Why I Sold My Garmin Instinct 2X Tactical Real World Review Vs. Fēnix 7X Tactix Sapphire Pro, Amoled 

Light maybe!

I might've mentioned it more specifically in a prior video but I had an opportunity to pick up the 7X Fēnix at a steep discount courtesy of Garmin. In the long run they didn't honor their side of the transaction and so I wound up paying full price for the watch BUT I did need a substantial amount of data to be automatically collected while retaining the amazing battery life of my already favored Instinct 2X. Both being solar is one thing but the Instinct 2X can charge indefinitely (no recharging necessary) while the Fēnix 7X Solar's charging capabilities are just supplemental. You can't charge the Fēnix indefinitely, but at the same time the larger watch (and larger battery/capacity) gives this an almost identical run time. As an example, I recently returned from an over month long outing where I was collecting wildlife and vegetation data and I was off grid the majority of the time. I only charged my 7X once while between destinations, but I believe it could have gone almost four weeks or even more without charging just like my Instinct 2X was capable of. All in all either watch is amazing and the newer tech in the 7X allows quite a bit more data to be recorded while also providing an ECG function that I wanted to have on hand (or on wrist) because of some health challenges that I was actively working through. In hindsight, Garmin hosed me over a bit and I wish it was another brand that had hosed me over because as much as I like their products, I have to say that their ethics as far as customer support is concerned are not customer-centric. They are, as with most of the companies of "our fathers" almost solely (our soul-less-ly) financially driven.

In regard to the Instinct 2X vs the Fēnix I'd say it is only worth it if you are collecting an extreme amount of data, but even then without data "we" know whether we are doing things right or not, more or less, and the only thing in both watches that I cared for beyond timekeeping is knowing which heart rate zone I am in AND having a built in light. I'd say for those two features being in the Instinct 2X already that "No, it is not worth the difference in price to 'upgrade' from the Instinct 2X to the Fēnix UNLESS you need a lot of data both visible and recorded for some reason." Today I am on day 30 of a fasting experience and the data provided by the upgrade while I was way off grid was pretty invaluable, and the battery life of the Fēnix is very comparable to what I was getting on my Instinct 2X... So IF money is not an issue or if the style is more in alignment to someone, then maybe the two are solid competitors for one another. As you noted though, they are definitely in two different classes in terms of price. I recently sold my 2X but UPS hosed me on shipping and they mixed up labels on two items that were shipped so in the long run I got my Instinct 2X back in the mail. I just got back from the off grid outing and to be honest, I am not sure now which watch I will keep after all is said and done. I AM sure though that both have been immensely helpful during my journey where as a non-runner I learned to become a "zone 2" and "5k+" runner with these great coaching devices!

I agree AND at times in the past my heart would do some "funny things" but only in very unusual circumstances that could not be replicated easily in a doctor's office environment. Being said, I wanted to check for AFIB and/or other anomalies on the fly because of my specific situations. So far I've been very pleased with how amazingly accurate the "complete the circuit by touching the bezel" registering of my heartbeat has been, but these are not at all a substitute for going to the doctor. Just takes a bit of distance and time out of the equation when we can instantly check under the hood to see the accompanying diagnostics info, so to speak. The Tactix lineup is amazing! I wonder how these watches will evolve over time. I only wish that these were all "send it back to us for a huge discount" type items where the manufacturer could then "drop in" updated pieces to help these items have a somewhat longer shelf life. Maybe one day soon we'll have a more relevant "secondary" market that helps offset the parts and pieces that are basically ocean (and limited landfill) bound. "Time will tell" :) Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day and stay tuned! My next adventures are hopefully going to bring quite a bit more data to the screen, hopefully in the heart of some of the wildest places I've been in a long time! For that, I wish these current watches had the "Infinity charge" option that the 2X Instinct has BUT two weeks at a time and more with proper efforts should get me through this upcoming effort I hope!

Wow, I didn't know they did that with the update! I guess for power saving or something? I'm not sure, but I know that generally the Connect app updates always seem to disappoint in one way or another. Garmin's support is hit or miss, sometimes they care and sometimes they do not. I wonder in the long run if *any* "smart" device is worth it in the long run considering none are easily maintained in the event of even a battery failure, for example. Who knew we'd be in a "throw away computer" world that is so unsustainable. Maybe in "time" we will just go back to regular watches that CAN be passed down from generation to generation. One can always dream, right? Thanks for visiting, have a great day!

That is pretty cool, being able to swap straps. I didn't think much of it at first but I did find a watch face that I customized (with blue) and found a corresponding strap that really brings a bit more fun to the device for me, so yeah I agree on the straps! I still somehow miss the more rugged "feel" of the Instinct, but the Fēnix easily matches the runtime of my Instinct as far as I could see after taking mine on a month+ outing "into the wild"!

