Deals Still On This Weekend! A huge number of the Amazon deals are still going! This includes the Garmin Epix for just $459, and the Fenix 8 for $150 off. The Apple Watch Series 10 for $279, the GoPro Hero 13 Black for $329, smart trainers, drones, action cams, and plenty more! Go check out the full list here!
I’m DC RAINMAKER…
Here’s how to save!
Wanna save some cash and support the site? These companies help support the site! With Backcountry.com or Competitive Cyclist with either the coupon code DCRAINMAKER for first time users saving 15% on applicable products.
You can also pick-up tons of gear at REI via these links, which is a long-time supporter as well:
Alternatively, for everything else on the planet, simply buy your goods from Amazon via the link below and I get a tiny bit back as an Amazon Associate. No cost to you, easy as pie!
You can use the above link for any Amazon country and it (should) automatically redirect to your local Amazon site.
-
Check out my weekly podcast - with DesFit, which is packed with both gadget and non-gadget goodness!
-
5 Easy Steps To The Site
1
In Depth Product Reviews
You probably stumbled upon here looking for a review of a sports gadget. If you’re trying to decide which unit to buy – check out my in-depth reviews section. Some reviews are over 60 pages long when printed out, with hundreds of photos! I aim to leave no stone unturned.
2
Read My Sports Gadget Recommendations.
Here’s my most recent GPS watch guide here, and cycling GPS computers here. Plus there are smart trainers here, all in these guides cover almost every category of sports gadgets out there. Looking for the equipment I use day-to-day? I also just put together my complete ‘Gear I Use’ equipment list, from swim to bike to run and everything in between (plus a few extra things). And to compliment that, here’s The Girl’s (my wife’s) list. Enjoy, and thanks for stopping by!
3
Have some fun in the travel section.
I travel a fair bit, both for work and for fun. Here’s a bunch of random trip reports and daily trip-logs that I’ve put together and posted. I’ve sorted it all by world geography, in an attempt to make it easy to figure out where I’ve been.
4
My Photography Gear: The Cameras/Drones/Action Cams I Use Daily
The most common question I receive outside of the “what’s the best GPS watch for me” variant, are photography-esq based. So in efforts to combat the amount of emails I need to sort through on a daily basis, I’ve complied this “My Photography Gear” post for your curious minds (including drones & action cams!)! It’s a nice break from the day-to-day sports-tech talk, and I hope you get something out of it!
5
The Swim/Bike/Run Gear I Use List
Many readers stumble into my website in search of information on the latest and greatest sports tech products. But at the end of the day, you might just be wondering “What does Ray use when not testing new products?”. So here is the most up to date list of products I like and fit the bill for me and my training needs best! DC Rainmaker 2024 swim, bike, run, and general gear list. But wait, are you a female and feel like these things might not apply to you? If that’s the case (but certainly not saying my choices aren’t good for women), and you just want to see a different gear junkies “picks”, check out The Girl’s Gear Guide too.
Amazing that the Fenix E gets those features and the Epix Pro/Fenix 7 Pro get none.
Garmins sure knows how to keep their customers happy.
Yep, garmin is done with the epix like yesterdays garbage
To be fair, They are still selling the Epix pro and Fenix 7 pro at full RRP and then putting it on sale advertising big savings 🙄
As the owner of an EPIX PRO I am really disappointed. Seems like Garmin is heading down the pathway of maximum monetisation.
@Danny: Except that they are not. F7 Pro/Epix Pro has been removed from the line-up in major markets and is officially on sale in most others.
As this is a surprise all of a sudden?
Garmin is market leader, beginners likely start with “a Garmin” like “I’ll have a coke”. But there is much more healthy alternatives …
The Fenix E, unlike the F7 Pro/Epix Pro, has the same software as the F8, so it’s rather logical. It probably cost Garmin nothing in terms of development, and it highlights a “current” model.
It’s time to understand that you should buy a Garmin watch only for the features it has at the time of purchase. If you really NEED long-term updates (knowing that many of them, if not all, won’t even interest you), buy another brand. This has been Garmin’s policy for years now.
