Garmin Epix Pro 2 Sapphire vs Epix 2 Sapphire

Garmin released the Pro series range of Epix smartwatches in May 2023. Epix 2 standard edition watches have been around since January 2022.

We look at two specific variants of Epix smartwatches in this comparison study.

We are talking about Garmin Epix Pro 2 Sapphire edition with the Epix 2 Sapphire edition. For our study, we are comparing 47 mm variants of both watches.

Let us compare both watches below.

Smartwatch features covered in this post

Main differences

The main differences between Epix Pro 2 Sapphire edition watch and Epix 2 Sapphire edition watch are shared here under.

Epix Pro 2 Sapphire smartwatch gets a LED flashlight.
Epix Pro 2 Sapphire also gets additional training metrics that include the endurance score and load ratio.
Epix Pro 2 Sapphire edition watches are compatible with wind meter. So, you can get true wind speed with compatible wind sensors.
Epix Pro 2 Sapphire watches have additional profiles for outdoor recreaction and cycling.
Epix Pro 2 Sapphire and Epix 2 Sapphire edition smartwatches come at a list price of $999.99. It is expected that the price of Epix 2 Sapphire edition watches will be revised downwards in the next few weeks.

You can note that there are no substantial differences between the Epix Pro 2 Sapphire and Epix 2 Sapphire watches.

We cover the main aspects of both watches below.

Display

Epix Pro 2 Sapphire and Epix 2 Sapphire edition watches come with Sapphire glass. Sapphire is the second hardest natural mineral available in the world.

Watches made with Sapphire glass tend to be scratch resistant. These watches show remarkable resilience in day to day to wear and tear situations.

Both watches use the AMOLED display for better screen brightness and clarity. Always-on-display is available on both the smartwatch modes.

Display specifications	Epix Pro 2 Sapphire	Epix 2 Sapphire
Display lens	Sapphire crystal glass	Sapphire crystal glass
Display shape	Round	Round
Display size	1.3″ or 33 mm	1.3″ or 33 mm
Display resolution	416 x 416 pixels	416 x 416 pixels
Display technology	AMOLED	AMOLED
Always on display	Yes	Yes
Color display	Yes	Yes
Touchscreen	Yes	Yes
LED Flashlight	Yes	No
Ambient light sensor	Yes	Yes

Epix Pro 2 Sapphire edition watch gets LED Flashlight. Epix 2 Sapphire edition watch does not have the LED Flashlight feature.

Physical specifications

Epix Pro 2 Sapphire and Epix 2 Sapphire share most physical specifications. You will hardly find a characteristic or feature that is unique to any one watch,

A full list of physical specifications and capabilities of Epix Pro 2 Sapphire and Epix 2 Sapphire are given below in a side-by-side comparison.

Specifications	Epix Pro 2 Sapphire	Epix 2 Sapphire
Watch size	47 x 47 x 14.6 mm	47 x 47 x 14.5 mm
Watch thickness	14.6 mm	14.5 mm
Watch weight	70 g	70 g
Bezel	Titanium	Titanium/Carbon grey DLC Titanium
Band material	Silicone	Silicone
Band size (Silicone)	22 mm	22 mm
Recommended wrist circumference	125-208 mm	125-208 mm
Band options	Silicone, Metal, Fabric and Leather	Silicone, Metal, Fabric and Leather
Device storage	32 GB	32 GB
Water rating	10 ATM (100 Meters)	10 ATM (100 Meters)
Swimming profile	Pool Swimming, Open Water Swimming, Swimming/Running	Pool Swimming, Open Water Swimming, Swimming/Running
Wireless connectivity	ANT+, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth	ANT+, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Wireless network	Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz	Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz
Accelerometer	Yes	Yes
Compass	Yes	Yes
Gyroscope	Yes	Yes
Garmin Elevate Heart Sensor	Yes	Yes
Pulse Ox SpO2 monitoring	Yes	Yes
Thermometer	Yes	Yes
Barometric altimeter	Yes	Yes
iOS compatible	Yes	Yes
Android compatible	Yes	Yes
NFC Payments	Garmin Pay	Garmin Pay
Charger	Garmin wire charger	Garmin wire charger

Except for the DLC coated titanium bezel’s additional option in Epix 2 Sapphire, there are no differences in the physical specifications of Epix Pro 2 Sapphire and Epix 2 Sapphire edition watches.

