Fenix 7S Solar vs Fenix 7 Solar v Fenix 7X Solar Watches

Multiple solar watch models are a part of the Fenix 7 series of smartwatch offerings of Garmin. We look at all the solar models of Fenix 7 and list the key differentiators between each of these smartwatches. This should help you pick the most appropriate Garmin Fenix 7 with solar charging.

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Introduction

As of now, Garmin Fenix 7 has the following solar-charged smartwatch models:

Fenix 7 Solar
Fenix 7S Solar
Fenix 7X Solar
Fenix 7S Sapphire Solar
Fenix 7 Sapphire Solar
Fenix 7X Sapphire Solar

Unlike the Fenix 6 series, the Fenix 7 series has a higher number of variants that support solar charging. Fenix 7 offers 6 models that support solar charging. Fenix 6 had 3 smartwatch models that supported solar charging.

For the sake of comparisons, we will compare the Fenix 7 Solar, Fenix 7S Solar and Fenix 7X Solar as one segment. The Sapphire Solar editions are compared as another segment. The price range for the solar watches from Fenix 7 lies between $799-$999. This may change anytime in the future. So, do check your favorite marketplace for the latest price of the Fenix 7 solar-charged watches before getting one of your choices.

Fenix 7 Solar watches and Fenix 7 Sapphire Solar watches are slightly different. The Sapphire solar watches use Photovoltaic cells on the sapphire glass.

Fenix 7 solar watch range uses Power Glass. It has a layer of photovoltaic cells on Corning Gorilla Glass for solar charging and building battery backup.

Fenix 7S Solar vs Fenix 7 Solar vs Fenix 7X Solar

These 3 watch models are priced between $799.99-$899.99. These are based on the Power Glass lens for solar charging.
Fenix 7 Solar and Fenix 7S Solar cost $799.99. Fenix 7X Solar costs $899.99. The difference in costs can be attributed to the larger watch size of the Fenix 7X Solar.
Fenix 7 Solar, Fenix 7S Solar and Fenix 7X Solar have a stainless steel bezel and a metal cover on the rear of the smartwatch.
Fenix 7S Solar is the smallest solar watch from Fenix 7 series. It has a watch size of 42 mm. Fenix 7 Solar is 47 mm and Fenix 7X Solar is 51 mm in size.
Fenix 7S Solar comes with a 20 mm silicon band, Fenix 7 Solar has a 22 mm silicon band and Fenix 7X Solar has a 26 mm silicon band.
Display size of the watch models differ across all the three offerings. Fenix 7S Solar has a display size of 30 mm, Fenix 7 Solar has a display size of 33 mm and Fenix 7X Solar has a display size just under 36 mm.
In terms of display resolution, Fenix 7S Solar has a resolution of 240 x 240 pixels; Fenix 7 Solar has a display resolution of 260 x 260 pixels and Fenix 7X Solar has a display resolution of 280 x 280 pixels. Clearly, the Fenix 7X Solar has the best resolution amidst the three models that we are comparing.
Fenix 7S weighs 63 g, Fenix 7 Solar weighs 79 g and Fenix 7X Solar weighs 96 g. The weight is higher on the Fenix 7X Solar due to the larger sized watch body and the case.
Battery life of the Fenix 7X Solar is higher than the Fenix 7 Solar and Fenix 7S Solar. Larger capacity battery on the Fenix 7X Solar is a definite improvement over the other 2 models. The exact difference in battery life of Fenix 7S Solar, Fenix 7 Solar and Fenix 7X Solar is mentioned below for your ready reference.

Battery Life

Watch Mode	Fenix 7S Solar	Fenix 7 Solar	Fenix 7X Solar
Smartwatch Mode	11-14 days with solar charging	18-22 days with solar charging	28-37 days with solar charging
Battery Saver Watch Mode	38-87 days	27-173 days	90-365 days
GPS Only	37-46 hours	57-73 hours	89-122 hours
All Satellite Systems	26-30 hours	40-48 hours	63-77 hours
Max Battery GPS	90-162 hours	136-289 hours	213-578 hours
Expedition Mode	26-43 days	40-74 days	62-139 days

Other Features

Most features remain unchanged across Fenix 7S Solar, Fenix 7 Solar, and Fenix 7X Solar. However, there are a couple of features that are additional or incremental to the base set of features on the Fenix 7X Solar.

The Fenix 7X Solar watch has the following additional features or capabilities:

LED flashlight can be turned on the Fenix 7X Solar by double tapping the watch.
Fenix 7X Solar also has a couple of outdoor recreation profiles that are unavailable on the Fenix 7S Solar and Fenix 7 Solar. These outdoor recreation profiles include the profiles for Tennis and Pickleball sports. Both profiles were already being tested on the beta software for Fenix 6 devices. Tennis profile will allow you to track tennis as an activity, and this should also cover the distance covered while playing Tennis match.

Should I buy a solar watch?

A solar watch could be very useful for certain people. Garmin Fenix 7 solar watches use sunlight to charge the battery. For solar charging to be effective in building up battery life, Garmin has stated the following underlying conditions:

You must be outdoor for at least 3 hours of the day.
Luminosity of the sunlight must be at least 50000 lux. On a bright sunny day, the luminosity range falls between 32,000-130,000 lux.

In other words, you would require a solar exposure of 3 hours on a sunny day for the solar charging to be successful in charging the battery. If you are indoors for the most part of the day, a solar watch may not be useful for you.

However, if you are outdoors for the most part of the day and you get ample sunlight throughout the day, a solar charged Garmin Fenix 7 watch would be an apt choice. You could pick a watch model that goes with your size of the wrist and battery life requirements.

Summary

Getting a Fenix 7X Solar makes sense. Spending an incremental amount of $100 gives you a larger battery, better display resolution, and a bigger-sized watch. Do consider your wrist size before taking a final decision though. Fenix 7S Solar is a sleek watch that would look nice on thin wrists. At the end of the day, all three watches bring almost similar features and value to the table. Go for the one that you like to wear !!!