Garmin Fenix 7 Pro series smartwatches were released in the last week of May 2023. These watches succeed the Fenix 7 series smartwatches released in the year 2022.
Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire Solar and Fenix 7 Pro Solar are the Pro series solar watches. Both watches use solar energy to build the charge on the battery.
Let us look at the two Fenix 7 Pro solar watches and compare them in a quick side-by-side comparison.
Main differences
- Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire Solar uses Power Sapphire glass while the Fenix 7 Pro Solar uses Power Glass. The inherent difference between the two glasses is explained below.
- Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire Solar uses titanium in the bezel and rear cover. Fenix 7 Pro Solar uses stainless steel in the bezel and back cover.
- Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire Solar is costlier than Fenix 7 Pro Solar by $100.
There are no other differences between the Fenix 7 Sapphire Pro Solar and Fenix 7 Pro Solar.
We touch upon the characteristics of both watches below.
Display
Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire Solar and Fenix 7 Pro Solar use a similar set of display configurations. The difference lies in the type of display lens of both watches.
Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire Solar uses a Power Sapphire Solar glass.
Power Sapphire Solar glass contains a layer of Photovoltaic cells on top of the Sapphire glass. These Photovoltaic cells (PV cells) capture sunlight and process it to build the charge on the battery of the watch.
Sapphire crystal is considered the second hardest naturally available mineral in the world. It is second to diamond in terms of hardness.
Watches made of Sapphire glass are known to be scratch resistant. These watches handle day-to-day wear and tear very efficiently. And, sapphire glass watches are considered durable for longer periods of ownership/
Fenix 7 Pro Solar uses Power Glass for solar charging.
Power Glass is a layer of Photovoltaic cells on top of the Corning Gorilla Glass. In other words, the Corning Gorilla Glass is superimposed with a layer of PV cells to help in solar charging.
It may be pertinent to mention here that there is no difference in the performance of solar charging done by a Sapphire Solar glass or the Power glass.
For matters of reference, all the display specifications of Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire Solar and Fenix 7 Pro Solar are shared below for quick consideration.
| Display specifications | Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire Solar | Fenix 7 Pro Solar |
|---|---|---|
| Display lens | Power Sapphire | Power Glass |
| Display size | 33 mm or 1.3″ | 33 mm or 1.3″ |
| Display type | MIP (Memory in pixel) | MIP (Memory in pixel) |
| Display resolution | 260 x 260 pixels | 260 x 260 pixels |
| Display shape | Round | Round |
| Color display | Yes | Yes |
| Touchscreen | Yes | Yes |
| LED Flashlight | Yes | Yes |
| Ambient light sensor | Yes | Yes |
Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire Solar uses a Power Sapphire display glass and Fenix 7 Pro Solar uses a Power glass. Other display parameters of both watches are same.
AMOLED display remains elusive on the Fenix 7 Pro series. The AMOLED display drains the battery faster than the MIP display screen. This could, possibly, explain the missing AMOLED and Always-on-display in the Fenix 7 Pro series solar watches.
Physical specifications
Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire Solar uses titanium in the bezel and rear cover of the watch. Fenix 7 Pro Solar uses stainless steel bezel and rear cover.
Apart from these differences in the body material, there is no difference in the hardware configuration of Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire Solar and Fenix 7 Pro Solar smartwatches.
For a quick side-by-side comparison of the physical specifications of both watches, use the table below.
| Specifications | Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire Solar | Fenix 7 Pro Solar |
|---|---|---|
| Watch size | 47 x 47 x 14.5 mm | 47 x 47 x 14.5 mm |
| Thickness | 14.5 mm | 14.5 mm |
| Watch weight | 73 g | 79 g |
| Watch body | Fiber-enforced polymer with titanium rear cover | Fiber-enforced polymer with stainless steel rear cover |
| Bezel | Titanium | Stainless steel |
| Band material | Silicone | Silicone |
| Band size | 22 mm | 22 mm |
| Recommended wrist circumference | 125-208 mm | 125-208 mm |
| Band material options | Silicone, metal, fabric, leather | Silicone, metal, fabric, leather |
| iOS compatible | Yes | Yes |
| Android compatible | Yes | Yes |
| 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+, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi | ANT+, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi |
| NFC Payments | Garmin Pay | Garmin Pay |
| Accelerometer | Yes | Yes |
| Compass | Yes | Yes |
| Gyroscope | Yes | Yes |
| Garmin Elevate Heart Sensor | Yes | Yes |
| Pulse Ox SpO2 sensor | Yes | Yes |
| Thermometer | Yes | Yes |
| Barometric altimeter | Yes | Yes |
| Charger | Primary charger is Garmin wire charger | Primary charger is Garmin wire charger |
Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire Solar uses a titanium bezel while the Fenix 7 Pro Solar has a stainless steel bezel. From the appearance point of view, you may pick either material of your personal liking.
Other physical attributes of both watches are same.
GPS
Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire Solar and Fenix 7 Pro Solar support GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo GPS networks.
Both watches can work on the multi-band GPS mode.
Multi-band GPS mode has been made possible by the addition of the multi-frequency positioning sensor in these Fenix 7 Pro smartwatches.
Multi-band GPS or dual frequency GPS allows you to get GPS data from multiple satellites at any given point in time.
Multi-band GPS improves GPS accuracy and reliability. However, multi-band GPS drains your battery charge very quickly.
