Coros is quickly expanding its lineup of fitness watches, adding its fourth watch in less than two years. The company first debuted the entry-level Pace in early 2018 and followed that with the triathlete-focused Apex in late 2018. After releasing its first adventure watch, the Vertix, early in 2019, the company is back in the news with its latest watch, the Apex Pro. The Apex Pro builds upon the success of the Apex, but extends the battery life by 14% and adds new elevation features for hikers and climbers.
The Apex Pro may carry the Apex name, but the watch borrows heavily from the Vertix adventure watch. The Apex Pro has a scratch-resistant sapphire glass display and a titanium bezel that can stand up to abuse. Just like the Vertix, the Apex Pro also has 1.2-inch, 240 x 240 sunlight-readable display. The display is packaged into a 52mm casing which is slightly larger than the 49mm Vertix. Now the largest watch in Coros’s lineup, the Apex Pro adds aluminum into its design making it lighter (59g) than the Vertix (76g) and competing adventure watches from Garmin and Suunto.
The similarities between the Vertix and the Apex Pro don’t end there. The Apex Pro has the same pulse oximeter which debuted in the Vertix earlier this year. Unlike other brands that use the pulse oximeter for sleeping, the pulse oximeter in the Apex Pro is used primarily for altitude acclimation. Designed for high-altitude athletes, the company’s new Altitude mode monitors blood oxygen levels every hour and will warn you if you need to head back down to a lower elevation. Adventurers can turn on this feature when the need it and turn it off when they head back to lower ground.
Coros is known for its outstanding power management, so it’s not surprising that the big selling feature of the Apex Pro is its mind-blowing battery life. On a full charge, the Apex Pro can last a whopping 40 hours in full GPS mode, which is a 14% increase over the original Apex. It also boasts of a 100 hours of tracking in the power-saving UltraMode, which dials down the GPS and heart rate monitor to maximize battery life. Outstanding battery life isn’t limited to endurance activities, it also applies to day-to-day activities. Similar to Coros’s other watches, the Apex Pro can go a full month of regular use without needing to charge. Keep track of that charging cable because you’ll go so long between charges that you may forget where you left it.
The new Coros Apex Pro will be available in black with a black band or silver with a green band. You can pre-order now on Coros’s website and the watch will start shipping on September 26. The Apex Pro is priced at $500.
