COROS - APEX 2 Pro GPS Outdoor Watch - Black

THE BREAKDOWN: If you are into watches and you’re an outdoors person this watch is almost everything you could want and then some. This watch came packaged in a small cube and had a charger cable, product manual and the watchband was already attached. Mine actually 80% battery life already when I first turned it on. Setting up the watch was pretty easy. You just download the Coros app and follow the instructions and add the watch to your Coros account or create one if you do not already have one. After that you just wait a few minutes for the watch to update itself to the latest version of the software. Also, the phone application had plenty of faces to choose from and the data and how you wanted it to look and collect. You will just have to go through them all and experiment for yourself. The watch itself is very rugged. It has a sapphire touch screen that is 1.3 “with a grade 5 titanium alloy bezel and it even has a glove-compatible lard digital dial. This watch is very temperature resistant and water resistant. It can operate in temperatures from -20C to 50C and water resistant to 5 ATM. I do really enjoy the dial and find it easy to use to navigate through the menus. The battery life is really amazing with 66 hours of full GPS or 24 days of daily use. I only own one other watch that has better battery life than the COROS APEX PRO 2 and that is the Garmin Enduro 2. The GPS is amazing on the watch and doesn’t take long to lock on either. It has the GNSS chipset and receives signals from all five major satellite systems and has dual frequency support. Some of the safety features of the watch are storm alerts, altitude mode, nutrition alert, sun movements and night mode. The optical sensors seems to do a good job tracking heart rate. It also monitors sleep quality, deep, light and REM. It gives heart rate variability. You can also check your blood oxygen levels. Music storage is still limited to Mp3 which is very surprising with today’s plethora of streaming music. The map navigation is still limited to GPX route and does not give turn-by-turn. There is no ANT+ and Bluetooth is the only way you can connect external sensors. I did several short and long runs using this watch and it performed amazingly. The tracking via GPS and heart rate were right on target with my other watches that I used simultaneously. PRO’s: - Excellent battery life - Sleek design - Accurate GPS and heart rate monitor - Easy to use Coros app CON’s: - No ANT+ - Scroll wheel requires lock - No streaming music - No turn by turn navigation SUMMARY: Overall, this product worked as intended, and I would recommend this to a friend if they are in the market for an outdoor watch.

Great product, with an easy to understand UI. Two thumbs way up!

The Coros Apex 2 Pro is a great outdoor/sports watch but it does have a few quirks. The Apex 2 Pro has a plethora of choices when it comes to exercises and the choices you have for third party software. If you are a serious athlete or outdoors person that can benefit from dual satellite chip technology this watch could be great for you. The biggest thing that bothers me is the screen. Coming from another big-name smartwatch with an AMOLED screen the screen on the Coros along with the lack of brightness leaves a lot to be desired. However, one thing I do like which correlates with the dimmer screen is the long battery life. If I am out camping for a few days I would much rather have this watch because the battery last a long time and the satellite dual chips are great for the outdoors. It is kind of a catch-22 situation I just wish Coros would let us decide how bright we want the screen. The Apex 2 Pro has a lot of settings as well so it can take a while to learn the interface. Once you do though its great in that aspect and I love all of the different choices for everything on this watch. I am actually still mastering the interface and phone app. Another thing I really like is the build of this watch and the appearance. It is also very comfortable and while I did not think I would like the band I really love it. Still can not believe how comfortable it is. Another thing I feel like could be improved is the navigation interface of the watch and the app software but mostly the watch. I feel like the bottom button should always be the back button to exit out of thing but with some things I have to push the main button and the top one only does screen brightening momentarily. I have also not seen any adjustments for how long the screen stays brighter. I really do see where this watch fits in for me because it is different than my other watch. I just wish there were more watch faces and the ability to adjust the brightness mainly. They could do some polishing on it and give us a little more flexibility with the screen and I think people would be happier with it.

