. This was not clear in manual despite multiple mentions to “turn on 1 -second updates”. In realty, you “turn off Smart Recording”.) BTW- I am very curious why the DEFAULT is not “1 second recording” since I think for most, accuracy is quite important and “most” of us aren’t doing multi-day races. (can anyone tell mehow much memory time there is with 1-sec recording? Enough for a poss. 17 hr race IM?).
I also turned GLONASS “on”.
On today’s OWS distance was probably close to spot on EXCEPT, I once again stopped at a buoy and floated with my watch-hand OUT of the water and resting on the buoy. I noted that the distance counter STILL continued to climb, albeit much more slowly and it eventually stabilized after about adding 20 or 30 yards. No question, I was stationary during this time o/t bobbing about a bit. Perhaps just the movement was registered as distance? (should not have been as my position was essentially unchanged). Hard to see this on the GPS track o/t a small “jog” in the track when I know none occurred. Start and stop points seemed to match exactly where I got into/out of water.
Not sure what to make of this re OWS accuracy. I suppose I could put my F3 on one wrist and my 910 on the other and compare data? Ultimately, as long as it is within a few % that is “OK” with me, although initial swim which was off by 100% was a bit surprising.
Not so cool. I went for a mtb ride last night, first time on the trails for 5 years and I decided it would be best done in the dark (bit silly). Ended up with a bit of facial damage due to going headfirst into a tree.. Anyways, that is not what disturbed me most about the ride, the discrepancy between my 510 and my Fenix 3 was more disturbing.
The 510 was on smart recording and GLONASS on.
I had changed the Fenix 3 to 1s recording because I thought this was the more accurate setting.
The 510 ended up with 26.07kms vs the Fenix 3’s 22.24kms. That is a 3.8km (17.2%) discrepancy. Not really acceptable. A once off? Who knows.. The 510 on smart recording was allot less smoothed.. Does the Fenix 3 struggle with 1s recording (not enough horse power?)..
That’s a pretty big difference, and just looking at the two maps casually, it’s hard to know exactly where you went. The 510 looks very jagged in a lot of places, which could explain why it has a higher number (almost like it was constantly losing signal). With a tree ride, I can’t easily pick out the route from the satellite map.
I’d encourage you to swing over to the tools section (link to dcrainmaker.com) and use the visual GPS comparison tool to see the differences between the two tracks. Then, looking at that try and remember which section aligned to which device. Unfortunately nobody here would likely be able to tell you which one is ‘right’ since it all just looks like a blanket of forest from the satellite.
I was riding with another whose distance came out pretty much the same as the 510 (it was also a 510 though). The course was really jaggedy (bit stressful) but 26kms is generally accepted as the distance of the loop. Could the Fenix actually be more accurate than other devices and that is why we are seeing discrepancies..
Really hard to definitively say which device is correct unless running around a running track..
I will have a look at the tools, maybe throw in my two sets of data and my friend’s data and see what can be gleaned from it.
Indeed, tossing in your friends data is definitely interesting. There were a few sections that looked like switchbacks on the 510, but a straight line on the Fenix3. Just hard to know if that’s GPS jaggies there, or actual switchbacks (without knowing the course).
I had a quick look at the two tracks using MyGpsFiles – one thing that struck me was the Fenix is reporting 2 segments with 7761 points in the route, and the Edge is 1 segment with 3408 points. I guess this would suggest the Fenix has at the least the potential to be more accurate because it has twice as much data.
I’m not sure why the Edge 510 would have so few points – when I compared my Edge 1000 to Fenix 3 the number of points recorded was pretty much identical: 17817 vs 17813 (link to mygpsfiles.com) – perhaps just older hardware?
The 510 did have SMART enabled and the Fenix 3 has 1s recording on.
But surely this would lead to the Fenix having a longer distance as the 510 would be recording the shortest routes between the lesser number of points?
On another note, both rides uploaded to Strava from Garmin Connect (strava did not recognise them as being the same ride). The 510 popped up on 71 segments and the Fenix on only 59. Not registering on segments is not cool. Lost kudos.
Yesterday I rode 183kms on the road in the hills. Distances were the same, elevation was way off. 2,076m for the Fenix 3 and 3,145m for the 510. I believe around 2,500m is about right. How can two devices from Garmin be so different (both so wrong)..??
Hi Ray,
Did you see my reply #1236?
What did you think about this?
Did you Think this was acceptable when it happened and is this just the differences between brands, or … ?
I realy enjoy your site and reviews and I hope you can give me some first hand info.
I have a question about the Fenix3 (and the Garmin servicedesk doesn’t seem to understand what I mean).
I do some trail running and in the past I’ve used a Forerunner 305.
With the 305 it was possible to import courses and use the watch as a navigational system.
But what I especially liked about the 305 was that you could zoom into the track/course with upto a couple of meters accuracy. That way I could follow the planed route perfectly through unknown terrain.
Recently I’ve purchased the Forerunner 920XT but unfortunately found out that it does not have that detailed zoom function during an activity (I believe the zoom is fixed on 300m hight. The 305 had more detail with a max zoom upto 50m I think).
So now I’m thinking to buy the Fenix3 as that is more an outdoor activity watch. But with the prices of both watches I don’t feel much for getting an other watch that doesn’t meet my demands.
Can you tell me if the Fenix3 does have that extra zoom function (during a course/activity)?
Lennart — my 920xt will definitely zoom down to 50ft. I’m looking at it right now. It doesn’t pan like the fenix3 but its workable for when actually using a course. I suggest you ensure you’ve updated your 920xt firmware as this ability was added a month or so ago.
Can anyone, Ray or other gadget guru, comment to my post #1308 above as I’d love to know if my methodology is flawed. I’m doing everything in my power to equate the two pieces of hardware so that I can eliminate one knowing the other is just as reliable as the other.
Joshua – your question wasn’t entirely clear and the answer involved a bit of prognostication. I imagine Garmin will continue to strive to fix any issues people are seeing in the fenix3, especially with anything where it isn’t as good as the 920xt. The latter has had the benefit of being in the field a bit longer. I’d give it a bit more time before making a definitive choice.
With that said, if you’re relying on instant pace rather than lap pace you may want to look at a model that is able to source instance pace from a foot pod such as the 610 or 910. A foot pod calibrated properly at the target pace range will generally give a more responsive and more accurate instant pace than GPS can technically achieve.
George, thank you for your reply. To clarify better, what I’m asking is how two watches which are essentially the same have such different results as it pertains to current pace. I feel very confident the 920 was giving me accurate info just based on feel and the tracks. My concern is whether the fenix 3 hardware will be able to display a current pace as reliably due to the difference in its antenna placement, and if so then when. From the way it sounds, only time will tell. Going to a 610 or a 910 would be great if it had the more updated features of today’s watches which are very important to me. If you or anyone have any suggestions on tweaks I can make or side by side tests to conduct I’d be happy to hear.
I generally would look at doing longer distances. If I’m understanding you correctly, right now you’re comparing .75-1.0 mile chunks, and finding them off by .02mi. The challenge with that is that at those small distances you’ll usually see minor variations. But, if you were to do 10 miles, there’s a very good chance it won’t be .20, but still perhaps .02.
I often see .01-.02 variations from the start of an activity within the first mile, but see those carry through the entire run so the end there’s really is still only .02 miles difference.
In short, show results with longer distances, with two tracks available to be able to troubleshoot.
Thanks Ray, also my bigger concern is that of current pace. As I was running and looking down at both watches it was staggering how the 920 was stable and almost instantly after I began running, but the f3 not only took 20 seconds or so longer but then fluctuated greatly. When it did settle, it was 10-20 seconds different than the 920. Meanwhile when I did testing on a wide open .25mile track, both watches displayed the same current pace. In my perfect world which rarely happens, this F3 will simply give me the current pace functionality of the 920. I remain hopeful this will improve over time.
A circle track or a straight piece of roadway? As a general rule of thumb, running tracks (oval 400m ones) are basically the hardest things on earth for GPS to get right.
Joshua, to your first concern, I suspect anyone with actual knowledge of the antenna design and engineering details or who knows details of Garmin’s internal plans is likely under NDA. AFAIK nobody at Garmin who’d have actual knowledge has said anything publicly, leaving everyone to simply speculate. So as you surmise, only time will tell. I’d recommend you look at the early December discussions about the 920xt’s accuracy issues at the time which Garmin has since resolved to most people’s satisfaction.
Given that the 920 and fenix3 both receive the same GPS firmware updates lends credence to the idea that they share the same GPS hardware. What is then done with the information provided by the gps subsystem is another matter. It would seem Garmin should be able to achieve similar results from the two, and in fact my lunchtime run today wearing both fenix3 and 920xt gave the exact same distance, 4.53mi on each watch. Yesterday’s run was off by 0.01mi over 3.5mi.
Have you ensured your fenix3 is on software v3.1 with gps v2.8? If not, make sure you’ve updated before making any more comparisons.
Still, with your focus on current (instant) pace you ought to read fellrnr’s discussion at link to fellrnr.com
i am using power2max on my bike and i am woundering, if i can connect to power2max with the Fenix3?
i searched for it and found different answers
in the technical documentation i found – powerdata not visible from compatible ANT+ powermeter from thirdparty providers
if i have a look on thisisant.com i can find the power2max in compatible products link to thisisant.com
I went for 1st ride with F3 on my bike with P2M a few days ago. I menu’d Sensors > add new > and it “found the P2M device and added it as registered sensor “PWR” . It also found and added the speed/cadence sensor for that bike. During my ride my 510 recorded all sensor and S/C data. However, the F3 recorded NO power or cadence data? (it DID record S/C from a ride the day before on a “different” bike. Both S/C sensors are present in list of registered ANT+ devices)
I need to investigate why this occurred. During the ride I did NOT look at the watch to see if there was real time power or cadence data being measured. (I leave watch on wrist but use bike computer exclusively. In a race, I would use watch for real time swim and run data but then have the entire complete race results- including T’s- from the watch.)
Just done some testing today trying to to the the footpod autocalibration working
And the vo2 max readings..tried to hard reset with no luck,after my planned run still no vo2 max and no race prediction and garmin support isn’t worth crap!!
But then it struck me that we have already figured out that gps won’t initiate directly from a calendar planned workout and that Is what I am using
So I just tried to start a “free running”from the run app and then I just walked around in the yard for 12 minutes
And damned right suddenly it worked and I got values in vo2 max and the race predictor
So apparently those values doesn’t work if you use a calendar planned training
Or should I say that doesn’t work either !!
thank you for your useful and detailed review!
There´s still one thing i´d like to know.
How accurate is the fenix 3 concerning the vertical speed data?
Are the values measured by GPS or by the barometric altimeter or is both possible?
Can I use a speed sensor for cycling while having vertical speed data based on barometric altimeter?
Does a GPS-based speed for running or cycling force you to use the vertical speed based on the GPS or can you therefore still use the barometric altimeter?
Thanks for your help!
Perhaps I´ve finally found the ideal watch for me!
Below is from FAQ on Garmin website. For running VO2max you need 10min solid above 70% Max HR and cycling you need 20 min solid above 70% Max HR AND power meter. Make sure you have max HR updated/corrected from default in watch before assuming test will work.
What is VO2 Max Estimator?
VO2 Max Estimator provides the maximum capacity your body has to transport and use oxygen during an exercise. It helps with athletic performance, which should increase as your fitness level improves and can be calculated independently for running and cycling. This estimate requires the use of a Heart Rate Monitor when running and a Heart Rate Monitor and Power Meter when cycling.
The FirstBeat Technologies algorithm takes into account the following variables and inserts them into an algorithm:
Running: Heart Rate Variability + Heart Rate (HR) + Speed + Distance
Cycling: Heart Rate Variability + Heart Rate (HR) + Speed + Distance + Power
In order to generate a Running VO2 Max estimate, you must run for a minimum of 10 minutes at at least 70% of your max heart rate. Walking in most cases will not provide you with a VO2 Max estimate. Running VO2 Mac requires a GPS signal to be recorded or modified.
In order to generate a Cycling VO2 Max estimate, you must cycle for a minimum of 20 minutes at at least 70% of your max heart rate. It is recommended that this be performed on an indoor trainer to eliminate variables such as elevation, drafting, and pacing.
Please note: The number represented is an estimate. The VO2 Max number can vary between runs and can seem somewhat erratic or inaccurate at first. The Forerunner requires a few runs to learn your performance.
The following devices will be able to record and display Running VO2 Max:
epix
fenix 2/3
Forerunner 620
Forerunner 920XT
The following devices will be able to record and display Cycling VO2 Max:
epix
fenix 3
Forerunner 920XT
Referenced Link:
FirstBeat Technologies – link to firstbeat.com
Hi I’ve been looking at the Sapphire but am having issues with stock levels in the UK. My local independent running shop is getting some silver units in but has told me that the Garmin UK rep has advised against the sapphire as the metal strap is not good for running as it allows the watch to move too much on the wrist. Have you seen this or heard of this? Did seem strange to me but I have just killed my automatic watch and don’t want to do this to a new watch.
Love the look of the watch and appreciate the review.
Thanks in advance.
You get two straps with the Sapphire – the metal one which is nice looking but heavier and less adjustable (having said that I ran a half marathon with it on with no problem – though it is a nice fit for me); but you also get the rubber band in the box, which you can use as an alternative -takes a minute or two to swap over. I actually bought the fabric/Velcro strap off Amazon too which I will be using on my skiing trip next week (because it comes with an extension so you can wear it over a ski jacket)
I use the metal strap all the time as I was lucky enough to get an exact fit by removing four links. It doesn’t move when running and it’s also not too tight. I haven’t checked but I assume the pitch of the links is similar to the holes on the plastic strap so you’ll have the same sort of adjustment. I would think that the plastic strap is less likely to dig in to your wrist of you do have to have it tight. Also, if you wrist circumference varies a bit, it’s a lot easier to adjust. I think I would probably switch to the plastic strap for racing, just for the extra comfort.
There is both a comfort issue and a safety issue with the metal band in some situations. But it sure looks nice!
But it is REALLY easy to swap the bands- like 1 or 2 minutes at most.You could definitely leave the metal strap on for most of the time and switch to the rubber one for racing/long workouts. Your wrist diameter could change in a long race due to hydration changes/an injury/etc. It could be dangerous to start a half or full IM with a “snug” metal band and then risk constriction if you were to over-hydrate and have some wrist edema.
Thanks for the comments guys, it could just be a stock level thing in the UK (or this shop), shame to have been told what I was told if that’s the case. I’m new to running and would rather have been told that there was an issue in getting that version. I think I will wait for the Sapphire.
On the fenix 2 I could resume later and it would record as one continuous track. I work on a bycycle at work as a Paramedic so record my distances but like it as one!
What I’ve found is that the fenix 3 when resuming later thinks your in a multisport and add individual routes and not continuous and wen uploaded to strava has several routes any idea of a way around this?
Andy – on the fenix3, hit stop to pause the activity and then if you wish press&hold the clock (down) button to display the watch face. When you’re ready to resume press the Start/Stop button.
Hi Ray, yes I used this yesterday, however when uploading it saves as multisport see link link to connect.garmin.com
However before on fenix 2 it would save as one continuous cycle,
George has suggested pressing the down button which works however the gps is still on and drains the battery, (I do 12 hour shifts).
Is there a way of turning off gps and keeping it as one continuos track?
thank you for your useful and detailed review!
There´s still one thing i´d like to know.
How accurate is the fenix 3 concerning the vertical speed data?
Are the values measured by GPS or by the barometric altimeter or is both possible?
Can I use a speed sensor for cycling while having vertical speed data based on barometric altimeter?
Does a GPS-based speed for running or cycling force you to use the vertical speed based on the GPS or can you therefore still use the barometric altimeter?
Thanks for your help!
Perhaps I´ve finally found the ideal watch for me!
Test!
Left hand Fenix3, Right hand 910xt. 1sec and GLONASS ON
910xt: link to connect.garmin.com
Fenix3: link to connect.garmin.com
Distance 910xt 11km, Distance Fenix3 10,6km…
In almost all my test there’s a difference of 4% (400meters on 10km)…..
That sounds really bad to me, with the new firmware/software, i see NO improvements at all!!!!
Are you sure you read that right? I show 6.59mi to 6.83mi, a difference of 3.5%. However, you didn’t actually end them in the same place, once ends perhaps 100m or so further away.
Beyond that, I’m honestly not too clear where you’d see too many issues with either track. Both have little squirly items that’s not ‘perfect’, but neither is ‘really bad’.
Hi Ray and thanks for your feedback!
Yes your distances are right and 3.5 is not 4 but still doesn’t look good to me.
And yes the biggest difference is at the ending point even if i stopped in the exctly the same moment!!
There’s NO a perfect track but i honestly think that my tests and primarily the 57page thread on Garmin forum (link to forums.garmin.com) report a PROBLEM in gps accuracy of this device that your review doesn’t show but is imporant for buyers!!
Sadly we don’t have a refund policy here in Italy…
Ciao Antonio , can you make some test under tree cover because reading the Garmin forums it will affect very much the Fenix 3 accuray…and you have my sholder to cry about our return policy in Italy….simple there isn’t.
Did you use the same settings? (1s recording, and so on?) The Fenix track of your last run looks much smoother. Also, there is a firmware update available, you’re running with / on 2.90.
(I’m waiting for my Fenix, so I can’t draw from personal experience.)
So i just did my first comparison against my 220 and the 220 had a distance of .08 further over 5 miles. sorry i accidentally deleted it before i could upload it. The next thing i notice is the track from my fenix 3 is a bit off compared to the actuarial streets i was running on.
Oh, OK. Thanks for posting. I had just been reading so many complaints on the Garmin forum concerning GPS tracks that are .x off of their comparing watch.
I’ve had Garmin 910xt, 310xt, 210, edge 705, 500, 800 and I’ve heard similar complaints with all devices from people who compared units.
Enjoy your Fenix 3! I should be receiving mine today:)
Question: i got my fenix 3 from CT a little over a week ago. for the discount Ray! I haven’t been able to determine how to get text messages to display. I get the notification and when i push the button to read it on the watch it only displays the ‘text message’ notification and not the body. I have enabled text messages garmin connect. I have a galaxy s4 phone and can’t find a setting to allow forwarding. Anyone have a suggestion?
Scott,
This is a guess but do you have your iPhone show the the actual text message on the iPhone notification or just that you have a text? If only the text you may have to change the notification settings on the iPhone to show the message, then it can relay that to the Fenix 3, just a guess but might be worth a try.
get into sms list, click settings, than select notifications-> on, and on the status bar (show preview of new messages on the status bar) select that box. check to have notifications active on watch too. gl
Julian. Thank you. I wanted to confirm I wasn”t missing something on the Fenix 3 or Garmin Connect. Turns out there was a setting on the phone i had missed. Got it working. Thanks again!
Pretty Happy with the F3 so far. I was quite bummed that my buddie with his 910xt was about between .25 and .5 miles ahead of me on a recent 14mile trail run. This weekend we have a 31miler. So we’ll see how far ahead he is then. I might try and linger as the turns/switchbacks a little. maybe an extra second or so helps with the smoothing that has been discussed. That said. My F2 auction on Ebay is about to end. an astounding 710 views with 41 watchers and 10 bids. So my plan to recover costs for the F3 is about to be complete.
Ray, great work with your reviews. I ended up preordering and receiving the Fenix 3 Sapphire a few days ago. I love it but would like to ask you and/or your readers if anyone has experienced problems with the device’s sensors. The Altimeter, barometer and temperature sensors worked great but as I drove from Edmonton Canada down through northern Montana, my sensors recorded erratic numbers. The altimeter is off by 43000m, barometer shows ——- and the temperature on my wrist is -7C! Wondering if this is a defective unit. I tried restarting the watch with no luck. Any thoughts?
I just called Garmin Support. They’re blaming it on a known issue with 3.10. I’ll try to revert back to a previous firmware version to test this theory before I send the unit back for an exchange….
I assume you mean autolap by location, not by distance. As autolap by distance is in all models. As for by location, no, I’ve asked and never really gotten a good answer.
Hello,
Next sunday i will make a trail (Trail Sainte Victoire), 57km and 3100D+.
What settings do you remand me for the altimeter ? May i calibrate it with exact altitude of the beginig of race ?
Do i activate the auto-calibration ? Single ? Permanent ?
Hi Ray ,
Firstof all , thank you for your amazing reviews .
i got my Fenix 3 yesterday and tried to connect it to my Samsung S4 via Bluetooth , but neither the watch or the cell phone detect each other .
Software version : 3.10
Samsung S4 : 4.2.2
Do you any idea Why ?
it seems that i have also an issue with the battery . This morning at 6 AM had 80% battery , i did a 15km run in 1h08min with GPS , and used just the watch during the day , actually it’s 4:20 PM and the battery is 23% . So the battery is almost dead quickly 🙁
i lost almost 60% of battery in 10 hours , even my garmin xt 910 do better .
Any suggestion ?
Thank you
Remember that the Fenix3 needs to be paired within the Garmin Connect Mobile app. Outside of that, I’d consult the forums for ideas (I’m not much of an Android person).
As for battery, not sure. There were issues with random one-time drain issues in some of the previous firmware versions, whereby after it drained the battery entirely it was fine from there on out (as if GPS was still sorta secretly on). But I thought 3.10 cleared that issue.
I received my new Fenix 3.
I’m a little disapinted about the display in dull light.
The display of my old 310xt is much more readable, even with lightning.
I had a problem with power drain, but after switchin off and on, this is gone. I think the device had wifi active all the thime or something like this….
The strap is a pain to close.
I have a question about the calibration of the vector S power meter. Isn’t it nessesary to calibrate it.
There is no option on the fenix 3. How to change crank length? Only with the updater like in stone age of 310xt?
It worked, but I had to restart the fenix in order to connect te vector again.
Now power drain seames to be back again.
Garmin software is so f**cking awfull….
(Sorry, posted this in the Forerunner 920xt review too).
Hi.
I have probably used too much time on comparing different devices, and should have gone out training instead… I currently own a Polar V800, Forerunner 920XT and a Fenix 3. From what I can read in the comments here, and from the comments in the FR920XT review, it is all about Garmin F3 or FR920XT. So I have just one question to you Ray. Why don`t you like Polar V800?
I kind of want to get rid of my V800 because I also use the Edge 1000, and I love that device, but I find it impossible to throw the V800 of my hand. I actually bought the 920XT when it first came out, used it for two weeks, and then old it again. Now I am giving it a new chance. The Fenix 3 is cool, and it is absolutely great, but in the end the most important thing is the training itself, and then the V800 has everything I need. It is small, light and well build. I never misses a heart beat and the GPS is really good. I also find the Flow-webpage quite good although I know it has it`s limitations. And, during the spring/summer it will get a lot of new features like remote music control, smart notifications, customized training sessions (intervalls etc..).
So, Polar is working slow, but they are working good 🙂
OK, I’ve had my F3 for about 10 days now. In short in many ways it lots better than my previous F2. I know several people mention not having multi alarms, I can live with one for now. But dang the one alarm doesn’t even have a snooze button, the alarm goes off and your only choice is to turn it off, NO SNOOZE option. What’s up with that!!
That’s disappointing I helped out with the Amp Strip Kickstarter thinking that the F3 would be able to use BS sensors. Any luck on getting them added in the future?
my friend and I ran 31miles on trails. leaves are not in yet so not a full canopy. his 910xt ended up with 1771 in elevation to my F3 1446. I continually had to add little segments. I was losing about .25 miles every 10ish. it was noticeable on the twisting sections. straight shots less so.
true enough Juno. and yet there it is. side by side also for 6 hours, I would have been 3/4 mile short on distance and 300 feet I elevation. hoping there is some firmware to help at least with the tracking algorithm
Sorry mr admin i was meant to ask about this fenix 3 device .hello, does anyone have try this for freediving ? does the altimeter works below the sea level (-10 meters ? )
Hi Ray, fantastic review and I’m following your page since a couple of years. Always a pleasure to read them. I just have one question I couldn’t find an answer so far:
I’m now using the Ambit 2 and when I start a run outdoors and I don’t want to wait for the GPS signal I can just press ‘skip’ and start the run. During the first 5-10 min the watch gets the GPS signal and automatically uses it. For the first minutes the watch uses the acceleration module to estimate speed and time.
I’m often running with colleagues during lunch breaks and I don’t want to let the team wait for my GPS signal in order to start the run. Exactly this was not working properly for the Garmin Tactix, that’s why I’ve sold it no bought the Ambit 2.
How is it with the Fenix 3? Can I skip the GPS search and just start my workout, and the signal will come automatically later on?
Maybe the others also have some similar experiences/questions?
Many thanks in advance Ray and Happy Easter. Time for a run now before breakfast. 🙂
I’ve had my F3 for just over a week and done about 10 runs with it. Not a huge sample size, but it has found its GPS location within about 15 seconds every time. I suspect with the satellite pre-caching it does this will be a nonissue for you.
Many thanks Ben, much appreciated! Sounds good…but can you maybe just give it a try? So before you run you just skip the heart rate strap and GPS signal search and start the workout right away? What would happen? 🙂 …assuming you can skip the GPS signal search (and heart rate)?! Would be very interesting, since this is the scenario I’m using quite often with the Ambit 2 since 2 years or so, and the results are always quite satisfying.
Steffen
Hi,
The store were I bought my Fenix 3 took it back and gave me another because the accuracy was very bad.
My new Fenix 3 doesn’t get GPS signal at all.
I have already checked the GPS setting of the sport switched it off and on again.
Tried to switch off and on Glonass (treid both), but still no GPS signal.
Did a Master reset by switching off the device and switching it on while pushing BACK/LAP ==> reset settings ==> yes. Also tried RESTORE DEFAULTS from the menu.
Does anybody have another trick, to get a GPS signal, I might have forgotten or something just don’t know?
Thanks everybody,
Rene Haveman
Its a known problem and has occured to a number of people. Only solution is to get a replacement through warranty.
There is a relevant thread in Garmin Forums.
Hello Zac,
Thanks for your reply, but I couldn’t find a thread about GPS not working on the garmin forum. I could find a thread about GPS accuracy.
Do you have a link to the thread about GPS not working?
Thanks again,
Got the watch last week and love it, had a MTB ride, 10 mile trail run, 9 mill hill race and then a swim for recovery this morning, watch has performed brilliantly! (I think it missed 1 length in the pool but that was probably my fault)
One question though, I can’t see how to get it to display my current location, is this possible? One of the reasons I bought it was for quickly finding my position on the map when out on bigger hill runs, any help appreciated
On another note I used the navigation feature from a GPX file I uploaded to run 2 Munro’s joined by a long ridge. I was very impressed with the navigation function and will definitely be using it again. No excuse for not having a map and compass and knowing how to use it but certainly saved a lot of hassle stopping to get the map out every time I had a quick nav query.
Sorry for the off-topic, but I didn’t know where to ask…
Any chance for a review of any of the new Bryton devices? (Amis S430/S630)
They do not look as “othergarmindevicesclones”, are quite well priced, and advertise some interesting features.
Thanks in advance, and again, sorry for the off-topic
And, of course, many thanks for your reviews!!!!!!!!!!
No, but they never promised to either. I suspect with competitive pressure from both Polar and Suunto on that front they’ll eventually respond. The challenge is that both options with HR straps kinda suck. So doing something optical makes sense. But keep in mind that optical on the wrist for swimmers doesn’t always work perfectly (or at all), especially at the beginning of a workout or in colder water.
The challenge a company like Garmin has is that it can’t afford support-wise to introduce something that only works half the time.
Hi
Just bought my garmin fenix 3 days ago , the watch is really pretty and i can wear it every day , something that i was interested in , But …
i did today an almost 30 km with my F3 and my old forerunner 910 xt .
i run 2 first km until the metro , the distance and pace was pretty much the same . once i got off the metro , start running with a friend the differences where considerable, some times 10 to 15 senconds less than my 910 per 1k pace , and sometimes higher 10 to 15 when i put the Glonass .
things get worse when i start my tempo run , the difference was about a minute , in fact the F3 was still with my jogging pace that i had before :/
When a i get home , my F3 map doesnt display the route after the metro station . but the distance and pace were here .
During my races my old 910 had always around 200 m for the a half marathon , 100m for a 10 K etc … i always lived with it , just tried to run 3 to 5 senconde per km faster than the watch pace to really be at right speed .
does any body had the same issues ? have any idea why ?
If you’re not getting a map on your GPS activities, then something is clearly wrong. I’d really recommend contacting Garmin support. I know it’s easier to post/etc, but honestly the fastest route most of the times is with Garmin support (telephone). In most countries they are actually quite competent.
Hi Ray & Followers.
Regarding Live Tracking. How much data does it use?
For example: If I go for a 4 hour bike ride with GPS, Heart Rate, Speed & Cadence sensors set up for optimal accuracy, will my data allowance be gone?
I have dug deep searching for this subject but have found nothing. Thanks for any info.
After having my watch for about a couple weeks ,(working pretty well) I went for a run today and I stood outside for 10 minutes before the GPS got a lock. I restarted the watch twice, I turned GLONASS on and that didnt seem to help. Then after finally getting a lock I could tell something was off because during the run it kept saying different speeds then what I normally run at. When I got back you the GPS track was all over the place. I went on the Garmin forums and its apparently a big issue. You think for $500 watch it wouldnt have these problems since $200 watch can atleast get GPS right.
First off, your reviews are great! Thanks for putting out such detailed info. I’ve been eyeballing the fenix3 since it was announced, but I have some questions abut it’s capabilities that I have yet to see others describe. Do you know if the watch can send ANT+ data from it’s sensors (like altimeter and GPS) to other devices, specifically bike computers like the Wahoo RFLKT+? I’d like to be able to use the the watch along side the RFLKT+ so I don’t have to constantly check my wrist, to get that info on my phone, and also to save the GPS/battery on my phone. It would be great if it could be an ANT+ bridge also, but the RFLKT+ already does that. If this functionality isn’t natively available, have you seen any 3rd party apps yet that pass ANT+ data along to another devices (wether it be bluetooth or ANT)? If something like that existed, at least I would know that it was theoretically possible within the software/hardware. Have you heard any rumors of Wahoo working on a Connect IQ app? Oh! Also, can you connect an ANT+ sensor to more than one device? Like, could I have my heart rate strap connected to the watch and also connected to the RFLKT at the same time? THANKS!
Nothing yet. Though, they did release a Garmin VIRB WP app – so that’s definitely a step in the right direction, and probably a hint of where things are going…
Is it possible to program a run workout that alerts me (and displays) a pace I am supposed to be at during my run and any particular point in my workout, programming any segment by distance, time or pace?
Something like this:
– So say I need to do a warmup (by either distance, time or pace)
– Then run intervals (of either distance, time or pace) with slow jogs in between each (again by either distance, time or pace)
– And finally a warm down, you guessed it again by either distance, time or pace.
I’ve been back and forth to this review a lot of times, reading it several times over, and it’s helped me decide to buy one (just a few minutes ago) so that you to the DC Rainmaker 🙂
@Roger Redhat – I have created complex workouts in the past on Garmin Connect (link to connect.garmin.com). In fact all my running activities are created using Garmin’s Workout Creator.
Thanks Dr. D –I am starting to fill in the blanks, I get it now that you can compose a run on Garmin Connect and then presumably sync it to the Fenix3 awesome 🙂
It arrives today…..thanks again, and thanks for DC Rainmaker for making the decision to get one so easy.
Dr. D, having just signed up for a Garmin account in anticipation of getting my Fenix3 – I notice I can’t set a workout step that has a given pace – is this because I should not be trying to do this, instead doing it by heart rate?…I agree with that, but it would be good for those times I don’t have the monitor on.
@ Roger Redhat: I am glad you managed to figure things out, it is a treasure trove. Back in 2011, Ray wrote a short piece about it (link to dcrainmaker.com) but things have changed with the new Garmin Connect. It should at least give you a flavor of what can be done.
Well, what can I say. The Garmin Fenix3 is awesome! Everything I wanted from a workout point of view, I can literally create any type of workout I want – it’s a revelation 🙂 ..I realise I didn’t need the Fenix3 to do just that, but with all the other features for me to us as I progress plus the fact it looks awesome I am a happy runner 🙂
My only negative is the screen is quite dull. The light makes a big difference but I would like the display to be easier to read. Is there any way Garmin could have had the eInk background a bright white?
Good design by the outdoors people at Garmin! This is actually quite a good looking watch and you really have to wonder if the forerunner guys are paying any attention at all. The forerunner series of watches looks like cheap plastic knock offs compared to the F3.
had a completely bizarre experience with F3, today. I did an OW swim last lasted for 1:01:19. Hit start button at beginning and end, then “save”. Hit lap button at various point to mark sections. Watched appeared to run throughout workout and “time” accumulated as expected. Distance traveled seemed pretty close to expected at turnaround (at ~30 minutes/ ~ 1,300 yds) and then I didn’t look at the watch again until after hitting “stop” back on the beach.
However, after saving the workout, it showed totals of 1:01 but only 1,700 yds. Sure enough, when I looked at the uploaded workout, the “duration” was 1:01, which was correct, but distance was only 1,700 yd, not the 2,700 yd I expected. Looking at the workout on GC, there is a red “stop” square 1/3 way back on return and no GPS track data after that point– even though the timer continued to run until I hit “stop”. I’m pretty sure I didn’t accidentally hit the “stop” button instead of the “lap” button- and if I had, why would the timer have continued to run until I finished the swim? Battery was nearly full, so “power saving” was not an issue. No other explanation. This is the 3rd OW swim and about the 10th workout I have used the watch for and have not had something like this happen before. Any ideas? otherwise I absolutely love the watch.
One other issue- I have a “tempe” sensor and it doesn’t seem to keep the connection, even when sensor stays in proximity of watch. When I scroll to the temp widget screen, it’s about even odds that it will show a measured temp or just show “not connected” even though it is 2 feet away??
Within an activity I didn’t have any issues yesterday. I paired it during cycling and actually attached it to the little loop on the back of my cycling shoes*. Worked well. Here’s the Garmin Connect File: link to connect.garmin.com
*As for why the loop on the back of my shoes, it was far away from my body that it wouldn’t be impacted there. And, since I was on a rental bike I didn’t want to forget it later if i attached it to the bike. Seemed like a logical place.
It may be that Tempe sensor only works when in an activity and not “all the time” (since what is not looking for ANT+ sensors when not in an activity? The Garmin press less me to believe that the Tempe data “replaces” the watches built-in thermometer. I just assumed this would work all the time and in real-time, not when only in recording mode an activity.I could see arguments for both views.
I have a Fenix 3 and a Tempe. When I switch to the Temperature widget it always takes a long time (probably 15 to 25 seconds) to finally show temperature. Garmin forums have some threads about it. Last night, I setup a Running data screen to show the temperature and I will test it on my next run.
Do you mind checking with the French chain Au Vieux Campeur near Notre Dame if they keep the fenix 3 in store now that it’s available to order from their website. I will be heading there on 24th Apr and thinking of buying one straight off at the store to take advantage of the VAT refund and save on delivery charges.
BTW, is there any difference to the watch if bought in France. Will the user interface of the watch and written user guide be solely in french ? I have read a lot of complaints above mostly relating to GPS issues. Is it to do with product batch with defective hardware? If I buy it from the store, anything I can do to make sure I don’t get one with defective GPS before I leave with the watch?
They did seem to have it in store the last time I swung by, in fact, the guy was wearing it on his wrist.
But, I won’t be back till teh weekend to check.
The units are identical globally. No differences. I’m not aware of any defect Fenix3 units hardware-wise (in terms of anything widespread beyond just a random unit here or there having a hardware issue, no different than other products).
I was in a local sport shop today and got to have a hands on look at a Fenix 3.
Very nice device, super high quality and nowhere near as heavy as expected.
I had intentions to buy a Suunto Ambit Run online while waiting to see what comes of the Ambit 4, but I was blown away that a local shop had a Fenix 3, so I put one on laybuy. Exciting times.
Anyway, the point of this post is, has anyone ever heard about a Red Fenix 3?
The young kid that served me said that when the Suunto rep came in and demo’d the Fenix 3, the rep had a Red Fenix 3!!
