Garmin isn’t trying to be Apple. Dave Dunn, senior director of marine and RV sales, is clear about that: “We’re trying to be the watch that you can beat up and use every day. Our customers are adventurous.”
Still, the Garmin team kept hearing customers talk about how much easier they found it to look at an Apple Watch. “Historically, our watches had a display that was not crisp, not bright,” Dunn says. “Our customers said they liked the Apple Watch display better.”
Hence the upgraded display on the recently unveiled Garmin quatix 7 Pro. Its 1.3-inch AMOLED display is brighter and crisper than the displays on previous models, with a scratch-resistant sapphire lens so boaters don’t have to worry about banging it up.
Also new is a flashlight that was on a prior quatix model, which is now standard on most models.
“Any of our users will tell you it’s our No. 1 feature,” Dunn says. “It sounds ridiculous until you see how bright it is. If you’re walking the dog at night or going to the restroom while you’re sleeping, it comes in handy. It’s a hands-free light.”
Two new apps are also loaded into this version of the quatix. The first is Trolling Motor Remote, which lets anglers control a compatible trolling motor. The second is Fish Forecast, which is intended to save anglers the effort of searching online for general information that can indicate better days to wet a line.
“Think about an almanac; it has moon phases, time of year, all of that. It gives you a prediction about the best times to fish,” Dunn says. “All of it is right there. You’re never guaranteed to catch fish, but it tells you when the better times might be.”
Garmin also updated apps that let the smartwatch act as a remote control for chart plotters, autopilots and Fusion stereos; notify boaters about anchor drag; and show integrated tide data.
“This is designed by boaters, for boaters,” Dunn says, adding that he personally enjoys controlling a boat’s stereo from his wrist. “If you’re on a sandbar at a party and you want to change the volume or the song, you can do that from your watch. I love that feature.”
Boater-Friendly
The Garmin quatix 7 Pro is built to let users control their whole boating ecosystem from their wrist. This smartwatch can connect to compatible chart plotters, autopilots, Fusion stereos and trolling motors, all while it simultaneously tracks personal health information and serves as a hands-free flashlight. It also receives text messages and smart notifications.