We’re smart watch junkies and have collected a few of them over the last few years, when I saw Coros had a new “rugged” Apex 2 Pro out and I had to give it a try. Unboxing, first impression and Setup: The watch comes in a nicely logoed cubicle “watch” styled box and inside was the watch, charging cable, nylon strap “already attached” user guide and that’s pretty much it. The watch itself is around the same size as the Galaxy Watch6 Classic, it weighs a good bit less but is also a good bit thicker too. The watch has Titanium “black with this one” bezel and back with a plastic “glass filled” body. The buttons and crown are metal and the whole watch has a pretty substantial build feel to it. The nylon band that comes with it is our favorite band type and we’ve found to be the most comfortable of them all, “for us”. We have 3 other smart / sport watches we are comparing it to, the Galaxy Watch6 Classic, Galaxy Watch6 44mm, and a Garmin Venue 3. The Garmin wins the weight prize coming in at 37.5g, with the GW6 44 next at 44.6g then comes tithe Apex 2 Pro at 52.6 and the GW6 Classic at a whopping 84.5g. The weight difference isn’t as noticeable as it is with the GW6C but the thickness of the watch is as easily snags on clothing when trying to get into a pocket. I like the Sapphire crystal as that super hard compared to the glass options on the others “besides the GW6C”, but the PVD coating on the black titanium bezel is not very tough and it was easily damaged by just barely scuffing it against a tile surface so it’s going to show wear really fast. Setting up was easy enough as you just download the Coros app and follow the instruction to add the watch and setup your Coros account “if you don’t have one already”, and let the watch do its updates “ours had one and it took awhile to finish it”, after that you are up and running and ready to start recording stats. The charging cable is more like how Garmin does it and has a “snap” in 3 pin proprietary connector “don’t lose your cable” and the watch charges up in just under an hour if fully depleted. The phone app has plenty of options on how you want the watch to look, from watch faces to how everything behaves and frequency of data collected, there’s really a lot of stuff to tweak if you want the best performance. You can also adjust all the setting through the watch but it’s so much easier to do it on the app, “you can also do most from your computer using the Coros Windows app and connecting it to the PC with the charging cable”. Using: The Apex 2 can definitely record a ton of data, if you want and you can really fine tune it down into very fine points. I’m using this during my 3x weekly 1-2mile hikes, weight training and indoor exercise equipment. So far, all the data has been within just a few single digit percentage points except for my hike where I know the distance is exactly 1.24miles in one spot, the Apex keeps showing 1.17miles, the other watches I have all show 1.2 to 1.25 miles, with the Garmin maybe being the most accurate. Heart rate and O2 levels are with one point of each other and that could just be from refresh rate or having the watches on different wrists when testing “yes I wore 4 of them for some tests”. The screen itself is our biggest issue, it’s nowhere near as clear and vibrant as any of the other watches but we do understand that they use this type of screen to reduce power and give a lot better battery life “which it definitely does” and I see this as more of a data collection device that can run days with using the screen to view anything as secondary. I do have it set up to show notifications for emails, txts and calls, but you cannot make or receive calls on it at all “which I rarely do on the others anyway” mostly to tell the time and check weather and other stats. Now out in bright sunlight the screen is a different story, it’s more like liquid paper type screens and looks better the brighter the outside lighting is where the others do wash out more and are not as easy to see even at full brightness. At night using the backlight is “ok” it’s just enough to read the screen and see what you need “I don’t like looking through messages on it”. It's really nice that you can download offline maps and the watch can be a fully functioning GPS unit and outdoors the maps look pretty good “not as good as on a phone but very usable”, accuracy is good especially if you turn up the accuracy but that does impact battery life but still it’s a lot better than any of the others if you use all their functions too. I also like how you can adjust what you see on screen for each activity and you can really tweak the layout of each and every one, plus you can create your own activity if there isn’t already a premade one there. We’re a little confused as how the ECG works as even after running the health check and going through everything to see the ECG being taken, we cannot figure out where to view that item. The software on the watch “and app” are a little clunky if you compare them to the others but that’s an easy fix with updates and hopefully Coros will polish up the interface a bit. I’ve also been trying sleep tracking, and there’s a difference between all three brands that’s for sure, and really none of the numbers “or sleep type, deep, rem, etc.”, match up very well between them. So for that I’d stick to one and just do your averages over time as trying to mix it up between them for sleep tracking would “at least for us” give some wild out of sync numbers. Conclusion: The new Coros Apex 2 Pro is sort of a tossup for us, if you want a super rugged smart watch that can handle a lot of rugged outdoor activities, has phenomenal battery life and can record very detailed information about your workout then this may be the watch you are looking for. If you are wanting more of a smart watch that you will be reading the screen a lot, want to receive calls on and do more App based things then you may want to check with the other brands. This is really an excellent data collection device and has plenty of battery life where you can easily go camping for a few days and not have to worry about charging it. The battery life is nowhere near as good on any of the other watches we have “not even close comparing the Samsungs”. So, if you are really into outdoor activities, and want a rugged smart watch we think this new watch from Corso will be right up your alley.

