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The niche-orientated watches from Garmin get seriously expensive, and the marine-focused GPS Quatix is no exception.
Today Garmin has made the Quatix 6X the second device in the Garmin range to feature solar charging which was first introduced on the of Garmin’s fēnix 6X Pro Solar.
The Quatix 6X is essentially the same watch but with added marine features including specialised boating, fishing, cruising and sailing capabilities, meaning users can enjoy more time on land or on the water.
The watch includes:
- Built-in activity profiles and performance metrics for paddle boarding, kayaking, canoeing, skiing and golf just to name a few
- Battery performance of up to 21 days in smartwatch mode, and up to 24 days with solar charging, with a new customisable Power Manager, so users can extend battery life on the fly
- Connectivity with compatible Garmin chartplotters and other marine electronics for autopilot control, data streaming, SailAssist race assistance, Fusion-Link entertainment control and more
- Full connectivity, including alerts for incoming calls, texts and notifications, as well as Garmin Pay and music storage
- The full Garmin range of lifestyle metrics, including Body Battery, sleep tracking, stress tracking and more
This new news confirms that Garmin intends to extend the solar charging functionality across its range.
It has been previously speculated that the Garmin Instinct 2 will get Solar charging, and FCC listings indicate that the other Fenix 6 models may also get it.
It is, however, possible the FCC listing was just referencing the Quatix.
The jump in price from the none Solar 47mm Quatix at £629.99 to the 51mm Solar model is £370, but this also includes a titanium bracelet. At the moment there is no word on how much extra the Solar will cost on the upcoming Fenix 6 models.
Garmin, today announced the quatix 6X Solar, the latest addition to its new marine GPS smartwatch series that features a transparent solar charging display that uses the sun’s energy to extend battery life. As the first Garmin marine-centric GPS smartwatch to offer solar charging, the quatix 6X Solar combines all of the best features of Garmin’s fēnix® 6X Pro Solar with specialised boating, fishing, cruising and sailing capabilities so users can enjoy more time on the water. With built-in activity profiles and performance metrics for paddle boarding, kayaking, canoeing, skiing and golf just to name a few, the quatix 6X Solar is ready to go the distance for nearly every sport and adventure.
“We’re excited to introduce solar charging into the new quatix 6 series, giving users everything they’ve come to know and love from this sophisticated and connected marine smartwatch series, now with even longer battery life performance,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin vice president of global consumer sales. “Because of its unique power-replenishing technology, the quatix 6X Solar gives mariners more on-wrist time to enjoy their favorite activities both on the water and on land.”
Built to withstand the elements, the quatix 6X Solar features a large 1.4” sunlight-readable display designed with a transparent Power Glass™ solar charging lens that uses the sun’s energy to extend battery life. Users can quickly check the latest solar input right on their wrist for a real-time indication of how much solar energy the Power Glass has been exposed to. The battery performance on the quatix 6X Solar is up to 21 days in smartwatch mode, and up to 24 days with solar charging.2 And thanks to the new customisable Power Manager, users can also see and control how various settings and sensors impact battery life, and even adjust their battery saving modes to extend battery life on the fly.
Designed for life on the water, the quatix 6X Solar is water rated to 100 meters3 and offers comprehensive connectivity with compatible Garmin chartplotters and other marine electronics for autopilot control, data streaming, SailAssist™ race assistance, Fusion-Link™ entertainment control and more. Thanks to its full marine-centric toolset, the quatix 6X Solar acts as a wearable instrument that, when paired with onboard Garmin electronics, can stream NMEA® 2000 boat data to give users access to important sensor information like speed, depth, temperature, wind data and more – right from their wrist, no matter where they are on the boat. Like other quatix 6 models, when paired with an onboard autopilot, it can also be used to control the autopilot to change heading, engage pattern steering, and follow a GPS route. With support for optional BlueChart® g3 coastal charts with integrated Navionics® data, the quatix 6X Solar can be utilised as both a dedicated or back-up navigation tool.
With daily activity tracking4 and a host of connectivity features, the quatix 6X Solar doubles as a stylish smartwatch that can be worn 24/7. Users can stay connected by receiving alerts on their wrist for incoming calls, texts, emails and more by enabling smart notifications5. And thanks to the Garmin Pay™ contactless payment solution6, it’s easy to make purchases quickly on the go with nothing needed but the watch. The quatix 6X Solar also features on-device music storage of up to 2,000 songs, so users can sync playlists from several of the most popular music services7 to their watch for phone-free listening.
The quatix 6X Solar also features wrist-based heart rate4 for all-day stress tracking, underwater wrist-based heart rate for swimming and Pulse Ox8 blood oxygen saturation to support advanced sleeping monitoring and acclamation. Plus, the innovative Body Battery™ energy monitoring feature lets users see their body’s energy levels at any given moment, which can help with scheduling workouts, rest times and sleep.
The quatix 6X Solar includes a titanium watch band as well as a cirrus blue silicone QuickFit™ band, and it’s available now for a suggested retail price of £999.99. Compatible marine products include: GPSMAP® 7×2/9×2/12×2 Plus, GPSMAP 10×2/12×2, GPSMAP 74/7600, GPSMAP 84/8600, GHC™ 20, GNX™ Wind and the GNT 10.
I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.
As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.
In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.
I’m proud to share that Vuelio has consistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With my dedication to technology and drive to share my insights, I aim to continue providing my readers with engaging and informative content.