Garmin should jump into the One OS for all device ASAP
Software quality is really bad, remember the Fenix 8 launch and take a look at FRx70 forums …
Taking Fenix 8 example, it’s difficult to buy a Garmin product based on their product description/spec, after less than a year they already pushed :
– Total Added Functions 137
– Total Improved Functions 68
“Garmin should jump into the One OS for all device ASAP”
We’re already starting to see that take shape.
Fenix 8, E, FR570, FR970, Venu X1, and probably some others I’m forgetting, are all sharing the same base. Very slight UI skinning tweaks, but fundamentally the same underlying code. It’s why some bugs I see (like the RoundTrip routing Recalc failures) are seen across all devices equally.
Interestingly, I just saw notification of that specific bug fix going into a slate of devices today on the previous-gen FR units (public beta tracks).
“teh release notes for this build hereXXX”
I guess you were planning to link that somewhere? :)
Indeed, here ya go! https://forums.garmin.com/beta-program/fenix-8-series/f/announcements/415330/beta-version-17-11–check-for-updates-only
Is it meaningful that Garmin skipped an entire major version number going from 15.35 to 17.11b?
Possibly, but I can’t seem to figure it out. I thought maybe aligned to Venu X1, but Venu is on 12.xx at this point.
They skipped 14 already. Strange
Skipping the even numbers is quite odd 🤔
I see what you did there :D
I think most likely a 16.xx did exist and was not released for whatever reason.
Hi Ray – What’s multi sport workout support? Can you create you own group of activities (eg kayak,run cycle) from one activity?
Secondly, with triathlon training plan support, can this be utilised by those of us who don’t do swim training for a more complete run and cycling training plan experience that the existing daily suggested workouts?
Thanks
Ray talked a bit about it in the FR570 post: link to dcrainmaker.com
> Previously, you could only create single-sport structured workouts, but here you can tie together multiple pieces of suffering with specific per-sport structures.
There’s screenshot, etc there.
Thanks Paul
Same, is it a US only feature? Are you in Canada, I am experiencing the same thing, no triathlon adaptive plan, further more, on the website Garmin trails doesn’t show anything on the Canada side
If, in your Garmin App (with a compatible device – so FR570/970/Venu X1/Fenix 8 with updated firmware), and go to:
More > Training & Planning > Garmin Coach Plans > Then add a new triathlon event.
You need to add an event/race to your calendar, and obviosuly set the event type/preferences. From there, it just does stuff automatically, re-arranging automatically as you follow or ignore it, and adjusting the schedule if sleep/stress/etc is out of whack.
I have the 17.11 beta and cannot find triathlon events anywhere in the list (even though they are in my Garmin Connect calendar). If I try “Find a Different Event” the choices are only Running or Cycling. I added a report in Garmin Forums.
Epix Pro/2 Sapphire top of the line Garmin as a 1st time customer who bought June 2024, and in less than a year learned this would be my last Garmin purchase. Charge more for hardware and continue supporting and pushing updates. Or charge much less and change to micro transactions allowing people to open more feature that they care about from the ever updating code base. Do neither and greatly value your overpriced hardware to about as low as Garmin values their user base (but not their wallets).
Moving a flagship product to a dead product line in less than a year is a surefire way to lose customers. Mission accomplished and now I know better than to continue looking for an Edge successor to my aging Wahoo Roam. Or HRM. Was really happy I opted for Assioma over Garmin power meter pedals, and now it’s icing on the f you Garmin cake.
Just a question: What is wrong with your watch. Does it not perform as advertised? In that case it is clearly your right as a consumer to seek remedy. I use a F7pro. Featurewise it probably performs better than I do…;-). Accuracy and fidelity of data is quite good and matches my lab data and outdoor features like the routable maps perform well. So, is there any of the new features that is worth being upset about it? If there is, then it is worth spending money on it, otherwise I respectfully suggest enjoying the stuff we own… in the end it is a real first world problem. cheers!
@Shawn: Garmin DOES “continue supporting and pushing updates” for the F7 (Pro) – latest update was just a week ago.
