ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The Coros Apex 4 is obtainable now in 42mm and 46mm sizes, for $429 and $479, respectively.
- Its lengthy battery life continues to be a Coros foundational ingredient, and the speaker/microphone assist hands-free calls and voice notes.
- The watch sports activities a decrease decision show, has a minimal 5 ATM water resistance ranking, and no third occasion app assist.
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Again in 2022, I appeared on the Coros Apex 2 and Apex 2 Pro, calling out their efficiency and construct high quality relative to cost. Now, I am comfortable to revisit the model’s lineup with the brand new Apex 4 sequence, together with two sizes of its mid-range smartwatch.
I spent a pair weeks salmon fishing on the Puget Sound, path operating, mountaineering, strolling, and rowing with the brand new 46mm Coros Apex 4, and preliminary impressions reveal a worthy follow-up with improved mapping functionality, with sooner map zoom, off-course alerts, and turn-by-turn navigation to call just a few options.
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The Apex 4 Professional suits into Coros’ intensive smartwatch lineup alongside the Tempo, Nomad, and Vertix sequence, as a smartwatch focused towards athletes who path run, alpine run, and ski. In case you repeatedly do any of these actions, the Apex 4 Professional would make a very good watch, because it features a handful of options with elevation as a key element.
Personally, I take pleasure in path operating within the native foothills of Mount Rainier and have my Icon cross all able to go for this winter’s alpine snow snowboarding season, so I plan on testing the Apex 4 on the slopes as soon as the season begins.
There are a handful of options which might be suited only for this use case. For alpine snowboarding, you’ll be able to obtain topographic maps, which then robotically detects downhill laps and ski raise rides, displayed on the saved exercise knowledge pages. Pinned voice notes turn out to be useful right here, permitting you to name out the place that good soar or hazard are positioned, and may be simply shared.
The Apex 4 launched with a brand new backside left Motion button, a microphone for recording voice notes pinned to your location, and the Journey Journal that syncs photographs and movies along with your navigation monitor. There’s additionally a speaker, so along with voice pins you’ll be able to carry out hands-free calling and obtain audio alerts throughout actions.
The Apex 4 is sort of mild due to its use of a titanium bezel and excessive energy polymer backing materials, weighing 64 grams with the silicone band and 52 grams with the nylon band.
The third-generation memory-in-pixel show seems notably nice outdoors, contributing to its lengthy battery life. The 46mm mannequin I examined has GPS monitoring battery life starting from 41 hours to 65 hours, relying on accuracy degree chosen, so I’ve solely needed to cost it as soon as since I began my testing. In typical smartwatch use, the watch ought to final greater than three weeks.
Additionally: Coros rolls out limited-edition Chamonix Apex 2 Pro, plus August 2023 update
I am additionally an enormous fan of the USB-C keychain charging adapter that Coros now contains with its watches. The small adapter secures to the again of your watch and connects to any USB-C cable with the adapter housed in a useful key ring holder so you’ll be able to simply journey with it and never must lug different cables or chargers alongside. Then once more, you in all probability will not have to cost it for typical enterprise journeys and holidays given its lengthy battery life and dependable efficiency.
The Apex 4 additionally contains the very cool Journey Journal functionality together with detailed mapping that is fast on the watch. Save voice pins and take photographs alongside the best way to create a multimedia portfolio of your adventures you can save with household and associates. Coros even supplies very correct voice to textual content transcription within the smartphone app so you do not have to playback your voice notes to know what particulars you recorded alongside your journey.
Whereas voice pins and hands-free calling are helpful, I might personally use a LED flashlight extra typically. Given the lengthy battery life and out of doors journey focus of Coros watches, I positive hope to see this added sooner or later. It is actually one of many final options maintaining me tied to Garmin watches. Effectively, that, and subscription music assist, third occasion apps, assist for golf, and extra.
Coros presents a really customizable expertise, however I discover the fonts too small on the Day by day Information listing of widgets and have not been capable of regulate font sizes on the watch. The appropriate higher digital dial and again button are properly positioned for straightforward navigation, nevertheless, whereas the brand new Motion button works properly inside actions to carry out key capabilities.
ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation
The Coros Apex 4 suits in between the Nomad and Vertix with two dimension choices, the addition of a speaker, and better high quality supplies (titanium and sapphire glass). Help for the entire similar sports activities and actions can be found on each so it comes all the way down to what you might be searching for out of your {hardware}, in addition to dimension and weight choices obtainable to you. The Apex 4 is a compelling sports activities watch obtainable for lower than $500.