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Garmin Fenix 6 vs 6 Pro – What’s the Difference?

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The newly released Garmin Fenix 6 series consists of the 6 and 6 pro, 6s and 6s pro and 6x pro and 6x pro solar, these can be further divided into two, the Basic and Pro editions. The Pro editions come with onboard storage capacity, Wi-Fi and map which the Basic editions lack. In this comparison, we compare the Garmin Fenix 6 vs 6 Pro specs and features so you know the differences.

Garmin Fenix 6 vs 6 Pro Specifications Compared

Garmin Fenix 6Garmin Fenix 6 Pro
garmin fenix 6 specsgarmin fenix 6 pro full specs

ABOUT DEVICE

Device nameGarmin Fenix 6Garmin Fenix 6 Pro
Device typeFitness/GPS smartwatchFitness/GPS smartwatch
PredessesorGarmin Fenix 5Garmin Fenix 5 Plus
Successor----
Released dateAugust, 2019August, 2019
Ideal forMenMen

DISPLAY

Display typeTransflective MIP LCDTransflective MIP LCD
Display size1.3 inch1.3 inch
Display resolution260 x 260 pixels260 x 260 pixels
Pixel density----
Input type5 buttons (Not touchscreen) 5 buttons, Not touchscreen
Always-onYesYes
Customizable watch faceYesYes

BODY

ShapeCircularCircular
Dimension47 x 47 x 14.7 mm47 x 47 x 14.7 mm
Weight80 gramsStainless steel:83g
Titanium: 72g
Casing materialFiber-reinforced polymer with polymer rear coverFiber-reinforced polymer with polymer rear cover
Strap/band materialSiliconeSilicone
Titanium
Nylon
Leather
Bezel MaterialStainless steelStainless steel
Titanium
DLC
Strap size22mm22mm
Interchangeable band Yes, 22mmYes, 22mm
Screen protectionCorning Gorilla Glass DXCorning Gorilla Glass 3
Sapphire Crystal
Water resistant/ProtectionYes, 10ATMYes, 10ATM
Swim-proofYes, recommendedYes, recommended
Color(s)BlackBlack

MEMORY

RAM----
Internal storage__32GB
Memory card slotNoNo

CONNECTIVITY

BluetoothYes, and ANT+Yes, and ANT+
Bluetooth callingNoNo
Wi-FiNoYes
NFCYesYes
Payment systemGarmin payGarmin pay
GPSGPS/GLONASS/GalileoGPS/GLONASS/Galileo

CELLULAR TECHNOLOGY

TechnologyNoNo
SIMNoNo
BandNoNo

NOTIFICATIONS

Email alertYesYes
SMS alertYesYes
Calls alertYesYes
Event reminderYesYes
WeatherYesYes
Third-party appsYesYes
Text responseYes, (Android Only)Yes, (Android Only)

FITNESS TRACKING

Sleep apneaNoNo
Sleep trackingYesYes
StepsYesYes
Floors climbedYesYes
Heart rate monitoringYesYes
CaloriesYesYes
DistanceYesYes
StressYesYes
VO2 Max.YesYes
Blood oxygenYesYes
Blood pressureNoNo
Menstrual cycle trackingYesYes
Swim trackingYesYes
Under-water heart rate trackingYesYes
Preloaded mapsNoYes
On-screen workout modesYesYes
Triathlon modeYesYes
ECG TrackingNoNo
Preloaded sport modesYesYes
Safety trackingYesYes

MEDIA

AudioNomp3/mp4
Music streamingNoYes
Bluetooth musicNoYes
RadioNoNo
LoudspeakerNoNo
MicrophoneNoNo
CameraNoNo

SENSORS

PLATFORM

Operating system (OS)Proprietary OSProprietary OS
Chipset----
CPU----
GPU----

BATTERY

Type of batteryNon-removable Li-ion batteryNon-removable Li-ion battery
Battery capacity ----
Battery lifeSmartwatch: Up to 14 days
GPS: Up to 36 hours
Max Battery GPS Mode: 72 hours
Expedition GPS Activity: 28 days
Battery Saver Watch Mode:48 days
Smartwatch: Up to 14 days
GPS: Up to 36 hours
GPS and Music: Up to 10 hours
Max Battery GPS Mode: 72 hours
Expedition GPS Activity: 28 days
Battery Saver Watch Mode: 48 days
Charging typeUSB charging cableUSB charging cable
Charging timeAbout 1-2 hoursAbout 1-2 hours
Battery saver modeYesYes
Solar powerNoNo
Rapid chargingNoNo

CLOCK FEATURES

Time/DateYesYes
StopwatchYesYes
AlarmYesYes

OTHER FUNCTIONS

Control cameraYesYes
Music controlYesYes
Find phoneYesYes

MISC

Compatibility Android 4.4+
IOS 10.0+
Bluetooth 4.0+
Check if your device is compatible
Android 4.4+
IOS 10.0+
Bluetooth 4.0+
Check if your device is compatible
Companion appGarmin connect IQGarmin connect IQ
Voice commandNoNo

BOX CONTENTS

Garmin Fenix 6Garmin Fenix 6 Pro
StrapsStraps
USB charging cableUSB charging cable
Quick start guideQuick start guide
NOTE: We can't guarantee that all the information on this table are 100% correct. Read full disclaimer. Please, report an error.
Official SiteOfficial Site

Features Compared

What’s the Difference?
The difference between the Fenix 6 and 6 pro is that the latter has 32GB storage capacity, Wi-Fi and map features which the former lacks.