Exactly right! The Amoled is super sharp, first off... AND it does not behave exactly like an old school LCD where you can *easily* see the information in direct daylight AND where you can unobtrusively view the information in a super dark location without blinding yourself. The main thing though was the 10 days of battery. Real world, today is Sunday. Two Sundays ago I turned on ALL sync/sensors on this Fēnix and I am still at 16% with constant use. This watch is the closest in terms of battery life to the Instinct 2X (which I already prefer due to my multiple 2+ week outings into true middle of nowhere locations). As you noted, the old Tactix sensor was the other route I could have gone (great sensor, accurate and consistent) and I almost did just for the green light, but there was another unusual hiccup there. The green on the Instinct was way brighter than the green on the old Tactix AND the red on the Fēnix was slightly more useable than the green on the old Tactix as a result. In the long run these are ALL amazing watches. Parts of the changes had to do with an Instinct 2S that is also in this household (not for long) because as of about a year or a half year ago, the 2S stopped registering any outdoor activity with accuracy. It is like Garmin "unsubscribed" from a specific overhead GPS or had some "planned obsolescence" in mind all along for their 2S which takes the fun out of using their devices for recording routes/etc. The point is that had I not experienced the ECG feature (useful for me during a specific phase of health interests) I'd still be rocking the Instinct 2X Tactical because it really does all that I generally wanted when I got the device... Having tried "always on" with the Amoled, the issues are 1) the display does not look the same in direct baking nonstop direct Texas desert sunlight and 2) the battery life is not exactly up to 10 days under the conditions that I am subjecting myself and my gear to. Hope that makes sense! Side note, my ULTIMATE combo would be to have some tech shop swap out the LED (if they are similar) from the Amoled Tactix to the Fēnix, but my thoughts are that in the not too distant future all of these options and more will be available whenever it is time again for me to look at these devices. Either way I hope you have a great day and an amazing week! Thanks for visiting!

This video gives the people what they want 👍

@@SpiritualDevil thank you for the detailed response. I appreciate you taking the time to provide it!

​@@SpiritualDevilwill you be doing videos about the sharks in the Gulf?

@@VolkerHelmich I might, but probably not soon. Not sure if you saw any of the beach footage of birds that I’d shared although I have a feeling that even the birds showed some unusual food related actions in what I did see in person. For perspective, a few years back I could walk a mile up the beach and spot a lot of life in the water itself. Like back when I could walk the roads in West Texas and find snakes every tenth of a mile or a quarter of a mile apart on many nights. Now? Like everywhere else, some of the wildlife is acting in ways that it was not exactly behaving “before the change”. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-RLx7cXbeRA8.htmlsi=O4tn25BbmlKfFW1w

@@TheDeeStain I don’t think so, unless you jump out of helicopters or need a ballistics app (or want the green LED flashlight : )

@@SpiritualDevil Yep exchanged it for the fenix 7x pro solar sapphire. For some reason the tactix amoled was laggy and I tested the same watch face and same data with the fenix and it was much more responsive. The flash light was the biggest difference I saw in terms of turning off and on. Amoled screens are nice but you can’t beat the always on display of the MIP.

One has the MIP (daytime visible) color screen and the other has the AMOLED (only constantly visible with backlight "always on") screen. The battery life is impacted considerably to have one perform like a watch with an always on screen AND it is harder to view the MIP sometimes when moving between dark and very bright areas. In the long run I absolutely prefer the MIP variation. The LED screens are nice, but I like things to be low key, stealthy and truly tactical. A bright (even stopped down to dim) LED screen attracts a lot of unwanted attention, particularly in nature where the moths and other critters are drawn to lights in the middle of nowhere. As far as the best model though, they seem to have specific applications. For me, the MIP may be best, especially for the extreme battery life between charges in some cases, and for others they may always be able and ready to charge a device maybe even daily as needed and they may like the bright and beautiful AMOLED screen, so it might come down to preference in that regard! :)

The watch face is called Teko by frinkr and it is free for a limited amount of time and then a $5 contribution will disable the "blinking key" that will begin flashing after the trial period expires. I definitely like the watch face enough to contribute to frinkr's cup of coffee after reviewing the available Garmin watch faces. Garmin has some good ones, but not like this one!

Thanks, I'll try it!

Probably about as long as I feel like it I suppose? How long can you talk about anything in a "positive" light?

These are some heavy hitters for sure! I can hardly wait to see what they come up with next :)

@@Mav646 I compared this to the Instinct 2, the 2X Pro, the Tactix Pro and the Tactix Amoled. The truth is that these are ALL accurate enough to register changes during a given activity such as walking, running or even just sitting around the house typing at the screen. As far as calorie burn insights, almost all predictive tools for calorie burn are useless in the face of consuming terrible calories made up of processed junk. Being said, I definitely don’t use my devices to measure calories or to justify what I decide to eat. The GPS and overall fun of having a computer-like “K.I.T.T.” watch feature and more on ALL of these watches is quite amazing. However: None of these tech items (or hardly anything anymore) are sustainable in any way. That much is extremely clear AND should be looked into in a timely manner.