I asked if it was the band, but he said it was the actual body.
Is this an option or something he managed to order specially for himself?
Sorry, just realized i wrote Suunto Rep.
I of course meant the Garmin Rep.
The kid at the shop was 100% positive it was a Fenix 3 with a completely Red body, not just a red band.
Next time i’m in there, ill ask him to snap a photo of it the next time the rep comes in, or if i can get the Reps contact details i’ll try and get some answers.
Yeah I immediately thought the same and asked if he meant the band, but the kid was pretty switched on and insisted it was the actual body.
This kid knew a bit about these watches, he surprised me, and actually said they refer to your site for info and advice on new products and features etc.
I’ll be sure to follow up on this, but im with you and think it was probably just the band.
The pool I swim at is 33 yards – 1 length is 16.5 yards. If I set the watch to custom 33 yards – I got that I swam ~1750 yds instead of it being half that. I typically swim .5 mile at around 20 minutes. Do I not set it to custom and pick the 33 yards setting to get it correct? Or do I set it to 18 yards in custom and just know the data is off? Confused on what to do here. Seems like 33 yards for a pool is common.
I believe that one is supposed to use length, not lap distance. Correct setting would be 16.5 yards, or whatever is closest that it will allow you to enter. I would refer to your pool as a 16.5 yard pool not a 33 yard pool.
I guess the best option then is to use 18 yards as a setting – it’s off by 1.5 yards per length but it will have to do. You can’t go as low as 16.5 yards.
It appears that my F3 only measures VO2 Max outdoors while my F2 measured both indoors and outdoors. Are others having the same experience or will it start measuring indoors after it has collected enough outdoor history?
Is there any way of having the Fenix3 get a GPS lock in good time before the ‘starting gun’ goes off? So all that is left to do is press Start at that crucial moment – of course it’s no time to be worrying about GPS signals and you don’t want to start the timer going 5 minutes before.
From what I can tell there are two methods: start your timer, press stop immediately and let the Fenix3 start its GPS hunt, in the hope it finds it and you can press Start again when the gun goes. Or use Auto Pause to have it detect that you haven’t moved.
I was hoping for some kind of super-car-esque ‘Launch Control’ where you could set the Fenix3 into a kind of pre-race readiness state – waiting for you to press Start: with GPS all locked in and ready to go!
By choosing the “Extended” mode, you will have 25 minutes after selecting the activity and GPS acquisition starts before you have to press Start to start the activity.
This will leave the Run app ready to start recording, with a good GPS lock, for 25 minutes without timing out.
@ Rodger Redhat
In my case when i select RUN activity for exemple the watch get a gps in 5 to 10 seconde even if i don’t press start or by puting power save to extended .
normally you get a gps signal before starting your timer , i don’t understand why you need to start the timer to get GPS signal
Hi Reda, coming back to my question a couple of days ago without a proper answer yet: What would happen if you just hit the start button and run, without having GPS signal locked? Will it track the speed & distance with the acceleration sensor and once GPS is there it will continue to use use GPS (like the Ambit 2)? Thus it wouldn’t be a problem at all to start a run.. Many thanks in advance
Steffen
i tried running inside and i can tell that without the foot pod the paces are totally wrong .
Still didn’t try outside without footpod and befor loking gps . but the GPS is pretty quick , less than 10 secondes . my ols garmin 910 took 5 to 10 min sometimes before oking a gps signal .
Ray, seems F3 updates are a bit idle actually
do you have any news when announced features will be implemented?
basecamp substitute?
komoot and other announced IQ apps?
As for incorporating Basecamp features into the Garmin Connect Mobile app, they haven’t specified a timeframe. But, I’d be surprised if it isn’t there by time Epix starts shipping.
As for Komoot and other apps, those are really up to those companies. From talking to Komoot, it doesn’t sound like they’re in a hurry.
Have you compared the fenix3 to ambit3 on runs done in forested areas? If so do you care to share the tracks? My experience so far is that the GPS on the fenix (mediatek) is inferiror to Ambit(SIRF). I have tried with/without GLONASS and also leaving the fenix to soak in GPS for 20 minutes. The result is the same where Ambit tracks accurately, Fenix kind of wobble from side to side on the road and a lot times cuts corner. The more remote terrain (and with more trees) the bigger the difference in favor of Ambit. On a normal run fenix is about 5% of and on trails it can as much as 10%. My biggest fear is that this is related to HW and specifically the GPS chip and hence cannot be solved with a SW update. What’s your input on this? I really like the fenix but the most important feature is the GPS accuracy for me and at the moment it is not delivering….
Would really appreciate a comparison on mygpsfiles since you say you only have experienced small differences. And also,do you know if Garmin is acknowledging the error and working on a fix?
This definitely influenced my decision to get myself one of these puppies!
So far very happy with it. Great watch! massive step up from my old Garmin 610
Just got one pretty petty question about it… do you know a way of adding wireless networks? I know how to do it with Garmin Express but don’t really want to have to lug my laptop to all the places I plan to connect to.
Would have thought this feature would be added to the Garmin Connect App
Scanned the thread and can’t see any obvious info on this ‘issue’ so here goes….
Had my F3 for 3 days and I’ve not managed to get more than 20 hours of battery life out of it as a normal watch. It was fully charged at 10:30pm yesterday and went to use it this afternoon at 4pm for a swim and it was down to 8%.
I’m wondering if this is linked to the fact that there isn’t a screen lock and during the day its being activated when I bend my wrist thus depleting the battery?
Thoughts appreciated.
Scott, I don’t know what you’re doing wrong, but I get way more runtime. With ~30 min of GPS use per day and notifications it lasts at least a week. That is without lock screen active.
Make sure you’re on the latest firmware and don’t have wifi auto-sync active.
Hi Ray,
tried adjusting the band myself, got the pins out ok in the direction of arrow, but they wont go back in the same way (ie. in the arrow direction), a quick google reveals most instructions say out in the arrow direction, back in against it. Thats the way I had to do it, but is contrary to your video, can you calrify with garmin please? – dont want my £400 watch coming off mid ride when vibrating over bumps…
Ray can you please confirm with garmin the metal strap asjustment on the saphhire, i followed your video, pins came out ok in direction of arrow but wouldn’t go back in that way, I had to go against the arrow – seems ok but dont wanna risk it coming off in a race without me realising. Most google advice seems to state remove in direction of arrow, replace in reverse directio (against arrow)
You need to push them back in the way they came out, against the direction of the arrow. Garmin will just repeat what they say in their manual, take it to a jeweller.
steve – took it to a jewellers in frist place, pin started coming out hence post. nothing in garmin manual otherwise I wouldnt have bothered posting unless you know something different if so share, I was asking as the video shows them going back in with direction of arrow.
Has anyone found a way with the Fenix 3 to keep the course zoomed in during an activity? If I zoom greater than 0.2 miles (say to 300 ft), then if I stay in zoom mode then the map does not follow the course (i.e. stays in a fixed location) and if I move out of zoom mode then the map reverts after a minute or so back to 0.2 miles zoom.
Is there a way to “lock” the zoom level for the duration of the activity?
This is a fantastic watch but this problem really lets it down. 0.2 miles/0.3 km zoom is really too wide to be of use when following a trail.
Depends what for, really. I wouldn’t want to have global settings for autopause, for instance.
For auto-zoom, it’s confusing because it modifies the behaviour of navigation, but the setting is nowhere near navigation; there are several global settings for navigation (map on, guide, and so on) and it’s unclear why this is treated differently.
Also, it’s very deep in the App settings, so it’s slow to get to if you want to modify it during an activity, and hardly anybody is finding it without having it pointed out (I found a passing mention on the thread).
I haven’t tried it on cycling yet, though, and it might be that autozoom works better for that than it does for running.
It’s near impossible to find as it is. I tried Garmin Support both in the UK and US and both told me it wasn’t possible to disable auto-zoom; I was ready to bin the watch as a result.
It’s not in the manual anywhere so Garmin need to do something about this; either clearer help or change the option to a global one with perhaps the ability to override per app.
Once it works, it works a treat, so it would be shame for other users not to realise this functionality is there.
Does anyone know how to adjust the zoom so that the map stays zoomed in for the duration of an activity?
The map seems to always default to 0.2 mile zoom. If I zoom in greater than this and I do not quit the zoom function, then the map does not follow the course (i.e. it stays at a fixed location while I move); if I quit the zoom function the map keeps the higher zoom magnification for about a minute but then reverts back to 0.2 mile. Obviously I can’t keep zooming in the map every minute.
For trail running, I need a fixed zoom level which gives more detail than 0.2 mile for the duration of the activity, how can I do this?
Ray can you please discuss with garmin the following problem:
Activity tracking while cycling:
The F3 is counting steps while doing a cycling workout. Because of this, my F3 counts some thousands of extra steps a day I havent done, so the activity tracking is faulty and useless.
The mad thing is, that the watch is “knowing” that I’m not walking while I’m cycling. It is different to the problem of counting stemps while driving a car.
I think there must be a possibility to configure, what sensors (and functions) are active during a workout-App, because it’s also useless that the watch is searching for HRM an power-meter for a swim workout.
The wahoo app für android is a example for the possibility to “connect” sensors to workout types.
The following sensors or funtions should be configurable to each workout app type:
– activity tracking
– Every single ANT+ sensor that is connected to the F3 (or grouped by functionality like HRM, power, …)
– Barometer (the grap is lookin strange after a swim workout)
– Temperature (intern sensor)
– ?
Is anyone else having trouble getting the weather widget to update? I’m connected to Galaxy s5 via bluetooth constantly and my wifi network at home, but haven’t gotten the current weather / forecast to update since 2 days ago.
continuing to see very odd OW swim data. I posted this problem the other day w/ no response. Went for OWS today and once again observed this: started activity, swam to 1.2 mi. turnaround (which is at 1056 yds). Hit lap and looked at watch- it read about 729 yds. RESTED at turn buoy with watch hand resting on the buoy out of the water. Distance continued to “count up” for next 3:40 until finally “settling” at 1084 yds. I then finished swim with total distance just about correct.
Reviewing activity data during the “lap” that I was stationary at the buoy, reveals lap time of 3:40 with “moving time” of 2:32, distance covered of 355 yds and avg pace of 1:02 (woohoo!!).
What to make of this? I get that the display is catching up with the GPS data being collected and that ACTUAL raw data is quite accurate but this means that anything other than “elapsed time” that you see on the watch face during the actual OWS activity may be meaningless – at least until after it has had some time to stabilize?
I have watch set for 1 sec updates and GLONASS “on”.
hi ,
is there any way to stop the chrono and and turn lap , i’ve always done that with my garmin 910 , with the F3 i have to push lap button before stopping the chrono , a bit annoying …
Thanks
I am very happy with my F3. I know you are not a golfer, but do you think you could ask garmin to add the golf functionality to the F3? would seem to be an easy add, and would keep the top of the line watch having all the features and more.
if you think better for me to post on garmin site, let me know.
Ray, thanks for your amazing reviews. I’ve recently been using both the 920XT and Fenix3 side by side to test them out. I’m noticing some differences in the elevation gain/loss recordings. For a fairly flat 14-mile run, the 920XT gave me an elevation gain/loss of 164/177 vs. the Fenix3’s 30/49. The initial/ending elevations were nearly identical—compare the 920XT’s 68/52 vs. the Fenix3’s 70/54.
So the two devices must be doing something differently to record the gain/loss. Do you have any insights into what that might be?
Based on the route I ran (and I’ve done this twice now with similar results), I suspect the Fenix3’s elevation gain/loss is the more accurate of these numbers. I’m wondering if it has to do with the fact that the Fenix3, according to the manual, “collects altimeter and barometer data continuously, even in low-power mode.” I can’t find anything in the 920XT manual that says how it collects elevation readings. Of course, it is not an ABC watch so it most likely does not collect altimeter data continuously—probably just enough to estimate elevation gain/loss.
But is the hardware any different between the two devices? They both contain barometric altimeters, after all. Is there something different about the ABC watch in terms of hardware? Or is there simply a difference in how the two devices collect elevation data? Any more thoughts or experience with which of these two devices is more accurate in recording elevation gain/loss?
Should I use a workout to run a marathon or simply use distance and time standard training? I tried and created a “My Workout” with a run walk approach, running 4.95km and walking 50 m. When I set a pace target for the run, the watch keep alerting me that I am not in the set pace. I am afraid that my set pace will not be possible after 30km and I certainly do not want the screen to keep alerting me and remind me that I am too slow (even without sound and vibration, it is still annoying). Is there a way to get the alert once or twice then dismiss it for the lap? I can also do a workout without an targets but then how is that different from a “training target”?
For a “My Workout” I would like to do a “warmup” until I press the lap button as I cross the start line. Repeat 4.95km and 50m 4 times (4x (4.95+50)) with set pace, do that again (4x (4.95+50)) with a little slower pace. Then run a faster pace for 2.195, then run until I cross the finish line and hit the lap button (since there is usually a lost distance after I actually finish my set marathon distance. What is best to do? (Using Fenix3)
I went on a 50 mile ride today and my battery drained from 100% to 36% over the course of the day. I just received the Fenix 3 last week, so it new. Is this because GPS was used for a few hours? 4 hour total ride time with stops. Is there any way to prevent that type of battery drain? I was hoping the battery would last for a 135 mile race I have upcoming on bike, but at that rate I’m not sure it would. Am I doing something wrong? thanks for any advice!
Interesting, I get much better results. Was skiing, and over the course of two days, total time ~10 hours including stops, the watch went down to 19%. It wasn’t 100% charged before, let’s say it was at 90%. So better than what you got.
I got my Fenix 3 last week. Here is my experience so far:
– Setup was very easy. I was inside though and it could not locate GPS, because of that, date was inaccurate on my first use. Time is manually adjustable.
– Device came with latest firmware (3.10). I did not experience any major crashes or shutdowns.
– The HRM-run that came with it was easily paired first time I tried it. Next day though, it had problems reading my HR, fiddling with HR position and licking it did not help. Finally restarting the watch fixed the problem.
– Used on 3 bike rides. No problems so far, by default, there are heart rate zone notifications defined for biking which is annoying, I turned them off and defined just one for max HR.
– Resume later functionality works! But I wish it did not split my ride. I keeps everything in one .fit file though. Shame Strava does not support this yet.
– The UI and menu system is very intuitive, thought I wish button layout was the same with my Garmin edge. Back and up-down buttons on both devices are on completely different sides so it takes some brainpower to switch between devices.
I full charged the watch thursday. I wear night and sleep. I swim one hour in the pool friday morning.
I see the watch friday evening, before the run, and the watch battery is 15%.
No auto wifi sync, no bt smart notification, only steps/sleep tracker is working. 🙁
I full charged the watch friday too. I bike about two hours, with HRM and Cadence/Speed sensor, and GPS.
I wear watch 3 nights. Now, monday morning, the battery is 65%.
No auto wifi sync, no bt smart notification, only steps/sleep tracker is working. 🙁
No promises, but what I noticed on mine. With wifi auto upload on, I get about a week out of it (including 5 – 8 hours of gps training). With the wifi auto upload turned off, my battery drained 70% overnight.
one question about using footpod outside.
I know that some other older devices have built so that if your are using footpad and GPS than watch shoes/uses automatically pod as primary device.
Did I understood correctly that in case of Fenix3 it is built opposite – GPS is primary and if POD is available than it will be used only in case GPS signal is not available?
Second question is about planning your trainings – Can I build custom training in my computer and upload it to watch and afterwards follow it?
For example – 2 miles easy than 15 minutes for exercises, than 2×0,5 mile with 0,5 mile recovery, then 2×1 mile with half mile recovery and for last some jogging as well.
(Using currently Polar RS800CX where I can easily plan such kind of trainings and later follow them, but I know there were problems after V800 came out that such options aren’t available anymore. As I haven’t used Garmin than don’t know, should I expect to have such option on Fenix3 or not)
I wonder how big the F3 is in comparison to the Ambit3 – on the paper the Ambit ist slightly smaller but on every picture I have seen the Ambit apears bigger, bulkier – what is your opinion about this point?
Considering the GPS-Issues I noticed your list shows in almost every run the fenix counted less distance than any other unit. That doesn’t apear to me as the usual GPS-inaccuracy but in fact it fits to the smoothing tendency of the track the F3 has showen in some reviews: Cut corners make shorter tracks – what do you think?
After 3 weeks, my fenix 3 started to have battery drain issues. At first, only at night (55% in one night), then after 4 weeks, it happened all the time. After 24hours, the watch was dead.
I disabled everything, reset the watch, to no avail.
Eventually, I contacted Garmin support. Within 30min they replied and gave me a RMA for repair. Without questions asked nor suggestions given.
I wonder if some batch are faulty.
Has anyone heard about watch replacement for certain serial numbers?
Until last night, I was cautiously optimistic about the HRM. Me personally, I fall into the small group that just electro/bioPhsyically are challenged with Garmin HRM. they work, when new, and no amount of cleaning helps. I had my first HRM drop out. Mile 8 of 9 I seemed to have dropped or flatlined. Not sure which. Hoping its an anomaly, will try again tonight. BTW the metronome is nice, but if you swing your arm differently, you screw up the cadence and I think the F3 needs a few beats/steps to get back on track before the alert starts firing again.
Ray – I purchased the Fenix 3 yesterday at CT and should get the bundle by Wednesday or Thursday of this week. I previously purchased the VivoActive from CT as well. Not only did you do a great review but you saved me about $70.00. Not a bad deal…
Quick question… I now own the VivoSmart, VivoActive and and the Fenix 3. I would like to switch between the three depending on my needs for the day.
1.) Do you think Garmin will offer this capability?
2.) If they done’t, what’s the best way currently to switch?
At present you can’t easily switch between activity trackers (or just have it does it automagically). Fitbit just rolled this out a few weeks ago. And when I talked with Garmin about it at CES, they were keenly aware that it’s something they need to implement. They didn’t have a timeframe for it though.
Quick question. I got the Fenix 3 bundled with heart rate strap. Can I keep the heart rate monitor module always connected to the strap or I need to disconnect every time? I am afraid that continuously connecting and removing the module from the strap will get it broken soon or later.
You can leave it on all the time. Only need to take it off when washing the strap. I never wash my strap, so I have never taken the module off. Don’t follow my lead though, I think I am meant to wash the strap every now and then 😉
I believe it will continue to use the battery in the module if you leave it snapped to the strap. I always unsnap mine and have never had an issue with durability.
Phil, that was my thought as well. Keeping the module on the strap it will keep using the battery. On the other side I was thinking that it may use the battery only when transmitting to the watch. So when you run a session and watch is collecting data from the strap.
I am not sure it is like this. I am going to buy few batteries to keep home and check. My previous strap battery last very long so I can compare with this one. 🙂
The transmitter pod automatically goes to sleep when it no longer detects a heart beat (or rather, detects something that it thinks is a heart beat). Typically this is within a couple minutes.
Thus, there’s no reason to disconnect the pod. If you’re seeing a strap/pod burn through batteries, then the strap is defective and should be replaced.
With my HRM2 from my 610 I always disconnected one side after a lunchtime run largely to aid in folding the strap up for stashing in my duffel’s mesh pocket. No issues from that in three years of using it, so I see no reason to change now.
(I throw the strap in the wash with my other running gear once a week then hang-dry. Cuts down the funk a bit)
I am struggling to connect things to my Fenix 3. I got the hr strap bundled and the footpod. When I go into the sensor setting menu I can see that hr strap is pre-associated. So I try to connect and it fails (even tried after a long run with the strap on). Same for the footpod. When I try to look for a new sensor it says nothing found.
Last but not least, I am trying to associate the watch to the ipad where I have installed the garmin connect mobile app (I keep the ipad with me when running on the tradmill). I go into the bluetooth setting and select pair mobile device. Then I run the garmin connect mobile app and select the fenix 3 (which is shown there as I did registered with gamin express). Watch keeps saying initializing and app does not see it.
It is really driving me crazy. I was not able to connect to the hr, associate the footpod and mobile app on the ipad. Any suggestion?
Today I have updated the watch to the latest 3.10 firmware release.
Argh! Haven’t considered a reboot of the watch. Being a watch I was not thinking at a reboot. 🙂
Now I got all the sensors working!
Get a chance for another question. I have configured wifi with garmin express. But it seems that it does not automatically connect to the wifi although I have setup auto upload. I have to manually go into settings/wifi and ask to connect. Then it uploads the training.
Do I miss something? Need to wait more before it connects?
Or just press+hold the Down(Clock) button until the watch face appears. Press Start/Stop to go back. From the watch face you can switch to other widgets, although using a ConnectIQ widget will pause the activity where the stock ones won’t.
Ray,
I’ve been trying to decide between the fenix 3 and the 920xt for a few weeks now. You said that the main reason you would choose the 920xt over the fenix was due to the lack of QRKit. It doesn’t bother me to wear the watch on the bike so that’s not an issue for me, but I was curious how difficult it was to slide your wetsuit off over the fenix. It seems like the size of the watch might be fairly cumbersome when trying to pull off your wetsuit in transition. Would it be worth the extra 5 seconds to take the watch off first? Any experience with this would be appreciated! Thanks!
I found it a bit of a pain in the butt (and in fact managed to punch myself in the face doing it once). But perhaps I just need more practice getting the wetsuit off over the unit.
What are you currently using? I am faced with the same decision and I am currently using the 910XT. From the photos, it appears the Fenix 3 is not ‘taller’ than the 910XT. It’s a trade off..
Great review and great comments. I haven’t owned a fitness tracker for many years (the last one was the Forerunner 201.) But with all the new devices out these days I’m looking to get another Garmin of some kind.
After reading what I can, I’m quite torn between the Fenix3 and the Vivoactive. I mainly run (some swimming but just for recreation, not races).
The main advantage to me of the Vivoactive is the price. The main advantage of the Fenix 3, for me, would be the additional navigation capabilities. That said, I’m not sure whether the navigation on the Fenix 3 is worth the additional cost over the Vivoactive.
When I’m running I like to mix it up and try new routes, so I’m often mapping out new routes based on a distance on Mapmyrun and then writing down the directions on a piece of paper. Ideally, I’d like to be able to look down at my device and see where I am and know where I’m going (i.e. know that I’m turning left in 50 meters etc.) By the looks of it, I’m not sure that the Fenix 3 allows for this level of navigation. Or does it?
I also do a least one extended wilderness backpacking trip and one long multi-day kayaking trip each year, and usually just bring a hand-held Garmin. I’m not sure two wilderness trips a year is enough to warrant consideration here (otherwise I’d spring for the Epix.)
Also, I do like the smartphone aspect of both devices (the push notifications, the daily step count, and the reminder to get up and walk around after an hour) as well as the sleep tracking.
So, the most important thing for me is a) accurate GPS based running device with basic functionality (track distance pace laps heart rate, not that concerned about tracking other metrics at this point) b) some of the smartwatch capabilities and c) I’d pay more for a device that will be useful in helping me navigate a new route and ditch my paper directions d) bonus points for being useful at route-finding while backpacking or kayaking e) if it is small and stylish and can be worn by a woman in an office job without looking like a giant fitness tracker, that would be a plus. But style is the least important factor for me.
Anyway, advice on which of these devices (or an other Garmin device) might best suit me would be much appreciated!
the big bummer for me with vivoactive is only having 3 data fields on the screen. I like to see distance, pace, HR, and either TOD or timer/elapsed time and if I’m hiking I like distance, hr, elevation, heading. fenix 3 allows for 4 data fields. either watch will allow multiple ‘pages’ that you can scroll through but that’s a pain, imo
I ran a trail race last sunday. Résult minus 1km gap over a 20kms race with other watches Fenix 1, Suunto Ambit, Geonaute that all stated a bit more than 20kms where Fenix 3 was stating 19kms.
What’s could be the reason:
Race conditions: Fenix 3, fw 3.1, Scosche Rythm+, GPS in normal mode (not ultra track), recording 1s, footpod garmin. Race for its majority in woods.
I had the impression the kms recorded speed was slower than what I was expecting under woods.
So yes this is about 5% gap at the end. Small figure? Yes but not really acceptable from my point of view, for a watch targetted for outdoors, hikings, trail runners… I would be 100% happy if this was 1%. Now I am questionning myself about what to do with the watch. I will approach garmin France about this.
I dont know about the Fenix, but some Units tend to overwrite GPS-Data with Footpod-Data when one is attached – so maybe you should calibrate your Footpood in first instance or detach it completely. Its wellknown that footpods produce wrong data, when steps shorten at inclining terrain.
But besides this, it pretty much seems the smoothening of the track is an issue with the Fenix 3….
I have experienced the same thing. Around 5% difference on a normal trailrun and up to 10 % in difficult terrain. The Ambit almost always shows a more accurate GPS trail. Since fenix is targeted towards trailrunners I find this unacceptable. It should be able to handle trailruns and show good GPS tracking and not just show “good”(since it is not even good on roadruns with a lot of corners) GPS tracking on roadruns, then you can buy the fr 620 instead
I had the same issue in the woods this weekend. First run, 22 miles with a bud wearing a 910XT, the 910 nailed it, but the fenix was way off, it recorded the run as 19 miles and the splits were slow. The next day I ran again the woods and the Fenix came up just over 1.7 miles short on a 19 mile run with glomas on. I am going to test once more with the 1 second sampling on but it looks like its time to return this watch.
Hallo all! I have problem when run at stadium. At round 400m. The fenix 3 me counts (show) 370 and only less, never more than 400. Tha 920xt measure sometime 390,380 but and 410,420 and resets the loss(accuracy) Has a problem generally the model or the specific (my own) ??? You can answer me? Thanks!
As a general rule of thumb, most GPS devices (new or old) struggle with getting accurate data on a track. It doesn’t matter if it’s the much hailed older devices or the newer ones. Sometimes you luck out, but in general I find I’ll get about .24 miles per loop on most tracks, with a range of .23-.25.
Not the same thing, but when I did a 400m track and pressed lap every time I crossed the line, laps where almost spot on.
No matter if that was a speed lap or a rest lap. link to connect.garmin.com
Ragarding accuracy, I ran the Rome Marathon on the 22nd of March 2015 and all checkpoints until almost the 30Km mark came a little short on the watch (around 50-100m depending on distance). But towards the final Km’s of the race both the race marks and the watch beeps matched, resulting in a near perfect 42.150m which is really impressive in my opinion. Also, the weather was rainy and cloudy during the day which does not “help” GPS’s accuracy…The only problem is that a week later the GPS stopped working and I am wating for a replacement watch now….
Hello,
Has anyone here had issues with the training plans not using GPS? This was extremely frustrating to me as I completed one of my best runs in a while only to see the map was unavailable because GPS was not used. I selected from my training plans > Do workout > Selected the run profile (which normally uses GPS and has worked before). The watch has been more frustrating for me and now I’m afraid it won’t function in other areas when I really need it to. I have a race coming up soon and would be really ticked off if it fails to record it properly..
Choose app run> acquire gps>go back to menu/training calendar and choose activity like u have been doing. I get map by doing this. Wish garmin would fix that.
Is there anyway to manually fix the zoom scale permanently on the map in navigation mode? I often use the zoom and pan function to set a different zoom scale, return to the navigation map but after about a minute, the map always resets to the default 200ft scale
I had trouble finding Julian’s thread, but did find the answer. Go to Settings > Apps > [your particular app] > Data Screens > Map > Auto Zoom and set to Off. This must be done for each individual app 🙁
Has anyone had success in tweaking their settings for gps? I just ran a short out and back trail course in the woods. It is sort of a half pipe shape, elevation wise, so I just run back and forth for hill training. I run the exact same path every loop. I just checked my uploaded run and the map is a hot mess. Sort of like I just dupmped a pile of spaghetti on a map. Glonass is on, GPS is in “on” mode (not ultratrac), Not in power saving mode. Is there something else I should be doing? My Ambit2 seemed far more accurate in the woods.
Ray, do you know anything about garmin willing finally support footpod pace (at least as a datafield) and in-watch editible workouts?
I switched from 910xt and these two issues are driving me crazy. No way to do a short speed workout with pace smoothed and updated every 5sec. No way to actually program or modify an existing workout unless I can get my hands on a computer.
I think the fenix 2 used the axelerοmeter its belt (hrmr) and not of the device,for this reason better constrain the pace. becase wiggle up and down smoothly.Ιf I’m wrong someone can correct me.
The accelerometer in the HRM-RUN handles cadence, ground contact time and vertical oscillation. It doesn’t contribute to pace directly at all. The cadence is more reliable than the watch alone, and that does seem to help a little when you are using the watch for indoor running on a treadmill with no GPS.
Maybe you’re right but I believe it would be better able to measure from the zone.However the fenich 2 shows a better rate than the fenich 3, unless my own fenix 3 is damaged.
The centre of your chest when you’re running feels almost entirely vertical acceleration, because it’s moving forwards at almost constant speed. Your wrist moves backwards and forwards much more. In fact, on a treadmill, your chest should not be moving backwards and forwards at all. This means that it is very hard for the accelerometer on your chest to pick up any data on how hard you are pushing forward at each stride and therefore how fast you are running.
The fenix 3 picks up exactly the same data from the HRM-RUN that the fenix 2 does.
I have configured wifi with garmin express. But it seems that it does not automatically connect to the wifi although I have setup auto upload. I have to manually go into settings/wifi and ask to connect. Then it uploads the training. Am I missing something? Do I need to wait longer before it tries to connect automatically?
I know that F3 has navigation capabilities. How does it work it? Where can I get tracks to be uploaded? I would like to use it on my mountain bike (got the bike mount) but need to know where I can find maps. Maybe maps with tracks prepared by somebody else. I know there are web site where you can download those files but not sure how to import then.
It was not uploading automatically even before I was connecting the watch with my mobile phone. Anyway, it is not a big deal. I just need to go on settings->wifi and click on connect to get uploaded. Weird as setting says auto upload is enabled.
I’ll check which maps there are on connect.garmin.com. I would like to get some maps of nice rides for the mountain bike maybe prepared by somebody else. Before I was using mountain bike pro from runtastic and it is quite cool as it shows the rides saved by others in your area. Then you can use the selected track for your ride. I would like to get the same with my Fenix 3.
While attending a conference in Chicago, I got mine a few days ago and have been playing around with he activity tracker/smartwatch features. I’ve been getting a ton of messages for meetings and calendar notifications.
Is there a way to just delete all messages and notifications? I’m afraid that the watches’ memory might run out just from the messages…
It seems like a month since v3.10 came out. Ray, I am sure you are sworn to some type of secrecy/non-disclosure. But can you throw us a bone. Its an unusually long time between FW release, so early after a product release. it took 6+ months before F2 firmware settled down. Posts about and Garmin forums are awash with issues big/small. I think the GPS smoothing on the trails is #1 or close to #1 issue. Is there anything you are allowed to share with us?
GPS is awful. Look at this…I took a hike on monday with my Ambit 2 and Fenix 3. Just look how bad this track is compared to the Suunto that looks perfect.
It sounds like they’re largely out of stock globally on Sapphires. Pretty much anyone else with stock was just going through what they had on stock from a while ago.
I had heard the issue from somewhere was supply of the Sapphire glass itself, but I don’t know if that’s currently the production slowdown issue.
Just as I noted inventory globally, I heard from CT that they got a boatload of Sapphires in today. Should clear out any backorders and now show back in stock by the end of the day.
Does it have or is there a way to get Jumpmaster and Tide software on it as well as any way to get Garmin to work with Lifefitness and C2? Heard it DOES NOT have stopwatch???
It does have a stopwatch (hold up, Clock>Stopwatch).
No tides. That is something which could be done by a ConnectIQ widget, but in a much more limited way than the Quatix watch did it. The Quatix had a lot of data about US tide timings, which wouldn’t be available to a widget (because that costs money). You’d have to set the lunitidal interval for where you wanted to know the tides manually.
Tides can be downloaded from Garmin Connect, and it works pretty fine on my Fenix3. Jumpmaster can be created as a new App on the watch itself – I created one, but didn’t test IRL.
I like the Fenix 3 for It’s the functional range and form factor. The F3 could be the ideal watch for me. It could…
I use the F3 as a replacement of my 310xt and garmin swim for cycling and swimming.
On the bike I also have a Sigma “computer”. Because of it’s sensor, the speed is measured and indicated exactly by the sigma. Up to now, therefore, I have not paid attention to the speed displayed from the F3.
Till yesterday. Every test is the beginning of the dissatisfaction….
The indicated speed sways very strongly and is indicated mostly too low. Partial up to 25%!!!
This is not understandable, because the whole distance and the average value are rather exact and the tracks I have checked are looking well (similar, than from the 310 Fr xt).
I cycle most of my daily way to the work through the forest. Now the trees getting leaves. This has an negative effect on the GPS reception. Beyond the forest the speed displayed does not sway so strongly and ismuch nearer in the real value.
I have programmed a data field which indicates the 5s average for the speed. This value is very good, with constantly driven speed, outside the forest, but unusable in the forest. In the forest speed displayed is too low (10-20%).
I fear if the trees have received all their leaves, the speed announcement becomes worse.
While “walking” the indicated speed does not sway. There is a very strong smoothing. The F3 sometimes notices only after minutes, that one has stopped, or again has started to move again.
While swimming the F3 provides results, which are at least as good, as those of the Garmin Swim. After my subjective impression a little bit better.
The Fenix 3 still has a few other bugs in the software.
There is no concept that functions and sensors can be activated, or can be deactivated depending on the App. Such a possibility could repair the following faults:
– Step counting during cycling. Activity tracking is completely useless for me, because the F3 counts several thousand steps too much daily.
– Use of sensors, even if it’s senseless. The F3 searches for the vector power sensor while swimming.
– Strong jumps in the recording of altitude, if one has swum with the F3. The F3 shows values less than minus 200 meters to me.
An example of a possible implementation is the Wahoo App for Android.
There are even more things which I do not like:
– It’s not possible to upload workouts via the Android app. If you want to use wifi at a hotel you mostly have to login in a browser window. That’s not possible with the F3, so I can not upload workouts during vacation.
– Connects to PC only by cable. Why not via ANT+ or BT?
I have a windows Tablet with Garmin express and have to take the cable with me.
Today I had a short test on instant pace in cycling mode with 3.2.
There is no improvement. I cycled very slow though the forest (10 km/h) and the pace indicted was mostly below 9 km/h and sometimes below 5km/h! Useless.
On the road the pace was ok.
So I’m afraid that the problem is about gps hardware and not about software. argh
Garmin says, that there is no gps problem…..
Rays tests about gps accuracy where only about distance. He should test instant pace next time also. the video about pace I could not see anything.
I could not return the F3 because of small signs of use, so I have to stay with that lemon…..
I included the instant-pace video, and some 12,463 people have watched it, and none mentioned an issue with it. There was actually pretty significant discussions over how well it seemed to react.
But ultimately, I’m not running at 10KM/hr in the forest, so I can’t really test pace accuracy there. Also, note that I wouldn’t ever test pace accuracy for the run mode while cycling, because that would present different results (neither better or worse, just different). I’d be cautious to test with an actual scenario. Doing 10 KM/H (6MPH for Americans) seems rather slow for any cycling. The modes are designed with different tolerances.
In any event, I do have a gimbal now for shooting instant pace videos a bit more clearly now, which might help a bit. You can see some of that in the Vivoactive review. And, I could add post-processing video stabilization – but I find that often looks wonky. Ultimately, in order to product accurate results one does actually have to run with the camera and it pointed at the wrist. In doing so, the resulting movie might not be as cinematic as Planet Earth.
I have seen the video many times. I’m n of 12,463 people, but I don’t know how fast your were. I testet pace on a bike, cause I wanted a constant speed and a display that knows the exact speed (speed sensor).
Wenn I go by bike e.g. with 20km/h, the F3 sometimes schows speed below 15 km/h in the forest. I know, in Paris there is no forest… Outside forest speed is ok (similar to other GPS devices).
In the forest I dont cycle faste while stearing at the display of the F3 😉
Hi Ray,
How has the screen and bezel hold up to scratches and dings? I’m reading some chatter about how some scratches are revealing the white bare metal and was wondering if this is a case of being overblown. I do hope that my watch get ding and scratched up as that would mean that I am working out hard but at the same time I am wondering how bad it will be after a year.