The COROS APEX 2 Pro GPS Watch is a great option for anyone who loves spending time outdoors and needs a watch that can keep up. Whether you're a hiker, a trail runner, swimmer, or a climber, the APEX 2 Pro has the features and durability you need to take your adventures to the next level. With its rugged construction, long battery life, and comprehensive list of training and tracking tools, the APEX 2 Pro is a true all-in-one watch for outdoor enthusiasts. First off, I wanted to mention that the watch is comfortable wear, even for extended periods. The Velcro wrist band makes the watch adjustable to fit pretty much any size wrist. The features a large backlit display 1.3 touch screen display that is easy to read and even when its bright out. The watch is extremely durable boasting a scratch-resistant sapphire glass screen and a titanium alloy bezel and being water and temperature resistant, so you can take this anywhere and everywhere on your adventures. I have owned many smart watches but one of the APEX 2 Pros’ biggest strengths is its battery life. The watch boasts a whopping 75 hours of full GPS use and 30 days of standard usage. After full 48 hours of normal usage, I had lost about 5 percent battery life, which was amazing. The APEX 2 Pro also utilizes multiple global navigation satellite systems for GPS tracking, ensuring you stay on course and know where you are always. With a built-in barometer, compass, accelerometer, Gyro sensor, and Optical heart rate sensor you'll have all the tools you need right on your wrist. I have taken the APEX on my runs and my swims and its features like heart rate monitoring, pace tracking, recovery time estimation, and training load analysis, helped me gain insight into my performance and areas of improvement. I plan on taking this on my next hiking trip to see how well it performs. Overall, the COROS APEX 2 Pro is a great choice for anyone looking for fitness watch that is feature-rich, rugged, and boasts a long battery life for their adventures. I did not encounter any issues or run into anything that I did not like about the APEX and therefore would highly recommend that is in the market for check out this watch.

Quick Overview ================================= Though they look similar, these dedicated fitness watches are much different than smartwatches. They're typically more rugged, have larger batteries, and may lose some "smart" features to prioritize fitness-related features. This Coros 2 Apex Pro is a great example of a rugged fitness watch with key features for runners, hikers and other athletes while including some basic "smart" features that can help you get through a modern workday. Overall build ================================= This isn't at all like a FitBit-style fitness band - this is a substantial piece of hardware! Opening the box, I was worried that the 47mm (1.3") screen would be too big for my smallish wrists, but I thought it was a surprisingly good fit and size. It has a titanium alloy bezel and a sapphire glass screen which should protect it from all but the worst abuse. It's waterproof to 50m with 5 ATM of water resistance. Though it's a fabric strap with velcro, I never felt that it would slip or open. It's got multiple velcro strips that hang on tightly and I like how easy that made it to adjust it or take it off when needed. Large buttons on the top and bottom are easy to reach for the light and "back" feature while the crown works perfectly. I would have loved a bit of a racheting/detent-style motion, but I'm sure a lot of people like the smoothly-scrolling dial. Either way, it works well and the controls are intuitive. Unlike a true smartwatch, the touchscreen is only active when you set it (maps, etc.) and "unlocking" it requires pushing in the crown for 3 seconds (shown on the screen) to defend against unintended swipes and changes. I'm actually OK with it though I didn't think I would be, initially. Initial setup ================================= The box included a proprietary charging cable which connects under the watch. I left it to get a full charge and came back when it was at 100%. Sure, people are used to magnetic, quick-disconnect, or wireless charging, but with a battery life of up to 24 days of regular use and 66 hours of full GPS usage, charging it won't be a big hassle. While it was charging, I downloaded the Coros app for Android, installed it, and used it to add my Coros Apex 2 Pro. The default watch face was fine, but a bit busy and the data points were too small so I dug into the app's menu to check out