This!!
The real issue is the end of active development compared to lower priced devices (FRx55/x65 for example), the lack of communication regarding the lifecycle of a product from Garmin.
You can always buy an Epix Pro 51mm for 1050€ on the Garmin Website, it is under “Previous Model” but nothing explain the difference.
link to garmin.com
—
When you know that Fenix E is a rebranded Epix 2 (non-pro, non-sapphire) with the exact same hardware components, this is a marketing choice, not a device limitation !
As an Epix owner the lack of new features, and updates to this watch is pretty disappointing. I get that it’s a few years old now, but this is ridiculous. For such an expensive watch there should be guaranteed updates and enhancements for longer than a few years. This product cycle doesn’t make me want to spend more money on Garmin devices.
The latest update was just 1 week ago…
Garmin do not pushed the last enhancement to F7 Series, since 3 Quarter now … :-(
—
https://forums.garmin.com/outdoor-recreation/outdoor-recreation/f/epix-2/400296/epix-2-series—lack-of-feature-update-compared-to-forerunner
And for example, ECG should be secured by Passcode feature, but it was not pushed to F7 Series !
Just a note, the smart wake alarm was first launched on the Vivoactive 6, before the Venu X1.
There has been an ConnectIQ Calculator from Garmin wich can also handle currency conversion, the new native one can’t do this.
Where do we find the new music controls?
The road/track display transitions seem to be a cool thing. It’s already in the 970 documentation so I think it’s not totally new.
The most important thing missing is a fix for the navigation crashes with round trip routing.
The way Garmin dropped support fpr the 7 Gen watches and is threating us with subscriptions has destroyed my trust into this company. I will stiil use their devices for now, but my “early adopter days” are over. I am going to wait until I can strike a really good, discounted deal on ebay…NO MSRP for me.
When you know that Fenix E is only a rebranded Epix 2 (non-pro, non-sapphire) … :-(
@Hoot: Support for the F7 series has NOT been dropped – latest update was just last week.
The support is active, the F7 Series is now in maintenance state, no more new (big) features.
https://forums.garmin.com/outdoor-recreation/outdoor-recreation/f/fenix-7-series/392054/f7-series—lack-of-feature-update-compared-to-fr-x55-x65
—
Take a look at the changelog ;-)
https://forums.garmin.com/outdoor-recreation/outdoor-recreation/f/fenix-7-series/350860/garmin—fenix-7-epix-2-series—excel-changelog
Coming from a VA4 to F7P, the absence of swipe left/right (customizable shortcuts on the button-starved VA4) was quite a letdown. Buttons are awesome, for some things, but for others that quick sideways flick is so much better.
I really do not understand Garmin.
Since 2021 all the component are quite similar, SoC is the same into all familise and models, Fenix E is a rebranded Epix 2.
But Garmin prefer not to implement a One OS experience, and split there development effort and work over plenty of family products.
The result is a lot work to fix bugs and develop features by product family, etc…
In the same time
– Forerunner 965 is always sold 600€
– Epix 2 Pro 51 is always sold 1050€
– Marq2 also with a price up to 3200€
Yes, a lot of new features. But still no custom datapages for navigation like the Fenix 7 has.
This is very usefull. These Datascreens will only apear in an activity while navigation.
On the Enduro 3/Fenix 8 you have to add the pages in every activity an they mess them up because there is no datas to show when not navigation.
If only genius hackers were as nerdy about sport as they addicted to junk food and Redbull, Garmin devices and their artificially induced upgrade cycles would have been already jailbroken wide open, a custom firmware back-porting all new features to way older devices would be pretty much the norm, and Garmin would be pressed to actually INNOVATE hardware-wise rather than their current enshittified incrementalism.
Instead we get this, while the quality of the software is still utterly horrendous, issue reporting and followup is a complete nightmare, and they keep on piling on activity profiles clearly aimed at US rednecks.
Sad sad state.
I am also disappointed in the hardware movement. Rather than a speaker, mic, and inductive buttons, how about shoving some extra RAM in there to speed up map redraw? That (not doing it) has got to be a conscious decision.
