Fenix 7 does not have LTE or cellular connectivity as we write this piece in January 2023. This is true for all the models of the Fenix 7 range of Garmin smartwatches. It has been a year since Fenix 7 was launched by Garmin.
We expected that LTE or cellular connectivity would be part of the Fenix 7 standard feature set. But, cellular connectivity or LTE connectivity remains elusive on the Fenix series smartwatches.
In terms of wireless connectivity, Fenix 7 does offer the following:
- Bluetooth connectivity
- ANT+ connectivity
- Wi-Fi connectivity
The lack of LTE and the strategy for LTE integration by Garmin remains a sore point for long-time users of Garmin devices. LTE connectivity is part of the Forerunner 945 LTE series running watches. However, the Forerunner 955 does not have LTE connectivity.
So, it remains unclear as to what direction is Garmin taking in terms of offering basic cellular or LTE connectivity on the Fenix series smartwatches. In fact, there has been a full-blown discussion around the LTE strategy or the lack of it on Garmin’s Fenix 7 forum here.
Garmin does realize that the lack of cellular connectivity on Fenix smartwatches and Epix smartwatches is pushing smartwatch users to watches like the Apple Watch 8 Ultra series.
A sizable chunk of premium smartwatch owners wants cellular connectivity as a basic prerequisite for a smartwatch in 2023. For a watch that comes at a starting cost of close to $800. the dearth of cellular connectivity imposes several limitations on the smartwatch.
- Without cellular connectivity, the incident detection feature gets severely degraded. You will need to rely on the paired smartphone’s network connectivity for sending any emergency messages to the designated emergency contacts if and whenever a fall is detected on the watch.
- You will need to carry your smartphone at all times for phone connectivity and for making calls.
It remains to be seen if things change in 2023 in the future release of the Fenix smartwatch models.
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Helen Kurt is a geeky nerd who loves to cover the wearables space. She has over 5 years of experience in the smartwatch domain. You can reach her on email at [email protected].