Coros has blown the market for entry-level GPS watches with the Pace 2. Coros would be able to raise the level of its high-end offering even further. Lets see.
The Vertix 2. And the novelties are there: dual-frequency GPS reception to improve GPS accuracy, cartography, music player, and an incredible autonomy of 140 hours! All this comes in addition to the Evolab update that arrived at the beginning of the summer on the application.
Combining mapping and record range, the Vertix 2 is clearly the first credible GPS watch to attack the Fenix 6 Pro on their ground: the outdoors. Moreover, the choice of the date of August 17, just before the UTMB (a place that Garmin had chosen 2 years ago to announce the Fenix 6), is perhaps not due to chance.
The Vertix has been designed to withstand the worst climatic conditions in the mountains, for expeditions of several days, with an adapted interface wearing gloves.
Therefore, the target of this GPS watch is more oriented towards mountaineers, with automatic functions that are triggered above 2500m altitude. But its lightness, its autonomy, and the following route should naturally tempt the trailers.
Its record battery of 60 hours, which can extend to 150 hours, will inevitably attract the eye of ultra runners. It is quite simply the best performance on the market.
| Coros Vertix 2 | Coros Vertix |
| Excellent battery life | Excellent battery life |
| GPS accuracy | Robust resistance to cold |
| 1.4-inch screen | Solid build quality |
| Expensive | Screen a little dark |
Specification
| Coros Vertix 2 | Coros Vertix | |
| $ | CHECK PRICE | CHECK PRICE |
| Screen type | Always-On Memory LCD | Always-On Memory LCD |
| Shape | Round | Round |
| Display | 1.4 inch | 1.2 inch |
| Resolution | 280 x 280 (64 colors) | 240 x 240 (64 colors) |
| Touchscreen | Yes | Yes |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.0 Dual Mode, Wi-Fi | Bluetooth 5.0 Dual Mode, Wi-Fi |
| Sensors | Optical Pulse Oximeter Optical Heart Rate Monitor Barometric Altimeter Electrocardiogram Sensor Accelerometer Compass Gyroscope Thermometer | Optical Pulse Oximeter Optical Heart Rate Monitor Barometric Altimeter Accelerometer Compass Gyroscope Thermometer |
| Navigation | GPS/QZSS, GLONASS, BeiDou | GPS/QZSS, GLONASS, BeiDou |
| Water resistance | 10ATM (100 Meters/328 Feet) | 15ATM (150 Meters/492 Feet) |
| Dimensions | 50.3 x 50.3 x 15.7mm | 47 x 47 x 15.6mm |
| Weight | 91g | 76 g |
| Battery | Up to 140 h | Up to 150 h |
| Charging | Less than 2 Hours | Less than 2 Hours |
Design
Coros Vertix 2- The COROS marking on the bezel is bigger. The bezel is no longer smooth, but with notches, reinforcements frame the buttons and the barometer hole a bit like G-Shock watch cases, bracelet wider with a deeper texture.
Even if the design of the case and the bezel is similar to the Fenix 6, the look of the Vertix 2 is less wise, more outdoor.
Coros announces a case 50mm wide, 3mm more than the Vertix, 1mm less than a Fenix 6X, and the same size as a Suunto 9 Baro. However, the Vertix 2 seemed bigger to me than a Fenix 6X. So I took out my caliper to check. So 50mm is actually the diameter of the bezel. Except that if we consider the reinforcement protecting the barometer hole on one side and the wheel on the other side, we arrive at 55mm. But I checked on a Fenix 6X; the 51mm announced by Garmin is also the diameter of the bezel without taking into account the buttons.
Coros has housed in this enlarged case a larger screen: 35mm in diameter against 30.5 for the old model. We are now on the same screen size as the Fenix 6X and the Suunto 9 Baro. The 280 x 280 resolution actually gives the same pixel density as on the Vertix screen. So no real improvement in resolution; it’s just that there are more pixels on a bigger screen.
This larger screen makes it easier to consult the cartography and display up to 8 data fields per screen.
A scratch-resistant sapphire crystal always protects the screen.