@@SpiritualDevil sorry but I walk on my treadmill every morning and I can’t get it to register 90 beats a minute yet when I step off and count my pulse for a minute it’s around 130. I’m about to buy a heart rate chest strap to confirm. My Fitbit versa was way More accurate as I’ve only had this fenix 7x pro for a month. And I would still be using the Fitbit versa if they didn’t take a dump every year and have to purchase another one. I’m very disabled in on my diet and calorie intake and consume and cut on 3000 calories as I’m super active and work construction in Florida. This fenix says I barely burn 2500 Calories a day yet I lose weight eating 3000. My Fitbit was around 3500 calorie burn a day. I know for a fact this fenix 7x is far from accurate. And I don’t use this watch to dictate what I eat either. I am just very strict and consume the same foods and amounts every single day. I’m just saying for the price it’s very disappointing that it’s that inaccurate

​@@Mav646 You might want to contact Garmin if your device is not working properly. No need to apologize here. The chest strap IS more accurate but as with probably a thousand reviews of the functionality of these items, the strap might be a little faster on the detection of heart rate shifts, but it is still not "in a lab" accurate. On the Fitbit taking a dump annually, ALL of these unsustainable devices do the same eventually. We are transitioning from Instincts (one a 2S and one a 2X) and the difference in GPS sensors used to be next to zero. Suddenly this past year the 2S (smaller Instinct) began registering walks of 1 mile at .25 or .3 miles. The bigger 2X did fine. We were told by Garmin that the 2S uses "different GPS tech" (they didn't say that something was being moved out of the "supported" range but they suggested getting a Fēnix or another Instinct 2X). Bummer. As far as losing weight and building muscle, for me the calorie counting is secondary. The quality of what we consume is still the priority. For me, my weight gains or losses are directly tied to the reality of what I am eating and will never be assisted by a calorie counter on these devices. Either way the GPS and flashlights built into these devices now are just amazing! I've suggested to loved ones who have gotten lost on hikes to consider one, I even tried to "give away" my Instinct 2X to my relative's spouse, but they prefer the basic features of their Fitbit because it is "easier to use". Whatever the case, I agree with you wholeheartedly that the price on these is such that we *could* expect better. Worst part for me is knowing that every dollar on MANY devices (think televisions for example) are useless dollars on throwaway items because without a "signal" the merchandise we buy can become obsolete. I have a Jeep. My Jeep USED TO have the ability to pair to many smart devices. Now? A special dongle is needed to use *some* of the features the vehicle was sold to me with. What I am disappointed with is the fact that none of it can be "updated" simply (if at all) when something like the battery fails or when a "GPS contract negotiation" falls through or is moved out of the lineup and causes all reliant devices to suddenly become that much less valuable. Anyway, I am 100% enjoying having a watch that is like my Timex with Indiglo... Except that the watch helps me navigate uncharted deserts, lights the way when I am caught in the dark AND has a very predictable long lasting battery... Like my former Instinct 2X. Overall, I'm still grateful these are options to begin with. Whatever the case, I'm mostly grateful to have great conversations with amazing people around the nation and around the world about these topics. Thank you so much for visiting, I hope you have an amazing day and that we can all "find the way" without a device and "regain our health" knowing that we didn't ever need a tracking device from the beginning. Peace & Love! :)

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Thanks for the "warning" for those who are dehydrated. Meanwhile, my videos and pacing are not strenuous, though being hydrated at ALL TIMES is good insight... Not just when you are someone to complain about others (without the bravery to do so face to face). Thanks for visiting, have a refreshing day!

Interesting level of effort for someone who didn't like what they saw and/or heard... What was the bait? Did I try to sell anyone my own products for a profit? Either way, I "liked" your comment... Virtually... Because it does in fact contribute to the growth of this channel. Thank you for your input and your time! Have a great day! )

@@SpiritualDevil Thanks for taking the criticisim. But the reason I came to the video was to understand the WHY anyone would return a Garmin 2X and go back to the finix lineup. But I was not able to get the solid reason as to why. Was it performance, graphics, GPS issues, Red vs Green night light issues etc.

@@aargomemnon Understood, though I never returned my 2X. I did try to sell it on eBay (disastrous results except now I still have the 2X AND 7X for now) and either way in the long run despite me liking the green light and 2X overall, the additional data from the 7X and comprable battery life (non-Amoled 7X) has me somewhat more in favor of the 7X. Since I had these along with the Tactix (Amoled and non-Amoled) I mostly wanted to show how similar and different the four items were in a quick demo that showed my unique perspective, the red/green lights and display issues I discussed just now are mentioned in this video itself. I hope it at least helped with some insight, none of these watches are a great “investment” for a return in the long run other than the data recorded and stats as they are used by the user, but for me the two IMPORTANT features are: Battery life (esp in the middle of nowhere) Useful Features (esp a light “on hand” at all times) I still prefer the green light and wish I knew someone who could swap this one piece between these variants and I’d then have an easy decision between the 2X and 7X, though the 7X still provides more data insight than the 2X, esp if someone is doing some strange thing like going through a 40 day/no eating extended fast while wanting to measure heart activity and other data to ensure some form of awareness in the absence of medical team opportunities. And yeah, I actually did (am doing) this. Today is day 36 for me where I spent well over 25 or so of that off grid. Have a great day! :)