  • Design

  • Apparently, there’s no difference in the appearance of these two. The Fenix 6 has same design as the 6 pro except that the 6 pro weighs a bit more than the 6.

    The colors also varies, the Fenix 6 is available in silver/black, black/red nylon, dark gray/black, titanium, titanium/orange while the 6pro is available in black/black (first color= case color, second color= strap color).

  • Storage

  • The Fenix 6 pro comes with 32GB storage capacity compared to the Fenix 6 with just 64MB. As a result, you can enjoy your favorite preloaded tracks on the Fenix 6 pro which isn’t possible with the 6. This makes the Fenix 6 pro a great choice for those who want to take their music with them which can serve as motivation.

  • Fitness Tracking

  • Just like all Garmin’s GPS smartwatches, the Fenix 6 pro and 6 are fitness focused and well equipped to offer you the most comprehensive fitness tracking experience. These two are no doubt some of the best GPS smartwatches on the market.

    The Fenix 6 pro and 6 are well equipped to track your daily activities such as steps, calories, fitness age, distance, sleep monitoring, and all-day stress tracking.

    Each of these three also features indoor gym activities such as indoor rowing, strength training, and cardio training, including in-depth training and planning analysis features that include training load, training effect and activity history on the watch.

    These two also get running features such as running, treadmill running and trail running, plus heart rate sensor that tracks your heart rate variability and capable of showing your heart rate zones, max heart rate and recovery time to help you manage the intensity of your training so that you can achieve more fitness goals without breaking down.

    The Fenix 6 pro and 6 have outdoor recreational features that include hiking, climbing, mountain biking, skiing, snowboarding, XC skiing, stand up paddleboarding, rowing, and jumpmaster. And cycling features such as biking, indoor biking, mountain biking, triathlon, including in-depth golf and swimming features.

    Also available on these two is the body battery energy monitor feature that uses data from heart rate variability, stress, sleep, and other data to gauge when you’re ready to be active or when you may need to rest so that you train and achieve more without breaking down.

    Also available is ClimbPro ascent planner with downloaded courses to help you see real-time information on your current and upcoming climbs, including gradient, distance and elevation gain.

    The incident detection feature introduced to the Forerunner series is also available on the Fenix 6 pro and 6 which can help you get help when there’s an accidental fall. It sends your location to preset emergency contacts.

    Also added to these two is swimming wrist-based heart rate tracking. With the Fenix 6 pro and 6, you can track your heart rate while swimming which can help you get a better insight into your swimming activities. This feature is new and exclusive to the Fenix 6 series for now.

    Pulse Ox sensor introduced on the Fenix 5x plus is also available on the Fenix 6 series. The pulse ox sensor serves two functions; A. for altitude acclimation, where it can help you know when it’s not safe to continue climbing and B. sleep monitoring to help you see your quality of sleep. The Pulse ox sensor achieves these functions by monitoring how well your body absorbs oxygen.

    However, the Fenix 6 pro with map which isn’t available on the 6 has features that come with the map functionality that the 6 lacks.

    Garmin Fenix 6Garmin Fenix 6 Pro
    Lacks trendline popularity routing visibility pro. Trendline popularity routing visibility pro available on the 6 pro adds more features to the TOPO map allowing for more visual and analytic features to help you find the best route.
    Lacks Pacepro. Garmin added PacePro to the 6 Pro sets which includes the 6 pro. The PacePro feature enables grade-guidance that can improve your running experience.
    Lacks Ski resort maps. Skii resort maps is available on the 6 pro with over 2000 ski resorts worldwide to choose from.

  • Battery Life

Both the Fenix 6 pro and 6 have impressive long battery life that’ll see you through days on a single charge. Although these two have same estimated battery life, however, it’s pertinent to note that the Fenix 6 with fewer features will last a little longer than the Fenix 6 pro.

Garmin introduced new battery saver features that include the power modes which allow you to create custom battery saver modes, as well as the expedition mode featured on the MARQ series – an ultralow powered GPS reference that will keep the Fenix 6 pro and 6 going for weeks, and the battery saver mode that will keep both the Fenix 6 pro and 6 going for weeks.

Garmin Fenix 6 Garmin Fenix 6 Pro
Smartwatch: Up to 14 days
GPS: Up to 36hrs
Max Battery GPS Mode: 72hrs
Expedition GPS Activity: 28 days
Battery Saver Watch Mode:48 days
Smartwatch: Up to 14 days
GPS: Up to 36 hours
GPS and Music: Up to 10 hours
Max Battery GPS Mode: 72 hours
Expedition GPS Activity: 28 days
Battery Saver Watch Mode: 48 days

Which is Better?

Although these two are great choices for comprehensive fitness tracking, and have very long battery life that will keep you going for days.

However, the Fenix 6 pro with more features is clearly a better choice.
The Fenix 6 pro is a more comprehensive activity tracker with map functionality that the 6 lacks, it also has a higher storage capacity than the pro making it a more complete GPS smartwatch. While not forgetting that the 6 pro has Wi-Fi support that can keep you connected to what matters to you when a Bluetooth connection isn’t available.

Although you’ll have to spend a little more to own the 6 pro.
On the other hand, if you’re low on budget, the Fenix 6 is also an outstanding choice with lots of fitness tracking features and a very impressive long battery life.