some alternatives. There were tons! I quickly chose one that showed a lot of info at a readable size and then continued to check out the other settings. There are tons of customization options to add or even edit the order of. For example, you can change what a long-press of the Light button does (Stopwatch, Maps, etc.), left or right hand usage, and what side of the watch face your dial is on. You can edit or remove the exercises you'd like listed so you can quickly select what activity you're going to use it for. There are almost too many options to adjust so I checked them out but left them there for now. There's a Wi-Fi sync option you can set up as well which gives you connectivity while you're home and possibly away from your phone. Performance ================================= For those that might be used to a smartwatch, the screen may seem dim in comparison, but with the light on when needed I thought it was fine for regular usage. The display is nice and large with enough watch faces to fit what you need functionally and stylistically. After nearly a week of usage, I'm still at 60% battery with a few training sessions, so the battery life claims seem to hold up. It's definitely better than my FitBit Charge 5! I took the device for a few activities including a stationary bike, tennis, running, and 2 short hikes. The first thing you'll want to do before starting an activity is selecting it via spinning the dial, holding still while the GPS syncs up, then getting started! Running and tennis are just tracked with cardio data like heart rate, distance, etc. The watch doesn't actually know I'm playing tennis, which is fine - I think that's too tough to distinguish. Just remember to stop the activity when you're done. For the hike, this was more interesting! I started at the bottom of the trail and started the hiking activity on the watch. When I finished the first pass, I saw that it mapped out my path and noticed the elevation changes as well! Of course, it was tracking my heart rate and pace throughout. Note - during the day, it checks your heart rate once every 10 minutes by default (probably for that long battery life) but it will do it constantly during your activities. Opening up the app to check the hike's data, I was pleased with the data including the compass, temperature, the trail, the distance, my speed, and training load. It did a much better job than I expected, especially compared to my old smartwatches that didn't have a GPS (relies on the phone's connection). Coros claims this has a redesigned GPS antenna and dual-frequency GNSS support. Their free offline maps for navigation will help if you're ever hiking out of reliable cellular range. For serious runners there's integration with Strava and others. I think the app is pretty powerful with data and training aids for keeping detailed track of your workouts including weightlifting. The Training Hub (PC and Mac) is a powerful piece of software that can help you keep tabs on your larger screen. Dashboards and data are all present and look great. They are modern and I love the calendar view to keep track of all the days that I did and didn't workout! Nothing keeps you going like some accountability! Comparing the results and tracking to my FitBit Charge 5 is interesting and confirms what I suspected: the FitBit counts way too many steps! I had 2 previous smartwatches before switching over to a fitness band and I always thought the step count was inflated. I've seen the Coros track from 15-50%(!) less steps than the FitBit. On lower-activity days, I think it's clearly more accurate. Remember when I said this wasn't a smartwatch? Yes, it does have sleep tracking, SpO2, HRV, etc., but don't expect to play or control Spotify on here. What you can do is load MP3s (remember those?) onto the watch - the Pro has 32GB of memory which is plenty for a lot of music, but you will need your own music library for that. Conclusion ================================= I didn't think I was ready for a large fitness-focused watch, but this really changed my opinion of this rugged category of watches. When I had a smartwatch, I felt I was underutilizing it since I really just wanted some pulse/sleep stats along with my notifications for important emails. I rarely used it for music or other functions. I didn't expect to like this Coros Apex 2 Pro so much, but I think I'm going to use this as motivation to keep better track of my workouts and activities to stay (get?) healthier. If you're shopping Garmin and Suunto, definitely check out Coros as well!