No Evening Report?
Haven‘t you read the list?
„Added Evening Report support“
It is right there …
Yes have, 2 times, but i missed it both times. think i have a heat stroke :/
No love for the Fenix 7 any more? I was hoping we’d get another year of major releases…
I’d actually pay to get updates.
No love since months, even before Forerunner x55/x65 that are now in the same maintenance state.
—
https://forums.garmin.com/outdoor-recreation/outdoor-recreation/f/fenix-7-series/392054/f7-series—lack-of-feature-update-compared-to-fr-x55-x65
Anyone else have update problems to beta 17.11? My Fenix 8 finds and downloads the update, but when installing it shows “preparing” and then reboots to 15.32 without the update
I had a hard time getting 17.11 on it originally. But it’s now had 2 updates since (including last night).
Maybe try turning it off and back on, and see if that clears the block to getting it installed.
Do Garmin watches, or some specific sub-models have a problem with the altimeter after some time? I’ve had a Garmin Instict for a while and suddenly the altimeter stopped working after they swam with them – reading online it seemed like that other people have had the same problem with various models. Has this been a wider problem as far as you are aware of?
I remember having this issue with my Fenix 3 HR. It was due to the small barometer opening on the side of the watch getting clogged up (or maybe the inner membrane hardening/braking down). Try leaving your watch in warm water for a while then gently scrubbing it with a soft toothbrush.
Maybe consider getting in touch with the Garmin support… they can be quite generous regarding replacement for known issues.
It was around F3HR and FR945, but not because of the size of the hole.
The sensor did corrode when swimming in chlorine water due to some chemical reaction wich was triggered by the electricity of the running sensor.
Garmin the disabled the barometric sensor unit in swim mode (it was enabled before because of temperature recording).
Oh, that is … peculiar. I was in the water without the swim mode turned on, so that would not have fixed it :)
Then I suppose I might want a Garmin model that has a different sensor design!
Yeah, ok… I understand that not every Hardware out there can get every software update/feature, but c’mon! A F7P (and Epix pendant) isn’t THAT old yet…?! And I really do think of myself as someone who tries to get both sides. But in this instance? Nope, just won’t get why at least some of these features aren’t coming to the previous gen…Well, Ray has called this out already in another article (if I remember properly) and many other will call it out too, here or on other platforms. I’m just one of many, won’t matter, won’t change anything. I guess it’s just about venting for me… First year that Garmin ist slowly starting to p… me off (subscription service for some GC features that aren’t worth the money AND after paying a premium price for the hardware!? And now they go back to their old “no big feature updates for previous gen devices” path!? Really Garmin…?)
Rant over. Sorry.
only real solution: vote with your wallet.
What the market needs is a proton style company that is privacy-focused, or a home-assistance style project. Garmin, like many (most? all?) US style companies, are despicable their ability of innovating, then ruining.
Starting around the fenix 5, the contemporary Garmin strategy is clearly in a 2-year (ish) platform cycle where a new generational fenix platform is released with very, very underbaked software and a lot of bugs. They roll out new features along with hardware launches based on the same underling generation over the course of the two years and then put that generation into stabilization and maintenance where the updates focus on defect remediation with very few features added. Then they launch a new generation and start the cycle.
The software early in the product generation is extremely rough. When Garmin are actively adding big features they are also often adding new defects and regressions.
Products like the “plus” or “pro” edition of the fenix are minor hardware revisions but are on the same generation of software. They start out more debugged than the launch hardware but are also aligned to the same generation so stop getting the major feature updates the same time as the original launch non-pro version of the generation.
Under this rubric a forerunner 965 is based on an epix 2 which is part of the fenix 7 platform. An epix 2 pro and fenix 7 pro is still a fenix 7 generation.
The feninx 6 generation (released August 2019) is actually what has just stopped getting updates and was retired from the beta program a month ago.
That is new features for 2 years and active updates between 5 and 6 years.
I don’t think Garmin communicates this very well but it appears to be their strategy since about 2017.
