How Location-based Voice Notes On This Coros Smartwatch Transformed My Trail Runs

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The Coros Apex 4 is disposable now successful 42mm and 46mm sizes, for $429 and $479, respectively.
• Its agelong artillery life continues to beryllium a Coros foundational element, and nan speaker/microphone support hands-free calls and sound notes.
• The watch sports a little solution display, has a minimal 5 ATM h2o guidance rating, and nary 3rd statement app support.

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Back successful 2022, I looked astatine nan Coros Apex 2 and Apex 2 Pro, calling retired their capacity and build value comparative to price. Now, I'm happy to revisit nan brand's lineup pinch nan caller Apex 4 series, including 2 sizes of its mid-range smartwatch.

I spent a mates weeks salmon sportfishing connected nan Puget Sound, way running, hiking, walking, and rowing pinch nan caller 46mm Coros Apex 4, and first impressions uncover a worthy follow-up pinch improved mapping capability, pinch faster representation zoom, off-course alerts, and turn-by-turn navigation to sanction a fewer features. 

Also: I tested nan champion sports watches successful 2025: Here are nan latest and top watches, nary matter your budget

The Apex 4 Pro fits into Coros' extended smartwatch lineup alongside nan Pace, Nomad, and Vertix series, arsenic a smartwatch targeted toward athletes who way run, alpine run, and ski. If you regularly do immoderate of those activities, nan Apex 4 Pro would make a peculiarly bully watch, since it includes a fistful of features pinch elevation arsenic a cardinal component.

Personally, I bask way moving successful nan section foothills of Mount Rainier and person my Icon walk each fresh to spell for this winter's alpine snowfall skiing season, truthful I scheme connected testing nan Apex 4 connected nan slopes erstwhile nan play begins. 

There are a fistful of features that are suited conscionable for this usage case. For alpine skiing, you tin download topographic maps, which past automatically detects downhill laps and skis assistance rides, displayed connected nan saved activity information pages. Pinned sound notes travel successful useful here, allowing you to telephone retired wherever that cleanable jump aliases hazard are located, and tin beryllium easy shared. 

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The Apex 4 launched pinch a caller bottommost near Action button, a microphone for signaling sound notes pinned to your location, and nan Adventure Journal that syncs photos and videos pinch your navigation track. There's besides a speaker, truthful successful summation to sound pins you tin execute hands-free calling and person audio alerts during activities. 

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The Apex 4 is rather ray acknowledgment to its usage of a titanium bezel and precocious spot polymer backing material, weighing 64 grams pinch nan silicone set and 52 grams pinch nan nylon band. 

The third-generation memory-in-pixel show looks peculiarly awesome outside, contributing to its agelong artillery life. The 46mm exemplary I tested has GPS search artillery life ranging from 41 hours to 65 hours, depending connected accuracy level selected, truthful I person only had to complaint it erstwhile since I started my testing. In emblematic smartwatch use, nan watch should past much than 3 weeks.

Also: Coros rolls retired limited-edition Chamonix Apex 2 Pro, positive August 2023 update

I'm besides a immense instrumentality of nan USB-C keychain charging adapter that Coros now includes pinch its watches. The mini adapter secures to nan backmost of your watch and connects to immoderate USB-C cablegram pinch nan adapter housed successful a useful cardinal ringing holder truthful you tin easy recreation pinch it and not person to lug different cables aliases chargers along. Then again, you astir apt won't request to complaint it for emblematic business trips and vacations fixed its agelong artillery life and reliable performance.

Matthew Miller/ZDNET

The Apex 4 besides includes nan very cool Adventure Journal capacity on pinch elaborate mapping that's speedy connected nan watch. Save sound pins and return photos on nan measurement to create a multimedia portfolio of your adventures that you tin prevention pinch family and friends. Coros moreover provides very meticulous sound to matter transcription successful nan smartphone app truthful you don't person to playback your sound notes to cognize what specifications you recorded on your journey.

While sound pins and hands-free calling are useful, I would personally usage a LED flashlight much often. Given nan agelong artillery life and outdoor escapade attraction of Coros watches, I judge dream to spot this added successful nan future. It's honestly 1 of nan past features keeping maine tied to Garmin watches. Well, that, and subscription euphony support, 3rd statement apps, support for golf, and more.

Matthew Miller/ZDNET

Coros offers a very customizable experience, but I find nan fonts excessively mini connected nan Daily Data database of widgets and haven't been capable to set font sizes connected nan watch. The correct precocious integer dial and backmost fastener are good positioned for easy navigation, however, while nan caller Action fastener useful good wrong activities to execute cardinal functions.

ZDNET's buying advice

The Coros Apex 4 fits successful betwixt nan Nomad and Vertix pinch 2 size options, nan summation of a speaker, and higher value materials (titanium and sapphire glass). Support for each of nan aforesaid sports and activities are disposable connected some truthful it comes down to what you are looking for from your hardware, arsenic good arsenic size and weight options disposable to you. The Apex 4 is simply a compelling sports watch disposable for little than $500.