The COROS Apex 2 Pro is an outdoors navigational and workout wonder. It is refreshing to see a watch that can truly communicate with GPS satellites without having to rely on your smartphone. Moreover, multiple landscape and topographical maps can be downloaded and used directly from the watch, so you’ll always find your way back to civilization. Can’t wait for the weather to get better to do some hikes and MTB rides off the beaten path. So I got the watch less than a week ago and have been wearing it ever since. I first gave it a full charge, even though it came charged to about 70%. If I had known how unbelievably great the battery life is, I would have started using it right out of the box…despite having all features, notifications, GPS, Wi-Fi and bluetooth enabled, and several outdoor workouts, it is only down to 78% after 5-days of heavy use. That beats any other smartwatch I’ve ever used. The setup was straight forward, start with installing the COROS App, then scan the QR code on the watch display to pair it with your phone. If your phone camera has a hard time focusing on the QR code, you can also use bluetooth to discover/pair it. There are no additional apps you can install on the watch itself, but it can receive notifications from many popular email and messaging apps, as well as phone call notifications, weather apps, and of course it can also integrate with a dozen or so other popular fitness apps. Love the built-in Compass App. The COROS App has a comprehensive collection of settings, customizations, a couple of dozen customizable activities and workouts that exceed any other fitness device or smart watch I’ve ever used. There are over 200 different digital and analog watch faces you can choose from and you can also create customizations. Workouts, heart rate, oxygen, stress and sleep patterns are accurately tracked. I did have some trouble with workouts being paused because the screen/buttons weren’t locked. There were a couple of very windy days with temps in the low 30s and windchill factor well into the 20s, so I had to wear a winter jacket while jogging, the sleeves and hand movement inadvertently paused the workout. The Apex 2 Pro needs a better auto-lock or even manual lock function. It’s a nice looking watch, not too bulky, titanium based durability and light weight at 53g. The velcro band was a bit itchy/scratchy at first, but it’s softened up after a few days of use and no longer leaves a fine velcro pattern on my wrist. Display is a bit dim for my preference, and despite the vivid colors of the watch faces in the App, they don’t look anywhere near as bright and colorful on the watch itself. It’s almost like a gray scale display that in certain lighting conditions you have to find the right angle to look at for best visibility that’s aided by the backlight. I have been spoiled by AMOLED displays but I would definitely sacrifice some battery life for a brighter display. Time will also tell how well the proprietary charging port will hold up against sweat and dirt that could get stuck in there or corrode the contacts. Hopefully a future version will be able to incorporate wireless charging and eliminate the need for yet another proprietary charging cable.

As an active person who likes to work out in the gym and outdoors, I like to track my workouts and I rely heavily on technology to enhance my runs. I recently got the COROS APEX 2 Pro GPS Outdoor Watch , and I've been very impressed with all the features this watch has to offer. The first thing that struck me about the APEX 2 Pro is its sleek and stylish design. The watch feels robust and durable, due to its high-quality construction and premium materials. Its rugged design ensures it can withstand the rigors of working out, outdoor running, and its water resistance up to 100 meters. The watch face is 1.3in made with Sapphire Glass, which will help stop deep scratches. The watch face is 33 mm and the LCD screen resolution comes in at 260x260, which isn't the best or brightest compared to some other smartwatches on the market but it gets the job done. The wristband is a velcro Nylon, that absorbs sweat and from the week of heavy use it has started to stink. The watchband can be removed to wash and clean and Coros makes a rubber band that you can purchase if the nylon band isn't your style. The standout feature of the APEX 2 Pro is its advanced GPS functionality. The watch utilizes multiple satellite systems, including GPS to provide accurate positioning and tracking, even in challenging environments. The APEX 2 Pro reliably tracks my location and provides detailed route information, allowing me to set my path and navigate it and track my distance accurately. Smartwatch Battery life is always a concern when it comes to watches, but the APEX 2 Pro exceeds expectations in this regard. With its ultra-low-power display and efficient power management system, the watch boasts an impressive battery life of up to 40 days in regular use and up to 100 hours in GPS mode. The extended battery life ensures that the watch remains running throughout long hikes without the need for frequent recharging, providing peace of mind during extended outdoor runs. My average battery use after 1 day was about 4-5% with a light workout, checking text messages and other stat trackings. Training and Performance Metrics: For fitness enthusiasts and athletes, the APEX 2 Pro offers a bunch of training and performance metrics. The watch tracks various activities, including running, cycling, swimming, and more, providing detailed data on distance, pace, heart rate,sleep, elevation,and blood oxygen. The information it provides is invaluable for analyzing performance, setting goals, and monitoring progress over time, helping one optimize their training and achieve their fitness objectives. That being said, the tracking can be a little off when running on a treadmill, which is kinda expected because it's super exact since it’s not using the GPS to track how far you've run. That being but it allows you to edit your distance after the run to what you ran on the treadmill. Smart Features: In addition to its advanced tracking and training capabilities, the APEX 2 Pro offers a range of smart features that enhance its versatility and convenience. These include smartphone notifications, music controls, weather forecasts, and customizable watch faces. The watch seamlessly integrates with the COROS app, allowing users to sync data, customize settings, and access additional features such as workout planning and route sharing. Then there is an app on the web page where you can download specific workout plans straight to your watch. Overall, the COROS APEX 2 Pro GPS Outdoor Watch is a standout choice for outdoor enthusiasts and athletes alike. With its great design, advanced GPS functionality, long battery life, extensive training metrics, and smart features, it offers everything one could need for successful outdoor adventures and fitness pursuits. You can't go wrong picking this watch.