GPS

Epix Pro 2 Sapphire and Epix 2 Sapphire support GPS, GLONASS and Galileo networks.

Both watches have the multi-frequency positioning sensor. The multi-frequency positioning sensor enabled multi-mode GPS on both watches.

Thus, both watches can support dual frequency and assure you of a much better GPS reliability and accuracy.

Apart from the multi-band GPS, Epix Pro 2 Sapphire and Epix 2 Sapphire also support the SatIQ technology.

SatIQ technology is a new technology that allows to manage multi-mode GPS dynamically.

If the GPS signal is poor or of weak strength, SatIQ will toggle on the multi-band GPS mode. When the GPS signal is good, multi-band GPS mode is toggled off and simple GPS mode is used.

SatIQ technology helps in optimum usage of the smartwatch battery. It is an interesting and essential technology because it limits the battery drain caused by the multi-band GPS mode to a great extent.

Without SatIQ technology, multi-band GPS mode would have drained the watch battery very quickly. SatIQ helps in conserving battery by toggling off the multi-band GPS mode when the GPS networks and strength are strong.

Epix Pro 2 Sapphire and Epix 2 Sapphire edition watches support multi-band GPS mode. Both watches also include the SatIQ technology for optimum use of the multi-band GPS capability.

Music

Epix Pro 2 Sapphire and Epix 2 Sapphire come with 32 GB of internal device storage. This memory can be used to store music files locally on the smartwatch.

Both watches give you the full music features. So, Epix Pro 2 Sapphire and Epix 2 Sapphire can offer the following music features:

Both watches can store music files on the smartwatch.
Music files can be directly controlled from the smartwatch for offline playing.
You can control and play music on the paired smartphone from the watches directly.

You will still need a Bluetooth speaker or headset to listen to music.

Thus, Epix Pro 2 Sapphire and Epix 2 Sapphire edition watches offer full music functionality alike.

Wind meter compatibility

Epix Pro 2 Sapphire is wind meter compatible. It can connect to compatible wind sensors over a Bluetooth connection.

The data collected by wind sensors becomes available on the smartwatch directly.

Prior to the Epix Pro 2 series, only the Instinct 2X Solar Tactical and the Tactix 7 Pro Ballistics watches were compatible with wind meters.

The following wind sensors are compatible with Garmin smartwatches:

5700AL Elite
5700AL-I ITAR Elite
5700AL-R Elite with prebuilt Ruger profiles
5700XAL X-hardware Elite
5700XALSF X-hardware Elite for SF
5700XEL ABX Elite (Military version)

It may be pertinent to mention over here that not all people will need the wind meter feature. It is a useful tactical feature for sailors.

Epix Pro 2 Sapphire is compatible with wind meters.

Additional activity profiles

Epix Pro 2 Sapphire has a few additional profiles for outdoor recreation and cycling. We list these profiles below.

In cycling, Epix Pro 2 offers an additional profile for BMX.

In outdoor recreation, Epix Pro 2 offers additional profiles for Motorcycling, Overlanding, Motocrossing, ATVing, Ice Skating, Boating, Sailing, Sail Racing, Padel, Badminton, Squash, Table Tennis, Archery, Whitewater, Obstacle Course.

Costs

Epix Pro 2 Sapphire costs $999.99 while the list price for Epix 2 Sapphire is $999.99. There is a strong possibility of the Epix 2 Sapphire to get a new discounted revised pricing soon.

Final verdict

At this point of time, there are not too many differences between the Epix Pro 2 Sapphire and Epix 2 Sapphire that merit a need for an upgrade.

Practically, you are getting the additional function of an LED Flashlight on the Epix Pro 2 Sapphire. Other core features of Epix Pro 2 Sapphire and Epix 2 Sapphire remain unchanged.

If there is an incremental cost for the Epix Pro 2 Sapphire variant, you may choose to upgrade or not depending on the need for additional activity profiles or LED Flashlight.

As mentioned above, the core features of Epix Pro 2 Sapphire and Epix 2 Sapphire are same. So, your decision should be based on the highly specific requirements for specific activities on the Epix Pro 2 Sapphire watches.