With the release of the Garmin EPIX Gen 2 smartwatch collection making history as one of the brand’s most ground-breaking outdoor GPS watches, it seems only right to take a look back at how the design came to be. Here’s a brief history of the Garmin EPIX…
Founded in 1989, Garmin began their history focusing largely on GPS systems for cars and handheld navigational systems for hikers and explorers. It was only in 2003 that they expanded their product line further, adding a range of Garmin smartwatches to their extensive portfolio of designs. It wasn’t long before Garmin’s range of fitness watches for runners, golfers and swimmers were leading the way in innovation and durability. Then in 2015, they combined the navigation technology used in their navigation devices with a smartwatch design, naming it the Garmin EPIX. The GPS watch became the brand’s first hands-free navigator.
The Garmin EPIX watch was a huge success with hikers and outdoor explorers, offering a rare high-resolution 1.4inch colour touchscreen and a wide range of preloaded mapping features. There was preloaded Recreational Map Europe, a worldwide shaded relief basemap, a free 1-year subscription to BirdsEye Satellite Imagery plus an extra 8GB of built-in memory for additional maps should you wish to download more. With just a simple push of the button, the Garmin EPIX would mark your position accurately on the map using the steel EXO™ antenna for GPS and GLONASS which paired nicely with the advanced sensors for altimeter, barometer and compass functionality.
For several years, the Garmin EPIX was the brand’s leading navigation tool until it eventually lost traction and disappeared from their collections altogether. That was until 2022, when Garmin officially announced the revival of the EPIX with the release of the Garmin EPIX Gen 2 smartwatch collection. Just like its predecessor, the Garmin EPIX 2 is designed as a durable and reliable outdoor GPS watch with a range of adventure-ready features equipped within. There’s full-colour TopoActive maps that show details of road networks, forests, terrain contours, elevation information, lakes and points of interest. There’s also Multi-GNSS support with GPS, GLONASS and Galileo, ABC sensors, an acclimation widget, Pulse Ox sensor, heart rate monitor and ClimbPro feature.
One of the biggest improvements of the Garmin EPIX Gen 2 watch compared to the original is the introduction of an AMOLED display. The touchscreen is incredibly responsive and super bright and crisp meaning those full-colour maps have never looked better. There’s also an always-on mode you can use during workout tracking and gesture support so the screen activates when you tilt your wrist towards yourself. Battery life has also been upgraded on the Garmin EPIX 2 with up to 16 days of power in smartwatch mode, 21 days in battery saver watch mode, 42 hours with GPS only, 75 hours in max battery GPS and up to 14 days in expedition GPS mode.
If you’d like to learn more about the Garmin EPIX watch collection and shop all the latest designs for yourself, head over to the Jura Watches website here. Alternatively, get in touch with the team by calling 01335 453453 or send us a message at help@jurawatches.co.uk.