Are they planning on releasing a D2 Flight app for the Fenix3 instead of coming out with a D3 as a special edition? I’d really like to use the same watch for flying and running and with the color screen they can do the red display from the D2 easily.
Just as a heads up, Fenix3 firmware version 3.20 was released a few hours ago.
Change log is:
Changes made from version 3.10 to 3.20:
Added Hot Keys press-and-hold START and BACK key customization (Settings > System > Hot Keys).
Added Back to Start option for straight-line navigation back to activity start.
Improved Connect IQ stability.
Improved pace stability at low speeds.
Fixed issue with import of elevation of saved locations from GPX files.
Fixed issue with display of 3 digit speeds on ski data pages.
Fixed potential device lockup when exiting watch mode.
short-cuts are welcome. pace stability is welcome also although not sure if this will help with running pace?
Still no GPS improvements, no improvements to the audio alerts, no navigation improvement.
Just ran yesterday with the 920XT and Fenix3. No improvement in GPS accuracy. Fenix3 still at 7.5% short on distance. I suspect that will come with a GPS Chipset firmware update as opposed to a watch software update.
I cant remember a product in this line with so much hype and excitement…with the letdown and problems it has after release. Sure they said it wouldn’t support maps and such but when people hear “garmin fenix” they think of outdoors watch and then when they get it they are disappointed. Also the GPS accuracy is just bad. I returned mine already. In the end its basically a better looking 920xt unfortunately.
First experiences a month in:
– great looking watch
– on paper, it has everything I need for a GPS watch
However:
– Now, I don’t do trail running but I have run under some small trees and the Fenix 3
immediately thought that I had stopped, and I’m assuming because it had lost signal. My old 310xt and 305 never did this.
– the Auto pause works well when cycling, but when walking or running, seems to be about a minute too late. Again my old 310xt and 305 worked better in this respect.
– has already crashed 3-4 times
– Bluetooth sync seems to fail 40% of the time; the settings indicate a connection is present but unable to get any information from my phone. A repairing / sync makes no difference
Overall still happy with the watch although for the money I paid, slightly disappointed that the technology isn’t as robust as the older models.
I had read of some of the issues being experienced but was hoping these were isolated cases! I can only hope this is a software issue that is fixable rather than a hardware issue
Respect the negative issues people are discussing on this thread.
Just gotta report, as to me, I’m not seeing them.
Trail running as to accuracy and GPS connectivity have been spot on.
Same as to road cycling.
Phone connectivity (iPhone 5s) for notifications also just fine.
Sometimes the Connect app doesn’t sync but I just close it and open it and it’s fine.
Didn’t want folks to think issues with crashing, non-connectivity and accuracy are universal, they aren’t.
To noticed a difference with trail running you need to either have a second GPS (ambit or garmin). F3 consistently has a shorter distance over other GPS wearables. GPS tracks are close, but bon very close inspection as you look as turns, you can see they are smoothed
Stephen – I agree that non-connectivity and crashing issues may not be universal but under apple to apple conditions, the GPS accuracy is universal. If you do a run with switchbacks or winding trails like this: link to mygpsfiles.com
You will get a discrepancy out of the range of acceptable. Every trail run posted in trees that have decent accuracy (mine included) are runs with long gradual turns or infrequent abrupt turns.
I mention this because I believe anyone looking at the Fenix3 should understand that under the right (or technically wrong) conditions will have to accept shorter reported distances and a slower pace. I don’t believe to date, anyone has shown a track with frequent trail turns that doesn’t have a significant hit on distance reported compared to 920XT/910/Ambit2/Ambit3/Polar800 distances. There is no exception to this.
Having said this, I believe that the EXO antenna is probably the strongest and best that exists and a chipset update will fix this.
Hello not sure if my message was posted
Ray I have a Garmin and a Withings smart balance
I m not sure where to fit this question in
I get weight and fatmass from smart balance in Garmin and training peaks but is there a way to get as well the sleep time from the F3 to training peaks
And any idea how to get the step count from my F3 to withings to get better results ?
The F3 could’t know that you were driving a motor-scooter 😉
But when you are doung a cycling workout, the F3 knows that you are doing a cycling workout, but in this case the F3 is counting steps also.
Maybe while swiming?
Is it possible to plot a swim course, Open water…I see there are options for all the other activities but not swim…eg I want to swim 1km in one direction then 1km in another etc etc
The update noted as a firmware chipset above, what does that mean? Does that mean for example something like 3.30 or does that mean a new GPS chip in future F3 models? Sure would like to have a 920 in a F3 shell!
I had the watch for a week and overall I’m happy with it. As in many other cases here, it seems that the watch underestimates the running distance, due to an excessive “rounding” of corners.
My configuration: Firmware 3.20, Serial number 4640XXX, GLONASS off, data recording every second
This is a comparison with my FR 620: link to i58.tinypic.com (Fenix 3 on top, FR 620 bottom).
The 620 was configured in the same way (GLONASS off, obviously, and recording every second).
Another example: link to i61.tinypic.com (as above, Fenix on top).
Getting there with my Fenix 3 now. Still having some issues with Wi-Fi connectivity but that could be our Wi-Fi network more than anything else. I thought the set up would be easy considering the fact that I’ve come from a Forerunner 305 and a Forerunner 910XT, but there are just so many different options and data fields on this that I’m spoilt for choice.
Thought I’d write a blogpost about my preferred set up at the moment though so that I can use it to put things back the way I want them should I ever have to do a master reset of the device. You can read it here if interested: link to alananna.co.uk
Hopefully it might be of use to other Fenix 3 owners to put them on the right track for the various settings and data screens. Everyone will of course have their preferred set-up and that’s the whole point of being able to configure so may things but its always nice to have a starting point.
I got my Fenix3 Saphire a few weeks ago and I love everythign about it.
One Question:
We have a rower and was wondering if there is a profile that I can use to track a rowing workout?
Tim, were you able to get your Fenix3 to work with your rower? My 910xt works with my Concept PM5, but I think I read Garmin dropped that with the 920 and later models. Thanks!
last night was removing my F3 when the watch started “vibrating” (the normal vibration alert) but then CONTINUED to vibrate with all buttons “frozen”. (I don’t think I “did” anything, “may” have lightly bumped watch or buttons) I tried various combos of button presses in case I had inadvertently locked it (like older Garmin watch where you could hold 2 buttons as shortcut to lock) but watch remained unresponsive and vibrating. I placed the watch on the charger, thinking that might force some kind of “reset” but this made no difference. I finally held down the light/power button continuously (30+ seconds?) and it turned off the watch- b/c this happened over many minutes (5+) not sure exactly when it actually “responded” to turn off. After sitting for a few moments I pressed the power button again and the watch restarted and functioned normally, again. Any ideas??? I thought I was going to have to set it down and let it just keep vibrating until it ran the battery down.
This happened to me once as well. In my case it was triggered by a notification, but just kept on vibrating. I was able to get it to shut down and reboot by holding the light button for a while. After it rebooted it was back to normal and hasn’t done it since.
Thanks for very detailed and informative review. Bought my Fenix 3 on the strength of it – got it last Saturday – already cannot imagine how I existed before, without it. Main use is for hiking – Bluetooth paired to my iPhone 5S, which has great 1:25k maps loaded. Is there a way to turn off the iPhone’s GPS – so that it will use the F3’s GPS instead (with continuous line-of-sight to the satellites) – iPhone usually tucked away in pocket, with no line-of-sight – would also save power for the iPhone, if not always searching for GPS signal?
Pardon if this has been addressed previously in the discussion, I’ll admit I didn’t read all of the 1600+ comments, but what would be the pick between the Ambit2, the Ambit3, the Fenix 2, and the Fenix 3? I’m currently using a Garmin 620 and the battery life is killing me, as is the lack of barometric altimeter. I am only planning on using the watch for running, primarily trail ultras, and some long distance hiking. No swimming or cycling. Is it worth it to spend the extra few hundred dollars for the Ambit3/Fenix 3 over the Ambit 2/Fenix 2? Thank you very much for your very detailed reviews!
@ Z. Browning. I would use the Product Comparison Tool – link to dcrainmaker.com
If you want to be objective in your decision making process then it the best way.
Why not the Ambit Run? Would save you a lot of money over the others you listed. Here’s what I would say, though. Go to a store that sells Suunto and Garmin and try them on. Suunto’s do not fit my wrist right, and will only sit flush on my wrist if I really tighten the strap down, which I don’t like doing. Here are the only two differentiators (besides fit) that I found between the Ambit 1 and 2 and the Fenix 1 and 3 (had all of them). Garmin has vibration alerts, Suunto tracked runs more accurately (very minute differences). In the end, the fit and vibration alerts on the Garmin has me sticking with them.
Depends on your specific feature requirements. Do you need BT communication with your phone? If not, the Ambit2 may be the best deal. You can toss in routes and waypoints and the Navigation will take you through a breadcrumb trail (no maps) of your trails. The Ambit 2s or 3 Sport- have half the battery life- more similar to your 620. You can attach a charger while running, but other than that, 8hrs on 1sec or 12hrs on 5s is all you’ll get. The Ambit2 or A3 Peak will double those times – and be similar to the Fenix 2/3 life. Oh, actually Suunto released a firmware update, and now the A3 will do 20hrs on 1s recording instead of 16hrs. Longer at lower data rates. It’s a very stable watch that will meet all of your needs. The Fenix 3 has better packaging, features- but as you’ll find from this review, still going through some stability and GPS accuracy issues.
Totally agree on Ambit 3 stability. And the Ambit 3 actually works as a daily “ABC” watch. I tried the fenix 3 and liked most of the fenix 3, but didn’t like the fact it was not very stable in regards to altitude/barometer daily use. The ambit 3 works great for this, but lacks vibration alerts.
All this being said, I’m using the Vivoactive as my daily watch. So far, it’s been stable, but of course lacks many features the ambit 3 and fenix 3 has.
I agree! The Vivoactive is great for lunch runs/rides, but suffers in regards to high-end features. Also, with battery life for weekend long rides and runs. Especially, with Glonass on. 15-20% per hour I estimate.
I recently picked up a Fenix 3 on a deal. For me, it’s probably my ideal watch, but I have yet to open it after seeing the issues reported with it in the Garmin forums.
With the number of postings, it’s difficult to get a good grip on if there actually is & to what extent there may be issues with the GPS accuracy, but the volume of issues reported is hard to ignore & the focus of the issues (turns in cover) is where I’ll likely be using the watch the most.
I saw a couple comments from you early on in the forums & see nothing negative in the GPS accuracy section of this review, but am a bit surprised the reports of the alleged issues aren’t even mentioned. I’ve been patiently waiting for Garmin to release an fix related to accuracy (the 3.2 firmware feature release instead shocked me), but I can’t wait forever to return the device & I have some concern the issues may be related to the new hardware in the device/not fixable, so I’m curious – Ray, what’s your take on the alleged issues?
I would be interested in knowing this too. Also, what kind of testing did Garmin do? Did anyone take a watch out for a run in the woods? It seems like that would have exposed the issue.
I don’t think it’s so much a case of woods or not. Rather, it appears mostly tied to cases where people are doing lots of quick turns at speed in the woods, and the unit is shaving off distance more than other units.
In my case, almost all of my running was city/country/desert, and when in the woods – there wasn’t many switch backs. Rather, more rambling/wandering for me (for example, in the woods in Canada doing some runs).
I agree with that theory. The first part of the run occurred on a Nordic ski trail, the splits for that section seem reasonable. Once I got onto the single track which has many switchbacks, that’s were the watch looses the plot. I hope that Garmin can get this fixed before my trail race in early may. I would like to say I was travelling at speed too but I don’t think 10 minutes per mile counts as speed 🙂
I think you are spot on with this assessment. I have the 920 & the Fenix3 so I have been working with support. I did just get an email from support yesterday stating:
“We are still actively investigating reported distance issues with the fenix 3.”
So Garmin appears to be aware and addressing it in some way.
is there a possibility to have the workouts synced from Garmin Connect to the Fenix watch from other devices (510 bike Computer)
Or is it not possible to have all Training data on the fenix without captured it with the watch? I’d like to use the 510 bike Computer to track my bike workouts but would be happy to see them on the fenix watch
What a wonderful website.
I recently came across your website and all you reviews have been truly helpful in the search of my latest GPS watch. Your review stand out from the others and focuses on stuff that really matters. I am a huge fan of your work and also your you tube channel. Just yesterday I received my new fenix 3 sapphire edition from Clever Training and their customer support and patience in answering all my questions was outstanding. I however was not able to use the code you supplied on your website. I would have loved that code to work just to show support for your work. The clever trainings website said that it was an invalid code.
Thank you for your work and keep up the good work.. absolutely loving my purchase.
Ray, do you have any idea if there’s a GPS-update planned in a short time? It’s unbelievable that a new watch is not as good with GPS as my friend’s 305 and my own old (on of the first in Holland) Edge 800.
There’s to many complains about the GPS-accuracy and Garmin doesn’t respond to any of it. It’s more or less oke on open roads (but not as good as 800&305), but under tree’s and narrow corners it sucks 🙁
Almost regretting not buying the Ambit3 with Sirfstar chipset.
When did they do that, Klaus? Please cite the specific post as I’ve not seen any official Garmin statement made on the garmin forums.
(I don’t consider a user posting what they were told by a poorly informed email support agent as “Garmin told us” and I trust you’re not naive enough to think differently)
I know I’m preaching to the choir here, but thought I’d chime in with my hard evidence. I went for a mountain bike this weekend with both the Fenix 3 and my Ambit 2. The Fenix reported 16.24 miles, the Ambit 16.85. Like most of the other reports, the Fenix map looks to be cutting a lot of corners compared to the Ambit even though both are recording at 1 second intervals.
Ive owned a 305,310, 405, 410, 610, 910 and now i bought the fenix 3.. Hurray!!
Until i found out how crappy the gps accuracy is. Really, do NOT buy this watch. The accuracy is very poor. Its actually so poor that the GPS has no function than give you a rough estimate of the distance.
Just for fun i tried a couple of watches on a 30km run. The fenix was about 400m shorter than the other garmin watches.
I’ve also tried the watch around a water that I have been running around maybe 150-200 times the last 5 years. I also know the accurate distance since it has been measured by pros(not with gps) because of official race that use the same course.
The fenix 3 show a LOT less distance than the other watches. When i check the average pace after I’ve done the run the f3 tell me its 3:54 pace, but its really 3:40 pace.
As for now, stay away! Take a look at the garmin forums. There are 100s of pages with unhappy users.
my only real question at this point is if this is a hardware issue (i.e. the antenna design integrated into the bezel, just doesn’t work very well), or if something in the firmware can just be fixed, but just wasn’t well vetted prior to a rushed release.
I just can’t believe that the RF engineering would be so poor (not that it’s easy), but perhaps in the manufacturing process, some early units are having an antenna mismatch issue due to fabrication tolerance errors? Or, they’re getting electrical noise interference from inside the watch? Might be a tough nut for Garmin to crack.
Is it possible to change the sport while you are recording? For multi sport events where the order of sports is not known before the start so it is not possible to create a custom profile it would be necessary to change the sport as needed, but this does not seem to be covered in the manual. ambit 2s does this but the Fenix 3?
The funny thing is that on open area’s after the 3.2 update the distance is spot-on! We have a long road on which we train a lot of intervals and we painted 100m-marks; Fenix 3 is exactly the same! Checked is very good yesterday evening.
But looking at the track it’s almost never ON that road. Looks like the track isn’t aligned with the map in GC. Usually the track is drawn west of the road.
Under tree’s and in sharp corners 3.2 didn’t fix the problems.
Anybody else having issues with recognition of the HRM? it works fine the first couple of runs, then the watch can’t find the sensor anymore. Rebooting the watch works every single time.
I’ve had that issue MULTIPLE times with not just HRM but with powermeter. Finially just resigned that if sensor not immediately detected will reboot watch.
QUESTION: what will happen during a race if you get to T1 and watch does not recognize bike? Stop/save activity and reboot watch? Where do you start it? In tri mode? Then just repeated lap button presses through swim/T1 segments until at appropriate place?
I have seen similar issues with my 920XT.But it _seems_ to primarily be an issue when first enabling the ANT+ chip for that particular problem.
I have had a slightly different problem that when I run at a track and let my phone constantly connect/disconnect once per lap, it can cause the entire “wireless stack” to crash. No ANT+, no BTLE, no WiFi until reboot. When that happens, I have had luck* rebooting the watch mid-activity, and still getting the whole activity (but never tried it in triathlon mode).
However, I have also had one occasion where I rebooted for the lost connectivity once near the beginning of a workout, and then needed to reboot again near the middle of a workout due to a different lock-up. The resulting file only had the data from before the first reboot, and after the second reboot.
Again, this is all 920XT experience, but with the Fenix 3 being basically the same code base, it might be relevant to this discussion.
And I currently have open issues with Garmin for all of these issues. They’re “working on it.”
Having exactly the same problem here. Worse, it first happened when I was cycling and I had to stop (and get dropped), remove all my layers of top clothes and check if there’s anything wrong with HRM strap. Then I tried unpairing it and pairing again to no avail. Finally, a retart fixed it.
Now, before going out for run or a ride, I always start indoor run mode to quickly check if HR data is there or not. Hopefully they’ll have a fix for this soon, as it’ the biggest inconvenience I’m having with otherwise great Fenix 3.
Ray – Can the Fenix 3 works with fitness equipment like the Mpower Echelon console on a Schwinn spinning bike ? The 910xt works but apparently Garmin says the Fenix 3 cannot support fitness equipment. Thanks,
I was just about to change my old TomTom runner for a F3 but after reading about all the GPS complains I am going to wait and see where this is going. TomTom had its share of initial problem too but after a year it now feels pretty stable. Hope Garmin will sort this out quickly…
My Fenix 3 won’t sync with Connect, does this mean the device is defective? I do not think the issue is with my iOS because I had no problem syncing my Ambit3 Peak with Movescount. Thanks.
OK so really basic question to everyone else’s above, this is a Unisex watch correct? I think it is amazing but I can find no pics or anything showing women with it on. Lol… Oh well I am buying it!! 🙂
I’ve had my Fenix 3 for two days now. Only a few hiccups but nothing major. My only issue worth noting is in regard to the Connect web interface. One of the features I was intrigued about was sleep tracking. I know it only tracks movement but hopefully that will change.
So, my issue is with the graph which lists me sleeping from 11am – 7 pm when my watch is clearly set correctly for AM/PM. My actual sleep was 11pm – 7am. I even edited it on the graph but it keeps resetting. Anyone else experience this or something similar?
Another gripe I have is the lack of Heart Rate tracking/graphing unless your are doing an activity like running or cycling. I would like a way to graph HR while wearing a monitor to get an accurate resting HR.
Other than those two issues I love the watch, its design and features. Hopefully all the other issues about GPS, etc. I have read about will be fixed in the near future.
Jeremy, I’m curious about this too, my F3 is in the mail to me so I can’t test this out, but I think you could create a custom activity that would allow you to record your heart rate. For example, if you wanted to see your heart rate during a typical work day, then just make an activity and label it work. Maybe this kills the battery of the watch/HRM too fast, but it could be useful to do once in a while.
DCR, not sure if you can help out here: my new F3 was working great with Garmin Connect Mobile, easy BT pairing, smart notifications working well, good battery use….then I noticed an update available to Connect Mobile, downloaded it and now all sorts of issues:
Bad BT re-connecting, almost have to wipe all memory of previous paring from both phone and watch to get it running again..
Bad battery…previously running all bells and whistles at about 5% per day…now 20% per day!!! same settings
Worst of all! No more smart notifications!!! One of the man reasons I got the watch! Not able to add any android apps to list for smart notifications!
Where can I get the old version of Connect Mobile from? Have a word with these Garmin boys, please DCR
Thanks Oliver…its been a bit frustrating but, latest Connect version now working but a real pain to connect via BT, after numerous attempts finally connected and all the apps for smart notifications re-appeared, and smart notifications working….but I fear disconnecting BT……basically had to re-start phone re-install app, reboot watch…a few times….you would think Garmin would have this sorted but their Forum is quiet on the update issues…there has been a wave of protest about the new Connect Mobile app! Generally people accept upgrades but if they create so much protest you would think that the service provider would listen to their customers…hopefully some sort of fix will come soon otherwise they will surely loose support….
I know it’s tempting to just post here and on the forums and hope someone can provide a solution, but when it comes to Bluetooth/mobile phone related items – it’s often incredibly dependent on which phone you have, which software version, etc… And the Garmin support folks tend to know those random details best.
Thanks DCR…I have posted on various Garmin forums but no response and a lot of others with the same issues…mine seems now to be OK with latest version of GCM but only after clearing all trace of watch connections from the phone and re-installing everything…my issue was that it worked seamlessly with the old version then all sorts of problems started with new version…anyway, hopefully its stable now as I do love the watch and the functionality! Hoping to convince my daughter to use it for tomorrow’s ITU World Triathlon here in Cape Town! Thanks again for response and great reviews!
Hello, just bought this watch after reading your nice review and compared it to the 920XT and the Suunto Ambit 3.
How can I setup a strength gym training function on my watch, similar to the 920XT?
So, my fenix 3 just showed up and I’m confused how the sensor pool business works. It looks like I can’t set up different bikes? On my 310XT I had the same speed/cadence sensor but different “bike profiles” for the road tires vs. trainer tires. I’m planning on picking up the new Garmin speed sensor that just goes around the hub–then it’s going to be swapped between the road bike and the folding bike with 20″ wheels. Can I make a second bike application? Or do I have to go and manually enter the wheel size in the sensor every time I switch?
Can the fenix give you an alert when the sensor reaches freezing temperature?
Is there any way to export the data from the fenix to a phone and use the phone as extra storage? WITHOUT an internet connection. I want to export the track logs to a phone and upload them at a much later date
Only options I see (on the running app) are for alert on “custom” (time, distance based, gives messages like DRINK), HR, run/walk time, pace, time, distance, cadence, calories, elevation. Not seeing alert options outside of apps. Remember the temperature sensor is basically measuring your skin temp without a Tempe.
I turned off my phone’s network connection and tried a Bluetooth Sync. Failed. So you do need a live data connection for that to work. (“Sync upload error” on the GC app.)
Exporting data from Fenix 3 without internet connection – yes, you can, if you have android phone with USB OTG, check this link: link to forums.garmin.com
This may be a dumb question – but if I install a custom data field from ConnectIQ such as the Beers Earned data field, add it to an Activity such as Run, perform the activity, then Save it…does the custom data field get saved to the FIT file? I want to go back and look at this data but it’s not on Garmin Connect and I can’t see it on my watch. Does the data in custom data fields just disappear after you save?
If so that is ridiculously stupid. Why have a data field if you can’t view the data after you perform an activity?
I think I found my answer. Indeed you can not yet put custom data fields on Garmin Connect and the data is not getting saved in the FIT file. Currently they are just viewable during the at ivory and gone once it’s saved.
Can anyone shed any light on where I should start with gps issues on a new fenix? I’ve done a couple of bike rides which have been accurate but any trail runs have been terrible. The activity below shows a run today – 3 laps up table mountain. It should be about 17ks but it’s registering 7. It does say moving time is less than half elapsed time which is completely wrong – I was going slowly – but still moving. I did also have auto pause turned off.
I have been using the f3 since 10 March and have found it to be generally great, with just a few exceptions. I run with a Garmin footpod so that when I need to run on a treadmill it is calibrated. However, after 20 outdoor runs with GPS on, the footpod calibration factor continues to read 100.0. I know that can’t be right since my one treadmill run during that time was off substantially and my fr920xt auto calibrated to something in the mid-90s. I have unpaired and repaired it. I unpaired, restarted the watch and repaired it. I know it is supposed to just happen automatically, but still no calibration. Any ideas?
The other problem I have has to do with another sensor: my Garmin speed sensor. Again, I ride with it outside to calibrate it for the trainer. When riding with it, though I have found the distance on familiar courses to be short by more than 15%. The tire size (automatically detected) was right , but the distanc e for the ride was wrong. Any ideas on that one?
Otherwise I am very happy with the watch. I were it virtually always and have noticed no durability problems. It Works really great in pool swimming, as a step counter and on the bike and outdoor runs (other than as noted). It does cut corners, as others have said, but I don’t find that too big a deal. If I could solve the sensor problems, it would be near perfect.
Within pool mode, the distance alert is based on lengths. The minimum length is ‘1’, the maximum is ‘100’. Your length is of course defined as the pool length.
Hi ,
A lot of people are talking the GPS issue with the fenix 3 . i also had some when i just bought the watch 3 weeks ago .
i did 2 races recently , a 5K 2 weeks ago and a half marathon this morning , and the watch was really accurate , i was impressed , i’ve never had such an accurate pace with garmin 910xt .
you can see my race this morning at this link : link to connect.garmin.com
i didn’t use the autolap , i was laping by my self .
Here’s a new issue. Yesterday I went for a mountain bike ride. I noticed half way thru that the distance field was blank. It was still registering speed but nothing for distance at all. I know that it was showing distance until at least mile 8. I got home and the whole ride is showing as 0 feet on both the watch and in Garmin Connect and it seems as if there is a lap in there that is messed up. Strangely (and fortunately) I’ve got GC connected to SportTracks and somehow, the correct distance information shows there. Any thoughts?
I had exactly the same issue yesterday. Riding on my road bike my f3 distance field went blank just after 14 miles. No distance displayed through the end of the ride. Distance showed as zero on the watch and on Garmin connect. The map showed the whole ride, so the GPS was obviously still recording. I don’t have any idea what might have happened.
Hello Guys, Have you seen a resolve for this issue? I have had it happen a few times now. I have the latest SW and have contacted garmin support. The only common factor that I can find when this occurs is that I am in shaded areas where I could see it losing GPS connection.
As a general rule though with Garmin devices (we’re talking a multi-year rule), if you see crashes, it’s 95-98% of the time caused by some sort of corruption. Usually corruption in either an activity file or course file. It’s best to cut/paste those to your computer (everything in activities/courses) and see if that helps. Fwiw…
I did a hard rest of the watch (although I couldn’t get it to behave the way it is described on the sites I found, so I don’t think it was a full reset – most of my settings were still in place afterward). Since then, I had no issue on the one ride I did. This was a route where I had an issue previously.
On a related note, Ray, can you add to your post the Cochise instructions for a hard reset? I had real trouble finding them and as I said I’m not sure I really did it right and therefore not sure how effective it was. Thanks!
I made a custom workout and started it with:
Training>My Workouts>mycustom>do workout>Run
After the run, even with the usual running stats (pace/distance) there was ‘no map data’ stored and my route could not be plotted in garmin connect or the iOS app.
Am I doing something wrong or is this a bug? Other users (Shirish and Jasper) in your ‘Hands on with Garmin’s Fenix 3 ‘ blog also mentioned this.
Luis – As you noted, someone noted a similar bug in that specific key sequence. I’d definitely hit up Garmin support so your voice is heard on a bug fix there.
Could someone tell me if the Fenix 3 can upload workouts via an iPhone 6 and it’s Bluetooth connection to the phone, rather than via WiFi? I run during lunch at work a lot, and our office WiFi is locked down to supported devices only, so while I can connect my iPhone to the office Wifi, I would not be able to connect the Fenix 3.
Can it do this, and if so would this automatically post to Strava?
Yes, works fine via BT to iphone6 and then to Garmin Connect. I recommend tapiriik.com instead of direct Garmin>Strava connection as the latter marks your Strava runs public last I checked while tapiriik lets them be marked private. Also, Tapiriik can be set to give you time to make notes/comments to the workout in GC and have those copied over.
BTW, set up your phone’s wifi hotspot as one of your wifi connections.
I sent mine back to CT today. Fenix 3 is definitely the let down of 2015. It could have been so good. My watch also stopped acquiring GPS and the battery was getting worse after every charge. The altimeter is a joke without GPS. If you look over at the Garmin forums these issues are all over. My hopes is Suunto comes to the rescue with Ambit 4.
I’ve had my F3 almost 2 weeks. My first ride was 100% accurate (compared to my edge 510). Not sure what firmware it was running when it first arrived but I upgraded it after the first outing to 3.20. The GPS feels hit and miss – almost half my activities are problematic. For those looking to purchase an F3 I seriously suggest you take a look at the Garmin forums. If I had done so I wouldn’t have bought one – it looks like its still in beta testing from all the complaints. From what I gather (from feedback left on forums) there are both software and hardware issues. Garmin have yet to tell me mine has a hardware issue but struggle to see how the issues I’m experiencing can (only) be software related. As much as I like the look and functionality of this watch it also looks like its heading back to CT..
It happens from time to time on notifications arriving.
Hold down the light/power key until it switches off, then restart.
One more reason to turn off notifications during activities!
got my fenix3 a week ago (rei) and upgraded to firmware 3.2 immediately. downloaded some watch faces and sunrise app. so far on a couple 6 mile runs in my neighborhood (west la), it matches up with the iPhone 6+’s gps.
only problem has been 1x it didn’t resume connection via bluetooth to the phone and i had to turn off and turn back on the fenix. also, never seemed to get it to connect via wifi, but i’m fine syncing via bluetooth/phone.
apparently new firmware is coming (per a post on the garmin forum from someone who got a message back from garmin customer care) to address the shorter distance in some situations (turns/corners).
overall, after not having worn a watch in a few years, i really like the screen, functionality (multisport, smartwatch notification), and battery life. with altitude was more accurate – every loop (walking dog or run) seems to have different ascent and descent values, so not very accurate. i have skinny wrists and while the strap feels ok, the watch body itself digs into the wrist a bit when i run..plastic bodied suunto is more comfortable in this respect. just ordered a couple nato/zulu straps. the separation off the skin hopefully will help in comfort
However, if you read the whole thread, it is far from clear cut that this is accurate. Garmin’s policy so far seems to be to deny there is any issue.
I was ready to splash out on the Fenix3 (assuming I’m not winning Ray’s giveaway 🙂 , but the discussion on the forums has made me hold off. There are clearly a significant number of people who are having issues with GPS accuracy.
It would be great if Ray could use his links with the engineering team to shed some light as to whether they are actually working on anything around this or not. Though obviously not Ray’s job, would expect to see a better response from Garmin…
After a number of calls with Garmin support they conceded that my device is faulty and will be replaced. I just hope the next one doesn’t suffer from the same problems. I’m starting to feel like Ray – running with more than 1 device!
Ray – would be good if you could lean on Garmin to get an official stance on what is going on.
I’m having some discussions with them back and forth on the topic, and should have a bit more of an official stance to share in the next 24 hours (at most). Cheers.
This is hopefully great news. My new F3 just arrived last night from CT. The one function the software on my 920 had a problem with was email notifications weren’t coming thru, a very big deal as I actually need this function while I’m running long distances during the week. I opened a case with Garmin weeks ago but to date no resolution. I only hope the issues with GPS accuracy and pace on the F3 are resolved quickly or I’ll be eagerly awaiting an Ambit 4 release.
Looking forward to hearing from you Ray on this issue. As you can read on Garmin forum, the GPS accuracy is a big issue for a lot of Fenix 3 owners. Is this hardware? software? Garmin working on it?
Just as an update on the GPS accuracy issues seen, I chatted back and forth a bit with Garmin about it over the last day. My question/inquiry was specifically related to those seeing GPS shortages primarily in wooded areas while running/riding, most often associated with changes in direction and switchbacks. This seems (in my opinion) to be the umbrella for which the majority of complaints are fulling under.
Their official quotable response to that topic area from both the PR lead for the Outdoor team, as well as the program manager for the Fenix product line is below:
“We’re aware of the customer concerns and are working towards a resolution. This is a priority for the Garmin team, and we’ll be sure to communicate to consumers once a firmware update is available to fix the issue.”
They aren’t comfortable giving a specific time frame for said firmware update at this time.
Thank you Ray for communicating this topic with Garmin.
I hope they will improve the firmware to get the accuracy of the 920xt. It’s hard to understand why the 920xt seems to do better even though the fenix 3 has the exo antenna.
The GPS reception issue makes my Fenix 3 unsuitable for hiking, which I bought it for. (After all it’s an “on the trail” “adventure watch.”) It’s good news they’re trying to make it work.
I was very tempted to return the Fenix and get the Suunto but the lack of support for ANT (my power meter) meant it was a no go.. So I still run two computers just in case the Fenix trips up.
I am sure the power that be at Garmin have looked into it but the Fenix 3 severely underestimates the elevation gained on all my rides. Perhaps where it is tripping up is where people are in switchback scenarios and gaining elevation. The algorithm is underestimating elevation gained and therefore this is effecting the distance traveled as well..
As I said, I am sure Garmin are aware of this.. It is a shame that this is happening, GPS is the watches core function, you would expect the latest product to have the most reliable/accurate GPS.. The other ‘smart’ bits are add ons..
I really hope firmware updates sort things out.. Although, I guess being early adopters, some teething issues are to be expected.. I do still love the watch..
This is great news, indeed. We have been getting the usual “we are not aware of any problems in this department” responses from Garmin for weeks, whilst their own forum was overflowing with the distance accuracy issues complaints, many of them explained, tested and documented by very savvy users who had spent incredible time and effort on this and should get a free watch from Garmin instantly.
I cannot help but point out that this Garmin style denial does not help the PR one single bit. People hate to be talked to like they are retarded.
Anyone had issues with their step count not appearing on Garmin Connect? Everything else synch’s across apart from this – I’ve tried turning activity tracker on/off and re-booting but to no avail.
Also how many data fields does the Fenix store in it’s history? Is it only specific fields depending on which activity you are doing or does it record everything, in which case how do you show all the other data fields in Garmin Connect?
Hi,
I’m currently thinking about switching from Ambit 3 to Fenix 3. The vibration-alerts, better app (as far as I’ve read), workout planner and the activity tracker (which was one of the arguments for Ambit 3 when it was released, hoping to be improved, which never happened -.-) are some of the reasons for my decision.
Few questions left:
1. Ambit 3 HR-Belt supports saving the heart rate if device gets out of sight (e.g. swimming, soccer, etc.). Is it possible to use that belt with fenix 3, too? I doubt it because Fenix 3 uses only ANT+, right?
2. If I buy Fenix 3 with HR-belt bundle, is it possible to use the belt for Fenix 3 and e.g. treadmill in fitness studios simultaneously, or can it only be paired to one device? If it wasn’t possible to pair both devices simultaneously, would a HR-Belt like H7 from polar work for that?
All in all it’s so hard, there’s no device fulfilling all my demands.
BTW: thx for this review as another excellent one, Ray 😀
1) No, it doesn’t support that belt, for the reasons you noted.
2) The ANT+ strap can be paired to multiple devices concurrently. However, you won’t likely find any gym/treadmill that’ll work with ANT+ straps out there (there’s only one treadmill, and it starts at $10K each). And unlike the H7, it doesn’t broadcast analog either.
ok, thank you! Hoped for a more positiv answer, but ok, can’t change it.
Has anybody here switched from Ambit 3 to Fenix 3 already and could tell his/her impressions?
DCR, quick one: with transition mode set to AUTO, how do you use the F3 in triathlon? Manual says hit “LAP to transition to next activity”…..then later hit “LAP if necessary to start next activity”…does this mean you have to hit LAP at the start and end of each transition or does AUTO mode detect the transition and you only have to hit LAP once for every transition?
In respect to the GPS accuracy issues that I’ve seen it almost looks as though smoothing algorithm on the GPS data is a little too aggressive which then results in cut corners and inevitably shorter recorded overall distances. Presumably it is a little more than that based on Garmin’s official response as I would image it was a relatively easy fix to adjust the smoothing.
Quick question. If start an activity normally, say run, then the gps battery and other indicators appear so you know when you are ready to start and have a fix.