And where does the Fenix E fit? Hardware wise it’s just a Epix 2 (non-pro) but software wise seems to be a Fenix 8 otherwise it wouldn’t get all those new features.
“marketting wise” is the correct way to put it.
The fenix E is an attempt at a new strategy of recycling last generation hardware with new software generation in an effort to raise the average selling price. It hasn’t worked so far because the epix 2 and epix 2 pro sell at a discount with better software quality and essentially the same feature set.
In order for it to work long term, Garmin has to stop updating the epix 2 and clear the inventory from the sales channel.
🤮
“In order for it to work long term, Garmin has to stop updating the epix 2 and clear the inventory from the sales channel.”
Indeed, Garmin knows they hosed up on the E strategy, at least in the short term (long-term it makes sense if they can pull it off Apple-like). This is argueably the first real attempt to fix that. And I’d say it’s actually super smart. This gives legit pause to peopel considering Epix/Fenix 7 Pro vs Fenix E. Pause that factually never existed before yesterday.
I think you’ve done a brilliant job describing it. Whether or not people like that cycle is up to one another. it’s way shorter than feature updates on some tech products (laptops, phones, tablets) but it’s more post-purchase feature updates than some other products (try buying a car the year before CarPlay is added).
“This is argueably the first real attempt to fix that. And I’d say it’s actually super smart.”
Garmin also needs to remove epix 2 (and forerunner 965) hardware from the market. They also need to improve the quality of the fenix 8 generation “Garmin OS” because the bugs are still many and the incidence of random crashes is too frequent. As a trivial example, the Power Manager was totally broken in that it appeared to do nothing. Now it is only partially broken in that some of the features do nothing — I confirmed that disabling Music does not disable the Music app today in the latest non-beta firmware.
There are other just usability regressions that shouldn’t be there like the next turn navigation overlay is enormous and covers ~30% of the map and cannot be removed. It used to be less gigantic and also removable in the fenix 7 and fenix 6. The limit of pinned activity types until you have to click or tap an extra time — this was not a thing before trying to differentiate activities from apps and mistakenly prioritizing an infinite list of apps.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m mostly happy with the fenix 8 51mm amoled as an upgrade to the fenix 7x but my wife has an epix 2 pro which is notably less buggy and has a more pleasing set of watch faces that are not so over the top.
“Garmin also needs to remove epix 2 (and forerunner 965) hardware from the market.”
Based on inventory stocks, that won’t happen near term. In all my conversations though, Garmin very much understands the E pickle they’ve got themselves into. It’s not an easy short term problem for them to solve at this juncture (without taking a blood bath on the existing stock). Ultimately, they’re still happy to sell existing Epix 2/965 at a discount and take peoples money, one way or another.
Early adopters get thus to experience high release prices and buggy devices. I guess they can’t help themselves; )
this so true and sad … :-(
Thanks for outlining it like this. That was informative.
What I still miss big time in the Morning Report is the nightly RHR.
Hi Ray, are any of these feats coming to Epix Pro? Buying a new watch every year isn’t sustainable. I would rather pay an upgrade fee or subscription, but I guess the people in Garmin don’t understand subscription game 🤷🏻♂️
Just read the previous comments. The Fenix 7/Epix non-Pro and Pro lines are now in maintenance mode and no new features are to be expected for those watches.
Not sure if I like the idea of a subscription/upgrade fee to get new features…
i won’t pay more, fees, for 800$ device
I hope they do an international version with % instead of tip. Outside of the US I think most would prefer it that way.
My Fenix 8 isn’t updated, but my question and curiosity is: what functions does the calculator have? Food, kilometers, running per hour?
The tip calculator needs a field for the pre-tax total. One does not pay a tip on tax.
I don’t seem to have triathlon adaptative training plan. When I go to Garmin coach, I just have the choice between Garmin run coach and Garmin cycling coach, be it on the app or on the website. I downloaded the beta yesterday. Any solution about that?
Also, I have Garmin tolerance as a widget on my watch but I don’t have it in the stats on the app and on the website. Is it supposed to be on the watch only?
