Coros Apex 2 Professional evaluation: Modest multisport improve

Value when reviewing

$499

Greatest Costs At present: Coros Apex 2 Professional

$499.00

After launching the unique Apex, Coros determined to replace it a yr later with the Apex Professional giving it an even bigger case, mapping and navigation expertise and an optical pulse oximeter, the principle variations between the Professional model and the non-pro model.

The late 2022 Apex 2 Professional reviewed right here guarantees a handful of upgrades over its predecessor, together with a brand new dual-band GPS chipset, higher battery life and a brand new ECG sensor.

These new additions come at an extra value, with the worth of the Apex 2 Professional growing by $100/£100. The query is that if there’s sufficient right here to warrant this improve from the unique Professional and if this is likely one of the finest sports activities watches you should buy proper now.

Design and construct

• Weighs 53g-66g
• 46mm case solely
• Bigger 1.3 inch display

The Coros Apex 2 Professional has seen its case dimension downsized from the primary Apex Professional, right down to a 46mm case, with titanium alloy as an alternative of aluminum alloy and the selection of nylon watch straps or silicon. The bezel remains to be crafted from a grade 5 titanium, however now will get the addition of a PVD coating for added safety.

Weight has elevated barely general with both band possibility, and it is also slightly thicker in comparison with the previous Professional, however general it is a comfy watch to put on and in the event you appreciated the sturdy however not too cumbersome outside watch of the primary Apex Professional, you will be pleased right here.

Mike Noticed

There’s now a bigger 1.3-inch always-on 260 x 260 decision transflective sapphire crystal show that does not provide a large enchancment over what Coros placed on the Apex Professional. It nonetheless gives good all-around visibility, however lacks the punch and shade of an AMOLED show.

It is also a touchscreen, similar to the Apex Professional, which provides off small haptic vibrations whenever you work together with it and though it isn’t as clean as touchscreen on a ‘good’ good watchthis provides one other further dimension of management, particularly for shifting round menu screens.

Mike Noticed

The bodily controls stay the identical with a backlight button and a again button flanking the Digital Crown which you need to use to scroll by means of screens and which you’ll be able to press to entry the principle exercise display.

The Apex 2 Professional can now function in additional excessive cold and warm circumstances, however has now dropped its 10ATM to 5ATM water resistance certification, which implies you possibly can dive in water as much as 50 meters as an alternative of 100 meters.

Well being and health monitoring

• Added ECG sensor for HRV measurements
• Twin-band GPS mode
• ANT+ connectivity dropped

From a sports activities monitoring and exercise monitoring perspective, there are actually only some options that separate the Apex 2 Professional from the Apex Professional. How helpful these options are is dependent upon how a lot you worth extra dependable outside monitoring and an extra sensor to gauge restoration from powerful exercises.

All the identical sports activities modes are the identical together with the principle ones like working, climbing, climbing, indoor and outside biking, open water and pool swimming, snowboarding and there’s a triathlon mode like on all Coros watches. The one notable addition right here is for multi-pitch climbs, so if that is your bag, then the Apex 2 Professional has you coated.

Mike Noticed

The massive change right here is the addition of an all-satellite dual-frequency chipset, which primarily guarantees to ship extra correct positioning information in sometimes problematic areas like monitoring close to tall buildings for instance. This comes on the expense of battery life, nevertheless. In my runs towards the Garmin Epix 2’s very succesful multi-band mode, the Apex 2 Professional on this dual-frequency mode carried out nicely. It was by no means the identical on distance monitoring and there was an odd discrepancy within the GPS tracks, but it surely was shut sufficient and metrics like common tempo usually informed the identical story.

For coronary heart price information, I discovered that common coronary heart price information tended to be fairly off of a MyZone chest strap monitor, as much as 10 bpm at instances. It did higher capturing most coronary heart price readings, though I might say reap the benefits of pairing an exterior coronary heart price monitor in the event you care about these coronary heart price stats. You may solely be capable to do that by way of Bluetooth, as Coros has chosen to not embrace assist for ANT+ connectivity.

The opposite huge function right here is the electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor, which will not inform you could have a severe medical situation, however may give you a extra detailed have a look at how your physique is recovering from stress. Like its inclusion on the Coros Vertix 2 and cheaper Summit 2, there are electrodes constructed into the crown of the watch that you will place your finger on to take one-minute readings to measure stress by means of coronary heart price variability. It’ll then provide you with a rating between 1 and 100 and provide you with an outline of the extent of stress your physique is below.