I created a workout for a walk/run interval. When I selected it from my training calendar on the watch and clicked do workout, it just said to select the activity (run) and then said press start. No icons appear so how do you know if the gps has been acquired or the hrm detected? I pressed start as instructed and had no pace or distance information for the whole run (though pace would appear momentarily sometimes and go away). But when I uploaded it, there was actually gps track data, and it back filled the distance and pace on garmin connect, while my watch stills shows distance as 0.0mi. Am I doing something wrong?
I use workouts a lot and found that once you select “Run” I wait for the screen o come up and press the down button.
This will show your first ususal “Run” screen with all the indicators for HRM, GPS, etc.
Yesterday it shows the GPS with a red cross, I thenw ent in settings and turned GPS Off and back ON, which fixed the issue…
Thanks. I see that the display does come up as you mentioned. I just got back from a run where I used the workout, and waited for a while (this was before I read your post) and once again it didn’t show any data, and unfortunately didn’t have any data when I uploaded it either. I will try your trick next time I workout.
It does seem like a weird thing though that it doesn’t just go to this screen as the instructions just tell you press start. There is no mention of using down to get to the screen you mentioned that I could find in the manual.
One interesting thing, if this helps anyone else with a similar issue…
I did what Tim suggested, and noted that even though it was in the run program (which has gps enabled) the gps icon had an X on it saying it was not using it.
So I went to the current app settings to check, and it said gps *was* swtiched on, but the display still had the x for no gps.
I toggled the app setting for gps on to off to on again, and then it seemed to find a fix.
Unless I screwed something up in the workout creation this seems like a bug to me.
as stated in my original post I had the GPS issue yesterday as well.
I did not have it before.
It seems to me that since FW 3.2 I am having some issues.
Earlier this week, the watch skipped a workout step, then stopped recording GPS data and disconnected from the HRM. Strangely the GPS track was alter available in Garmin connect…
Only problem so far is, I can be sitting right next to my phone and it will disconnect/reconnect and the vibration of that is going to drive me nuts… My phone is definitely “supported” as I’m using a Moto G..
Examples of compatible phones include: iPhone® 4S & later, Android™ 4.3, Galaxy S3 or later, Galaxy Note 3, Moto X, Moto G, HTC One, Nexus 4 & 5 and later; phone must be Bluetooth Smart. For the full list of compatible smartphones
I hope Ray or someone can help to answer my questions:
I am not a sportman. The sport-related features do not really interest me. In fact I am 169cm and weight 89kg. I am interested in this watch mainly for three reasons. First, the ability to change time automatically based on the GPS location (not sure about this). Second, the navigation back to a saved location (I am a tourist guide and this is useful). Third, it’s nice design.
I do border-crossing between countries very often.
1) Does the time change automatically according to the GPS location? Or do I have to manually turn on GPS to detect the new time?
2) Assuming that I have just crossed the border leaving Thailand into Malaysia (just a few hundred meters away), how do I know that the time has been updated from Thai time to Malaysian time? I see no indicator for country time zone on the display.
3) Say I want to do some walking and explore a few places of interest in a town, can I save multiple locations in the watch a day before, and navigate to those saved locations one after another?
Ray, Anyone,
is there a way to tell fenix to assign a specific name and activity from the dropdown menu in Garmin connect (e.g. kitesurfing) based on custom sport profile within the watch? currently the custom kitesurfing activities get uploaded and named as “indoor cardio”. Thanks!
Question: on the fenix 2, if I try to send training plans from the connect calendar to the device, it puts (some of) the workouts under ‘workouts’ rather than putting them in the calendar itself, making me to go through all the workouts to find the proper one. on Plus, if I do a workout, the VO2max feature does not work (it only does if I choose ‘running’). Therefor I have to use the FR 620 for running and don’t have any navigating possibility, and use te fenix for hiking etc. Is the fenix 3 solving these issues or not? I would like to switch to one device that does it all, but only if it does it good.
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I just got back in town late last night and found my new silver bundle had arrived, this morning when I went to go set it up it did an update to version 3.10. Anyone have any idea what new features are in this update?
From Garmin Fenix 3 Forum:
Changes made from version 3.00 to 3.10:
* Improved Connect IQ experience and stability
* Fixed issue with updating Barometer plot scale.
I hope it corrects the errors calculating calories burned. I think it’s calculating calories burned while walking as if I was running.
Calorie-wise, there’s (disappointingly) almost no difference between walking and running in terms of calories burned per distance unit. About the only time you see differences is when you get very close to MaxHR type levels.
It’s counting up even when I’m at rest so it’s including calories burned via BMR which for me is about 1900 Kcal/day. I checked, and a BMR can be calculated using the info in our profile so I think that’s it.
I got my Sapphire yesterday (from CT, thanks Ray for the discount well worth the wait), charged it up, set up my data fields and all I can say is I’m in love, like seriously, ask my wife, lol. This watch is just awesome! I used it for my 5k race this morning, given all the comments on issues and accuracy I wore my F2 with it for my 2 mile warm up and they were all but identical in all data fields and tracks. So much so I dropped the F2 in the car and raced with the F3 only. It was my best track ever, I ended up at 3.11 miles, that is the closest to a race distance I have ever run, granted I did run a good line but it was till spot on. My 1 mile beep occurred right at the 1 mile marker, I was amazed. IT also sync’d via BT to my phone in a flash! So much better than the F2. I don’t know if I’m fortunate that I got a good lot or if others are just too picky or have too high of standards. All I know is I am very happy so far. I bike later and swim tomorrow so we’ll see if the other sports work as well.
I also just I got my Sapphire a few days ago (also from CT. Again, thanks for the discount). Perhaps the greatest piece of tech I have owned to date (and I am very much an early adopter who has owned a lot). The Smartwatch capabilities are astounding. At a fancy dinner last night, received a txt. Was able to casually read it on my wrist rather than having to (rudely) pull out my phone. Same while in work meetings. And while running/biking- to be able to quickly see who’s calling from my wrist rather than struggling to fish my phone out of my pocket (I am a physician always “on call” so don’t get to ignore phone).
Must say that the Garmin manual is a bit “lacking”. Lots of issues poorly explained. This watch just has so many features and customizations it is difficult to guess at them all. Having used multiple Garmin products over the years much is intuitive but not all. Getting used to having “one less button” (“enter”) than on my 910 is taking a bit of getting used to, as is the nav buttons on the bottom left instead of the top right (as on the 910).
Used watch for my first OW swim today and did have one issue. I swam ~1,500m and the watch shows that I swam nearly 3,000m (which, of course gave me a GREAT pace! Man I suddenly looked fast.). I knew something was up when I got to the 1,500 turn buoy (at 750m) and the watch not only showed that I had already traveled 1,500m but I floated in place at the buoy for nearly 6 minutes (to test the watch, not b/c I needed to rest!) yet the total distance continued to steadily climb even while I was completely stationary (using the buoy as a reference). So. even though I was not moving, the total distance was increasing almost 1m/sec as if you were looking at a “stopwatch”. I was in GPS mode only (GLONOSS off) so tomorrow I will try again with GLONOSS on and see of that makes a difference.
One other cool thing- I had left my cell phone in the car. As I was walking up the the car I was within about 30 ft. and the watch buzzed on my wrist, saying “bluetooth connected” and before I had unlocked my car, the workout had been uploaded to TP (via GC app on phone). Pretty slick.
It will be interesting to see if turning on GLONOSS fixes this issues during OWS. (I would guess that “every little bit helps” when it comes to GPS and water).
1) my silver bundle is beautiful, love the watch.
2) I cannot figure out how to get 4 data fields on a page, can anyone PLEASE help!! I get to the page but when I click on data fields it just displays the 3, it won’t give me the option to change it
3) tracks were good in some spots poor in others, I did do a good GPS soak. Comparable to mapmyrun and my 920.
4) instant pace was right on with my 920.
Press start sto when in the 3 field settings and then scroll up
Rob that worked thank you so very much!
Positive
– GPS is really quick to connect with satellites
– Menu options is similar to forerunner collection and it is very easy to use and to set up
To Improve
– Screen is the opossitive to smarthwath screens, very good visibility outdoor but poor visibility in dark conditions, indoor and cloudly days
– not a lot of applications to choose in the app store
I continue testing the watch
Ray,
Thanks for the great review. It gives a lot of insight.
I’m planning on getting one primarily for hiking (in Italy). Do you know if there have been any changes in how the altimeter is working while not moving? This review of the Fenix 2, make me frown: link to backpackingnorth.com
Also it would be nice to know if there are any differences in how waypoints are navigated.
Thanks!
I’d caution that the Fenix2 is an entirely different beast than the Fenix3, this includes things like the altimeter and waypoints. I cover both in the ‘Deciding between’ section.
So would you say, that from a hiking perspective, the Fenix 3 is a step back from the Fenix 2?
Is it some kind of commercial choice to remove functionality from the watch in order to lure hikers into buying the Epix? I don’t give much for map display, but some form of waypoint navigation should be possible on a hiking watch… It’s a strange thing how companies cripple their products from time to time, to force customers into choosing a certain product. Apple tactics 😉
It’s a lateral move. Some might say it’s a step back, but at the same time there’s also new features too. And, I think the gaps will slowly be filled by Connect IQ (we’re already seeing that). Waypoint navigation is possible with the Fenix3, it’s just that they haven’t enabled transfer of waypoints from the mobile app (but that’s on the way).
Hi Ray,
Good to hear that waypoint navigation is still possible. If I understand correctly, you must use your PC to transfer points to the watch (at this point). If that would be possible with an app, from the camp site, that would be awesome. Building that in few months should be possible 😉
Thank you for clarifying.
Hi Ray
Ive Got a question for you
I’ve just got my fenix 3 and brought it for a ride yesterday together with my edge 510 but apparently they cannot connect to my phone at the same time ? Is that a bug because I can’t believe that only one device can be connected at the time
Maybe a limitation in the connect app ?
Unfortunately correct, Garmin only supports a single active connection between a device and the phone (mobile app limitation, not device). You can mix and match as long as one isn’t active. They are working to address it. Fwiw, other companies are mostly in the same boat. In fact, Fitbit just made the move last week to allow dual connections.
Thanks for clearing that up Ray
I just couldn’t figure out what was wrong but now it makes sense
I hope they will make it work soon..
Great review and I received my fenix 3 Friday!
I cannot find the sunrise sunset widget you have in your article. can you confirm its name and that it is on the connect IQ site?
Its planned publishing the day after I posted was pulled/delayed due to issues, which was then compounded by the recall of the first Connect IQ capable firmware on the Fenix3. Though, I’ll check in this week and see if it’s back on the radar for publishing.
New issue with recent firmware; step count does not count steps during run activity. Not sure what it is related to, but during 10 mile run yesterday with foot pod and foot pod set to Auto Calibrate (so 3 differences compared to past runs, new firmware, running with foot pod and having foot pod set to Auto Calibrate) and none of the steps taken during the 10 mile run were counted.
Reset the watch yesterday and plan to run 20 today and will see how it works. Will keep everything the same as yesterday. If no steps counted, I will then test with Autop Calibrate off, and then without foot pod entirely.
Hi Joe, just an fyi that step count during activities is working for me with 3.1 and no foot pod.
I ran yesterday with the similar setup: firmware v3.10, footpod (not for the first time) set to auto calibrate. No issue with steps being counted, in fact notified during the run of meeting my step goal with a beep, vibrate and “goal achieved” banner.
On a related note, the Footpod calibration factor still reads 100.0 after more than 10 runs with the F3. It took a while for my 920xt to register a calibration factor too; when it finally did the factor read in the mid-90s if I reme right. Fortunately I have not been forced indoors on the treadmill since I got the F3, but wonder why the calibration takes so long to register.
Just ran 20 mile run today and steps were being counted during the run when I checked multiple times. When I completed the run and saved it the watch reset my step count to zero for the day. The steps prior to and during the run were erased. Not sure how to fix it. Don’t want to do a factory reset, but may need to.
BTW, I turned my foot pod from auto to manual and back to Auto and I am seeing the calibration factor change. Might be you need to cycle it to get it into Auto mode really. Might also be why my steps aren’t being counted.
Ran today without foot pod at all for a 4 mile run and no issue with steps being counted and not zeroed out. Seems this issue is related to the foot pod. I did not test with the foot pod, but not in Auto Calibrate mode as I only really use the foot pod on the treadmill and will just plan to use it with manual calibration to match my treadmill when I am not using GPS (Indoor Run).
Is there any direction anyone can give on how to set Max HR on the device?
Disregard I just figured it out
Hi Ray,
First, I want to say thanks for your in depth review. It is one of the reasons I bought this product :D.
I just bought the Fenix 3 (to replace my Polar V800) and I am happy with the product, but I don’t understand why my run is so much different in distance with my Polar V800.
On a 6,2 miles run (10KM) there is a differnce in disctance of about 0,18 miles (0,3 km).
I think that is a lot.
Polar V800 says 10,34 km and Fenix 3 says 10,04 km.
Did you also test this, is this a normal behaviour or is 1 of my products a bad one?
Thanks again,
Rene Haveman
I would double-check the recording rate of the Fenix3 (such as ensuring it’s on 1-second), as well as look and compare the tracks. if it’s not on 1-second and you were on a run with numerous turns, that would likely account for the difference.
Yes, 1 sec. recording is on.
I have run this route multiple times with my Polar V800 and it was spot on everytime.
Always between 10,30 and 10.40 kilometer.
Then I would try looking at GLONASS and turning it to the opposite of whatever it is. Plus, I’d look to do a GPS soak (set the unit with GPS on outside for about 20 minutes). Finally, use the mapping comparison tool here to look and see where deviations are: link to dcrainmaker.com
Hi Ray, Thanks for your help and quick replies!
I will try to turn off GLONASS and try to put the watch outside with GPS on.
But do I have to turn off timeout, for this because normally it will switch back to your watchface when you’re not starting your run.
Kind regards, Rene Haveman
My F3 arrived on Friday. I took it for a tempo workout yesterday and was actually pretty disappointed with it. It consistently measured short – roughly 0.98 for each mile on a 2.5 mile paved loop in a park that I’ve done for years. So the 2.5 mile loop was coming in at 2.45. I ran with my 920xt and several friends, with a 220 and a 620. All agreed – except the F3. While 0.98 isn’t a huge deal for training runs – I’m running Boston in a few weeks, and that’s maybe 10-12 seconds / mile off. If I try to pace to the Fenix – I’d run too quickly and end up detonating late on.
So I did a bunch of research and it appears the algorithm it uses is very aggressive at smoothing turns. I went to the map and compared the outputs (from the F3, 920 and one of my friends watches too) – and that’s exactly what it’s doing. The F3 has me running 10 yards inside the curves. This is a well known ‘complaint’ on the garmin forums too. This was with 1 second recording, and also glonass on (and off in another test with the same result)
So check yours – and see if that’s what’s going on too.
I did a run today – and purposely took a route with right angle turns and not curves – and that it handled better.
The algorithm is apparently different to the 920, which is odd – but also explains why the 920 appeared to map my route more correctly.
I’m hoping the engineers tweak this – otherwise it’ll be going back. Gorgeous watch though. So holding out for a while before making that decision.
Not sure if Ray has any knowledge of this – or any ‘in’ to garmin support – but would love to know if this is something they’re working on… it would certainly make a difference if I knew it was going to get fixed or tweaked. thanks
btw – here’s an example of the aggressive smoothing on the F3 v the 920xt.
link to chez-williams.com
We ran this loop twice. The F3 is the blue track, the 920 the yellow. The yellow is right – we were in the left lane (going clockwise) and then dived across on the corner – but on one loop had to get right back to the left lane, the other one we stayed in the right a little longer. The F3 has me running on the grass. This is where the 0.02 of a mile is getting lost with the aggressive smoothing…
link doesnt seem to work for me.
I think it may be more an issue of satellite reception with tree cover. My run Saturday was in a park with trees. My friend did this pretty comprehensive test today with his Fenix 3 and a host of other GPS watches and believes it has an issue with reception for the Fenix 3. This actually mirrors my experience, although I apparently drew the wrong conclusion. Unfortunately if it’s reception and not the algorithm – I’m not sure there’s a software fix… I’m leaning towards returning mine. I run on a number of tree lined routes and parks and was truly disappointed with it yesterday. Hoping for another reason / or solution to change my mind…
link to forums.garmin.com
did 14 miles on decent tree lined routes. My friends 910xt was getting further and further ahead. ended up between 1/4 to 1/2 miles ahead. disappointing. hope it’s anomaly. that said in the Garmin forum post, the 920xt did quiet well. as these watches as siblings, I would not be so quite to discount a software fix. on a swinging wrist is hard to image such a dramatic difference based solely on reception.
Same experience here, The F3 is very inaccurate. I tested the F3 4 times on a 1k course, resulting in 0,75km, 0,66km, 0,87km and 0,74km. The whole training was a mess, I missed roughly 7 -7.5km. link to connect.garmin.com
I am switching back to the F1 for the time being.
It appears like you might have Smart Recording turned on, you should consider turning it off and going with 1-second recording – especially given the winding nature of that trail run course.
Just to counter some of these comments – the tracking on my F3 has been perfectly acceptable so far (running and cycling). Here is a comparison of a ride from yesterday logged with both Edge 1000 and Fenix 3 (both on latest firmware):
link to mygpsfiles.com (note this link only stays active until 29 April).
Original tracks:
Edge 1000: link to connect.garmin.com
Fenix 1000: link to connect.garmin.com
Feel free to scroll through my Garmin activities link to connect.garmin.com to see others
Grate work as usual RAY but let me say that there is a problem …
it’s since F3 debut that i’m following all the Garmin forums and other on the net and too many times i’ve read a story like the one very well explained by Richard.
so the question is this :
I know that not all the people reading are trail runners or ultra trail runners but it’s a fact we are growing 40% per year if you scroll around the web trail running race grow like mushroom. definitely we need a watch and when fenix 3 with is aspect come out I’ve thought yes it is ! all the thing that a trailrunner need is there! long battery life ( rechargeable on the way) all the functionality of mountain watch etc etc .
than day by day I’ ve read:
1) a gps accuracy shorter than all other watch also the old one ” especially under tree cover????” all consistent difference in very short run but what will happen after 40-60-80 km in the mountain?
2) altimeter precision ( a lot of complain on the web) more or less all the track file I’ve open on the web show a start and ending point at 2 different level 20-30-50-100 meter after 1 or 2 hours ? in a race of 10 hours what happen?
3) its ok that exist the ultra track option but how realistic ( usable) is it?
so you and all the people that are so lucky to have in hands the Fenix 3 can please give some advice to all the people like me :
we run in the mountain ( 2000-3000 m average ascend )
we run in the forest
we run with turn some time sharp turns ( incredible the mountain is not straight)
we run for long 40K is the entry level
the only two similar watch that in my opinion are : Fenix 3 and Ambit 3 peak
please there are some tester that can compare them without prejudice?
thank you Ray and all of you because your forum is the decision maker for a lot of us
Sorry for the English
Hi Ray,
I just see in your GPS comparison table that you also had (in my opinion) too much difference between the polar V800 & Fenix 3. It is not as bad as in my case, but still a lot.
I just paste from your table: LONG RUN 14.64MI 14.65 (EPSON 810) 14.87 (POLAR V800)
So it looks like the V800 is not as good as I thought, or am I wrong here?
Kind regards, rene
It’s just a one run data point, I wouldn’t overthink it. In numerous other runs I’ve done with the V800, I haven’t really seen much of an issue. I’ll have to take a look and see why it different.
I’ll add some other Polar ones in to the chart today (I completely forgot to sync it, so I’ve got about 4-6 runs there against the Fenix3 that I can add those data points in).
Thanks Ray, I appreciate that!
Please let me know when thats done?
Hi Ray,
Did you already found time to add the polar data somewhere? If yes, where?
I am almost sure that the GPS of my Polar V800 is fine and the GPS of my Garmin Fenix 3 is not so good.
I did a run yesterday with both (polar right arm, Garmin left arm) 8KM on my polar 7.7Km on my garmin.
The 1st KM I was surprised (and happy) that both were beeping om the same time on the 1KM lap, but that was because the first KM was straight ahead. After I had some corners it was different.
When I imported my Polar run to garmin Connect and zoomed in on both, I could see that the Garmin was cutting every corner.
can I have a bad product or is this on every Fenix 3? And is this something that can be fixed with software updates? Otherwise I will send my watch back.
Thanks again for all your help! Rene
Sorry, forgot to mention 1 thing.
I have done all tips you gave me except 1 (turn off Glonass). Will do that tomorrow.
I even also did a Master reset (turn watch with back/lap button pushed until “remove userinfo“ ==> yes).
regards, Rene
I just added a few more from the V800 in there. Most of my February/March V800 usage was in non-GPS activities (indoor runs/rides), so there were less than I hoped.
Hi Ray, I just found this article.
link to fellrnr.com
If this is right the V800 is just more accurate then most Garmin watches (except Fenix 3 is not yet in here),
What are your thoughts about this? I can’t imagine there is so much difference.
I contacted Garmin Support about the short distances computed by my F3. Here is their response:
———————————————————————————
Thank you for contacting Garmin International.
I will be happy to assist you with your request and apologize about the inconvenience.
The fenix 3 does not come with a global basemap, so that long distance calculations will be skewed. The watch does not have the capability to add maps, and there are no app widgets to add a global map at this time.
To improve your speed and distance calculations on your watch to the limit the watch is capable of, please utilize the 3D speed and distance setting.
The 3D Speed and Distance features change the way the fenix series devices read speed and distance.
3D Speed – Calculates speed using both the elevation change and horizontal movement over ground.
3D Distance – Calculates the distance traveled using both elevation change and horizontal movement over ground.
The instructions for using 3D speed and distance can be found on page 14 of the fenix 3’s owner’s manual.
For accurate distances with mapping, please consider the epix watch instead, which can be found at link to buy.garmin.com
———————————————————————————
I checked the manual and 3D distance/speed settings should be available for running, hiking, biking, climbing, and skiing activities. However when I tried to set them the only activity that comes with those options is the skiing activity. Have anyone seen these options on the running activity? My F3 is running fw 3.1 and gps 2.8.
I took both my 920 and my F3 to the track just now and can say that both were spot on. Cadence was virtually identical, instant pace was only different by 5 to 10 seconds, at the quarter mile and half mile both were identical and at the end of a one-mile test the 920 measured exactly 1 mile, the f3 measured 1.01 miles. This is a difference that I can certainly live with, and my experience with this silver F3 is substantially different than the gray one that I had and returned. I am guessing that the most recent software updates are to account for this. If anyone else has done a similar test I’d love to hear the results as I intend to return one of these watches and as of right now I think I will keep the more aesthetically pleasing one. My only concern is what the mileage difference could be over a much longer run.
Thank you so much for your reviews.
I have been reading your review and apart from the mount, it’s down to aesthetics between the F3 & 920xt (and viewing area), but why is it when I compare these two on the garmin UK wesite I get a different view on this, has the spec changed or badly maintained website on their part?
I belive I want to by the f3 over the 920xt but unsure now I have done the comparison on their site, please could you give me some clarity on this.
Kind regards
Steve
The Garmin site is unfortunately well known for being inaccurate on the spec comparison tables. Kinda silly.
Just got my F3 from Clever Training (Silver is now in stock).
I generally prefer a simple Velcro watchband. I find it more comfortable and easier to adjust. Any suggestions or warnings about replacing the stock band with Velcro strap?
As for the watch, it is pretty awesome so far. GPS is way more accurate, faster, than I’ve had previously (Moto Active, Leikr). User interfact is very intuitive imo.
It is also way easier to read the data fields with my aging eyes. I’ve found that on the other watches a lot of the fonts are so small I can’t read them as I’m running. This was something I was quite wary of. But the F3 reads just fine.
About the only thing that I’m so-so on is just how big and heavy it is. Although its not too big or heavy, Its definitely noticeable. Thus the desire to get a Velcro band.
I have the sapphire metal strap but bought the velcro one to use for skiing (it has an extension so it is big enough to fit over a ski jacket)
This is the one I got link to amazon.co.uk which works great though the torx screwdrivers and fittings are the wrong size, so you’ll need to use existing fittings and get a pair of torx size 6 (I believe this is the correct size, but check – it has been posted either here or in garnin forums, I used the ones that come with the Saphire)
First of all, thanks to Ray for another brilliant review.
An earlier comment touched on segments, and I tried to get them to work as follows…
I loaded an old activity in GC.
I added a couple of segments to it.
I reloaded the same activity to make sure the segments automatically showed up, and they did. I can also see them on the segments section of my GC homepage.
I converted the activity to a route (ensuring the ‘run segments’ check box was checked.)
I uploaded the route to the Fenix 3, V3.1. (again checking the ‘run segments’ box).
I selected ‘do course’ on the Fenix.
There was no indication during the run that I was doing / had done a segment.
Any suggestions would be welcome!
The Fenix3 doesn’t officially support Running Segments, likely part of the challenge. On previous firmware editions it sorta worked there, but not entirely.
Thanks for the great review, Ray! Have you heard about any bluetooth syncing issues with the Fenix 3? I am having trouble pairing my phone with my Fenix 3 and its frustrating! thanks in advance
It depends on the phone. For iOS, it seems quite stable. For Android, I hear most are great but a handful have noted issues. If on Android ensure your phone is on Garmin’s compatibility list. But generally speaking I don’t hear too many issues with the phone side from either camp.
Hey,
I just got my fenix 3, and it’s simply impossible to pair with my Android.
Everything is on the last version (Android 4.4.4 et Fenix V.3.0).
I called Garmin France, who was saying i did it wrong. So i asked him to do it in the same time as me (because he said i didn’t understand…).
After 3 attempts the guy didn’t success to pair the Fenix 3 with an Android Phone.
Still waiting an answer from Garmin…
I paid 500 € and it doesn’t work 100%.
If no answer since the end of the week i will sell this watch to get an Ambit 3
Is your phone on the compatibility list? Also, did you pair within the GCM app – and not the Bluetooth Control panel?
(And side note, the Ambit3 doesn’t yet have Android support…)
You should try deleting the watch from connect completely. I think thats what i had to do in the end. Sorry if you have already tried this.
disappointed with the GPS on Fenix 3.
Please redo a GPS comparison with other GPS watches in the market, such as Ambit 3 and tomtom.
The Ambit was in some of those GPS comparisons, as was many other GPS devices. I continue to see no issues comparing any of the units I have.
Not sure if anyone else is seeing this but last night I got automatic sleep tracking – that is I didn’t press “Go to sleep” or “wake up” but in the morning I had sleep times on GC which were not my default ones: link to connect.garmin.com.
That’s a good improvement if it continues 🙂
Seems that’s on Garmin Connect side, not directly done by the F3… Maybe Ray can confirm ?
Could be interesting to note time you sleep and wake up, and compare with the automatic process in Garmin Connect !
Yes, appears to be all server-side, which makes sense and is how other companies do it. Now…if only they could make the data actually be useful… But still, a good start.
What else could it say apart from hours slept that is useful? I know there are various forms of sleep but could a watch tell you that just from tracking movement?
It’d look at Fitbit or even to a degree Polar as examples of useful sleep. They tell you how many times you woke up, when you woke up, for how long you were awake, when you went back to sleep, and even quality of sleep. Garmin just tells you random movements.
crosspost from garmin forum, Ray, please shine your light on this;
I started a interval workout created on garmin connect and downloaded to fenix 3. (WU, (1KM @ 4:00 – 4:10, 5 min rec.@ 5:00 – 6:00)*4, CD)
started via: training -> my workouts -> interval workout. then start workout -> choose profile: running-race (personalized).
After that “start the timer to start the workout” showed up, and so I pressed start.
Had simular workout running in my iphone (iSmoothRun) on well known track (11.57 km)
Warming up pace data was a bit off , but did not pay too much attention.
Interval 1, sidewind. According to phone and feeling pace was right on track, according to Fenix far to slow! (interval?)pacing was showing 4:20 while I was doing 4:00
Annoying alarm told me to run faster all the time while I was doing well.
Seemed to catch up a bit in recovery.
Interval 2 headwind bf7, so hard work. 4:35 on average said phone, in line with feeling. Fenix now showed 4:25, almost same pace as interval 1 except now loads of headwind. Weird.
Interval 3 same as 1.
Interval 4 (tailwind) was off by nearly 40 seconds. While my phone told my I had finished my 1km interval (in 3:54, in line with feeling), Fenix told me to run another 180 meters. Thats 18% difference.
Pretty sure it was not the phone who was off.
Then the funny part. after recovery and a bit CD and finished the track the Fenix told me I had run 11.82 KM in total, while the track is known to be 11.57 KM
So while the paving in the interval were showing slower, I still managed to run longer distance?! Is it all overcompensated in recovery?
I can’t tell because I DO NOT SEE A MAP IN MY WORKOUT!!
Was the GPS off (then what data do I see? I don’t use a footpad..), heavily corrupted or… I don’t know.
last but not least. height yesterday calibrated at 0 meters. at starting point it was 28 meters (same level as home) and finish point 19 meters (same point as start..)
I Did not pay 500 euro to became a beta tester.
Totally useless, distance within 1 KM interval off by 18%!. I want my Ambit 3 back.
Damn I sold it yesterday
I’d say that your lack of GPS map is probably an indication that GPS wasn’t enabled. Without an activity file, it’s hard to say.
But, what I will say is a more general statement that since you posted first to the Garmin Forums, I would let folks there try and sort it out since that’s a better troubleshooting venue than here (plus, I actually post there too). Additionally, if you think after that you have an issue, I’d open a support case with Garmin.
Gps not turned on is the most likely answer. Dus not see the search screen either.
But why is it not turned on after I start an workout?
When I first start running app, then select a workout before I start, I see the gps is on. And What data I was seeing then? Calculated data from avg stepwith and cadance? I was not wearing a footpod but did wear the HR belt
Cheers
It sounds a lot like perhaps you were in ‘Run Indoors’ mode. You should always see the GPS ring (red, then green), and then following that it’ll say ‘GPS’ at the top. If it says ‘GPS’ at the top with a faint barely readable line through it, it means the GPS is turned off.
The data you were seeing would have come from the units internal pace/cadence capabilities, which requires no footpod or GPS.
There is a known bug relating to starting a Workout that this could be related to: link to forums.garmin.com
Hi Ray,
bought the fenix 3 on the 5th of March (delivered on 7th) and was very very happy until yesterday. Almost everything was perfect apart from some small software bugs (like light auto disable not working) and a very good replacement to my fenix 2. Since yesterday the watch cannot acquire any satellites (the red gps bar basically stops between the 0-5 and stays there for ever).
I contacted Garmin Greece and they have not had any issues up to now with any other fenix 3. I was advised to wait for a couple of days because there might be a fix in the next software update. They said to send back the watch if this fails again to load the gps.
Do you now if there has been any official statements about this? Is this a software or hardware problem?
Thanks in advance,
Zac
Sounds like Garmin Greece did a pretty poor job of troubleshooting (and giving inaccurate information). 🙁 First, if you’re not on the latest firmware update, then double-check that. Second, fully power off the unit, and then power back on and try and find satellites. Second, turn on the Extended GPS option and just leave it outside for about 20 minutes to find GPS. See if it sets then. Failing all that I’d do a soft reset.
Until yesterday when the problem occured, i was on V.2.9. Since then I have updated to 3.10 (GPS still on 2.70 though). Tried power off and on several times, also tried softreset? –>(keeping light button for 25s and restarting) but with no luck. Also tried Glonass on and off as well but still i get no signal.
What is the extended gps option that you mention? I am not sure I am aware of that…
Thanks again for your prompt reply
Mine was doing the same thing. Would sometimes lock on, but mostly would just hang at the first red tick. I did soft and hard resets (never did an extended soak; not sure how to do that). Nothing seemed to help. Took mine back to REI and am waiting for my replacement to arrive.
There is a forum topic on this in the Garmin forums. Not a huge amount of people, but this does appear to be affecting a few.
Ray,
How/where do I turn on extended GPS option?
i will just give you the same info as i found a few days ago
we all figured out that you cannot import third party trainingplans through garmin express
but i found that if you just shut down garmin express you can use the old garmin training center to load tcx trainingplan from trainingpeaks,endomondo etc etc and it works like a charm 🙂
For those interested in accuracy. I received my Silver Fenix 3 a day before the Modesto Marathon. Measured distance 26.29. I think it should have been 26.24 because at the 26 mile marker it read 26.04 (slowly drifted from dead on to .04 at the various markers) and I forgot to turn it off as I went about 50 yards past the finish line when I turned it off. This is a very straight and wide open course and I managed to hit most of the tangents. So far it has been more accurate than I expected it to be.
Just ran a quick 10k course with my F3. Im starting to learn that instant pace is good but only once you establish a straight line and have no trees overhead. I find this a bit surprising as the F3 is supposed to appeal to ultrarunners and hikers too who participate in sports in wooded areas. So my question is, why isn’t instant pace on the F3 as good as the instant pace I get on my 920, and if I shouldn’t rely on instant pace, what should i rely on, just lap pace? Im still in trial mode with both of these watches, debating which to keep.
Hi ray – awesome site, so happy I stumbled on it. My apologies if this has already been asked/answered but here goes…..I’m relatively new to Tris and am looking for something that can do everything and looks good for everyday wear…the f3 seems to fit the bill. I’m ready to pull the trigger but just saw something about the Apple watch (which I haven’t been following closely) – any insight on whether that will end up having similar functionality in terms of ant+ compatibility, etc…or will it be more limited to activity tracking type metrics. I don’t want to throw down $600 and find out I could have waited a few weeks and got all the f3 functionality plus the Apple ecosystem and smart watch functionality.
The Apple Watch is not waterproof and therefore you can’t swim with it. You could use it for the Bike and Run with an app like Strava though. Your Garmin options would be the 910xt which is on heavy discount now, the Fenix 2, 920xt, or the Fenix 3. It all depends on what you need it to do and what you can pay. I just got the F3 and love it but many seem to have issues with it and prefer the 920xt
I also don’t think it’ll have Ant+, probably just Bluetooth via your phone, though I’m not sure on that point
Hi Josh
If you need a watch for training/racing, the Apple is not going to do it. Firstly, you can’t use it for swimming. Secondly, for running and cycling, you will need your phone on your person (correct me if I am wrong, but the Apple phone uses the iPhone’s GPS?).
So if you go jogging/cycling with your phone on you and you are not interested in swim metrics, then the Apple watch will work. If you want to use it for ‘proper’ training/racing, then the Garmin watches are as Steve said. The 920xt seems to be the best for pure sports (running, swimming, cycling) but the Fenix 3 is more ‘everyday’ wearing friendly and is close to the 920xt in terms of sports tracking/logging (some people having some teething issues with it).
I’m having trouble connecting my F3 to my Android phone. I am able to pair, connect, but then it disconnects and I can’t get it to reconnect. I followed the directions in the manual exactly, no luck. Unpaired and tried again same result each time. Is this a known issue, or is there something I’m not understanding here?
F3 fw 3.10
Android 5.0.1 running on HTC One (M8)
Is your phone on the Android supported list, so many people have Android issues because their particular phone/OS is not supported
Predecessor to my phone (M7) is listed as supported. M8 is incremental upgrade.
I guess I’m headed to phone support hell….
I have a similar issue with my M8. Although it will disconnect if I restart my phone or move too far away I can normally manually reconnect it relatively easily. If you haven’t got anywhere yet, you could try this (although I know unsupported phones are fickle at best….)
– Go into connect and remove the fenix 3 from the device list.
– Then turn your watch onto new pairing mode
– Go into your phone’s bluetooth settings and scan for devices
– When the fenix 3 comes up pair and then unpair
– With the watch still showing ready to pair go back into Connect and then follow the steps to add your Fenix 3 as a new device including entering the passcode
– This should then allow you to connect like a new connection and sync / notify as desired.