I want to subscribe
Calculator is nothing new to Garmin devices. My Venu 3 had it and pretty sure my Venu 1 may have…
Nope, neither had it. You probably downloaded a 3rd party one from the Connect IQ store.
There is a ConnectIQ calculator from Garmin.
link to apps.garmin.com
exactly, some of the Garmin’s Apps, are now include by default, RunningPower (wrist)/hydration/period/etc.
and now calculator …
No love for Instinct 3? Is that already forgotten? Or is it bc they put the old hr sensor in it?
Something strange here, System 9.xx beta started Ver. 9.07 Beta – 04/11/2025
– Then was released to Public Ver. 9.20 – 05/20/2025
– And today, only 9xx branch is active and under Beta … Ver. 9.23 Beta – 06/20/2025
all information taken from Allory – link to gpsinformation.net
Hi, good news !
Beta 10.xx is available
https://forums.garmin.com/beta-program/instinct-3/f/announcements/415868/beta-version-10-15—check-for-updates-only
Did the predicted race time make it into the update? I cannot figure out how to find it.
Otherwise a really good first beta in my opinion. Seems to be really stable and complete from what I can see in the last 24h.
ahh resolved. The prediction just came up 24h later for the next event.
Am I correct that the only way to view the ‘running tolerance’ info is via the widget glance? Garmin should make this viewable in Garmin Connect so you can see the components on a bigger screen! I think they should make impact load KM/Miles a reported metric in the ‘stats’ section of your workout on Connect.
I see it on Garmin Connect app under More > Performance Stats > Running Tolerance.
The beta update installed yesterday, now the watch is in a reboot loop.
Reset does not bring any results.
Any advice on how to proceed?
On the Fenix 8 review, you mentioned that the new metrics where « thin » to be polite.
With theses addition, is the watch more worthwhile?
I have an epix pro, I don’t intend changing it
Yes, I think this is a substantial update, and arguably, what this should have been a year ago for launch of the Fenix 8. But obviously, Garmin was nowhere near ready for that.
Is the Epix Pro gen. 2 also in the game?
Garmin already do not pushed the last enhancement to F7 Series, since 3 Quarter now … :-(
Do not expect any change
—
link to forums.garmin.com
there’s epix gen.2, and it’s minor revision epix pro. there is no epix pro gen 2.
end of the game for the whole epix series.
Actually there is: link to garmin.com
Garmin calls it the epix™ Pro (Gen 2)
And I wouldn’t call the differences between the original epix 2 and the epix pro as a minor revision.
The only hardware changes with the epix 2 pro are the new oHR module, adding the torch, and the expansion of the size ranges. The sizes and torch existed in the fenix 7 generation platform variant so really the only significant change to the platform is integrating the elevate v5 sensor package. The software generation is the same as the original fenix 7 and epix 2.
The pro and plus generations are “minor” revisions of a base system from the previous year and do not include a major software generation. You get hardware refinements and more debugged software than the original non-pro/plus version.
I’m not commenting on whether this is good or bad. Just observing that this is what Garmin does.
For me, the updated OHR (that allows ECG and temperature readings), the flashlight, the multiband GNSS on all models (the non-Pro epix only had it on the Sapphire model) are not minor revisions and that’s why I have an epix 2 Pro and not the original one :) But I get what you mean.
Garmin also added new metrics on the Pro versions: Hill Score and Endurance Score, but this i’m not sure if it was ported to the original Epix 2 or not (and their usefulness is debatable).
I think you are getting hung up on a value judgment around the word “minor”. The fact remains that Garmin is in a cycle where they update the hardware once within a generational software cycle. And they update the hardware platform and software platform and increment the number of the fenix generation.
Fenix 7/Fenix 7 Pro, Epix 2/Epix 2 Pro, Enduro 2, Quatix 7, Marq 2, and Tactix 7/7 pro/pro ballistics/amoled all share the same firmware revision. The Quatix and Tactix versions some have extra features relating to sailing and aviation respectively. Fundamentally they are all part of a generational software cycle.
You can see this in the beta program by how the firmware distribution and feedback is grouped.