To offset the high battery usage in the multi-band GPS mode, both watches come with SatIQ technology.
SatIQ technology involves a sensor. It is a thinking technology or an intelligent technology.
SatIQ manages the multi-band GPS mode. If the GPS signal is weak, SatIQ will automatically toggle on the multi-band GPS mode.
If the GPS signal is of decent quality, SatIQ technology will toggle off the multi-band GPS mode and use the simple GPS mode for fetching GPS data.
SatIQ technology, therefore, helps in optimizing the battery usage on the Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire Soalr and Fenix 7 Pro Solar smartwatches.
Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire Solar and Fenix 7 Pro Solar watches come with multi-band GPS support and SatIQ technology.
Garmin ECG
The Garmin ECG app was not a part of the Fenix 7 Pro series smartwatches during the launch.
In October 2023, support for the Garmin ECG app was enabled on the Fenix 7 Pro series smartwatches. So, as of updating this in November 2023, we can confirm that the Garmin ECG app is supported on the Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire Solar and Fenix 7 Pro Solar smartwatches.
The Garmin ECG app received FDA approval in January 2023. It was rolled out to the Venu 2 Plus series smartwatches before any other Garmin watch.
Subsequently, the Venu 3 series, Fenix 7 Pro series, and the Epix 2 Pro series smartwatches were upgraded in October 2023 to include the support for the Garmin ECG app.
The Garmin ECG app is very useful in detecting conditions of Atrial Fibrillation or irregular heart rhythm conditions.
It may be pertinent to mention that the Garmin ECG app may not be used for use as a medical device. The ECG app is an indicator of potential heart conditions. A final decision concerning heart health has to be taken by a heart specialist.
Music
Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire Solar and Fenix 7 Pro Solar smartwatches provide full music functionality. This includes the following music features:
- You can store audio content on the watch’s internal storage. Both watches have a storage of 32 GB.
- You can manage the smartwatch music directly from the watch.
- You can also control and play music from the paired smartphone.
Solar charging
Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire Solar and Fenix 7 Pro Solar make use of sunlight for charging the smartwatch battery.
However, solar charging is considered the secondary battery charging method. The primary method for charging the battery on both watches is the Garmin wire charger.
The wire charger is shipped with the smartwatch.
For solar charging to be successful or for it to make a meaningful impact, you need to ensure that the following conditions are adhered to:
- You must expose the smartwatch to sunlight for at least 3 hours every day.
- There must be ample sunlight or brightness. Your watch must be exposed to sunlight with a luminosity of 50000 lux or more.
Unless you spend considerable time outdoors, solar charging may not make any noticeable impact on the battery life.
Battery
Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire Solar and Fenix 7 Pro Solar use the same size battery and offer similar backups.
The amount of battery backup on each watch in different watch modes is shared below.
| Watch mode | Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire Solar backup | Fenix 7 Pro Solar backup |
|---|---|---|
| Smartwatch mode | Up to 18 days/22 days with solar | Up to 18 days/22 days with solar |
| GPS mode | Up to 57 hours/73 hours with solar | Up to 57 hours/73 hours with solar |
| All Satellite Systems | Up to 40 hours/48 hours with solar | Up to 40 hours/48 hours with solar |
| All Satellite Systems + Music | Up to 10 hours | Up to 10 hours |
| All Satellite Systems + Multi-band | Up to 23 hours/26 hours with solar | Up to 23 hours/26 hours with solar |
| Max Battery GPS | Up to 136 hours/289 hours with solar | Up to 136 hours/289 hours with solar |
| Expedition GPS | Up to 40 days/74 days with solar | Up to 40 days/74 days with solar |
| Battery Saver Watch Mode | Up to 57 days/173 days with solar | Up to 57 days/173 days with solar |
There is no difference in the battery backup of Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire Solar and Fenix 7 Pro Solar.
Costs
Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire Solar comes at a list price of $899.99 and the Fenix 7 Pro Solar has a list price of $799.99. The difference in cost is of $100 only.
The difference in costs can be attributed to the cost of Sapphire glass.
Final verdict
The core functionality and features of Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire Solar and Fenix 7 Pro Solar are the same.
Essentially, picking one of these models would depend upon your liking for the Sapphire glass. If you are looking for Sapphire glass for its scratch-resistance, Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire Solar watch will tick all the boxes.
For folks who are fine with Power glass, Fenix 7 Pro Solar offers everything that Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire can offer for $100 less.
Suggested reading
You may like to read more smartwatch comparisons below:
- Garmin Epix Pro 2 Sapphire vs Epix 2 Sapphire
- Garmin Epix Pro 2 vs Epix 2
- Garmin Venu 2 Plus vs Venu 2
- Garmin Venu 2 Plus vs Instinct 2
- Garmin Epix 2 vs Fenix 7
- Garmin Epix 2 Sapphire vs Fenix 7X Sapphire Solar
- Garmin Fenix 7X Sapphire Solar vs Epix 2
- Garmin Fenix 7X Sapphire Solar vs Fenix 7 Sapphire Solar
- Garmin Fenix 7X Sapphire Solar vs Fenix 7 Solar
- Garmin Instinct 2X Solar vs Instinct 2
- Garmin Forerunner 965 vs Fenix 7X Sapphire Solar
- Garmin Epix 2 vs Forerunner 955 Solar
- Garmin Forerunner 955 vs Epix 2
- Garmin Forerunner 965 vs Epix 2