Try my app GCMrunner. I made it for my own HTC One M8 to reconnect after bluetooth disconnect or out of range.
has any off you had issues getting Vo2 max values and race predictor values ?
now i have done 2 runs and still dont see any values in any off them,it keep telling me to run outside with heartrate belt for 10 minutes ???
but strangely i do get recovery adviser and also training effect in connect…
i do make sure to get gps reception before running
but i was thinking if it has something to do with using a trainingplan?
just to see a funny video…
link to youtube.com
I post again my previous (1232) to see if some one start to make any test … they have start in China
Grate work as usual RAY but let me say that there is a problem …
it’s since F3 debut that i’m following all the Garmin forums and other on the net and too many times i’ve read a story like the one very well explained by Richard.
so the question is this :
I know that not all the people reading are trail runners or ultra trail runners but it’s a fact we are growing 40% per year if you scroll around the web trail running race grow like mushroom. definitely we need a watch and when fenix 3 with is aspect come out I’ve thought yes it is ! all the thing that a trailrunner need is there! long battery life ( rechargeable on the way) all the functionality of mountain watch etc etc .
than day by day I’ ve read:
1) a gps accuracy shorter than all other watch also the old one ” especially under tree cover????” all consistent difference in very short run but what will happen after 40-60-80 km in the mountain?
2) altimeter precision ( a lot of complain on the web) more or less all the track file I’ve open on the web show a start and ending point at 2 different level 20-30-50-100 meter after 1 or 2 hours ? in a race of 10 hours what happen?
3) its ok that exist the ultra track option but how realistic ( usable) is it?
so you and all the people that are so lucky to have in hands the Fenix 3 can please give some advice to all the people like me :
we run in the mountain ( 2000-3000 m average ascend )
we run in the forest
we run with turn some time sharp turns ( incredible the mountain is not straight)
we run for long 40K is the entry level
the only two similar watch that in my opinion are : Fenix 3 and Ambit 3 peak
please there are some tester that can compare them without prejudice?
thank you Ray and all of you because your forum is the decision maker for a lot of us
Sorry for the English
part two of the same video …much better result they look similar
link to youtube.com
Leo – As the title of the video is tagged ‘Comedy’, that’s about all I’d suggest to use it for. The reality is that if you’re trying to use a GPS watch between the alleyway of two+ dozen-story buildings, yeah, it’s going to have issues. It’s not clear to me from that video if either of them have had hotfixes before turning on, which makes a huge difference. The challenge with such video is lack of context.
Ultimately, there’s a ton of people with both the Ambit3 and Fenix3 units. In fact, many of them are posting within the accuracy threads on the Garmin Forums, and unsurprisingly many of them are saying the same thing: They’re getting largely the same numbers. Heck this morning there were a few people showing cases where the Fenix3 surprassed the Ambit3.
There are, like any watch, folks that have issues – be it one-offs or otherwise. But I’m just not hearing that. As always though, if you look at a forum whose sole purpose is for troubleshooting, that’s all your seeing. If I look at just the number of units that I’m aware of being sold (Clever Training/Amazon and some REI), and compare that to the number of people who have posted here noting a GPS issue, it’s under 1%. In general, I find an extremely high correlation between people who use those links and then post here with issues. Let alone (the majority of) folks who bought elsewhere and post here.
Ultimately, I’m not sure what else I can say. The answers to your questions are covered between the review and the 1,200+ comments here representing a wide swath of opinions.
If it helps, my first watch was Ambit 2, I now have the F3. The F3 is superior in almost every way. Here’s a list off the top of my head: data acquisition is much more sorted on connect compared to movescount, colour screen is brilliant, vibration and multiple alert combinations are fantastic, pool swim data is far more accurate and just works, gps acquisition has for me been quicker and more reliable, sensor acquisition ie bike cadence far, far more reliable, and the F3 is far more comfortable (never truly got used to the weird Ambit GPS housing lump below the watch bezel). And I really loved my Ambit 2!
But facts are facts, as an experienced user of both, I have had a far better experience with the F3. I wouldn’t worry about those daft YouTube videos. As Ray said you’ll always get those, but in reality I’ve not had a single issue to be honest.
thankyou Ray for your answer .
I realy apreciate all you have done in this rewiew.
I’m following with big attention this forum on Garmin
link to forums.garmin.com
I’ve seen also your answwer and I will realy like to beter understand the tree covertur problem it’s exiist or not? because my main use it will be ultratrail running and 70 to 80 % f our traks are in forest ( pine tree etc) and mountain…
try to immagine that: buy an expensive watch not for all of us has the same impact especialy in some country (Italy) where no CT or REI or other big company are available with their super return polcy.
thankyou very much
Yup, and in that same thread there are many others that aren’t seeing issues in trees. But I think you’d agree that surrounded by three concrete buildings 12+ story’s is rather different than most trees.
Ultimately, virtually every country (especially EU countries) allow returns. I’d really encourage you to try out the watch and if you don’t like it – you can return it. Most retailers in the EU allow at least a 30 day policy. And on the bright side, you’ll soon have on more option in the EU with a good policy and a DCR discount… 😉
thankyou Ray and I’ll really wait your European Option!!
Hi.
Anyone who knows how to set daily step count target on the watch manually? I tried do synch it trough usb cable, wifi and andoid. Everything sychs great, ecxept for the step counter…. Strange.
Help please.
Created a workout – 5min warm up then 10x100m at Z5 with 30 sec rest intervals – finish.
Problem is I can’t work out the individual 100m interval pace because I can’t seem to activate auto pause for the workout, so the data just shows generic pace factoring in all the 30sec pauses AND the warm up pace. Any ideas?
Dan
PS – this is using the RUN app, to avoid confusion (I can see how it could apply to swim)
UPDATE – sorry all, correction – all this data IS available but a). only on web version of Garmin Connect and NOT on iPhone App and b). None of the complexity of the pacing works its way onto Strava – just the basic overall pace is processed c). All the data is available on the watch itself in History under Laps data. ‘Time in zone’ is particularly helpful.
So…data on the website is excellent, just not so in depth on the app as far as I can tell.
Just wanted to share an unpleasant experience I had this morning:
All I did was set the “Power Save Mode” to “Extended” in the Run app. This caused the device to reboot. After the reboot the order of my apps was completly messed up and some of them didn’t show any names or seemingly random names with cyrillic (?) letters and wrong pictures in the Settings –> Apps Menu.
I did a hard reset which to my suprise deleted everything but my software upgrades (still showed latest versions for firmware, BLE, GPS). After having to configure the watch from scratch (I didn’t back up anything as I wasn’t sure if importing my old files would reproduce the issue) everything seems to be working fine right now. Still rather annoying.
Anyone else experienced this or something similar?
Link to thread in the Garmin forum:
link to forums.garmin.com
In case no one else has noted, kudos to Garmin, finally the sleep tracking on garmin connect has become automatic (they finally listened after much criticism from owners including myself :-D). It makes a pretty good guess of start and end of my nightly sleep (to nearest 10~15 minutes). I think thats a real plus and just brings the sleep tracking function of my FR15 at par with that of polar m400 in my opinion eventhough i don’t own the polar unit.
To the lucky fenix 3 owners out there, have you noticed the same change or do you still have to press your watch button to start and stop your sleep?
automatic sleep tracking just started happening a few days ago with latest FW update on F3
I’ve still been telling it when I sleep and wake. Didn’t realize…that’s awesome.
Noticed yesterday that my GPS will no longer obtain a fix. Went for a hike and never got past the red bar at the ‘5’ mark. Fenix 3 did not record a track, but did provide distance.
I looked at the forums, decided to do a soft reset. Did not fix it.
Did a hard reset. Did not fix it.
I am on firmware 3.1 with GPS firmware 2.8
All was working fine until yesterday.
BTW, with the hard reset, I chose to let the watch update the time with GPS. It never finished (I plugged in the charging cradle to a Garmin power charger and let it sit in the window all night.)
I am beginning to think the GPS hardware has quit working …. nothing will get it to obtain a fix (made sure GPS was visible as my Garmin 205 was sitting next to it and got a fix within a couple of minutes.
Should I wait for another firmware update or should I contact Garmin or should I return it?
I had exactly the same problem. Only difference it happened on V2.90, GPS 2.70.
Soft reset, No Fix
Hard Reset , No Fix
Test Mode, Shows 0.00 GPS (so probably there is something with the hardware)
Upgraded to V3.10, GPS 2.80 …Still No Fix.
Send out the watch to Garmin today….Waiting to see the outcome…
Me too. My F3 won’t acquire a GPS fix since (I think) upgrading to 3.0. Did a hard reset, not fixed. Waiting on Garmin to get back to me. Annoying.
I contacted Garmin yesterday – they also reached out to me independently from my posting of my issue. I sent my watch to them this morning so they could investigate this issue. They will be sending me a replacement hopefully soon (my Vivofit does track distance fairly accurately, but not while biking 😉
Thanks for your additional info.
last update:
Contacted Garmin Greece Technical Dpt were I have sent the watch since Tuesday. The technicians informed me that a new unit has been ordered as a replacement (this unfortunately takes at least 7-10 days and this is subject to availability).
They informed me that there was a hardware problem with my unit (GPS)…..
So, I’ll be waiting for the new fenix 3 to arrive and hope that it will be trouble free!!! Fingers crossed!
Thanks for the second update. Hopefully I will hear from Garmin soon about my Fenix 3. I think it is due to arrive at Garmin on Monday according to UPS tracking. Miss having a GPS watch for workouts – back to my Vivofit for trying to calculate running distance. I will say the Vivofit is a very solid activity tracker.
Hey all, I have had my Fenix 3 (Black w/HRM Run Strap) for about two weeks now and I was nervous about getting the non Sapphire model because I am hard on my outdoor watches. I have been pleased with it but I have noticed the scratching on the bezel which, as DCR and others point out in the comment replies, its an outdoor watch, if it is not scratched and showing signs of abuse, it is not being used for what it is intended.
One thing to note about the non-sapphire glass, the Forerunner 620 Screen protectors fit absolutely perfectly on the Fenix 3. You cannot tell it is on there short of the slight lip. This should provide the little extra scratch protection for the glass and it was a crushing $3.99 on Amazon.
I love the Fenix 3. Well worth the wait and price IMO.
And another solid and spot on review DCR. Keep up the good work.
“if it is not scratched and showing signs of abuse, it is not being used for what it is intended.”
That’s a load of bullsh1t if i heard one before lol
Clearly Garmin did NOT do enough testing on the durability of the paint. We have too many apologists on this thread.
In reality many users are frustrated that our Grey Watches are scratching so easily.
A $600 outdoor watch shouldn’t scratch so easily.
I hope Garmin reformulates their paint.
Just to clarify, I didn’t say exactly that. I’d say though that there are reasonable limits to what should scratch the watch. I’m personally not upset when I drag the watch over the sharp concrete rocks and it scratches. To me, I’d expect that. If it didn’t – awesome – but I don’t expect it would come away from that unscathed.
At the same time, I don’t expect it to get scratched just floating around the pocket from hell in my backpack with all sorts of things like keys/coins/pens/sharp junk/etc in there.
My Sapphire Edition’s Grey Bezel was scratched pretty easily. No one can expect it to resist from a concrete or rock wall scratch but I know clearly I did not do that.
It is known that the F3 is less resistant to scratches which I think Garmin should improve on a $600 dollars watch.
But I chose to sand the bezel down to remove the grey so I can always repolish it myself. At least it doesn’t look as ugly now.
Hi Kingart.
Any chance you could post a few pics of how your sapphire looks post sanding? I wish Garmin would make a silver sapphire edition. However, polishing and sanding may be a viable option.
Hi Kingart, yes please could you post some pics to show us how the bezel looks? What did you use to carry out the operation? TIA
Ray can you confirm that you get vo2 max if you use a wahoo tickr run ?
I haven’t tested it, but the ANT+ spec requires HRV/RR information, and the TICKR Run sends it via ANT+. So you should have no issues.
Very Strange
Because I get training effect in garmin connect and also se recovery advisor in the watch but after now 3 runs I still doesn’t get vo2 max or race prediction.those 2 keeps telling me to run outside with a heartrate monitor even though I have already done that
I wonder if I should try a run using the garmin hrm3 from my edge 510
I’ve been using a 920xt with a Tickr X and it gives me recovery advisor and vo2max. How long have your outdoor runs been? I feel like the watch needs a certain minimum time/distance to make the estimate.
Ray, thanks for the super extensive review! Also, thanks for making the time to answer so many questions here in the comments. I have ordered the F3 silver red through CT using the VIP account.
Question (for Ray or any readers here): In my case I want to measure water temperature somewhat accurately (+/- 0.5 Celsius). I assume I will get some reading from the watch but being in and out of the water combined with body heat influence I’m assuming the measurement won’t be really accurate. Anybody used a Tempe to do this before? +/-1C would be acceptable. Last year I used an aquarium thermometer.
I’m interested in this as well. I’d be ok with doing a manual correction if I had some sense of what the delta is (e.g. knock 1 or 2F off the read temperature). It’s a definitely useful metric when determining cold water acclimation and the main reason I’m interested in upgrading my 910XT (well that and the mobile phone based uploads and improved accuracy for OWS).
Well after a few reasonably cold (55-58F) water swims my guesstimate is that the watch reads about 3F over water temp. This is unscientifically estimated by comparing the displayed temp to the consensus estimated water temp. I have a small aquarium thermometer on order to do a more scientific comparison. Interestingly another swimmer with a Suunto Ambit (not sure which model) seemed to get a more accurate temperature reading.
Ray curious to know if you are using your 920 or F3 on a daily basis?
I’m generally a bad person to look at there, since I’m always rotating through items testing – especially right now with so many watches.
But, I’m currently using the Vivoactive day to day in preparation for my review. And then I’m running that alongside the Fenix3 for my runs. I suspect for running I’ll probably stick with the Fenix3, but for tri’s (races), I’ll go with the FR920XT due to the quick release kit.
I’m curious about reasoning for wanting the quick connect for racing. I would assume that it would be easiest to use a tri-watch on your wrist, and a dedicated bike computer during your ride. That’s at least what I do. What advantage do you get from looking at your “tri-device” during the bike?
BTW I’ve never even seen the pointy end of the race. But as a mid-to-back of pack racer, during the ride, all I focus on is my ride race plan.
Helps for total race time. Can log swim time, transition times, ride and run for a total time.. The race time keepers will more than likely have a break down available post race but always good to have it with you. Especially total race time.
Yup, as Ryan said – total race time is main reason. And for me, on the bike, having the device on the wrist isn’t really readable in aero position (nor aero by any means to keep turning the wrist to look at). It was actually interesting doing the aero testing two years ago, to see just how much itty bitty changes in hand position impacted aero numbers (moving them perhaps 1cm), let alone opening the wrist up repeatedly to see the numbers.
*Testing: link to dcrainmaker.com
I still struggle to see what the point of checking total race time on the bike is. The only possible reason I can think of is if you are battling a T2 cut-off time. I would expect the people in that situation are probably not as fine tuned on their aero. (And personally, I’d still have a race plan like target swim time = X:YY, ended up 4 minutes late, so need bike time to be 4 minutes faster than plan.) Then I get bigger display on the bike, and no time wasted moving the watch from wrist to bike and back.
By the time you get to the run, you get back to using the watch for total time, and that’s where it probably matters more.
Personal preference maybe. When you get to the pointy end, you are not worried about cut off times but say for a Half Ironman, you may be aiming to get under 4hrs which will push you harder on the run.. Yes, if you use watch for swim and run the ride would get picked up….
If you have another computer on the bike, you are going to have to fire it up, wait for it to get gps etc to record your ride properly.. In transition, you want everything to be slick, in and out.. You don’t want to be faffing with waiting for a computer to get a GPS lock.. Sure you can leave the computer on the bike on but still taking a risk.. So much easier to have just one unit to do every thing.. Seconds count, even at the half ironman distance.. Full ironman, less so..
Having total race time visible is also helpful for nutrition, less head arithmetic required the better..
My main reason would be to not have my Edge stolen while I was swimming or running. 🙂
I’d mostly argue that by time you get to mile 20 on the run of an Ironman, any additive math capabilities (no matter how basic), go out the window. So knowing whether or not I’m close to hitting a PR is important.
Ryan033 – i’d say that having an edge device over a 920xt would be much more comfortable even in a half.
it takes a second to turn it on. while your doing that. strip out of your wet suit then – throw on the helmet , eyewear, etc. then take off with your bike.
the garmin will be ready to go by the time you hop on and leave transition.
so far with my time spent with the fenix 3 – i agree with Ray that the 920xt is the better option for triathlon. especially if you need it on the bike.
myself? i’ll use the fenix 3 for tracking purposes but it will NOT be used on the bike whatsoever. That will be the edge 810 which provides much more data fields than will the 920 or fenix
Regarding have “race watch AND bike computer”: for years this is what I have done (and it has worked well every time): I have my Edge on my bike, turned on (to acquire GPS) and before heading to swim start hit the “start button”. I have “auto pause” set to “on” so it immediately goes into “pause” mode. I just grab bike in T2 and goes and bike computer “resumes” and records the ride. If I remember, I hit “lap” as I cross mount line and again at dismount to get bike split. (doing the same on the watch!). Only time this might not work is if swim start was completely separate from T1 or you had no access to T1 before start. (which is the case in one local race- but certainly not common).
Agree.
I use the watch for total race time and wear it the entire race. But have/had the Edge 500 for easier to see data while riding and some redundancy.
The 920XT seems more wetsuit friendly as well.
So I am somewhat confused. Today I did the following test on a course Ive run for years. On my left wrist closest to my hand was my F3, next to it was my 920. The instant pace on the 920 populated almost immediately. The F3 took time to populate then fluctuated while the 920 was stable virtually the whole run. I split the run into segments of roughly 3/4mile to 1 mile each time, changing from 1 second to smart recording, GLONASS on/off etc, making sure both watches were set the same. The distances recorded were usually .02 miles shorter per segment on the F3. While that may not seem like a lot, thats approaching a 3% differential. Yesterday during a track run the F3 came in at 1.01 miles while the 920 was 1.00.
In each case, in studying my tracks on Garmin connect, the 920 was MUCH closer to reality. My intent is not to knock the F3, but my question is will the F3 ever be as capable as the 920 especially as it pertains to instant pace? Seems difficult to train for a BQ Marathon without the ability to get “reliable” instant pace info. I wish the F3 was better at it because it sure is pretty. Thoughts on software updates to rectify things, or is it potentially a design limitation based on antenna placement?
Update on OWS issue: a few days ago I posted about my first OWS with F3. It counted almost double the distance I actually swam AND while floating at the turnaround buoy, the distance numbers kept climbing “like it was a stopwatch” despite remaining stationary. Hmmm.
Well, as suggested, I TURNED OFF GPS “Smart Recording” (which changes it to 1-second updates. This was not clear in manual despite multiple mentions to “turn on 1 -second updates”. In realty, you “turn off Smart Recording”.) BTW- I am very curious why the DEFAULT is not “1 second recording” since I think for most, accuracy is quite important and “most” of us aren’t doing multi-day races. (can anyone tell mehow much memory time there is with 1-sec recording? Enough for a poss. 17 hr race IM?).
I also turned GLONASS “on”.
On today’s OWS distance was probably close to spot on EXCEPT, I once again stopped at a buoy and floated with my watch-hand OUT of the water and resting on the buoy. I noted that the distance counter STILL continued to climb, albeit much more slowly and it eventually stabilized after about adding 20 or 30 yards. No question, I was stationary during this time o/t bobbing about a bit. Perhaps just the movement was registered as distance? (should not have been as my position was essentially unchanged). Hard to see this on the GPS track o/t a small “jog” in the track when I know none occurred. Start and stop points seemed to match exactly where I got into/out of water.
Not sure what to make of this re OWS accuracy. I suppose I could put my F3 on one wrist and my 910 on the other and compare data? Ultimately, as long as it is within a few % that is “OK” with me, although initial swim which was off by 100% was a bit surprising.
Not so cool. I went for a mtb ride last night, first time on the trails for 5 years and I decided it would be best done in the dark (bit silly). Ended up with a bit of facial damage due to going headfirst into a tree.. Anyways, that is not what disturbed me most about the ride, the discrepancy between my 510 and my Fenix 3 was more disturbing.
The 510 was on smart recording and GLONASS on.
I had changed the Fenix 3 to 1s recording because I thought this was the more accurate setting.
The 510 ended up with 26.07kms vs the Fenix 3’s 22.24kms. That is a 3.8km (17.2%) discrepancy. Not really acceptable. A once off? Who knows.. The 510 on smart recording was allot less smoothed.. Does the Fenix 3 struggle with 1s recording (not enough horse power?)..
Take a look at the files to see what I mean:
Fenix 3:
link to connect.garmin.com
510:
link to connect.garmin.com
Up until this ride, the differences between the two had not been that bad but first testing ride and the Fenix struggled..
That’s a pretty big difference, and just looking at the two maps casually, it’s hard to know exactly where you went. The 510 looks very jagged in a lot of places, which could explain why it has a higher number (almost like it was constantly losing signal). With a tree ride, I can’t easily pick out the route from the satellite map.
I’d encourage you to swing over to the tools section (link to dcrainmaker.com) and use the visual GPS comparison tool to see the differences between the two tracks. Then, looking at that try and remember which section aligned to which device. Unfortunately nobody here would likely be able to tell you which one is ‘right’ since it all just looks like a blanket of forest from the satellite.
Thanks for having a look Ray.
I was riding with another whose distance came out pretty much the same as the 510 (it was also a 510 though). The course was really jaggedy (bit stressful) but 26kms is generally accepted as the distance of the loop. Could the Fenix actually be more accurate than other devices and that is why we are seeing discrepancies..
Really hard to definitively say which device is correct unless running around a running track..
I will have a look at the tools, maybe throw in my two sets of data and my friend’s data and see what can be gleaned from it.
Indeed, tossing in your friends data is definitely interesting. There were a few sections that looked like switchbacks on the 510, but a straight line on the Fenix3. Just hard to know if that’s GPS jaggies there, or actual switchbacks (without knowing the course).
Hi Ryan
I had a quick look at the two tracks using MyGpsFiles – one thing that struck me was the Fenix is reporting 2 segments with 7761 points in the route, and the Edge is 1 segment with 3408 points. I guess this would suggest the Fenix has at the least the potential to be more accurate because it has twice as much data.
I’m not sure why the Edge 510 would have so few points – when I compared my Edge 1000 to Fenix 3 the number of points recorded was pretty much identical: 17817 vs 17813 (link to mygpsfiles.com) – perhaps just older hardware?
7761 points translates to 1 location/second.
It sounds like the 510 either has smart recording enabled, or a less frequent polling frequency.
Setting both to 1 point/sec and disabling smart recording might be a good start to diagnosing this.
The 510 did have SMART enabled and the Fenix 3 has 1s recording on.
But surely this would lead to the Fenix having a longer distance as the 510 would be recording the shortest routes between the lesser number of points?
On another note, both rides uploaded to Strava from Garmin Connect (strava did not recognise them as being the same ride). The 510 popped up on 71 segments and the Fenix on only 59. Not registering on segments is not cool. Lost kudos.
Yesterday I rode 183kms on the road in the hills. Distances were the same, elevation was way off. 2,076m for the Fenix 3 and 3,145m for the 510. I believe around 2,500m is about right. How can two devices from Garmin be so different (both so wrong)..??
Hi Ray,
Did you see my reply #1236?
What did you think about this?
Did you Think this was acceptable when it happened and is this just the differences between brands, or … ?
Hi DC Rainmaker,
I realy enjoy your site and reviews and I hope you can give me some first hand info.
I have a question about the Fenix3 (and the Garmin servicedesk doesn’t seem to understand what I mean).
I do some trail running and in the past I’ve used a Forerunner 305.
With the 305 it was possible to import courses and use the watch as a navigational system.
But what I especially liked about the 305 was that you could zoom into the track/course with upto a couple of meters accuracy. That way I could follow the planed route perfectly through unknown terrain.
Recently I’ve purchased the Forerunner 920XT but unfortunately found out that it does not have that detailed zoom function during an activity (I believe the zoom is fixed on 300m hight. The 305 had more detail with a max zoom upto 50m I think).
So now I’m thinking to buy the Fenix3 as that is more an outdoor activity watch. But with the prices of both watches I don’t feel much for getting an other watch that doesn’t meet my demands.
Can you tell me if the Fenix3 does have that extra zoom function (during a course/activity)?
Lennart — my 920xt will definitely zoom down to 50ft. I’m looking at it right now. It doesn’t pan like the fenix3 but its workable for when actually using a course. I suggest you ensure you’ve updated your 920xt firmware as this ability was added a month or so ago.
Thank you George!
I found the zoom option with press and hold “…”, and it stays in that zoom mode during the run.
(a bit strange though that the Garmin servicedesk told me that both 920XT and Fenix3 don’t have that possibility…)
Me happy!
Can anyone, Ray or other gadget guru, comment to my post #1308 above as I’d love to know if my methodology is flawed. I’m doing everything in my power to equate the two pieces of hardware so that I can eliminate one knowing the other is just as reliable as the other.
Joshua – your question wasn’t entirely clear and the answer involved a bit of prognostication. I imagine Garmin will continue to strive to fix any issues people are seeing in the fenix3, especially with anything where it isn’t as good as the 920xt. The latter has had the benefit of being in the field a bit longer. I’d give it a bit more time before making a definitive choice.
With that said, if you’re relying on instant pace rather than lap pace you may want to look at a model that is able to source instance pace from a foot pod such as the 610 or 910. A foot pod calibrated properly at the target pace range will generally give a more responsive and more accurate instant pace than GPS can technically achieve.
George, thank you for your reply. To clarify better, what I’m asking is how two watches which are essentially the same have such different results as it pertains to current pace. I feel very confident the 920 was giving me accurate info just based on feel and the tracks. My concern is whether the fenix 3 hardware will be able to display a current pace as reliably due to the difference in its antenna placement, and if so then when. From the way it sounds, only time will tell. Going to a 610 or a 910 would be great if it had the more updated features of today’s watches which are very important to me. If you or anyone have any suggestions on tweaks I can make or side by side tests to conduct I’d be happy to hear.
I generally would look at doing longer distances. If I’m understanding you correctly, right now you’re comparing .75-1.0 mile chunks, and finding them off by .02mi. The challenge with that is that at those small distances you’ll usually see minor variations. But, if you were to do 10 miles, there’s a very good chance it won’t be .20, but still perhaps .02.
I often see .01-.02 variations from the start of an activity within the first mile, but see those carry through the entire run so the end there’s really is still only .02 miles difference.
In short, show results with longer distances, with two tracks available to be able to troubleshoot.
Thanks Ray, also my bigger concern is that of current pace. As I was running and looking down at both watches it was staggering how the 920 was stable and almost instantly after I began running, but the f3 not only took 20 seconds or so longer but then fluctuated greatly. When it did settle, it was 10-20 seconds different than the 920. Meanwhile when I did testing on a wide open .25mile track, both watches displayed the same current pace. In my perfect world which rarely happens, this F3 will simply give me the current pace functionality of the 920. I remain hopeful this will improve over time.
A circle track or a straight piece of roadway? As a general rule of thumb, running tracks (oval 400m ones) are basically the hardest things on earth for GPS to get right.
Joshua, to your first concern, I suspect anyone with actual knowledge of the antenna design and engineering details or who knows details of Garmin’s internal plans is likely under NDA. AFAIK nobody at Garmin who’d have actual knowledge has said anything publicly, leaving everyone to simply speculate. So as you surmise, only time will tell. I’d recommend you look at the early December discussions about the 920xt’s accuracy issues at the time which Garmin has since resolved to most people’s satisfaction.
Given that the 920 and fenix3 both receive the same GPS firmware updates lends credence to the idea that they share the same GPS hardware. What is then done with the information provided by the gps subsystem is another matter. It would seem Garmin should be able to achieve similar results from the two, and in fact my lunchtime run today wearing both fenix3 and 920xt gave the exact same distance, 4.53mi on each watch. Yesterday’s run was off by 0.01mi over 3.5mi.
Have you ensured your fenix3 is on software v3.1 with gps v2.8? If not, make sure you’ve updated before making any more comparisons.
Still, with your focus on current (instant) pace you ought to read fellrnr’s discussion at link to fellrnr.com
Hi Ray,
i am using power2max on my bike and i am woundering, if i can connect to power2max with the Fenix3?
i searched for it and found different answers
in the technical documentation i found – powerdata not visible from compatible ANT+ powermeter from thirdparty providers
if i have a look on thisisant.com i can find the power2max in compatible products
link to thisisant.com
do you have more information? did you test it?
thx
Short answer: maybe?
I went for 1st ride with F3 on my bike with P2M a few days ago. I menu’d Sensors > add new > and it “found the P2M device and added it as registered sensor “PWR” . It also found and added the speed/cadence sensor for that bike. During my ride my 510 recorded all sensor and S/C data. However, the F3 recorded NO power or cadence data? (it DID record S/C from a ride the day before on a “different” bike. Both S/C sensors are present in list of registered ANT+ devices)
I need to investigate why this occurred. During the ride I did NOT look at the watch to see if there was real time power or cadence data being measured. (I leave watch on wrist but use bike computer exclusively. In a race, I would use watch for real time swim and run data but then have the entire complete race results- including T’s- from the watch.)
Even shorter answer. Definitely. I have a Power2max and it picks up all power data including cadance
thx – good to know it’s working (as i expected)
Yup, I briefly tested it as well – no issues between P2M and Fenix3.
thanks Rob. Need to figure out why mine did not record that data even tho it paired with the P2M.
Just done some testing today trying to to the the footpod autocalibration working
And the vo2 max readings..tried to hard reset with no luck,after my planned run still no vo2 max and no race prediction and garmin support isn’t worth crap!!
But then it struck me that we have already figured out that gps won’t initiate directly from a calendar planned workout and that Is what I am using
So I just tried to start a “free running”from the run app and then I just walked around in the yard for 12 minutes
And damned right suddenly it worked and I got values in vo2 max and the race predictor
So apparently those values doesn’t work if you use a calendar planned training
Or should I say that doesn’t work either !!
Hi Ray,
thank you for your useful and detailed review!
There´s still one thing i´d like to know.
How accurate is the fenix 3 concerning the vertical speed data?
Are the values measured by GPS or by the barometric altimeter or is both possible?
Can I use a speed sensor for cycling while having vertical speed data based on barometric altimeter?
Does a GPS-based speed for running or cycling force you to use the vertical speed based on the GPS or can you therefore still use the barometric altimeter?
Thanks for your help!
Perhaps I´ve finally found the ideal watch for me!
Manu
Below is from FAQ on Garmin website. For running VO2max you need 10min solid above 70% Max HR and cycling you need 20 min solid above 70% Max HR AND power meter. Make sure you have max HR updated/corrected from default in watch before assuming test will work.
What is VO2 Max Estimator?
VO2 Max Estimator provides the maximum capacity your body has to transport and use oxygen during an exercise. It helps with athletic performance, which should increase as your fitness level improves and can be calculated independently for running and cycling. This estimate requires the use of a Heart Rate Monitor when running and a Heart Rate Monitor and Power Meter when cycling.
The FirstBeat Technologies algorithm takes into account the following variables and inserts them into an algorithm:
Running: Heart Rate Variability + Heart Rate (HR) + Speed + Distance
Cycling: Heart Rate Variability + Heart Rate (HR) + Speed + Distance + Power
In order to generate a Running VO2 Max estimate, you must run for a minimum of 10 minutes at at least 70% of your max heart rate. Walking in most cases will not provide you with a VO2 Max estimate. Running VO2 Mac requires a GPS signal to be recorded or modified.
In order to generate a Cycling VO2 Max estimate, you must cycle for a minimum of 20 minutes at at least 70% of your max heart rate. It is recommended that this be performed on an indoor trainer to eliminate variables such as elevation, drafting, and pacing.
Please note: The number represented is an estimate. The VO2 Max number can vary between runs and can seem somewhat erratic or inaccurate at first. The Forerunner requires a few runs to learn your performance.
The following devices will be able to record and display Running VO2 Max:
epix
fenix 2/3
Forerunner 620
Forerunner 920XT
The following devices will be able to record and display Cycling VO2 Max:
epix
fenix 3
Forerunner 920XT
Referenced Link:
FirstBeat Technologies – link to firstbeat.com
Hi I’ve been looking at the Sapphire but am having issues with stock levels in the UK. My local independent running shop is getting some silver units in but has told me that the Garmin UK rep has advised against the sapphire as the metal strap is not good for running as it allows the watch to move too much on the wrist. Have you seen this or heard of this? Did seem strange to me but I have just killed my automatic watch and don’t want to do this to a new watch.
Love the look of the watch and appreciate the review.
Thanks in advance.
You get two straps with the Sapphire – the metal one which is nice looking but heavier and less adjustable (having said that I ran a half marathon with it on with no problem – though it is a nice fit for me); but you also get the rubber band in the box, which you can use as an alternative -takes a minute or two to swap over. I actually bought the fabric/Velcro strap off Amazon too which I will be using on my skiing trip next week (because it comes with an extension so you can wear it over a ski jacket)
I use the metal strap all the time as I was lucky enough to get an exact fit by removing four links. It doesn’t move when running and it’s also not too tight. I haven’t checked but I assume the pitch of the links is similar to the holes on the plastic strap so you’ll have the same sort of adjustment. I would think that the plastic strap is less likely to dig in to your wrist of you do have to have it tight. Also, if you wrist circumference varies a bit, it’s a lot easier to adjust. I think I would probably switch to the plastic strap for racing, just for the extra comfort.
There is both a comfort issue and a safety issue with the metal band in some situations. But it sure looks nice!
But it is REALLY easy to swap the bands- like 1 or 2 minutes at most.You could definitely leave the metal strap on for most of the time and switch to the rubber one for racing/long workouts. Your wrist diameter could change in a long race due to hydration changes/an injury/etc. It could be dangerous to start a half or full IM with a “snug” metal band and then risk constriction if you were to over-hydrate and have some wrist edema.
Thanks for the comments guys, it could just be a stock level thing in the UK (or this shop), shame to have been told what I was told if that’s the case. I’m new to running and would rather have been told that there was an issue in getting that version. I think I will wait for the Sapphire.
I love the reviews!
On the fenix 2 I could resume later and it would record as one continuous track. I work on a bycycle at work as a Paramedic so record my distances but like it as one!
What I’ve found is that the fenix 3 when resuming later thinks your in a multisport and add individual routes and not continuous and wen uploaded to strava has several routes any idea of a way around this?
Thanks
Andy – on the fenix3, hit stop to pause the activity and then if you wish press&hold the clock (down) button to display the watch face. When you’re ready to resume press the Start/Stop button.
Amazing thanks George for the speedy reply I’ll give that a go today 🙂
Is there away of not having GPS on in the background as sometimes I’m on a job for an hour ++?
I don’t want to waste battery!
Thanks
You can use the Resume Later functionality, which shuts off the GPS.
Hi Ray, yes I used this yesterday, however when uploading it saves as multisport see link link to connect.garmin.com
However before on fenix 2 it would save as one continuous cycle,
George has suggested pressing the down button which works however the gps is still on and drains the battery, (I do 12 hour shifts).
Is there a way of turning off gps and keeping it as one continuos track?
Hi Ray,
thank you for your useful and detailed review!
There´s still one thing i´d like to know.
How accurate is the fenix 3 concerning the vertical speed data?
Are the values measured by GPS or by the barometric altimeter or is both possible?
Can I use a speed sensor for cycling while having vertical speed data based on barometric altimeter?
Does a GPS-based speed for running or cycling force you to use the vertical speed based on the GPS or can you therefore still use the barometric altimeter?
Thanks for your help!
Perhaps I´ve finally found the ideal watch for me!
Manu
Test!
Left hand Fenix3, Right hand 910xt. 1sec and GLONASS ON
910xt: link to connect.garmin.com
Fenix3: link to connect.garmin.com
Distance 910xt 11km, Distance Fenix3 10,6km…
In almost all my test there’s a difference of 4% (400meters on 10km)…..
That sounds really bad to me, with the new firmware/software, i see NO improvements at all!!!!
Are you sure you read that right? I show 6.59mi to 6.83mi, a difference of 3.5%. However, you didn’t actually end them in the same place, once ends perhaps 100m or so further away.
Beyond that, I’m honestly not too clear where you’d see too many issues with either track. Both have little squirly items that’s not ‘perfect’, but neither is ‘really bad’.
Hi Ray and thanks for your feedback!
