Picture this, rockhounds: You walk up to a popular climbing crag, tap your watch, and immediately get a list of possible routes near you. Then you can select “Outdoor climb,” and head up a multipitch route while the watch clocks your approach, total pitches, and descent.
That’s the climbing experience that Coros is aiming for with the Apex 4, the latest upgrade to the smartwatch brand’s mountain sports line. While the watch offers plenty of now-expected features, like sleep and health tracking, its primary features are focused on mountain sports like climbing, skiing, and trail running.
But it’s the automatic climbing route detection that sounds the most groundbreaking. For the Apex 4, Coros partnered with popular climbing app The Crag. The watch uses GPS to detect the climbing area, and then shows routes and even climbing beta drawn from The Crag database.
You’ll still need to have cell service through your smartphone for the features to work. Regardless, such a feature could be pretty helpful for a first day at a new crag. Equally impressive, the watch will have a “fall detection” feature as well.
The Apex 4 became available for purchase on Oct. 15, but most of these impressive-sounding climbing features won’t be available until a firmware update happens sometime in the next few weeks. Once that happens, we’ll be publishing a full review of this slick new smartwatch. Until then, let’s take a look at what else the watch has on offer.
Apex 4 vs. Apex 2
Longtime Coros loyalists may recognize that the brand has skipped a number in its Apex line. Why no Apex 3? Apparently, it’s because the Pace series (the brand’s running-focused line) is already on its fourth generation, and Coros wanted to keep the numbers consistent across its four main watch lines.
Unlike the Apex 2, there’s also no “pro version” of the Apex 4. However, the new watch does come in two sizes (46mm and 42mm). Both sizes have all the same internal features. The only differences between them are battery life, weight, and the price tag.
Primary Changes From Apex 2
Let’s start with some of the more obvious upgrades of the Apex 4 from its previous model. Those include an improved processor for better mapping, and a polymer backing to lower its weight (and possibly make it more comfortable than wearing stainless steel or titanium against the skin).
Here are some other highlights:
The Dial: Unlike the buttons favored by Garmin smartwatches, Coros has kept its dial for in-screen navigation. However, its location has been moved slightly from the center of the side to a top diagonal position. This should avoid accidental presses and make it less likely to catch on clothing.
Reinforced Lugs: The Apex 4 also comes with reinforced lugs for extra durability where the watch connects to the bands. It also results in a slightly sharper aesthetic compared to the Apex 2.
In-Watch Speaker: For the first time, there’s a speaker in a Coros watch! It’s supposedly loud enough to hear even on a windy hill, allowing users to take phone calls (as long as their phone is already Bluetoothed to the watch). Eventually, the speaker will allow for back-and-forth vocal communications between the watch and user. But again, that only becomes available after forthcoming software updates.
Climbing Features
Like its predecessor and most Coros watches, the Apex 4 has tons of different modes for activities, including running, cycling, snowboarding, etc. But it’s the climbing modes we’ll focus on here. In addition to the automatic route detection described above, the Apex 4 will have four different climbing modes. Those include:
- Outdoor Climb: Designed for climbing outside and tracks approach, total pitches, and descent to capture a full experience of the day
- Indoor Climb: Tracks indoor roped climbing routes with auto pitch count
- Bouldering: Tracks bouldering utilizing the v-scale
- Mountain Climb: Tracks mountaineering objectives
The latter three modes are already available and ready to go on the Apex 4, while the Outdoor Climb Mode will also become fully operational with the firmware updates planned for sometime in late October or early November, according to Coros.
Battery Life & Other Features
Battery life is, of course, a main concern for a smartwatch meant to be used in the wild for long periods of time. With the Apex 4 — as well as other new watches in the brand’s lineup — there are now more options for GPS modes.
These various modes change the degree of GPS functionality depending on the battery life desired by the user. Endurance GPS Mode relies on only the strongest satellite signals to preserve as much battery life as possible (65 hours for the 46mm version).
There’s also High GPS Mode, which checks all satellite systems at every moment of an activity (53 hours), and Max GPS Mode (41 hours), which is essentially the Dual Frequency GPS mode on previous models.
The watch also comes with durable sapphire glass, and a MIP screen that supposedly has a greater contrast (aka visual clarity) compared to past models. Also, the bezel is made from Grade 5 titanium alloy.
Coros Apex 4: Pricing & Availability
Both versions of the Apex 4 are already available for purchase on the Coros website. The 46mm version sells for $480, while the 42mm model will cost you $430.
At launch, the watches come only in two colors: white or black. However, there will be a customized checkout that will allow for additional nylon band options in the near future. We’re looking forward to putting this watch to the test on some real rock very soon. Stay tuned for a full review.
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