The extra information you set, the extra dependable this information could be and it solely turns into extra personalised after 3 days of measurements. It is a function undoubtedly aimed toward those that take a extra hardcore method to coaching and adjusting that exercise.

Elsewhere you get a lot the identical expertise as on the Apex Professional. There’s the identical mapping and navigation assist, which is sweet to see however the execution is not good. It is attainable to create exercises, coaching plans, and extra superior metrics and insights, together with coaching load, VO2 Max, a restoration timer, and extra race-focused options like a marathon predictor. You even have the identical exercise monitoring and sleep monitoring assist, which definitely feels much less of a precedence than when in comparison with these pure sports activities monitoring options.

Whether or not you are a runner, climber, swimmer, or need one thing to higher account in your power coaching time, the Apex 2 Professional has modes for you. It is actually the added dual-frequency chipset and ECG sensor that separates the brand new Professional from the previous.

Smartwatch Options

• Present Notifications
• Constructed-in music participant
• Works with GoPro and Insta 360 motion cameras

If you wish to use the Apex 2 Professional as a smartwatch, you possibly can. Whether or not you could have an Android telephone or an iPhone in your pocket, you could have entry to the principle Coros app, which does fast work of pairing and syncing information. This contains syncing with the companion app or one of many many third-party apps it helps like Strava, TrainingPeaks, and Last Surge.

The smartwatch expertise is nice general, however in the event you count on or desire a apple watch The place Samsung Galaxy Watch degree of smartwatch expertise, put together to be upset.

Mike Noticed

You possibly can view notifications, set alarms and timers, and you’ll select from a group of watch faces. There is no fee, devoted app retailer, or capability to deal with calls. One factor Coros has added that you aren’t getting on the primary Apex Professional is an built-in music participant. This music participant will solely work with your individual MP3 recordsdata, with Coros planning so as to add assist for the streaming music service later.

Apart from that, it performs just about the identical because the Apex Professional on that entrance. Good for peeking at notifications, there’s now a music participant which is simply helpful if in case you have numerous your individual music and an app which whereas not the prettiest , syncs information shortly and has that good degree of third-party app assist as nicely.

Battery life and charging

• 30 days in every day use
• 26-75 hour GPS battery life
• Helpful battery utilization mode

The Coros Apex 2 Professional guarantees the identical 30 days of every day battery life because the Apex Professional, however with the addition of this extra correct GPS mode, you now have extra GPS battery modes to play with.

The very best dual-frequency mode sits on the lowest at 26 hours, which jumps as much as 45 hours in all programs’ GPS mode, after which full GPS mode offers you the utmost 75 hours.

The type of battery life you get in day-to-day use is completely depending on whether or not you often use this superior GPS mode and use options like music streaming and notifications enabled.

Mike Noticed

I discovered the Apex 2 Professional managed to final round 20 days, which is not a foul efficiency in any respect. It is completely able to hitting 30 days, so long as you keep away from that dual-frequency mode and do not hammer out options like music streaming.

The Apex 2 Professional additionally contains Coros’ nice battery utilization function, which helps you to see an estimate of how a lot every day use you could have left, what battery kind GPS you could play with, tells you what number of days since your final cost and a breakdown of the type of options which have eaten up battery life.

Coros makes use of the identical charging cable as its different watches, and says it’s going to take lower than 2 hours to go from 0 to 100%, which is not notably quick however not wildly out of the norm for watches round this worth.

Value and availability

The Coros Apex 2 Professional is priced at $499.99 / £499.99, and also you purchase it straight from Coros. That is dearer than the Coros Apex Professional, which prices $399 / £399.

The Summit 2which lacks the dual-frequency mode, greater display and larger battery sits at $399.99/£419.99.

The two Professional’s worth places it firmly towards watches just like the Garmin Forerunner 955 and the outdoor-ready Polar Grit X Professional.

Verdict

The Coros Apex 2 Professional is one other very dependable multi-sport watch the place that primary sports activities monitoring expertise is strong general and in addition makes an excellent coaching companion.

By way of an improve over the unique Apex Professional, the twin frequency assist will definitely attraction to outside lovers who need extra dependable monitoring, whereas the addition of ECG feels extra like a function. which should evolve to develop into extra helpful on a day-to-day foundation.

There’s additionally a battery enhance, albeit whenever you’re on this monitoring mode, however that is nonetheless a watch that’ll get you nicely over every week’s price of tracked exercise.

The primary drawback with Coros is the Garmin Forerunner 955 which is cheaper and has a function set that’s general stronger and it is arduous to see an argument for going forward with this watch besides perhaps a number of slight enhancements on the battery entrance.