Yes your distances are right and 3.5 is not 4 but still doesn’t look good to me.
And yes the biggest difference is at the ending point even if i stopped in the exctly the same moment!!
However even in this case: 10.3km vs 10km = 3%
910xt: link to connect.garmin.com
Fenix3: link to connect.garmin.com
and in this one: 11.62km vs 11.29km = 2.8%
910xt: link to connect.garmin.com
Fenix3: link to connect.garmin.com
and this: 10km vs 9.53km = 4.7%
910xt: link to connect.garmin.com
Fenix3: link to connect.garmin.com
There’s NO a perfect track but i honestly think that my tests and primarily the 57page thread on Garmin forum (link to forums.garmin.com) report a PROBLEM in gps accuracy of this device that your review doesn’t show but is imporant for buyers!!
Sadly we don’t have a refund policy here in Italy…
Ciao Antonio , can you make some test under tree cover because reading the Garmin forums it will affect very much the Fenix 3 accuray…and you have my sholder to cry about our return policy in Italy….simple there isn’t.
Did you use the same settings? (1s recording, and so on?) The Fenix track of your last run looks much smoother. Also, there is a firmware update available, you’re running with / on 2.90.
(I’m waiting for my Fenix, so I can’t draw from personal experience.)
So i just did my first comparison against my 220 and the 220 had a distance of .08 further over 5 miles. sorry i accidentally deleted it before i could upload it. The next thing i notice is the track from my fenix 3 is a bit off compared to the actuarial streets i was running on.
link to connect.garmin.com
i had the fenix set to 1 sec glonass on and the newest software.
Zac, .08 off? You’re not complaining about that are you? Besides, which is “off” 220 or Fenix 3?
No not complaining just letting everyone know. The 220 was .08 further. The gps track is the interesting part it almost had me running on houses.
So far I am loving the watch.
Oh, OK. Thanks for posting. I had just been reading so many complaints on the Garmin forum concerning GPS tracks that are .x off of their comparing watch.
I’ve had Garmin 910xt, 310xt, 210, edge 705, 500, 800 and I’ve heard similar complaints with all devices from people who compared units.
Enjoy your Fenix 3! I should be receiving mine today:)
Question: i got my fenix 3 from CT a little over a week ago. for the discount Ray! I haven’t been able to determine how to get text messages to display. I get the notification and when i push the button to read it on the watch it only displays the ‘text message’ notification and not the body. I have enabled text messages garmin connect. I have a galaxy s4 phone and can’t find a setting to allow forwarding. Anyone have a suggestion?
Scott,
This is a guess but do you have your iPhone show the the actual text message on the iPhone notification or just that you have a text? If only the text you may have to change the notification settings on the iPhone to show the message, then it can relay that to the Fenix 3, just a guess but might be worth a try.
Scott
Sorry only spotted you had a Samsung, not iPhone, still it may have a similar setting.
get into sms list, click settings, than select notifications-> on, and on the status bar (show preview of new messages on the status bar) select that box. check to have notifications active on watch too. gl
Julian. Thank you. I wanted to confirm I wasn”t missing something on the Fenix 3 or Garmin Connect. Turns out there was a setting on the phone i had missed. Got it working. Thanks again!
Pretty Happy with the F3 so far. I was quite bummed that my buddie with his 910xt was about between .25 and .5 miles ahead of me on a recent 14mile trail run. This weekend we have a 31miler. So we’ll see how far ahead he is then. I might try and linger as the turns/switchbacks a little. maybe an extra second or so helps with the smoothing that has been discussed. That said. My F2 auction on Ebay is about to end. an astounding 710 views with 41 watchers and 10 bids. So my plan to recover costs for the F3 is about to be complete.
Ray, great work with your reviews. I ended up preordering and receiving the Fenix 3 Sapphire a few days ago. I love it but would like to ask you and/or your readers if anyone has experienced problems with the device’s sensors. The Altimeter, barometer and temperature sensors worked great but as I drove from Edmonton Canada down through northern Montana, my sensors recorded erratic numbers. The altimeter is off by 43000m, barometer shows ——- and the temperature on my wrist is -7C! Wondering if this is a defective unit. I tried restarting the watch with no luck. Any thoughts?
I just called Garmin Support. They’re blaming it on a known issue with 3.10. I’ll try to revert back to a previous firmware version to test this theory before I send the unit back for an exchange….
Do you perhaps know why auto-lap by distance has been dropped in newer models, including Fenix 3? 🙁
I assume you mean autolap by location, not by distance. As autolap by distance is in all models. As for by location, no, I’ve asked and never really gotten a good answer.
Hello,
Next sunday i will make a trail (Trail Sainte Victoire), 57km and 3100D+.
What settings do you remand me for the altimeter ? May i calibrate it with exact altitude of the beginig of race ?
Do i activate the auto-calibration ? Single ? Permanent ?
Thank’s a lot
Hi Ray ,
Firstof all , thank you for your amazing reviews .
i got my Fenix 3 yesterday and tried to connect it to my Samsung S4 via Bluetooth , but neither the watch or the cell phone detect each other .
Software version : 3.10
Samsung S4 : 4.2.2
Do you any idea Why ?
it seems that i have also an issue with the battery . This morning at 6 AM had 80% battery , i did a 15km run in 1h08min with GPS , and used just the watch during the day , actually it’s 4:20 PM and the battery is 23% . So the battery is almost dead quickly 🙁
i lost almost 60% of battery in 10 hours , even my garmin xt 910 do better .
Any suggestion ?
Thank you
Remember that the Fenix3 needs to be paired within the Garmin Connect Mobile app. Outside of that, I’d consult the forums for ideas (I’m not much of an Android person).
As for battery, not sure. There were issues with random one-time drain issues in some of the previous firmware versions, whereby after it drained the battery entirely it was fine from there on out (as if GPS was still sorta secretly on). But I thought 3.10 cleared that issue.
I received my new Fenix 3.
I’m a little disapinted about the display in dull light.
The display of my old 310xt is much more readable, even with lightning.
I had a problem with power drain, but after switchin off and on, this is gone. I think the device had wifi active all the thime or something like this….
The strap is a pain to close.
I have a question about the calibration of the vector S power meter. Isn’t it nessesary to calibrate it.
There is no option on the fenix 3. How to change crank length? Only with the updater like in stone age of 310xt?
Once you wake up the crank arm there’s an option to calibrate it. Same goes for crank length, but it has to be connected.
I allready used the vector, but I didnt see the option.
I try to disconnect and connect again.
It worked, but I had to restart the fenix in order to connect te vector again.
Now power drain seames to be back again.
Garmin software is so f**cking awfull….
If I want to start a pool swim workout, the fenix is searching für HR and power sensors.
This device is mad…
(Sorry, posted this in the Forerunner 920xt review too).
Hi.
I have probably used too much time on comparing different devices, and should have gone out training instead… I currently own a Polar V800, Forerunner 920XT and a Fenix 3. From what I can read in the comments here, and from the comments in the FR920XT review, it is all about Garmin F3 or FR920XT. So I have just one question to you Ray. Why don`t you like Polar V800?
I kind of want to get rid of my V800 because I also use the Edge 1000, and I love that device, but I find it impossible to throw the V800 of my hand. I actually bought the 920XT when it first came out, used it for two weeks, and then old it again. Now I am giving it a new chance. The Fenix 3 is cool, and it is absolutely great, but in the end the most important thing is the training itself, and then the V800 has everything I need. It is small, light and well build. I never misses a heart beat and the GPS is really good. I also find the Flow-webpage quite good although I know it has it`s limitations. And, during the spring/summer it will get a lot of new features like remote music control, smart notifications, customized training sessions (intervalls etc..).
So, Polar is working slow, but they are working good 🙂
OK, I’ve had my F3 for about 10 days now. In short in many ways it lots better than my previous F2. I know several people mention not having multi alarms, I can live with one for now. But dang the one alarm doesn’t even have a snooze button, the alarm goes off and your only choice is to turn it off, NO SNOOZE option. What’s up with that!!
That’s disappointing I helped out with the Amp Strip Kickstarter thinking that the F3 would be able to use BS sensors. Any luck on getting them added in the future?
I wouldn’t count on it unfortunately.
How to set the date of this device?
Turn on the GPS by selecting any GPS based activity and allow the watch to get a lock. It will then set time and date from the GPS signals.
Thanks George!
my friend and I ran 31miles on trails. leaves are not in yet so not a full canopy. his 910xt ended up with 1771 in elevation to my F3 1446. I continually had to add little segments. I was losing about .25 miles every 10ish. it was noticeable on the twisting sections. straight shots less so.
Both have barometric altimeters so leaves, canopy etc shouldn’t have a impact.
true enough Juno. and yet there it is. side by side also for 6 hours, I would have been 3/4 mile short on distance and 300 feet I elevation. hoping there is some firmware to help at least with the tracking algorithm
Sorry mr admin i was meant to ask about this fenix 3 device .hello, does anyone have try this for freediving ? does the altimeter works below the sea level (-10 meters ? )
Hi Ray, fantastic review and I’m following your page since a couple of years. Always a pleasure to read them. I just have one question I couldn’t find an answer so far:
I’m now using the Ambit 2 and when I start a run outdoors and I don’t want to wait for the GPS signal I can just press ‘skip’ and start the run. During the first 5-10 min the watch gets the GPS signal and automatically uses it. For the first minutes the watch uses the acceleration module to estimate speed and time.
I’m often running with colleagues during lunch breaks and I don’t want to let the team wait for my GPS signal in order to start the run. Exactly this was not working properly for the Garmin Tactix, that’s why I’ve sold it no bought the Ambit 2.
How is it with the Fenix 3? Can I skip the GPS search and just start my workout, and the signal will come automatically later on?
Maybe the others also have some similar experiences/questions?
Many thanks in advance Ray and Happy Easter. Time for a run now before breakfast. 🙂
Steffen
I’ve had my F3 for just over a week and done about 10 runs with it. Not a huge sample size, but it has found its GPS location within about 15 seconds every time. I suspect with the satellite pre-caching it does this will be a nonissue for you.
Many thanks Ben, much appreciated! Sounds good…but can you maybe just give it a try? So before you run you just skip the heart rate strap and GPS signal search and start the workout right away? What would happen? 🙂 …assuming you can skip the GPS signal search (and heart rate)?! Would be very interesting, since this is the scenario I’m using quite often with the Ambit 2 since 2 years or so, and the results are always quite satisfying.
Steffen
Hi,
The store were I bought my Fenix 3 took it back and gave me another because the accuracy was very bad.
My new Fenix 3 doesn’t get GPS signal at all.
I have already checked the GPS setting of the sport switched it off and on again.
Tried to switch off and on Glonass (treid both), but still no GPS signal.
Did a Master reset by switching off the device and switching it on while pushing BACK/LAP ==> reset settings ==> yes. Also tried RESTORE DEFAULTS from the menu.
Does anybody have another trick, to get a GPS signal, I might have forgotten or something just don’t know?
Thanks everybody,
Rene Haveman
Its a known problem and has occured to a number of people. Only solution is to get a replacement through warranty.
There is a relevant thread in Garmin Forums.
Hello Zac,
Thanks for your reply, but I couldn’t find a thread about GPS not working on the garmin forum. I could find a thread about GPS accuracy.
Do you have a link to the thread about GPS not working?
Thanks again,
Got the watch last week and love it, had a MTB ride, 10 mile trail run, 9 mill hill race and then a swim for recovery this morning, watch has performed brilliantly! (I think it missed 1 length in the pool but that was probably my fault)
One question though, I can’t see how to get it to display my current location, is this possible? One of the reasons I bought it was for quickly finding my position on the map when out on bigger hill runs, any help appreciated
Cheers
Maybe this one can help you Gavin:
link to apps.garmin.com
Thanks for that Torbjorn, much appreciated.
On another note I used the navigation feature from a GPX file I uploaded to run 2 Munro’s joined by a long ridge. I was very impressed with the navigation function and will definitely be using it again. No excuse for not having a map and compass and knowing how to use it but certainly saved a lot of hassle stopping to get the map out every time I had a quick nav query.
Sorry for the off-topic, but I didn’t know where to ask…
Any chance for a review of any of the new Bryton devices? (Amis S430/S630)
They do not look as “othergarmindevicesclones”, are quite well priced, and advertise some interesting features.
Thanks in advance, and again, sorry for the off-topic
And, of course, many thanks for your reviews!!!!!!!!!!
But Garmin still hasn’t changed the firmware to include HR to the Fenix 3 from an Mio optic while swimming laps?
After poring over your info on the Fenix 3, it’s HR and no swim metric, or the other metric no HR. We have to choose?
If I want HR, I would have to get the Mio Fuse?
Ps. I’m not a runner, just a swimmer that wants more detailed info.
No, but they never promised to either. I suspect with competitive pressure from both Polar and Suunto on that front they’ll eventually respond. The challenge is that both options with HR straps kinda suck. So doing something optical makes sense. But keep in mind that optical on the wrist for swimmers doesn’t always work perfectly (or at all), especially at the beginning of a workout or in colder water.
The challenge a company like Garmin has is that it can’t afford support-wise to introduce something that only works half the time.
Hi
Just bought my garmin fenix 3 days ago , the watch is really pretty and i can wear it every day , something that i was interested in , But …
i did today an almost 30 km with my F3 and my old forerunner 910 xt .
i run 2 first km until the metro , the distance and pace was pretty much the same . once i got off the metro , start running with a friend the differences where considerable, some times 10 to 15 senconds less than my 910 per 1k pace , and sometimes higher 10 to 15 when i put the Glonass .
things get worse when i start my tempo run , the difference was about a minute , in fact the F3 was still with my jogging pace that i had before :/
When a i get home , my F3 map doesnt display the route after the metro station . but the distance and pace were here .
During my races my old 910 had always around 200 m for the a half marathon , 100m for a 10 K etc … i always lived with it , just tried to run 3 to 5 senconde per km faster than the watch pace to really be at right speed .
does any body had the same issues ? have any idea why ?
If you’re not getting a map on your GPS activities, then something is clearly wrong. I’d really recommend contacting Garmin support. I know it’s easier to post/etc, but honestly the fastest route most of the times is with Garmin support (telephone). In most countries they are actually quite competent.
Hi Ray & Followers.
Regarding Live Tracking. How much data does it use?
For example: If I go for a 4 hour bike ride with GPS, Heart Rate, Speed & Cadence sensors set up for optimal accuracy, will my data allowance be gone?
I have dug deep searching for this subject but have found nothing. Thanks for any info.
Does anyone have a photo or link to a photo of a silver F3 with a black band instead of red? Any opinions whether or not that would look good?
I apologize in advance if that was asked above…
Try here: link to forums.garmin.com
After having my watch for about a couple weeks ,(working pretty well) I went for a run today and I stood outside for 10 minutes before the GPS got a lock. I restarted the watch twice, I turned GLONASS on and that didnt seem to help. Then after finally getting a lock I could tell something was off because during the run it kept saying different speeds then what I normally run at. When I got back you the GPS track was all over the place. I went on the Garmin forums and its apparently a big issue. You think for $500 watch it wouldnt have these problems since $200 watch can atleast get GPS right.
First off, your reviews are great! Thanks for putting out such detailed info. I’ve been eyeballing the fenix3 since it was announced, but I have some questions abut it’s capabilities that I have yet to see others describe. Do you know if the watch can send ANT+ data from it’s sensors (like altimeter and GPS) to other devices, specifically bike computers like the Wahoo RFLKT+? I’d like to be able to use the the watch along side the RFLKT+ so I don’t have to constantly check my wrist, to get that info on my phone, and also to save the GPS/battery on my phone. It would be great if it could be an ANT+ bridge also, but the RFLKT+ already does that. If this functionality isn’t natively available, have you seen any 3rd party apps yet that pass ANT+ data along to another devices (wether it be bluetooth or ANT)? If something like that existed, at least I would know that it was theoretically possible within the software/hardware. Have you heard any rumors of Wahoo working on a Connect IQ app? Oh! Also, can you connect an ANT+ sensor to more than one device? Like, could I have my heart rate strap connected to the watch and also connected to the RFLKT at the same time? THANKS!
Do you know if Garmin are making an app for the windows phone yet, cant believe there is not one yet.
Nothing yet. Though, they did release a Garmin VIRB WP app – so that’s definitely a step in the right direction, and probably a hint of where things are going…
How to program my own interval workouts?
Is it possible to program a run workout that alerts me (and displays) a pace I am supposed to be at during my run and any particular point in my workout, programming any segment by distance, time or pace?
Something like this:
– So say I need to do a warmup (by either distance, time or pace)
– Then run intervals (of either distance, time or pace) with slow jogs in between each (again by either distance, time or pace)
– And finally a warm down, you guessed it again by either distance, time or pace.
I’ve been back and forth to this review a lot of times, reading it several times over, and it’s helped me decide to buy one (just a few minutes ago) so that you to the DC Rainmaker 🙂
@Roger Redhat – I have created complex workouts in the past on Garmin Connect (link to connect.garmin.com). In fact all my running activities are created using Garmin’s Workout Creator.
Good luck.
Thanks Dr. D –I am starting to fill in the blanks, I get it now that you can compose a run on Garmin Connect and then presumably sync it to the Fenix3 awesome 🙂
It arrives today…..thanks again, and thanks for DC Rainmaker for making the decision to get one so easy.
Dr. D, having just signed up for a Garmin account in anticipation of getting my Fenix3 – I notice I can’t set a workout step that has a given pace – is this because I should not be trying to do this, instead doing it by heart rate?…I agree with that, but it would be good for those times I don’t have the monitor on.
…I take that back – you can select Pace using the second-along dropdown option box 🙂
@ Roger Redhat: I am glad you managed to figure things out, it is a treasure trove. Back in 2011, Ray wrote a short piece about it (link to dcrainmaker.com) but things have changed with the new Garmin Connect. It should at least give you a flavor of what can be done.
Enjoy.
Well, what can I say. The Garmin Fenix3 is awesome! Everything I wanted from a workout point of view, I can literally create any type of workout I want – it’s a revelation 🙂 ..I realise I didn’t need the Fenix3 to do just that, but with all the other features for me to us as I progress plus the fact it looks awesome I am a happy runner 🙂
My only negative is the screen is quite dull. The light makes a big difference but I would like the display to be easier to read. Is there any way Garmin could have had the eInk background a bright white?
Good design by the outdoors people at Garmin! This is actually quite a good looking watch and you really have to wonder if the forerunner guys are paying any attention at all. The forerunner series of watches looks like cheap plastic knock offs compared to the F3.
had a completely bizarre experience with F3, today. I did an OW swim last lasted for 1:01:19. Hit start button at beginning and end, then “save”. Hit lap button at various point to mark sections. Watched appeared to run throughout workout and “time” accumulated as expected. Distance traveled seemed pretty close to expected at turnaround (at ~30 minutes/ ~ 1,300 yds) and then I didn’t look at the watch again until after hitting “stop” back on the beach.
However, after saving the workout, it showed totals of 1:01 but only 1,700 yds. Sure enough, when I looked at the uploaded workout, the “duration” was 1:01, which was correct, but distance was only 1,700 yd, not the 2,700 yd I expected. Looking at the workout on GC, there is a red “stop” square 1/3 way back on return and no GPS track data after that point– even though the timer continued to run until I hit “stop”. I’m pretty sure I didn’t accidentally hit the “stop” button instead of the “lap” button- and if I had, why would the timer have continued to run until I finished the swim? Battery was nearly full, so “power saving” was not an issue. No other explanation. This is the 3rd OW swim and about the 10th workout I have used the watch for and have not had something like this happen before. Any ideas? otherwise I absolutely love the watch.
One other issue- I have a “tempe” sensor and it doesn’t seem to keep the connection, even when sensor stays in proximity of watch. When I scroll to the temp widget screen, it’s about even odds that it will show a measured temp or just show “not connected” even though it is 2 feet away??
Is that within an activity, or just hanging out?
Within an activity I didn’t have any issues yesterday. I paired it during cycling and actually attached it to the little loop on the back of my cycling shoes*. Worked well. Here’s the Garmin Connect File: link to connect.garmin.com
*As for why the loop on the back of my shoes, it was far away from my body that it wouldn’t be impacted there. And, since I was on a rental bike I didn’t want to forget it later if i attached it to the bike. Seemed like a logical place.
Err…nevermind, wrong post. Thought I was on the Vivoactive post. Sorry!
It may be that Tempe sensor only works when in an activity and not “all the time” (since what is not looking for ANT+ sensors when not in an activity? The Garmin press less me to believe that the Tempe data “replaces” the watches built-in thermometer. I just assumed this would work all the time and in real-time, not when only in recording mode an activity.I could see arguments for both views.
I have a Fenix 3 and a Tempe. When I switch to the Temperature widget it always takes a long time (probably 15 to 25 seconds) to finally show temperature. Garmin forums have some threads about it. Last night, I setup a Running data screen to show the temperature and I will test it on my next run.
Hi Ray,
Asking for huge favour.
Do you mind checking with the French chain Au Vieux Campeur near Notre Dame if they keep the fenix 3 in store now that it’s available to order from their website. I will be heading there on 24th Apr and thinking of buying one straight off at the store to take advantage of the VAT refund and save on delivery charges.
BTW, is there any difference to the watch if bought in France. Will the user interface of the watch and written user guide be solely in french ? I have read a lot of complaints above mostly relating to GPS issues. Is it to do with product batch with defective hardware? If I buy it from the store, anything I can do to make sure I don’t get one with defective GPS before I leave with the watch?
They did seem to have it in store the last time I swung by, in fact, the guy was wearing it on his wrist.
But, I won’t be back till teh weekend to check.
The units are identical globally. No differences. I’m not aware of any defect Fenix3 units hardware-wise (in terms of anything widespread beyond just a random unit here or there having a hardware issue, no different than other products).
Thanks Ray. Can you give me the full street address of the store. Can’t wait to get my hands on one (or one on wrist :-))
I was in a local sport shop today and got to have a hands on look at a Fenix 3.
Very nice device, super high quality and nowhere near as heavy as expected.
I had intentions to buy a Suunto Ambit Run online while waiting to see what comes of the Ambit 4, but I was blown away that a local shop had a Fenix 3, so I put one on laybuy. Exciting times.
Anyway, the point of this post is, has anyone ever heard about a Red Fenix 3?
The young kid that served me said that when the Suunto rep came in and demo’d the Fenix 3, the rep had a Red Fenix 3!!
I asked if it was the band, but he said it was the actual body.
Is this an option or something he managed to order specially for himself?
Sorry, just realized i wrote Suunto Rep.
I of course meant the Garmin Rep.
The kid at the shop was 100% positive it was a Fenix 3 with a completely Red body, not just a red band.
Next time i’m in there, ill ask him to snap a photo of it the next time the rep comes in, or if i can get the Reps contact details i’ll try and get some answers.
I’m going to go with confused…
Yeah I immediately thought the same and asked if he meant the band, but the kid was pretty switched on and insisted it was the actual body.
This kid knew a bit about these watches, he surprised me, and actually said they refer to your site for info and advice on new products and features etc.
I’ll be sure to follow up on this, but im with you and think it was probably just the band.
The pool I swim at is 33 yards – 1 length is 16.5 yards. If I set the watch to custom 33 yards – I got that I swam ~1750 yds instead of it being half that. I typically swim .5 mile at around 20 minutes. Do I not set it to custom and pick the 33 yards setting to get it correct? Or do I set it to 18 yards in custom and just know the data is off? Confused on what to do here. Seems like 33 yards for a pool is common.
I believe that one is supposed to use length, not lap distance. Correct setting would be 16.5 yards, or whatever is closest that it will allow you to enter. I would refer to your pool as a 16.5 yard pool not a 33 yard pool.
I guess the best option then is to use 18 yards as a setting – it’s off by 1.5 yards per length but it will have to do. You can’t go as low as 16.5 yards.
It appears that my F3 only measures VO2 Max outdoors while my F2 measured both indoors and outdoors. Are others having the same experience or will it start measuring indoors after it has collected enough outdoor history?
Preparing GPS connection before a race?
Is there any way of having the Fenix3 get a GPS lock in good time before the ‘starting gun’ goes off? So all that is left to do is press Start at that crucial moment – of course it’s no time to be worrying about GPS signals and you don’t want to start the timer going 5 minutes before.
From what I can tell there are two methods: start your timer, press stop immediately and let the Fenix3 start its GPS hunt, in the hope it finds it and you can press Start again when the gun goes. Or use Auto Pause to have it detect that you haven’t moved.
I was hoping for some kind of super-car-esque ‘Launch Control’ where you could set the Fenix3 into a kind of pre-race readiness state – waiting for you to press Start: with GPS all locked in and ready to go!
Rodger,
If you are using the Run app:
MENU>Settings>Apps>Run>Power Save>Extended
By choosing the “Extended” mode, you will have 25 minutes after selecting the activity and GPS acquisition starts before you have to press Start to start the activity.
This will leave the Run app ready to start recording, with a good GPS lock, for 25 minutes without timing out.
HTH
Hello Ray, do you know if the Double Tap Backlight feature is available in the Fenix 3?
Thank you!!!
GE
@ Rodger Redhat
In my case when i select RUN activity for exemple the watch get a gps in 5 to 10 seconde even if i don’t press start or by puting power save to extended .
normally you get a gps signal before starting your timer , i don’t understand why you need to start the timer to get GPS signal
Hi Reda, coming back to my question a couple of days ago without a proper answer yet: What would happen if you just hit the start button and run, without having GPS signal locked? Will it track the speed & distance with the acceleration sensor and once GPS is there it will continue to use use GPS (like the Ambit 2)? Thus it wouldn’t be a problem at all to start a run.. Many thanks in advance
Steffen
Hi Steffen ,
I still use my old footpod , , never tried without it . i can do it and let you know .
This would be great! Much appreciated Reda..enjoy the run! 🙂
Steffen
i tried running inside and i can tell that without the foot pod the paces are totally wrong .
Still didn’t try outside without footpod and befor loking gps . but the GPS is pretty quick , less than 10 secondes . my ols garmin 910 took 5 to 10 min sometimes before oking a gps signal .
Just got back from a run and all is good after wifi upload it says I have an update. Looks like they updated the gps chipset to 2.8?
Ray, seems F3 updates are a bit idle actually
do you have any news when announced features will be implemented?
basecamp substitute?
komoot and other announced IQ apps?
thanks
As for incorporating Basecamp features into the Garmin Connect Mobile app, they haven’t specified a timeframe. But, I’d be surprised if it isn’t there by time Epix starts shipping.
As for Komoot and other apps, those are really up to those companies. From talking to Komoot, it doesn’t sound like they’re in a hurry.
Hi Ray,
Have you compared the fenix3 to ambit3 on runs done in forested areas? If so do you care to share the tracks? My experience so far is that the GPS on the fenix (mediatek) is inferiror to Ambit(SIRF). I have tried with/without GLONASS and also leaving the fenix to soak in GPS for 20 minutes. The result is the same where Ambit tracks accurately, Fenix kind of wobble from side to side on the road and a lot times cuts corner. The more remote terrain (and with more trees) the bigger the difference in favor of Ambit. On a normal run fenix is about 5% of and on trails it can as much as 10%. My biggest fear is that this is related to HW and specifically the GPS chip and hence cannot be solved with a SW update. What’s your input on this? I really like the fenix but the most important feature is the GPS accuracy for me and at the moment it is not delivering….
+1
this is what i’d like to know to
I’really need a comparison between Ambit 3 peak and fenix 3 under tree cover, in mountain terrain
Would really appreciate a comparison on mygpsfiles since you say you only have experienced small differences. And also,do you know if Garmin is acknowledging the error and working on a fix?
As always a brilliant review!
This definitely influenced my decision to get myself one of these puppies!
So far very happy with it. Great watch! massive step up from my old Garmin 610
Just got one pretty petty question about it… do you know a way of adding wireless networks? I know how to do it with Garmin Express but don’t really want to have to lug my laptop to all the places I plan to connect to.
Would have thought this feature would be added to the Garmin Connect App
Scanned the thread and can’t see any obvious info on this ‘issue’ so here goes….
Had my F3 for 3 days and I’ve not managed to get more than 20 hours of battery life out of it as a normal watch. It was fully charged at 10:30pm yesterday and went to use it this afternoon at 4pm for a swim and it was down to 8%.
I’m wondering if this is linked to the fact that there isn’t a screen lock and during the day its being activated when I bend my wrist thus depleting the battery?
Thoughts appreciated.
Scott, I don’t know what you’re doing wrong, but I get way more runtime. With ~30 min of GPS use per day and notifications it lasts at least a week. That is without lock screen active.
Make sure you’re on the latest firmware and don’t have wifi auto-sync active.
Anyone having battery drain issues?
Am struggling to get 20 hours use even in watch mode. Everything is turned off!
Hi Ray,
tried adjusting the band myself, got the pins out ok in the direction of arrow, but they wont go back in the same way (ie. in the arrow direction), a quick google reveals most instructions say out in the arrow direction, back in against it. Thats the way I had to do it, but is contrary to your video, can you calrify with garmin please? – dont want my £400 watch coming off mid ride when vibrating over bumps…
Ray can you please confirm with garmin the metal strap asjustment on the saphhire, i followed your video, pins came out ok in direction of arrow but wouldn’t go back in that way, I had to go against the arrow – seems ok but dont wanna risk it coming off in a race without me realising. Most google advice seems to state remove in direction of arrow, replace in reverse directio (against arrow)
You need to push them back in the way they came out, against the direction of the arrow. Garmin will just repeat what they say in their manual, take it to a jeweller.
steve – took it to a jewellers in frist place, pin started coming out hence post. nothing in garmin manual otherwise I wouldnt have bothered posting unless you know something different if so share, I was asking as the video shows them going back in with direction of arrow.
Hi. Does anyone know if it is possible for automatically change the background colour of the watchface after sunsert/ sunrise? Thanks
Has anyone found a way with the Fenix 3 to keep the course zoomed in during an activity? If I zoom greater than 0.2 miles (say to 300 ft), then if I stay in zoom mode then the map does not follow the course (i.e. stays in a fixed location) and if I move out of zoom mode then the map reverts after a minute or so back to 0.2 miles zoom.
Is there a way to “lock” the zoom level for the duration of the activity?
This is a fantastic watch but this problem really lets it down. 0.2 miles/0.3 km zoom is really too wide to be of use when following a trail.
There is; it needs to be done for each kind of activity App you want to use individually.
Settings>Apps>Run(or whatever)>Data Screens>Map>Auto Zoom>Off
Beats me why this isn’t a global setting in Navigation.
Thank you so much, that’s awesome. Garmin Support told me it wasn’t possible, so they should take note!
Surely having app specific settings is much better than global?
Depends what for, really. I wouldn’t want to have global settings for autopause, for instance.
For auto-zoom, it’s confusing because it modifies the behaviour of navigation, but the setting is nowhere near navigation; there are several global settings for navigation (map on, guide, and so on) and it’s unclear why this is treated differently.
Also, it’s very deep in the App settings, so it’s slow to get to if you want to modify it during an activity, and hardly anybody is finding it without having it pointed out (I found a passing mention on the thread).
I haven’t tried it on cycling yet, though, and it might be that autozoom works better for that than it does for running.
It’s near impossible to find as it is. I tried Garmin Support both in the UK and US and both told me it wasn’t possible to disable auto-zoom; I was ready to bin the watch as a result.
It’s not in the manual anywhere so Garmin need to do something about this; either clearer help or change the option to a global one with perhaps the ability to override per app.
Once it works, it works a treat, so it would be shame for other users not to realise this functionality is there.
Does anyone know how to adjust the zoom so that the map stays zoomed in for the duration of an activity?
The map seems to always default to 0.2 mile zoom. If I zoom in greater than this and I do not quit the zoom function, then the map does not follow the course (i.e. it stays at a fixed location while I move); if I quit the zoom function the map keeps the higher zoom magnification for about a minute but then reverts back to 0.2 mile. Obviously I can’t keep zooming in the map every minute.
For trail running, I need a fixed zoom level which gives more detail than 0.2 mile for the duration of the activity, how can I do this?
Ray can you please discuss with garmin the following problem:
Activity tracking while cycling:
The F3 is counting steps while doing a cycling workout. Because of this, my F3 counts some thousands of extra steps a day I havent done, so the activity tracking is faulty and useless.
The mad thing is, that the watch is “knowing” that I’m not walking while I’m cycling. It is different to the problem of counting stemps while driving a car.
I think there must be a possibility to configure, what sensors (and functions) are active during a workout-App, because it’s also useless that the watch is searching for HRM an power-meter for a swim workout.
The wahoo app für android is a example for the possibility to “connect” sensors to workout types.
The following sensors or funtions should be configurable to each workout app type:
– activity tracking
– Every single ANT+ sensor that is connected to the F3 (or grouped by functionality like HRM, power, …)
– Barometer (the grap is lookin strange after a swim workout)
– Temperature (intern sensor)
– ?
Is anyone else having trouble getting the weather widget to update? I’m connected to Galaxy s5 via bluetooth constantly and my wifi network at home, but haven’t gotten the current weather / forecast to update since 2 days ago.
You have to start Garmin Connect App to enable push notifications.
continuing to see very odd OW swim data. I posted this problem the other day w/ no response. Went for OWS today and once again observed this: started activity, swam to 1.2 mi. turnaround (which is at 1056 yds). Hit lap and looked at watch- it read about 729 yds. RESTED at turn buoy with watch hand resting on the buoy out of the water. Distance continued to “count up” for next 3:40 until finally “settling” at 1084 yds. I then finished swim with total distance just about correct.
Reviewing activity data during the “lap” that I was stationary at the buoy, reveals lap time of 3:40 with “moving time” of 2:32, distance covered of 355 yds and avg pace of 1:02 (woohoo!!).
What to make of this? I get that the display is catching up with the GPS data being collected and that ACTUAL raw data is quite accurate but this means that anything other than “elapsed time” that you see on the watch face during the actual OWS activity may be meaningless – at least until after it has had some time to stabilize?
I have watch set for 1 sec updates and GLONASS “on”.
hi ,
is there any way to stop the chrono and and turn lap , i’ve always done that with my garmin 910 , with the F3 i have to push lap button before stopping the chrono , a bit annoying …
Thanks
Just as a heads up for Fenix3 owners, Garmin has released the various widgets previously announced:
Sun and Moon: link to apps.garmin.com
Hunt and Fish: link to apps.garmin.com
Waypoint: link to apps.garmin.com
I’ve asked for clarity on whether these will make it to other Connect IQ capable units. Will report back once I hear.
Ray –
I am very happy with my F3. I know you are not a golfer, but do you think you could ask garmin to add the golf functionality to the F3? would seem to be an easy add, and would keep the top of the line watch having all the features and more.
if you think better for me to post on garmin site, let me know.
thanks
Len
ELEVATION GAIN/LOSS — 920XT vs. Fenix3
Ray, thanks for your amazing reviews. I’ve recently been using both the 920XT and Fenix3 side by side to test them out. I’m noticing some differences in the elevation gain/loss recordings. For a fairly flat 14-mile run, the 920XT gave me an elevation gain/loss of 164/177 vs. the Fenix3’s 30/49. The initial/ending elevations were nearly identical—compare the 920XT’s 68/52 vs. the Fenix3’s 70/54.
So the two devices must be doing something differently to record the gain/loss. Do you have any insights into what that might be?
Based on the route I ran (and I’ve done this twice now with similar results), I suspect the Fenix3’s elevation gain/loss is the more accurate of these numbers. I’m wondering if it has to do with the fact that the Fenix3, according to the manual, “collects altimeter and barometer data continuously, even in low-power mode.” I can’t find anything in the 920XT manual that says how it collects elevation readings. Of course, it is not an ABC watch so it most likely does not collect altimeter data continuously—probably just enough to estimate elevation gain/loss.
But is the hardware any different between the two devices? They both contain barometric altimeters, after all. Is there something different about the ABC watch in terms of hardware? Or is there simply a difference in how the two devices collect elevation data? Any more thoughts or experience with which of these two devices is more accurate in recording elevation gain/loss?