It’s a touchscreen, but you don’t realize it right away, simply because it is activated in sports modes but not for navigating menus and widgets. Here is what we can do with touch:
- Scroll a graph in a widget (examples: heart rate, number of steps, etc.)
- Scroll through the screens during a workout
- Move the map
- Scroll the altitude profile in route tracking mode
Coros Vertix- Visually, one could easily confuse this Vertix with a Fenix 5. The same screen (same size, same resolution), the same bezel with visible screws, almost identical strap fasteners. Well, of course, there is “Coros “Written on it and not” Garmin. “
Its 49mm case is placed between the Fenix 5 Plus (47mm) and the Fenix 5X Plus (51mm) or the Suunto 9 (51mm). In terms of thickness, it is also quite similar: 16.7mm for the Vertix, against 15.8 for the Fenix 5 Plus, 17.5mm for the Fenix 5X Plus, and 17mm for the Suunto 9.
So it’s roughly the same size; it really fits between the Fenix 5 Plus and the Fenix 5X Plus / Suunto 9.
Where the Vertix surprises you is when you take it in hand. Why? Because it weighs only 76g! Coros has opted for a titanium construction (bezel and case back), which makes it light.
Yes, except that the Vertix is made of titanium with a sapphire crystal. So what does it look like if we compare it with other GPS watches equipped with titanium/sapphire?
Well, it’s a draw: 76g for everyone (Suunto 9 Baro Titanium, Fenix 5 Plus Sapphire Titanium, and Vertix). Besides that, the Fenix 5X Plus looks like a monster with its 88g.
The Vertix is available in 4 colors:
Dark rock (black and gray strap, the one used for this test)
Fire dragon (silver bezel and orange strap)
Mountain hunter (copper bezel and green bracelet)
Ice breaker (blue bezel, blue-gray strap, and transparent case)
The screen is 30mm in diameter and 240 × 240 in resolution. It is a transflective screen, that is to say, that it will be superb in full sun but all black in semi-darkness. It’s been classic on GPS watches for a few years.
Smart Features
Coros Vertix 2- Run, Indoor Run, Trail Run, Track Run, Hike, Mountain Climb, Bike, Indoor Bike, Pool Swim, Open Water, Triathlon, Gym Cardio, GPS Cardio, Ski, Snowboard, Cross-country Ski, Ski Touring, Multisport, Strength, Training, Speedsurfing, Windsurfing, Whitewater, Flatwater, Rowing, Indoor Rower.
Let’s start with the GPS chip. Coros has brought 2 new features that are currently not found on any other competing GPS watch which aims to improve GPS accuracy:
The number and presentation of widgets have evolved. Here is the full list:
- Watchface
- Calories
- Active minutes
- Number of steps
- Number of floors
- Running performance (Evolab)
- Training load (Evolab)
- Recovery (Evolab)
- Cardiac frequency
- Sleep
- Altitude
- Hours of sun
- Barometer
- Temperature
- Scheduled workouts
- Notifications
Coros Vertix- Run, Indoor Run, Trail Run, Track Run, Hike, Bike, Indoor Bike, Pool Swim, Open Water, Triathlon, Gym Cardio, GPS Cardio, Ski, Snowboard, XC Ski, Ski Touring, Multisport, Strength, Training.
The interface is completed by a menu of commands (long press on the bottom button), which gives access to:
- Settings
- Do not disturb
- Alarm
- Compass
- HR measurement
- UltraMax mode
- Navigation
- Map (the name is wrong, there is no map, this is the route tracking screen)
- Acclimatization to altitude
- Stopwatch
- Timer
- Dial (to change watchface)
Conclusion!
The Coros Vertix 2 is the most serious competitor with mapping against the Fenix 6, even outclassing it in autonomy and GPS accuracy. A robust GPS watch designed for the outdoors with good prospects for future development.
The Coros Vertix is a GPS watch cut for mountaineering expeditions, with great autonomy, resistance to cold, and monitoring of acclimatization to altitude (blood oxygenation). The interface with a large wheel is the best on the market. Coros pushes software updates regularly.
