Coros’ New Apex 4 Adds a Speaker and Microphone to the Apex Lineup.
Did you know you can customize Google to filter out unwanted results? Follow these steps to improve your search results, including adding Lifehacker as your preferred source for tech news .
Today, Coros released a new version of its Apex watch, the Apex 4. Like the Nomad watch released earlier this year, it features a MIP display, an action button for quick access, and street-level maps.
How is the Apex watch different from other Coros watches?
Besides the Nomad, Coros has three other watch lines: Pace, Apex, and Vertix. I’ve already written about the Pace 3 and Pace Pro —these are reliable watches that are just as functional as Garmins but cost less. (This summer, I traded my Garmins for Coros for a month; you can read my thoughts on that here .)
Compared to the Pace line, the Apex is made of more durable materials and is positioned as an adventure watch. In addition to the usual running and fitness features, it features skiing and mountaineering. Both this and the previous Apex model feature sapphire crystal glass and offline mapping. The Apex 2 only features single-band GPS, while the Apex 2 Pro has dual-band GPS, as does the new Apex 4.
What’s new in Apex 4?
Before the Apex 4, there were the Apex 2 and 2 Pro. (Yes, Coros skipped the 3.) Compared to them, the new Apex 4 adds:
-
Speaker and microphone
-
Ability to register location-based voice tags (using a microphone)
-
Route and street names on maps
-
An action button that can be programmed to perform quick actions instead of a separate backlight button
-
Faster map rendering
-
More accurate altitude readings
Battery life is similar to the Apex 2 Pro: 24 days of daily use or 17 hours of activity tracking in All Systems mode.
The Apex 4 costs $479 for the 46mm size and $429 for the 42mm size . By comparison, the Apex 2 Pro costs $449 for the 46mm size, and the Apex 2 costs $349 for the 43mm size.