Should I use a workout to run a marathon or simply use distance and time standard training? I tried and created a “My Workout” with a run walk approach, running 4.95km and walking 50 m. When I set a pace target for the run, the watch keep alerting me that I am not in the set pace. I am afraid that my set pace will not be possible after 30km and I certainly do not want the screen to keep alerting me and remind me that I am too slow (even without sound and vibration, it is still annoying). Is there a way to get the alert once or twice then dismiss it for the lap? I can also do a workout without an targets but then how is that different from a “training target”?
For a “My Workout” I would like to do a “warmup” until I press the lap button as I cross the start line. Repeat 4.95km and 50m 4 times (4x (4.95+50)) with set pace, do that again (4x (4.95+50)) with a little slower pace. Then run a faster pace for 2.195, then run until I cross the finish line and hit the lap button (since there is usually a lost distance after I actually finish my set marathon distance. What is best to do? (Using Fenix3)
I would also like to know if there’s a way to shut alerts on the fly.
I went on a 50 mile ride today and my battery drained from 100% to 36% over the course of the day. I just received the Fenix 3 last week, so it new. Is this because GPS was used for a few hours? 4 hour total ride time with stops. Is there any way to prevent that type of battery drain? I was hoping the battery would last for a 135 mile race I have upcoming on bike, but at that rate I’m not sure it would. Am I doing something wrong? thanks for any advice!
Interesting, I get much better results. Was skiing, and over the course of two days, total time ~10 hours including stops, the watch went down to 19%. It wasn’t 100% charged before, let’s say it was at 90%. So better than what you got.
No your watch has issues. I did a 10 hour ironman race and it only got down to 28%
Can you probe Garmin to see if there are any plans to add Golf support? It should be easy and the Vivoactive, a lesser device, can do it.
I got my Fenix 3 last week. Here is my experience so far:
– Setup was very easy. I was inside though and it could not locate GPS, because of that, date was inaccurate on my first use. Time is manually adjustable.
– Device came with latest firmware (3.10). I did not experience any major crashes or shutdowns.
– The HRM-run that came with it was easily paired first time I tried it. Next day though, it had problems reading my HR, fiddling with HR position and licking it did not help. Finally restarting the watch fixed the problem.
– Used on 3 bike rides. No problems so far, by default, there are heart rate zone notifications defined for biking which is annoying, I turned them off and defined just one for max HR.
– Resume later functionality works! But I wish it did not split my ride. I keeps everything in one .fit file though. Shame Strava does not support this yet.
– The UI and menu system is very intuitive, thought I wish button layout was the same with my Garmin edge. Back and up-down buttons on both devices are on completely different sides so it takes some brainpower to switch between devices.
Overall, very happy so far!
I full charged the watch thursday. I wear night and sleep. I swim one hour in the pool friday morning.
I see the watch friday evening, before the run, and the watch battery is 15%.
No auto wifi sync, no bt smart notification, only steps/sleep tracker is working. 🙁
I full charged the watch friday too. I bike about two hours, with HRM and Cadence/Speed sensor, and GPS.
I wear watch 3 nights. Now, monday morning, the battery is 65%.
No auto wifi sync, no bt smart notification, only steps/sleep tracker is working. 🙁
Firmware: 3.1
No promises, but what I noticed on mine. With wifi auto upload on, I get about a week out of it (including 5 – 8 hours of gps training). With the wifi auto upload turned off, my battery drained 70% overnight.
Thx. I will try it!
Hi
one question about using footpod outside.
I know that some other older devices have built so that if your are using footpad and GPS than watch shoes/uses automatically pod as primary device.
Did I understood correctly that in case of Fenix3 it is built opposite – GPS is primary and if POD is available than it will be used only in case GPS signal is not available?
Second question is about planning your trainings – Can I build custom training in my computer and upload it to watch and afterwards follow it?
For example – 2 miles easy than 15 minutes for exercises, than 2×0,5 mile with 0,5 mile recovery, then 2×1 mile with half mile recovery and for last some jogging as well.
(Using currently Polar RS800CX where I can easily plan such kind of trainings and later follow them, but I know there were problems after V800 came out that such options aren’t available anymore. As I haven’t used Garmin than don’t know, should I expect to have such option on Fenix3 or not)
Correct on the first assumption regarding pods.
And yes, on the second you can build that on Garmin Connect online and then push it to your watch.
Hey Ray and folks,
I wonder how big the F3 is in comparison to the Ambit3 – on the paper the Ambit ist slightly smaller but on every picture I have seen the Ambit apears bigger, bulkier – what is your opinion about this point?
Considering the GPS-Issues I noticed your list shows in almost every run the fenix counted less distance than any other unit. That doesn’t apear to me as the usual GPS-inaccuracy but in fact it fits to the smoothing tendency of the track the F3 has showen in some reviews: Cut corners make shorter tracks – what do you think?
Regards from Germany,
Matthias
It’s largely the piece that sticks out the bottom of the Ambit units that makes it appear bigger.
As for being short, in the vast majority of cases we’re talking only a few hundredths of a mile.
After 3 weeks, my fenix 3 started to have battery drain issues. At first, only at night (55% in one night), then after 4 weeks, it happened all the time. After 24hours, the watch was dead.
I disabled everything, reset the watch, to no avail.
Eventually, I contacted Garmin support. Within 30min they replied and gave me a RMA for repair. Without questions asked nor suggestions given.
I wonder if some batch are faulty.
Has anyone heard about watch replacement for certain serial numbers?
Until last night, I was cautiously optimistic about the HRM. Me personally, I fall into the small group that just electro/bioPhsyically are challenged with Garmin HRM. they work, when new, and no amount of cleaning helps. I had my first HRM drop out. Mile 8 of 9 I seemed to have dropped or flatlined. Not sure which. Hoping its an anomaly, will try again tonight. BTW the metronome is nice, but if you swing your arm differently, you screw up the cadence and I think the F3 needs a few beats/steps to get back on track before the alert starts firing again.
Ray – I purchased the Fenix 3 yesterday at CT and should get the bundle by Wednesday or Thursday of this week. I previously purchased the VivoActive from CT as well. Not only did you do a great review but you saved me about $70.00. Not a bad deal…
Quick question… I now own the VivoSmart, VivoActive and and the Fenix 3. I would like to switch between the three depending on my needs for the day.
1.) Do you think Garmin will offer this capability?
2.) If they done’t, what’s the best way currently to switch?
Thanks in advance.
Jim
By the way, by switch I mean activity tracking between the three. Thanks.
At present you can’t easily switch between activity trackers (or just have it does it automagically). Fitbit just rolled this out a few weeks ago. And when I talked with Garmin about it at CES, they were keenly aware that it’s something they need to implement. They didn’t have a timeframe for it though.
Quick question. I got the Fenix 3 bundled with heart rate strap. Can I keep the heart rate monitor module always connected to the strap or I need to disconnect every time? I am afraid that continuously connecting and removing the module from the strap will get it broken soon or later.
Thanks
Mario
Hi Mario
You can leave it on all the time. Only need to take it off when washing the strap. I never wash my strap, so I have never taken the module off. Don’t follow my lead though, I think I am meant to wash the strap every now and then 😉
I believe it will continue to use the battery in the module if you leave it snapped to the strap. I always unsnap mine and have never had an issue with durability.
Never washed my previous strap as well… 😀
Phil, that was my thought as well. Keeping the module on the strap it will keep using the battery. On the other side I was thinking that it may use the battery only when transmitting to the watch. So when you run a session and watch is collecting data from the strap.
I am not sure it is like this. I am going to buy few batteries to keep home and check. My previous strap battery last very long so I can compare with this one. 🙂
The transmitter pod automatically goes to sleep when it no longer detects a heart beat (or rather, detects something that it thinks is a heart beat). Typically this is within a couple minutes.
Thus, there’s no reason to disconnect the pod. If you’re seeing a strap/pod burn through batteries, then the strap is defective and should be replaced.
With my HRM2 from my 610 I always disconnected one side after a lunchtime run largely to aid in folding the strap up for stashing in my duffel’s mesh pocket. No issues from that in three years of using it, so I see no reason to change now.
(I throw the strap in the wash with my other running gear once a week then hang-dry. Cuts down the funk a bit)
Ray
I am struggling to connect things to my Fenix 3. I got the hr strap bundled and the footpod. When I go into the sensor setting menu I can see that hr strap is pre-associated. So I try to connect and it fails (even tried after a long run with the strap on). Same for the footpod. When I try to look for a new sensor it says nothing found.
Last but not least, I am trying to associate the watch to the ipad where I have installed the garmin connect mobile app (I keep the ipad with me when running on the tradmill). I go into the bluetooth setting and select pair mobile device. Then I run the garmin connect mobile app and select the fenix 3 (which is shown there as I did registered with gamin express). Watch keeps saying initializing and app does not see it.
It is really driving me crazy. I was not able to connect to the hr, associate the footpod and mobile app on the ipad. Any suggestion?
Today I have updated the watch to the latest 3.10 firmware release.
Thanks
Mario
try powering the f3 all the way down then turn back on
Argh! Haven’t considered a reboot of the watch. Being a watch I was not thinking at a reboot. 🙂
Now I got all the sensors working!
Get a chance for another question. I have configured wifi with garmin express. But it seems that it does not automatically connect to the wifi although I have setup auto upload. I have to manually go into settings/wifi and ask to connect. Then it uploads the training.
Do I miss something? Need to wait more before it connects?
How do you get the current local time while you are timing an activity with the Fenix3?
You can add the time to a datafield.
Or just press+hold the Down(Clock) button until the watch face appears. Press Start/Stop to go back. From the watch face you can switch to other widgets, although using a ConnectIQ widget will pause the activity where the stock ones won’t.
Ray,
I’ve been trying to decide between the fenix 3 and the 920xt for a few weeks now. You said that the main reason you would choose the 920xt over the fenix was due to the lack of QRKit. It doesn’t bother me to wear the watch on the bike so that’s not an issue for me, but I was curious how difficult it was to slide your wetsuit off over the fenix. It seems like the size of the watch might be fairly cumbersome when trying to pull off your wetsuit in transition. Would it be worth the extra 5 seconds to take the watch off first? Any experience with this would be appreciated! Thanks!
I found it a bit of a pain in the butt (and in fact managed to punch myself in the face doing it once). But perhaps I just need more practice getting the wetsuit off over the unit.
What are you currently using? I am faced with the same decision and I am currently using the 910XT. From the photos, it appears the Fenix 3 is not ‘taller’ than the 910XT. It’s a trade off..
Hi Guys,
Will F3 sync the time with GPS satellite? how accurate this device as a watch?
thanks,
Yes, it will grab time by enabling the GPS.
My Nike+ sportwatch died last night, read this and then saw an f3 in a shop this morning. First impressions, superb. Very happy with this.
Great review and great comments. I haven’t owned a fitness tracker for many years (the last one was the Forerunner 201.) But with all the new devices out these days I’m looking to get another Garmin of some kind.
After reading what I can, I’m quite torn between the Fenix3 and the Vivoactive. I mainly run (some swimming but just for recreation, not races).
The main advantage to me of the Vivoactive is the price. The main advantage of the Fenix 3, for me, would be the additional navigation capabilities. That said, I’m not sure whether the navigation on the Fenix 3 is worth the additional cost over the Vivoactive.
When I’m running I like to mix it up and try new routes, so I’m often mapping out new routes based on a distance on Mapmyrun and then writing down the directions on a piece of paper. Ideally, I’d like to be able to look down at my device and see where I am and know where I’m going (i.e. know that I’m turning left in 50 meters etc.) By the looks of it, I’m not sure that the Fenix 3 allows for this level of navigation. Or does it?
I also do a least one extended wilderness backpacking trip and one long multi-day kayaking trip each year, and usually just bring a hand-held Garmin. I’m not sure two wilderness trips a year is enough to warrant consideration here (otherwise I’d spring for the Epix.)
Also, I do like the smartphone aspect of both devices (the push notifications, the daily step count, and the reminder to get up and walk around after an hour) as well as the sleep tracking.
So, the most important thing for me is a) accurate GPS based running device with basic functionality (track distance pace laps heart rate, not that concerned about tracking other metrics at this point) b) some of the smartwatch capabilities and c) I’d pay more for a device that will be useful in helping me navigate a new route and ditch my paper directions d) bonus points for being useful at route-finding while backpacking or kayaking e) if it is small and stylish and can be worn by a woman in an office job without looking like a giant fitness tracker, that would be a plus. But style is the least important factor for me.
Anyway, advice on which of these devices (or an other Garmin device) might best suit me would be much appreciated!
the big bummer for me with vivoactive is only having 3 data fields on the screen. I like to see distance, pace, HR, and either TOD or timer/elapsed time and if I’m hiking I like distance, hr, elevation, heading. fenix 3 allows for 4 data fields. either watch will allow multiple ‘pages’ that you can scroll through but that’s a pain, imo
oh and fenix is definitely going to last longer. the vivoactive is lots of plastic and a touchscreen.
GPS Accuracy: One more disapointed runner.
I ran a trail race last sunday. Résult minus 1km gap over a 20kms race with other watches Fenix 1, Suunto Ambit, Geonaute that all stated a bit more than 20kms where Fenix 3 was stating 19kms.
What’s could be the reason:
Race conditions: Fenix 3, fw 3.1, Scosche Rythm+, GPS in normal mode (not ultra track), recording 1s, footpod garmin. Race for its majority in woods.
I had the impression the kms recorded speed was slower than what I was expecting under woods.
So yes this is about 5% gap at the end. Small figure? Yes but not really acceptable from my point of view, for a watch targetted for outdoors, hikings, trail runners… I would be 100% happy if this was 1%. Now I am questionning myself about what to do with the watch. I will approach garmin France about this.
I dont know about the Fenix, but some Units tend to overwrite GPS-Data with Footpod-Data when one is attached – so maybe you should calibrate your Footpood in first instance or detach it completely. Its wellknown that footpods produce wrong data, when steps shorten at inclining terrain.
But besides this, it pretty much seems the smoothening of the track is an issue with the Fenix 3….
I have experienced the same thing. Around 5% difference on a normal trailrun and up to 10 % in difficult terrain. The Ambit almost always shows a more accurate GPS trail. Since fenix is targeted towards trailrunners I find this unacceptable. It should be able to handle trailruns and show good GPS tracking and not just show “good”(since it is not even good on roadruns with a lot of corners) GPS tracking on roadruns, then you can buy the fr 620 instead
I had the same issue in the woods this weekend. First run, 22 miles with a bud wearing a 910XT, the 910 nailed it, but the fenix was way off, it recorded the run as 19 miles and the splits were slow. The next day I ran again the woods and the Fenix came up just over 1.7 miles short on a 19 mile run with glomas on. I am going to test once more with the 1 second sampling on but it looks like its time to return this watch.
Hallo all! I have problem when run at stadium. At round 400m. The fenix 3 me counts (show) 370 and only less, never more than 400. Tha 920xt measure sometime 390,380 but and 410,420 and resets the loss(accuracy) Has a problem generally the model or the specific (my own) ??? You can answer me? Thanks!
As a general rule of thumb, most GPS devices (new or old) struggle with getting accurate data on a track. It doesn’t matter if it’s the much hailed older devices or the newer ones. Sometimes you luck out, but in general I find I’ll get about .24 miles per loop on most tracks, with a range of .23-.25.
Not the same thing, but when I did a 400m track and pressed lap every time I crossed the line, laps where almost spot on.
No matter if that was a speed lap or a rest lap.
link to connect.garmin.com
Ragarding accuracy, I ran the Rome Marathon on the 22nd of March 2015 and all checkpoints until almost the 30Km mark came a little short on the watch (around 50-100m depending on distance). But towards the final Km’s of the race both the race marks and the watch beeps matched, resulting in a near perfect 42.150m which is really impressive in my opinion. Also, the weather was rainy and cloudy during the day which does not “help” GPS’s accuracy…The only problem is that a week later the GPS stopped working and I am wating for a replacement watch now….
Hello,
Has anyone here had issues with the training plans not using GPS? This was extremely frustrating to me as I completed one of my best runs in a while only to see the map was unavailable because GPS was not used. I selected from my training plans > Do workout > Selected the run profile (which normally uses GPS and has worked before). The watch has been more frustrating for me and now I’m afraid it won’t function in other areas when I really need it to. I have a race coming up soon and would be really ticked off if it fails to record it properly..
Choose app run> acquire gps>go back to menu/training calendar and choose activity like u have been doing. I get map by doing this. Wish garmin would fix that.
Is there anyway to manually fix the zoom scale permanently on the map in navigation mode? I often use the zoom and pan function to set a different zoom scale, return to the navigation map but after about a minute, the map always resets to the default 200ft scale
Yes I had exactly the same problem and got the answer on here. If you search for my name you will find the solution in the thread above.
Great, thanks! The manual is pretty useless and doesn’t really go into much depth at all
I had trouble finding Julian’s thread, but did find the answer. Go to Settings > Apps > [your particular app] > Data Screens > Map > Auto Zoom and set to Off. This must be done for each individual app 🙁
Has anyone had success in tweaking their settings for gps? I just ran a short out and back trail course in the woods. It is sort of a half pipe shape, elevation wise, so I just run back and forth for hill training. I run the exact same path every loop. I just checked my uploaded run and the map is a hot mess. Sort of like I just dupmped a pile of spaghetti on a map. Glonass is on, GPS is in “on” mode (not ultratrac), Not in power saving mode. Is there something else I should be doing? My Ambit2 seemed far more accurate in the woods.
I too have the same problem. τhe forerunner 305 COUNTS better and look better in map than fenix 3 at least in stage and small, contiguous pieces.
Ray, do you know anything about garmin willing finally support footpod pace (at least as a datafield) and in-watch editible workouts?
I switched from 910xt and these two issues are driving me crazy. No way to do a short speed workout with pace smoothed and updated every 5sec. No way to actually program or modify an existing workout unless I can get my hands on a computer.
Thanks for any heads up.
I think the fenix 2 used the axelerοmeter its belt (hrmr) and not of the device,for this reason better constrain the pace. becase wiggle up and down smoothly.Ιf I’m wrong someone can correct me.
The accelerometer in the HRM-RUN handles cadence, ground contact time and vertical oscillation. It doesn’t contribute to pace directly at all. The cadence is more reliable than the watch alone, and that does seem to help a little when you are using the watch for indoor running on a treadmill with no GPS.
Source: Garmin page on HRM-RUN
Maybe you’re right but I believe it would be better able to measure from the zone.However the fenich 2 shows a better rate than the fenich 3, unless my own fenix 3 is damaged.
The centre of your chest when you’re running feels almost entirely vertical acceleration, because it’s moving forwards at almost constant speed. Your wrist moves backwards and forwards much more. In fact, on a treadmill, your chest should not be moving backwards and forwards at all. This means that it is very hard for the accelerometer on your chest to pick up any data on how hard you are pushing forward at each stride and therefore how fast you are running.
The fenix 3 picks up exactly the same data from the HRM-RUN that the fenix 2 does.
Guys
Couple of questions:
I have configured wifi with garmin express. But it seems that it does not automatically connect to the wifi although I have setup auto upload. I have to manually go into settings/wifi and ask to connect. Then it uploads the training. Am I missing something? Do I need to wait longer before it tries to connect automatically?
I know that F3 has navigation capabilities. How does it work it? Where can I get tracks to be uploaded? I would like to use it on my mountain bike (got the bike mount) but need to know where I can find maps. Maybe maps with tracks prepared by somebody else. I know there are web site where you can download those files but not sure how to import then.
Thanks
Mario
Do you have the watch set up to use Garmin Connect Mobile on your phone with bluetooth? I get the feeling that this over-rides wi-fi.
You can plan courses on https://connect.garmin.com and transfer them to the watch, as long as you don’t need good topo maps.
Hi Steve
It was not uploading automatically even before I was connecting the watch with my mobile phone. Anyway, it is not a big deal. I just need to go on settings->wifi and click on connect to get uploaded. Weird as setting says auto upload is enabled.
I’ll check which maps there are on connect.garmin.com. I would like to get some maps of nice rides for the mountain bike maybe prepared by somebody else. Before I was using mountain bike pro from runtastic and it is quite cool as it shows the rides saved by others in your area. Then you can use the selected track for your ride. I would like to get the same with my Fenix 3.
Hi Ray and everyone else…
While attending a conference in Chicago, I got mine a few days ago and have been playing around with he activity tracker/smartwatch features. I’ve been getting a ton of messages for meetings and calendar notifications.
Is there a way to just delete all messages and notifications? I’m afraid that the watches’ memory might run out just from the messages…
Thanks all
You need to delete them from the notifications centre on your phone. The Fenix just mirrors what’s on there.
Indeed, in the case of iOS if you swipe down from the top you can clear individual apps notifications. The Fenix3 simply mirrors whatever is in here.
It seems like a month since v3.10 came out. Ray, I am sure you are sworn to some type of secrecy/non-disclosure. But can you throw us a bone. Its an unusually long time between FW release, so early after a product release. it took 6+ months before F2 firmware settled down. Posts about and Garmin forums are awash with issues big/small. I think the GPS smoothing on the trails is #1 or close to #1 issue. Is there anything you are allowed to share with us?
GPS is awful. Look at this…I took a hike on monday with my Ambit 2 and Fenix 3. Just look how bad this track is compared to the Suunto that looks perfect.
link to mygpsfiles.com
How do you lock the light on ? I do navigation at night, and I need the watch to stay on at all time.
Thanks !
padang
look at settings, system
And then within that, choose the option for ‘Stays on’ (which will stay on when you press the light button, or stay off when you press it again).
So, for the last two weeks there isn’t a single Sapphire to be found in France or in Switzerland… totally out of stock.
Any special reason? Did Garmin completely underestimate?
Or have they found a couple of hardware issues they are fixing before releasing the next batch?
Does anyone live in a place where the Sapphire is not out of stock? (preferrably in Europe…)
It sounds like they’re largely out of stock globally on Sapphires. Pretty much anyone else with stock was just going through what they had on stock from a while ago.
I had heard the issue from somewhere was supply of the Sapphire glass itself, but I don’t know if that’s currently the production slowdown issue.
I expect Apple are using quite a bit of sapphire right now.
Just as I noted inventory globally, I heard from CT that they got a boatload of Sapphires in today. Should clear out any backorders and now show back in stock by the end of the day.
Does it have or is there a way to get Jumpmaster and Tide software on it as well as any way to get Garmin to work with Lifefitness and C2? Heard it DOES NOT have stopwatch???
It does have a stopwatch (hold up, Clock>Stopwatch).
No tides. That is something which could be done by a ConnectIQ widget, but in a much more limited way than the Quatix watch did it. The Quatix had a lot of data about US tide timings, which wouldn’t be available to a widget (because that costs money). You’d have to set the lunitidal interval for where you wanted to know the tides manually.
Tides can be downloaded from Garmin Connect, and it works pretty fine on my Fenix3. Jumpmaster can be created as a new App on the watch itself – I created one, but didn’t test IRL.
I like the Fenix 3 for It’s the functional range and form factor. The F3 could be the ideal watch for me. It could…
I use the F3 as a replacement of my 310xt and garmin swim for cycling and swimming.
On the bike I also have a Sigma “computer”. Because of it’s sensor, the speed is measured and indicated exactly by the sigma. Up to now, therefore, I have not paid attention to the speed displayed from the F3.
Till yesterday. Every test is the beginning of the dissatisfaction….
The indicated speed sways very strongly and is indicated mostly too low. Partial up to 25%!!!
This is not understandable, because the whole distance and the average value are rather exact and the tracks I have checked are looking well (similar, than from the 310 Fr xt).
I cycle most of my daily way to the work through the forest. Now the trees getting leaves. This has an negative effect on the GPS reception. Beyond the forest the speed displayed does not sway so strongly and ismuch nearer in the real value.
I have programmed a data field which indicates the 5s average for the speed. This value is very good, with constantly driven speed, outside the forest, but unusable in the forest. In the forest speed displayed is too low (10-20%).
I fear if the trees have received all their leaves, the speed announcement becomes worse.
While “walking” the indicated speed does not sway. There is a very strong smoothing. The F3 sometimes notices only after minutes, that one has stopped, or again has started to move again.
While swimming the F3 provides results, which are at least as good, as those of the Garmin Swim. After my subjective impression a little bit better.
The Fenix 3 still has a few other bugs in the software.
There is no concept that functions and sensors can be activated, or can be deactivated depending on the App. Such a possibility could repair the following faults:
– Step counting during cycling. Activity tracking is completely useless for me, because the F3 counts several thousand steps too much daily.
– Use of sensors, even if it’s senseless. The F3 searches for the vector power sensor while swimming.
– Strong jumps in the recording of altitude, if one has swum with the F3. The F3 shows values less than minus 200 meters to me.
An example of a possible implementation is the Wahoo App for Android.
There are even more things which I do not like:
– It’s not possible to upload workouts via the Android app. If you want to use wifi at a hotel you mostly have to login in a browser window. That’s not possible with the F3, so I can not upload workouts during vacation.
– Connects to PC only by cable. Why not via ANT+ or BT?
I have a windows Tablet with Garmin express and have to take the cable with me.
Can someone explain the differences between ‘Garmin’ and ‘Mass Storage’ in the USN options settings – and when one would be used over the other?
Thanks,
Al.
“Mass Storage” to connect to computer. “Garmin” to continue to use the watch while connected (charge while running, etc).
Today I had a short test on instant pace in cycling mode with 3.2.
There is no improvement. I cycled very slow though the forest (10 km/h) and the pace indicted was mostly below 9 km/h and sometimes below 5km/h! Useless.
On the road the pace was ok.
So I’m afraid that the problem is about gps hardware and not about software. argh
Garmin says, that there is no gps problem…..
Rays tests about gps accuracy where only about distance. He should test instant pace next time also. the video about pace I could not see anything.
I could not return the F3 because of small signs of use, so I have to stay with that lemon…..
I included the instant-pace video, and some 12,463 people have watched it, and none mentioned an issue with it. There was actually pretty significant discussions over how well it seemed to react.
But ultimately, I’m not running at 10KM/hr in the forest, so I can’t really test pace accuracy there. Also, note that I wouldn’t ever test pace accuracy for the run mode while cycling, because that would present different results (neither better or worse, just different). I’d be cautious to test with an actual scenario. Doing 10 KM/H (6MPH for Americans) seems rather slow for any cycling. The modes are designed with different tolerances.
In any event, I do have a gimbal now for shooting instant pace videos a bit more clearly now, which might help a bit. You can see some of that in the Vivoactive review. And, I could add post-processing video stabilization – but I find that often looks wonky. Ultimately, in order to product accurate results one does actually have to run with the camera and it pointed at the wrist. In doing so, the resulting movie might not be as cinematic as Planet Earth.
I have seen the video many times. I’m n of 12,463 people, but I don’t know how fast your were. I testet pace on a bike, cause I wanted a constant speed and a display that knows the exact speed (speed sensor).
Wenn I go by bike e.g. with 20km/h, the F3 sometimes schows speed below 15 km/h in the forest. I know, in Paris there is no forest… Outside forest speed is ok (similar to other GPS devices).
In the forest I dont cycle faste while stearing at the display of the F3 😉
Hi Ray,
How has the screen and bezel hold up to scratches and dings? I’m reading some chatter about how some scratches are revealing the white bare metal and was wondering if this is a case of being overblown. I do hope that my watch get ding and scratched up as that would mean that I am working out hard but at the same time I am wondering how bad it will be after a year.
Are they planning on releasing a D2 Flight app for the Fenix3 instead of coming out with a D3 as a special edition? I’d really like to use the same watch for flying and running and with the color screen they can do the red display from the D2 easily.
Just as a heads up, Fenix3 firmware version 3.20 was released a few hours ago.
Change log is:
Changes made from version 3.10 to 3.20:
Added Hot Keys press-and-hold START and BACK key customization (Settings > System > Hot Keys).
Added Back to Start option for straight-line navigation back to activity start.
Improved Connect IQ stability.
Improved pace stability at low speeds.
Fixed issue with import of elevation of saved locations from GPX files.
Fixed issue with display of 3 digit speeds on ski data pages.
Fixed potential device lockup when exiting watch mode.
no mention of GPS trail improvements. let’s hope there are some improvements
short-cuts are welcome. pace stability is welcome also although not sure if this will help with running pace?
Still no GPS improvements, no improvements to the audio alerts, no navigation improvement.
Just ran yesterday with the 920XT and Fenix3. No improvement in GPS accuracy. Fenix3 still at 7.5% short on distance. I suspect that will come with a GPS Chipset firmware update as opposed to a watch software update.
I cant remember a product in this line with so much hype and excitement…with the letdown and problems it has after release. Sure they said it wouldn’t support maps and such but when people hear “garmin fenix” they think of outdoors watch and then when they get it they are disappointed. Also the GPS accuracy is just bad. I returned mine already. In the end its basically a better looking 920xt unfortunately.
Can anyone help me figure out how to delete the notifications on the watch? They pile up and I’ve not figured that one out. thank you!
deleting them on your phone should fix that
I am looking for a way to cycle between watch face and data fields while recording an activity….any help?
Hold Down down until the watch face appears. Press Back/Lap to go back to the activity data fields.
Dear Ray,
just changed from 910xt to F3 and like it very much (despite no option to take footpod pace while gps is activated)
BUT – is there a possibility to have the backlight always on while running/training?
Thanks a lot
Yes, within the backlight settings you can set to ‘Always On’.
Ray, do you know if you can change backlight color? Like if someone wanted to use this with night vision?
No, one cannot change the backlight color.
First experiences a month in:
– great looking watch
– on paper, it has everything I need for a GPS watch
However:
– Now, I don’t do trail running but I have run under some small trees and the Fenix 3
immediately thought that I had stopped, and I’m assuming because it had lost signal. My old 310xt and 305 never did this.
– the Auto pause works well when cycling, but when walking or running, seems to be about a minute too late. Again my old 310xt and 305 worked better in this respect.
– has already crashed 3-4 times
– Bluetooth sync seems to fail 40% of the time; the settings indicate a connection is present but unable to get any information from my phone. A repairing / sync makes no difference
Overall still happy with the watch although for the money I paid, slightly disappointed that the technology isn’t as robust as the older models.
I had read of some of the issues being experienced but was hoping these were isolated cases! I can only hope this is a software issue that is fixable rather than a hardware issue
Respect the negative issues people are discussing on this thread.
Just gotta report, as to me, I’m not seeing them.
Trail running as to accuracy and GPS connectivity have been spot on.
Same as to road cycling.
Phone connectivity (iPhone 5s) for notifications also just fine.
Sometimes the Connect app doesn’t sync but I just close it and open it and it’s fine.
Didn’t want folks to think issues with crashing, non-connectivity and accuracy are universal, they aren’t.
Interesting
Do you have a link to some activities Stephen? Is there much tree cover on your trails?
To noticed a difference with trail running you need to either have a second GPS (ambit or garmin). F3 consistently has a shorter distance over other GPS wearables. GPS tracks are close, but bon very close inspection as you look as turns, you can see they are smoothed
Stephen – I agree that non-connectivity and crashing issues may not be universal but under apple to apple conditions, the GPS accuracy is universal. If you do a run with switchbacks or winding trails like this:
link to mygpsfiles.com
You will get a discrepancy out of the range of acceptable. Every trail run posted in trees that have decent accuracy (mine included) are runs with long gradual turns or infrequent abrupt turns.
I mention this because I believe anyone looking at the Fenix3 should understand that under the right (or technically wrong) conditions will have to accept shorter reported distances and a slower pace. I don’t believe to date, anyone has shown a track with frequent trail turns that doesn’t have a significant hit on distance reported compared to 920XT/910/Ambit2/Ambit3/Polar800 distances. There is no exception to this.
Having said this, I believe that the EXO antenna is probably the strongest and best that exists and a chipset update will fix this.
Hello not sure if my message was posted
Ray I have a Garmin and a Withings smart balance
I m not sure where to fit this question in
I get weight and fatmass from smart balance in Garmin and training peaks but is there a way to get as well the sleep time from the F3 to training peaks
And any idea how to get the step count from my F3 to withings to get better results ?
No, not at this time. Garmin doesn’t transmit that information to TP (just the raw .FIT file for X activity).
The activity tracker of the Fenix 3 also counts steps when I’m driving a motor-scooter! … link to wp.me
The F3 could’t know that you were driving a motor-scooter 😉
But when you are doung a cycling workout, the F3 knows that you are doing a cycling workout, but in this case the F3 is counting steps also.
Maybe while swiming?
Is it possible to plot a swim course, Open water…I see there are options for all the other activities but not swim…eg I want to swim 1km in one direction then 1km in another etc etc
The update noted as a firmware chipset above, what does that mean? Does that mean for example something like 3.30 or does that mean a new GPS chip in future F3 models? Sure would like to have a 920 in a F3 shell!
Looks like new firmware released 3.20 just got the update over wifi.
I had the watch for a week and overall I’m happy with it. As in many other cases here, it seems that the watch underestimates the running distance, due to an excessive “rounding” of corners.
My configuration: Firmware 3.20, Serial number 4640XXX, GLONASS off, data recording every second
This is a comparison with my FR 620: link to i58.tinypic.com (Fenix 3 on top, FR 620 bottom).
The 620 was configured in the same way (GLONASS off, obviously, and recording every second).
Another example: link to i61.tinypic.com (as above, Fenix on top).
Strangely, in bike mode corners do not seem to be rounded: link to i58.tinypic.com
In the end, the difference is not huge, but it’s definitely noticeable.
Getting there with my Fenix 3 now. Still having some issues with Wi-Fi connectivity but that could be our Wi-Fi network more than anything else. I thought the set up would be easy considering the fact that I’ve come from a Forerunner 305 and a Forerunner 910XT, but there are just so many different options and data fields on this that I’m spoilt for choice.
Thought I’d write a blogpost about my preferred set up at the moment though so that I can use it to put things back the way I want them should I ever have to do a master reset of the device. You can read it here if interested: link to alananna.co.uk
Hopefully it might be of use to other Fenix 3 owners to put them on the right track for the various settings and data screens. Everyone will of course have their preferred set-up and that’s the whole point of being able to configure so may things but its always nice to have a starting point.
Al.
I got my Fenix3 Saphire a few weeks ago and I love everythign about it.
One Question:
We have a rower and was wondering if there is a profile that I can use to track a rowing workout?
Tim, were you able to get your Fenix3 to work with your rower? My 910xt works with my Concept PM5, but I think I read Garmin dropped that with the 920 and later models. Thanks!
Well… I set up a special app that just measures my HR.
I used the rower once, my wife usually rows on it.
last night was removing my F3 when the watch started “vibrating” (the normal vibration alert) but then CONTINUED to vibrate with all buttons “frozen”. (I don’t think I “did” anything, “may” have lightly bumped watch or buttons) I tried various combos of button presses in case I had inadvertently locked it (like older Garmin watch where you could hold 2 buttons as shortcut to lock) but watch remained unresponsive and vibrating. I placed the watch on the charger, thinking that might force some kind of “reset” but this made no difference. I finally held down the light/power button continuously (30+ seconds?) and it turned off the watch- b/c this happened over many minutes (5+) not sure exactly when it actually “responded” to turn off. After sitting for a few moments I pressed the power button again and the watch restarted and functioned normally, again. Any ideas??? I thought I was going to have to set it down and let it just keep vibrating until it ran the battery down.
I had the same issue once, not sure what triggered it.
Hower turnign ti off and on fixed it…
This happened to me once as well. In my case it was triggered by a notification, but just kept on vibrating. I was able to get it to shut down and reboot by holding the light button for a while. After it rebooted it was back to normal and hasn’t done it since.
Thanks for very detailed and informative review. Bought my Fenix 3 on the strength of it – got it last Saturday – already cannot imagine how I existed before, without it. Main use is for hiking – Bluetooth paired to my iPhone 5S, which has great 1:25k maps loaded. Is there a way to turn off the iPhone’s GPS – so that it will use the F3’s GPS instead (with continuous line-of-sight to the satellites) – iPhone usually tucked away in pocket, with no line-of-sight – would also save power for the iPhone, if not always searching for GPS signal?
Pardon if this has been addressed previously in the discussion, I’ll admit I didn’t read all of the 1600+ comments, but what would be the pick between the Ambit2, the Ambit3, the Fenix 2, and the Fenix 3? I’m currently using a Garmin 620 and the battery life is killing me, as is the lack of barometric altimeter. I am only planning on using the watch for running, primarily trail ultras, and some long distance hiking. No swimming or cycling. Is it worth it to spend the extra few hundred dollars for the Ambit3/Fenix 3 over the Ambit 2/Fenix 2? Thank you very much for your very detailed reviews!
@ Z. Browning. I would use the Product Comparison Tool – link to dcrainmaker.com
If you want to be objective in your decision making process then it the best way.
Good luck.
Why not the Ambit Run? Would save you a lot of money over the others you listed. Here’s what I would say, though. Go to a store that sells Suunto and Garmin and try them on. Suunto’s do not fit my wrist right, and will only sit flush on my wrist if I really tighten the strap down, which I don’t like doing. Here are the only two differentiators (besides fit) that I found between the Ambit 1 and 2 and the Fenix 1 and 3 (had all of them). Garmin has vibration alerts, Suunto tracked runs more accurately (very minute differences). In the end, the fit and vibration alerts on the Garmin has me sticking with them.
Depends on your specific feature requirements. Do you need BT communication with your phone? If not, the Ambit2 may be the best deal. You can toss in routes and waypoints and the Navigation will take you through a breadcrumb trail (no maps) of your trails. The Ambit 2s or 3 Sport- have half the battery life- more similar to your 620. You can attach a charger while running, but other than that, 8hrs on 1sec or 12hrs on 5s is all you’ll get. The Ambit2 or A3 Peak will double those times – and be similar to the Fenix 2/3 life. Oh, actually Suunto released a firmware update, and now the A3 will do 20hrs on 1s recording instead of 16hrs. Longer at lower data rates. It’s a very stable watch that will meet all of your needs. The Fenix 3 has better packaging, features- but as you’ll find from this review, still going through some stability and GPS accuracy issues.
Totally agree on Ambit 3 stability. And the Ambit 3 actually works as a daily “ABC” watch. I tried the fenix 3 and liked most of the fenix 3, but didn’t like the fact it was not very stable in regards to altitude/barometer daily use. The ambit 3 works great for this, but lacks vibration alerts.
All this being said, I’m using the Vivoactive as my daily watch. So far, it’s been stable, but of course lacks many features the ambit 3 and fenix 3 has.
Looking forward to the ambit 4!
I agree! The Vivoactive is great for lunch runs/rides, but suffers in regards to high-end features. Also, with battery life for weekend long rides and runs. Especially, with Glonass on. 15-20% per hour I estimate.
I recently picked up a Fenix 3 on a deal. For me, it’s probably my ideal watch, but I have yet to open it after seeing the issues reported with it in the Garmin forums.
With the number of postings, it’s difficult to get a good grip on if there actually is & to what extent there may be issues with the GPS accuracy, but the volume of issues reported is hard to ignore & the focus of the issues (turns in cover) is where I’ll likely be using the watch the most.
I saw a couple comments from you early on in the forums & see nothing negative in the GPS accuracy section of this review, but am a bit surprised the reports of the alleged issues aren’t even mentioned. I’ve been patiently waiting for Garmin to release an fix related to accuracy (the 3.2 firmware feature release instead shocked me), but I can’t wait forever to return the device & I have some concern the issues may be related to the new hardware in the device/not fixable, so I’m curious – Ray, what’s your take on the alleged issues?
I would be interested in knowing this too. Also, what kind of testing did Garmin do? Did anyone take a watch out for a run in the woods? It seems like that would have exposed the issue.
I don’t think it’s so much a case of woods or not. Rather, it appears mostly tied to cases where people are doing lots of quick turns at speed in the woods, and the unit is shaving off distance more than other units.
In my case, almost all of my running was city/country/desert, and when in the woods – there wasn’t many switch backs. Rather, more rambling/wandering for me (for example, in the woods in Canada doing some runs).
I agree with that theory. The first part of the run occurred on a Nordic ski trail, the splits for that section seem reasonable. Once I got onto the single track which has many switchbacks, that’s were the watch looses the plot. I hope that Garmin can get this fixed before my trail race in early may. I would like to say I was travelling at speed too but I don’t think 10 minutes per mile counts as speed 🙂
Nordic ski trail then single track. Early May. Sounds like the IceAgeTrail 50. I fear it will be the IAT47 or so with all the lost distance
Spot on. I will be borrowing a Garmin 910XT for the race. The Fenix 3, In its present form the watch cannot be used for pacing.
I think you are spot on with this assessment. I have the 920 & the Fenix3 so I have been working with support. I did just get an email from support yesterday stating:
“We are still actively investigating reported distance issues with the fenix 3.”
So Garmin appears to be aware and addressing it in some way.
Dear Ray,
is there a possibility to have the workouts synced from Garmin Connect to the Fenix watch from other devices (510 bike Computer)
Or is it not possible to have all Training data on the fenix without captured it with the watch? I’d like to use the 510 bike Computer to track my bike workouts but would be happy to see them on the fenix watch
No, unfortunately not – it doesn’t re-transmit completed workouts from other devices back down (no Garmin devices do).
What a wonderful website.
I recently came across your website and all you reviews have been truly helpful in the search of my latest GPS watch. Your review stand out from the others and focuses on stuff that really matters. I am a huge fan of your work and also your you tube channel. Just yesterday I received my new fenix 3 sapphire edition from Clever Training and their customer support and patience in answering all my questions was outstanding. I however was not able to use the code you supplied on your website. I would have loved that code to work just to show support for your work. The clever trainings website said that it was an invalid code.
Thank you for your work and keep up the good work.. absolutely loving my purchase.
Ray, do you have any idea if there’s a GPS-update planned in a short time? It’s unbelievable that a new watch is not as good with GPS as my friend’s 305 and my own old (on of the first in Holland) Edge 800.
There’s to many complains about the GPS-accuracy and Garmin doesn’t respond to any of it. It’s more or less oke on open roads (but not as good as 800&305), but under tree’s and narrow corners it sucks 🙁
Almost regretting not buying the Ambit3 with Sirfstar chipset.
Garmin told us at forums.garmin.com that ther is no GPS-problem …..
When did they do that, Klaus? Please cite the specific post as I’ve not seen any official Garmin statement made on the garmin forums.
(I don’t consider a user posting what they were told by a poorly informed email support agent as “Garmin told us” and I trust you’re not naive enough to think differently)
Yes, I would be interested in seeing that too. Out of the box, the watch does not work correctly on trails with switchbacks, I have data to prove it.
I know I’m preaching to the choir here, but thought I’d chime in with my hard evidence. I went for a mountain bike this weekend with both the Fenix 3 and my Ambit 2. The Fenix reported 16.24 miles, the Ambit 16.85. Like most of the other reports, the Fenix map looks to be cutting a lot of corners compared to the Ambit even though both are recording at 1 second intervals.
Ive owned a 305,310, 405, 410, 610, 910 and now i bought the fenix 3.. Hurray!!
Until i found out how crappy the gps accuracy is. Really, do NOT buy this watch. The accuracy is very poor. Its actually so poor that the GPS has no function than give you a rough estimate of the distance.
Just for fun i tried a couple of watches on a 30km run. The fenix was about 400m shorter than the other garmin watches.
I’ve also tried the watch around a water that I have been running around maybe 150-200 times the last 5 years. I also know the accurate distance since it has been measured by pros(not with gps) because of official race that use the same course.
The fenix 3 show a LOT less distance than the other watches. When i check the average pace after I’ve done the run the f3 tell me its 3:54 pace, but its really 3:40 pace.
As for now, stay away! Take a look at the garmin forums. There are 100s of pages with unhappy users.
my only real question at this point is if this is a hardware issue (i.e. the antenna design integrated into the bezel, just doesn’t work very well), or if something in the firmware can just be fixed, but just wasn’t well vetted prior to a rushed release.
I just can’t believe that the RF engineering would be so poor (not that it’s easy), but perhaps in the manufacturing process, some early units are having an antenna mismatch issue due to fabrication tolerance errors? Or, they’re getting electrical noise interference from inside the watch? Might be a tough nut for Garmin to crack.
Is it possible to change the sport while you are recording? For multi sport events where the order of sports is not known before the start so it is not possible to create a custom profile it would be necessary to change the sport as needed, but this does not seem to be covered in the manual. ambit 2s does this but the Fenix 3?
The funny thing is that on open area’s after the 3.2 update the distance is spot-on! We have a long road on which we train a lot of intervals and we painted 100m-marks; Fenix 3 is exactly the same! Checked is very good yesterday evening.
But looking at the track it’s almost never ON that road. Looks like the track isn’t aligned with the map in GC. Usually the track is drawn west of the road.
Under tree’s and in sharp corners 3.2 didn’t fix the problems.
Daniel, are checking the map or the sattelite image? Often, even if the map is a little off, the sattelite image shows exactly where you ran.
Anybody else having issues with recognition of the HRM? it works fine the first couple of runs, then the watch can’t find the sensor anymore. Rebooting the watch works every single time.
I’ve had that issue MULTIPLE times with not just HRM but with powermeter. Finially just resigned that if sensor not immediately detected will reboot watch.
QUESTION: what will happen during a race if you get to T1 and watch does not recognize bike? Stop/save activity and reboot watch? Where do you start it? In tri mode? Then just repeated lap button presses through swim/T1 segments until at appropriate place?
I have seen similar issues with my 920XT.But it _seems_ to primarily be an issue when first enabling the ANT+ chip for that particular problem.
I have had a slightly different problem that when I run at a track and let my phone constantly connect/disconnect once per lap, it can cause the entire “wireless stack” to crash. No ANT+, no BTLE, no WiFi until reboot. When that happens, I have had luck* rebooting the watch mid-activity, and still getting the whole activity (but never tried it in triathlon mode).
However, I have also had one occasion where I rebooted for the lost connectivity once near the beginning of a workout, and then needed to reboot again near the middle of a workout due to a different lock-up. The resulting file only had the data from before the first reboot, and after the second reboot.
Again, this is all 920XT experience, but with the Fenix 3 being basically the same code base, it might be relevant to this discussion.
And I currently have open issues with Garmin for all of these issues. They’re “working on it.”
Having exactly the same problem here. Worse, it first happened when I was cycling and I had to stop (and get dropped), remove all my layers of top clothes and check if there’s anything wrong with HRM strap. Then I tried unpairing it and pairing again to no avail. Finally, a retart fixed it.
Now, before going out for run or a ride, I always start indoor run mode to quickly check if HR data is there or not. Hopefully they’ll have a fix for this soon, as it’ the biggest inconvenience I’m having with otherwise great Fenix 3.
It is still happening though, in my case, the sensor connection fails before the activity ever starts. I have never had a sensor fail mid-activity.
Ugly scratches on the ring on top. Conspicuous. Powerful argument to buy silver, where the scratches less visible.
Ray – Can the Fenix 3 works with fitness equipment like the Mpower Echelon console on a Schwinn spinning bike ? The 910xt works but apparently Garmin says the Fenix 3 cannot support fitness equipment. Thanks,
No, none of the Garmin units made in the last 2 years support it.
I was just about to change my old TomTom runner for a F3 but after reading about all the GPS complains I am going to wait and see where this is going. TomTom had its share of initial problem too but after a year it now feels pretty stable. Hope Garmin will sort this out quickly…
Hi,
My Fenix 3 won’t sync with Connect, does this mean the device is defective? I do not think the issue is with my iOS because I had no problem syncing my Ambit3 Peak with Movescount. Thanks.
OK so really basic question to everyone else’s above, this is a Unisex watch correct? I think it is amazing but I can find no pics or anything showing women with it on. Lol… Oh well I am buying it!! 🙂
I’ve had my Fenix 3 for two days now. Only a few hiccups but nothing major. My only issue worth noting is in regard to the Connect web interface. One of the features I was intrigued about was sleep tracking. I know it only tracks movement but hopefully that will change.
So, my issue is with the graph which lists me sleeping from 11am – 7 pm when my watch is clearly set correctly for AM/PM. My actual sleep was 11pm – 7am. I even edited it on the graph but it keeps resetting. Anyone else experience this or something similar?
Another gripe I have is the lack of Heart Rate tracking/graphing unless your are doing an activity like running or cycling. I would like a way to graph HR while wearing a monitor to get an accurate resting HR.
Other than those two issues I love the watch, its design and features. Hopefully all the other issues about GPS, etc. I have read about will be fixed in the near future.
Jeremy, I’m curious about this too, my F3 is in the mail to me so I can’t test this out, but I think you could create a custom activity that would allow you to record your heart rate. For example, if you wanted to see your heart rate during a typical work day, then just make an activity and label it work. Maybe this kills the battery of the watch/HRM too fast, but it could be useful to do once in a while.
Does anyone know where to get the Fenix3 (without HR strap) cheapest in Europe? It’s quite expensive in the usual places.
Thanks,
Christoph
DCR, not sure if you can help out here: my new F3 was working great with Garmin Connect Mobile, easy BT pairing, smart notifications working well, good battery use….then I noticed an update available to Connect Mobile, downloaded it and now all sorts of issues:
Bad BT re-connecting, almost have to wipe all memory of previous paring from both phone and watch to get it running again..
Bad battery…previously running all bells and whistles at about 5% per day…now 20% per day!!! same settings
Worst of all! No more smart notifications!!! One of the man reasons I got the watch! Not able to add any android apps to list for smart notifications!
Where can I get the old version of Connect Mobile from? Have a word with these Garmin boys, please DCR
Hi Tony
HAd the same issue. Just solved it by rebooting the clock and the iphone. Hope it helps
Thanks Oliver…its been a bit frustrating but, latest Connect version now working but a real pain to connect via BT, after numerous attempts finally connected and all the apps for smart notifications re-appeared, and smart notifications working….but I fear disconnecting BT……basically had to re-start phone re-install app, reboot watch…a few times….you would think Garmin would have this sorted but their Forum is quiet on the update issues…there has been a wave of protest about the new Connect Mobile app! Generally people accept upgrades but if they create so much protest you would think that the service provider would listen to their customers…hopefully some sort of fix will come soon otherwise they will surely loose support….
Tony – Have you tried contacting Garmin support?
I know it’s tempting to just post here and on the forums and hope someone can provide a solution, but when it comes to Bluetooth/mobile phone related items – it’s often incredibly dependent on which phone you have, which software version, etc… And the Garmin support folks tend to know those random details best.
Thanks DCR…I have posted on various Garmin forums but no response and a lot of others with the same issues…mine seems now to be OK with latest version of GCM but only after clearing all trace of watch connections from the phone and re-installing everything…my issue was that it worked seamlessly with the old version then all sorts of problems started with new version…anyway, hopefully its stable now as I do love the watch and the functionality! Hoping to convince my daughter to use it for tomorrow’s ITU World Triathlon here in Cape Town! Thanks again for response and great reviews!
Please compile form and request support for Siri in IOS
link to www8.garmin.com
I need siri!!
Hello, just bought this watch after reading your nice review and compared it to the 920XT and the Suunto Ambit 3.
How can I setup a strength gym training function on my watch, similar to the 920XT?
Thanks
So, my fenix 3 just showed up and I’m confused how the sensor pool business works. It looks like I can’t set up different bikes? On my 310XT I had the same speed/cadence sensor but different “bike profiles” for the road tires vs. trainer tires. I’m planning on picking up the new Garmin speed sensor that just goes around the hub–then it’s going to be swapped between the road bike and the folding bike with 20″ wheels. Can I make a second bike application? Or do I have to go and manually enter the wheel size in the sensor every time I switch?
Can the fenix give you an alert when the sensor reaches freezing temperature?
Is there any way to export the data from the fenix to a phone and use the phone as extra storage? WITHOUT an internet connection. I want to export the track logs to a phone and upload them at a much later date
Only options I see (on the running app) are for alert on “custom” (time, distance based, gives messages like DRINK), HR, run/walk time, pace, time, distance, cadence, calories, elevation. Not seeing alert options outside of apps. Remember the temperature sensor is basically measuring your skin temp without a Tempe.
I turned off my phone’s network connection and tried a Bluetooth Sync. Failed. So you do need a live data connection for that to work. (“Sync upload error” on the GC app.)
Exporting data from Fenix 3 without internet connection – yes, you can, if you have android phone with USB OTG, check this link: link to forums.garmin.com
I made that thread lol, thank you anyway
This may be a dumb question – but if I install a custom data field from ConnectIQ such as the Beers Earned data field, add it to an Activity such as Run, perform the activity, then Save it…does the custom data field get saved to the FIT file? I want to go back and look at this data but it’s not on Garmin Connect and I can’t see it on my watch. Does the data in custom data fields just disappear after you save?
If so that is ridiculously stupid. Why have a data field if you can’t view the data after you perform an activity?
I think I found my answer. Indeed you can not yet put custom data fields on Garmin Connect and the data is not getting saved in the FIT file. Currently they are just viewable during the at ivory and gone once it’s saved.
Hi
Can anyone shed any light on where I should start with gps issues on a new fenix? I’ve done a couple of bike rides which have been accurate but any trail runs have been terrible. The activity below shows a run today – 3 laps up table mountain. It should be about 17ks but it’s registering 7. It does say moving time is less than half elapsed time which is completely wrong – I was going slowly – but still moving. I did also have auto pause turned off.
Any advice appreciated
Thanks
link to connect.garmin.com
I should probably add:
GLONASS was set to on
Recording was set to every second.
Ultratrack was off; 3D speed/distance also off.
I have been using the f3 since 10 March and have found it to be generally great, with just a few exceptions. I run with a Garmin footpod so that when I need to run on a treadmill it is calibrated. However, after 20 outdoor runs with GPS on, the footpod calibration factor continues to read 100.0. I know that can’t be right since my one treadmill run during that time was off substantially and my fr920xt auto calibrated to something in the mid-90s. I have unpaired and repaired it. I unpaired, restarted the watch and repaired it. I know it is supposed to just happen automatically, but still no calibration. Any ideas?
The other problem I have has to do with another sensor: my Garmin speed sensor. Again, I ride with it outside to calibrate it for the trainer. When riding with it, though I have found the distance on familiar courses to be short by more than 15%. The tire size (automatically detected) was right , but the distanc e for the ride was wrong. Any ideas on that one?
Otherwise I am very happy with the watch. I were it virtually always and have noticed no durability problems. It Works really great in pool swimming, as a step counter and on the bike and outdoor runs (other than as noted). It does cut corners, as others have said, but I don’t find that too big a deal. If I could solve the sensor problems, it would be near perfect.
Thanks.
Can the fit files be accessed on an android phone if you connect it with USB OTG? Has anyone had any luck with that? Thanks in advance
Can somebody please share with me the minimum distance of POOL SWIM ALERT and not the min. distance?
Within pool mode, the distance alert is based on lengths. The minimum length is ‘1’, the maximum is ‘100’. Your length is of course defined as the pool length.
Hi ,
A lot of people are talking the GPS issue with the fenix 3 . i also had some when i just bought the watch 3 weeks ago .
i did 2 races recently , a 5K 2 weeks ago and a half marathon this morning , and the watch was really accurate , i was impressed , i’ve never had such an accurate pace with garmin 910xt .
you can see my race this morning at this link : link to connect.garmin.com
i didn’t use the autolap , i was laping by my self .
Gloness on , 3D on , BT off .
Here’s a new issue. Yesterday I went for a mountain bike ride. I noticed half way thru that the distance field was blank. It was still registering speed but nothing for distance at all. I know that it was showing distance until at least mile 8. I got home and the whole ride is showing as 0 feet on both the watch and in Garmin Connect and it seems as if there is a lap in there that is messed up. Strangely (and fortunately) I’ve got GC connected to SportTracks and somehow, the correct distance information shows there. Any thoughts?
I had exactly the same issue yesterday. Riding on my road bike my f3 distance field went blank just after 14 miles. No distance displayed through the end of the ride. Distance showed as zero on the watch and on Garmin connect. The map showed the whole ride, so the GPS was obviously still recording. I don’t have any idea what might have happened.
Hello Guys, Have you seen a resolve for this issue? I have had it happen a few times now. I have the latest SW and have contacted garmin support. The only common factor that I can find when this occurs is that I am in shaded areas where I could see it losing GPS connection.
There hasn’t been any recent updates.
As a general rule though with Garmin devices (we’re talking a multi-year rule), if you see crashes, it’s 95-98% of the time caused by some sort of corruption. Usually corruption in either an activity file or course file. It’s best to cut/paste those to your computer (everything in activities/courses) and see if that helps. Fwiw…
I did a hard rest of the watch (although I couldn’t get it to behave the way it is described on the sites I found, so I don’t think it was a full reset – most of my settings were still in place afterward). Since then, I had no issue on the one ride I did. This was a route where I had an issue previously.
On a related note, Ray, can you add to your post the Cochise instructions for a hard reset? I had real trouble finding them and as I said I’m not sure I really did it right and therefore not sure how effective it was. Thanks!
Hi Ray,
I made a custom workout and started it with:
Training>My Workouts>mycustom>do workout>Run
After the run, even with the usual running stats (pace/distance) there was ‘no map data’ stored and my route could not be plotted in garmin connect or the iOS app.
Am I doing something wrong or is this a bug? Other users (Shirish and Jasper) in your ‘Hands on with Garmin’s Fenix 3 ‘ blog also mentioned this.
Thanks…
Luis – As you noted, someone noted a similar bug in that specific key sequence. I’d definitely hit up Garmin support so your voice is heard on a bug fix there.
Hi Everyone,
Could someone tell me if the Fenix 3 can upload workouts via an iPhone 6 and it’s Bluetooth connection to the phone, rather than via WiFi? I run during lunch at work a lot, and our office WiFi is locked down to supported devices only, so while I can connect my iPhone to the office Wifi, I would not be able to connect the Fenix 3.
Can it do this, and if so would this automatically post to Strava?
Thanks!
Yes, works fine via BT to iphone6 and then to Garmin Connect. I recommend tapiriik.com instead of direct Garmin>Strava connection as the latter marks your Strava runs public last I checked while tapiriik lets them be marked private. Also, Tapiriik can be set to give you time to make notes/comments to the workout in GC and have those copied over.
BTW, set up your phone’s wifi hotspot as one of your wifi connections.
Thanks for that. Good call on the hotspot too.
What would I gain with a wifi connection, if I can upload to GC via BT/iPhone?
I upgraded the firmware from 3.2 and since then – GPS isn’t working 🙁
I’ve done 3 rounds of master resets and contacted Garmin as well and they asked me to ship it back for a return.
I was curious to know if there is anything else I could do before I ship it back ?
Thanks,
Praveen.
My GPS isn’t working since I upgraded the firmware to 3.2 🙁
I’ve already reset the watch thrice and also contacted Garmin and they asked me to ship it back for a exchange.
I was curious to know if there is anything else I could do before I ship it back ?
Let me know.
Thanks,
Praveen.
I sent mine back to CT today. Fenix 3 is definitely the let down of 2015. It could have been so good. My watch also stopped acquiring GPS and the battery was getting worse after every charge. The altimeter is a joke without GPS. If you look over at the Garmin forums these issues are all over. My hopes is Suunto comes to the rescue with Ambit 4.
I’ve had my F3 almost 2 weeks. My first ride was 100% accurate (compared to my edge 510). Not sure what firmware it was running when it first arrived but I upgraded it after the first outing to 3.20. The GPS feels hit and miss – almost half my activities are problematic. For those looking to purchase an F3 I seriously suggest you take a look at the Garmin forums. If I had done so I wouldn’t have bought one – it looks like its still in beta testing from all the complaints. From what I gather (from feedback left on forums) there are both software and hardware issues. Garmin have yet to tell me mine has a hardware issue but struggle to see how the issues I’m experiencing can (only) be software related. As much as I like the look and functionality of this watch it also looks like its heading back to CT..
Wow I was about to buy one, but these review are pretty bad.
Although it seems to be a software (temporary) bug?
Any link to the forum threads?
Has anyone come across the watch just freezing and just vibrating until the battery ran out?
link to youtube.com
It happens from time to time on notifications arriving.
Hold down the light/power key until it switches off, then restart.
One more reason to turn off notifications during activities!
got my fenix3 a week ago (rei) and upgraded to firmware 3.2 immediately. downloaded some watch faces and sunrise app. so far on a couple 6 mile runs in my neighborhood (west la), it matches up with the iPhone 6+’s gps.
only problem has been 1x it didn’t resume connection via bluetooth to the phone and i had to turn off and turn back on the fenix. also, never seemed to get it to connect via wifi, but i’m fine syncing via bluetooth/phone.
apparently new firmware is coming (per a post on the garmin forum from someone who got a message back from garmin customer care) to address the shorter distance in some situations (turns/corners).
overall, after not having worn a watch in a few years, i really like the screen, functionality (multisport, smartwatch notification), and battery life. with altitude was more accurate – every loop (walking dog or run) seems to have different ascent and descent values, so not very accurate. i have skinny wrists and while the strap feels ok, the watch body itself digs into the wrist a bit when i run..plastic bodied suunto is more comfortable in this respect. just ordered a couple nato/zulu straps. the separation off the skin hopefully will help in comfort
Can you provide the link to that response from Garman on that firmware update that is coming?
Stacey, the referred to link is here –
link to forums.garmin.com
However, if you read the whole thread, it is far from clear cut that this is accurate. Garmin’s policy so far seems to be to deny there is any issue.
I was ready to splash out on the Fenix3 (assuming I’m not winning Ray’s giveaway 🙂 , but the discussion on the forums has made me hold off. There are clearly a significant number of people who are having issues with GPS accuracy.
It would be great if Ray could use his links with the engineering team to shed some light as to whether they are actually working on anything around this or not. Though obviously not Ray’s job, would expect to see a better response from Garmin…
After a number of calls with Garmin support they conceded that my device is faulty and will be replaced. I just hope the next one doesn’t suffer from the same problems. I’m starting to feel like Ray – running with more than 1 device!
Ray – would be good if you could lean on Garmin to get an official stance on what is going on.
I’m having some discussions with them back and forth on the topic, and should have a bit more of an official stance to share in the next 24 hours (at most). Cheers.
This is hopefully great news. My new F3 just arrived last night from CT. The one function the software on my 920 had a problem with was email notifications weren’t coming thru, a very big deal as I actually need this function while I’m running long distances during the week. I opened a case with Garmin weeks ago but to date no resolution. I only hope the issues with GPS accuracy and pace on the F3 are resolved quickly or I’ll be eagerly awaiting an Ambit 4 release.
Looking forward to hearing from you Ray on this issue. As you can read on Garmin forum, the GPS accuracy is a big issue for a lot of Fenix 3 owners. Is this hardware? software? Garmin working on it?
Hi All-
Just as an update on the GPS accuracy issues seen, I chatted back and forth a bit with Garmin about it over the last day. My question/inquiry was specifically related to those seeing GPS shortages primarily in wooded areas while running/riding, most often associated with changes in direction and switchbacks. This seems (in my opinion) to be the umbrella for which the majority of complaints are fulling under.
Their official quotable response to that topic area from both the PR lead for the Outdoor team, as well as the program manager for the Fenix product line is below:
“We’re aware of the customer concerns and are working towards a resolution. This is a priority for the Garmin team, and we’ll be sure to communicate to consumers once a firmware update is available to fix the issue.”
They aren’t comfortable giving a specific time frame for said firmware update at this time.
Thank you Ray!! – I’m sure there’s plenty of others besides myself who’ve anxiously been awaiting this response.
I’ve got my fingers crossed both that the update will fix the issues & we’ll see it soon.
Thank you Ray for communicating this topic with Garmin.
I hope they will improve the firmware to get the accuracy of the 920xt. It’s hard to understand why the 920xt seems to do better even though the fenix 3 has the exo antenna.
Thanks Ray, some progress on this at least, as they say admitting you have a problem is the first step.
Thanks Ray!
The GPS reception issue makes my Fenix 3 unsuitable for hiking, which I bought it for. (After all it’s an “on the trail” “adventure watch.”) It’s good news they’re trying to make it work.
Hi Ray
I was very tempted to return the Fenix and get the Suunto but the lack of support for ANT (my power meter) meant it was a no go.. So I still run two computers just in case the Fenix trips up.
I am sure the power that be at Garmin have looked into it but the Fenix 3 severely underestimates the elevation gained on all my rides. Perhaps where it is tripping up is where people are in switchback scenarios and gaining elevation. The algorithm is underestimating elevation gained and therefore this is effecting the distance traveled as well..
As I said, I am sure Garmin are aware of this.. It is a shame that this is happening, GPS is the watches core function, you would expect the latest product to have the most reliable/accurate GPS.. The other ‘smart’ bits are add ons..
I really hope firmware updates sort things out.. Although, I guess being early adopters, some teething issues are to be expected.. I do still love the watch..
This is great news, indeed. We have been getting the usual “we are not aware of any problems in this department” responses from Garmin for weeks, whilst their own forum was overflowing with the distance accuracy issues complaints, many of them explained, tested and documented by very savvy users who had spent incredible time and effort on this and should get a free watch from Garmin instantly.
I cannot help but point out that this Garmin style denial does not help the PR one single bit. People hate to be talked to like they are retarded.
Ray, as far as I know, they not confirming if the issue is a SW or HW design fault. Any insights here?
They’ve stated they see it as fully fixable in software.
Is there a trick to getting fenix 3 data into Apple Health Kit? This thread on Garmin said it just started working:
link to forums.garmin.com
The sticky from Garmin doesn’t list the fenix 3 as supported, but that’s a very old sticky…
Rebooting the phone seemed to make Connect available as a data source in Health, but no data is transferring yet.
Anyone had issues with their step count not appearing on Garmin Connect? Everything else synch’s across apart from this – I’ve tried turning activity tracker on/off and re-booting but to no avail.
Also how many data fields does the Fenix store in it’s history? Is it only specific fields depending on which activity you are doing or does it record everything, in which case how do you show all the other data fields in Garmin Connect?
Hi,
I’m currently thinking about switching from Ambit 3 to Fenix 3. The vibration-alerts, better app (as far as I’ve read), workout planner and the activity tracker (which was one of the arguments for Ambit 3 when it was released, hoping to be improved, which never happened -.-) are some of the reasons for my decision.
Few questions left:
1. Ambit 3 HR-Belt supports saving the heart rate if device gets out of sight (e.g. swimming, soccer, etc.). Is it possible to use that belt with fenix 3, too? I doubt it because Fenix 3 uses only ANT+, right?
2. If I buy Fenix 3 with HR-belt bundle, is it possible to use the belt for Fenix 3 and e.g. treadmill in fitness studios simultaneously, or can it only be paired to one device? If it wasn’t possible to pair both devices simultaneously, would a HR-Belt like H7 from polar work for that?
All in all it’s so hard, there’s no device fulfilling all my demands.
BTW: thx for this review as another excellent one, Ray 😀
1) No, it doesn’t support that belt, for the reasons you noted.
2) The ANT+ strap can be paired to multiple devices concurrently. However, you won’t likely find any gym/treadmill that’ll work with ANT+ straps out there (there’s only one treadmill, and it starts at $10K each). And unlike the H7, it doesn’t broadcast analog either.
ok, thank you! Hoped for a more positiv answer, but ok, can’t change it.
Has anybody here switched from Ambit 3 to Fenix 3 already and could tell his/her impressions?
DCR, quick one: with transition mode set to AUTO, how do you use the F3 in triathlon? Manual says hit “LAP to transition to next activity”…..then later hit “LAP if necessary to start next activity”…does this mean you have to hit LAP at the start and end of each transition or does AUTO mode detect the transition and you only have to hit LAP once for every transition?
You need to hit lap each time you start/end a sport/transition.
Thanks Ray, will give it a go this weekend!
In respect to the GPS accuracy issues that I’ve seen it almost looks as though smoothing algorithm on the GPS data is a little too aggressive which then results in cut corners and inevitably shorter recorded overall distances. Presumably it is a little more than that based on Garmin’s official response as I would image it was a relatively easy fix to adjust the smoothing.
Hopefully they’ll get it fixed soon.
Al.
Quick question. If start an activity normally, say run, then the gps battery and other indicators appear so you know when you are ready to start and have a fix.
I created a workout for a walk/run interval. When I selected it from my training calendar on the watch and clicked do workout, it just said to select the activity (run) and then said press start. No icons appear so how do you know if the gps has been acquired or the hrm detected? I pressed start as instructed and had no pace or distance information for the whole run (though pace would appear momentarily sometimes and go away). But when I uploaded it, there was actually gps track data, and it back filled the distance and pace on garmin connect, while my watch stills shows distance as 0.0mi. Am I doing something wrong?
I use workouts a lot and found that once you select “Run” I wait for the screen o come up and press the down button.
This will show your first ususal “Run” screen with all the indicators for HRM, GPS, etc.
Yesterday it shows the GPS with a red cross, I thenw ent in settings and turned GPS Off and back ON, which fixed the issue…
Thanks. I see that the display does come up as you mentioned. I just got back from a run where I used the workout, and waited for a while (this was before I read your post) and once again it didn’t show any data, and unfortunately didn’t have any data when I uploaded it either. I will try your trick next time I workout.
It does seem like a weird thing though that it doesn’t just go to this screen as the instructions just tell you press start. There is no mention of using down to get to the screen you mentioned that I could find in the manual.
One interesting thing, if this helps anyone else with a similar issue…
I did what Tim suggested, and noted that even though it was in the run program (which has gps enabled) the gps icon had an X on it saying it was not using it.
So I went to the current app settings to check, and it said gps *was* swtiched on, but the display still had the x for no gps.
I toggled the app setting for gps on to off to on again, and then it seemed to find a fix.
Unless I screwed something up in the workout creation this seems like a bug to me.
as stated in my original post I had the GPS issue yesterday as well.
I did not have it before.
It seems to me that since FW 3.2 I am having some issues.
Earlier this week, the watch skipped a workout step, then stopped recording GPS data and disconnected from the HRM. Strangely the GPS track was alter available in Garmin connect…
Only problem so far is, I can be sitting right next to my phone and it will disconnect/reconnect and the vibration of that is going to drive me nuts… My phone is definitely “supported” as I’m using a Moto G..
Examples of compatible phones include: iPhone® 4S & later, Android™ 4.3, Galaxy S3 or later, Galaxy Note 3, Moto X, Moto G, HTC One, Nexus 4 & 5 and later; phone must be Bluetooth Smart. For the full list of compatible smartphones
I hope Ray or someone can help to answer my questions:
I am not a sportman. The sport-related features do not really interest me. In fact I am 169cm and weight 89kg. I am interested in this watch mainly for three reasons. First, the ability to change time automatically based on the GPS location (not sure about this). Second, the navigation back to a saved location (I am a tourist guide and this is useful). Third, it’s nice design.
I do border-crossing between countries very often.
1) Does the time change automatically according to the GPS location? Or do I have to manually turn on GPS to detect the new time?
2) Assuming that I have just crossed the border leaving Thailand into Malaysia (just a few hundred meters away), how do I know that the time has been updated from Thai time to Malaysian time? I see no indicator for country time zone on the display.
3) Say I want to do some walking and explore a few places of interest in a town, can I save multiple locations in the watch a day before, and navigate to those saved locations one after another?
Thanks.
Ray, Anyone,
is there a way to tell fenix to assign a specific name and activity from the dropdown menu in Garmin connect (e.g. kitesurfing) based on custom sport profile within the watch? currently the custom kitesurfing activities get uploaded and named as “indoor cardio”. Thanks!
No, unfortunately not.
Question: on the fenix 2, if I try to send training plans from the connect calendar to the device, it puts (some of) the workouts under ‘workouts’ rather than putting them in the calendar itself, making me to go through all the workouts to find the proper one. on Plus, if I do a workout, the VO2max feature does not work (it only does if I choose ‘running’). Therefor I have to use the FR 620 for running and don’t have any navigating possibility, and use te fenix for hiking etc. Is the fenix 3 solving these issues or not? I would like to switch to one device that does it all, but only if it does it good.